FIFA WORLD CUP
The football (soccer) official world championship kicks off in June. Host nations this time around are Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Discover where the matches will be in this year's World Cup, marvel at just how global the event really is, trace the history of the event from its beginnings in 1930, revel in some fun facts about the event, appreciate the cultural diversity of the mascots from year to year, and find out how a dog saved the World Cup trophy.
Kids to Again Lead World Cup Players onto the Field
Again this year, youngsters are escorting the FIFA World Cup players onto the field for matches. About 1,400 boys and girls in all will serve as Player Escorts for 66 matches in 11 host cities in the U.S. Cities in co-hosts Canada and Mexico will have similar activities, which also include escorting the referee and even carrying the game ball.
Mora, 17, Mexico's Youngest-ever World Cup Player
The youngest player on Mexico's FIFA World Cup team got to play in the opener. He has yet to turn 18 but has played in dozens of professional matches already. Gilberto Mora was 17 years, 240 days old when he joined the squad on the pitch during Mexico's 2–0 win over South Africa in both teams' first match of the 2026 event. Mora, the youngest player overall on any team, became Mexico's youngest-ever World Cup participant, breaking a record that had stood since the first World Cup in 1930. (Manuel Rosas Sanchez was 18 when he played for Mexico in the inaugural event.) The pressure didn't get to the teen: He completed all 14 passes that he attempted.
CURRENT EVENTS
Italian Students Break Paper Airplane Record by a Long Way
July 9, 2026
Pisa is perhaps most well-known for its famed Leaning Tower. But the Italian city can now lay claim to a Guinness World Record, thanks to a group of students using paper and glue. The seven University of Pisa students, who named their plane Icarus, after the figure from Greek mythology who famously flew too close to the Sun, built a paper airplane 7 meters (23 feet) in length, with a wingspan of 20 meters (65.5 feet). The construction weighed 28.5 kilograms (nearly 63 pounds). And it flew for nearly 200 feet.
The Strait of Hormuz: Geography and Global Importance
The Strait of Hormuz is a body of water between Iran and Oman and is vastly important economically and politically because it is the only waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans. A very large number of ships move through the strait each day, transporting exports from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to ports worldwide. All of this is important in a global economic sense because one-fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas and one-quarter of the ship-carried oil travels through the strait. If the tankers carrying that oil and gas cannot pass through the strait, then they must find a longer way around (if possible), causing delays with delivery and potentially raising prices of the oil and gas being delivered. (As well, a large number of ships transport fertilizers from Middle Eastern ports to the wider world.)
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COLONIAL AMERICA
Patrick Henry: Voice of Freedom
Patrick Henry was one of the leading lights of the American Revolution, a voice that would not be silenced until Americans were free and could govern themselves.
Samuel Adams: Ringleader of the American Revolution
 Described as a firebrand, a revolutionary, and a patriot, the young Adams was perhaps the most vocal of his generation to demand independence from Great Britain. He believed in the higher cause of independence, and he didn't often let laws that he thought unjust stand in his way.
Benjamin Franklin: America's Renaissance Man
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most famous people of his generation, his country, and his country’s history. He was as close as Colonial America came to having a Renaissance man.
John Hancock: The Money Behind the Revolution
 John Hancock is perhaps best known for his very large signature on the Declaration of Independence. However, he was much more important to the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War as a businessman who had large sums of money at his disposal and used that money to support the American cause.
The Boston Tea Party
What caused Americans to get so upset about tea? Find out in this easy-to-read article.
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IN DAYS GONE BY
The Northwest Ordinance
 The Northwest Ordinance was a 1787 act of Congress that created the Northwest Territory. The Northwest Territory included what is now Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as part of Minnesota. In earlier days, this was called the Old Northwest. Native Americans had long lived in these lands. France in the 17th Century was the European power to claim ownership, followed not long afterward by Great Britain. A handful of states claimed land in the territory, and disagreements ensued. Congress ended up keeping the peace by assuming ownership of the whole area. Thomas Jefferson had high hopes for the spread of democracy in the new territory, in the hope of a wave of individual farmers living on their own plots of land. On July 13, 1787, Congress approved the Northwest Ordinance, which created the Northwest Territory.
Bastille Day: French Independence Day
 The
French Independence Day is Bastille Day, July 14. It's
called that because it celebrates the storming of the
Bastille, a famous prison, during the French Revolution, in
1789. With the taking of this prison, the movement to
replace a monarchy with a representative
government began. Before
its end, the Revolution and the Reign of Terror would claim
hundreds of lives, including those of the king and queen.
France would never be the same.
The Great Fire of Rome
For six days in July 64, the city of Rome was consumed by fire. Summer temperatures and winds were already high; many buildings were made of wood and poorly constructed; and, according to some sources, high-ranking officials hampered efforts to control the blaze. As a result, many people died and 10 of the 14 city regions were either heavily affected or ruined. To this day, historians cannot agree on some basic elements of the story, including who, if anyone, might have caused the blaze. Rome at that time was a city of 2 million people, many of whom were poor, living in slums. It was in one of these areas, at the Capena Gate, a marketplace near the huge stadium Circus Maximus, that the fire began, late on the night of July 18. The stadium quickly went up in flames, as did a large part of the city. Hot summer winds fanned the flames. ...
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ECONOMICS
(For a description of these fun, illustrated,
easy-to-read articles, click here.)
Making
a Budget
One
thing that every good
money manager does is make a budget. Find out why and
how.
Why
All the Graphics in
Economics?
Economics needs so many graphs because it tracks trends and
other numerical information that other subjects in the
social studies don't, at least not nearly as often. Take the
mystery and difficulty out of charts, tables, and graphs!
The
Importance of Trade
Trade is vital to the success of a civilization. Why? The
civilization that can produce just enough of everything it
and its people need to survive is rare indeed. Can you think
of an example, today or in the long history of people? Keep
thinking ...
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GEOGRAPHY
Basic
Geography: The Equator and the Prime
Meridian
The
earth is a globe, of
course, and can be divided into lots of lines called
latitude and longitude. Latitude
lines run north and south; longitude lines run east and
west. The lines measure distances in degrees. But where do you start? Where
is 0 degrees? This
illustrated article answers those questions and more in a
fun, easy-to-read way.
Latitude
and Longitude
Latitude and Longitude help us identify the location of
places on a globe. These links give you a better
understanding of these important concepts.
Unforgiving Places
Deserts, mountains, wastelands—these are some of the planet's Unforgiving Places. Learn more about these lonely yet intriguing destinations.
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ANCIENT ROME
 The Roman civilization was full of famous people, places, and things. One of the giants of the ancient civilizations was Rome: the city, the republic, the empire, and much more.
Among the more well-known ancient Romans were Julius Caesar, Augustus (right), Pompey, Nero, Caligula.
An elaborate slave class powered the might of Rome, and perhaps no slave was more famous than Spartacus, who led a large-scale revolt in the year 73.
Rome had many enemies. Among the most well-known were Hannibal, Atilla the Hun, Alaric the Visigoth, the Etruscans, the Samnites, and the Parthians. It was the Roman legion that won the wars and kept the peace for a great many years. Rome also suffered through years of internal strife.
The Romans were great builders, of roads, aqueducts, baths, and temples. They built a system of laws that formed the basis for many a legal system to follow.
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ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL MESOAMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA
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| The Ancient Olmecs
The Olmecs were one of the first advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica and, as such, influenced later, more well-known civilizations in that area.
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The Ancient Maya
From humble beginnings in the Yucatan, the Maya rose to dominance across what is now Central America and southern Mexico, spreading their knowledge of science, architecture, and survival far and wide.
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The Aztecs
The Aztecs were an economic and cultural powerhouse, ruling much of what is now Mexico and the surrounding area for a few centuries in the late Middle Ages. They came to power by defeating internal rivals, and they lost power by underestimating an overseas foe.
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The Inca
The Inca Empire stretched thousands of miles along the western coast of South America. At its height, this empire, with its capital at Cuzco, was the largest in the world.
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Why Is It Called a River Delta?
As with many things, the answer lies in Ancient Greece.
Why Is It That American Elections Are on Tuesday?
Elections in American happen on a Tuesday. That's the law. But why?
Why Is It Called Big Ben?
Big Ben is actually the giant bell inside the famous Clock Tower in London. It is not the only bell in the tower, and it is certainly not the tower itself.
Significant Sevens are the highest, the lowest, the deepest, the farthest, the oldest, the youngest, and a host of other lists in economics, geography, history, and much more.
The 7 Most Visited National Parks in the U.S.
The 7 Longest Train Journeys in the World
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Cultural Icons are the instantly recognizable monuments, landforms, buildings, and many other kinds of landmarks that define a people, place, or culture.
Angkor Wat
The Angkor Wat complex, the world's largest religious monument, has as its main features a 213-foot-tall central tower and four surrounding smaller towers, enclosed by a number of walls and a surrounding moat.
The
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge, still one of the world's longest suspension bridges, opened to the public on May 24, 1883.
The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was once criticized for its design. It is now, and has been for some time, one of the most recognized and visited structures in the world.
Versailles
The opulent palace and grounds were the seat of government and playground of French monarchs for many years. Now, annual visitors top 3 million.
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DID YOU KNOW?
It took a century ... 
Ludwig van Beethoven's iconic piano composition Fur Elise wasn't published for more than a century after he wrote it.
Find out why.
Actress and inventor
 Actress Hedy Lamarr was one of the most famous actresses of her generation, starring opposite such famous leading men as Clark Gable, John Garfield, Spencer Tracy, and Robert Young. She was also a scientist and inventor. One of her inventions forms the basis of much of today's wireless technology.
Find out more.
Who drives on which
side of the road
Several dozen of the world's countries and territories stipulate that drivers must adhere to the left side of the road; the rest of the world, about two-thirds of the population, drives on the right. Ever wonder why some countries have drivers go on the left?
Find out here.
Canals once powered commerce
Before the advent of the railroad, many American goods and people traveled by river, along a network of canals. An entire industry grew up around the shipping of goods by canal. Ship captains made their living shipping goods back and forth between cities and ports. In between journeys, captains and boat workers lived in communities along canals.
Find out more.
The 1st licensed female pilot
Baroness la Deroche was the first woman to earn a pilot's license. She did so in 1910. The Frenchwoman flew planes in airshows in several countries, including Egypt, France, Hungary, and Russia.
Find out more.
Demand for tulips once
ruined many fortunes
The Dutch Tulip Bubble was an economic episode that bankrupted many individuals and cost many others their credibility but left the government and its treasury and reputation largely unscathed. Many people also refer to this episode as Tulip Mania.
Find out more.
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