On this day in 1948, while on his way to his evening prayer meeting in Delhi, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.

At the start of 1919 Albert Einstein was only moderately well-known. A solar eclipse that spring vaulted him to international fame.

Believe it or not, yams and sweet potatoes are totally different plants and not even closely related.

Happy birthday to Oprah Winfrey. The media icon and entrepreneur (who recently quashed speculation that she would run for president) turns 64 today.

The Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting "the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors," was certified on this day in 1919. The prohibition of alcohol remained in effect in the United States from 1920 until the amendment's repeal in 1933.

On this day in 1860: Russian writer Anton Chekhov, famous for his plays and short stories, was born.

Over the last 25 years, one of Antarctica's largest ice shelves has been slowly coming apart. Last summer a massive chunk of ice about the size of Delaware broke off into the sea. Scientists worry that the loss such a huge area may make the remainder of the ice shelf less stable and subject to complete disintegration.

Learn more: https://www.britannica.com/…/a-trillion-tonnes-of-antarctic…

When temperatures get cold, honeybees form a "winter cluster" in their hives, with the queen in the middle. ❄️🐝❄️

📝 This week we added a new entry on the titan arum. This plant, also called corpse flower, is known for its massive cluster of flowers that smell of rotting flesh.

On this day in 1986 the U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its liftoff from Florida. All seven crew members were killed, including a schoolteacher named Christa McAuliffe, who would have been the first private citizen in space.

How to distinguish bison from buffalo? Focus on the three H's: home, hump, and horns.

In the 17th century a French doctor performed the first human blood transfusions. Alas, they did not go as planned.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born this day in 1756. Although he composed many familiar tunes, he's often credited with one that he didn't actually write.

British writer Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was born this day in 1832.