1. On This Day: July 2
On July 2, 1937, the aircraft carrying aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Frederick Noonan was reported missing in the South Pacific.
Amelia Earhart standing in front of the Lockheed Electra in which she disappeared in July 1937. Image courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute (via public domain)
2. Reported July 6
Courts in Florida ruled that France has the rights to a 453-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Jacksonville. France said the wrecked ship was part of their Royal Navy and the flagship of Ribault, who came back to Florida in 1565 to reinforce the struggling French at Fort Caroline. Read more on the Florida Times-Union and stream Secrets of Spanish Florida on WNET Passport:
3. Reported July 9
A new virtual reality experience may help save an ancient Egyptian tomb built for Queen Nefertari. The tomb is located in the Valley of the Queens near Luxor, and suffered damage in the past due to salt incrustations and age. A virtual experience could help preserve the tomb -known for its intricate paintings- from more damage from visitors. Read more from Live Science.
4. Reported July 10
Archaeologists in Greece may have discovered the oldest written record of Homer’s The Odyssey. Part of the ancient epic was engraved on a clay plaque found in the ancient Greek city of Olympia, the original site of the Olympic Games, according to TIME . Researchers have dated the plaque to the Roman times, likely before before the 3rd century AD. Read more from TIME.
Stream The Real Trojan Horse for free below.
5. On This Day: July 11
On July 11, 1843, A Charleston, South Carolina newspaper reported that a two-foot-long alligator fell from the sky during a thunderstorm. This can most likely be attributed to a meteorological phenomenon created by an updraft or water spout during or after a thunderstorm. Read the newspaper excerpt and for a look at some bigger, and much older reptiles, stream Graveyard of the Giant Beasts below: