Yesterday was Friday May 15, 2026
EDITION #1305 This issue 5ยข
This is day 136 of 2026

The Largest Rodent Ever

Used News Wildlife

Friday September 19, 2003

The largest rodent ever was a giant guinea pig as big as a buffalo, which lived in South America eight million years ago, researchers say this week in the journal Science.

More than twice as heavy as the previous record holder, it was more than 10 times the size of today's largest living rodent, the South American Capybara. This giant rodent grazed on grasses, which it must have eaten in large ...

Read All About It →

Did You Know

  • A volcano has enough power to shoot ash as high as 50 km into the atmosphere.

  • An earthquake on December 16, 1811 caused parts of the Mississippi River to flow backwards.

  • Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar were both epileptic.

View More...

Latest Posts

Thursday February 28, 2008

Visitors to the UK's Metropolitan Police recruitment website saw a cuddly monster on the weekend, after a hacker broke into the site.

The cheeky hackers broke into London's Metropolitan Police recruitment website, and posted a picture of a cuddly toy on its front page. Beneath the picture of the green stripy animal they added taunting comments. ...

Read All About It →

Advertisement

ad

Friday September 19, 2003

The largest rodent ever was a giant guinea pig as big as a buffalo, which lived in South America eight million years ago, researchers say this week in the journal Science.

More than twice as heavy as the previous record holder, it was more than 10 times the size of today's largest living rodent, the South American Capybara. This giant rodent grazed on grasses, which it must have eaten in large ...

Read All About It →
  • During World War II, Uncle Bens was the exclusive supplier of rice to the U.S. Armed Forces.

  • A volcano has enough power to shoot ash as high as 50 km into the atmosphere.

  • Airports that are at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.

Quips

The Minister unveiled the Church's new donations campaign on Sunday: "I upped my Pledge - Up Yours".

Filed Under: Church Notices


The 1991 Spring Council Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11.

Filed Under: Church Notices


Sign seen at a Hair Salon: We curl up and dye for you.

Filed Under: Signs


Fun Book Titles

  • Apologizing Made Simple
    - by Thayer Thorry

  • How to Feed Elephants
    - by P. Nutts

  • All Aboard!
    - by Abel Seamann

  • School Meals
    - by R. E. Volting

  • Peek-a-Boo!
    - by I. C. Hugh

View More: Book Titles

Good Question

  • If there are 52 weeks in a year, how many weeks are there in a light year?

  • How long will a floating point operation float?

  • Why does an inspiring sight like a sunrise always have to take place at such an inconvenient time?

Filed Under: Good Question

World Firsts

  • Jean-Bertrand Aristide is sworn in as Haiti's 1st elected President.

    Thursday February 7, 1991

  • Filed Under: → Politics


  • France recognizes the United States of America and signs a treaty of aid in Paris; it's the 1st U.S. treaty.

    Friday February 6, 1778

  • Filed Under: → War


  • The 1st successful United States educational magazine "Academician", starts publishing in New York City.

    Saturday February 7, 1818

  • Filed Under: → Education


Events

  • A father and son in Alabama were killed when they crashed into each other in a head-on collision. Jeffrey Morris Brasher and his son Austin Blaine Brasher of Bankston, Alabama, died early Saturday morning.

    Jeffrey Brasher was driving a 2006 Ford pickup and his son was driving a 2004 Chevrolet truck when they collided on a highway head-on, said Alabama State Trooper Jonathon Appling.

    Saturday February 18, 2017

  • Filed Under: → Deaths


  • The man known as the 'Crocodile Hunter' died after his chest was punctured by a stingray barb while diving off Australia's northeast coast. The 44 year-old colourful personality was filming a documentary about the Great Barrier Reef when tragedy struck.

    According to friend and colleague, John Stainton, Steve Irwin swam too close to the ray while he was diving off his boat "Croc One" near Batt Reef, northeast of Port Douglas.

    Monday September 4, 2006

  • Filed Under: → Deaths


  • Relatives of a 91-year-old Ohio woman who died this week are giving her the last word with a sassy, occasionally profane obituary that starts with the basics, "I was born. I lived. I died.", and instructs people to "Wait the appropriate amount of time" before trying to claim her stuff.

    They wrote it in Jean Oddi's perspective, recapping the people important to her, adventures she had and her favorite activities, including playing cards and teaching her granddaughter "dirty songs".

    Thursday February 23, 2017

  • Filed Under: → Deaths


  • When you have given nothing, ask for nothing.
    - Albanian Proverb

  • Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf.
    - American Indian Proverb

  • Indecision is like a stepchild. If he does not wash his hands, he is called dirty, if he does, he is wasting water.
    - African Proverb

World Firsts

  • The 1st recorded race meet in England happens at Roodee Fields, Chester.

    Friday February 9, 1540

  • Filed Under: → Sports


  • The 1st successful United States educational magazine "Academician", starts publishing in New York City.

    Saturday February 7, 1818

  • Filed Under: → Education


  • Astronomical Society of Pacific holds its 1st meeting in San Francisco.

    Thursday February 7, 1889

  • Filed Under: → Science


View More: → World Firsts

Wise Words

  • Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf.
    - American Indian Proverb

  • When you have given nothing, ask for nothing.
    - Albanian Proverb

  • When elephants fight, it is the grass who suffers.
    - African Proverb

Filed Under: Wise Words

Good Question

  • When a doctor doctors a doctor does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as the doctor being doctored wants to be doctored, or does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as he wants to doctor?

  • You know that little indestructible black box that is used on planes. Why can't they make the whole plane out of the same material?

  • Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?

Filed Under: → Good Question