People living near the active Kilauea volcano in Hawaii have reported finding green crystals near lava flows. The green comes from olivine, a mineral common in certain volcanic rocks. eb.com/science/olivine
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#BornOnThisDay in 1946, Freddie Mercury's flamboyant showmanship and powerfully agile vocals—most famously for the band Queen—made him one of rock’s most dynamic front men — bit.ly/2Lr1D7x
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#OnThisDay in 1963 U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas, while riding in an open car. eb.com/event/assassin
Singer-actress Judy Garland, best known for her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, was born #OnThisDay in 1922. britannica.com/biography/Judy
📈 TRENDING: Visits to the eb.com bio of Spiro Agnew are way up this week thanks to "Bag Man," the Rachel podcast about the former vice president's resignation and various scandals. eb.com/biography/Spir
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it." —Karl Marx
The revolutionary intellectual and coauthor of The Communist Manifesto was born 200 years ago today. #Marx200 britannica.com/biography/Karl
Octavia Butler: Multiple award-winner, 1st #scifi writer to win fellowship. #AmazingJob #BlackHistoryMonth ow.ly/lumP308AFEI
#OTD in 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court, ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. 🏳️🌈 britannica.com/event/Obergefe
📈 Now trending: common law, also called Anglo-American law. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions alluded to the latter term in a speech today. britannica.com/topic/common-l
#OnThisDay in 2011, Prince William of Wales, second in line to the British throne, married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Middleton, in a lavish ceremony broadcast to millions of television viewers.
📷Tom Hevezi/AP Images
Today Britannica joins #DayofFacts: a campaign for institutions of knowledge to share trusted content & reaffirm #factsmatter. Follow along!
Map of Japanese American #internment camps (1942-46) #Korematsu #MapMonday #history ow.ly/2ukl308uSox
Our #HappyPlace would probably be:
- a classroom
- a museum
- a library
Anywhere that learning takes place and minds are open to facts, ideas, and discoveries.
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Yes, I expect the “verified” users to participate. I want to know your #HappyPlace as well. 
Photo of the day: Women's Auxiliary Typographical Union float at a #LaborDay parade in New York City, 1909 (via britannica.com/topic/Labor-Day)
Mr. Cumberbatch can correct us any time.
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“He's correcting the Encyclopedia Britannica!”
#ParadesEnd day @CumberbatchSpam
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It's #BatAppreciationDay! This illustration depicts the features of a typical small bat and some variations.
via britannica.com/animal/bat-mam
📝 NEW #DEMYSTIFIED: For many centuries in Western societies, wedding dresses were of all different colors. And then Queen Victoria got married. #WomensHistoryMonth eb.com/story/why-do-b
Last year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize was the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (). The advocacy group was described as "a driving force when it comes to disarmament issues." britannica.com/topic/Internat
Illustration of a basking shark from our 9th edition (1886) #SharkWeek
The in New York City officially opened #OnThisDay in 1931; for four decades it was the tallest building in the world, and it's considered a U.S. landmark.
📷© Donald R. Swartz/Shutterstock.com
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When #ExecutiveOrder9066 was signed over 80,000 Japanese Americans were #Nisei: 2nd gen US born people. #fact
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(3/5) In 1868, after attempting to remove the secretary of war, Andrew Johnson was the first U.S. president to be #impeached.
He was acquitted by a margin of a single vote — bit.ly/2mxhVDm
The exterior of the National Museum of African American History and Culture () echoes the crowns worn by queens in ancient Yoruban sculpture. #BlackHistoryMonth britannica.com/topic/National
In a new essay for our 250th Anniversary Book of the Year, writes that "we have a compassion deficit that's reflected in the vitriol we now see online." She thinks it's time to do something about it. eb.com/topic/Cyberbul
1/ Chilean poet Nicanor Parra has died at age 103. He was the oldest living person in our database. britannica.com/biography/Nica
Climate & weather aren't the same - climate refers to conditions over long time periods. #DayofFacts #climatechange britannica.com/demystified/wh
#OnThisDay in 1970 began broadcasting on American television. It became known for various programs, notably the children's shows Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (starring Fred Rogers).
📷Mark Lennihan/AP Images
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The history of people in the Americas begins more than 30,000 years ago. Here are a few key facts about these earliest settlers. #NativeAmericanHeritageDay britannica.com/list/10-fascin
As an Encyclopedia, we can verify that we are no longer verified
#DYK In World War I the led a NYC march protesting brutality against African Americans. #BlackHistoryMonth ow.ly/uxV8308P1KG
On 's birthday, read the essay she wrote for our 250th Anniversary Book of the Year, on the need to end cyberbullying. eb.com/topic/cyberbul
We believe that facts matter. So did Mr. Trebek. Thank you for making learning fun for millions of viewers across generations. ❤️
On this day in 1954, lawyer Thurgood Marshall scored a landmark victory as the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. #OnThisDay
From the #archives: Our first bio of Aretha Franklin, in the 1969 Britannica Book of the Year, ended with a quote from the #QueenOfSoul:
"I sing to people about what matters. I sing to the realists, people who accept it like it is."
Today we turn 250, which means we're older than sliced bread. Also saxophones. And postage stamps. And hot-air balloons. #EB250
eb.com/story/happy-bi
When #HenriettaLacks died at age 31, she wasn't well-known. Since then, her cells have made her famous. #HeLaMovie britannica.com/biography/Henr
Or just visit our website. britannica.com/search?query=c
*clears throat*
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128
Happy #PiDay! britannica.com/science/pi-mat
Today is designated by as #WorldPressFreedomDay, which celebrates the principles of a free and open press. britannica.com/spotlight/250-
A refresher on how #microwaves work: They emit microwaves that transmit heat, not information. #factsmatter britannica.com/demystified/ho
📝 New entry: Harlem Hellfighters, an African American regiment in the U.S. Army during World War I. In addition to their feats on the battlefield, the Hellfighters have been credited with introducing European audiences to jazz. #WWI100 eb.com/topic/Harlem-H
#PhotoOfTheDay: Dian Fossey with a young mountain gorilla in Rwanda, circa early 1980s. Fossey, who became the world’s leading authority on mountain gorillas, was born #OTD in 1932. britannica.com/biography/Dian
Why did the people of Salem believe there were witches among them? One theory involves a surprising culprit. britannica.com/spotlight/how-
Happy 92nd birthday to British naturalist Sir David Attenborough. Through his TV programs, he has opened our eyes to the natural world for more than 60 years, from Zoo Quest (1954) to #BluePlanet2 (2017). britannica.com/biography/Davi
Italian painter Caravaggio, famed for the intense and unsettling realism of his works, was born #OnThisDay in 1571. eb.com/biography/Cara
American musician Bruce released Born in the U.S.A., which became one of his defining works, #OnThisDay in 1984.
📷Chris Walter/Retna Ltd.
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#OneGoodFact
More words in the English language begin with "s" than any other letter.
Happy birthday to ! The library was established #OnThisDay in 1800, when U.S. Pres. John Adams approved legislation for the purchase of books for use by Congress. It is now the largest library in the world, with more than 167 million items. britannica.com/topic/Library-
Happy birthday to , the first woman of color to travel in space. #WomeninSTEM britannica.com/biography/Mae-
No, the peace sign is not an anti-Christian symbol. Its origin lies in the nuclear-disarmament movement. #InternationalDayOfPeace eb.com/story/where-di
#OnThisDay in 1997 's chess-playing computer Deep Blue defeated in the last game of a 6 game match to claim a 3.5–2.5 victory. This was the 1st time a current world champ lost to a computer under tournament conditions.
📷Adam Nadel/AP Images
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Happy 21st birthday to Pakistani activist Yousafzai. For her efforts to expand children's access to education, she became the youngest-ever Nobel laureate. #MalalaDay eb.com/biography/Mala
Happy 70th birthday to Brazilian author , best known for his 1988 novel The Alchemist. #OTD britannica.com/biography/Paul
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How about now: We were so Cumberbatched, we made a quiz. britannica.com/quiz/benedict-
Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman to hold a pilot's license. In the 1920s she became an aviation star, performing aerial stunts at shows across the country. #NationalAviationDay eb.com/biography/Bess
Reply to this Tweet, and we'll give you a topic to read about today.
What are some features typical of microchiropteran #bats? #BatAppreciationMonth #WildlifeWednesday #illustration
A reminder: Freedom of the press confirms the government may not restrict mass communication. #1stAmendment #fact
The term "mushroom" is often used for edible sporophores, while "toadstool" is reserved for inedible or poisonous sporophores. However, there is no scientific distinction between the names. eb.com/science/mushro
Happy Birthday to the world's largest library! Growing at a rate of about two million items per year, the 's collection reached more than 155 million items in 2012.
Replying to
Jane Goodall () has done "exceptionally detailed" long-term research on chimpanzees. #brilliantwomen ow.ly/9gUj308qvaE
Today is National Winnie the Pooh Day, coinciding with the 141st birthday of his creator, A.A. Milne.
britannica.com/topic/Winnie-t
📸 Advertising Archive/Courtesy Everett Collection
👇 Fun fact found in the old print version of our Nathaniel Hawthorne bio. (It's in the online entry, too: britannica.com/biography/Nath.)
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My fun FotD: Nathaniel Hawthorne suffered from some kind of hypergraphia/scribomania, compulsively writing the number 64 on scraps of paper
Do you know the difference between England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom? This map will help you navigate the nomenclature of the British Isles. #MapMonday eb.com/story/whats-th
Happy 100th birthday to Katherine Johnson, whose work as a mathematician helped send astronauts to the Moon. #HiddenFigures 🚀💯
eb.com/biography/Kath
There are sharks swimming in the ocean that may have been alive at the same time as Shakespeare. #SharkWeek
1:16
25 years ago #OnThisDay: American astronaut became the first woman of color to travel in space. britannica.com/biography/Mae-
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, celebrates her 92nd birthday today. britannica.com/biography/Eliz
📢Introducing One Good Fact! 📢
Here's today's fact: Only about 1 in every 3,000 calico cats is male.
Want more facts? ow.ly/n15K50J5B4n #OneGoodFact
Who's going to tell him?
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The internet. But printed, bound and stored together in one location on shelves. I'm going to be rich.
Encouraging extreme nationalism & mistrust of immigrants is a common tool in fascist regimes. #fact #historymatters britannica.com/topic/fascism/
📝 We've updated our bio of physicist Stephen Hawking, who passed away this morning at age 76. Born on the anniversary of Galileo's death, Hawking died on the anniversary of Einstein's birth. britannica.com/biography/Step
#DoYouKnow: From 1896-2016 atmospheric CO2 concentration increased 70+% from 280–290 ppm to 400+ ppm. #climate #fact ow.ly/iGVF308jTY0
#OTD in 2012 Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, was shot & killed by George Zimmerman. #racialprofiling #BHM
The history of people in the Americas begins more than 30,000 years ago. Here are a few key facts about these earliest settlers. #NativeAmericanHeritageDay
eb.com/list/10-fascin
On #CuriosityDay – our birthday – we invite you to explore Britannica's 2020 Year in Review. Find out which stories were the most relevant to you, our readers:
75 yrs ago #ExecutiveOrder9066 led to internment of 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans like . #EO9066 ow.ly/J2za3096YMi
#OnThisDay in 1796, Edward Jenner administered the first vaccination against smallpox.
📈 Views of our "Peregrine Pickle" article spiked after the 1751 novel was excerpted on yesterday's #APLit exam. 🥒 britannica.com/topic/Peregrin
The transatlantic #slave trade forced 10-12 mil enslaved Africans, not immigrants, to the Americas. #factsmatter britannica.com/topic/transatl
It's our birthday! #OnThisDay in 1768 the first pages of our 1st edition were published in Edinburgh, Scotland. britannica.com/topic/Encyclop
"I see trees of green, red roses too..." Louis Armstrong recorded the hit song "What a Wonderful World" #OnThisDay in 1967. eb.com/biography/Loui
The Pendleton Act (1883) ensures civil servants aren't bound by party or presidential loyalty in their jobs. #fact
Created to work for the abolition of segregation and discrimination; to oppose racism; and to ensure African Americans their constitutional rights, the was founded #OnThisDay in 1909. #BlackHistoryMonth eb.com/topic/National
We know a few people. twitter.com/EisReading/sta
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As a 250-year-old encyclopedia, we're keenly aware of how knowledge has evolved over time. For example, in our 4th edition (1801-09), we were pretty sure that unicorns were real. 🤦🦄 #FlashbackFriday eb.com/topic/Unicorns
#OnThisDay in 1492 Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain on his first transatlantic voyage. eb.com/biography/Chri
In 1963 Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS and told he had two years to live. Today the British physicist celebrates his 76th birthday. britannica.com/biography/Step
George Orwell's novel Animal Farm, an allegorical satire of totalitarianism, was published #OnThisDay in 1945. eb.com/topic/Animal-F
It's #BatAppreciationDay. This illustration depicts the features of a typical small bat and some variations. ow.ly/ckrH30aV0LM
René Descartes, considered the father of modern philosophy, was born #OnThisDay in 1596. Departing from intellectual tradition, Descartes wrote in French, not Latin, so that all who had "good sense" could read his work and learn to think for themselves. britannica.com/biography/Rene
#OnThisDay in 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. In the ensuing frenzy, Pablo Picasso was even arrested as a suspect. The thief was actually a former Louvre employee, who held the painting for two years before he was caught in Italy. eb.com/list/stealing-
Happy 57th birthday to . In this 2009 photo he poses with journalist Helen Thomas, who was also born #OnThisDay. eb.com/biography/Bara
