Today in 1929, Lieutenant James H. Doolittle did what no other pilot had done before: take off, fly and land only using instruments and radio. Plus: today in 2021, Japan's Narita Airport had to delay a flight because of a turtle on the runway.

Flying Blind (Air & Space Forces Magazine)

Errant turtle closes runway, delays turtle-themed plane at Japan's Narita Airport (The Mainichi) 

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Around this time in 2011, two people in Oklahoma gave themselves and their part of the state a very off-the-beaten-path anniversary gift: the Winganon Space Capsule. Plus: ever hear someone call a run-down cafe or bar a “hole in the wall”? There’s a coffee shop in the Philippines that serves drinks through an actual hole in the wall.

The Winganon Space Capsule: Oklahoma, We Have A Problem (MAKE) 

filipino café serves beverages straight through a hole in a concrete wall (designboom)

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Today in 1977, the first broadcast of the Happy Days episode in which Henry Winkler’s character, The Fonz, jumps over a shark on water skis. "Jumping the shark" is a phrase we use today to talk about shows that get weird and go downhill, but why was Fonz jumping over the shark to begin with? Plus: starting tomorrow in Springfield, Missouri, the Cider Days festival.

Henry Winkler is 'very proud' to be the face of the 'jump the shark' meme (Yahoo! Entertainment)

CIDER DAYS 

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Today in 1986, Australian cricketer Dean Jones stepped up during a really important match, literally leaving it all on the field as he played through high heat and humidity, dehydration, exhaustion and illness. Plus: today in 1911, the birthday of author William Golding, whose biggest novel only became a hit after being rejected over and over again.

'I can't remember a thing after 120 in that innings' (The Cricket Monthly)

William Golding (Biography)

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For National Cheeseburger Day, here’s the story of the guy who brought us one of the world’s most massive and massively popular burgers: Jim Delligatti, the inventor of the Big Mac. Plus: a designer in Belgium, Mathilde Wittock, has come up with a way to upcycle used tennis balls into furniture.

Michael "Jim" Delligatti, Big Mac creator, dead at 98 (CBS News)

Artist Makes Furniture Out of Tennis Balls That Otherwise Would Take 400 Years to Decompose in Landfills (Good News Network)

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New research finds that couples can keep a conflict from escalating by taking a short break - and I mean, really short - during an argument. Plus: for National Pet Bird Day, a heavy metal band led by a South African Grey Parrot doing "death squawking” over the music.

Cheaper than couples counselling: take a five-second break (University of St. Andrews)

Hatebeak (Metal Archives)

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For Mexican Independence Day, the story of how Mexican music and movies found fans in a place you might not expect: post-war Yugoslavia. Plus: what's even wilder than a video of two bicyclists doing some of their best stunts?  A video of two bicyclists doing some of their best stunts while also on a moving train.

In mid-'60s Yugoslavia, mariachi music was really popular (The World) 

A Series of Bike Stunts Performed on a Moving Train (Neatorama)

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The trope about Friday the 13th is that it's extra-unlucky and scary, so to address any fears his young viewers might have about this day, Mister Rogers decided to make it a really fun day, especially for the King of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Plus: today in 1991, Nirvana had quite a wild release party for their landmark record "Nevermind."

HOW MR. ROGERS MADE FRIDAY THE 13TH LESS SCARY (Now I Know)

FOOD FIGHT! Nirvana gets thrown out of their record release party on Friday the 13th, 1991 (Dangerous Minds)

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Today in 1995, the Harlem Globetrotters lost! It hasn't happened often, but we'll tell you about two times the storied team didn't come out on top. Plus: this Saturday in Vermont, it’s the Rutland Whoopie Pie Fest.

Harlem Globetrotters’ 8,829-game winning streak snapped (History.com)

KING OF THE LOSERS I played for the worst basketball team of all time – we lost 17,000 games but I loved every single minute of it (The Sun)

RUTLAND WHOOPIE PIE FEST

Today in 2001, while the world watched a tragedy unfold, there was an amazing story happening far from those sites: an effort to help a six month old baby get a transplant that would save her life.

9/11 attacks nearly kept a life-saving organ from an infant. Here’s how we met the moment. (The Tennessean)