The NHL postseason is getting underway, but once the Stanley Cup has been won, what do hockey fans watch? Here's one idea: underwater hockey, which is a growing sport set to make a splash. Plus: April 17 in Japan is known as Queen Day, where rock lovers celebrate the band's first appearance in their country.

Deep dive into the world of underwater hockey (ESPN)

The Pandemic Hasn’t Dulled Japan’s Special Love for Queen (Atlas Obscura)

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For National Dolphin Day, the story of a dolphin called Pelorus Jack who was famous for allegedly escorting ships off the coast of New Zealand. Plus: in Louisiana, it’s day one of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.

The Truth About the Legend of Pelorus Jack (Today I Found Out)

The story of Pelorus Jack (Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand)

Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival

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There’s a new startup in Japan that’s getting hot in more ways than one: it's turned a former city bus into a mobile sauna. Plus: it's the birthday of the Reverend Al Green, who has had multiple hits but got his biggest royalty checks from something other than records.

A Refurbished Public Bus is Currently Travelling Japan as a Mobile Sauna (Spoon + Tamago)

Daily Limit: Billy Bass Christmas hookup (Bassmaster.com)

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It's National Licorice Day. People who love it, love it - and the people who don’t aren’t shy about saying so. Maybe it would help if we explained how we got to this impasse? Plus: today in 1912 was the birthday of Beverly Cleary, so here's the story of how she once gave a school a very Ramona Quimby-like answer.

The Twisted History of Licorice, the Candy We Love to Hate (Bon Appetit)

Why do so many of us hate black licorice? A few theories (NBC News)

Ramona Would Be Proud, School To Be Named For Cleary (OPB via Archive.org)

Today in 1903, the birthday of Dr. Claire Weekes, who helped the world understand that sometimes the way to stop a spell of anxiety in its tracks… is, in a way, to stop trying to stop it. Plus: pets are supposed to help make us calm, right? Maybe not this one.

Face, accept, float, let time pass: Claire Weekes' anxiety cure holds true decades on (The Sydney Morning Herald)

One woman’s six-word mantra that has helped to calm millions (Psyche)

Pet insurance worker shares weirdest pet names she's come across - including McRib (The Mirror)

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Today in 1921, the birthday of Sheb Wooley, who had a hit song in the 50s called the “Purple People Eater" and is believed to be the guy who gave a scream that's been featured in hundreds of movies: the Wilhelm Scream. Plus: today in 1976, a challenging moment for then-President Gerald Ford and his tamale.

Does That Scream Sound Familiar? (ABC News)

No one told Ford tamales need to be unwrapped (Houston Chronicle)

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Today in 1850, a man in California decided to start his own country. While it didn’t last, and may not have happened at all, the name is unforgettable: the Great Republic of Rough and Ready. Plus: a woman in Wales got a big chocolate Easter egg when she was 11, and kept it in the box for more than 70 years.

Welcome to Rough and Ready, the Tiny Town That Used to Be a Republic (KQED)

Independent Bent : Rough and Ready Still Celebrates Its 1850 Secession (Los Angeles Times)

The Easter egg that's gone uneaten for more than 70 years (BBC)

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Today in 1930, one of the sweetest treats of our time made its debut. Here's how the Twinkie became the Twinkie. Plus: the story of Louis Browning, who ate at least one Twinkie a day for decades and decades.

Twinkies, 75 Years And Counting (Washington Post)

This Week In Illinois History: Birth Of The Twinkie (April 6, 1930) (Northern Public Radio)

For National Walking Day, the story of the guy known as the “Walking Man of Annapolis,” Carlester Smith, and how he helped keep his neighborhood clean on daily speedwalks. Plus: a tour operator in London has something called the Rubbish Trip. 

Carlester Smith, the Annapolis ‘Walking Man,’ has died at age 63 (Capital Gazette)

London Rubbish Tour (University College London)

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For National Volleyball Day, the story of the annual volleyball game played between Naco, Arizona and Naco, Sonora, Mexico, in which the net was a border fence. Plus: today in 1940, a newspaper reported on a Pennsylvania woman who said she had practiced mental telepathy on her hens.

When neighbors played volleyball over the U.S.-Mexico border fence (Univision)

Egg Telepathy (Weird Universe)

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