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2024 Year in Review: Unusual News Stories

To recap 2024, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we’ve covered this year.
Today we’re looking at some of the most unusual news stories from 2024.

World’s Second-Largest Diamond Discovered in Botswana

The 2,492-carat diamond mined in Lucara's Karowe Diamond Mine in northeast Botswana.
In late August, the Lucara Diamond company announced the discovery of the largest diamond found in over 100 years. The 2,492-carat stone came out of the company’s Karowe Mine in northeast Botswana, and is the second largest diamond ever found.


Common Food Dye Lets Scientists See Through Skin

Dr. Zihao Ou, assistant professor of physics at UT Dallas, holds a vial of the common yellow food coloring tartrazine in solution. In an article published online Sept. 5 in Science, Ou and his colleagues report that they safely made the skin of live mice transparent by applying the dye solution. The process is reversible.
Scientists at Stanford University have found a way to make the skin of living mice turn clear. The trick is actually pretty simple – rubbing a common yellow food dye on the mouse’s skin. The discovery could one day help doctors see inside human bodies without cutting them open.


SpaceX Catches 20-Story Rocket Booster

SpaceX's Super Heavy booster being caught on the mechanical arms of 'Mechazilla' during Starship flight test 5.
On Sunday, SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the fifth time. The real excitement came when the 20-story-tall booster rocket returned to the launch site and was caught in mid-air by two giant metal arms.


First Wooden Satellite Launched into Space

Two views of the LignoSat during its final safety inspection.
For the first time ever, a satellite made partly out of wood has been launched into space. The project is a test to see if wood could be a good building material for space. If the experiment works out, wooden satellites could someday help lower pollution in space.


Scientists Discover the World’s Largest Coral

A diver swims alongside the world's largest coral colony in the Solomon Islands.
Scientists on a National Geographic research trip to the Solomon Islands have discovered the world’s largest coral. The single coral colony, made up of around one billion tiny creatures, is so large that it can be seen from space.


Couple Sets Record as Oldest Pair to Get Married

Marjorie Fiterman and Bernie Littman
When Marjorie Fiterman and Bernie Littman met nine years ago, neither of them thought they’d end up married. After all, they were both in their 90s and had already lived long, full lives. But last May, the two became the world’s oldest married couple, with a combined age of over 202 years.

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