History
Archaeologists find ancient chariot near Pompeii
historyA 2000-year-old ceremonial carriage made of iron, bronze and tin has been unearthed from the outskirts of Pompeii, the city buried in the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD
Koala teeth used to create archaeology map
historyAustralian archaeologists are studying ancient koala teeth and bones to create a map that will show how people and animals moved across the continent through history
Australia’s ‘word of the decade’ revealed
humanitiesA phrase that was widely used in 2016 when Donald Trump first became US President has been crowned the “word of the decade”, outperforming “Karen”, the people’s choice winner last year
Latest
Farewell Sir Tom, inspiration to millions
Captain Sir Tom Moore, the UK World War II veteran who walked up and down his garden to raise money for health care workers, has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 100
US election, coronavirus top 2020 Google searches
It has been a year dominated by crises, from bushfires to coronavirus, yet neither were the most Google-searched terms in Australia. Instead, ‘US election’ was the most searched-for term
Library book returned after 33-year voyage
A book that has travelled the world on yachts with sailors since 1987 has finally been returned to the Townsville library with a note that reads “we are sorry that this book is a little overdue”
Triceratops coming to live in Australia
A very special dinosaur that roamed Earth 67 million years ago is moving to Melbourne. The one-tonne triceratops skeleton has been described as one of the most complete dinosaur fossils ever found
Dinosaurs’ ferocious fight to the death
An Australian geologist is working to uncover the fossilised scene of a T-rex and a triceratops apparently locked in a ferocious duel, the teeth of the T-rex embedded in the other’s spine
Study using AI to make scents of history
Scientists and historians will use AI to study and recreate what the world smelled like hundreds of years ago. Called Odeuropa, the pioneering study will build an online smell encyclopaedia
Author Katrina Nannestad answers questions from Kids News readers
Writing We Are Wolves left Katrina Nannestad in tears at times but also made her happy. We know this thanks to some great questions from Kids News readers. Check out Katrina’s answers to the top 10 questions here
Solving the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle
Ships and planes have disappeared without a trace in the Bermuda Triangle. But is there really anything strange going on? Kids News looks at the history of this fascinating phenomenon
‘Iso’ declared Australia’s word of the year
The Australian National Dictionary Centre has named ‘iso’ — slang for self-isolation — as the word of 2020 from both a year and a shortlist of words dominated by the coronavirus pandemic
Huge find in Egypt’s ‘City of the Dead’
Archaeologists have unearthed 100 Ancient Egyptian painted coffins — some with mummies inside — plus 40 precious statues at the Saqqara necropolis near Cairo, Egypt
Indigenous design first for our men’s cricket team
Australia’s indigenous culture will be celebrated when the men’s cricket team takes to the field in the coming T20 series. Discover what the design represents
Meet your two-million-year-old ‘cousin’
Australian researchers have found the skull of a big-toothed, small-brained ‘cousin’ of our species called Paranthropus robustus, which could help us understand human evolution
World unites for Remembrance Day
Millions will fall silent tomorrow for Remembrance Day to commemorate those who fought and died in World War I
Bookings open for Titanic submarine tour
You can now explore the wreckage of the famous Titanic ship on a submarine tour, helping experts survey the site. The eight-day trip departing from Canada will set you back $175,000
2000-year-old cat found carved in desert
A huge cat carving has been unearthed on a hillside in southern Peru and is thought to be a 2000-year-old Nazca Line. Around 1000 have already been discovered
Rare 2000-year-old Roman gold coin for sale
An incredibly rare, 2000-year-old Roman coin commemorating the death of Julius Caesar – just one of three in the world made of gold — is up for sale by a private collector
Flush out some fun with Tina and Tom’s Time-Travelling Toilet
Discover some fun facts about important moments in history with book characters Tina, Tom and Dog — and download their A-maze-ing activity sheets
Ancient Egyptian coffins sealed for 2500 years
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered 27 unopened, ancient coffins ornately painted and covered in hieroglyphs near one of the world’s oldest pyramids
T-rex called Stan sells for more than $44 million
UPDATED Stan weighed more than 6 tonnes and had eyes the size of baseballs. His bite could have crushed a car. And this famous Tyrannosaurus rex has been sold for more than $44 million
How Australia’s money has changed
From “holey dollars” and handwritten banknotes, Australia’s money has seen some big changes. With more people going digital, could the next step be the end of cash?
How cold was it in the coldest part of the Ice Age?
Scientists have calculated just how cold it got on Earth during the coldest part of the last Ice Age, using ocean plankton fossils and climate models
The day the flag was missing from the big game
What a thrill to see this year’s big AFL Dreamtime game between the Bombers and the Tigers played in Darwin. But what a shock that the Aboriginal flag — an important symbol — was missing
Vegemite needs you to sing its jingle
We know Vegemite tastes like Australia, but the company that makes it wants to find out what Australia sounds like, calling on the nation to give the spread’s classic theme song a new life
Meet ‘terror croc’ with banana-sized teeth
Deinosuchus was a giant reptile that terrorised dinosaurs that came to the water’s edge to drink, according to a new study of fossils that also uncovered a third species of these scary beasts
Do you recognise this face?
Most Australians will have seen her face but few would know the remarkable story of Mary Reibey and how she came to be on our $20 banknote
The history of the Olympic Games
We should have been cheering on our Olympic heroes in Tokyo right now. But with coronavirus putting the Games on hold for another year, it’s a chance to take a look at where the magnificent sporting tradition started
Reindeer herders find woolly mammoth
Scientists are working to retrieve the skeleton of a woolly mammoth from the shallows of a lake in northern Siberia where reindeer herders discovered it in recent days
Australia, the land of great ideas
Whether you’re in your classroom or reading this story on Kids News from home, you’re most likely using Wi-Fi, an Australian invention and one of a long list of smart ideas we’ve had so far
Last 747 flying kangaroo in the sky
After 50 years of service, the Qantas 747s — nicknamed the Queen of the Skies — are retiring and the last plane on its last flight traced the shape of a kangaroo in the sky
Old video game sells for $164,000
A 35-year-old Super Mario Bros. video game has been sold for more than $164,000, but the very high price still doesn’t beat the recent sale of an expensive Star Wars Boba Fett action figure
Scientists rethink ancient wombat in new study
A giant wombat the size of a black bear that roamed Australia 25 million years ago has been classified as a new category of marsupial after almost 50 years of study
‘Astonishing’ monument found next to Stonehenge
Archaeologists have discovered a major prehistoric monument of 20 or more massive shafts arranged in a perfect circle more than 2km wide, suggesting ancient people could measure and count
Scientists map ancient lost continent
Towering titanosaurs and other dinosaurs once roamed the vast, mountainless lands between the east of Australia and New Zealand on a lost continent called Zealandia
Giant meat-eating dinosaur roamed Australia
Move over T-rex, Gigantosaurus and Spinosaurus — the discovery of dinosaur footprint fossils in Queensland reveal Australia had its own huge predator in the Jurassic Period.
Around an Aussie campfire of statues
Mark Knight explains the issues behind the cartoon of two Aussies sitting by this particular campfire and wonders how Australia will react to this period of self-examination
Found: dinosaur’s tummy full of food
For the first time, scientists have found a beautifully preserved, fossilised meal inside the skeleton of a dinosaur, including fern fronds and spores, leaves and even charcoal from a bushfire
Lost city found with radar and a quad bike
A long-buried ancient Roman city in Italy has been mapped in incredible detail without any digging. Instead, archaeologists used a ground-penetrating radar strapped to a quad bike
Australian megafauna died out with climate change
Giant kangaroos, enormous crocodiles, massive wombats and a marsupial “lion” that lived 40,000 years ago in tropical Northern Australia died out because of climate change, a study has found
Dear Australia: memories of the nation in isolation
Australians are being invited to record their coronavirus experiences for future generations in a new campaign by the country’s postal service
Lonely penguins take day trip to art gallery
Life in lockdown can be pretty dull, even for penguins. But the day got a light brighter for these little birds when they had an excursion from their zoo enclosure to an art museum.
Branch out with your own family tree project
Ever wondered where your family came from? Why not research and create a family tree. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find.
No joke! Experts agree laughter is good for us
Humour is as ancient as human life itself, but the joys of laughter never grow old and amusement experts believe we’re on the cusp of a COVID-19 comedy revolution
Last-known film of not-so-fierce thylacine
Researchers have discovered what is thought to be the last film of a thylacine, taken two years later than any other known record and casting doubt on its reputation as an aggressive animal
Record price for Michael Jordan’s rookie shoes
Basketball star Michael Jordan’s 35-year-old second-hand shoes that aren’t even a matching pair just sold for $873,000 at auction, but that doesn’t quite make them the most expensive shoes ever
Rare dinosaur fossil found in Australia
A fresh look at a fossil found at a Victorian beach and thought to belong to a pterosaur has resulted in the discovery of the first elaphrosaur dinosaur ever from Australia
Spooky goings-on at night in the museum
British Museum guards have reported spooky goings-on including ghostly footsteps, strange lights and mysterious crying among the exhibits, like a real-life version of Night at the Museum
Cave find rewrites history of early humans
Scientists have found human bones and a tooth up to 46,000 years old that rewrite the history of early humans’ arrival in Europe and time spent living alongside Neanderthals
Record history in your COVID-19 time capsule
Kids News has produced a ‘time capsule’ activity book so children can document their time in isolation and how it’s made them feel so they can always remember this unique period in their life
How the tradition of Mother’s Day was born
Celebrating mothers on a special day of the year isn’t a modern idea. Kids News researched the history of honouring and thanking mothers across Australia and around the world
‘Crazy beast’ prehistoric mammal found
The skeleton of a backward-toothed mammal nicknamed “crazy beast” that existed alongside dinosaurs 66 million years ago has been unveiled by Australian palaeontologists
Saluting the Anzac spirit and ghosts of Diggers past
In his weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight captures the spirit of the Anzacs and the ghostly impact the coronavirus had on one of Australia’s most sacred days
US military releases UFO videos to prove they’re real
Three videos of UFOs have been officially released by the US navy, sparking new interest in the hobby of researching sightings of flying objects that can’t be explained by science
Found! Antarctic frog fossils from warmer times
Experts have discovered cold-blooded frogs once lived on a warm Antarctica 40 million years ago PLUS Australian scientists need your help for a frog-finding mission closer to home
Exploring the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s arrival at Botany Bay. We explore why Cook came to Australia and why some celebrate and some lament this day
Anzac Day explainer: the dawn of the legend
Each year on April 25 we commemorate Anzac Day. Kids News explains how the day began, what it means, how it is observed and how this year’s Anzac Day will be different
Big find about origins of human language
By comparing brains of humans and apes, scientists have discovered the origins of human language could be 25 million years old — 20 million years older than previously thought
Mystery WWI Aussie soldiers finally identified
Face-recognition technology has identified unknown Australian WWI soldiers in photos from a precious collection uncovered in a wooden chest in an attic in France in 2011
Astronauts recall flawed Apollo 13 mission
It is 50 years since the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission and though younger generations may think of it as a failure, its astronauts and others regard it as NASA’s finest achievement
Easter eggs, bunnies and traditions around the world
For many, Easter means chocolate eggs, bunnies, hot cross buns and church services. Kids News researched why we celebrate Easter, when it will be and how common traditions began
Oldest fossil of early human species is discovered
Australian and international scientists have unearthed a two-million-year old skull bone — the oldest known fossil of the earliest human species named Homo erectus
Take a virtual tour around the world
Visit the Great Wall of China, see the Mona Lisa or watch zoo animals without leaving home. Here are 10 top virtual experiences plus one very special out-of-this-world tour
Exploring the lost city of Pompeii
On April 1, 1748, a Spanish engineer rediscovered Pompeii, changing the way we thought about historical artefacts and beginning the longest archaeological dig in the world
Why do we pull pranks on April Fools’ Day?
Watch out … today is April Fools’ Day and it’s the day for playing pranks on unsuspecting people. We look at why we celebrate on April 1 and some of today's best jokes
Scar found on fossil of feisty dinosaur with feathers
Scientists have unearthed the fossils of a fearsome feathered dinosaur with sharp claws and a telltale scar. It lived 67 million years ago and proves dinosaurs continued to evolve until their end
Aussie treasures stored in global code bank
The scientific knowledge about Australia’s plants and animals and the contents of our national library are among the digital treasures being kept 250m underground in Norway
Fish with fingers shows how human hand evolved
A slippery predator that lurked in lagoons 380 millions years ago had fins with finger bones that could teach us about the origins of the human hand
Early humans ‘ate no meat, swung in trees’
The careful scanning of a 3.6 million year old skull belonging to a fossil named ‘Little Foot’ has proven that early humans had small brains, swung between trees like monkeys and ate vegan diets
Aussies want mass light salute on Anzac Day
A proposal to replace cancelled Anzac Day services with a massive nationwide “light salute” from the safety of Australians’ driveways is attracting huge support
Mystery ‘Bonehenge’ woolly mammoth ring
Archaeologists are uncovering a mysterious collection of mammoth bones arranged by our ancient Palaeolithic ancestors 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age
Clam tells story of prehistoric Earth and moon
A fossilised mollusc alive alongside the last of the dinosaurs 70 million years ago has shown scientists that a day on Earth once lasted only 23-and-a-half hours
World’s smallest dinosaur found embedded in amber
The world’s smallest dinosaur has been discovered embedded in amber. The 100 million-year-old bird, just 5cm long, had bulging lizard-like eyes and a beak packed with 100 sharp teeth
Big dig begins at Port Arthur convict site
Archaeologists are digging up the site of former convict-period workshops at the Port Arthur Historic Site in Tasmania so we can better understand what everyday convict life was like
Footy legend learns of his grandfather’s great escape
AFL legend Tom Harley grew up hearing bits of the story of his grandfather’s WWII escape. Now, for the first time, he’s learning the full details of an extraordinary adventure that is barely known
Aussie Violet Crumble hits purple patch
The factory that makes Violet Crumble is working 24 hours a day to keep up with incredible demand for the historic, purple-wrapped chocolate honeycomb bar
New type of ancient lion found in Australia
A new type of ancient marsupial lion has been discovered in Queensland after palaeontologists discovered its teeth were like nothing ever seen before
What is a leap year? Why is there one this year?
There is a February 29 on this year’s calendar. We explain why and what it has to do with the Sun, the Earth and a calendar created way back in 1582
We’re flipping out over Pancake Tuesday
Australians are becoming world leaders at cooking and eating pancakes on Pancake Tuesday, a fun food day that has its origins as a religious festival
Tomb radar may solve Egyptian Queen mystery
A hidden chamber near the tomb of Egypt’s King Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings may contain the long-lost remains Queen Nefertiti
Mystery coffin found in ancient Roman temple
Archaeologists believe they have found the long lost tomb of Romulus, who legend says was raised with his twin brother by a wolf before founding the ancient city of Rome
Tapestries finally complete Sistine Chapel
For the first time in more than 400 years, all 12 precious gold and silver tapestries designed by Renaissance artist Raphael have been hung in the Sistine Chapel, making it complete at last
Iconic Holden cars driven out of Australia
The Holden car brand, an important part of Australia’s history for more than 160 years, will cease to exist in 2021. The move by US company General Motors has angered PM Scott Morrison and shocked motoring fans
Tyrannosaur found hiding in museum drawer
A new and very scary species of dinosaur related to T-Rex and known as the Reaper of Death has been identified after pieces of its skull were rediscovered in a museum drawer
Sad love story behind Valentine’s Day
There are several stories about who Valentine was, but the most popular one is that he was a doctor and priest from Rome in the third century who lived and died in the pursuit of love
NASA animation shows Earth without oceans
Travel back in time thousands of years through this NASA animation to look at Earth without oceans, when vast lands allowed ancient people to roam the world
Tribute for Holocaust 75th anniversary
The Duchess of Cambridge has taken photographs of Holocaust survivors in a moving tribute to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of World War II concentration camp Auschwitz
Ancient Egyptian mummy speaks
Scientists have recreated the voice of a 3000-year-old Egyptian mummy using 3D printing and an electronic larynx, producing a sound between the vowels in ‘bed’ and ‘bad’
What we searched for on Google 2010-2020
This year’s bushfires prompted a bigger spike in Australian Google search queries than any other news event this decade, with floods and Cyclone Yasi also making the top-topics list
Piece of Jesus’ manger home for Christmas
A tiny piece of wood that some Christians believe to be part of the baby Jesus’ manger has returned to Bethlehem just in time for Christmas after 1400 years in Rome
50 fun activities on the history of Christmas
Our feature series and 50-activity workbook will help students understand the history and evolution of Christmas, the religious and cultural aspects of its celebration and how traditions vary across the world
World map of most common last names
A fascinating new map has plotted out the most common surnames in every country in the world. Can you guess the most common last name in Australia?
Treasure trove of Ancient Egyptian animal mummies
Mummified crocodiles, a mongoose, birds, cats and lion cubs are among an incredible discovery uncovered by archaeologists at Egypt’s “City of the Dead”
15 amazing sculptures around the world
Earth is so big and so filled with things to see it’s hard to know where to start looking. To help you out, we’ve compiled this collection of incredible sculptures to look at and learn about
Same old Vegemite goes global
Vegemite’s recipe and flavour has not changed, according to the makers of the famous Aussie spread, keen to reassure worried local customers ahead of its historic global launch
Hindenburg Zeppelin, end of the airship era
The last remaining survivor of the famous 1937 Hindenburg airship disaster has died, aged 90. We look back at the invention of Zeppelins and the era of luxury international airship travel
Record floods swamp historic Venice
UNESCO World Heritage Site Venice is in a state of emergency after “apocalyptic” floods swept through the historic Italian city, with the mayor blaming climate change
Play-Doh’s sticky situation solved
By the 1950s, no one wanted to buy a special sort of dough to clean wallpaper. But some creative thinking saved the failing dough company and we all got to play with Play-Doh
Epic flight Australia almost forgot
One hundreds years ago, two Adelaide brothers made history with their world-first flight from England to Australia in a cloth-covered, open cockpit, two-engine biplane
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