If, say, Colman Domingo takes home an Oscar at tonight's Academy Awards, Timothée Chalamet and the other best actor contenders can at least leave the Dolby Theatre knowing they lost out to some serious competition. But imagine coming up empty-handed while a literal cartoon character earns a golden statuette. Such was (sort of) the case in 1932, when Mickey Mouse won an Oscar. At least, so goes the internet lore: Learn what actually transpired and get some other fun facts about the Academy's history of commending cartoons. — the Nice News team
Featured Story
These "Old Ladies" Dive Into Ponds, Come Up Bearing Pounds of Garbage
Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
There are nearly 900 freshwater ponds across Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and if you visit one on any given day, you may be able to spot a crew of mostly silver-haired women donning wetsuits, diving in, and emerging, trash in hand. These are the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, and they're on a mission to preserve the peninsula's aquatic ecosystems. "It happened by accident," founder Susan Baur, 85, tells Nice News of the group's origins. "And when I realized that it wasn't about the garbage, it's about that we have discovered a way of repairing the planet, not based on guilt, not based on common sense, not based on fear, but based on joy, [I thought,] 'Hell, we've got something terrific.'" Click below to hear more from Baur and check out footage of the trash-finding missions.
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Some of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Sketches Are Headed Stateside
MAURIX/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
To see Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, a trip to Vatican City is in order. But a new exhibition is bringing the iconic frescos to the Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, Virginia — well, at least sketches of them. From March 6 (the Italian artist's 550th birthday) through May 28, the "Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine" exhibit will feature 25 rarely seen sketches Michelangelo created to map out the Sistine Chapel's design. Although the Renaissance master made hundreds or perhaps even thousands of sketches during the planning process, fewer than 50 exist today, as he destroyed many of them, Smithsonian Magazine reports. Some of the exhibit highlights include his plans for"The Last Judgment"and figures that didn't end up in the final design, as well as large, highly detailed re-creations of scenes from the Sistine Chapel. "That's where it's really going to become powerful for viewers," museum director David Brashear told Artnet. "Like, 'this is the head of one of the figures in the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes' and 'this is what it looks like in the final form, as Michelangelo put it up on the ceiling.'" Scroll through some of the sketches.
Environment
How Do You Save Endangered Monkeys? Build Them a Bridge, Brazilian Biologist Says
Reconecta Project
When we envision the Amazon rainforest, most of us likely picture lush greenery, diverse wildlife, and vibrant colors. But there are also highways that cut through the dense land, making it difficult for native wildlife — like the endangered Groves' titi monkey and Guiana spider monkey — to cross roads safely. That's where canopy crossings come in. "Connecting the population, we can make it stronger and allow it to grow," Fernanda Abra, a Brazilian biologist and founder of the award-winning Reconecta Project, told CNN. So far, she's helped build over two dozen canopy crossings throughout a 2,000-mile stretch of highway in the Amazon. The hammock-like bridges stretch over roads, allowing tree-dwelling species to move as they please and avoid road collisions — a win for animals and people. Cameras are also placed on each bridge to help researchers keep an eye on the animals using them (or not using them) and learn ways to improve the structures. Plus, the footage provides a tangible reminder of why these bridges matter: "Every time I see the video of the monkey using my canopy bridge, it's wonderful because we are avoiding the situation of road mortality," said Abra. Check out the monkey-approved bridges in action.
Culture
SS United States Takes Final Voyage Before Becoming World's Largest Artificial Reef
SS United States Conservancy/ Facebook
On its maiden voyage in 1952, the SS United States shattered the transatlantic speed record, powering across the water from New York to France at an average of 41 mph. Its final trip looks quite a bit different. Pulled by tugboats, the ocean liner left Philadelphia Feb. 19 on a two-week trek down the Atlantic to Mobile, Alabama, where it will be readied for its second life as the world's largest artificial reef. At 990 feet long, the vessel is the largest passenger ship ever built in the U.S. It transported four American presidents (Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton), stars like Grace Kelly and Duke Ellington, and even the "Mona Lisa" before being retired in 1969. Residents turned up to say farewell to the American icon as it departed the city it's called home for nearly 30 years. "It's a shame to see it go, but better it be a reef than a scrap of metal," one local told NBC10 Philadelphia. See the ship leaving Philly and track its current voyage.
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
In the latest edition of "stuff that looks like other stuff," an art exhibit featuring fascinating objects designed to resemble books
The characters in Curtis Sittenfeld's second short story collection are pointedly flawed. That, of course, makes them all the more human — and all the more interesting. With her trademark wit, the author (whose last novel, Romantic Comedy, was a New York Times bestseller) explores themes of friendship, ambition, marriage, fame, and more. Dropping readers into the worlds of these complicated protagonists, the tales act as a mirror, exposing "layer after layer of our inner lives."
This comedy series co-created by Mindy Kaling and starring Kate Hudson follows the newly appointed president of a fictional basketball franchise that happens to be her family business. Inspired by the real-life story of Los Angeles Lakers exec Jeanie Buss, the show sees Hudson's Isla Gordon attempt to prove herself to her skeptical brothers, the board of directors, and the sports community at large. The 10-episode first season dropped Thursday on Netflix.
This Week in History
"The Star-Spangled Banner" Is Officially Adopted as the US National Anthem
March 3, 1931
Bettmann/ Getty Images
Many of us learned in elementary school the tale of Francis Scott Key penning the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the War of 1812, when he was inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over Maryland's Fort McHenry after the British bombarded it.Key then set the poem to the melody of a popular drinking song (written, ironically, by English composer John Stafford Smith). It wouldn't be until over a century later, however, that the song became our official national anthem. The first step took place in 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order designating it as such. Then, in 1931, Congress passed a bill confirming that order, which President Herbert Hoover signed into law. Have a listen to some of the most stirring performances of the patriotic tune, including Marvin Gaye's 1983 rendition and Faith Hill's 2000 Super Bowl performance.
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