The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be lit this evening, a holiday tradition dating back nearly a century. But what did it look like way back when? Footage recently shared by Today shows a tree being installed in the iconic plaza on Dec. 1, 1960 — check out the video and read on to learn what makes this year's Rockefeller tree extra special.
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Humanity
This Year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Has an Extra-Special Backstory
Manoli Figetakis/Getty Images
The annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting is always a special event — but it's extra meaningful this year, thanks to New Yorker Judy Russ. Judy and her husband, Dan Russ, had always dreamed of their 75-foot-tall Norway spruce in East Greenbush becoming the iconic Rockefeller holiday tree. Now, five years after Dan died, Judy has made that dream a reality. She got the ball rolling after taking their 7-year-old son, Liam, to see the Manhattan tree last year. Judy was inspired to reach out to a family friend whose relative works at Rockefeller Center, and soon enough, head gardener Erik Pauze was taking a trip upstate. After inspecting the spruce in person, he informed the Russ family that their tree, which Dan's great-grandparents planted in the 1920s, would be the perfect fit. "I think I just hallucinated, like, 'We need to go back because there's no way this is real, right?'" Judy joked to Today. As for Liam, he's "excited that the whole world can see" the tree that formerly served as his personal jungle gym (the kiddo is pictured here with Judy, hammering a spike into the tree to prepare for its installation). It was transferred to the Rockefeller Center on Nov. 8, where it's been wrapped with over 50,000 rainbow LED lights and topped with a Swarovski star. "As my husband has passed away, I know he would have loved to have been here for this moment," Judy said, adding, "Think of our family, think of my husband, think of us. We're just happy to share it with everybody." See more pics of the tree and learn how to watch tonight's lighting ceremony.
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Health
New FDA-Approved Glasses May Curb Nearsightedness in Children
Essilor
Myopia — also known as nearsightedness — affects 30% to 40% of U.S. children by the time they graduate high school, pediatric ophthalmologist Michael Repka told the Associated Press. Many of these kids get glasses to help them see clearly. But there's a new type of lens on the scene that goes a step further, helping correct myopia during wear andslowing the progression of the eye disorder over time. The Essilor Stellest eyeglass lenses were approved by the FDA in September for children ages 6 to 12. They feature a series of concentric rings with tiny, raised dots that refocus light onto the retina, which may help hinder myopia advancement. After two years of use, participants in a clinical study showed a 71% reduction in myopia progression with no serious side effects, according to a news release. Beyond reducing the risk of the disease advancing to high myopia, which can lead to sight-threatening complications, the new lenses offer an alternative to the only other authorized device for slowing myopia progression, a type of contact lens for 8- to 12-year-olds. Michelle Tarver, director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said the approval "brings to market a treatment option that may meaningfully reduce the likelihood of severe eyesight issues later in adult life, while also being easier to use and lower risk than the currently authorized devices."
Culture
Singer Nina Simone's Childhood Home Has Been Restored in "an Act of Respect and Imagination"
Nancy Pierce
The childhood home of iconic singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone has been fully restored — and one day, you may be able to visit it yourself. Located in Tryon, North Carolina, about two hours west of Charlotte, the house had fallen into disrepair and was facing potential demolition until it was purchased in 2016 by Daydream Therapy, LLC, a collective of Black artists that began renovations in June 2024. The 650-square-foot, three-room clapboard house was built in the early 1900s and is where Simone lived from her birth in 1933 until 1937. It's also where her talent initially blossomed. Born Eunice Waymon, she began taking piano lessons at a young age from Muriel Mazzanovich, a local music teacher who noticed Simone's talent while she accompanied the community choir. "Restoring Nina Simone's childhood home is about more than preservation — it's an act of respect and imagination," Adam Pendleton, one of the artists, said in a news release. "This small house in Tryon holds a vast legacy, a place where Nina first dreamed and began to shape the voice that would change the world. The completed restoration is a testament to the many people — artists, preservationists, and local voices — who united to share Nina's courage and creativity with future generations." See photos of the restored home.
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Inspiring Story
When sparkles spark conversation
White canes can be important tools for helping those with vision disabilities navigate everyday life independently. But for singer Lachi, hers is also a way to educate others about colomba, a condition that has left her fully blind in one eye and partially blind in the other. Her colorful, bedazzled "glam cane" sparks conversation as she travels the world for gigs and personal trips, using her voice as a Black woman with a disability to inspire others.
Photo of the Day
Jacinto OLIVEROS / AFP via Getty Images
This adorable white lion cub is one of two recently born at the Las Delicias Zoo in Maracay, Venezuela. With fewer than 20 individuals of the subspecies left in the wild, per the Global White Lion Protection Trust, the cubs' birth is a significant milestone for the zoo's breeding and conservation efforts. "Our newest residents are already roaring with the vitality of the wild," the zoo wrote on Instagram, adding, "Each birth is another step in our mission to protect wildlife and raise awareness about the importance of conservation."
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Odds & Ends
🍽️ Fun fact: All shattered plates follow the same pattern 🐒 This Chinese superhero is now monkeying around the U.S. 🌟 Your shortcut to plumper, softer, glowier-than-ever skin* ❄️ Why does crisp winter air smell so good? *Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
Quote of the Day
"Participation in a society is not an artistic choice, it's a human need."
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