On this day: January 20

Austrian Cow Becomes First Ever to Use a Tool — It's All About That Scratch

Researchers in Austria have documented the first-ever case of a cow using a tool, as she methodically employed a brush to scratch herself — a behavior never before seen in bovines.

Escaped Parakeet Crashes Ontario Kindergarten, Lands on Little Girl’s Head

A runaway pet parakeet made an unexpected classroom cameo by landing atop a young girl’s head in an Ontario kindergarten before being safely reunited with its owner.

Arkansas Man’s Lucky 'Hunch' Nets $100,000 Lottery Win

Following a gut feeling, an Arkansas man bought a scratch-off ticket from his favorite store and struck a $100,000 top prize, proving sometimes trusting your instincts really pays off.

CIA Acknowledges Secret Human-Subjects Experiments

On January 20, 1977, the CIA publicly confirmed that it had conducted experiments involving unwitting civilians, acknowledging past programs that tested drugs and behavioral techniques on human subjects without informed consent.

Dead Sea Scrolls Go Public: First Major Exhibition Opens

Fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered decades earlier in the Judean Desert, were publicly exhibited on January 20, 1948, marking a key moment in the manuscripts’ transition from archaeological finds to objects of scholarly and public attention.