Page Type: Elementary

Niagara Falls is a hugely powerful waterfall—so powerful that it’s almost impossible for the water to totally freeze. But the cold winter of 2026 did cause the falls to partially ice over, creating the appearance of a giant glacier!

Niagara Falls is usually a massive wall of water so loud that its name, Niagara, means “thunder of waters” in the language of the Iroquois people. But the falls are located on the border between Canada and the U.S. state of New York, where winters can get very cold. When the season is even colder than normal, like the winter of 2025–2026, an icy crust forms over the top of the water.

When airplanes first came into use in the early 1900s, many people were nervous. To some, it seemed odd and unnatural for humans to fly. But a few daring people didn’t just embrace aviation (the practice of flying in airplanes)—they devoted their lives to it. 

March is Women’s History Month. To celebrate, we’re featuring two women who ventured into the sky at a time when few people had.

Legendary baseball player Ron Teasley has died at age 99. Teasley was one of the last living athletes to have played in baseball’s Negro Leagues.

Young and Talented

Born in 1927 in Detroit, Michigan, Teasley was a top basketball player at his high school. But baseball was his true sport. Teasley went on to Wayne State University, where he quickly became a standout on the baseball field. In one of his seasons as a college student, he had a batting average of .500, which means he got hits half the time! (A batting average of .300, or three hits out of every 10 pitches, is considered excellent in professional baseball.)  

Teasley left college in 1945 to serve in World War II. When he returned to Wayne State, he brought his baseball skills with him, gaining the attention of officials from Major League Baseball (MLB). But for Black players at the time, getting signed to the MLB wasn’t guaranteed, no matter how talented they were.

A True Pro

During this period, baseball was slowly changing. For many years, the sport had been segregated, which means that only white players were allowed to play on MLB teams. Black players played in the Negro Leagues. In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first Black MLB player when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The following year, Teasley was signed to play for the Olean Oilers, a minor league team that had had only white players.

Teasley played well for the Oilers, but the team decided to release him after only a few months. Still just 21 years old, Teasley signed on to play for the New York Cubans, a Negro League team. Although he didn’t play with the Cubans for long, he made valuable contributions on the field. Teasley would spend the rest of his career playing in Canada, where Black and white athletes played together.

Have you ever played a game where you pretended? Maybe you imagined you were captain of a spaceship or a busy parent. It turns out, humans aren’t the only animals that are able to imagine and play pretend. In a recent study, a bonobo (a type of ape) played a pretend game with scientists.

In the study, scientists wanted to learn if a bonobo called Kanzi was able to act as if a pretend thing was real. They began by showing Kanzi a bottle of juice and an empty bottle and asking him to tell them which bottle had juice. Kanzi picked the correct bottle all 18 times he was asked.

You might know that house cats can make many different sounds, from purrs to growls to meows. But did you know that jaguars can also meow? Recently, wildlife cameras caught a few of the spotted wildcats meowing like domestic cats (house cats).

In a 2025 study, scientists studied videos from 29 wildlife cameras that are placed all through Brazil’s Iguaçu National Park. The cameras record 15-second videos every 6 seconds, capturing whatever is in front of them during that time. Scientists were amazed when three videos from 2022 and 2023 showed jaguars making noises that were previously unknown. In the videos, two female jaguars seemed to use short, high-pitched noises (like domestic cats’ meows) to call their cubs. A meowing cub seemed to be looking for its mother.

In many ways, Aura V is just a regular third grader. But as of February 1, she’s also a Grammy winner! The 8-year-old from Maryland is now the youngest person ever to win one of music’s most celebrated awards. 

Aura won the award for Best Children’s Music Album for the album Harmony, which she made with her dad, musician Harold Simmons II. Simmons, whose stage name is Fyütch, makes music that promotes kindness and racial equality. His work as a teacher inspired him to make a children’s album.

“I actually enjoyed…working with students, showing them how to express themselves through the arts,” he told ABC News. “And when I started making songs for my students and combining my skills as an artist and using it to [make] songs that could educate them, that’s when my career really took off, serving…songs that educate, entertain and empower.”

Swifties have something to celebrate! In 2026, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. At age 36, she’s the second-youngest person ever to receive this honor. 

Swift will enter the hall of fame along with several other songwriters, including Alanis Morrisette, Kenny Loggins, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart. Swift is a standout because songwriters usually aren’t inducted into the hall of fame until they are at least 40. Only one other songwriter, Stevie Wonder, was younger than Swift when the hall of fame welcomed him in 1983. Wonder was 32 at the time.

It’s the perfect time of year to find a good book. The best children’s books of 2025 were recently honored at the 2026 Youth Media Awards!

The American Library Association (ALA) presented the Youth Media Awards on January 26, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. The various awards honor printed books, audio books, video books, and digital media for kids and teens.

Here are a few highlights.

Imagine a vehicle that combines the comfort of a car with the pedaling power of a bicycle. That’s the idea behind the Vigoz. 

Made by a French company called Cixi, the Vigoz is a three-wheeled vehicle that’s powered by pushing on pedals. But the Vigoz isn’t just a fancy tricycle. When the pedals are pushed, they help charge a battery that powers an electric motor. The motor gives the driver a boost, making it easier to pedal and making it possible for the Vigoz to travel much faster than a bike.

Boxer Muhammad Ali was a legend both inside and outside the boxing ring. Now the man often called “The Greatest” is being honored with his own U.S. postage stamp.

“I’m thrilled,” Lonnie Ali told the Associated Press. Lonnie Ali was married to Muhammad Ali for almost 30 years before his death in 2016. “Because every time [people] look at that stamp, they will remember him.”

Born in Kentucky in 1942, Ali was just 18 years old when he won a gold medal in boxing at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Four years later, he became a world heavyweight champion. He would go on to regain that title twice during his boxing career. 

Ali was a brilliant boxer, known for his quick movements in the ring. When he wasn’t boxing, he continued to attract attention with his wit, charm, and confidence. Ali became famous for using rhymes to predict his future boxing victories.

Ali was a hero to many because he was willing to stand up for what he believed in. As a Black American, he had experienced racism and mistreatment. As a famous boxer, with the world watching, Ali spoke out against this kind of injustice. He demanded to be treated with the same respect and dignity as any other American. His self-assurance inspired others to speak out against racism and for equality.

As he got older, Ali developed Parkinson’s disease. This condition makes it harder for a person to speak and move. But Ali continued to make public appearances in support of peace, justice, and equality. He died in 2016. He was 74.

It has been years since his death, but Ali remains a hero and a legend. 

Click through the slideshow for photos from Ali’s remarkable life.