The Week Junior

tributes paid to victims of london bridge attack

On 2 December, events were held in London and Cambridge to remember the victims of an attack on London Bridge. What happened? On 29 November, two people died and three others were injured when a man with a weapon carried out a terrorist attack (an act of violence aimed at scaring the public) on London Bridge, in London. The attack started in a building called Fishmongers’ Hall, where a meeting was being held to re-educate former prisoners and help turn them away from crime. The police arrived quickly after the attack began and shot the man to prevent him from hurting anyone else. Who were the victims? Two people died during the attack. They were 25-year-old Jack Merritt and 23-year-old Saskia Jones. They were both graduates of the University of Cambridge and had degrees…

greta arrives for climate meeting

The activist Greta Thunberg has arrived in Spain for a big conference on climate change. For nine days, until 11 December, world leaders are meeting in Spain’s capital Madrid to discuss the issue. Climate change is the name for long-term changes in Earth’s weather patterns – including rising temperatures. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) are a major cause. Burning fossil fuels releases emissions (gases) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air, which trap heat into the Earth’s atmosphere. The aim of the event is for top officials to agree on ways of cutting emissions. To reach the conference, Thunberg sailed on a yacht to avoid flying because planes release emissions that harm the environment. The conference was due to be held in Chile, in South…

united nations hosts global disability day

On 3 December, events were held around the world to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). The day aims to raise awareness of people with disabilities and how they positively impact the world. A person with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental condition that limits their movements, senses or activities. IDPD has been organised since 1992 by the United Nations (UN) – an organisation of 193 countries that work together on issues including health and peace. This year, the focus is on how people with disabilities can have their say in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals set out how to improve the planet by 2030, covering issues such as poverty, healthcare and hunger. To mark IDPD, events have been held at the…

it’s an amazing week for…

TWO FOOTBALL HEROES On 2 December, Lionel Messi and Megan Rapinoe both won Ballon d’Or (golden ball) awards – football’s most prestigious prize for individuals. Messi’s award makes him the first footballer to win six Ballon d’Or trophies. Rapinoe co-captained the US team to victory at the 2019 Women’s World Cup. SPOTTING OTTERS Otters have been spotted in Birmingham city centre for the first time. Signs that the animals were living there were first seen two years ago, but it has taken until now for one to be captured on camera. There is concern for the otters’ wellbeing, however, as scientists found bits of plastic in their droppings. FINDING A LOST RING When Bill Giguere lost his wedding ring on a snowy mountain in New Hampshire, US, he put out an urgent plea online for…

manuscript reveals royal writing

A 16th-century manuscript found in a London palace was partly written by Queen Elizabeth I, a historian has discovered. The document was studied by Dr John-Mark Philo at Lambeth Palace Library in London. Philo, who is an expert in the history of written works, says that it must have been written by the monarch in the 1590s. The manuscript is an English translation of The Annals by Tacitus. The Annals is a history of the Roman Empire from AD14 to 68, and Tacitus was a public official who was alive during Roman times. (The Roman Empire was made up of all the territories ruled by ancient Rome. At one point it included much of western Europe.) Tacitus’s record is one of the best sources of information about the Roman Empire. In…

the week in history

7 December 1909 The birth of man-made plastic On 7 December 1909, scientist Leo Baekeland was granted a patent for his invention, Bakelite, which was the first man-made plastic. A patent is a right given by the government to an inventor to protect their invention. Bakelite’s scientific name is polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride (you can see why he called it Bakelite), and it was very popular because it could be moulded into different shapes. At the time of Baekeland’s death in 1944, his invention was used in more than 15,000 products.…