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We've put together a collection of stories that will help you finish the week on a high note. For a little touch of the unusual, don't forget to check out our offbeat list as well.
This week brings us two remarkable stories of women who achieved their graduation dreams even though they happened decades later than expected. A young girl and her dog came to the rescue of their friends in danger. You'll also find a fascinating discovery of a burial chamber that thrilled British archaeologists, along with a breakthrough medical treatment involving genetically modified viruses that saved a teen's life.
10. The Long-Awaited Graduation
A World War II veteran had the honor of walking across the stage to receive her diploma, fulfilling a long-held dream 70 years after originally graduating.
In 1943, Elizabeth Barker Johnson from Elkin, North Carolina, joined the US Army. She served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-black female battalion sent overseas during World War II. Later, she pursued higher education at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) with the help of the GI Bill.
Johnson completed her degree in 1949 and began her career as a teacher. However, she missed her graduation ceremony because she had to work that day and couldn't arrange for a substitute.
Nearly 70 years later, on her 99th birthday, Johnson received a red cap and gown and was invited to join the WSSU Class of 2019 for their commencement ceremony. On that Friday, the veteran finally realized her long-awaited dream.
9. A Glorious Shine
Music enthusiasts are excited for the once-in-a-lifetime event as David Gilmour, the legendary Pink Floyd guitarist, will be auctioning off his renowned guitar collection to benefit charity.
On June 20, over 120 guitars from the progressive rock icon will be sold by Christie’s in Manhattan, with an estimated value of millions. All proceeds will go to Gilmour's charity to assist starving refugees.
Among the many iconic guitars up for auction are a Stratocaster with the serial number 0001 and a 12-string Martin acoustic that Gilmour played on the legendary track 'Wish You Were Here.'
The crown jewel of the sale will undoubtedly be Gilmour’s iconic 1969 Stratocaster, known as the Black Strat. This guitar was his primary instrument from 1970 until the mid-1980s and is featured on timeless Pink Floyd tracks like “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Comfortably Numb.”
While Gilmour acknowledges that parting with these guitars will be emotional, the cause behind the auction is more important to him. He hopes that the instruments will find musicians who will continue to make music with them, rather than letting them gather dust behind glass or be displayed as trophies.
8. The Attire of Nurses
Guinness World Records (GWR) decided to recognize the marathon achievement of a nurse after realizing that their previous uniform criteria were outdated.
The London Marathon took place just two weekends ago, with numerous runners participating—many running for charity—while donning an array of costumes and uniforms.
One of the participants, Jessica Anderson, a nurse at Royal London Hospital, set a new world record for the fastest marathon time while wearing a nurse’s uniform, raising over £5,000 for Barts Health NHS Trust. However, GWR initially disqualified her, stating that she wore the wrong attire.
GWR's original guidelines required a nurse’s uniform to include a white or blue dress, a white pinafore apron, and the classic nurse’s cap. However, Anderson participated in the race wearing scrubs, which GWR deemed too similar to a doctor’s outfit, not meeting their standards for a nurse’s uniform.
This decision sparked backlash from nurses, who took to social media to show their support for Anderson. Many posted photos of themselves in their everyday uniforms—mainly scrubs, occasional T-shirts, and sometimes military fatigues. It's now rare for nurses, especially men, to wear traditional dresses.
This week, a GWR spokesperson confirmed that Anderson's world record was reinstated. The organization also decided to abandon outdated uniform standards, choosing to adopt new guidelines that better reflect the attire worn by modern nurses globally.
7. An Unexpected Series of Events
One day, a third grader learned how to perform the Heimlich maneuver at school. The very next day, she was able to use that knowledge to save her best friend's life.
On May 1, nine-year-old Shailyn Ryan was having lunch with her friend Keira Silvia at the Marguerite Peaslee Elementary School in Northborough, Massachusetts. Suddenly, Keira’s face turned bright red as she began choking on a hot dog.
Luckily, Shailyn was prepared. She quickly grabbed Keira from behind and performed the Heimlich maneuver exactly as she had learned just the day before at the Northborough Recreation Center in the Home Alone Safety Program. Thanks to Shailyn’s quick thinking, she may have just saved her friend's life.
6. Edgar the Brave Hound
Edgar, the four-year-old coonhound, is being celebrated as the hero of his neighborhood in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, after he thwarted an attempted kidnapping.
One night, Edgar’s owners, Thom and Melissa Lambert, were roused by his frantic barking. They soon heard unsettling noises coming from the kitchen. The neighborhood had been on edge after a four-year-old girl had been kidnapped from the area just two days before.
Thom checked on his three young daughters and found them sound asleep. He quickly gathered everyone into the master bedroom, armed himself with a butcher knife, and started sweeping the house. He discovered that the kitchen window and front door were wide open.
Despite the open windows and doors, there was no sign of the intruder, who had clearly been frightened off by Edgar's relentless barking. When the police arrived, Edgar was passed out on the bed and stayed completely still for the rest of the night.
Two days later, police arrested 20-year-old Thomas Dewald. The girl who had been previously kidnapped had already escaped while Dewald was at work. Later that day, she was found wandering along the street.
Since the incident, Edgar has been showered with attention by his neighbors, who spoil him with steaks and treats.
5. The Tomb of the King of Bling
Archaeologists have revealed their findings from a remarkable, wealth-laden burial chamber, which has been dubbed “the UK’s equivalent to Tutankhamen’s tomb.”
In 2003, road construction uncovered a burial site in Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Initially, it seemed unremarkable. However, when a team from the Museum of London Archaeology began excavating the site, they were astonished by what they found.
The burial chamber remained undisturbed, and the presence of royal artifacts made it clear that its occupant was of high status. This person has since been dubbed the Prince of Prittlewell and the King of Bling. More than 40 experts from various fields investigated the site, and their findings are now published before the artifacts are displayed at Southend Central Museum.
Although the tomb was often compared to that of Tutankhamen, a notable difference was that this one was in soil that drained freely. This meant that all organic materials had decayed. In fact, the only human remains found were small fragments of tooth enamel.
Despite the decay, the chamber contained over 40 rare artifacts, including a lyre, gold-foil crosses, a golden belt buckle, a copper alloy bowl, decorative glass beakers, and a flagon. A 1,400-year-old box is believed to be the last surviving example of painted Anglo-Saxon woodwork in Britain.
Regarding the identity of the tomb's occupant, scholars initially thought it could have been Saebert, the king of Essex. However, carbon dating revealed that the tomb predated his death by a few decades. Now, they believe it may have been Seaxa, the king’s brother, though they admit this is merely their “best guess.”
4. Recognition for a Trailblazer
On Friday, the University of Alabama awarded an honorary doctorate to Autherine Lucy Foster, its first black student. She endured protests, riots, and death threats when she first enrolled nearly 70 years ago.
As she stood on stage during the commencement, Foster noticed a dramatic change. It was the same crowd, but now she saw 'laughing faces' rather than people frowning and unhappy about her presence.
When Foster first enrolled, the reaction was far from positive. After applying in 1952 and being rejected, she was finally accepted in 1956, becoming the first black person to attend a previously all-white university in Alabama. Her enrollment lasted only three days before she was expelled due to the violence and protests her presence sparked.
Foster returned to the university in 1988, graduating alongside her daughter with a master's degree in elementary education. Now, the University of Alabama has honored her with a doctorate to recognize her as a 'trailblazer' in the civil rights movement.
3. Phage Therapy Leads To Remarkable Recovery
A teenager has made an extraordinary recovery from a life-threatening illness thanks to the world's first treatment using a genetically modified virus to combat a drug-resistant infection.
Isabelle Holdaway, a 17-year-old from Kent, England, suffers from cystic fibrosis, which leads to frequent lung infections. After a double lung transplant, she was again struck by an antibiotic-resistant bacterial strain. The infection spread, and Isabelle was given only a 1% chance of survival. She was sent home for palliative care.
Desperate for a solution, Isabelle’s mother urged doctors to try phage therapy. A phage is a virus that targets and kills bacterial cells. Experts from the University of Pittsburgh were contacted to develop a treatment tailored to Isabelle’s infection.
Phages are highly specialized and efficient, targeting only specific bacteria. As a result, researchers had to go through extensive trial and error to identify the right ones. Ultimately, they found three promising candidates. They modified two of the viruses by removing a gene to enhance their potency, then combined all three into a cocktail to prevent the bacteria from building resistance.
Isabelle began phage therapy in June 2018. After just six weeks, her infection had nearly vanished, with very few side effects.
Since Isabelle was not part of a clinical trial, it’s difficult to gauge the treatment’s effectiveness for other patients. However, with the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, phage therapy could become a promising alternative for combating infections.
2. Pay It Forward
A simple act of kindness went viral, sparking a wave of random good deeds across the internet.
While shopping at Target in Columbia, Missouri, Ashley Jost, a 27-year-old college administrator, picked up a self-help book titled Girl, Stop Apologizing. After returning home, she started reading but was interrupted when her dog began barking and running around. As she chased after the dog, she noticed a $5 bill fall from the pages of the book.
Along with the money, there was a note from someone named 'Lisa,' who had placed the bill there during a difficult day as a small act of kindness for someone else who might need it.
The note had the desired effect. Touched by the gesture, Jost shared a photo of it online. The post quickly gained attention and inspired others to perform their own acts of kindness.
Some acts were simple, like Jost’s stepfather paying for a stranger’s groceries. Others carried deeper significance, such as a woman who performed an act of kindness in memory of her daughter, who had tragically passed away in a car accident.
The author of the book, Rachel Hollis, also took notice of the initiative and urged her followers to pay it forward. Eventually, Jost received a card from the mysterious 'Lisa,' who expressed how Jost’s actions had moved her to tears, in a good way.
1. Trinity, The Tattooed Toddler
It’s certainly a rare and potentially unsettling sight to see a toddler with tattoo sleeves, but in this case, it was all done to brighten the spirits of a young girl battling cancer.
Skyla Zimmerman D’Autorio made a special request to Ink Wolves, a tattoo parlor in Tampa, Florida. She wanted to know if they could give her daughter, Trinity, temporary tattoo sleeves with a Disney theme. Trinity, who has neuroblastoma, enjoys fun activities to take her mind off her illness, and since she adores her father’s tattoos, they thought she would love her own as well.
D’Autorio initially worried that the tattoo shop would think she was out of her mind, but the team there was all in from the start. Two artists even came in on their day off to be part of the special project. They spent four hours decorating Trinity’s arms with Disney princesses, butterflies, and anything else her imagination could dream up.
The tattoos only lasted for about six days, but D’Autorio made sure to bring in a professional photographer to capture the precious moments, ensuring that the memories would live on forever.
