July 10: Cave Rescues, Baby Hippos, and a 134°F Day

Grab something cold to drink, because today in history involves record-breaking heat, a triumphant cave rescue, and a baby hippo who became more famous than most humans. July 10, you have been busy.

The Great Escape (and the Hottest Day Ever)

In 2018, the world held its breath as a junior football team and their coach were finally rescued from the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Thailand after 18 days underground. It was a nail-biter of a global event, the kind of story that reminded everyone that sometimes humanity actually pulls together and gets it right.

Meanwhile, if you think today feels warm, spare a thought for Furnace Creek, California, where in 1913 the temperature hit a scorching 134°F (56.7°C) — officially recognized by the World Meteorological Organization as the hottest air temperature ever recorded on Earth. The name "Furnace Creek" was apparently not just clever branding.

Happy Birthday to the Real Legend: Moo Deng

Yes, actual celebrities were born today. Antonio Brown (1988) hit the football field, Trent Richardson (1990) followed suit, and Isabela Merced (2001) has been charming Hollywood for years. Angus Cloud (1998), the beloved Euphoria actor, was also born on this day.

But let's be honest about who really owns July 10 now: Moo Deng, the Thai pygmy hippopotamus, was born in 2024 and promptly became an internet superstar. Somewhere out there, an A-list publicist is furious that a slippery baby hippo has better engagement numbers than their entire client roster.

Nikola Tesla Day and Bahamas Independence

Today is Nikola Tesla Day, honoring the brilliant inventor whose ideas basically wired the modern world — and who still didn't get a car company named after him until decades after he passed. Raise a glass (of alternating current) in his honor.

It's also Independence Day in the Bahamas, celebrating the nation's 1973 independence from the United Kingdom. So while the rest of us are melting like Furnace Creek in 1913, the Bahamas are doing it properly — with beaches, sunshine, and zero apologies.

And in a lovely bit of "end of an era" news, the very last Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the line in Puebla, Mexico, in 2019 — the 5,961st Special Edition, headed straight to a museum. From the world's hottest day to the world's most beloved bug, July 10 truly contains multitudes. Stay cool out there.