October 29: Cats, Space Grandpas & a Really Big Tunnel

October 29 is one of those dates that refuses to sit still. It launched a senior citizen into orbit, bored a train tunnel under a strait, and set aside a whole day to worship your cat (who, let's be honest, already assumed every day was that). Buckle up — history's weirdest Tuesday is in session.

The Day Science Got Gloriously Ambitious

In 1998, former astronaut John Glenn climbed aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery for the STS-95 mission at the ripe age of 77. That's right — while most 77-year-olds are arguing with a TV remote, Glenn was arguing with the laws of gravity and winning. Earlier, in 1991, the Galileo spacecraft became the first to visit an asteroid, flying by Gaspra and essentially inventing the cosmic drive-by.

Back on Earth, 2013 gave us the first phase of the Marmaray project — an undersea rail tunnel across the Bosphorus strait. Commuting under an entire body of water: somehow still less stressful than a crowded bus.

Happy Birthday to the Famous Folks

October 29 knows how to throw a party for the talented. Canadian racing driver Lance Stroll (1998) was born to go fast, and he's spent his career making sure of it. French basketball star Evan Fournier (1992) also blew out candles today, presumably with the same follow-through he brings to a jump shot.

Music fans, raise a glass to Swedish singer Eric Saade (1990) and Norwegian singer-songwriter Astrid S (1996). And in the "you've absolutely seen her in something" category, American actress India Eisley (1993) shares the date too. Also celebrating: New Zealand dancer and choreographer Parris Goebel (1991), who has choreographed moves you've definitely attempted in your kitchen and gotten 40% correct.

National Cat Day: The Internet's Official Boss

Today is National Cat Day in the United States, a holiday your cat neither requested nor acknowledges, yet somehow deserves anyway. It's a chance to celebrate the small, judgmental overlords who keep the internet running and your lap warm against their will. Feel free to shower them with treats, premium cardboard boxes, and the same affection they'll pretend to hate.

Meanwhile, over in Turkey, it's Republic Day — Cumhuriyet Bayramı — a genuine national celebration with flags, fireworks, and considerably more enthusiasm than your average cat musters for anything. And in Cambodia, it's Coronation Day, because October 29 simply refuses to let a single country have a quiet afternoon.

So there you have it: astronauts, asteroids, undersea trains, and a nation's worth of cats accepting tribute. October 29 doesn't do "ordinary."