Since 1780 an island in Alaska named Rat Island had been overrun by rats since the sinking of a Japanese whale ship. In the 229 years that the rats had lived on the Aleutian island they had a negative impact on the environment there. Now they are gone.

Over the years there have been many news stories about the Titanic. The year 2009 is no different as it closes out another chapter. Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the RMS Titanic that sank in 1912 died at the age of 97 years old in Southampton, England.

On May 27, 2009, the Soyuz Russian spacecraft launched from Kazakhstan and hooked up with the International Space Station to drop off three crew members. The linkup took place over 200 miles above the coast of China. It is the first time in the Space Station’s 10 years that it has been fully manned.

Here is an instance of kids making the news. Kids from World War II share their experiences in Remember World War II: Kids Who Survived Tell Their Stories a book published by National Geographic Children’s Books.

Although we certainly have some incredible space news again there is exciting news in the world of science for March 2009. Early this month an underwater volcano began erupting. The underwater volcano located in the South Pacific near Tonga is changing the face of the South Pacific.

It has been a growing problem in children and adults for some time that is under watch in the world of health. Vitamin D is an important vitamin necessary to the health of all. Scientists are finding that teenagers with low vitamin D are having health problems.

Giant squid are invading the California coast. The Humboldt Squid that can reach about 6 feet long and way a hundred pounds. Their population is growing and it is expanding outside its normal home base between Chile and Mexico in their search for food.

In 1951 Paul Harvey had his radio show called “Paul Harvey News and Comment” broadcast nationally. He was in the business of news so long that if you are reading this article today and ask any of your older generation relatives, they will tell you that they remember him well.

While the planet earth has struggled with its problems of global warming and trying to build a greener future a new problem is in our future. The problem is space junk. Garbage is not just a problem for us on earth; it is a problem for us in space.

It was in 1926 when 19 year old Gertrude Caroline Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. She is quoted as saying, “People said women couldn’t swim the Channel but I proved they could.” Perhaps a few people said the same about Jennifer Figge and she proved them wrong as well.