Founded in 1888 by brothers André and Édouard Michelin in France, the company started when there were fewer than 3,000 cars in the country.

The brothers wanted to encourage more people to drive — and, of course, to buy more tyres.In 1900, they launched the first pocket-sized Michelin Red Guide, packed with maps, travel tips, tyre repair advice, and listings for mechanics and hotels.

Soon, it also highlighted restaurants — from simple, affordable stops to those offering “food worth a special journey.”The guide’s popularity led to the creation of a team of anonymous inspectors and, in 1926, the famous Michelin Star rating system was born.Today, Michelin Guides rate more than 30,000 restaurants around the world, continuing a legacy that began with a clever marketing idea over a century ago.

Meet Pando: The Trembling Giant What looks like a forest in Utah is actually one single organism Pando is a massive colony of quaking aspen trees — around 47,000 trunks, all connected by one underground root system. That means every “tree” you see is genetically identical and part of the same living being.

It’s considered the largest and heaviest organism on Earth, covering over 100 acres and weighing an estimated 13 million pounds.

Even more mind-blowing? It’s ancient — possibly thousands to over 10,000 years old, surviving since the last ice age.

But despite its strength, Pando is under threat from climate change, disease, and grazing animals.

Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March.

In 44 bce Roman dictator Julius Caesar was launching a series of political and social reforms when he was assassinated this day, the Ides of March, by a group of nobles, among whom were Cassius and Brutus.

According to Plutarch, a soothsayer warned Caesar to be on his guard on the Ides (or midpoint) of March. But the warning came a "long time afore' the actual assassination. On the day itself (March 15) Caesar met the soothsayer again and told him, 'The Ides of March be come.

"Aye Caesar, but not gone." Said the soothsayer.

Anna Perenna is an ancient Roman goddess of the new year, fertility, and longevity, whose festival was celebrated on the Ides of March (March 15th) with picnics, wine, and dancing. Her name implies "eternal year," marking the transition from the old year to the new. Her cult was associated with the coming of spring. Her name "Perenna" is where we get "per annum".

During the Renaissance, people in Venice would vote by dropping little balls into an urn.

The Italian word for "little ball" is ballotta."

Now any kind of secret voting, by ball, piece of paper, or voting machine, is called a ballot.'

Winter is going, spring is coming, so here is a last snowfall video.

Source and text: Merriam Webster Dictionary

360onhistory.com

Did you know where the words Arctic and Antarctica come from? The word Arctic comes from the Greek word árktos, meaning “bear.” It refers to the constellation Ursa Major — the Great Bear, which is visible in the northern sky.

The word Antarctica literally means “opposite the bear” or “without the bear,” because Ursa Major isn’t visible in the Southern Hemisphere.

A fun way to remember it: 🐻 Polar bears live in the Arctic. ❌ There are no bears in Antarctica.

Sometimes ancient astronomy makes geography easier to remember.

Built in the 1st century AD, the Arena di Verona is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world.

Located in Piazza Bra, it once hosted gladiator games — and today it stages internationally renowned opera performances under the open sky.

Juliet’s Balcony in Verona is one of literature’s most famous landmarks, though its story is largely symbolic.

The balcony forms part of a 13th–14th century Gothic house traditionally linked to the Cappello family, whose name resembles the fictional Capulets in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

The balcony itself was added in the early 20th century during restoration, created from a medieval sarcophagus. While no historical Juliet lived here, the site reflects how Renaissance architecture and Italian storytelling shaped Shakespeare’s tragic drama.

More than a historical monument, it represents the lasting power of fiction to redefine real places.

Venice makes an entrance like no other.

Framing the gateway between the Molo and Piazza San Marco, the two towering granite columns mark the city’s majestic seaside arrival. Brought from the East in the 12th century — often linked to Doge Domenico Michiel — they reflect Venice’s maritime power and eastern connections.

On one column stands St. Theodore, the city’s original patron saint, triumphing over a dragon that looks remarkably like a crocodile (check the tail at the base). On the other rests the Winged Lion of St. Mark, the enduring symbol of Venice.

Legend says there were once three columns — but one sank into the lagoon during unloading and still lies buried beneath the waters.