The largest set of demonstrations ever held in the U.S. is widely considered to be the Women’s March on January 21, 2017 — the day after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.

Women’s March (2017)

• Estimated turnout: Between 3.3 million and 5.2 million people across the U.S.

• Largest single-day protest in U.S. history

• Main issues: Women's rights, reproductive rights, immigration, healthcare, LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and opposition to Trump’s policies

• Number of events: Over 650 marches took place in all 50 states

• The largest gatherings were in:

  • Washington, D.C. (~500,000)

  • Los Angeles (~750,000)

  • New York City (~400,000)

  • Chicago (~250,000)

The Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit) is a distinguished French honour established by President Charles de Gaulle on December 3, 1963. It recognises individuals with distinguished merits in public service, military endeavours, or private sector activities.

Structure of the Order: The order is organized into five levels:

1. Chevalier (Knight)

2. Officier (Officer)

3. Commandeur (Commander)

4. Grand Officier (Grand Officer)

5. Grand-Croix (Grand Cross)

These distinctions are awarded to French citizens and foreign nationals who have significantly contributed to France or its interests.

Notable Recipients: Over the years, the Ordre National du Mérite has been conferred upon numerous prominent individuals, including:

• James Gerard: friend, and leader of the AOMDA, securing Franco-American relations in the common cause of friendship, liberty and democracy.

• Jacques Cousteau: Renowned oceanographer and filmmaker honoured with the Grand Croix for his contributions to marine science.

• Michel Sardou: Celebrated French singer and songwriter recognized for enriching French music.

• Jean Gabin: Iconic French actor awarded for his significant contributions to cinema.

• Bernard Duhaime: Acknowledged for his dedication to human rights and international law.

Medal Design: The Ordre National du Mérite's insignia features a six-armed Maltese asterisk in blue enamel, centred with a medallion bearing the Republic's effigy. The reverse side displays the motto "Ordre National du Mérite." The medal is suspended from a ribbon of blue silk moiré, symbolizing the order's prestige.

Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited ceasefire that would stop Russia from targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after a high-stakes phone call with Donald Trump.

However, the Russian leader declined to commit to a 30-day complete ceasefire, a plan Trump pitched that Ukraine agreed to last week.

This dented the US president’s hope of quickly ending hostilities. The Kremlin said Putin demanded that the West halt all military aid to Kyiv before it could implement such a plan.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, spoke after the call. He said Ukraine was favourable to both sides halting attacks on each other’s infrastructure, but he was waiting for “details” of what had been agreed upon first.

Trump interpreted the discussion positively, writing on his Truth Social platform shortly after the call ended that he had had a “very good and productive” conversation with Putin.

“We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine,” he added.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has achieved notable success rates with its primary launch vehicles over the years: Vega

Operational Period: 2012–2024

Total Launches: 22

Successes: 20

Failures: 2

Success Rate: Approximately 90.9%

Vega was designed for small payloads, primarily for scientific and Earth observation missions.
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NASA has utilized various launch vehicles over the decades, each with its success rate. Here's an overview of some of the primary rockets:

Atlas V

Operational Period: 2002–Present

Total Launches: 100 (as of June 2024)

Success Rate: 100% mission success; 99% vehicle success

Note: In June 2007, the Atlas V experienced an anomaly when the Centaur upper stage shut down early, leading to a lower-than-intended orbit. However, the mission was still deemed successful.
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Russia has developed and operated several prominent launch vehicles over the decades, each with varying success rates.

Soyuz-2

Operational Period: 2004–Present

Total Launches: 148

Successes: 143

Failures: 4

Partial Failures: 1

Success Rate: Approximately 97.0%
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China's space program has developed a series of launch vehicles, notably the Long March (Chang Zheng) rocket family, which has demonstrated a high success rate over the decades:

Long March 5

Operational Period: 2016–Present

Total Launches: 13 (as of December 16, 2024)

Successes: 12

Failures: 1

Success Rate: Approximately 92.3%

Note: The Long March 5 is China's heavy-lift launch vehicle, supporting missions such as lunar exploration and space station assembly.

The idea for the movie "Planet of the Apes" (1968) originated from the 1963 novel La Planète des Singes (translated as Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet) by Pierre Boulle, a French author best known for The Bridge on the River Kwai.

Origins of the Idea:

Pierre Boulle wrote the novel as a satirical commentary on human nature, evolution, and social structures.

The book tells the story of astronauts who land on a planet ruled by intelligent apes, with humans as the primitive species.

Boulle was inspired by human behavior, evolution, and concerns about civilization's future.

How It Became a Movie:

Producer Arthur P. Jacobs obtained the film rights and pushed for an adaptation.

Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone) wrote an early screenplay that reshaped the story into the 1968 film starring Charlton Heston.

Michael Wilson revised the final screenplay, adding the film’s famous twist ending: the ruined Statue of Liberty reveals that the planet is actually Earth in the future.