Sponges are sessile, mostly marine animals from the phylum Porifera. Until the 18th century, scientists classified them as plants because they demonstrated so little movement. More than 4,500 living species, which reproduce through both sexual and asexual means, have been documented. Sponges are colonial in nature, living in groups that may grow to 5 ft (150 cm) in diameter. In common usage, the term â€œspongeâ€ refers to what part of this aquatic animal?
Back in the day
Fanny Kaplan was a political revolutionary who was executed for attempting to assassinate Vladimir Lenin. She became disillusioned with Lenin as a result of the conflict between the Socialist Revolutionaries and the Bolshevik party and decided to take action, shooting Lenin three times as he exited a Moscow factory. Though she confessed to the shooting, it has been suggested that Kaplan could not have been responsible for the assassination attempt. Why not?
Born on a day like today
Ranked the second richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of about US$46 billion, this "Oracle of Omaha" has amassed a fortune from astute investments through his company, Berkshire Hathaway. In June 2006, he made the commitment to give away his fortune, with 85% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett's donation represents the largest act of charitable giving in US history. What is his annual salary from Berkshire Hathaway?