Tom Brady was a star quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He gained national fame for leading the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to seven Super Bowl victories.
Credit: © Bob Rosato, Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

On Wednesday, February 1st, 2023, the legendary quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement for the second time. After 23 years in the National Football League, he explained this retirement was official and permanent. Brady had announced his retirement exactly one year before but reversed his decision after six weeks. He played the 2022 to 2023 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady exits the NFL as the most accomplished player in football history.

Brady played for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2020 and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2020 to 2023. Brady gained national fame for leading the Patriots and Buccaneers to seven Super Bowl victories. He led the Patriots to victory against the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) in 2002, the Carolina Panthers in 2004, the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005, the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, and the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. In 2021, he led the Buccaneers to victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady is the only quarterback to win seven Super Bowls. He was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player in 2002, 2004, 2015, 2017, and 2021. He was also named the NFL Most Valuable Player for the 2007, 2010, and 2017 seasons.

During his NFL career, Brady was known for his leadership qualities and his accurate passing. Brady completed more passes (7,753), threw for more yards (89,214), and threw more touchdown passes (649) than any other quarterback in NFL history. He also won more regular season games (251) and more playoff games (35) than any other quarterback. Brady is the only quarterback with more than 10,000 career playoff passing yards. In 2022, he became the first quarterback with a combined total of 100,000 career regular season and playoff passing yards. During the 2007 regular season, Brady threw 50 touchdown passes, an NFL record until Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos broke it by throwing 55 touchdown passes in 2013. During his career, Brady led the NFL in passing touchdowns five times (2002, 2007, 2010, 2015, and 2021) and passing yards four times (2005, 2007, 2017, and 2021).

Thomas Edward Brady, Jr., was born on Aug. 3, 1977, in San Mateo, California. He played college football at the University of Michigan. He graduated in December 1999. The Patriots selected Brady in the sixth round of the NFL draft in 2000. He was the 199th player picked. Brady appeared in only one game in his rookie season. He became the team’s starting quarterback early in the 2001 season after regular quarterback Drew Bledsoe was injured.

In April 2015, the NFL accused Brady and the Patriots of involvement in illegally deflating footballs used in the American Conference championship game between New England and the Indianapolis Colts in January 2015. The league suspended Brady for four games, fined New England $1 million, and stripped the Patriots of two draft picks. In 2020, Brady left the Patriots to play with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A child smiles holding a missing baby tooth.
Credit: © Yaroslav Mishin, Shutterstock

Brush your teeth, and floss, too! It is National Tooth Fairy Day! The tooth fairy is a supernatural being that takes the baby teeth that children lose. According to tradition, the child must put the lost tooth under his or her pillow. While the child sleeps, the tooth fairy takes the tooth and leaves a small payment, usually a gift or money. It is a nice trade-off since you don’t need those teeth anymore!

Folklorists (scholars who study folklore) do not know the origins of the tooth fairy story. However, many cultures consider the loss of baby teeth to be a rite of passage. Various rituals and traditions have developed around the event. Let’s see if the tooth fairy travels all around the world!

According to traditions in Europe, baby teeth were usually buried. In the ancient Middle East, baby teeth were thrown into the sky. Still other rituals included tossing baby teeth over a house, salting them, swallowing them, or burning them.

Another tradition calls for feeding the teeth to an animal such as a mouse. One folk tale from France and Spain during the 1600’s features a “tooth mouse.” This mouse hides under a pillow and knocks out the teeth of an evil king. The mouse does this as a service to a good queen.

Modern folklorists agree that the ritual disposal of a child’s baby teeth developed to prevent witches from using the teeth for magic against the child. But scholars do not know if any of these rituals relate directly to the tooth fairy character.

In the United States, the author Esther Watkins Arnold published a play about the tooth fairy in 1927. In 1949, the American author Lee Rogow had a story published called “The Tooth Fairy.” The work was the first children’s story written about this supernatural creature. The modern tradition of placing a child’s baby teeth under a pillow for the tooth fairy became widespread by the 1950’s. Keep up your good dental hygiene habits as your adult teeth grow in, you should try to hold on to those ones!

Beyoncé is a popular American singer and actress. She first gained fame as a member of the singing group Destiny’s Child. In the early 2000′s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer. Credit: © Shutterstock

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas.

Many notable artists graced the stage at the 2023 Grammy Awards on February 5th, 2023, but Beyoncé and Viola Davis hit the headlines starting Black History Month with shiny awards. American singer and actress Beyoncé broke the record for the most Grammy Awards won by any artist, with 32 awards. American actress Viola Davis won a Grammy Award for her audiobook Finding Me, published in 2022. This Grammy secured Davis as one of the relatively few actors who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards. Only 18 people have won all four awards to become what the industry calls E.G.O.T.s. Other big winners include American rap musician and songwriter Kendrick Lamar who won best rap performance, song, and album. American rap artist, singer, and musician Lizzo won the record of the year for “About Damn Time” (2022).

Beyoncé’s career is more than inspiring. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on Sept. 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. At the age of 9, she began singing with an all-girl group called Girl’s Tyme. The group changed its name often before the members settled on Destiny’s Child and recorded a number of hit songs. In the early 2000’s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer.

Beyoncé had begun performing on her own while still singing with Destiny’s Child. Her first album, Dangerously in Love (2003), was an international hit. It was followed by the hit albums B’Day (2006), I Am…Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), Beyoncé (2013), Lemonade (2016), and Renaissance (2022). Her most popular singles include “Crazy in Love” (with rap singer Jay-Z, 2003); “Irreplaceable” (2006); “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008); “Drunk in Love” (also featuring Jay-Z, 2013); “Formation” (2016); and “Break My Soul” (2022). In 2008, she married Jay-Z. The couple released their first joint album, Everything Is Love, in 2018. In 2018, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to headline (be engaged as a leading performer at) the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held in Indio, California.

As an actress, Beyoncé made her debut in the made-for-TV musical motion picture Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001). She also appeared in the movies Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Dreamgirls (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), and Obsessed (2009). Beyoncé provided her voice for a character in the animated feature film Epic (2013). She also voiced the lioness character Nala in The Lion King (2019), a computer-animated remake of the 1994 animated feature film The Lion King.

American actress Viola Davis
Credit: © Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

Viola Davis has received more varied awards compared to Beyoncé. Davis became known for her intense performances. She also became known as an activist for greater inclusion, particularly of African Americans, in the movie and theater industries.

Davis was born on Aug. 11, 1965, in rural Saint Matthews, South Carolina. In 1988, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from Rhode Island College, in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1993, she received a certificate in acting from the Juilliard School in New York City, New York.

Davis got her first big acting break in 1995 in American dramatist August Wilson’s play Seven Guitars. Her bold performance as the character Vera Hedley earned her the first of many Tony Award nominations. Davis made her first motion-picture appearance in the drama The Substance of Fire (1996). She gained widespread recognition in the film Doubt (2008), in which she played a mother fighting for justice for her son. Davis’s other notable movies include The Help (2011), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), and The Woman King (2022).

How did Davis secure E.G.O.T. status? She won Tony Awards in 2001 and 2010, for her acting in the plays King Hedley II and Fences, respectively. Both plays were written by August Wilson. In 2015, Davis became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, for her performance in the TV series “How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-2020). In 2017, she won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in the movie Fences (2016). And in 2023, Davis won a Grammy Award for the audiobook of her memoir Finding Me, published in 2022.

A suspected Chinese spy balloon floats off the coast of South Carolina in February 2023.
Credit: © Randall Hill, Reuters/Alamy Images

If you have seen the news recently, you have probably heard about the suspected spy balloons floating over North America. The United States has shot down four floating objects in the past two weeks. What are these mysterious balloons?

These aren’t balloons that were accidentally let go at a birthday party! The balloons in question are designed to float at high altitudes in the sky and perform a function. Some balloons track weather, and others record information from down below.

The balloon shot down on Saturday, February 4th, was a Chinese device with surveillance capabilities. One American official said it was about the size of three school buses! It was floating about 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) above the ground. The balloon had floated from Montana to South Carolina. On Friday, President Joe Biden ordered a fighter jet to shoot down the balloon. Navy officers worked to recover the debris from the Atlantic Ocean to figure out what exactly the balloon was doing. While the United States did not know much about the balloon, the discovery led Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to cancel his planned diplomatic trip to Beijing.

Starting Friday, February 10th, the United States shot down one unidentified object daily for three days. These objects were all either unlawfully in Canadian or American air space or posed a threat to flights. The object shot down on Friday was 40,000 feet (12,000 meters) over frozen waters on the northern coast of Alaska. This object was about the size of a small car. This object was smaller than the first balloon targeted a week before.

On Saturday, February 11th, the United States shot down an object around 100 miles from the United States and Canadian border in Yukon, Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed he agreed with the plan. This object was smaller than the one shot down over South Carolina eight days prior and was more cylindrical in shape.

The next day, an object soaring 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) over Lake Huron, near Michigan, was shot down on February 12th, 2023. This object was octagonal with strings hanging off of it. Officials stated it could have been a flight safety threat and a surveillance balloon.

Officials were unable to locate the objects shot down over Alaska and Lake Huron since they submerged under partially frozen water. President Biden called off the search for them. We will not know who controlled those objects or what they did over American territory. Researchers will study the object shot down over Canada to see what its purpose was. Biden announced that the last three objects were most likely tied to private companies researching weather or other scientific studies. However, the first balloon was confirmed to be controlled by China.

The recent events have complicated the relationship between the United States and China. Officials from China have stated the balloon was a civilian weather research airship and not a means to collect surveillance data from other countries. While some people think the balloons and objects are from alien lifeforms, American officials have claimed there has been no indication that the objects were extraterrestrial.

American poet Amanda Gorman
Credit: © Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas.

American poet Amanda Gorman performed at the presidential inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021. She read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at a pivotal time in United States history. She became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration. The poem, composed for the occasion, included references to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, just two weeks before the inauguration. In the attack, rioters supporting outgoing President Donald J. Trump stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which Biden won. As a twenty-two-year-old Black woman, Gorman spoke for millions of people who were scared, frustrated, and distraught over the recent events. Gorman quickly gained widespread attention after the inauguration as a symbol of hope and a gifted poet.

Amanda Sarah Chase Gorman was born March 7, 1998, in Los Angeles, California. Her twin sister is the filmmaker Gabrielle Gorman. Growing up, Amanda was challenged with a speech impediment that involved difficulty pronouncing some speech sounds. She shares this struggle with President Biden who overcame a childhood stutter. In 2014, at age 16, she was named Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate. In 2017, she was named the first National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States by the youth writing program Urban Word. She earned a B.A. degree in sociology from Harvard University in 2020. Gorman’s work includes themes of feminism and racial oppression.

Gorman’s writings have been published in a number of newspapers and periodicals. She also has written and presented poems for a variety of special events. Such events include the Library of Congress ceremony held when the writer Tracy K. Smith began her term as U.S. poet laureate in 2017, and the inauguration of a new university president at Harvard in 2018. Gorman’s first published collection of poetry was The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough (2015). A special collectible edition of her poem “The Hill We Climb” was published in March 2021.

In Gorman’s first children’s book, Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem (2021), a girl with a guitar invites other children to join a musical journey on which they discover ways to help people in their community. The book was illustrated by the American author and illustrator Loren Long.

Call Us What We Carry: Poems was also published in 2021. It includes the poem “The Hill We Climb” as well as a collection of new poems in which Gorman explores struggle and hope both in the past and during current events.

Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand in October 2017.
Credit: © Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images

An icon for women and girls around the world, Jacinda Ardern served as prime minister of New Zealand for a little over five years. Assuming the role in October 2017, she responded to a tragic mass shooting and managed the country through the COVID-19 pandemic. Within her first year in office, she had her daughter, becoming the second elected head of government in modern history to give birth while holding office. Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was the first, in 1990. Ardern is a strong leader who skillfully led her country through tragedies.

On January 19, 2023, Ardern announced that she would resign as prime minister and as leader of the Labour Party. She officially stepped down as prime minister on January 25. Ardern said that her resignation was part of a decision to help the Labour Party find a new leader before the 2023 general election, as well as to protect her own mental health. She also announced her intention to carry out the rest of her term as a member of Parliament.

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, on July 26, 1980. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from the University of Waikato in 1999.

Ardern became interested in politics at a young age. She joined the Labour Party, a center-left political party that favors socially liberal policies, at the age of 17. From 2003 to 2004, she served as the vice president of the Young Labour Party. She was first elected to New Zealand’s Parliament in 2008. She was soon appointed the party’s spokesperson on youth affairs. She later served as spokesperson for social development; for justice, children, and small business; and for arts, culture, and heritage.

In March 2017, Labour elected Ardern to be the party’s deputy leader. Polls prior to a 2017 general election showed weak support for the party. To improve Labour’s chances in the election, Andrew Little resigned his leadership of the party. Ardern became Labour leader on July 31, 2017.

No party won a majority of parliamentary seats in the September 2017 general election. The National Party won 56 seats, and Labour, together with the Green Party, won 54. The New Zealand First Party, led by Winston Peters, won 9 seats. New Zealand First joined Labour and the Greens, forming a governing partnership with a 63-seat majority. Ardern was sworn in as prime minister on Oct. 26, 2017.

On March 15, 2019, a white supremacist gunman attacked two mosques in Christchurch before being captured by police. The attacker killed 51 people and injured dozens more in the deadliest terrorist attack in New Zealand’s history. Within weeks after the attack, Ardern’s government introduced new laws banning the ownership of most automatic and semiautomatic weapons. The legislation overwhelmingly passed through Parliament and became law on April 12.

In 2020, Ardern won praise for her leadership role in New Zealand’s rapid and effective response to the worldwide public health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government restricted travel to New Zealand, closed schools and nonessential businesses, and encouraged residents to practice social distancing. It also provided financial assistance for workers and businesses. By late April, some restrictions were eased, following a significant decrease in new cases.

In October 2020 parliamentary elections, Labour won a rare outright majority of seats, and Ardern remained prime minister. Ardern’s handling of the 2019 terrorist attack and the COVID-19 pandemic were credited with voters’ strong support for the Labour Party. The nation’s COVID-19 vaccination program began in February 2021, and a high percentage of the eligible population was vaccinated by the end of the year. Ardern announced an end to most of New Zealand’s strict COVID-19 policies in 2022.

LeBron James is a dominant scorer, passer, rebounder, and defender. James led the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers to NBA titles.
Credit: © Steve Dykes, Getty Images

The King! The GOAT (greatest of all time)! The best in NBA history! Lebron James claimed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most regular-season points scored in a player’s career on February 7, 2023. He secured the record playing for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Abdul-Jabbar recorded 38,387 points in his career. James has put up 38,388 points since he started in the NBA in 2003. That is more points than how many miles it is to travel around the world 1.5 times!

Lebron James is a star forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA). James stands 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) tall and weighs about 260 pounds (118 kilograms). His unusual combination of speed and power makes James one of the most unique and gifted players in NBA history. James is an outstanding scorer, playmaker, and defensive player. He was selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013 seasons.

LeBron Raymone James was born on Dec. 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. He gained a national reputation while playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected James as the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2003-2004 season. In the 2006-2007 season, James led Cleveland to the team’s first conference championship in franchise history. James led the NBA in scoring for the 2007-2008 regular season with a 30-point average.

LeBron James scores a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Miami Heat’s victory in the fifth and final game of the 2012 NBA finals. James was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series.
Credit: © Rhona Wise, EPA/Alamy Images

James signed with the Miami Heat after the 2009-2010 season. He helped Miami reach the NBA finals in 2010-2011 and 2013-2014. He led the team to the NBA championship in 2011-2012 and again in 2012-2013. He was a member of United States national teams that won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Summer Games. Following the 2013-2014 season, James rejoined Cleveland. He led the Cavaliers to the NBA finals four straight seasons, from 2014-2015 through 2017-2018, winning the NBA championship in 2015-2016. James joined the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2017-2018 season. He led the league in assists during the 2019-2020 season and led the Lakers to the NBA championship.

James and his high school teammates were the subjects of the documentary More Than a Game (2009). James wrote a memoir, Shooting Stars (2009), about his basketball career. He also wrote the inspirational children’s picture book I Promise (illustrated by Nina Mata, 2020). The book is related to the goals of the I Promise School, a public school for struggling students that the LeBron James Family Foundation opened in Akron. James has also worked as a producer, actor, and voice actor for a number of television and film projects. Such projects include the motion picture Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021).

Ketanji Brown Jackson
Credit: US District Court for the District of Columbia

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas.

As the first Black woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson has an impressive career. She was appointed an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 2022. President Joe Biden nominated Jackson to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer. A mother, reporter, lawyer, and judge, Jackson is a role model for many people.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson signs an oath of office on June 30, 2022, as she is sworn in as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
Credit: US Supreme Court

Ketanji Onyika Brown was born on Sept. 14, 1970, in Washington, D.C. Her family later relocated to Miami, Florida. Brown studied at Harvard University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in government in 1992. She worked as a reporter and researcher for Time magazine from 1992 to 1993.

Brown attended Harvard Law School, where she worked as an editor at the Harvard Law Review. She graduated from law school in 1996. That same year, she married the American surgeon Patrick Jackson. The couple shares two daughters.

From 1996 to 1998, Ketanji Jackson served as a law clerk first in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and then in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In 1999, she served as a law clerk to Justice Breyer. Jackson worked as an associate at several law firms and as a federal assistant public defender.

In 2010, Jackson became a vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, having been nominated to that position by President Barack Obama. On the commission, Jackson worked to reduce federal sentences for certain charges.

In 2012, Obama nominated Jackson to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a position she held from 2013 to 2021. In 2021, Biden appointed Jackson to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs runs the game-winning drive in Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
Credit: © John Angelillo, UPI/Alamy Images

The Kansas City Chiefs rallied with two fourth-quarter touchdowns to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit and defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts led an aggressive Philadelphia offense, rushing for three touchdowns and passing for one more. But the Chiefs’ dynamic quarterback Patrick Mahomes, hobbled by a high ankle sprain, battled back in the second half to clinch the win. The first Super Bowl ever to feature two number-one-seeded teams, it was the second Super Bowl championship for the Chiefs in the last four years.  

The Eagles took the kickoff to open the game and drove downfield, capping the drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak for the touchdown. The Chiefs answered immediately with a brisk three-minute drive capped by a touchdown catch by All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. On the first play of the second quarter, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown made a spectacular 45-yard touchdown catch to regain the lead 14-7. Hurts fumbled on the next drive. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton grabbed the ball and sprinted 36 yards for the score, tying the game 14-14. The Eagles converted two fourth-down plays in the next drive as Hurts scored his second rushing touchdown, taking a 21-14 lead. Following a three-and-out by the Chiefs, the Eagles added a 35-yard Jake Elliott field goal to make the score 24-14 at the half.  

Caribbean superstar Rihanna floated into the Super Bowl halftime show on a glowing red platform high above the turf suspended by wires. Wearing a glossy red outfit and surrounded by backup dancers clad in white, Rihanna took to the stage for her first live performance in four years. She later revealed that she was performing while pregnant with her second child.  

The Chiefs opened the second half with a touchdown drive to cut their deficit to 24-21. Soon after, the Eagles responded with a 33-yard field goal to extend their lead 27-21. Mahomes hit back with a 5-yard touchdown pass to give the Chiefs their first lead in the game at 28-27. The Eagles followed with a three-and-out and a punt that Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney returned 65 yards to the 5-yard line. The Chiefs scored three plays later on a Mahomes touchdown pass to take a 35-27 lead. The Eagles quickly bounced back as wide receiver DeVonta Smith grabbed a pass and scrambled 45 yards up the sideline to the 2-yard line. Hurts followed with his third rushing touchdown on another quarterback sneak. The 2-point conversion was good to tie the score 35-35 with just over 5 minutes remaining. But the Chiefs marched downfield, aided by a couple of key penalties, to the 2-yard line. After a couple of plays to run down the clock, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made the 27-yard field goal to put the score 38-35. With only seconds left and no timeouts, a Hail Mary pass by Hurts fell short to end the game.  

Hurts finished the game with 27 completions in 38 pass attempts for 304 yards. He also rushed 15 times for 70 yards and three touchdowns. Mahomes completed 21 of 27 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed six times for 44 yards. Mahomes, who had just been named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2022 season, was also named Super Bowl MVP for the second time.  

Civilians and rescue teams in Harem, Syria, search for survivors underneath rubble after a devastating earthquake hit the region on February 6, 2023.
Credit: © Anas Alkharboutli, dpa picture alliance/Alamy Images

On Monday, February 6th, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey at 4:17 AM. The epicenter of the earthquake hit Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey, close to the Syrian border. Tens of thousands of people died in the destruction, and the death toll continues to rise. The earthquake’s grasp extended to Syria, causing widespread damage in the northwestern region of the country. The earthquake and aftershocks were felt in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon. The damage unfolds a new humanitarian crisis in a region already shaken by economic struggles, an ongoing refugee crisis, and war.

Turkey lies on crisscrossed fault lines resulting in frequent earthquakes. The United States Geological Survey reported the epicenter of the earthquake struck 20 miles (33 kilometers) from Gaziantep, Turkey. It hit 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) below the surface. Normally the initial shock of the earthquake hits hundreds of miles from the surface. The earthquake resulted in unusually strong aftershocks, including a 7.5 magnitude tremor 59 miles (95 kilometers) from the epicenter that was originally thought to be a second earthquake. Seismologists normally expect a 6.8 or lower magnitude aftershock from a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The area has experienced more than 80 aftershocks measuring 4.0 magnitude and higher in the hours following the original quake. The earthquake was as powerful as the strongest earthquake on record in Turkey which occurred in 1939. The aftermath of the quakes has caused more damage than the country has seen in decades.

Turkey
credit: World Book map

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced thousands of buildings collapsed in 14 different cities. As search and rescue teams look for people underneath the rubble, snow, rain, and low temperatures hinder their efforts. The near-freezing temperatures shorten the amount of time rescue teams have to retrieve people from the rubble. The weather hampers efforts to stay warm in other parts of the region. Many buildings in Turkey are older with concrete frames that cannot withstand strong tremors. Nearly 15 hospitals buckled from the earthquake. A 2,000-year-old castle used by the Romans and Byzantines also faced damage in the aftermath. The damage has cut power and gas in some regions, leading officials to wonder how to keep survivors warm and safe. Disaster relief officials reported nearly 6,400 people had been rescued already. President Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning.

According to the United Nations refugee agency, Turkey hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees due to the 12-year civil war in Syria. Many people lived in temporary or unsafe housing before the earthquake struck. These camps and makeshift shelters were decimated by the quake. While many Turkish residents lost their homes, work, and schools, the refugee crisis broadens. As the region grapples with the chaos, the refugee crisis will continue.

More than 1,250 people have died, and 1,040 were injured in government-held Syria. These numbers do not account for Idlib, where rebels control the government in northwestern Syria. Officials estimate nearly 390 people have died in Idlib with hundreds more buried under rubble. Years of air strikes and bombardments weakened the infrastructure across Syria. The earthquake demolished several hospitals and pivotal infrastructure, further stressing underfunded and busy health centers.

Dozens of countries, the European Union, and the United Nations have offered aid and support for the affected regions. Search and rescue teams, aircraft, and medical teams are heading toward the region from all across the world. The earthquake is the deadliest earthquake the world has seen since the quake that killed 1,000 people in Afghanistan in June 2022.