Died

Arthur Rorheim, who helped create the Awana youth program, died on Jan. 5 at age 99. Rorheim began as a children’s pastor at a small Chicago church during the 1930s and ’40s. Rorheim’s senior pastor, Lance Latham, asked him to design and lead a weekly club for children, a new idea at the time. They created fun activities and incentives to capture children’s minds built on a Biblical foundation. The club grew quickly until 500 children were coming every week. Rorheim and Latham created Awana in 1950, sharing their model with churches throughout the country and eventually the world. Rorheim served as executive director for 42 years and as president for another seven.

Snowed

Aïn Séfra, a desert town in Algeria, has reported snow for only the third time in 40 years. Some said parts of the area, often known as the “Gateway to the Sahara,” recently received almost 15 inches of snow. Aïn Séfra officially reported less than 1 inch. During the summer, the town regularly experiences some of the hottest temperatures on earth. At night the temperatures drop significantly, making it possible for snow to stay. But photographers on the scene said the snow stuck even after the sun rose, remaining until the evening.

Attended

For the first time, Saudi Arabia has allowed women to attend a soccer game. The new decree opened three stadiums that the government has specially modified for women with family entrances, family stands, and women-only bathrooms and prayer areas. During a match in Jeddah, both the fans and their specially designated female ushers wore the full abaya robe, but they were free to cheer as loudly as the men. Women will be permitted to attend two more matches, one in the capital Riyadh and one in Dammam. During the two hours of the match in Jeddah, tens of thousands retweeted a hashtag meaning “the people welcome the entry of women into the stadiums,” as the soccer-obsessed nation discussed the decree.

Sued

James Damore and David Gudeman, former Google engineers, are suing the tech giant for discrimination against conservative, male employees. Google fired Damore last year after a memo he wrote became public where he argued biology is the reason fewer women than men are interested in tech jobs. The memo sparked a tense debate about free speech and diversity in Silicon Valley. Damore and Gudeman’s lawsuit claims they were “openly threatened” during their time at the company, which they called an “ideological echo chamber.” They also say the company doesn’t protect employees with conservative views and uses illegal hiring quotas to give jobs to women and minorities. Damore says many Google employees have thanked him for speaking up.

Died

Anna Mae Hays, the first U.S. female brigadier general, died at the age of 97 from a heart attack. Hays was a front-line nurse who served in three wars: in India during World War II, in Korea, and then in Vietnam. Hays, who grew up in Pennsylvania, joined the Army Nurse Corps for World War II and worked in a field hospital treating engineers building a road through the jungle to China. Hays later helped found the first military hospital in Inchon, South Korea, during the Korean War. In 1967, she became a colonel and chief of the Army Nurse Corps. In this capacity, Hays made three visits to Vietnam to ensure the best medical care for the troops there. Three years later, she was promoted to brigadier general. She died on Jan. 7.