Looking Ahead

July 10

One hundred years ago today, Death Valley, Calif., became the hottest place on earth. On July 10, 1913, Greenland Ranch recorded a temperature of 134°F, the highest ever reliably recorded. Death Valley National Park plans to commemorate the anniversary with presentations by meteorologists followed by a 4:00 p.m. temperature observation.

July 11

As World Population Day arrives many European nations have seen their fertility rates drop dramatically, leading many economists to question the future of the European welfare state model. Germany’s rate of 1.5 live births per mother stands in contrast to France, where family incentives have helped the fertility rate finally reach replacement levels (2.1) recently for the first time since the 1970s.

July 12

The nationwide release of Pacific Rim brings with it most summer escape movie hallmarks: the potential destruction of Earth, huge monsters, and robots. Packing all three summer movie staples into one package is something that Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro hopes will translate to big profits on the $190 million budget film.

July 14

Nearly 170 years after Samuel Morse sent the first telegraphic missive between Washington and Baltimore, the lines will finally go quiet. Western Union stopped telegram service years ago, but today India’s state-run telegram service, the last of its kind, will transmit its final messages.

July 16

At least one thing can be said for fans of the San Francisco Giants: They know how to stuff a ballot box. As in previous years, the organization and its fans took advantage of baseball’s fan voting system for selecting the starters at today’s All-Star game. After two months of fan voting, five Giants players were either in the lead or near the lead for voting for their position.