What happened on February 9: The Simpsons change TV history and a star that was 13 billion years was discovered

The Simpsons is a show well-known for its longevity, hilarious scenes and often foreshadowing real events before they occur. But did you know that it was on February 9 back in 1997 that it became the longest-running primetime animated series in the United States? It surpassed another favourite, The Flintstones when it aired its 167th episode. The episode was titled "The Itchy and Scratchy & Poochie Show." The show's golden era was during the 1990s and has won a whopping 34 Primetime Emmy Awards to date. Time magazine named the series as the best television series of the 20th century in 1999. And not just in the animated category! A true legend of the small screen indeed.

In 2014, researchers at the Australian National University made a discovery on this day. It was that of the oldest known star in the observable universe. The star was found to be 13.6 billion years old which is almost as old as the universe itself at 13.7 billion years of age. The discovery was confirmed using the ANU SkyMapper telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory. The discovery has since allowed astronomers to study the chemistry of the first stars which in turn provides them with a clearer idea of what the Universe was like in its infancy. Scientists said at the time that there was a one in 60 million chance of finding the star. Lead scientist, Dr Keller said at the time that the newly-discovered star was formed in the wake of a primordial star, which had a mass of 60 times that of the sun!