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It's one of our core beliefs: We could all use a little good news. So this morning, we're bringing you a handful of stories from the past year that we hope made you smile, laugh or just brought a little spark of joy to your day. From a couple of inspiring kids and parents to a very special birthday celebration, here's a look back on our year in Good News. |
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In February, a TikToker named Zach Montana went viral after he freaked out listening to one of his father's long-lost songs. Montana's dad, Curly Smith, who played with Boston, Rick Springfield and others, recorded the tune, “Surrender to Me,” in 1978, but didn't have a record deal. So it sat shelved for decades — until Montana found a CD in his car and nearly exploded with joy while sharing it with his followers. The tune now has 4.5 million streams on Spotify, and Montana and Smith performed it on Jimmy Kimmel. "My dad has had a career that he's really proud of, and this is like the cherry on top," Montana said. Watch the video + hear the song.
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Nash Johnson is one determined kid. When the 8-year-old Kentucky boy didn't have the cash to buy an Xbox, he filled out an online application for a dishwasher job at a local restaurant, without telling his mom. “It didn’t ask for my actual age, so I put I was under 18," Nash said. He didn't get the gig after management discovered he was only 8, but as a show of appreciation, they gave him a T-shirt ... and a new Xbox. Nash's mom said he does chores around the house to earn money, and she wasn't surprised by the boy's moxie. "He’s a go-getter," she said. Read more here.
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In a funny and insightful essay, TODAY Parents writer Kavita Varma-White looks back on her childhood growing up with a "funny name" (pronunciations among her well-intentioned neighbors included "Velveeta" and "Kaviter") and her effort to make sure her own children didn't have the same baggage. She and her husband, Brian, drilled baby names for months, looking for something meaningful that most people would pronounce with ease. "Not only did I want my non-Indian husband to properly pronounce the name, but I even anticipated the way a teacher would read it out loud on the first day of school." Read her essay here.
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Evan Struckman showed the heart of a superhero when the bullies tried to get him down. The 10-year-old from Missouri got teased on the bus to school after dressing up as Tony Stark on Halloween in the oversized glasses, suit and goatee of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man alter-ego. His mother picked a tearful Evan up from school in the morning. “He kept saying, ‘We worked so hard on it,’” his mom Jill told us. “He was really thinking about how I would feel, which tells you a lot about him.” When Jill asked him if he wanted to go back to school for the Halloween party, he nodded. Evan redid his makeup, put his costume on and went back to school so he wouldn't miss his class party. Tony Stark would be proud!
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A simple stop at a Wendy's drive-thru turned into a moment that made everyone smile when a woman ordered four chicken nuggets to feed her adorable beagle, Hunter. The six staff members were so enamored with the dog that they refused to take her money and instead gathered to watch the lovable pooch eat his nuggets. Twitter user @beckymew also shared video of Hunter scarfing down his treat, prompting other people to share stories of their own pooches getting some tasty snacks at the drive-thru.
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When it comes to Good News, TODAY has been bringing it since the days of black-and-white television. We celebrated our 70th anniversary in style in January, hearkening back to when original anchor Dave Garroway (seen above) wished viewers a good morning on the inaugural episode on Jan. 14, 1952. This year, the Empire State Building was lit up in TODAY's trademark orange to mark the milestone, and we looked back on decades of memories, innovations and seismic events from history. And of course, we have to thank all the TODAY fans for making it possible. As Savannah Guthrie said, "The audience is the beating heart of this show."
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Thanks for letting us in your inbox this year!
See you again tomorrow morning.
Written by Scott Stump | Edited by Philip Caulfield
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