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Get ready to celebrate National Velociraptor Awareness Day on April 18th! This day was created in 2013 by movie fans and dinosaur enthusiasts alike, as a way to honor the fierce and intelligent raptors of Jurassic Park. It's also a great opportunity for everyone to learn more about these amazing creatures and their place in history.
<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1924</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Velociraptor Fossil Discovery</div><div class='timeline-text'>The first Velociraptor fossil was discovered in the Mongolian Gobi Desert by an expedition team led by American Museum of Natural History president Henry Fairfield Osborn.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1964</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Velociraptor Deinonychus Found</div><div class='timeline-text'>Palaeontologist John Ostrom discovered a new dinosaur, Deinonychus, a close relative of Velociraptor that contributed significantly to the "dinosaur renaissance" in paleontology.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1993</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Velociraptors in Jurassic Park</div><div class='timeline-text'>Velociraptors were depicted as a central dinosaur species in the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park, significantly boosting their public recognition and popularity.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2007</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>First Velociraptor Quill Knobs</div><div class='timeline-text'>Evidence of quill knobs on a well-preserved Velociraptor forearm suggested that the creature had feathers, altering previous assumptions about its appearance.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2013</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>National Velociraptor Awareness Day Initiation</div><div class='timeline-text'>National Velociraptor Awareness Day was established for the first time by movie fans and dinosaur enthusiasts to encourage public education about these prehistoric creatures.</div></div></div>
<div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Watch the Jurassic Park movies</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Whether you enjoy the original classic or the more recent Jurassic World trilogy, there are plenty of opportunities to watch some serious velociraptor action.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Visit a local museum</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>If you’re lucky enough to live near a natural history museum, take a visit to learn more about velociraptors and their place in the dinosaur world.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Create a velociraptor craft</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Gather some cardboard, paint, and glue to create your own velociraptor model or sculpture. You can even make them out of clay if you’d like!</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Play dinosaur games</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>From board games to video games, you can find plenty of ways to do battle with raptors and other dinosaurs.</p></div></div><div id='' class='facts-item'><div id='' class='facts-header'><h3 id='' class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div id='' class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 id='' class='facts-title'>Go on a hike</h3><p id='' class='facts-text'>Head outside and explore some of the places where velociraptors once roamed! Go on a hike and imagine what it would be like to see these creatures in real life.</p></div></div>
<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Velociraptors are fascinating creatures</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>From their impressive speed and agility to their impressive intelligence, the velociraptor is an amazing creature to study. They lived during the late Cretaceous period and were one of the most iconic dinosaurs of that time. It's no wonder they have remained a source of fascination for so many scientists and paleontologists!</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Velociraptors sparked our imagination</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Whether you love dinosaurs or not, it's hard not to be amazed by the velociraptor. From films like Jurassic Park to books like Michael Crichton's novelization, velociraptors have become something of a pop culture phenomenon. On National Velociraptor Awareness Day, we can all appreciate how much this legendary beast continues to capture our imaginations!</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>They are important in Paleontology</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>The fossilized remains of velociraptors are of great importance to paleontologists who study them in order to better understand their behavior and ecology. Our knowledge of these creatures helps us build a fuller picture of life on Earth millions of years ago, giving further insight into our planet's ancient history.</p></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Velociraptors were relatively small dinosaurs</h3><p class='facts-content'>Contrary to their depiction in Jurassic Park movies, real velociraptors were actually only about the size of a turkey and significantly smaller than humans.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Velociraptors had a pack mentality</h3><p class='facts-content'>Though its still a theory, many paleontologists believe that velociraptors hunted in packs. If this is true, their social behavior would have made velociraptors extremely skilled and fearsome hunters.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Velociraptors had a sickle-like claw on their feet</h3><p class='facts-content'>Each velociraptor had a large, curved claw on the second toe of each foot that could measure up to 7.5 cm long, used likely for hunting and combat.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Velociraptor's name means 'swift seizer'</h3><p class='facts-content'>The term Velociraptor is derived from Latin words "velox" (swift) and "raptor" (seizer), perfectly capturing the quick, agile nature of these creatures.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Velociraptors were highly intelligent</h3><p class='facts-content'>With a brain size relative to body mass greater than that of the average dinosaur, velociraptors are considered one of the most intelligent dinosaurs that lived. They're even speculated to have been as smart as the modern bird.</p></div></div>
National Velociraptor Awareness Day is celebrated on April 18 every year. In 2024 National Velociraptor Awareness Day will occur on a Thursday.
2023
Apr 18
Tuesday
2024
Apr 18
Thursday
2025
Apr 18
Friday
2026
Apr 18
Saturday
2027
Apr 18
Sunday
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