Unusual fear: Lots of people have a fear of spiders, snakes, heights or crowded places, but Hannah Matthews, an English college student, has a fear of an entirely different kind. She has koumpounophobia. For those unfamiliar with the term, it is a fear of buttons, which is quite uncommon. Matthews claims that she knows her fear is totally irrational, but she can’t help it. Obviously, she doesn’t wear clothing with buttons, and if she’s in the presence of someone with buttons, she has to distract herself. She’s had therapy, which has helped, but she still has a conscious fear of these clothing fasteners.

Surprising find: Archaeologists from the University of Innsbruck discovered four linen bras from the Middle Ages in an Austrian castle, and fashion experts are astounded. Everyone believed bras were a modern invention, appearing after women ditched their corsets a century ago. Hilary Davidson, fashion curator for the London Museum, claims they are amazing finds, especially since experts didn’t think bras existed in the 15th century. The bras were found mixed in with other textile fragments, leather pieces, as well as dirt and wood. They had the same distinctive design, and some had lace appliques, very much like the modern version.

Mayor is the cat’s meow: In Talkeetna, Alaska, Stubbs the cat has literally been ruling the roost as the town’s mayor for the past 15 years. Talkeetna is a historical district, and its mayor is only symbolic, so residents don’t have a problem with a feline being the big boss. Stubbs was originally elected because there were no suitable human candidates, and he’s continued to be voted in ever since. His office, where he takes long naps, is at Nagley’s General Store. Manager Lauri Stec reports that everyone likes Stubbs because he doesn’t raise taxes and serves as a tourist attraction for the town.

Joy ride: Kids sometimes go on joy rides, but Liam Corcoran went on the ultimate adventure. He hitched a ride on a plane flying between his home city of Manchester, England, and Rome, Italy. The pre-teen boy was shopping with his mom in Manchester, but made his escape and headed to the nearby airport, where he somehow avoided several layers of security before boarding the plane. Once the plane was in-flight, concerned passengers notified the cabin crew of the situation. Ian Doubtfire, managing director of Jet2.com, reports that his company stopped doing head counts within the cabin, which explains why Liam remained unnoticed. An inquiry was launched into the incident.