Good evening. AI search engine startup Perplexity earlier today made an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to buy Google Search.

This figure left many perplexed, given Perplexity is worth about half that amount (~$18 billion according to a July funding round)—but the startup said several large investors have agreed to provide the necessary funds to bankroll the deal. They also may need to reach deeper into those pockets; recent estimates value Chrome between $20 billion-$50 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Perplexity’s offer is considered a longshot by analysts, though it comes after the DOJ proposed Google divest Chrome as part of the antitrust suit the company lost last year. And it may not be the only one extended. OpenAI and Yahoo have also expressed interest at sweeping the web browser with 3.5 billion users off its feet.

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Each of the following events happened on August 12. Your challenge is to put them in the order in which they occurred by year, earliest to latest. Answers at the bottom!

• A) The most complete and best-preserved skeleton of a T. rex is found on South Dakota's Cheyenne River Sioux reservation. The dino is nicknamed “Sue,” after Susan Hendrickson, the paleontologist who discovered it.
• B) Under cover of night, East Germany begins construction of the Berlin Wall. Once built, it serves as a symbol of the Cold War, separating East Berlin from West Berlin until 1989.
• C) Major League Baseball players kick off a strike, which ends up lasting 232 days and results in the World Series getting canceled for the first time in 90 years. Fun fact: The driving factor behind this strike is the same one that’s causing analysts to predict an MLB work-stoppage after the 2026 season—team owners pushing for a salary cap.
• D) American golfer Jack Nicklaus wins the PGA Championship to claim his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones' record of 13. The "Golden Bear" eventually ends his career with 18 major championships, a record that continues to stand (Tiger is sitting at 15).

Hint: A Nicklaus for our thoughts?🪙 Try #2.

Travel just got infinitely more interesting. Autio turns surface-level sightseeing into incredible stories hidden behind every scenic overlook and historic street corner.

• 23,000+ location-based tales that automatically play during hikes, bike rides, walking tours, and road trips
• Compelling narrators, including Kevin Costner, transform ordinary explorations into extraordinary journeys

The feeling of completing today’s Conjoiner sequence has been compared to watching a frenemy perform the One Chip Challenge. It’s that satisfying.

The first clue of today’s sequence is: “Chad Smith or Flea by themselves—a Red Hot ____”...

Warning: After finishing today’s sequence, there’s a strong chance you’ll want to party like a rockstar.

Mini

When today’s mini crossword talks, you can hear it from the back. And it’s worth listening to what it has to say👇.

• Play today’s puzzle here. You’ll have to snag a time of 24 seconds to hold the top spot at DONUT HQ (our associate editor Kyle balled out on this one).

Sudoku

One through nine, place ‘em in a grid and line. Afterwards you’ll feel mighty fine.

• Play today's puzzle here.

Click to play any (or all) of the three GOATWars’ challenges below, then pick the GOAT through a series of head-to-head matchups. This data-driven process was developed to create definitive best-of-all-time lists using a more objective approach than random bloggers just publishing controversial opinions for clicks.

• 🥔 THE GREATEST CHIP BRANDS OF ALL TIME
• 🎥 THE GREATEST ROBERT DE NIRO PERFORMANCES OF ALL TIME
• 🏈 THE GREATEST NFL RUNNING BACKS OF ALL TIME

🏈 THE GREATEST QUARTERBACKS OF ALL TIME

1. Tom Brady
2. Joe Montana
3. Patrick Mahomes

Explore the full list.

🍿 THE GREATEST ROMANTIC COMEDIES OF ALL TIME

1. Pretty Woman
2. When Harry Met Sally
3. Love Actually

Explore the full list.

👝 THE GREATEST HANDBAGS OF ALL TIME

1. Hermès Birkin
2. Gucci Jackie
3. Chanel 2.55

Explore the full list.

B, D, A, C

• B) 1961: Under cover of night, East Germany begins construction of the Berlin Wall. Once built, it serves as a symbol of the Cold War, separating East Berlin from West Berlin until 1989.
• D) 1973: American golfer Jack Nicklaus wins the PGA Championship to claim his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones' record of 13. The "Golden Bear" eventually ends his career with 18 major championships, a record that continues to stand (Tiger is sitting at 15).
• A) 1990: The most complete and best-preserved skeleton of a T. rex is found on South Dakota's Cheyenne River Sioux reservation. The dino is nicknamed “Sue,” after Susan Hendrickson, the paleontologist who discovered it.
• C) 1994: Major League Baseball players kick off a strike, which ends up lasting 232 days and results in the World Series getting canceled for the first time in 90 years. Fun fact: The driving factor behind this strike is the same one that’s causing analysts to predict an MLB work stoppage after the 2026 season—team owners pushing for a salary cap.