An Oregon man who decided to clean out his office during a recent snow day was in for the surprise of his life when he discovered an unclaimed $1 million lottery ticket he had purchased nearly a year prior. According to the Oregon Lottery, Joemel Panisa found the Mega Millions ticket in the knick of time, as the deadline to claim his winnings was only eight days away.
Panisa told lottery officials that he had purchased the ticket Jan. 13, 2016 for the Jan. 15, 2016 drawing, but had put it in an envelope and forgotten about it. He finally claimed his prize Jan. 9, just ahead of the Jan. 17 expiration date.
Panisa is only the fourth Mega Millions $1 million winner since Oregon began offering the game in 2010.
Read more at OregonLottery.org.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
- Inside One Indian iPhone Factory
- What Beyoncé Gave Us
- Congress Avoided a Shutdown. What Happens Next?
- What Happens to Diane Feinstein's Senate Seat
- The Enduring Charm of John Grisham
- Kerry Washington: The Story of My Abortion
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time