Florida was ceded to the United States by Spain in 1821. The Adams-Onis Treaty (also called the Transcontinental Treaty) had been signed in 1819, but the treaty took effect on this day in 1821. The United States agreed to give Spain $5 million and to renounce any claims on Texas in exchange for West Florida and East Florida. Children could learn more about Florida’s history at: Florida.
Harvard Observatory in 1850 took the first photographs of a star. Mr. J. A. Whipple, under the direction of Professor W. C. Bond, chose Vega in the Lyra constellation for their subject. Vega is the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere.
Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan
Douglas (Wrong Way) Corrigan started a flight from New York in 1938. His destination was Los Angeles, California, but the next day he landed in Ireland. An instant hero, he frustrated aviation officials and returned to a ticker tape parade in New York City. Idea: Children could calculate how many miles off target he was.
Disneyland opened in 1955. Walt Disney bought 160 acres of California land that had been covered in orange groves and spent $17 million on the park. Today over fourteen million people visit the park annually and spend about $3 billion.
John Jacob Astor (born Waldorf, Germany, 1763; died New York, New York, March 29, 1848) moved to New York City when he was twenty years old. He made quite a bit of money from a fur trading business. He invested most of his money in real estate in Manhattan Island and became very wealthy.
Chris Crutcher (born Dayton, Ohio, 1946) has written at least fifteen books and a number of short stories for young adults. His books include Ironman and Whale Talk. He received the Margaret Edwards Award in 2000 for his body of work. Children could visit his website at: Chris Crutcher.
Elbridge Gerry (born Marblehead, Massachusetts, 1744; died Washington, DC, November 23, 1814) signed the Declaration of Independence. He represented Massachusetts. He was also the fifth vice president of the United States when he died. His wife was the last surviving wife of a signer to die. Idea: The term gerrymandering relates to some of Gerry’s activities. Children could find out what the term means. Children could learn more at: Elbridge Gerry.
Karla Kuskin (born New York, New York, 1932; died Seattle, Washington, August 20, 2009) wrote and illustrated over 40 books for children. Her works include City Dog and Soap Soup. Children can visit a website about her at: Karla Kuskin.
Rosa Jackson Lumpkin (born Flint, Georgia, 1876; died Buffalo, New York, 1991) lived to be 115 years old.
Jacqueline Rogers (born Westport, Connecticut, 1958) writes and illustrates books for children. Her works include Best Friends Sleep Over and Kindergarten ABC. She has illustrated books by many other authors, including Beverly Cleary, Jean Marzollo, and Betsy Byars. Children could visit her website at: Jacqueline Rogers.
Rome suffered a fire in AD 64. The fire burned for at least six days and destroyed about two thirds of the city.
United States and Canada in 1932 agreed on a treaty to complete the St. Lawrence Seaway. However, bills for various plans from both countries failed, and World War II intervened. The Seaway finally opened on April 25, 1959. Children can learn more at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=523nDGCLKUE.
Felicia Bond (born Yokohama, Japan, 1954) is a writer and illustrator of books for children. She illustrates the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. Her written works include Tumble Bumble and Poinsettia and her Family. Children could visit an interesting website at Mouse.
John Glenn
John Glenn (born Cambridge, Ohio, 1921; died Columbus, Ohio, December 8, 2016) in 1962 was the first American astronaut to circle the earth. He traveled into space again in 1998 as a payload specialist on a shuttle mission. He was also a United States senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999. Older children could learn more at: John Glenn.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela (born Mvezo, South Africa, 1918; died Johannesburg, South Africa, December 5, 2013) was the son of a tribal chief. He became a lawyer and then joined the African National Congress. He was incarcerated for 28 years because he spoke out against apartheid. He was released in 1990, and he served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He received the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. Children could read Nelson Mandela, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
Jerry Stanley (born Highland Park, Michigan, 1941) writes books for children. His works include Children of the Dustbowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp and Cowboys and Longhorns.
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (born Zimma, Russia, 1933; died Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 1, 2017) was a poet and novelist.
Lady Jane Grey was deposed as Queen of England in 1553. The fifteen-year-old queen reigned for only nine days. Older children could read Ann Rinaldi’s Nine Days a Queen: The Short Life and Reign of Lady Jane Grey.
Statue of Lucretia Mott
Seneca Falls Convention, an early women’s rights convention, was held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. For two days the women debated voting rights, property rights, and laws regarding divorce. Speakers included Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Frederick Douglass. The meetings became an annual event until the Civil War broke out. Children can learn more at: Convention.