Marie Curie
Radium was isolated by Pierre and Marie Curie in 1902. They also isolated another new element, polonium. She, her husband, and a third scientist received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics. She was the first woman to receive any Nobel Prize. She also won the 1911 Nobel Prize in chemistry for her extended work on radium. Radium is a radioactive element that should be handled with great care. Children could read Vicki Cobb’s DK Biography: Marie Curie.
Crater Lake
Crater Lake National Park became America’s fifth national park in 1902. Located in southern Oregon, the national park included Crater Lake, the caldera of volcanic Mount Mazama. The lake is 1,943 feet deep, making it the deepest lake in the United States. No streams enter or leave the lake. Children can visit the national park’s website at: http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm
Teddy bear was created in 1902. The Washington Evening Post published cartoons of Teddy Roosevelt not shooting a bear cub. Morris Michton, a Bronx toy maker, seized the opportunity and developed the stuffed animal. Children can read the whole story at: Teddy Bear.