Flag of American Samoa
American Samoa celebrates Flag Day, the day in 1900 when it became an American territory. It was formerly Eastern Samoa. Located in the South Pacific, the island group (according to the CIA World Factbook) is about the size of Washington, DC. About 55,000 people live in this tropical territory. Tuna fishing and tuna processing are a large part of its economy. Pago Pago is the capital. Older children can learn more at: American Samoa.
Flag of Syria
Syria celebrates Independence Day. Liberated from France in 1946, this Middle Eastern country is about the size of North Dakota. Farmers grow cotton and grains on its arable land. Mountains and deserts form a good portion of its geography. About 22.5 million people live in Syria, and its capital is Damascus. Children can learn more at: Syria.
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
Giovanni da Verrazzano discovered New York Harbor in 1524. An Italian, Verrazano was in France’s employ when he found the harbor. He was trying to find the Northwest Passage from Europe to Asia. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is named after him.
Hershey Bar was first sold in 1895. Before Milton Hershey, chocolate was very expensive, but his methods of candy making allowed the average customer to buy a candy bar. Children can learn more about the history of the Hershey Bar at: Hershey. Idea: how about S’mores?
Jerrie Mock in 1964 became the first woman to fly solo around the world. She left Columbus, Ohio, on March 19, 1964, in The Spirit of Columbus. She returned to Columbus on this day 29 days later. She made 21 stopovers and traveled 23,206 miles. She received the Louis Bleriot Medal from the Federation Aeronautique Nationale. Children can learn more at: Jerrie Mock. They could also read The Jerrie Mock Story: The First Woman to Fly Solo around the World by Nancy Roe Pimm.