Library of Congress Was Burned in 1815 by the British during the War of 1812

 Events
Jan 302026
 

Thomas Jefferson Building Aerial by Carol M. Highsmith

Library of Congress was burned in 1815 by the British during the War of 1812. The library was located in the Capitol Building. After the War of 1812 Thomas Jefferson helped reorganize the Library of Congress with a contribution of 6,500 books. The Library of Congress remained in the rebuilt Capitol Building until 1897 when the library building opened. The library now houses 144 million items. The first Library of Congress Building is the Thomas Jefferson Building. Other portions of the Library of Congress are housed in the John Adams Building and the James Madison Memorial Building. Children could investigate the Library of Congress website for children at: http://www.loc.gov/families/. The site is truly filled with many, many ideas. Remember to keep scrolling and scrolling!

Lone Ranger Was Broadcast over Radio for the First Time in 1933

 Events
Jan 302026
 
Lone Ranger

Lone Ranger and Silver

Lone Ranger was broadcast over radio for the first time in 1933. About 2,956 radio episodes aired, with the last original episode occurring on September 3, 1954. The television show lasted from 1949 to 1957. At least six movies were made, and nineteen novels were written. Several animated series and comic books followed. Idea: The theme music for the Lone Ranger is a famous piece of classical music, the finale of The William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini. Children could listen to the music and find out more about its composer. Older children could read more at: Lone Ranger.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Jan 302026
 

Lloyd Alexander (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1924; died Drexel Hills, Pennsylvania, May 17, 2007) wrote at least 45 books for children and adults. His book The Black Cauldron received a 1966 Newbery Honor Award. His The High King earned the 1969 Newbery Medal. Children can learn more at: Lloyd Alexander.

Tony Johnston (born Los Angeles, California, 1942) has written over 120 books for children. One of her books is The Cowboy and the Blackeyed Pea, published in 1992. Another book is Voice from Afar: Poems of Peace. Children could learn more (and try her Readers Guide) at: Tony Johnston.

Franklin Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (born Hyde Park, New York, 1882; died Warm Springs, Georgia, April 12, 1945) was the thirty-second president (1933-1945) of the United States. Before he was president, he had been a state senator for New York. He was assistant secretary of the navy, and he was governor of New York. He took over the presidency during the Great Depression. He was the only president to serve more than two terms. He died in office during his fourth term. After his death, Amendment Twenty-Two to the Constitution limited the number of presidential terms to two. Children could visit a website at: Franklin Roosevelt. They could also read Franklin Delano Roosevelt for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities, by Richard Panchyk. Idea: Should the president’s number of terms be limited when the senators’ and representatives’ numbers of terms are not limited?

International Zebra Day

 Events
Jan 312026
 

Zebras

International Zebra Day is today! Three species of zebras exist today: Grévy’s zebra, plains zebra, and mountain zebra. Located in southern Africa in protected areas, zebras will graze on whatever they can find. The zebra is a relative of the horse. However, zebras have never been domesticated.

Nauru Celebrates Independence Day

 Events
Jan 312026
 
Nauru

Flag of Nauru

Nauru celebrates Independence Day. It gained its independence from a United Nations Trusteeship managed by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in 1968. Nauru is a small island, only 8.1 square miles (one-tenth the size of Washington, DC), and supports about 10,000 inhabitants. Yaren is the capital. The interior used to hold reserves of phosphates, used to make fertilizers. However, the phosphates have been exhausted. Located just south of the equator in Micronesia, the country has a tropical climate.

First US Satellite Explorer I Was Launched in 1958

 Events
Jan 312026
 

First US Satellite Explorer I was launched in 1958, four months after Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2 were sent into space. It returned data, including confirmation of the Van Allen Radiation Belts, to the United States for four months until the batteries died. More than 90 more Explorer projects followed. Children could view a table of all the Explorer projects at: Explorer Projects.

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