Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is today. For many Christians today means a day of religious introspection.
Feb 182026
Feb 182026
Flag of The Gambia
The Gambia celebrates Independence Day. It gained its independence from Great Britain in 1965. Banjul is the capital of this small country, located on the northwestern coast of Africa. According to the CIA World Factbook, The Gambia is about twice the size of Delaware. Almost two million people live in The Gambia, and about 75 percent of its inhabitants are farmers.
Feb 182026
The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come was published in 1678. Written by John Bunyan, the book has been translated into 200 languages. Children can read his works at: Project Gutenberg.
Feb 182026
Pluto
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde W. Tombaugh. As far back as 1905, Percival Lowell felt that an unknown planet was influencing the orbits of Neptune and Uranus. However, he died without finding the planet. Tombaugh used Lowell’s work to predict the location and was successful in 1930. Pluto’s day is about six earth days, and its year is about 248 earth years. The average temperature is about -342 degrees to -369 degrees Fahrenheit. Pluto is named after the ancient god of the underworld. Pluto was demoted from planet to dwarf planet on August 24, 2006, by the International Astronomical Union. Children can learn more at: Pluto.
Feb 182026
Dairy Cow
Elm Farm Ollie in 1930 was the first cow to be milked while flying in an airplane. Born and raised in Bismarck, Missouri, Elm Farm Ollie, also known as Nellie Jay and Sky Queen, produced 24 quarts of milk during the 72-mile flight. The milk was placed into paper cartons, and the cartons were dropped by parachute over St. Louis, Missouri, to the spectators below. Elsworth W. Bunce became famous as the first person to milk a cow in a flying airplane. Idea: Children could write a newspaper account of this story, including the important WHY?.
Feb 182026
Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta (born Como, Italy, 1745; died Como, Italy, February 18, 1827) developed the voltaic pile, an early battery. The unit of electrical measurement, the volt, is named after him. Idea: Children could find out more about volts and electrical current. They could read more about Volta at: Volta.
Toni Morrison (born Lorain, Ohio, 1931; died New York, New York, August 5, 2019) was an author. Her books include The Bluest Eye and Beloved. She received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature and the 1998 Pulitzer Prize. Older children could learn more at: Toni Morrison.
Feb 192026
Tin-type camera was patented by Hamilton Smith of Gambier, Ohio, in 1856. Idea: Children could learn how the tin-type was different from other kinds of cameras.
Feb 192026
Gramophone
Gramophone, later called the phonograph, was patented by Thomas Edison in 1878. He received patent number 200,521. Older children could learn more about the history of sound recording at: Gramophone.
Feb 192026
President Roosevelt ordered the internment of about 110,000 Japanese-Americans in 1942. They were sent to concentration camps in western states. They lost their property, valued at about four hundred million dollars. Children could find out more about the reasons behind Roosevelt’s decision. What was life like in the concentration camps? They could learn more at: Japanese Relocation. Students might also read Farewell to Manzanar by Jeane W. Houston and James D. Houston.
Feb 192026
Nicolaus Copernicus (born Torun, Poland, 1473; died Fromborck, Poland, May 24, 1543) was an astronomer and priest. He caused great upheaval among authorities when he proposed that the sun and not the earth was the center of our planetary arrangement. Children could learn more at: Copernicus.
Jeff Kinney (born Fort Washington, Maryland, 1971) is a cartoonist, game designer, and author of children’s books. He writes the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Children can visit his website at: http://www.wimpykid.com/.
Louis Slobodkin (born Albany, New York, 1903; died Miami Beach, Florida, May 8, 1975) was a sculptor, writer, and illustrator. He wrote and illustrated over 20 books. He and his wife, Florence, collaborated on five more books. In addition, he illustrated books by other authors, including Eleanor Estes and Mabel Leigh Hunt. He received the 1944 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations of Many Moons, written by James Thurber. Children can learn more at: Louis Slobodkin.