National Gummi Worm Day is today! Also called Gummy Worms, the candy was first produced by the Trolli company around 1981 in Germany. The candy migrated across the Atlantic and is now a popular American treat. The candy is made from gelatin, syrup, corn syrup, colorings, and flavorings. Idea: Children could add Gummi Worms to a variety of foods, including dirt cake or chocolate pudding or fruit salad.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone was found in 1799. Great Britain and France were at war, and one of their battle locations was in Egypt. The French found the stone when they were trying to improve their fortifications. The French lost the battle, and the British confiscated the Rosetta Stone. A pharaoh’s proclamation is written in three different languages on the stone. Jean Francois Champollion deciphered the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic text by working back through the other two languages. The British Museum now houses the Rosetta Stone. Children can learn more at: Rosetta Stone.
Artist’s Rendition of Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19 Meeting
Apollo-Soyuz mission was successful in 1975. Three American astronauts, Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand, and Donald K. Slayton, from Apollo 18 docked and worked with two Soviet cosmonauts, Alexey Leonov and Valeri Kubasov, on the Soyuz 19 craft. The purpose of the mission was to show that the space race was over and that different countries could work together to forward space exploration. The mission concluded on July 21, 1975. Children can learn more at: Apollo-Soyuz.
Thomas Bulfinch (born Newton, Massachusetts, 1798; died Boston, Massachusetts, May 27, 1867) was a mythologist. He wrote Bulfinch’s Mythology. Idea: Children could create some plays about some of the myths after they read Bulfinch’s Mythology at: Project Gutenberg.
Walter D. Edmonds (born Boonville, New York, 1903; died Concord, Massachusetts, January 24, 1998) wrote books for both children and adults. He received the 1942 Newbery Medal for The Matchlock Gun.
Marcia Thornton Jones (born Joliet, Illinois, 1958) has written over 135 books for children. Her books include The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series and Ratfink. Children can visit her website, particularly the Activities and Fun Stuff link, at: Marcia T. Jones.
Clement Clarke Moore (born New York, New York, 1779; died Newport, Rhode Island, July 10, 1863) wrote A Visit from Saint Nicholas. It was published without his permission in a newspaper on December 23, 1823. Idea: Children could celebrate a little Christmas in July and read A Visit from Saint Nicholas at: Project Gutenberg.
Yuko Shimizu (born Tokyo, Japan, 1965) is an illustrator. Her illustrations in The Cat Man of Aleppo, written by Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha, earned her a 2021 Caldecott Honor Award.
Rembrandt Van Rijn (born Leiden, Netherlands, 1606; died Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 4, 1669) was a painter. He was a prolific artist. About 600 paintings and 1,400 drawings have survived. He created about 100 self-portraits, giving us a great deal of information about himself. Children could visit a website at: Rembrandt Van Rijn.
Cherries
National Cherry Day is today! While a large number of different cherries exist, most Americans divide the types into two kinds: sweet and tart. Cherries are low in calories, high in fiber, and loaded with nutrients. Cherries are another example of a super food.
Statue of Junipero Serra in Capitol Building
Father Junipero Serra founded the first mission in California in 1769. He created Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo in what is now Monterey, California. He went on to establish eight more missions that extend from present-day San Diego to San Francisco.
District of Columbia Flag
White House
District of Columbia was formed in 1790 when President Washington authorized the construction of a new capital. The United States government continued to work from Philadelphia until 1800. Today over 700,000 people live in the District of Columbia, while over six million people live in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area. Certainly the District of Columbia can be proud of the many important and historical buildings and monuments within its boundaries. Idea: Children could find out how the land was acquired for the District of Columbia.
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 began crashing into Jupiter in 1994. The comet was first observed by Carolyn and Eugene M. Shoemaker and David Levy on March 24, 1993. The comet had already broken apart into about 21 pieces, and scientists observed the explosions through telescopes, including the Hubble telescope. The last piece of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter on July 22, 1994. Scientists learned a great deal about Jupiter because the impacts caused ripples traveling at 260 miles per second on the planet’s surface. Children could learn more at: Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Arnold Adoff (born Bronx, New York, 1935; died Yellow Springs, Ohio, May 7, 2021) wrote more than 30 books for children. His work includes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. His works include The Return of Rex and Ethel and Hard to Be Six.
Amundsen and Others with the Norwegian Flag
Roald Amundsen (born near Oslo, Norway, 1872; died near the Arctic, June 18, 1928) was an explorer. He was the first person to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Northwest Passage. He traveled to the South Pole in 1911 and soared over the North Pole in a dirigible in 1926. He was attempting to rescue another Arctic expedition when his plane and its crew went down.
Arthur Bowie Chrisman (born Clarke County, Virginia, 1889; died Shirley, Arkansas, February 14, 1953) was a writer. He received the 1926 Newbery Medal for Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children.
Richard Egielski (born New York, New York, 1952) has written and/or illustrated more than 50 books for children. He received the 1987 Caldecott Medal for Hey, Al, written by Arthur Yorinks. Egielski wrote and illustrated Buz and Slim and Jim.
Shirley Hughes (born West Kirby, United Kingdom, 1927; died London, United Kingdom, February 25, 2022) wrote more than 50 books and illustrated more than 200 books. She earned the 1977 and 2003 Kate Greenaway Medals. Her works include the Alfie books and Dogger. Children could learn more at: Shirley Hughes.
Joshua Reynolds (born Plympton, Devon, England, 1723; died London, England, February 23, 1792) was an artist. He was known primarily for his portraits of English nobility. Children can view over 600 of his works at: Joshua Reynolds.
Ida B. Wells (born Holly Springs, Mississippi, 1862; died Chicago, Illinois, March 25, 1931) was a journalist. The daughter of slaves, she fought against lynchings. Children could visit a website at: Ida B. Wells.
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.