Happy Birthday, Alabama!

 Events
Dec 142024
 
Alabama State Flag

Alabama Flag

Alabama became the twenty-second state of the United States in 1819. People lived in the Russell Cave area around 6000 B.C. The Temple Mound culture moved into the Moundville location somewhere between 1200 and 1500. The state is named after the Alabama tribe. Montgomery is the capital, and the state’s nicknames are the Yellowhammer State and the Heart of Dixie. The state ranks 30th in area and 24th in population. The pecan is the state’s official nut. Children could visit an Internet site at: Alabama. The mound builders have left us fascinating artifacts. Children could learn more at a great site: https://alabamamoundtrail.org/.

Wright Brothers Attempted First Airplane Flight

 Events
Dec 142024
 

Wright Brothers attempted a first airplane flight in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. With Wilbur flying, the plane was aloft for about three seconds only before it crashed. The Wright Brothers had to make minor repairs to the plane and decided to try again on December 17th. On that day they were successful!

Roald Amundsen Found the South Pole in 1911

 Events
Dec 142024
 

Roald Amundsen found the South Pole in 1911. People had been trying to locate the South Pole for hundreds of years. He, four other adults, and over 50 sled dogs located the pole. All five men returned to base camp safely. Children could view an amazing timeline of the expedition at: Timeline. They could also learn more about his mysterious 1928 death.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Dec 142024
 

James Harold Doolittle (born Alameda, California, 1896; died Pebble Beach, California, September 27, 1993) was an aviator and military hero. As a young man, he was the first person to fly across North America in under a day. During World War II, he led the first aerial raid on five cities in Japan. He also spearheaded the Eighth Air Force for the Normandy invasion.

Margaret Chase Smith (born Skowhegan, Maine, 1897; died Skowhegan, Maine, May 29, 1995) was the first female to be elected to both the House of Representatives (1940-1949) and to the Senate (1949-1973). Children could learn more about her at: Margaret Chase Smith. They could also find out how the requirements for being a representative differ from those of being a senator.

Tycho Brahe (born Scania, then part of Denmark but today part of Sweden, 1546; died Prague, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, October 24, 1601) was an astronomer and alchemist. The telescope had not yet been invented. However, he used the best instruments then available to make great contributions to the field of astronomy. He recorded planetary motions, observed a supernova, and mathematically concluded that comets were farther away from earth than the moon. He was not always correct in his work, but he provided the foundation for other great astronomers. Here is an interesting fact: in a duel (over an astronomical concept) he lost all or part of his nose. After the duel he wore a fake nose made out of metal.

Vega I Was Launched by the Soviet Union in 1984

 Events
Dec 152024
 

Vega I was launched by the Soviet Union in 1984. It dropped scientific balloons into the atmosphere of Venus on June 11, 1985, and then made contact with Halley’s Comet in March of 1986. It took many images of the comet and studied the comet’s nucleus and coma. Now Vega I circles the sun. Older children can learn more at: Vega I.

Leaning Tower of Pisa Reopened in 2001

 Events
Dec 152024
 

Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened in 2001 after 11 years of repair, costing 27 million dollars. Construction was started on the bell tower in 1173, and the structure began tilting north soon after. The foundation rested on soft soil. Builders tried to compensate, but the tower began to lean in a southern direction. Several other rescues were made, but the building continued to tilt. By 1990 officials feared the building would topple, and they closed the structure to the public. The latest round of repairs seems to have worked. Slowly the workers removed soil from beneath the foundation while applying weights on the other side. Children could read Building History – The Tower of Pisa by James Barter.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Dec 152024
 

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Dijon, France, 1832; died Paris, France, December 23, 1923) was a French architect and engineer. He designed bridges, train stations, and churches. However, he is most famous for designing the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. Toward the end of his life, he devoted himself to studying aerodynamics and meteorology. Children could learn more about the Eiffel Tower at: Eiffel Tower.

Betty Smith (born Brooklyn, New York, 1896; died Shelton, Connecticut, January 17, 1972) was an author. She wrote, among other works, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. 

Las Posadas Is Celebrated in Mexico

 Events
Dec 162024
 

Las Posadas is celebrated in Mexico. This event begins December 16th and ends December 24th. Each evening families walk from house to house, seeking shelter for Mary and Joseph. At the last house, everyone enters. People feast and dance, and a special seven-pointed, star-shaped piñata made of clay is broken open. Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith’s Las Posadas: an Hispanic Christmas Celebration gives great insights into this tradition.

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