First All-Woman Space Walk occurred in 2019. Ms. Christina Koch and Dr. Jessica Meir conducted a 7-hour 19-minute walk outside the International Space Station and replaced a broken power controller. The first such walk was supposed to happen in March 2019, until project managers realized the International Space Station did not have two suits suitable for women. Children can learn more at: All-Woman Space Walk.
James Brooks (born St. Louis, Missouri, 1906; died Brookhaven, New York, March 8, 1992) was an artist. He began his artistic career painting murals for the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration. Later his works became more abstract. Children can learn more and view some of his works at: James Brooks.
Joyce Hansen (born New York, New York, 1942) writes books for children. She has received four Coretta Scott King Honor Awards: in 1987 for Which Way Freedom, in 1995 for The Captive, in 1998 for I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, and in 1999 (with Gary McGowen) for Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence: The Story of New York’s African Burial Ground. Children can visit her website at: Joyce Hansen.
Ntozake Shange (born Trenton, New Jersey, 1948; died Bowie, Maryland, October 27, 2018) was a playwright, a poet, and an author. She wrote several books for children, including Ellington Was Not a Street and Coretta Scott.
Colin Thompson (born London, England, 1942) writes and illustrates fantasy books for children. His works include The Floods series and Looking for Atlantis.
National New Friends Day is today! Making new friends is not always easy, but today might be a good day to try to find a new friend. Children might enjoy reading a book about making friends. Salina Yoon’s Be a Friend is a good choice.
Ferdinand II of Aragon married Isabella I of Castile in 1469. Their alliance united Aragon and Castile, starting the formation of Spain.
Cornwallis Surrenders
Yorktown Day marks the surrender of General Lord Cornwallis and his troops to George Washington in 1781. This surrender virtually ended the Revolutionary War. No other major battles occurred after this date, and the official peace agreement, the Treaty of Paris, was signed September 3, 1783. Children can learn more at: Yorktown Day.
Ed Emberley (born Malden, Massachusetts, 1931) writes and illustrates children’s books. He received the 1968 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations of Drummer Hoff. He is also known for his books about drawing, including his Thumbprint series. He has written and illustrated approximately 35 books. He has also illustrated about 35 books written by other authors. Idea: Children could make some thumbprint pictures after looking at his books. They could also visit his very interesting website at: everythingemberley.com.
Dan Gutman (born New York, New York, 1955) has written at least 27 books for children. His works include The Homework Machine and Honus and Me. Children can visit his website at: Dan Gutman.
Annie Smith Peck (born Providence, Rhode Island, 1850; died New York, New York, July 18, 1935) was a famous mountain climber. In 1895 she scaled the Matterhorn. Later she climbed the Peruvian mountain Huascaran, setting a record for the highest peak ever climbed by man or woman in the western hemisphere. When she was 61, she climbed Mt. Coropuna in Peru. At the top of the 21,250 feet summit, she planted a banner stating “Votes for Women.” Idea: Children could find out when women did get the right to vote.
Philip Pullman (born Norwich, England, 1946) writes children’s books, novels for young adults, novellas, plays, short stories, and nonfiction. He wrote The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. He received the very prestigious Astrid Lindgren Award in 2005. He was knighted in 2019. Children could visit his website at: Philip Pullman.
Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson (born Charles City County, Virginia, 1748; died Monticello, Virginia, September 6, 1782) was the wife of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States. She died before Jefferson was elected president. They had six children, but only two lived to adulthood. These two daughters often filled the role of hostess at the White House. Children could visit a website at: Martha Jefferson.
Changes from Treaty of 1818
Treaty of 1818 was signed by the United States and the United Kingdom. Among other decisions, the treaty stated that the 49th Parallel would define most of the border between Canada and the United States. Older children can peruse the treaty at: Treaty of 1818.
Sydney Opera House opened in Sydney, Australia, in 1973. Despite its name, it hosts many types of artistic endeavors. About 1,500 concerts occur yearly, and over 1.2 million visitors enter its doors every year.
BepiColombo was launched in 2018. The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency worked together to launch the space explorer. BepiColombo will travel for more than seven years to reach Mercury. In late 2026, it will release two probes, Bepi and Mio, to research the land formation and magnetic field of the planet. Children can visit a very interesting website, including a count-up, at: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/bepicolombo/in-depth/.
OSIRIS-REx Touched Down on a Crater of Asteriod 101955 Bennu. The space craft had lifted off on September 26, 2016. The unmanned space project Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer traveled 200 million miles to the asteroid 101955 Bennu on December 3, 2018. Scientists had expected Bennu to be smooth and rather geographically featureless. Instead Bennu was rocky and mountainous. Eventually scientists found a spot for OSIRIS-REx to land, and it touched down on a crater on October 20, 2020. Then it began collecting surface material. After it had collected about two cups of material, it departed Bennu on May 10, 2021. As OSIRIS-REx again traveled 200 million miles and approached earth on September 24, 2023, it ejected the sample. The sample landed safely, via parachutes, in Utah. Then OSIRIS-REx became OSIRIS-APEX and will continue its trip in space to visit 99942 Apophis in April 2029.