RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania sank in 1915. It was torpedoed by Germany, and 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, died. The ship was traveling from New York to Liverpool, England. The United States protested the action, but Germany countered that the ship held munitions for England and was fair game. The sinking created anti-German feelings in the United States, and America declared war on Germany on April 4, 1917.
A pearl weighing fourteen pounds was removed from a Philippine clam (yes, a clam) in 1934. Known as the Pearl of Allah or the Pearl of Lao Tzu, the pearl measures almost ten inches in diameter and weighs about 14.1 pounds. The pearl’s ownership is now in dispute.
Johannes Brahms (born Hamburg, Germany, 1833; died Vienna, Austria, April 3, 1897) was a great classical composer of concertos, symphonies and chamber music. Experts believe his strength was his ability to produce a theme and then to modify it as the music went on.
Nonny Hogrogian (born New York, New York, 1932) is an author and illustrator. She has won two Caldecott Medals, for Always Room for One More in 1966 and for One Fine Day in 1972. Her book The Contest received a 1977 Caldecott Honor Award.
Edwin H. Land
Edwin Herbert Land (born Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1909; died Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 1, 1991) was an inventor and a scientist. He created the Polaroid Land camera, and he held more than 500 patents. Children can learn more at: Edwin Herbert Land.
Peter Tchaikovsky (born Votinsk, Russia, 1840; died Saint Petersburg, Russia, November 6, 1893) was a composer. He created six symphonies, three ballets, and eleven operas. Two of his ballets were Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.
Deborah Wiles (born Mobile, Alabama, 1953) writes books for children. Her books include the Aurora County Trilogy and The Sixties Project. Children can learn more at: Deborah Wiles.
Iris
National Iris Day began in Belgium in 1945 to symbolize the Allies’ victory, V-E Day, over the Nazis. The holiday migrated around the world, including the United States. This perennial plant tends to bloom in late spring. Over 300 species exist, and the plants grow from rhizomes buried below the soil surface. The word iris is derived from an ancient Greek word meaning rainbow. Idea: This project takes a couple of years. Children could plant a small number of iris rhizomes. Then the next year they can count the number of plants that appear. Then the next year they can count the number of plants that appear.
Mississippi River Watershed
Hernando de Soto discovered the Mississippi River in 1541. He called the river Rio de Espiritu Santo. The Mississippi River is about 2,350 miles long. It begins at Lake Itasca and ends at the Gulf of Mexico. Children can learn more about the Mississippi River at: http://www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm. Children can learn more about de Soto at: http://www.nps.gov/deso/index.htm
Mount Rainier
Captain George Vancouver located and named Mount Rainier in Washington in 1792. Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano that last erupted a thousand years ago. Children can learn more at: http://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm.
John Stith Pemberton sold Coca-Cola for the first time in 1886 in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. He sold nine glasses at a nickel each. Children could learn more at: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/company/history.
Winston Churchill Waving to the Ecstatic Crowd
V-E Day was celebrated in 1945. Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces, ending World War II in Europe. A surrender document was signed in Reims, France, and became effective one minute past midnight on May 9, 1945. President Harry Truman, whose birthday is today, signed the agreement. He stated that the agreement was a wonderful birthday present. Children could view an excellent multimedia presentation at: V-E Day.
Ellen Howard (born New Bern, South Carolina, 1943) writes books for children. Her books include the Log Cabin series and The Crimson Cap.
Milton Meltzer (born Worcester, Massachusetts, 1915; died New York, New York, September 19, 2009) wrote about 100 books for children. He received the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his lifelong contribution to children’s literature. His books include Piracy and Plunder and Bound for America.
Journey Outside
Mary Q. Steele (born Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1922; died Chapel Hill, North Carolina, July 6, 1992) wrote over twenty books for children and adults. Married to author William O. Steele, she stated that she was born an author. Her book Journey Outside received a 1970 Newbery Honor Award.
Harry Truman
Harry Truman (born Lamar, Missouri, 1884; died Kansas City, Missouri, December 26, 1972) was the thirty-third president (1945-1953) of the United States. During World War I he served as an artilleryman He was a senator before he was elected vice-president. When Roosevelt died, Truman became president. Some of his actions were to join the United Nations, to accept Germany’s surrender during World War II, and to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. Children could visit a website at: Harry Truman. Truman made an interesting statement. He said, “The buck stops here.”
Flag of Guernsey
Guernsey celebrates Liberation Day, the day in 1945 that the populace was freed from Nazi Germany. The islands, located in the English Channel, are a British Crown Dependency but not part of the United Kingdom. Home to 65,000 people, the islands are about half the size of Washington, DC. Saint Peter Port is the capital, and the economy depends on tourism and banking. Older children can learn more at: Guernsey.