Laser beam was bounced off the moon’s surface successfully in 1962. Scientists from MIT illuminated a bit of the moon’s surface. A lunar laser ranger from Apollo 11 helped refine future laser beams aimed at the moon. Scientists have found that the moon is moving a bit away from the earth and that the moon has a liquid core.
Hayabusa
Hayabusa was launched in 2003. The unmanned Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon) was launched from a Japanese space center on to collect samples of Near-Earth Asteroid 25143 Itokawa. It landed on the asteroid on November 19, 2005. It collected samples of the asteroid and successfully brought those samples back. The samples reveal that the asteroid is more like a meteorite than an earth rock. Hayabusa returned to earth on June 13, 2010. Children can learn more at: Hayabusa.
Richard George Adams (born United Kingdom, 1920; died United Kingdom, December 24, 2016) was a writer. He is most famous for his fantasy book, Watership Down.
J. M. Barrie (born Kirriemuir, Scotland, 1860; died London, England, June 19, 1937) was an author. One of his works was Peter Pan. Children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg. They can also learn more at: J. M. Barrie.
Belle Boyd (born Martinsburg, Virginia, 1843; died Kilbourne, Wisconsin, June 11, 1900) was a Confederate spy. After the Civil War, she was an actress and speaker.
John Brown
John Brown (born Torrington, Connecticut, 1800; hanged Charles Town, West Virginia, December 2, 1859) was an abolitionist. He led a raid on Harpers Ferry in the cause of abolition. He was caught and hanged. Children could learn more about him and his raid at: John Brown.
Howard Carter (born Kensington, London, United Kingdom, 1873; died Kensington, London, United Kingdom, March 2, 1939) was an archaeologist. He discovered King Tut’s tomb. Older children could read In the Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb by Daniel Meyerson.
William Pène du Bois (born Nutley, New Jersey, 1916; died Nice, France, February 5, 1993) wrote and illustrated children’s books. He received the 1948 Newbery Medal for The Twenty-One Balloons. His Bear Party was a 1952 Caldecott Honor Book, and Lion was a 1957 Caldecott Honor Book. Children can learn more at: William Pene du Bois.
Eleanor Estes (born West Haven, Connecticut, 1906; died West Haven, Connecticut, July 15, 1988) wrote and illustrated at least 20 books for children. She earned three Newbery Honor Awards: The Middle Moffat in 1943, Rufus M. in 1944, and The Hundred Dresses in 1945. She received the 1952 Newbery Medal for Ginger Pye. Children can learn more at: Eleanor Estes.
Mama Moose and Calf Celebrating Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is today! Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, first proposed the idea. She asked that her church hold a service in memory of all mothers. West Virginia was the first state to honor the day, and other states followed. In 1914 Congress voted to make the second Sunday in May Mother’s Day. A Presidential Proclamation has been made every year since 1914, honoring the day. Children can learn more at: Mother’s Day. They can find some great Mother’s Day activities at: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/mom/games.htm.
Transcontinental railroad was finished in Promontory, Utah, in 1869. The Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad met at
Promontory Point. Leland Stanford drove in a golden spike to mark the completion of the rail lines. The spike was removed and preserved for history. Idea: Children could read more about the difficulties of the two train companies as they built the railroad lines. A good source of information is William Durbin’s The Journal of Sean Sullivan: A Transcontinental Railroad Worker.
President Rutherford B. Hayes
First telephone in White House was installed in 1877. President Rutherford B. Hayes had the phone placed in the telegraph room. Few people had phones, so the phone seldom rang. Its phone number was “1.” President Herbert Hoover had a telephone installed in the Oval Office on March 29, 1929.
Adler Planetarium Poster
Adler Planetarium, the first United States planetarium, opened in Chicago in 1930. The planetarium is still as active as ever! Children can learn more at: http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa in 1994. The anti-apartheid icon served until 1999 and died in 2013. Children can learn more at: Nelson Mandela.
Caroline B. Cooney (born Geneva, Connecticut, 1943) has written at least 75 mystery, romance, and suspense novels for young adults. Her books include The Face on the Milk Carton and What Janie Found. Young adults can learn more at: Caroline B. Cooney.
Christopher Paul Curtis (born Flint, Michigan, 1953) is an author. His book The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 was a 1996 Newbery Honor Book and a 1996 Coretta Scott King Honor Book. His Bud, Not Buddy was awarded the 2000 Newbery Award and the 2000 Coretta Scott King Medal. Also, Elijah of Buxton received a 2008 Newbery Honor Award, the 2008 Coretta Scott King Award, and the 2008 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction!
Robert Gray (born 1755; died at sea near Charleston, South Carolina, July 1806) was the first American to circumnavigate the world. He sailed from Boston on September 30, 1787 and traded with the Northwest Coast Indians. He traveled to China before returning to Boston on August 9, 1790.
Judith Jamison (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1944; died New York, New York, November 9, 2024) was a dancer and a choreographer.
Bruce McMillan (born Massachusetts, 1947) has written at least 45 books for children. His works include Nights of the Pufflings and The Problem with Chickens. Children can learn more at: Bruce McMillan.
Ellen Ochoa (born Los Angeles, California, 1958) Is the first Hispanic woman to go into space. An engineer, Dr. Ochoa has flown in four Space Shuttle missions: STS 56, STS 66, STS 96, and STS 110. She was Director of the Johnson Space Center from January 1, 2013 until May 2018. Children could learn more at: Ellen Ochoa
George Ross
George Ross (born New Castle, Delaware, 1730; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1779) signed the Declaration of Independence. He moved from Delaware to Pennsylvania and became a lawyer. Initially he was a prosecutor for the Crown, but he ultimately sided with the revolutionaries. He was a colonel during the Revolutionary War, and later he was a judge for the Admiralty Court of Pennsylvania. Children could learn more at: George Ross.
Minnesota State Flag
Minnesota became the thirty-second state of the United States in 1858. Its name is derived from the Sioux word minisota, meaning sky-tinted waters. It was settled by the French looking for furs. Its nicknames are the North Star State and the Gopher State. Minnesota is the twelfth largest state, and it ranks 21st in terms of population. Minnesota has over ten thousand lakes, and the Mesabi Range produces about 60 percent of the country’s iron ore. Children could learn more at: Minnesota.