Native Americans were given citizenship in 1924. President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting between 125,000 and 300,000 Native Americans full rights. They did not have to apply for citizenship, and they could keep their tribal rights. Children could learn more at: Citizenship. They could also explore an AMAZING website regarding present-day Native Americans: Native Americans.
Flag of United Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953. She was queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and other parts of her realm. She was born in 1926 and became queen when her father King George VI died. Her coronation was the first widely televised world event. She died on September 8, 2022
Charles “Pete” Conrad
Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr. (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1930; died near Ojai, California, July 8, 1999) was an astronaut. He participated in four space flights, and he was the third person to walk on the moon. Older children can read more at: Pete Conrad.
Michael Emberley (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1960) writes and illustrates books for children. The son of author/illustrator Ed Emberley, Michael has written at least 20 books, including Mail Harry to the Moon and Ruby and the Sniffs.
Paul Galdone (born Budapest, Hungary, 1914; died Nyack, New York, November 7, 1986) was an author and illustrator of children’s books. He received a 1957 Caldecott Honor Award for Anatole and another Caldecott Honor Award in 1958 for Anatole and the Cat. Children can learn more at: Paul Galdone.
Norton Juster (born Brooklyn, New York, 1939; died Northampton, Massachusetts, March 8, 2021) was an architect and author. Perhaps his most famous book is The Phantom Tollbooth, published in 1961. He also wrote The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics, published in 1963.
Helen Oxenbury (born Suffolk, England, 1938) writes and illustrates books for children. She has written and illustrated at least 59 books and has illustrated at least 20 books by other authors. She has twice received the Kate Greenaway Medal, in 1969 for The Quangle Wangle’s Hat and in 2000 for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Washington (born near Williamsburg, Virginia, 1731; died Mount Vernon, Virginia, May 22, 1802) was America’s First Lady from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797. She was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Her first husband was Daniel Parke Custis; he died in 1757. She had to raise their two children alone. In 1759 she married George Washington. She never lived in the White House because the nation’s capital moved from New York to Philadelphia while Washington was president. Children could visit a website at: Martha Washington.
Velocipede, First Bicycle
World Bicycle Day is today. In early 2018 the United Nations declared today to be World Bicycle Day because bicycles are so popular for transportation and physical activity. In 2014 a billion bicycles were being used for business and fun. China accounts for 450 million of those bicycles.
New York Knickerbockers in 1851 became the first baseball team to wear uniforms. The uniform consisted of full-length blue pants, white shirts, and straw hats. The team players were also very involved in defining baseball’s rules and codes of conduct.
Casey at the Bat was printed for the first time in 1888 in the San Francisco Examiner. Although it was published anonymously, the author was Ernest L. Thayer. Children can read a copy of the poem at: Casey.
First American Space Walk
Major Edward H. White conducted the first American walk in space in 1965. White and his fellow astronaut, Major James McDivitt, orbited earth 66 times in Gemini 4. White’s walk lasted about twenty minutes. He was tethered to the space capsule, and he used a maneuvering device in his right hand to take him where he needed to be. Children could learn more at: Space Walk.
Sally Jane Priesand became the first woman rabbi. She was ordained in 1972 and became assistant rabbi for a New York City congregation about two months later. She became the rabbi of a New Jersey congregation in 1981 and eventually retired in 2006. Today about 32 percent of rabbis are female.
Charles Richard Drew
Charles Richard Drew (born Washington, DC, 1904; died in a car accident near Burlington, North Carolina, April 1, 1950) was an African American surgeon. His research indicated plasma keeps safer and longer than whole blood. He created blood banks, and in 1941 he became the first director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank. Older children could read Dr. Charles Drew: Blood Bank Innovator by Anne E. Schraff. They could also learn more about blood and blood banks at: Blood Banks.
Anita Lobel (born Krakow, Poland, 1934) is an author and an illustrator. A survivor of a German concentration camp, she has illustrated at least 60 books. Her On Market Street, written by her husband Arnold Lobel, received a 1982 Caldecott Honor Award. Other illustrated works include Rooster Saves the Day and A Rose in my Garden.
National Hug Your Cat Day is today! According to the Humane Society, almost 43 million households have at least one cat. About 35 percent of all households have a cat. Studies show that petting a pet lowers stress and increases health.
National Cheese Day is today because Roquefort cheese was first made on this day in 1070. Children could celebrate today by tasting a variety of cheeses. They could also poll their friends to learn which cheeses are most popular. Idea: Children could find out how Roquefort differs from other cheeses at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWM_R2tDOfA.