Daylight Saving Time in the United States begins today at 2:00 AM. Everyone will move their clocks ahead one hour. Both sunrise and sundown will be an hour later than yesterday. Daylight Saving Time will end November 2, 2025, at 2:00 AM. Not every country has Daylight Saving Time, and those that do move clocks forward have their own dates. Children can learn which countries mark daylight saving time at: Countries.
United Nations Flag
International Women’s Day is celebrated by the United Nations. This year’s theme is #AccelerateAction. Children can visit a website at: International Women’s Day.
William Caxton published the first illustrated book in England in 1481. The book, entitled The Mirror of the World, was about the sciences. Children can read some of his works (but not The Mirror of the World) at: Project Gutenberg.
Compact Disc (CD) was introduced to the public by Philips Company, an electronics company based in the Netherlands, in 1979.
Dentures were patented in the United States by Charles Graham of New York, New York, in 1822. False teeth had been around for centuries, but those dentures were made from human teeth or animal teeth. His dentures were made from porcelain and were harder and more durable. George Washington wore dentures. Children could find out how many sets of dentures George Washington had.
USS Monitor
Monitor and Merrimac, two ironclad ships, battled in 1862 during the Civil War. The Merrimac, a Confederate vessel, and the Monitor, a Union ship, exchanged fire. Both pulled away after about two hours. Neither ship was severely damaged. Children could learn more at: Monitor and Merrimac.
Barbie, the doll, celebrates her birthday today. She was created in 1959 by Ruth Handler after Ruth saw a doll with adult characteristics (as opposed to a baby doll) in Germany. She bought three dolls and brought them back to the United States. Changes were made to the doll, and the doll was named Barbie after Handler’s daughter. Around 350,000 thousand dolls were sold in the first year of production. Today over one billion dolls have been sold in 150 countries. Children can visit the Mattel site at: http://www.barbie.com/.
Sputnik 9, a Soviet spacecraft, ventured into space in 1961. Its passengers included a mannequin, a dog named Chernushka (Blackie), some mice, and a guinea pig. It made a single orbit before returning to earth. The mannequin was ejected prior to the landing to test an ejection seat.
Harriet Tubman Day is today! President George H. W. Bush proclaimed the day in 1990. Harriet Tubman died in Auburn, New York, on this day in 1913. Her exact date of birth is unknown. She was born around 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. A slave, she escaped to Philadelphia in 1849. She then became the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad, probably saving about 900 people. During the Civil War, she acted as a spy and a scout. After the war, she cared for orphans and the aged. Children may want to read Before She Was Harriet, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E Ransome. He received a 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award for the book. Children could also learn more about her life at: Harriet Tubman.
Daniel Boone
Painting by Chester Harding
Daniel Boone was hired in 1775 to cut the Wilderness Road. The road connected Virginia via the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky. The trail was rough and rocky; settlers walked the trail or rode horses. In 1790 the road was improved so that wagons could travel on it. Children can learn more about the Wilderness Road at: Daniel Boone.