John Glenn in 1998
John Glenn in 1998 traveled on the space shuttle Discovery. At 77 years old, he was the oldest person to travel in space at that time. The shuttle returned to earth on November 7, 1998. He had been one of the original seven astronauts and had orbited the earth in 1962. Children could learn more at: John Glenn.
Halloween is tomorrow! Are the pumpkin seeds toasted? Are the costumes ready? Children could read The Night Before Halloween, written by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Cynthia Fisher. They might want to explore: http://www.nick.com/games/halloween-games/.
Children can answer this riddle: What do witches put on their hair? Check back tomorrow for the answer!
The answer to yesterday’s riddle: What do you call a skeleton who will not work? A lazy bones!
National Candy Corn Day
National Candy Corn Day is today! George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company invented the treat in the late 1800’s. Candy corn is made from corn syrup, sugar, confectioner’s wax, and food coloring. About twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold each year. Today the top two manufacturers of candy corn are Brach’s and Jelly Belly.
Ball Point Pens
Ballpoint pen was patented in 1888 by John J. Loud of Weymouth, Massachusetts. He received patent number 392,046. A lawyer, inventor, and tanner, he developed the instrument so that he could write on his leather products. Fountain pens, then the most used type of pen, could not write on leather. Loud’s ballpoint pen, however, was not successful when used on paper. Laszlo Biro created a commercially successful ballpoint pen in 1943. Children can view Loud’s patent at: Ballpoint Pen Patent.
Orson Welles presented a radio broadcast of H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds in 1938. Many people had not tuned in at the beginning, so they believed there was a real Martian invasion. Children can listen to the radio broadcast (55 minutes) at: Youtube War of the Worlds.
Bosphorus Bridge was opened in 1973. The bridge spans the Bosphorus Strait and connects Asia and Europe. Almost a mile long, the suspension bridge was the scene of a brief tennis match between Venus Williams and Ipeko, a Turkish tennis player.
Halloween
Halloween is celebrated by trick-or-treaters all over the country. Experts believe the holiday has both Christian and pagan origins. The day before All Saints Day, the event first occurred in Europe and then spread to the United States.
Children could read Scarry, Scarry Halloween by Jan Brett and then visit her website at: http://www.janbrett.com/index.html to find some Halloween activities.
One last Halloween riddle: What is a monster’s favorite play? Answer: Romeo and Ghouliet!
Answer to yesterday’s riddle: What do witches put on their hair? Answer: Scare spray!
UNICEF Day has been observed by Presidential Proclamation since 1967. Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1949. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. UNICEF helps children in over 190 countries, and the organization worked to eradicate polio in over 120 countries. Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has raised over $188 million since its inception. Children can learn more at: http://www.unicefusa.org/.
Nevada Flag
Nevada became the thirty-sixth state of the United States in 1864. Its name comes from a Spanish phrase meaning “snow-covered.” Its nicknames are the Sagebrush State and the Silver State. Carson City is the state capital. It was explored in 1776, but the first settlement was not built until 1849. In 1859 the Comstock Lode was discovered, and mining fever took over. In 1931 gambling became legal. Children could visit a website at: America’s Library. Idea: Students could pretend they were miners in old Nevada. What materials would they need to buy before they could amble on out to their stake?
Martin Luther in 1517 nailed his 95 Theses, also called the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany. He was objecting to some of the policies and activities of the Catholic Church. His actions and the actions of others started the Protestant Reformation. Older children could read a transcription in English of his statements at: Luther 95 Theses.