First Day of Spring occurs today! It marks the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The length of the day equals the length of the night. In the Southern Hemisphere, today marks the first day of fall. Children could read The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth, by Ellen Jackson.
Flag of Tunisia
Tunisia celebrates Independence Day. France gave up control of Tunisia in 1956. Slightly smaller than the state of Wisconsin, Tunisia is located on the northern coast of Africa. Approximately 10.7 million people live in Tunisia. In the north, this country has a temperate climate with rainy winter. In the south, most of the country is in a desert. Tunis is the capital. One source of income for the country is petroleum.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was published in 1852. Over 300,000 copies of the book were sold in the first year of publication. Some experts believe the book was a catalyst for the Civil War. Children can read Uncle Tom’s Cabin at: Project Gutenberg. Children can learn more about the author at: Harriet Beecher Stowe.
United Nations Flag
United Nations designates today as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Flag of Namibia
Namibia celebrates Independence Day. It declared itself free from South Africa in 1990. The Kalahari Desert is one of the geographic features of this fairly large (about half the size of Alaska) country. Windhoek is the capital. About 2.2 million people live in Namibia, and many of them depend on mining for jobs. The country is the world’s fourth largest producer of uranium, and diamonds and zinc also contribute to the economy.
Pocahontas
Pocahontas died in Gravesend, Kent, England, in 1617. She was probably born in 1595. She had accompanied her husband, John Rolfe, on a trip to England to meet his family and friends. Children could visit a website at: Pocahontas.
Breitling Orbiter 3
Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones in 1999 became the first people to circle the earth in a hot air balloon. Their 26,000-mile trip took 19 days, 21 hours, and 55 minutes. Their trip started in Switzerland and ended in Egypt. The gondola looks like a gigantic red pill, and solar panels provided power for GPS and communication. Children can see a photo of the gondola and read more at: Hot Air Balloon.
Daffodils
Daffodil Day is today! These early blooming flowers indicate spring is here. The American Cancer Society has linked daffodils to cancer awareness. Children could learn about the life cycle of daffodils. They could also identify the parts of the daffodil plants. Come fall, they could plant daffodil bulbs.
Weddell Seal
International Day of the Seal was declared by Congress in 1982. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has ranked ten of the 36 species of seals as endangered or vulnerable. Factors influencing their survival include unintentional catching by commercial fisheries, marine pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction. Idea: Children could research different types of seals. They could learn about the life cycles of these marine mammals. They could read some very interesting facts about seals at: Seals.
Lynx Lake, Arizona
United Nations declares today as World Water Day. The 2026 theme is Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows. As the world’s population increases and the amount of water remains the same, water increasingly becomes more important to countries. Children could learn more at: World Water Day.