Mariner 10 Flew by Mercury for the First Time in 1974

 Events
Mar 292026
 

Mariner 10

Mariner 10 flew by Mercury for the first time in 1974. Launched November 3, 1973, it first flew by Venus on February 5, 1974. After it flew by Mercury, it orbited the sun and came close to Mercury again on September 21, 1974. A third encounter happened on March 16, 1975. Data from Mariner 10 included 2,800 photographs of Mercury as well as information on a helium atmosphere and an iron-rich core. Mariner 10 ran out of fuel and stopped transmitting data on March 24, 1975. Scientists believe that it continues to orbit the sun. Children could learn more at: Mariner 10.

Alaska Was Bought by the United States from Russia in 1867

 Events
Mar 302026
 

William Henry Seward

Alaska was bought by the United States from Russia in 1867. The purchase was often originally called Seward’s Folly. William Seward, secretary of state, bought Alaska for $1,200,000. That averaged out to about two cents an acre. The 1898 Alaska gold rush was one of the first indicators that the United States had made a good bargain. Children could learn more at: Alaska.

National Crayon Day

 Events
Mar 312026
 

National Crayon Day is today! The concept of crayons, using beeswax, has been around for thousands of years. Today’s crayons are made by melting paraffin wax and adding pigment. Although at one time around 300 companies produced crayons, only a few companies remain. Now Crayola is the biggest producer of crayons. So what can children do today? They could make a poster (using crayons) celebrating National Crayon Day. They could advocate for a new crayon color. You could gently melt old crayons and make crayon blocks that produce multihued effects.

Is there anything better than a new box of crayons?

Virgin Islands Celebrate Transfer Day

 Events
Mar 312026
 

Flag of Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands celebrate Transfer Day. The United States bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million. Located in the Caribbean Sea, the islands are about twice the size of Washington, DC. Many of the 100,000 inhabitants depend on tourism for income. Charlotte Amalie is the capital. Children could learn more at: Virgin Islands.

Passover Begins This Evening

 Events
Apr 012026
 

matzah

Passover begins at sundown tonight and ends at sundown on April 9. Passover (Pesach) celebrates the freedom of Jews from Egyptian slavery. During Passover, Jews cannot eat any leavened bread, but they can eat unleavened bread called matzah. Children could read the chapter about Passover from Celebrate! Stories of the Jewish Holidays, written by Gilda Berger and illustrated by Peter Catalanotto.

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