World Population Day is today. Created by the United Nations in 1989, the day draws attention to the world’s population and the stresses the large population brings to the planet. Today more than eight billion people live on earth. Children can learn more at: World Population Day.
Mongolia celebrates Revolution Day. The people revolted against a feudal monarch in 1921. Mongolia is a bit smaller than Alaska, and the terrain is mostly desert. Natural resources include oil, copper, and coal. Over three million people live in this landlocked country. Ulaanbaatar is the capital. Children could learn more at: Mongolia.
James Smith, signer of the Declaration of Independence, died in 1806. He represented Pennsylvania. His exact date of birth is unknown, but he was born in Ireland around 1719. A fire in 1803 destroyed many documents by and about Smith, so little is known about him. Children could learn more at: James Smith.
Skylab in 1979 reentered the earth’s atmosphere and broke apart. The pieces fell into the Indian Ocean and onto parts of Australia. Skylab, the first United States space station, had been launched May 14, 1973. Three manned crews, Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4, conducted experiments there between May 1973 and February 1974. Children could learn more at: Skylab.
John Quincy Adams (born Braintree, Massachusetts, 1767; died Washington, DC, February 23, 1848) was the sixth president (1825-1829) of the United States. The first son of a president to become a president, he was a child during the Revolutionary War. He spoke at least seven languages. He was a senator before he beat Andrew Jackson for the presidency. After he was president, he served for 17 years as a congressperson from Massachusetts. Children can visit a website at: John Quincy Adams. Idea: Students could investigate the languages he spoke. They could learn a bit more about each of the languages.
Pierce Butler (born Ireland, 1744; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1822) represented South Carolina at the Constitutional Convention. In his early life he joined the British military at age eleven. He fought in the French and Indian War and decided to remain in America. A wealthy plantation owner, he served as a U.S. senator from South Carolina from 1789 to 1796 and from 1803 to 1804. Children can learn more at: Pierce Butler.
Lester Laminack (born Flint, Michigan, 1956) writes books for children and adults. His children’s books include Three Hens and a Peacock and Jake’s 100th Day of School. Children can learn more at: Lester Laminack.
Patricia Polacco (born Lansing, Michigan, 1944) has written and illustrated at least 60 books for children. One of her wonderful books is The Keeping Quilt. Children could visit her website, filled with fun activities, at: Patricia Polacco.
James Stevenson (born New York, New York, 1929; died Cos Cob, Connecticut, February 17, 2017) wrote and/or illustrated over 100 books for children and young adults. His works include the Mud Flat series and I Meant to Tell You. He illustrated books by other authors, including Judy Blume and Jack Prelutsky.
E. B. White (born Elwynn Brooks White in Mount Vernon, New York, 1899; died North Brooklyn, Maine, October 1, 1985) wrote for many audiences. He wrote, among other works, Charlotte’s Web (a 1953 Newbery Honor Book), Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan. Since 2005 the American Booksellers for Children (ABC) have awarded the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award. Children could learn more about White and the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award from Children’s Book Award Handbook by Diana F. Marks.