Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was freed from prison in South Africa in 1990. He had been in prison for 27 years due to his anti-apartheid activities. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He was elected president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He died on December 5, 2013. Children can learn more at: Nelson Mandela.
Edison Holding a Light Bulb
NPS Photograph
Thomas Alva Edison (born Milan, Ohio, 1847; died Menlo Park, New Jersey, October 18, 1931) held more than 1,200 patents. He invented the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and part of the telephone transmitter. Children can learn more by visiting the Thomas Edison National Park website at: Thomas Alva Edison.
Holly Keller (born New York, New York, 1942) writes and illustrates books for children. She has written and illustrated at least 35 books, including Geraldine and Mrs. Duffy and Farfalina and Marcel, which received the Charlotte Zolotow Award in 2005. She has also illustrated at least 20 books by other authors, including Patricia Lauber and Paul Showers.
Mo Willems (born Des Plaines, Illinois, 1968) is an animator and a writer/illustrator of at least 80 books for children. He has received three Caldecott Honor Awards: Don’t Let the Pigeons Drive the Bus in 2004, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale in 2005, and Knuffle Bunny: A Case of Mistaken Identity in 2008. He has also received two Theodore Geisel Awards: There is a Bird on Your Head in 2008 and Are You Ready to Play Outside? in 2009. Children can visit his very interesting website at: Mo Willems.
Jane Yolen (born New York, New York, 1939) has written over 400 books for children, and she has received many, many awards. Her book Devil’s Arithmetic received the 1989 Sydney Taylor Award. She has received three Golden Kite Awards: The Girl Who Cried Flowers and other Tales in 1974, The Transfigured Hart (Honor Book) in 1975, and Moon Ribbons and other Tales (Honor Book) in 1976. She wrote The Emperor and the Kite, and its illustrator, Ed Young, received a Caldecott Honor Award in 1968. She wrote Owl Moon, and its illustrator, John Schoenherr, received the 1988 Caldecott Medal. Children can visit her very interesting website at: Jane Yolen.
Oglethorpe Day is celebrated in Georgia. In 1733 General James Oglethorpe and one hundred men set foot on what became Georgia. The colony was named after King George II. Eventually Oglethorpe became governor of Georgia. Oglethorpe wanted to create a colony where the poor could become successful farmers and landowners.
NEAR-Shoemaker in 2001 became the first spacecraft to land on a meteor. Launched on February 17, 1996, NEAR-Shoemaker landed on near-earth asteroid Eros and sent back data until February 28, 2001. The extreme cold on the asteroid probably prevented the return of more data. Older children can learn more at: http://science.nasa.gov/missions/near/.
Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill met in 2016 in Cuba. This meeting marked the first time in a thousand years that the Pope and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church had met. The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox split in the Great Schism in 1054. The two leaders met for three hours.
Louisa Adams
Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams (born London, England, 1775; died Washington, DC, May 14, 1852) was America’s First Lady from March 4, 1825 to March 4, 1829. She was the wife of John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States. She was the first First Lady not born in the United States. A few years after Adams’s presidency, he was elected to the House of Representatives. They lived in Washington, DC for another seventeen years. Older children could visit a website at: Louisa Adams.
Judy Blume (born Elizabeth, New Jersey, 1938) is a children’s author. She wrote, among other works, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great in 1972, Blubber in 1974, and Fudge-a-Mania in 1990. In 1996 she received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to young adult literature. Children could visit her website at: Judy Blume.
Charles Darwin (born Shrewsberry, England, 1809; died Down, Kent, England, April 19, 1882) was a writer and a naturalist. He proposed the theory of natural selection after visiting the Galapagos Islands. One of his most famous works is The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Young adults could read his works at: Project Gutenberg.
Christian McKay Heidicker (born 1982) writes books for middle schoolers and young adults. His book Scary Stories for Young Foxes received a 2020 Newbery Honor Award. His other works include Cure for the Common Universe. Middle schoolers and young adults can learn more at: Christian McKay Heidicker.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (born Hodgenville, Kentucky, 1809; died Washington, DC, April 15, 1865) was the sixteenth president (1861-1865) of the United States. He was born in a log cabin, and his formal schooling added up to one year. He taught himself law and fought in the Black Hawk War of 1832. He served in the state legislature and became a Congressman in 1846. His debates with Stephen A. Douglas made him a more well-known figure. The Civil War brought him terrible sorrows. He was shot five days after the end of the Civil War. Children could visit a website at: Abraham Lincoln. Children could read Russell Freedman’s book, Lincoln: A Photobiography. Russell Freedman received the 1988 Newbery Medal for the book.
Anna Pavlova (born St. Petersburg, Russia, 1881; died The Hague, The Netherlands, January 23, 1931) was a ballerina. She toured worldwide and made ballet more popular. She also studied dance of different countries. Even when she was famous, she practiced fifteen hours a day.
David Small (born Detroit, Michigan, 1945) is a writer and illustrator. His illustrations in The Gardener earned him a Caldecott Honor Award in 1998. His illustrations in So You Want to Be President? won the 2001 Caldecott Award. He received another Caldecott Honor Award in 2013 for One Cool Friend. Children can visit his fascinating website at: David Small.
Jacqueline Woodson (born Columbus, Ohio, 1963) is an AMAZING author of children’s books. She has won many awards. Miracle’s Boys received the Coretta Scott King Medal. Locomotion earned a Coretta Scott King Honor Award. Coming on Home Soon earned E. B. Lewis, the illustrator, a Caldecott Honor Award. Both Show Way and Feathers obtained Newbery Honor Awards. In 2006 Jacqueline received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. She earned a 2015 Newbery Honor Award for Brown Girl Dreaming. Children can visit her text-rich and visually appealing website at: Jacqueline Woodson.
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! Today would be a good day to finish those valentines, bake those special cookies, or make simple gifts for those we love. Children could read The Night Before Valentine’s Day by Natasha Wing. Children could play some great Valentine’s Day games at: Valentine Activities.
American Magazine, the first magazine to print in the United States, was published for the first time in 1741 by Andrew Bradford.
Moving picture projector was patented in 1895. Auguste and Louis Lumiere created the cinematograph, and the first film they recorded was of workers leaving their factory.
Madrid Codices, created by Leonardo da Vinci, were discovered in 1964 in the National Library of Spain by American researchers. Da Vinci died in 1608, and these works found their way to Spain by about 1623. They got lost in the library around 1712. The books contain information about science, geometry, and fortification. Children could learn more at: Madrid Codices.