Oreo Cookies
National Oreo Day is today! Oreo cookies went on sale this day in 1912. Today 2,000 Oreos are produced a minute, and more Oreos have been sold than any other type of cookie. Children can learn more about the famous cookie at: Oreo History.
Flag of Ghana
Ghana celebrates Independence Day. It became free from the rule of Great Britain in 1957. According to the CIA World Factbook, Ghana is a bit smaller than the state of Oregon. Located on the southern coast of West Africa, the country surrounds Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in the world. About 25 million people live in Ghana. Accra is the capital, and farmers grow cocoa, rice, and coffee. Children could learn more at: Ghana.
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan discovered Guam in 1521. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, the island became an important stopover for Spanish ships for 200 years. It became an American territory in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War. Children could learn more about Guam at: Guam.
Alamo fell to Mexico in 1836. The Texas mission-turned-fort had been under siege since February 23, 1836. The last of the soldiers died, and General Santa Anna was victorious for a short time. Children might want to read Sherry Garland’s A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence. They could also check an excellent website at: Alamo.
Dred Scott
Dred Scott case decision was delivered by the Supreme Court in 1857. Dred Scott was a slave trying to gain his freedom. Since his owner had moved to states where there was no slavery and had taken Scott with him, Scott felt he should be free. He took his case all the way to the Supreme Court. The court majority ruled against Scott in a way that caused major turmoil in the United States. Some scholars believe the decision was one cause of the Civil War. Children could look at copies of original documents at: Dred Scott.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (born near Durham, England, 1806; died Florence, Italy, June 29, 1861) was a poet. One of her most famous works is Sonnets from the Portuguese. She was married to Robert Browning, also a famous poet. One of her most famous lines is “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Children can read her works at: Project Gutenberg.
L. Gordon Cooper (born Shawnee, Oklahoma, 1927; died Ventura, California, October 4, 2004) was an astronaut. One of the original seven astronauts, he was launched into space on the last Mercury mission. He logged more hours in space than the other six astronauts combined. He was the first astronaut to sleep in space (the mission was 34 hours long). He also flew on the Gemini 5 mission with Pete Conrad. They were in space for eight days and circled the earth 120 times. Children could learn more at: L. Gordon Cooper.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez (born Aracataca, Colombia, 1927; died Mexico City, Mexico, April 17, 2014) was a writer. His books include One Hundred Years of Solitude and Living to Tell the Tale. He received the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Anna Claypoole Peale (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1791; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1878) was an artist. She was a part of the famous Peale family of artists, and she specialized in painting miniatures and still life works. Her miniature portraits were much in demand; she painted about 200 of them. Children can see several of her works at: Anna Claypoole Peale.
Chris Raschka (born Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, 1959) writes and illustrates books for children. His book Yo! Yes? received a 1994 Caldecott Honor Award. His Hello, Goodbye Window received the 2006 Caldecott Medal, and A Ball for Daisy earned him the 2012 Caldecott Medal.
Michelangelo (born Caprese, Italy, 1475; died Rome, Italy, February 18, 1564) was an artist, an architect, and a poet. Among his accomplishments are the painting of the Sistine Chapel, the sculpture Pieta, and the sculpture David. Children could visit a website at: Michelangelo. They could also read Diane Stanley’s book Michelangelo. Finally, they could learn about the rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.