Etch a Sketch was sold for the first time in 1962. Invented by Andre Cassagnes, the toy works by scraping off aluminum powder from the plastic surface. The Ohio Art Company bought the rights in 1960. In 2016 Spin Master Corporation bought the rights. Over 100 million Etch a Sketches have been sold.
James Webb Space Telescope
NASA released its first images from the James Webb Space Telescope in 2022. The telescope was launched into space on December 25, 2021. Developed primarily by NASA with help from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the infrared telescope is able to basically go back in time to see the formation of the first galaxies and to locate exoplanets. The telescope is named after James Webb, NASA administrator from 1961 to 1968. It was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana on a Ariane 5 rocket. Children can monitor the telescope’s progress at: James Webb Telescope.
Joan Bauer (born River Forest, Illinois, 1951) writes books for children. Her book Hope Was Here received a 2001 Newbery Honor Award. Her other works include Close to Famous. Children can visit her website at: Joan Bauer.
George Eastman (born Waterville, New York, 1854; died Rochester, New York, March 14, 1932) founded Eastman Kodak. He invented the Kodak camera in 1888. The flexible film allowed anyone to take pictures. Children could learn about Eastman at: George Eastman. Children could find out how a camera works by visiting: Camera.
Buckminster Fuller (born Milton, Massachusetts, 1895; died Los Angeles, California, July 1, 1983) was an architect and an educator. He held more than 2,000 patents, and he wrote more than 25 books. One of his most well-known ideas is the geodesic dome. Older children can learn more at: Buckminster Fuller.
Julius Caesar (born 102 B.C.; died March 15, 44 B.C.) was a Roman dictator. He conquered other territories. He is famous for the saying Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered). He was assassinated by a group of aristocrats on the Ides of March. Children could learn more at: Julius Caesar.
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau (born Concord, Massachusetts, 1817; died Concord, Massachusetts, May 6, 1862) was a writer and philosopher. His Civil Disobedience influenced Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.
Andrew Wyeth (born Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, 1917; died Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, January 16, 2009) was an artist. His paintings often show isolated objects. His father, N. C. Wyeth, was a noted illustrator, and his son Jamie is also an artist. Idea: Wyeth often worked in egg tempera. Children could try the medium and compare it to watercolors. Children can view some of his works at: Andrew Wyeth.
Herbert S. Zim (born New York, New York, 1909; died Plantation Key, Florida, December 5, 1994) wrote more than 100 scientific books and is most known for his Golden Guides series. His books include Rocks and Minerals and Codes and Secret Writing. Children could learn more at: Herbert Zim.
Flag of Montenegro
Montenegro celebrates National Day. In 1878 it was recognized as an independent country. Since then it has been a part of several countries. However, it became independent again in 2006. Slightly smaller than Connecticut, Montenegro borders the Adriatic Sea. Over 650,000 people live in Montenegro, and Podgorica is the capital.
Northwest Ordinance was created in 1787. It provided for the government of the territory north of the Ohio River. However, it was the foundation for all other American territorial governments. It established how the territory could eventually become a state, and it guaranteed basic freedoms for its inhabitants. States carved from the Northwest Territory include Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Minnesota. Idea: Older children could read a transcript of the document at: Northwest Ordinance. Children could find out how a territory can become a state or states.
Lake Itasca
Source of Mississippi River Was Found by Henry Schoolcraft in 1832. He named the Minnesota body of water Lake Itasca. The Mississippi River flows south 2,350 miles from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the world’s fourth longest river system (after the Nile River, the Amazon River, and the Yangtze River). Children could find some VERY INTERESTING FACTS at: http://www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm.
World Cup Soccer opened in 1930. The first such event, the championship concluded on July 30. Thirteen teams competed in Montevideo, Uruguay. Uruguay won the final game. The World Cup has been held every four years since then, except during World War II. The next World Cup finals 2026 will be in Canada, Mexico, and the United States in June and July.
Walter Poenisch completed his swim from Cuba to Florida, a distance of 128.8 miles, in 1978. He had started several days earlier. The first man to successfully swim that distance, Poenisch was observing his 65th birthday!
Marcia Brown (born Rochester, New York, 1918; died Laguna Hills, California, April 28, 2015) was an author and illustrator. She created more than 30 books. She received three Caldecott Medals: Cinderella in 1955; Once a Mouse in 1962; and Shadow in 1983. She also earned six Caldecott Honor Awards: Stone Soup, an Old Tale in 1948; Henry, Fisherman, a Tale of the Virgin Islands in 1950; Dick Whittington and His Cat in 1951; Skipper John’s Cook in 1952; Puss in Boots in 1953; and The Steadfast Tin Soldier in 1954. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award was presented to her in 1992 for her body of works. Children can learn more at: Marcia Brown.
Ashley Bryan (born New York, New York, 1923; died Sugar Land, Texas, February 4, 2022) was a picture book author and illustrator. He earned two Coretta Scott King Medals for illustration: in 1981 for Beat the Story Drum, Pum Pum and in 2008 for Let It Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals. He also earned seven Coretta Scott King Honor Awards: in 1983 for I’m Going to Sing: Black American Spirituals; in 1988 for What a Morning! The Christmas Story in Black Spirituals; in 1992 for All Night, All Day: A Child’s First Book of African American Spirituals; in 1998 for Ashley Bryan’s ABC of African American Poetry; in 2004 for Beautiful Blackbird; and in 1987 he received both the story award and the illustration award for Lion and the Ostrich Chicks and Other African Folk Tales. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award was presented to him in 2009 for his body of works. In 2017 he earned a Newbery Honor Award for Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan. Children can learn more at: Ashley Bryan.
Michael Dooling (born 1958) has written six books and has illustrated at least 65 books. His books include George Washington’s Army and Me and Young Thomas Edison. Children can visit his website at: Michael Dooling.
Anna Grossnickle Hines (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1946) has written and/or illustrated at least 50 books for children. Her works include William’s Turn and My Pat-a-Cake Grandma. Children can visit her website at: http://www.aghines.com/.
Shark Awareness Day is today! The day reminds us of the types of sharks, the importance of sharks in ocean food webs, and the fact that some species of sharks are endangered or critically endangered. Over 500 types of sharks exist, and experts believe over a billion sharks live in our oceans and even in a few rivers. The smallest species of shark is the dwarf lanternshark at about seven inches, and the largest type is the whaleshark which can be up to 40 feet long. Children can learn more at: Sharks.