Flag of Tajikistan
Tajikistan celebrates Independence Day. It separated itself from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991. Tajikistan, covered with mountains, is prone to earthquakes. This landlocked country is slightly smaller than the state of Wisconsin. Almost nine million people live in the country, and Dushanbe is the capital.
California Flag
Sequoia National Park in California
California became the thirty-first state of the United States in 1850. It is about third in land area but first in population. It produces so many goods that it is actually about the sixth largest economy in the world. One of its concerns is that it lacks water to sustain both population growth and agricultural needs. Sacramento is the capital, and the nickname is the Golden State. The state motto is Eureka, meaning I have found it. It has had eight major earthquakes since 1900.
Athens defeated Persia at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. Idea: Children could learn about the concept of running a marathon.
Second Continental Congress officially named our country the “United States of America” in 1776. Previously, the country’s title was “United Colonies of America.”
Stono’s Rebellion began in 1793 near the Stono River in South Carolina. A group of slaves tried to escape, but eventually the slave owners found them. This rebellion was one of the 250 documented uprisings in slavery.
Imperial Crown
Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 became the United Kingdom’s longest reigning monarch. Her length of reign surpassed that of Queen Victoria, her great-great grandmother. Queen Victoria was Britain’s monarch for 63 years, 216 days. Queen Elizabeth II ruled for 70 years, 7 months, and 2 days when she died on September 8, 2022.
Esther Cleveland
Esther Cleveland (born Washington, DC, 1893; died Tamworth, New Hampshire, June 25, 1980) was the daughter of President Grover Cleveland and First Lady Frances Cleveland. She was born in the White House.
Aileen Fisher (born Iron River, Michigan, 1906; died Boulder, Colorado, December 2, 2002) was a children’s author. Known for both her poetry and prose, Ms. Fisher also wrote plays and biographies. Children could learn more about her at: Aileen Fisher.
Leo Tolstoy (born south of Moscow, Russia, 1828; died Astapovo, Russia, November 20, 1910) was a novelist and a philosopher. He was concerned about the disparity between the “haves” and the “have nots.” Two of his most famous novels are War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Children could visit Project Gutenberg to read many of his books at Project Gutenberg.
Flag of Gibraltar
Gibraltar celebrates Day of Decision, a national holiday. In 1976 the citizens of Gibraltar voted to remain an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Located on the southern coast of Spain, and bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, the country is about ten times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC. Approximately 29,000 people live in Gibraltar, while about five million tourists visit every year. The territory is strategically important because it lies at the intersection of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
John Smith became the leader of Jamestown Colony Council in Virginia in 1608. Jamestown, which had been founded on May 14, 1607, was struggling because the colonists were more interested in finding nonexistent gold than by providing for basic needs. When Smith took over, he stated, “He who shall not work shall not eat.” The group continued to struggle, but eventually his philosophy took root. Children could learn more at: John Smith.
Illustration of Sewing Machine from Patent
Sewing machine was patented by Elias Howe in 1846. He received patent number 4,750.