Mendenhall Glacier
Tongass National Forest was created in the Alaksa panhandle in 1907. The largest national forest in the United States, the Tongass is comprised of 16,700,000 acres of temperate rain forest. The Tongass encompasses nineteen designated winderness areas. Children can learn more at: Tongass.
TV dinner was produced by Swanson for the first time in 1953. The aluminum tray had several compartments containing turkey, stuffing, peas, and sweet potatoes. The company planned to sell about 5,000 TV dinners, but in the first year they sold ten million. In 1986 microwave-safe trays appeared. Children could learn more at: TV Dinner.
Abebe Bikila
Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympics Marathon. The Ethiopian ran the marathon barefoot. A last minute replacement for another marathoner, Bikila had little time to prepare for the race, including finding suitable running shoes. He decided to run without shoes. His time was 2 hours 15 minutes 16.2 seconds, a new record. He also won the 1964 Tokyo Olympics marathon.
Carter Braxton (born Newington, Virginia, 1736; died Richmond, Virginia, October 10, 1797) signed the Declaration of Independence. Representing Virginia, he helped supply the American army. He lost his fortune due to the war and bad business ideas. He might have had to go to debtor’s prison, but he died of a stroke. Idea: Braxton actually staved off a possible battle in Virginia. Children could find out more about his abilities to make peace at: Carter Braxton.
Betty Levin (born New York, New York, 1927; died Lincoln, Massachusetts, July 4, 2022) wrote at least 25 books for children. Her books include Brother Moose and Shoddy Cove.
Roger Maris (born Hibbing, Minnesota, 1934; died Houston, Texas, December 14, 1985) was a baseball player. On October 1, 1961, he broke Babe Ruth’s 1927 record of most homeruns hit in a season. Ruth had hit 60 homeruns; Maris hit 61 homeruns.
Patriot Day and National Day of Prayer and Remembrance is today. The United States was attacked by Al Qaeda terrorists on this day in 2001. The terrorists commandeered four passenger planes. They crashed two planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and one plane into the Pentagon. The fourth airplane, destined for Washington, DC, crashed into western Pennsylvania. It appears the passengers tried to regain control of the aircraft. More than 3,000 people died in the attacks. The country responded by attacking possible Al Qaeda cells and other terrorist groups. Security within the country became more stringent. An excellent source of information for children is Dennis Brindell Fradin’s September 11, 2001, published by Marshall Cavendish.
Ben Franklin
Benjamin Franklin stated in 1773, “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” Idea: Children could comment on his statement.
Annapolis Convention was held from September 11 through September 14, 1786, in Annapolis, Maryland. The formal name of the meeting was The Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government. Delegates from New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia met to discuss economic interests. They concluded the meeting by calling for another meeting of all the states. This new group ended up being the Constitutional Convention. Older children can read some of the convention documentation at: Annapolis Convention.
USS Shenandoah
ZR-1 (the largest functioning dirigible) flew over the Woolworth Tower (New York’s tallest building at the time) in 1923. The USS Shenandoah, the first of four dirigibles, could travel about 70 miles per hour. Its maiden voyage was on September 4, 1923. It crashed during a storm in Ohio on September 3, 1925.
Matthew Cordell (born Greenville, South Carolina, 1975) writes and illustrates books for children. He wrote and illustrated Wolf in the Snow and earned the 2018 Caldecott Medal. Two of his other works are Bear Island and Trouble Gum.
William Sydney Porter (born Greensboro, North Carolina, 1862; died New York, New York, June 5, 1910) wrote short stories under the pseudonym O. Henry. Two of his most famous stories are “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Ransom of Red Chief.” Children can read some of his works at: Project Gutenberg.
Lois Ruby (born San Francisco, California, 1942) has written at least twenty books for children and young adults. Her works include Steal Away Home and Eddie Whatever. Young adults can learn more about her at: Lois Ruby.
Alfred Slote (born Brooklyn, New York, 1926) has written over 30 books for children. His works include Finding Buck McHenry and My Robot Buddy. Children can visit his website at: Alfred Slote.
Caves of Lascaux
Lascaux was discovered in 1940. Located in southwestern France, the Lascaux cave was found by a young man named Marcel Ravidat. The series of caves contain about 6,000 paintings, which can be organized into three groups: animals, humans, and abstract creations. The cave was opened to tourists in 1948, but light, changes in air temperature, and carbon dioxide exhaled by humans took a toll on the works of art. The real cave was closed in 1963, and a simulation of the cave was opened nearby. Mold in the real cave continues to be a problem. Children can visit the official (and amazing) website at: Caves of Lascaux.