Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The youngest person (at the time) to receive the award, he contributed the award money to the civil rights movement. Older children can read his acceptance speech at: King Nobel Speech.
Elie Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Older children can read his well-written acceptance speech at: Wiesel Nobel Speech.
Winnie-the-Pooh was published in 1926. A. A. Milne based Winnie on his son’s teddy bear. Winnie-the-Pooh has been published in many languages, including Latin! Children can read the original book at: Project Gutenberg.
Chuck Yeager and the Glamorous Glennis
Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager in 1947 flew a BellX-1 airplane, the Glamorous Glennis, at Mach 1.07 over Muroc Dry Lake Bed in California. He successfully conducted the first faster than sound flying experiment.
Felix Baumgartner in 2012 jumped from a hot-air balloon at a height of 24 miles to freefall to earth. He reached a speed of 843.6 miles per hour (Mach 1.25), becoming the first person to break the sound barrier without a vehicle.
Europa Clipper was launched by NASA in 2024. Launched from Kennedy Space Center, the spacecraft will experience several flybys of Europa, a Galilean moon of Jupiter. It will begin data collection when it arrives in 2030. Scientists are interested in whether Europa can support life. Children can learn more at: Europa Clipper.
Miriam Cohen (born Brooklyn, New York, 1926) has written over 30 books for children. Her works include Will I Have a Friend? and Don’t Eat Too Much Turkey!
E. E. Cummings (born Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1894; died North Conway, New Hampshire, September 2, 1962) was a poet. He was known for his unusual use of punctuation and capitalization. Children can read some of his work at: http://hellopoetry.com/-e-e-cummings/.
Dwight David Eisenhower
Dwight David Eisenhower (born Denison, Texas, 1890; died Washington, DC, March 28, 1969) was the thirty-fourth president (1953-1961) of the United States. During World War I, he was a tank training instructor. By the end of World War II he was a five-star general and Supreme Allied Commander. He was a popular president. The country was experiencing prosperity. The Korean War ended during his presidency. He did have to send in the military to end segregation in Little Rock, Arkansas. Children could visit a website at: Dwight Eisenhower. Idea: Children could compile some statistics as to the number of presidents who had previously been in the military.
Francis Lightfoot Lee (born Westmoreland County, Virginia, 1734; died Richmond, Virginia, January 11, 1797) signed the Declaration of Independence. He represented Virginia, and his brother Richard Henry Lee was also a signer. The shy and quiet Francis Lightfoot Lee persuaded Virginia to ratify the Constitution. Children could learn more at: Francis Lightfoot Lee.
Strawberry Girl
Lois Lenski (born Springfield, Illinois, 1893; died Tarpon Springs, Florida, September 11, 1974) was a children’s author and illustrator. She earned a 1937 Newbery Honor Award for Phoebe Fairchild: Her Book and a 1942 Newbery Honor Award for Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison. She received the 1946 Newbery Award for her Strawberry Girl. She wrote and illustrated approximatley 100 books, including a series featuring Mr. Small. Children can learn more at: Lois Lenski.
William Penn (born London, United Kingdom, 1644; died Ruscombe, United Kingdom, July 30, 1718) founded Pennsylvania. His father, admiral and politician Sir William Penn, had lent a considerable amount of money to England. The King could not easily repay the debt in money. The king offered a huge land grant instead to William Penn. A Quaker, Penn made sure all inhabitants had religious freedom. He also worked to keep friendly relations with the Native Americans. Actually he spent very little time in his home on the Delaware River. Idea: Children could find out what the words Pennsylvania and Philadelphia mean.
First National Fossil Day Poster
National Fossil Day is today! Celebrated on the Wednesday of Earth Science Week (second week in October), the day reminds us of the importance of fossils in our scientific and educational communities. The celebration was started in 2010 by the National Park Service. This year’s theme is The Rise of Ancient Life in our National Parks and Monuments. Idea: Children could make their own fossil replicas by consulting 100 Glues, Brews, and Goos: Kid-Tested Activities That Stimulate Creativity and Critical Thinking by Diana F. Marks. They could also visit a GREAT website at: National Fossil Day.
White Cane Safety Day is remembered by Presidential Proclamation. The day celebrates the independence of the blind and visually impaired. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first proclamation in 1964. In 2011 President Barack Obama declared the day to also be called Blind Americans Equality Day. Children can read a very good history of the white cane at: White Cane Safety Day.
Fort Pulaski was designated a national monument in 1966. The fort, named after the Polish military hero Casimir Pulaski, was built in 1829 to be an impenetrable fortress to protect the Savannah River and Savannah in Georgia. After the Civil War broke out, the Confederate Army took over the fort, However, on April 10, 1862, the Union Army attacked the fort with a new type of cannon and within 30 hours the Confederate garrison surrendered. The fort remained under Union control for the rest of the Civil War. Since the area was now under Union control, it then became part of the Underground Railroad. After the Civil War ended, the fort was manned by only a few soldiers. It fell into disrepair. In 1933 young men who were part of the Civilian Conservation Corps brought it back to what it is today. Children can learn more at: Fort Pulaski.
ThrustSSC
Andy Green set a new land speed record and broke the sound barrier on land in 1997 in ThrustSSC. Traveling at 763.035 miles per hour (Mach 1.016), he broke the land record 50 years and one day after Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in an airplane.
Saturn and its Rings
Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was launched in 1997. The unmanned NASA craft reached Saturn, its goal, in 2004. Huygens broke away from Cassini and landed on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, on January 14, 2005. Children could learn more at: Cassini-Huygens.
Shenzhou 5 was launched from China in 2003. China’s first successful manned space venture sent Yang Liwei into earth orbit. He orbited earth fourteen times and spent over 21 hours in space.