Antarctica was discovered by Captain Nathaniel Palmer and his crew in 1820. Only 22 years old at the time, the American was sailing on his sloop Hero and looking for seal rookeries. Antarctica is about the size of the United States and Mexico combined, and no countries can lay claim to the continent. Children can visit a great website at: Antarctica.
United States and Canada established uniform time zones in 1883. Prior to 1883 towns and particularly railroads established their own time standards. Therefore, travel between communities could be very confusing. Today the continental United States has four time zones. Alaska and Hawaii each add another time zone. Children could check out: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ and create some good math problems with the data.
Teddy bear was created in 1902. The Washington Evening Post published cartoons of Teddy Roosevelt not shooting a bear cub. Morris Michton, a Bronx toy maker, seized the opportunity and developed the stuffed animal. Children can read the whole story at: Teddy Bear.
Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre (born Cormeilles-en-Parisis, France, 1787; died near Paris, France, July 10, 1851) invented the first useful method of photography, the daguerreotype.
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (born London, England, 1836; died May 29, 1911) was half of the famous Gilbert and Sullivan creative forces. Children could listen to some of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, possibly The Pirates of Penzance. They could read the operettas at: Project Gutenberg.
Alan Shepard
Alan Shepard (born East Derry, New Hampshire, 1923; died Monterey, California, July 21, 1998) was an astronaut and the first United States citizen to travel in space. In addition, he commanded Apollo 14 and spent 33 hours on the moon. Children could learn more at: Alan Shepard.
Flag of Monaco
Monaco celebrates its national holiday. Prince Albert II was enthroned on November 19, 2005. Monaco’s government is that of a constitutional monarchy. Located between France and the Mediterranean Sea, it has only 1.21 square miles of area. It is the second smallest country in the world. More than 30,000 people live in Monaco. It has high literacy rates and life expectancy rates, but it has a negative population growth rate. Most of the country’s revenue comes from tourism and gambling.
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg Address was delivered by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The Civil War battlefield was being dedicated as a national cemetery. While keynote speaker Edward Everett spoke for more than two hours, Lincoln’s speech lasted just two minutes. However, the speech stands today as one of the best pieces of oration ever written. The Library of Congress stores the actual written speeches. Children can read the words of the Gettysburg Address at: Gettysburg Address.
Zion National Park
Zion National Park was created in Utah in 1919. Many bats live in niches along Zion Canyon. Children could research bats and Zion National Park. Then they could make an “I am batty about Zion National Park” commercial. The park website hosts some great images and an amazing ehike: Zion National Park.
Roy Campanella (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1921; died Woodland Hills, California, June 26, 1993) was a great baseball player. One of the first African American major leaguers, he was the National League MVP in 1951, 1953, and 1955. He was paralyzed in a car accident in 1958. He became even more famous as a spokesperson for the handicapped. He entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. Children could learn more at: Roy Campanella.
George Rogers Clark (born Albemarle County, Virginia, 1752; died Louisville, Kentucky, February 13, 1818) was a frontiersman. He was also a hero during the Revolutionary War. Children could learn more at: George Rogers Clark National Historical Park.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (born Allahabad, India, 1917; died New Delhi, India, October 31, 1984) was the first female prime minister of India. The only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, she served as prime minister from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
James Abram Garfield (born near Orange, Ohio, 1831; died Elberon, New Jersey, September 19, 1881) was the twentieth president (1881) of the United States. Born in a log cabin, he grew up to be a lawyer and a professor. At age thirty he was the youngest general of the Civil War. He was elected to Congress and became the darkhorse candidate for the presidency. Garfield won by one-tenth of one percent of the votes. He was assassinated in office by Charles J. Guiteau, who had unsuccessfully sought a job appointment from Garfield. Children could visit a website at: James Garfield. They could find out if the Secret Service was around during Garfield’s time. How is the president protected today?
Jack Schaefer (born Cleveland, Ohio, 1907; died Santa Fe, New Mexico, January 24, 1991) was an author. He wrote Shane. He also wrote Old Ramon; the book received a 1961 Newbery Honor Award. Children could visit a website at: Jack Schaefer.
Great American Smokeout Day hopes to persuade smokers to quit. The day is always the third Thursday in November. The American Cancer Society states that 36.5 million Americans smoke cigarettes. The percentage of Americans smoking has declined from 42 percent in 1965 to 14 percent in 2019. However, the number of people smoking cigars or pipes is rising. Children could visit a website at: Great American Smokeout Day.
United Nations Flag
Universal Children’s Day is observed by the United Nations. The day was first marked in 1953. Over one hundred nations recognize this day. Children could combine the ideas of the Bill of Rights and Universal Children’s Day and propose ideas for a children’s bill of rights. Children can learn more at: Children’s Day