Flag of Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe celebrate Independence Day. They gained their freedom from Portugal in 1975. The area of this cluster of islands is about five times area of Washington, DC. Located off the coast of western Africa, this country experiences a tropical climate. Natural resources include fish and hydropower. Almost 200,000 people live there. The capital is Sao Tome.
Flag of Kiribati
Kiribati celebrates Independence Day. Formerly called the Gilbert Islands, this country became free of British rule in 1979. The 33 atolls, located in the Pacific Ocean, form a small country with an area about three times the size of Washington, DC. Over 100,000 people live on 21 inhabited atolls. Tarawa is the capital.
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!