Jun 012026
 

First recorded American earthquake occurred in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1638. Since English citizens had rarely experienced earthquakes, the colonists did not even have a word to describe their experience. Scientists today believe the earthquake was between a 6.5 to 7 on the Richter Magnitude Scale, making the earthquake one of the strongest ever in New England. Children could visit a WONDERFUL interactive site, including a map of earthquakes that have occurred today, at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/.

Jun 012026
 

James Daugherty (born Asheville, North Carolina, 1889; died Boston, Massachusetts, February 21, 1974) was a painter, illustrator, and author. He is one of only a few people who have earned both Newbery Awards and Caldecott Awards. His Andy and the Lion received a 1939 Caldecott Honor Award, and he earned another Caldecott Honor Award in 1957 for Gillespie and the Guards. He was awarded the 1940 Newbery Medal for Daniel Boone. Children could view some of his artwork at: James Daugherty.

Jacques Marquette (born Laon, France, 1637; died near Ludington, Michigan, May 18, 1675) was a priest and an explorer. He arrived in the New World in 1666. He founded several missions before he met Louis Jolliet. The two, with five other people, started to explore the Mississippi River in 1673. Idea: Children could speculate on why a priest would become such an active explorer. They could also learn more at: Jacques Marquette.

Doris Buchanan Smith (born Washington, DC, 1934; died Jacksonville, Florida, August 28, 2002) wrote seventeen books for children. Her A Taste of Blackberries was published in 1973.

Jun 022026
 
Flag of Italy

Flag of Italy

Italy celebrates Republic Day. It became a republic in 1946. Slightly larger than the state of Arizona, the country supports a population of 61 million people. Rome is the capital, and its mountainous interior supports olive groves and vineyards. Children can learn more at: Italy.

Jun 022026
 

Native Americans were given citizenship in 1924. President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting between 125,000 and 300,000 Native Americans full rights. They did not have to apply for citizenship, and they could keep their tribal rights. Children could learn more at: Citizenship. They could also explore an AMAZING website regarding present-day Native Americans: Native Americans.

Jun 022026
 

Charles “Pete” Conrad

Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr. (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1930; died near Ojai, California, July 8, 1999) was an astronaut. He participated in four space flights, and he was the third person to walk on the moon. Older children can read more at: Pete Conrad.

Michael Emberley (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1960) writes and illustrates books for children. The son of author/illustrator Ed Emberley, Michael has written at least 20 books, including Mail Harry to the Moon and Ruby and the Sniffs.

Paul Galdone (born Budapest, Hungary, 1914; died Nyack, New York, November 7, 1986) was an author and illustrator of children’s books. He received a 1957 Caldecott Honor Award for Anatole and another Caldecott Honor Award in 1958 for Anatole and the Cat. Children can learn more at: Paul Galdone.

Norton Juster (born Brooklyn, New York, 1939; died Northampton, Massachusetts, March 8, 2021) was an architect and author. Perhaps his most famous book is The Phantom Tollbooth, published in 1961. He also wrote The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics, published in 1963.

Helen Oxenbury (born Suffolk, England, 1938) writes and illustrates books for children. She has written and illustrated at least 59 books and has illustrated at least 20 books by other authors. She has twice received the Kate Greenaway Medal, in 1969 for The Quangle Wangle’s Hat and in 2000 for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Martha Washington

Martha Dandridge Washington (born near Williamsburg, Virginia, 1731; died Mount Vernon, Virginia, May 22, 1802) was America’s First Lady from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797. She was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Her first husband was Daniel Parke Custis; he died in 1757. She had to raise their two children alone. In 1759 she married George Washington. She never lived in the White House because the nation’s capital moved from New York to Philadelphia while Washington was president. Children could visit a website at: Martha Washington.

Jun 032026
 
Velocipede

Velocipede, First Bicycle

World Bicycle Day is today. In early 2018 the United Nations declared today to be World Bicycle Day because bicycles are so popular for transportation and physical activity. In 2014 a billion bicycles were being used for business and fun. China accounts for 450 million of those bicycles.

Jun 032026
 

New York Knickerbockers in 1851 became the first baseball team to wear uniforms. The uniform consisted of full-length blue pants, white shirts, and straw hats. The team players were also very involved in defining baseball’s rules and codes of conduct.

Casey at the Bat was printed for the first time in 1888 in the San Francisco Examiner. Although it was published anonymously, the author was Ernest L. Thayer. Children can read a copy of the poem at: Casey.