Forest Fire Station in Colorado
Forest fire lookout stations, erected in Greenville, Maine, in 1905, were the first of their kind. The towers rose in popularity during the 1930’s to the 1950’s. During World War II, fire towers along the Pacific Ocean were used to spot enemy craft. Today the number of lookout stations has declined because of other technology, including drones and airplanes.
Today’s Ball Point Pens
Ballpoint pen was patented in 1943 by Laszlo Biro in Argentina. The ballpoint pen has a small ball bearing in the point so that the thick ink can flow smoothly. Children could learn how ballpoint pens work at: http://home.howstuffworks.com/pen2.htm.
Courbet self-portrait with dog
Gustave Courbet (born Ornans, France, 1819; died La Tour-de-Peliz, Switzerland, December 31, 1877) was a Realist painter. Many of his works can be seen at: Gustave Courbet.
Pauline Cushman (born Harriet Wood, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1833; died San Francisco, California, December 2, 1893) was an actress and spy for the Union army during the Civil War. She befriended Confederate officials, gained their secrets, and then passed on the information to the North. She was captured twice. A photo shows her in a Union uniform, and she was wounded twice. Abraham Lincoln made her an honorary major in the Union army. She became “Miss Major Pauline Cushman.”
Charlotte Herman (born Chicago, Illinois, 1937) has written at least 23 books for children. Her works include the Max Malone series and My Chocolate Year.
Maurice Sendak (born Brooklyn, New York, 1928; died Danbury, Connecticut, May 8, 2012) wrote and/or illustrated over 150 books for children. He received SEVEN Caldecott Honor Awards: in 1954 for A Very Special House, in 1959 for What Do You Say, Dear?, in 1960 for The Moon Jumpers, in 1962 for Little Bear’s Visit, in 1963 for Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, in 1971 for In the Night Kitchen, and in 1982 for Outside Over There. He earned the 1964 Caldecott Medal for the classic Where the Wild Things Are. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal was presented to him in 1983. He was also awarded the 1970 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his body of work, and he received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2003. Children can learn more about his life and books at: Maurice Sendak.
Henry VIII married the first of his six wives, Catherine of Aragon, in 1509. A Spanish princess, Catherine was the widow of his brother, Prince Arthur. Children can learn more about all of his wives at: Wives.
Committee of Five
Continental Congress in 1776 organized the Committee of Five to write the Declaration of Independence. The committee was comprised of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, John Adams, and Robert Livingston. The group met and decided that Thomas Jefferson would write the first draft. He worked on the document over the next few days, and then the group edited his work. The committee presented their work to the full Continental Congress on June 28, 1776. Children could view a bas relief of the five at: Committee of Five.
Comstock Lode was discovered in Nevada in 1859. This time the metal was silver, and a “silver rush” took place similar to the gold rush ten years earlier. By 1882 the mines had produced $397,000,000 worth of silver. However, by 1898 the mines were pretty much played out.
Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 in the Philippines. The volcano, dormant for some time, disgorged ash and gas 60 miles into the air. Sulfuric acid droplets formed a layer in the earth’s atmosphere. It actually lowered the earth’s temperature by about one degree for several years. Children could learn about volcanoes in general at: Volcanoes.
Samantha Cristoforetti in 2015 set a new record for the longest space flight for a woman (199 days 16 hours). On November 23, 2014, she and two other astronauts were launched from Kazakhstan and reached the International Space Station. The Italian astronaut was to return to earth in May 2015, but setbacks occurred in the rockets meant to bring them back. Interesting tidbit: she became the first person to brew an espresso coffee in space. Another interesting tidbit: American astronaut Peggy Whitson broke Cristoforetti’s record in April 2017.
David Brearley (born near Trenton, New Jersey, 1745; died Trenton, New Jersey, August 17, 1790) represented New Jersey at the Constitutional Convention. He suggested that the boundaries of the original 13 states should be re-drawn so that the states were about the same size, Obviously, his idea was not popular. Children could learn more at: David Brearley.
Jacques-Ives Cousteau (born Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac, France, 1910; died Paris, France, June 25, 1997) was a famous oceanographer. He became interested in the ocean when he was a gunnery officer for the French navy. He, along with Emile Gagnan, made the aqualung practical. He wrote more than fifty books and produced many films and documentaries about the ocean. He earned three Academy Awards for his work in films. Idea: Children could find out how the aqualung works.
Satoshi Kitamura (born Tokyo, Japan, 1956) has written and/or illustrated at least 66 children’s books. He moved to London in 1979 and began illustrating books. Ultimately he returned to Tokyo. His works include Stone Age Boy and Millie’s Marvelous Hat. Children can see and hear Elijah Wood read Kitamura’s Me and My Cat at: http://www.storylineonline.net/me-and-my-cat/.
Meg Medina (born Alexandria, Virginia, 1963) writes books for children. Her book Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass received the 2014 Pura Belpre Award. Mango, Abuela and Me was a 2016 Pura Belpre Honor Book. Her book Merci Suárez Changes Gears received the 2019 Newbery Medal. Children can learn more at: Meg Medina.
Robert Munsch (born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1945) is a children’s author who is now a Canadian citizen and one of Canada’s most prolific authors. He has written at least 75 books! He wrote among other works Moose and Too Much Stuff! Children can visit his website at: Robert Munsch.
Jeannette Rankin
Jeannette Rankin (born Missoula, Montana, 1880; died Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, May 18, 1973) was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. A Republican from Montana, she served two different times, from 1917 to 1919 and from 1941 to 1943. She stated, “I want to be remembered as the only woman who ever voted to give women the right to vote.” A pacifist, she voted against the United States entering both World War I and World War II. Children could read a good biography, Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer by Gretchen Woelfle. Children could also learn more at: Jeannette Rankin.
Richard Georg Strauss (born Munich, Germany, 1864; died Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, September 8, 1949) was a composer. One of his works is Also Sprach Zarathustra, composed in 1896.
Flag of Philippines
Philippines celebrate Independence Day. The country received its independence from Spain in 1898. An archipelago between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea, the country’s combined area is about the size of Arizona. The islands are mostly mountainous, and the country experiences a tropical climate with monsoon seasons. Over 105 million people live in the country, and it exports clothing, electronic products, and fruits. Manila is the capital. Children can learn more at: Philippines.