Birthdays

 Birthdays
Aug 282026
 

Roger Duvoisin (born Geneva, Switzerland, 1904, died Morristown, New Jersey, June 30, 1980) wrote and/or illustrated approximately 30 books for children. One of his main characters in a series was Petunia. He received the 1948 Caldecott Award for White Snow, Bright Snow. He also earned a 1966 Caldecott Honor Award for Hide and Seek Fog. Children could learn more at: Roger Duvoisin.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (born Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 1749; died Weimar, Germany, March 22, 1832) was a philosopher, scientist, and writer. One of his greatest works is the verse play Faust. Older children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

Kevin Hawkes (born Sherman, Texas, 1959) has written and/or illustrated at least 50 books for children. He illustrated Imagine That: How Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat and Library Lion. Children can visit his webpage at: Kevin Hawkes.

Lucy Ware Webb Hayes

Lucy Ware Webb Hayes (born Chillicothe, Ohio, 1831; died Fremont, Ohio, June 25, 1889) was America’s First Lady from March 4, 1877 to March 4, 1881. She was the wife of Rutherford B. Hayes, nineteenth president of the United States. She visited the Civil War battle sites to care for the wounded. She served as first lady of Ohio when her husband was elected governor. Because she believed in the temperance movement, alcohol was not served in the White House. Children can visit a website at: Lucy Ware Webb Hayes.

Brian Pinkney (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1961) writes and illustrates books for children. His illustrations in When I Left My Village earned him the 1996 Sydney Taylor Older Reader Award. He received a 1996 Caldecott Honor Award for The Faithful Friend and a 1999 Caldecott Honor Award for Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. He has earned four Coretta Scott King Honor Awards: in 1993 for Sukey and the Mermaid, in 1996 for The Faithful Friend, in 1997 for Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman, and in 2005 for God Bless the Child. He received the 2000 Coretta Scott King Medal for In the Time of the Drums. Children could visit his website at: Brian Pinkney.

Allen Say (born Yokohama, Japan, 1937) has written and/or illustrated at least 30 books for children. His book Grandfather’s Journey received the 1994 Caldecott Medal. His works also include Home of the Brave and Drawing from Memory.

Tasha Tudor (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1915; died Marlboro, Vermont, June 18, 2008) wrote and/or illustrated almost 100 books for children. She earned the 1945 Caldecott Medal for Mother Goose and the 1957 Caldecott Medal for 1 is One.

Shays’ Rebellion Began in 1786

 Events
Aug 292026
 

Shays’ Rebellion started formally in 1786. Daniel Shays and other farmers in central Massachusetts were revolting against high taxes and debt policies. At that time if people could not pay their debts, they were put in prison. The resistance was broken around February 1787, and the last vestiges concluded in June 1787. Some experts believe that Shays’ Rebellion influenced members of the Constitutional Convention. Older children could learn more at: Shays’ Rebellion.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Aug 292026
 

Karen Hesse (born Baltimore, Maryland, 1952) has written at least twenty books for children. Her must-read book Letters from Rifka earned the 1992 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers. Her Out of the Dust received both the 1998 Newbery Medal and the 1998 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Children could visit her blog at: Karen Hesse.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (born Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1809; died Boston, Massachusetts, October 7, 1894) was a polymath and poet. He was famous for his charm and wit. In 1830 he wrote a poem, Old Ironsides, that saved the USS Constitution (still in commission) from being destroyed. Children can read some of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

John Locke (born Wrington, United Kingdom, 1632; died High Laver, United Kingdom, October 28, 1704) was a philosopher. Thomas Jefferson was greatly influenced by Locke. Idea: Children could read more about Locke’s philosophy at: Project Gutenberg. Then they could look for strands of that philosophy in the Declaration of Independence.

Hotline Was Created in 1963

 Events
Aug 302026
 
Hotline during Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidency

Hotline during Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidency

Direct telephone communication, nicknamed the Hotline, was completed between the White House and the Kremlin in 1963. Legend called the Hotline a red telephone, but it was neither red nor a telephone. At first a teletype machine was used; then Reagan implemented a fax machine. Presently the Hotline is a secure computer link.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Aug 302026
 

Ellen Arthur

Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur (born Culpeper, Virginia, 1837; died New York, New York, January 11, 1880) was the wife of Chester A. Arthur, twenty-first president of the United States. She was the daughter of William Lewis Herndon, an explorer of the Amazon River. She died before Arthur was ever elected president. Children could visit a website at: Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur.

Virginia Lee Burton (born Newton Centre, Massachusetts, 1909; died Boston, Massachusetts, October 15, 1968) was a children’s book writer and illustrator. She won the 1943 Caldecott Medal for The Little House. She also wrote and illustrated Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Children could learn more at: Virginia Lee Burton.

Donald Crews (born Newark, New Jersey, 1938) is a picture book author and illustrator. He has received two Caldecott Honor Awards: in 1979 for Freight Train and in 1981 for Truck. He received the 2015 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his body of works.

Laurent de Brunhoff (born Paris, France, 1925) writes and illustrates books for children. His father, Jean de Brunhoff, created the Babar series. Laurent continued to write 45 more Babar books after his father died. He has also written other types of books for children.

Millicent Selsam (born New York, New York, 1912; died New York, New York, October 12, 1996) wrote over 100 books for children. Her books include Greg’s Microscope and Egg to Chick. Children can learn more at: Millicent Selsam.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (born London, England, 1797; died London, England, February 1, 1851) was an author. One of her most famous works is Frankenstein. She was married to poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and she edited much of her husband’s work after he died. Children can read Frankenstein and many of her other works at: Project Gutenberg.

Roy Wilkins (born St. Louis, Missouri, 1901; died New York, New York, September 8, 1981) was a civil rights leader. The grandson of a slave, he was a driving force in the NAACP. Children could learn more at: Roy Wilkins.

Ted Williams (born San Diego, California, 1918; died Inverness, Florida, July 5, 2002) was a famous baseball player. He was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. An outfielder, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. Children could learn more at: Ted Williams.

Malaysia Celebrates Independence Day

 Events
Aug 312026
 
Malaysia Flag

Flag of Malaysia

Malaysia celebrates Independence Day, granted from the United Kingdom in 1957. The country, located in Southeast Asia, has an area about equal to the area of New Mexico. The country has two main portions: part of the peninsula shared by Thailand and the northern portion of Borneo. Almost 30 million people live in this tropical country. The capital is Kuala Lumpur. Children could learn more at: Malaysia.

Trinidad and Tobago Celebrate Independence Day

 Events
Aug 312026
 
Trinidad Tobago Flag

Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago celebrate Independence Day. The two islands located off the northeastern coast of South America became free of British rule in 1962. The combined area is about the same as the area of Delaware, and over 1.2 million people live there. Port of Spain is the capital. The islands export petroleum, cocoa, and sugar.

Kyrgyzstan Celebrates Independence Day

 Events
Aug 312026
 
Kyrgistan Flag

Flag of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan celebrates Independence Day. Kyrgyzstan became free of Soviet rule in 1991. This landlocked country, located in eastern central Asia, has an area about equal to the area of South Dakota. Most of the country is covered with mountains. About 5.5 million people live in Kyrgyzstan, and Bishkek is the capital.

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