Magna Carta
Magna Carta was signed in 1215. King John I was forced to sign the document in Runnymede, England. Written in haste and in Latin, the Magna Carta was the first English document to outline human rights. Only four originals of the document still exist, and one copy resides in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Older children can read a translation at: Magna Carta.
Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin flew his famous kite in 1752, demonstrating that lightning carries an electrical current. Idea: Actually Franklin was lucky to survive the lightning. Older children could read about the experiment at: https://www.fi.edu/benjamin-franklin/kite-key-experiment. Children could learn about lightning and thunder at: Lightning and Thunder. Children could locate more information on lightning and its dangers.
Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber in 1844. He received Patent #3633, and he stabilized rubber by heating the rubber and adding sulfur. However, he made little money from the process. In 1898 the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was named after him. Children can learn how vulcanized rubber is produced at: Rubber.
That’s Lou Gehrig Sliding into Home Plate!
Lou Gehrig in 1923 played the first of 2,130 baseball games with the New York Yankees. He played his last game on April 30, 1939. Young children could read Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man by David A. Adler.
Grotto Falls
Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created in 1934. Because the park hovers on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, it is close to large centers of population. Over eight million people visit the park each year. People lived in the area prior to its becoming a park. Over 6,000 tracts of land had to be purchased before the area could be declared a national park. Children can visit a website at: http://www.nps.gov/grsm.
Edvard Grieg (born Bergen, Norway, 1843; died Bergen, Norway, September 4, 1907) was a Scandinavian composer and conductor. He was heavily influenced by Norwegian folk music. One of his most famous works is the Peer Gynt Suite.
Rachel Jackson
Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson (born Halifax County, North Carolina, 1767; died Nashville, Tennessee, December 22, 1828) was the wife of Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States. She died after he was elected but before he was inaugurated. Children can visit a website at: Rachel Jackson.
Brian Jacques (born Liverpool, England, 1939; died Liverpool, England, February 5, 2011) was an author. He wrote the Redwall series and The Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. Over 20 million copies of his books have been sold, and the works have been translated into 28 languages. Children could learn more at: Brian Jacques.
Loreen Leedy (born Wilmington, Delaware, 1959) has written and illustrated about 40 books for children. Her books include Fraction Action and The Shocking Truth about Electricity. Children can visit her website, especially her projects page, at: Loreen Leedy.
Betty Ren Wright (born Wakefield, Michigan, 1927; died Racine, Wisconsin, December 31, 2013) wrote at least 35 books for children. Her works include The Ghost in the Window and Nothing but Trouble.
Green Sea Turtle
World Sea Turtle Day is today. The day draws attention to the plight of sea turtles. The day also honors Dr. Archie Carr, called the “father of sea turtle biology.” Dr. Carr’s birthday is today. Seven species of sea turtle exist, and six of them are either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. The Kemp’s Ridley and the Hawksbill are critically endangered. The Green Sea Turtle is endangered. The Loggerhead, the Olive Ridley, and the Leatherback are vulnerable. The Flatback Sea Turtle is data deficient. Children can learn more at: NOAA.
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams in 1838 began a three-week speech against the annexation of Texas. John Quincy Adams was president from 1825 to 1829. After his presidency he was elected to the House of Representatives and served from 1831 until his death in 1848. Texas was ultimately added to the United States in 1845.
A helicopter but not the 1922 helicopter
First helicopter flight took place in 1922. Henry Berliner demonstrated the craft, built by his father Emile Berliner, to the United States Bureau of Aeronautics. Children can find out how helicopters work by watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJBhWVDArLo.
Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman, a Soviet cosmonaut, to travel in space in 1963. She was on the Soviet Vostok VI. She circled the earth 48 times during the 70-hour flight. Born in 1937, she was chosen from a field of 400 candidates.