OSIRIS-REx Dropped off its Asteroid Canister in 2023

 Events
Sep 242026
 

OSIRIS-REx Dropped off its Asteroid Canister in 2023. The space craft had lifted off on September 26, 2016.  The unmanned space project Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer traveled 200 million miles to the asteroid 101955 Bennu on December 3, 2018. Scientists had expected Bennu to be smooth and rather geographically featureless. Instead Bennu was rocky and mountainous. Eventually scientists found a spot for OSIRIS-REx to land, and it touched down on a crater on October 20, 2020. Then it began collecting surface material. After it had collected about two cups of material, it departed Bennu on May 10, 2021. As OSIRIS-REx again traveled 200 million miles and approached earth on September 24, 2023, it ejected the sample. The sample-filled canister landed safely, via parachutes, in Utah. Then OSIRIS-REx became OSIRIS-APEX and will continue its trip in space to visit 99942 Apophis in April 2029.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Sep 242026
 

L. Leslie Brooke (born Birkenhead, United Kingdom, 1862; died London, United Kingdom, May 1, 1940) wrote and illustrated books for children. His works include Johnny Crow’s Garden and Oranges and Lemons. Children could learn more at: L. Leslie Brooke. They can read some of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

Jane Louise Curry (born East Liverpool, Ohio, 1932) has written at least 39 books for young adults. Her works include The Egyptian Box and The Black Canary. Young adults can visit her website at: Jane Louise Curry.

Jane Cutler (born Bronx, New York, 1936) writes books for children and young adults. Her works include The Cello of Mr. O and My Wartime Summers. Children can visit her website at: Jane Cutler.

F. Scott Fitzgerald (born St. Paul, Minnesota, 1896; died Hollywood, California, December 21, 1940) was a writer. One of his most famous works was The Great Gatsby. Young adults can read several of his books (but not The Great Gatsby) at: Project Gutenberg.

Howard Florey (born Adelaide, Australia, 1898; died Oxford, United Kingdom, February 21, 1968) was a scientist. He and Ernst Boris Chain received the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. They discovered a method to mass produce penicillin and thus saved millions of lives.

Jim Henson (born Greenville, Mississippi, 1936; died New York, New York, May 16, 1990) created the Muppets. He was very active in the production of Sesame Street. He also created several movies. Idea: Children could create puppets and produce their own plays.

John Marshall

John Marshall

John Marshall (born Germantown, Virginia, 1755; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 6, 1835) was a member of the House of Representatives and was John Adams’s secretary of state. However, he is most remembered as the Supreme Court Chief Justice who really defined the court. He also made the Supreme Court an important role within the framework of the Constitution. Children could read John Marshall (Supreme Court Justices) by Jim Corrigan. They could also learn more at: John Marshall.

Wilson Rawls (born Scraper, Oklahoma, 1913; died Cornell, Wisconsin, December 16, 1984) was a children’s author. He wrote Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys. Children could learn more at: Wilson Rawls.

United States Congress Met to Enact Bill of Rights in 1789

 Events
Sep 252026
 

First United States Congress met in 1789. One of their first acts was to start the process to adopt the Bill of Rights. Congress told George Washington to submit copies of the Bill of Rights to all the states so that each state could begin its ratification process. New Jersey on November 20, 1789, became the first state to ratify the document. The Bill of Rights was finally adopted on December 15, 1791, when Virginia ratified the amendment. Older children can find out more at: Bill of Rights.

Amendment Twelve to the Constitution Was Adopted in 1804

 Events
Sep 252026
 

amendmentAmendment Twelve to the Constitution was adopted in 1804. Prior to the amendment, the presidential candidate with the most votes became president. The one with the next amount of votes became vice-president. This system did not always work well. The amendment changed the process so that the president and vice president are a team. Older children could learn more at: Amendment Twelve.

Sequoia National Park Was Created in 1890

 Events
Sep 252026
 
Sequoias

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park was created in 1890. Located in central-southern California, the park encompasses over 400,000 acres. Known for its magnificent sequoia trees, the park is also home to Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. Children can visit the park’s website at: Sequoia. Children could compare the sequoia to other types of trees.

Sandra Day O’Connor Became the First Woman Supreme Court Justice

 Events
Sep 252026
 
Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O’Connor

Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman Supreme Court Justice when she was sworn in in 1981. She retired January 31, 2006. She died December 1, 2023. Children could learn more about her at: Sandra Day O’Connor. She founded a website to help students better understand government: https://www.icivics.org/.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Sep 252026
 

William Cuthbert Faulkner (born New Albany, Mississippi, 1897; died Byhalia, Mississippi, July 6, 1962) was an author. Two of his most famous works were The Sound and the Fury and The Portable Faulkner. He won the Nobel Prize in 1949.

Jim Murphy (born Kearney, New Jersey, 1947; died Woodstock, New York, May 1, 2022) wrote at least 35 fiction and non-fiction books for children and young adults. He earned a Newbery Honor Award in 1996 for The Great Fire and another Newbery Honor Award in 2004 for An American Plague (which also received the 2004 Robert F. Sibert Medal). He received a 2001 Robert F. Sibert Honor Award for Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America. In 2010 he was presented the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his lifelong contributions to young adult literature. Young adults can visit his website at: Jim Murphy.

Andrea Davis Pinkney (born Washington, DC, 1963) has written at least seventeen picture books, at least seventeen books for middle graders, and at least ten baby books. She and her husband, Brian Pinkney, often work together. Her Let It Shine! Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters received the 2001 Coretta Scott King Medal. Her works also include Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down.

James E. Ransome (born Rich Square, North Carolina, 1961) has written and/or illustrated at least 50 books for children. He illustrated Baby Blessings and Sky Boys. Children can visit his website at: James Ransome.

Mark Rothko (born Marcus Rothkowitz in Dvinsk, Russia, 1903; died New York, New York, February 25, 1970) was an abstract expressionist. Children can view a number of his works and participate in a timeline of his life at: Mark Rothko.

Dmitri Shostakovich (born St. Petersburg, Russia, 1906; died Moscow, Russia, August 9, 1975) was a composer.

Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein (born Chicago, Illinois, 1932; died Key West, Florida, May 10, 1999) was an author, illustrator, and songwriter. He wrote and illustrated a number of poetry books for children, including Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree. Children can visit an amazing website dedicated to him at: Shel Silverstein.

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