Bust of George Washington Carver at Monument
George Washington Carver Monument was dedicated in 1943. The first national monument for an African-American and the first monument for a non-president, the site is Washington’s childhood home in Diamond, Missouri. Children could visit: http://www.nps.gov/gwca/index.htm.
New Horizons
New Horizons spacecraft was closest to Pluto in 2015. Launched on January 19, 2006, the spacecraft traveled three billion miles to achieve one of its goals, taking images of Pluto and Pluto’s five moons. When New Horizons was launched, George W. Bush was President, Pluto was still a planet, and Apple had not yet released its first iPhone. New Horizons, traveling at a rate of over 30,000 miles per hour, continues on its journey and will hopefully help us learn more about the Kuiper Belt. Children can learn more at: New Horizons.
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., in Omaha, Nebraska, 1913; died Rancho Mirage, California, December 26, 2006) was the 38th president (1974-1977) of the United States. Ford was in the navy during World War II and was awarded ten battle stars. He was a congressman for thirteen terms. He was the only president not elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency. He was Speaker of the House when Nixon resigned from office. Because the vice president had resigned earlier, Ford became president. Children could visit a website at: Gerald Ford. Idea: Children could research the presidential line of succession.
Woody Guthrie (born Woodrow Wilson Guthrie in Okemah, Oklahoma, 1912; died New York, New York, October 3, 1967) was a singer and a songwriter. One of his most famous works is “This Land Is Your Land.”
Laura Joffe Numeroff (born Brooklyn, New York, 1953) is an author and illustrator. She has written at least 50 books, including If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and its many variations. Children can visit her website at: Laura Numeroff.
Peggy Parish (born Manning, South Carolina, 1927; died Manning, South Carolina, November 19, 1988) was an author. She is known for her Amelia Bedelia series. Her nephew Herman Parish continues to write Amelia Bedelia books. Children could learn more at: http://www.ameliabedeliabooks.com/.
Brian Selznick (born East Brunswick Township, New Jersey, 1966) writes and illustrates books for children. He earned the 2008 Caldecott Medal for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Other books include Wonderstruck and The Houdini Box. Children can visit his website at: Brian Selznick.
Isaac Bashevis Singer (born Radymin, Poland, 1904; died Surfside, Florida, July 24, 1991) was a writer. He immigrated to the United States in 1935. He wrote in Yiddish, and he received the 1978 Nobel Prize for literature. Idea: Children could read some of the parts of Stories for Children, published in 1934.
National Gummi Worm Day is today! Also called Gummy Worms, the candy was first produced by the Trolli company around 1981 in Germany. The candy migrated across the Atlantic and is now a popular American treat. The candy is made from gelatin, syrup, corn syrup, colorings, and flavorings. Idea: Children could add Gummi Worms to a variety of foods, including dirt cake or chocolate pudding or fruit salad.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone was found in 1799. Great Britain and France were at war, and one of their battle locations was in Egypt. The French found the stone when they were trying to improve their fortifications. The French lost the battle, and the British confiscated the Rosetta Stone. A pharaoh’s proclamation is written in three different languages on the stone. Jean Francois Champollion deciphered the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic text by working back through the other two languages. The British Museum now houses the Rosetta Stone. Children can learn more at: Rosetta Stone.
Artist’s Rendition of Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19 Meeting
Apollo-Soyuz mission was successful in 1975. Three American astronauts, Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand, and Donald K. Slayton, from Apollo 18 docked and worked with two Soviet cosmonauts, Alexey Leonov and Valeri Kubasov, on the Soyuz 19 craft. The purpose of the mission was to show that the space race was over and that different countries could work together to forward space exploration. The mission concluded on July 21, 1975. Children can learn more at: Apollo-Soyuz.
Thomas Bulfinch (born Newton, Massachusetts, 1798; died Boston, Massachusetts, May 27, 1867) was a mythologist. He wrote Bulfinch’s Mythology. Idea: Children could create some plays about some of the myths after they read Bulfinch’s Mythology at: Project Gutenberg.
Walter D. Edmonds (born Boonville, New York, 1903; died Concord, Massachusetts, January 24, 1998) wrote books for both children and adults. He received the 1942 Newbery Medal for The Matchlock Gun.
Marcia Thornton Jones (born Joliet, Illinois, 1958) has written over 135 books for children. Her books include The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series and Ratfink. Children can visit her website, particularly the Activities and Fun Stuff link, at: Marcia T. Jones.
Clement Clarke Moore (born New York, New York, 1779; died Newport, Rhode Island, July 10, 1863) wrote A Visit from Saint Nicholas. It was published without his permission in a newspaper on December 23, 1823. Idea: Children could celebrate a little Christmas in July and read A Visit from Saint Nicholas at: Project Gutenberg.
Yuko Shimizu (born Tokyo, Japan, 1965) is an illustrator. Her illustrations in The Cat Man of Aleppo, written by Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha, earned her a 2021 Caldecott Honor Award.
Rembrandt Van Rijn (born Leiden, Netherlands, 1606; died Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 4, 1669) was a painter. He was a prolific artist. About 600 paintings and 1,400 drawings have survived. He created about 100 self-portraits, giving us a great deal of information about himself. Children could visit a website at: Rembrandt Van Rijn.
Cherries
National Cherry Day is today! While a large number of different cherries exist, most Americans divide the types into two kinds: sweet and tart. Cherries are low in calories, high in fiber, and loaded with nutrients. Cherries are another example of a super food.
Statue of Junipero Serra in Capitol Building
Father Junipero Serra founded the first mission in California in 1769. He created Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo in what is now Monterey, California. He went on to establish eight more missions that extend from present-day San Diego to San Francisco.
District of Columbia Flag
White House
District of Columbia was formed in 1790 when President Washington authorized the construction of a new capital. The United States government continued to work from Philadelphia until 1800. Today over 700,000 people live in the District of Columbia, while over six million people live in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area. Certainly the District of Columbia can be proud of the many important and historical buildings and monuments within its boundaries. Idea: Children could find out how the land was acquired for the District of Columbia.