Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run in 1929. The first baseball player to reach this milestone, he was playing in League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. He went on to hit 714 home runs during his career. Only 28 baseball players have hit more than 500 home runs. Children could view a list of those players at: 500 Homerun Club.
Women’s Air Derby took place in 1929. Also called the Powder Puff Derby by Will Rogers, this race was the first women-only flying competition. Twenty pilots left Santa Monica, California, on either August 18 or 19. They made eleven stops before they finished in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the women completed the competition. Louise Thaden won the race in the heavier airplane competition, landing in Cleveland on August 26, 1929. Phoebe Omlie won the lighter airplane competition.
Stock market crashed in 1929. Four days of panic sent stock prices plummeting. Billions of dollars were lost. This crash heralded the beginning of the Great Depression.
Great Books by Great Authors!
National Authors’ Day honors all authors. The custom dates back to 1929. Each child could pick out his/her favorite author and present a small biography about that person. Children could also read Eileen Christelou’s What Do Authors Do?
Museum of Modern Art in New York, New York, opened its doors in 1929. Children could view some of the artworks online at: MoMA.
Admiral Byrd
Admiral Richard E. Byrd and three colleagues made the first ever flight over the South Pole in 1929. They traveled 1560 miles in over 18 hours. They had to dump empty gas tanks and emergency supplies to achieve necessary altitude. They mapped new mountain ranges and collected meteorological and geologic information.
Albert Bierstadt’s Painting of Niagara Falls
Canada and the United States began a joint project in 1929 to protect Niagara Falls. Three waterfalls, Bridal Veil Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and the American Falls, lie on the Niagara River. The river empties Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. Hydroelectric power and tourism result from the Falls. Erosion has been slowed down by the efforts of Canada and the United States. Children can learn more about Niagara Falls at: Niagara Falls.
Seeing Eye Guide Dog Organization was founded in 1929 by Dorothy Harrison Eustis of Morristown, New Jersey. Idea: Children could interview one of the dog trainers. Children could also learn more at: http://www.seeingeye.org/about-us/history.html.
Flag of the Vatican
Vatican achieved its independence from Italy in 1929. While Vatican City had been separate from Rome for centuries, documents signed this day in 1929 made the Vatican a distinct government. According to the CIA World Factbook, the Vatican is about 0.7 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC. The smallest country in the world, the Vatican is home to around 850 people. More than four million people visit the Vatican each year.
Grand Teton National Park was created in 1929. Centered around the Teton Range, this 310,000-acre national park is located in Northwestern Wyoming. Paleo-Indians lived there 11,000 years ago. Children can see some great photos and participate in activities at: http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm