Phineas Taylor Barnum (born Bethel, Connecticut, 1810; died Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 7, 1891) created Barnum’s American Museum in 1842. It featured unusual acts. He went on to highlight the talents of the singer, Jenny Lind. He opened “The Greatest Show on Earth” in 1871. Later he merged his business interests with J. A. Bailey and formed the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Idea: Children could create their own “Greatest Show on Earth.”
Sylvester Graham (born West Suffield, Connecticut, 1794; died Northampton, Massachusetts, September 11, 1851) was a minister and physician who invented the graham cracker. He was a member of the temperance movement and an early vegetarian. He developed graham flour, a course-ground type of whole wheat. Does his birthday inspire S’Mores?
Meredith Ann Pierce (born Seattle, Washington, 1958) writes fantasy books for young adults. Her work includes the Darkangel trilogy and the Firebringer trilogy. Children could visit her website at: http://www.moonandunicorn.com/.
John Schoenherr (born New York, New York, 1935; died Easton, Pennsylvania, April 8, 2010) was an illustrator. He illustrated 40 books for children, and he received the 1968 Caldecott Medal for Jane Yolan’s Owl Moon. He also illustrated Sterling North’s Rascal. He is perhaps best known for his illustrations of Frank Herbert’s Dune.