Happy Birthday, National Geographic Society!

 Events
Jan 132024
 

MapNational Geographic Society was created in Washington, DC, in 1888. Around 33 founding members met at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, to sign the charter. Visit a website at: National Geographic.  Children enjoy perusing the National Geographic site for kids at: National Geographic Kids. Do you want an easy activity that combines geography and good, hard thinking? Create a geography ABC: write the letters of the alphabet down on paper. Next to each letter children can write down places that begin with that letter. For example, “A” could list Albania, Alabama, Andes Mountains, Arno River…

Concorde Flew for the First Time in 1976

 Events
Jan 212024
 
Concorde

Concorde

Concorde flew for the first time in 1976. A British company and a French company formed a joint cooperation to fund and build 20 Concorde planes. The planes mainly flew from London and Paris to New York and Washington, DC. Flights were expensive, but passengers arrived at their destinations in less than half the usual flight time. Due to less travel after September 11, 2001, and increased costs, the planes were retired on November 26, 2003.

Supreme Court Opened Its First Session in 1790

 Events
Feb 012024
 
Supreme Court

Supreme Court

Supreme Court opened its first session in 1790. In that year the capital was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the Supreme Court met in what is now Independence Hall. When the capital moved to Washington, DC, no Supreme Court building existed. The Court met in various parts of the Capitol Building and even met in a private home during the War of 1812. Until 1935 the Supreme Court continued to meet in various places. The Supreme Court Building opened in 1935. Children can learn more about at: Supreme Court.

Mount Rainier National Park Became the Country’s Fifth National Park in 1899

 Events
Mar 022024
 

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier National Park became the country’s fifth national park in 1899. Located in the state of Washington, the park is almost 370 square miles. Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the jewel of the park. Children can visit a website at: http://www.nps.gov/mora.

World Standard Time Was Accomplished in 1884

 Events
Mar 132024
 

World Standard Time was accomplished in 1884. The International Meridian Conference met in Washington, DC. The group established the Prime Meridian through Greenwich and established 24 time zones. Prior to that conference, different countries used different times. In the United States, different railroads used different time systems. It was all very confusing! Children can find the time in different cities world wide at: World Clock.

National Gallery of Art Opened in 1941

 Events
Mar 172024
 

National Gallery of Art opened in 1941 in Washington, DC. President Franklin Roosevelt officiated at the opening. The museum was created in 1937 when a number of wealthy art collectors donated many of their acquisitions to become the core of the exhibits. It has a fine collection of artwork, ranging from the medieval period to the present. Children could visit the Internet site, especially the online tours, at: http://www.nga.gov. They could also pretend to be curators for the National Gallery of Art and decide which works of art to add to the collection. They could also view the amazing children’s portion of the website at: NGA Kids.

Cherry Trees Were First Planted in Washington, DC, in 1912

 Events
Mar 272024
 

Japanese Cherry Trees in Blossom

Cherry trees were first planted in Washington, DC, in 1912. First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda (the Japanese ambassador’s wife) planted the first of three thousand trees. The original trees were a gift from Japan to the United States. Since then, some propagates from the trees have been sent back to Japan. Other propagates have been planted around Washington, DC, to maintain the lineage. Children can learn more at: Cherry Trees.

Library of Congress Was Created in 1800

 Events
Apr 242024
 

Library of Congress was created in 1800 when Congress appropriated $5,000 to buy books that Congressional leaders might need. Located in Washington, DC, it is the country’s oldest federal cultural center. Today the Library occupies three large buildings with another building housing a conservation center. Its collections exceed 173 million artifacts, which are cared for by over 3,000 employees. Anyone can conduct research within the buildings, but only high-ranking individuals may remove materials from the facilities. Children could investigate the Library of Congress website for children at: http://www.loc.gov/families/. The site is truly filled with many, many ideas. Remember to keep scrolling and scrolling!

 Newer Entries