Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico and the United States. The Battle of Puebla took place in 1862. General Ignacio Zaragoza led his Mexican army, outnumbered three to one, against Napoleon III’s French forces. Zaragoza won. Speeches, festivals, and parades are held nationwide. Young children could read Cinco de Mayo by Mary Dodson Wade. Idea: Children could have a Cinco de Mayo celebration. A piñata should be included.
Flag of Ethiopia
Ethiopia celebrates Freedom Day. Also known as Patriots’ Day, the day marks the 1941 end of Italy’s occupation of Ethiopia. Located in eastern Africa, it is the largest land-locked country in the world. The country’s area is a bit less than twice the area of Texas. It has small reserves of gold, copper, potash, and natural gas. Crops include maize, wheat, sorghum, and sweet potatoes, but food insecurity exists. Over 113 million people live in Ethiopia, and Addis Ababa is the capital. Children can learn more at: Ethiopia.
Mary Kies patented in 1809 a straw and silk weaving system. She was the first woman in America granted a patent. Children can read more at: Mary Kies.
Cy Young in 1904 pitched baseball’s first perfect game. A perfect game means the pitcher did not let any opposing player reach first base. Perfect games are very rare. The Cy Young Award for pitching honors him. Children can view a list of Cy Young Award winners at: Cy Young Awards.
Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950. Her book of poetry, Annie Allen, described the life of an African American girl growing up during World War II. Older children could read a great article about Brooks and the Pulitzer at: Gwendolyn Brooks.
Alan Shepard aboard Freedom 7
Alan Shepard, aboard Freedom 7, became the first American and the second man to travel in space. The year was 1961. The astronaut traveled about 115 miles into space at 5,000 miles per hour. Children can learn more at: Alan Shepard.
Nellie Bly
Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, 1867; died New York, New York, January 22, 1922) was perhaps the leading female journalist of her time. She worked for the Pittsburgh Dispatch, reporting on working conditions, slum life and other topics. She moved to New York and worked on Pulitzer’s New York World. She pretended to be insane, and she was institutionalized. She then reported on the extreme conditions she found there. Perhaps her most exciting adventure came when she followed the route of Jules Verne’s imaginary Phileas Fogg and traveled around the world in 72 days. Children could read or listen to copies of her books at: Project Gutenberg. Children could also read Bonnie Christensen’s The Daring Nellie Bly: America’s Star Reporter.
J. Patrick Lewis (born Gary, Indiana, 1942) has written over 100 poetry and and fiction books for children. His books include the Tugg and Tiny series and What’s Looking at You, Kid?
Inch by Inch
Leo Lionni (born Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1910; died Chianti, Italy, October 11, 1999) was an author/illustrator of over 40 books. He earned four Caldecott Honor Awards: Inch by Inch in 1961, Swimmy in 1964, Frederick in 1968, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse in 1970.
Todd Strasser (born New York, New York, 1950) has written more than 140 books for middle-grade children. He also uses the pen names Morton Rhue and T. S. Rue. His books include The Wave and Thief of Dreams. Children can learn more at: Todd Strasser.
Hindenburg before last Flight
Hindenburg dirigible exploded in 1937 at 7:20 PM. Thirty-six of the 97 passengers and crew died. It was approaching its mooring mast at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Children could learn how modern-day airships work at: Airships.
Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister was the first person to run a mile in less than four minutes in 1954. In Oxford, England, about 3,000 spectators watched the young doctor complete the mile run in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. His record lasted only 46 days when John Landy ran the mile in 3 minutes 58 seconds.
The Channel Tunnel, also called the Chunnel, connecting the United Kingdom and France, opened in 1994. It is 31 miles long, 23 of those miles under water. Digging beneath the English Channel began in 1988. Today about 18 million people travel on trains through the Chunnel each year. Children could learn more at a very interesting site: http://www.eurotunnel.com/build/.