National Muffin Day is today! An English muffin is very different from an American muffin, but both are mighty tasty! Idea: Children could list all the types of muffins they can think of and then decide on their favorite.
Feb 202026
Feb 202026
Frederick Douglass died in Anacostia Heights, DC, in 1895. He was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland, probably in February 1818. He escaped from slavery and became a popular abolitionist and speaker. Children can learn more at Frederick Douglass. Children can also read some of his works at Project Gutenberg.
Feb 202026
John Glenn
John Glenn in 1962 was the first American and the third person to orbit the earth. He circled the earth in Friendship 7 three times in almost five hours.
At the age of 77, he returned to space on the space shuttle Discovery, when he participated in scientific experiments from October 29 to November 7, 1998. He was at that time the oldest person to venture into space. Children could learn more at: John Glenn.
Feb 202026
Mir Space Station
Mir space station was launched by the Soviet Union in 1986. It was home to both Soviet and American scientists until March, 2001.
Feb 202026
Ansel Adams (born San Francisco, California, 1902; died Monterey, California, April 22, 1984) was a very famous photographer. He was commissioned by the National Park Service in 1941 to photograph nature. Children can view many of these photographs at: Ansel Adams.
Richard Matheson (born Allendale, New Jersey, 1926; died Los Angeles, California, June 23, 2013) wrote science fiction books. His works include I am Legend and Other Kingdoms.
William Prescott (born Groton, Massachusetts, 1726; died Pepperell, Massachusetts, October 13, 1795) was a Revolutionary War hero. He was fighting at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, when he stated, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
Feb 212026
The Cherokee Phoenix, published on a weekly basis in Georgia, became in 1828 the first Native American newspaper. It stopped publication in 1834, but today an electronic version is still being published.
Feb 212026
Sarah G. Bagley became the first female telegraph operator in 1846. A women’s rights advocate, she also worked to make millwork safer for women. Children could read an excellent biography of her at: Sarah G. Bagley.
Lucy B. Hobbs
Lucy B. Hobbs became the first woman dentist when she graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1866. She practiced dentistry for over 20 years. She then turned her attention to politics and women’s rights.
Feb 212026
Rappelling on Washington Monument to Assess Earthquake Damage
Washington Monument was dedicated in 1885. The first plans for the Washington Monument were quite elaborate, including a likeness of Washington in a chariot. Ultimately the plans were simplified to a plain obelisk. Construction began in 1848, but the Civil War and lack of funds stopped work. After the War, construction began again. Children can learn more at: http://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm.
Feb 212026
Green and Yellow Carolina Parakeet
Last green and yellow Carolina parakeet died in 1918. The only parrot species living in eastern United States, the birds could be found from Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico. The birds lived in forests along rivers. Then, for a number of reasons, the number of Carolina parakeets plummeted. The last Carolina parakeet died in the Cincinnati Zoo. Children could learn more at: Parakeet.
Feb 212026
Polaroid camera was patented in 1947 in New York, New York, by Edwin H. Land. Older children can read an interesting article about Land and the Polaroid at: Polaroid Camera.