George Washington
George Washington was inaugurated President of the United States in 1789 in New York City. Idea: Present Presidents are inaugurated on January 20 in Washington, DC. Children could try to figure out why George Washington’s inauguration was in April (instead of January) and in New York City (instead of Washington, DC). They could also read a transcript of his speech at: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/inaugtxt.html.
Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase was finalized in 1803, doubling the size of the United States. The agreement included all the land west of the Mississippi to the continental divide of the Rocky Mountains. Children could learn more at: Louisiana Purchase.
Louisiana State Flag
Louisiana became the eighteenth state of the United States in 1812. It ranks thirty-first in area and twenty-first in population. The state was named after King Louis XIV of France, and Baton Rouge is the capital. Children could visit a website at: Louisiana. Idea: New Orleans, a major city in Louisiana, hosts Mardi Gras every year. Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat Tuesday,” is a big tradition held the day before Ash Wednesday. Parades, parties, and feasts mark the day. Consider having a Mardi Gras celebration in the classroom.
Mary Scott Lord Dimmick Harrison (born Honesdale, Pennsylvania, 1858; died New York, New York, January 5, 1948) was the second wife of Benjamin Harrison, twenty-third president of the United States. She married Harrison after he left the White House.
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (born Rochester, Minnesota, 1940) has written over 100 nonfiction books for children. Her books include Big Cats and The Right Dog for the Job. Children could visit her website at: Dorothy Henshaw Patent.
Michael J. Smith (born Beaufort, North Carolina, 1945; died January 28, 1986) was captain of the Challenger, the space shuttle that disintegrated in 1986. Children could learn more at: Michael J. Smith.
May Day is celebrated throughout the world. Spring festivities occur in many parts of America. Maypole dancing is somewhat popular in 
Europe, especially in England. However, the Puritans felt the celebration was pagan, and they refused to allow the custom to grow in the United States.
Save the Rhino Day is today. At least five species of rhinoceros exist; all are endangered. People kill them for their horns. However, the horns are nothing 
but chunks of keratin, the material found in hair and nails. A rhino can grow to a length of fourteen feet and weigh as much as four tons. These animals are shortsighted but have keen senses of smell and hearing. All rhinos are herbivores but will attack people if they feel especially threatened. Ancestors of present-day rhinos date back to the prehistoric times. Their thick skins act as armor to protect them from enemies. Idea: Cut lengths of paper 14 feet long, the length of a rhino. Have children draw rhinos on the paper. Fill the paper with rhino facts students have gleaned from research.
Flag of Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands celebrate Constitution Day. Composed of 1,156 islands, the country is about the size of Washington, DC. Located half-way between Hawaii and Australia, the Marshall Islands depend on coconut products and deep-sea mining to support the economy. About 70,000 people live on the islands, and 31,000 people live in the capital, Majuro.
X-Ray Remnants of SN1006
Supernova was observed in 1006 by Chinese and Egyptian astronomers. Called today SN1006, the supernova was very bright for about three months, then dimmer, and then brighter again. Children can learn more about supernovas in general at: Supernovas.
First wagon train left Independence, Missouri, for California in 1841. The wagon train reached its destination November 4, 1841. Most wagon trains left in the spring, because it took four or five months to reach their destination. The trains did not want to be isolated in the mountains during winter. The trains, perhaps as much as one hundred wagons long, traveled about fifteen to twenty miles a day. The wagons were called prairie schooners because their white tops looked like billowing sails. Idea: Children could learn more at: Wagon Trains. They could also read Russell Freedman’s Children of the Wild West.
Chicago began constructing the first skyscraper in 1884. It rose to a height of ten stories! The Home Insurance Company of New York owned the steel-framed building. It was finished by the fall of 1885, but two more floors were added at a later date. It was razed in 1931 so that another building could be built.
Empire State Building was dedicated in 1931. For quite a long time it was the tallest building in the world. However, other buildings are now taller than it.