National Grandparents’ Day
National Grandparents’ Day is today, the first Sunday following Labor Day. It was made a holiday by Presidential Proclamation by Jimmy Carter in 1978.
Sep 132026
Sep 132026
International Chocolate Day is today! Perhaps this day was chosen because it is also Milton Hershey’s birthday. Anyway – S’Mores? Brownies? Chocolate ice cream? Children can learn how chocolate is made at: Chocolate.
Sep 132026
United States capital was established temporarily in New York in 1788 by the Constitutional Convention. The city remained the capital until August 12, 1790. The capital moved back to Philadelphia before it finally moved to Washington, DC. The United States capital actually resided in nine locations before remaining in Washington, DC.
Sep 132026
Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key during an attack on Fort McHenry in 1814. The melody was composed by John
Stafford Smith, a British composer, for another song. The song became the national anthem by Presidential decree in 1916 and adopted by Congress in 1931.
Sep 132026
Velcro was patented in the United States by George de Mestral in 1955. He received patent number 2717437. The word Velcro is mashup of two French words, velour (velvet) and crochet (hook). His invention was seen to have limited uses until NASA started using it in a number of ways. Now Velcro is extremely popular. Children could make a list of things that use Velcro. For example, some shoes have Velcro closings. Children can read about George de Mestral and Velcro at: Velcro.
Sep 132026
Florence Atwater (born Chicago, Illinois, 1896; died Chicago, Illinois, August 23, 1979) cowrote children’s books with her husband Richard Atwater. Their book Mr. Popper’s Penguins received a 1939 Newbery Honor Award.
Roald Dahl (born Llandaff, South Wales, Great Britain, 1916; died Oxford, England, November 23, 1990) wrote books for both children and adults. He wrote among other works James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Children can visit a website devoted to him at: Roald Dahl.
Milton S. Hershey (born Derry Township, Pennsylvania, 1857; died Hershey, Pennsylvania, October 13, 1945) developed the Hershey Bar. His career began in Chicago and New York where he made and sold caramels. In 1905 he concocted the idea of the Hershey Bar and returned to Pennsylvania. There he built his chocolate factory. Children could read Chocolate by Hershey: A Story about Milton S. Hershey by Betty Burford.
Carol Kendall (born Bucyrus, Ohio, 1917; died Lawrence, Kansas, July 28, 2012) was a children’s author. One of her most famous books is The Gammage Cup, a 1960 Newbery Honor Book. She also wrote The Whisper of Glocken. Children can learn more at: Carol Kendall.
Else Holmelund Minarik (born Denmark, 1920; died Sunset Beach, North Carolina, July 12, 2012) wrote at least 40 books for children, including the Little Bear series, illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Children can learn more at: Else Holmelund Minarik.
Walter Reed (born Gloucester County, Virginia, 1851; died Washington, DC, November 22, 1902) was an army physician. He conducted important research regarding yellow fever.
Arnold Schoenberg (born Vienna, Austria, 1874; died Brentwood, California, July 13, 1951) was a composer. He wrote atonal music. Eventually he developed a twelve tone system. Idea: Students could listen to some recordings of his music. Can they tell the difference between his music and music of other composers?
Mildred D. Taylor (born Jackson, Mississippi, 1943) is a children’s author. She wrote among other works Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, which received the 1977 Newbery Medal. She also received numerous Coretta Scott King Awards: in 1982 for Let the Circle Be Unbroken, in 1988 for The Friendship, and in 2002 for The Land. She also earned Jane Addams Book Awards: in 1976 for Song of the Trees, in 1977 for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, in 1982 for Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and in 1996 for The Well: David’s Story. In 2002 her book The Land received the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. She received the 2021 Children’s Literature Legacy Award from the American Library Association for her body of works.
Sep 142026
Boston Lighthouse
First United States lighthouse, located on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor, started operating in 1716. It was attacked by both the Americans and the British during the Revolutionary War. The “new” lighthouse was constructed on the same location in 1783. A National Historic Landmark, it continues to work today. Children can learn more at: First Lighthouse.
Sep 142026
Oil Well
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) was established in 1960. The goal of OPEC is to establish systems to stabilize oil prices and output of its members. The twelve members are: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
Sep 142026
Joe W. Kittinger became the first person to cross the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon. He left Caribou, Maine, on September 14, 1984, and landed near Capbreton, France, on September 17, 1984. He broke his ankle when he was thrown from the gondola during the stormy landing. The 3,535-mile trip also established a new record for solo distance. Children could view a timeline of hot-air balloon flights at: Hot-Air Balloon Flights.
Sep 142026
William H. Armstrong (born Lexington, Virginia, 1911; died Kent, Connecticut, April 11, 1999) was a children’s author. He wrote, among other works, Sounder, which received the 1970 Newbery Medal. Children could learn more about him at: William H. Armstrong.
Diane Goode (born Brooklyn, New York, 1949) has written and/or illustrated at least 60 books for children. She received a 1983 Caldecott Honor Award for her illustrations in When I Was Young in the Mountains. Children could visit her website at: Diane Goode.
Frederick Heinrich Alexander Von Humboldt (born Berlin, Germany, 1769; died Berlin, Germany, May 6, 1859) was a geographer and scientist. Idea: Children could learn how Humboldt used isothermal lines on his maps. Older children could learn more at: Humboldt.
Edith Thacher Hurd (born Kansas City, Missouri, 1910; died Walnut Creek, California, January 25, 1997) wrote at least 75 books for children. She collaborated with her husband, illustrator Clement Hurd, on about 50 of those books. Her works include Under the Lemon Tree and I Dance in My Red Pajamas. Children could learn more at: Edith Thacher Hurd.
John Steptoe (born Brooklyn, New York, 1950; died New York, New York, August 28, 1989) was a picture book author and illustrator. He wrote among other works Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, which received a 1988 Caldecott Honor Award and a Coretta Scott King Medal. Steptoe received another Coretta Scott King Medal in 1982 for Mother Crocodile. He also earned another Caldecott Honor Award in 1985 for Story of Jumping Mouse – A Native American Legend. Children could learn more at: John Steptoe.
James Wilson (born Carskerdo, Scotland, 1742; died Edonton, North Carolina, August 21 or August 28, 1798) signed the Declaration of Independence. He represented Pennsylvania. A lawyer, he also signed the Constitution. He was one of the first Supreme Court Justices. Unfortunately, he made some poor business decisions and died in poverty. Older children could learn more at: James Wilson.
Elizabeth Winthrop (born Washington, DC, 1948) has written more than 60 books. Her audience includes both children and adults. One of her books is The Castle in the Attic. Children could visit her website at: Elizabeth Winthrop.