Aug 182026
 

On this day, two events connecting John White and Roanoke occurred:

  • Virginia Dare in 1587 was the first child of Europeans to be born in the colonies. Her grandfather was John White, a leader of the Roanoke colony. He and his group had arrived at Roanoke on July 22. He returned to England for more supplies and more people. However, wars and other events delayed his voyage back.
  • John White came back to Roanoke on August 18, 1590 to find that the Roanoke colony (and his granddaughter) had disappeared. Children could learn more at: Lost Colony
Aug 182026
 
Phobos

Phobos

Phobos, one of the two moons of Mars, was discovered by Asaph Hall of the United States Naval Observatory in 1877. The moon was named after the Greek god Phobos, meaning fear. The small moon actually orbits Mars faster than Mars rotates. Experts believe Phobos may eventually break apart and form a ring around Mars. Children could learn more at: Phobos.

Aug 182026
 

Women’s Air Derby took place in 1929. Also called the Powder Puff Derby by Will Rogers, this race was the first women-only flying competition. Twenty pilots left Santa Monica, California, on either August 18 or 19. They made eleven stops before they finished in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the women completed the competition. Louise Thaden won the race in the heavier airplane competition, landing in Cleveland on August 26, 1929. Phoebe Omlie won the lighter airplane competition.

Aug 182026
 
Rosalynn Carter

Rosalynn Carter

Rosalynn Smith Carter (born Plains, Georgia, 1927; died Plains, Georgia, November 19, 2023) was America’s First Lady from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. She was the wife of Jimmy Carter, thirty-ninth president of the United States. While she was First Lady, she devoted much of her time to the performing arts. She also held a post on the President’s Commission on Mental Health. She was the second longest living First Lady. Children could visit a website at: Rosalyn Smith Carter. Idea: They could find out if the Secret Service protects former First Ladies.

Roberto Clemente (born Carolina, Puerto Rico, 1934; died San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 31, 1972) was a baseball player. He joined the Pittsburgh Pirates and spent his entire career with them. He was killed in a plane crash while trying to deliver supplies to Nicaragua. An earthquake there had devastated parts of the country. He became a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. Children could learn more at: Roberto Clemente.

Paula Danziger (born Washington, DC, 1944; died New York, New York, July 8, 2004) wrote more than 30 children’s books. She is well known for her Amber Brown series. After Danziger died, her two close friends, Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy, wrote more Amber Brown books in her style. Children could learn more at: Paula Danziger.

Louise Fatio (born Lausanne, Switzerland, 1904; died New Jersey, July 26, 1993) wrote books for children. Her husband, Roger Duvoisin, illustrated many of her works. Her books include Happy Lion and Happy Lion and the Bear.

Sonia Levitin (born Berlin, Germany, 1934) has written at least 37 books for children and young adults. Incident at Loring Groves earned a 1989 Edgar Award, and The Return received a 1987 Sydney Taylor Book Award. Children could learn more at: Sonia Levitin.

Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis (born Albemarle County, Virginia, 1774; died near Nashville, Tennessee, October 11, 1809) was half of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. He later became governor of the Louisiana Territory. Older children might be able to solve the mystery surrounding Lewis’s death. They could read Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map, by Geoff Benge and Janet Benge. They could read his journals at Project Gutenberg.

Aug 192026
 
Afghanistan Flag

Flag of Afghanistan

Afghanistan celebrates Independence Day. In 1919 Afghanistan gained its freedom from the United Kingdom. Slightly smaller than the state of Texas, land-locked Afghanistan has an arid to semi-arid climate. Its natural resources include metals and petroleum. Over 31 million people live there, and Kabul is the capital.

Aug 192026
 
Indianapolis 500 Early Days

Indianapolis 500 Early Days

Indianapolis 500 Race Track opened in 1909. It went through significant changes to be the race track it is today.

All-American Soap Box Derby was held for the first time in Dayton, Ohio, in 1934. The race was moved to Akron, Ohio, in 1935 because the city had more hills. Today the race is still held in Akron, and all cars must be unpowered. However, the science behind the scenes is amazing! Children can learn more at: Soap Box Derby

Aug 192026
 

Vicki Cobb (born New, York, New York, 1938; died New York, New York, January 8, 2023) wrote more than 90 nonfiction books for children. Students might enjoy trying some of her projects from Science Experiments You Can Eat. 

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton (born Hope, Arkansas, 1946) was the forty-second president of the United States. Before he was president, he served first as Arkansas’s state attorney general and then as its governor. He has concerned himself with issues such as health care, NAFTA, and the family leave bill. Children can visit a website at: Bill Clinton.

Ogden Nash (born Rye, New York, 1902; died Baltimore, Maryland, May 19, 1971) was a poet. He enjoyed writing humor. Children could read some of his poetry at: Ogden Nash Poems. Then they could write their own humorous verses.

Orville Wright

Orville Wright

Orville Wright (born Dayton, Ohio, 1871; died Dayton, Ohio, January 30, 1948) flew the first airplane on December 17, 1903. His birthday has been proclaimed National Aviation Day since 1939. Children could view an excellent timeline of his life and his brother’s life at: Orville Wright.

Aug 202026
 
Hunagry Flag

Flag of Hungary

Hungary celebrates Saint Stephen’s Day, a national holiday that marks the day when his remains were taken to Buda, now called Budapest. A landlocked country in eastern Europe, Hungary is about the size of the state of Indiana. Its flat plains experience a temperate climate. Almost ten million people live in Hungary, and Budapest is the capital. Children can learn more at: Hungary.