Coliseum
Rome was born in 753 BC. Over two million people live in Rome. It is the home of numerous famous sites, including the Coliseum, the Fountain of Neptune, and the Pantheon. Idea: Children could prepare a travel brochure about Rome. The website http://www.neok12.com/Ancient-Rome.htm has some great videos, but they must be previewed for content.
Battle of San Jacinto occurred in 1836 in Texas. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and his 1,200 soldiers attacked General Sam Houston and his 910 men. The Texans retreated but then caught the Mexicans in surprise. In less than one half hour, the Texans won. As a result of this battle, Texas won its independence from Mexico. Children could read Journey to San Jacinto (Mr. Barrington’s Mysterious Trunk) by Melodie A. Cuate. Children could also learn more at: San Jacinto.
First discovery of extrasolar planets (now called exoplanets) was announced in 1994. As of mid-April, 2026, NASA announced that data from the Kepler Space Observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other instruments had located 6158 exoplanets. Scientists have observed another 10,170 exoplanets yet to be confirmed. In addition, experts have found 4,175 planetary systems. Children could learn more at the NASA site, especially the Interactives Tab, at: exoplanets.
Charlotte Bronte (born Hartshead, Yorkshire, England, 1816; died Haworth, Yorkshire, England, March 31, 1855) was a novelist, best known for Jane Eyre. She wrote three other novels. Children can read some of her works at: Project Gutenberg.
Queen Elizabeth II (born London, United Kingdom, 1926; died Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom, September 8, 2022) served as the monarch of the United Kingdom for over 70 years. During her tenure she worked with fifteen Prime Ministers, fourteen US Presidents, and seven Popes. She has stated, “Change has become a constant. Managing it has become an expanding discipline. The way we embrace it defines our future.”
John Muir (born Dunbar, Scotland, 1838; died Los Angeles, California, December 24, 1914) was a naturalist and writer. He helped establish Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park. He started the Sierra Club, and Muir Woods was dedicated to him in 1908. Children can read some of his writings at: Project Gutenberg. Children can learn more about Muir at: John Muir.
Barbara Park (born Mount Holly, New Jersey, 1947; died Scottsdale, Arizona, November 15, 2013) was a children’s author. She was the author of the Junie B. Jones books. Children can visit a website at: http://juniebjones.com/.
Jane Breskin Zalben (born New York, New York, 1950) has written and illustrated at least 50 books for children and young adults. Her books include Mousterpiece and Paths to Peace: People Who Changed the World. Children can visit her website at: Jane Breskin Zalben.
Earth Day is today! This year’s theme is Our Power, Our Planet. The original theme was Invest in Our Planet. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970. Today is a good day to plant trees or clean up litter or build a compost pile or make a bird house or…Children could learn more at: Earth Day. Children could also read Earth Day – Hooray! by Stuart J. Murphy. The book incorporates some great math concepts with an emphasis on the environment.
Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500. Brazil was claimed by Portugal, and it is the only South American country where Portuguese is the principal language.
Oklahoma Land Rush
Oklahoma Land Rush began at twelve noon 1889 when the government opened 1,900,000 acres of land bought from the Creek and Seminole Indians. People raced to obtain the best plots of land. By evening 50,000 people had established home sites in the region. Children could learn more at an excellent primary resource: Land Rush. They could also research the differences between a “sooner” and a “boomer.”
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth made his pitching debut in 1914 when his team, the minor league Baltimore Orioles, defeated the Buffalo Bison 6-0. Children could learn more at: Babe Ruth.
Borge Ousland, a Norwegian explorer, became the first person to trek to the North Pole solo in 1994. He left Cape Atkticheskiy, Siberia, on March 2, 1994. He averaged about 19 miles a day over the 630-mile trip.
Eileen Christelow (born Washington, DC, 1943) has written and illustrated at least 31 books for children. Her works include the Five Little Monkeys series and Where’s the Big Bad Wolf. Children can visit her very interesting website at: http://www.christelow.com/.
Paula Fox (born New York, New York, 1923; died Brooklyn, New York, March 1, 2017) wrote about 20 books for children. One of her books, The Slave Dancer, earned the 1974 Newbery Medal. She received the very prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1978 for her body of works.
Yehudi Menuhin (born New York, New York, 1916; died Berlin, Germany, March 12, 1999) was a renowned violinist. Idea: Children could find out how a violin makes sounds.