Birthdays

Apr 212025

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.”

President Roosevelt met John Muir in Yosemite 100 years ago

President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir

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.

Birthdays

Apr 222025

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.

Birthdays

Apr 232025

Shirley Temple Black (born Santa Monica, California, 1928; died Woodside, California, February 10, 2014) starred in approximately 40 movies as a child and served as an ambassador as an adult. Two of her movies were Little Miss Marker and The Little Colonel.

James Buchanan

James Buchanan (born Cove Gap, Pennsylvania, 1791; died Lancaster, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1868) was the fifteenth president (1857-1861) of the United States. He was America’s only unmarried president, and he was the only president born in Pennsylvania. Children could visit the White House website at: James Buchanan.

Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (born Sontsovka, Ukraine, 1891; died Moscow, Russia, March 5, 1953) was a famous pianist and composer. In 1934 Prokofiev composed the famous symphony Peter and the Wolf.

William Williams

William Williams (born Lebanon, Connecticut, 1731; died Lebanon, Connecticut, August 2, 1811) signed the Declaration of Independence. He represented Connecticut. Oliver Wolcott was a Connecticut representative, and he voted for independence. Wolcott had to return to Connecticut, so William Williams took his place and signed the Declaration. A merchant, he became active in Connecticut politics. He was town clerk for 44 years, town leader for 27 years, a member of the Connecticut Lower House for 20 years, a member of the Connecticut Upper House for 23 years, and judge for 35 years. He held several of these offices at the same time. He died exactly 35 years to the day that he signed the Declaration. Children can learn more at: William Williams.

Granville T. Woods (born Columbus, Ohio, 1856; died New York, New York, January 30, 1910) invented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, making possible communication between dispatchers and moving trains. This invention saved many lives. He held patents for many other inventions, including the trolley car. Children can learn more at: Granville T. Woods.

Birthdays

Apr 242025

Edmund Cartwight (born Nottinghamshire, England, 1743; died Hastings, Sussex, England, October 30, 1823) was an inventor and a cleric. He created the power loom for weaving. Idea: Children could weave on a simple loom. They could then appreciate how the power loom made the production of textiles more efficient.

Evaline Ness (born Union City, Ohio, 1911; died New York, New York, August 12, 1986) wrote and/or illustrated more than 30 books for children. She received three Caldecott Honor Awards: in 1964 for All in the Morning Early, in 1965 for A Pocketful of Cricket, and in 1966 for Tom Tit Tot. Her book Sam, Bangs, & Moonshine won the 1967 Caldecott Award. Children could learn more at: Evaline Ness.

Jasmine Warga (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1988) writes books for children. Her Other Words for Home received a 2020 Newbery Honor Award. Her other works include The Shape of Thunder and Here We Are Now. Children could visit her website at: Jasmine Warga.

Robert Penn Warren (born Guthrie, Kentucky, 1905; died Stratton, Vermont, September 15, 1989) was an American writer. He won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for All the King’s Men.

Birthdays

Apr 252025

William Brennan

William Brennan (born Newark, New Jersey, 1906; died Arlington County, Virginia, July 25, 1997) was an associate justice for the Supreme Court from 1957 to 1990. Children could learn more at: William Brennan.

Ella Fitzgerald (born Newport News, Virginia, 1918; died Beverly Hills, California, June 15, 1996) was a renowned jazz singer.

Maud Hart Lovelace (born Mankato, Minnesota, 1892; died Claremont, California, March 11, 1980) wrote books for children. She is best known for her Betsy-Tacy series. Older children could learn more at: http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org/.

George Ella Lyon (born Harlan, Kentucky, 1949) writes poetry, novels, and picture books for children and young adults. Her books include Holding on to Zoe and Weaving the Rainbow. Her website is: http://www.georgeellalyon.com/.

Guglielmo Marconi

Guglielmo Marconi (born Bologna, Italy, 1874; died Rome, Italy, July 20, 1937) invented the wireless telegraph. He won the 1909 Nobel Prize in physics for his invention. Children could learn more at: Guglielmo Marconi.

Alvin Schwartz (born Brooklyn, New York, 1927; died Princeton, New Jersey, March 14, 1992) wrote at least 27 books, particularly folklore, for children. He is most known for his Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series.

Birthdays

Apr 262025

John James Audubon (born Haiti, 1785; died New York, New York, January 27, 1851) was an ornithologist and artist. One of his most famous works is The Birds of America, sketches of 1065 birds. The National Audubon Society, a conservation group, was named in honor of him. Children can learn more at: Audubon.

Patricia Reilly Giff (born Brooklyn, New York, 1935; died Trumbull, Connecticut, June 22, 2021) wrote more than 100 children’s books. She is known for her Polk Street School series. She received two Newbery Honor Awards: Lily’s Crossing in 1998 and Pictures of Hollis Woods in 2003.

Marilyn Nelson (born Cleveland, Ohio, 1946) is a poet and a writer of children’s books. She also translates the works of others. Her books include Carver, a Life of Poems, which received a 2002 Newbery Honor Award, and Beautiful Ballerina. Children can learn more at: http://marilyn-nelson.com/.

Frederick Law Olmsted (born Hartford, Connecticut, 1822; died Waverly, Massachusetts, August 28, 1903) designed Central Park and other parks. He was also commissioner of Yosemite National Park.

I(eoh) M(ing) Pei (born Guangzhou, China, 1917; died New York, New York, May 16, 2019) was a prominent architect. He came to the United States in 1935 and studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. After becoming an American citizen in 1954, he started his own firm. Some of his designs include the John Hancock Tower, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, and the famous pyramid entrance to the Louvre in Paris.

Birthdays

Apr 272025

Ludwig Bemelmans (born Meran, Austria, 1898; died New York, New York, October 1, 1962) was an author and illustrator. He came to the United States in 1914 and found work as a busboy. Later he wrote books for an adult audience. However, he is most known for his children’s books, including the six Madeline books and all the further adventures of the little girl. In total he published about 46 books. His grandson, John Bemelmans-Marciano, has written five more Madeline books. Children could learn more at: Bemelmans.

John Burningham (born Farnham, United Kingdom, 1936; died London, United Kingdom, January 4 , 2019) wrote and illustrated books for children. Two of his books received the Kate Greenaway Medal. Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers earned the 1963 medal, and Mr. Grumpy’s Outing received the 1970 medal. He wrote There’s Going to Be a New Baby in 2011, and his wife Helen Oxenbury illustrated the book.

Alexandra Day (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1941) is a children’s author and illustrator. One of her books is Frank and Ernest. She also created the Carl series, wonderful wordless books that feature a dog named Carl and a baby.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses Simpson Grant (born Point Pleasant, Ohio, 1822; died Mt. McGregor, New York, July 23, 1885) was the eighteenth president (1869-1877) of the United States. Children could visit a website at: Grant. Idea: Grant was a famous Civil War general. Lee surrendered to him at Appomattox, Virginia, to end the war. Children could find out which other presidents were also military leaders. They could then decide whether a military leader made a good president.

Coretta Scott King (born Marion, Alabama, 1927; died Rosarito Beach, Mexico, January 30, 2006) was a speaker and writer. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., she continued the work of the civil rights movement. Children could read Coretta Scott King by Stephanie Sammertino McPherson. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards honor the finest African American children’s book writers and illustrators. Children could learn more at: http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards. They could also read the chapter devoted to Coretta Scott King and the Coretta Scott King Awards in Children’s Book Award Handbook by Diana F. Marks.

Samuel Finley Breese Morse (born Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1791; died New York, New York, April 2, 1872) was an inventor and an artist. He invented Morse code, and his first transmission, made on May 24, 1844, was, “What hath God wrought?” Idea: Children could learn about Morse code and send messages to each other. Children could explore an excellent timeline of his life and inventions at: Morse.

Nancy Shaw (born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1946) writes books for children. Her works include the Sheep series and Elena’s Story. Children can visit her site, filled with engaging activities, at: Nancy Shaw.

Birthdays

Apr 282025

Lois Duncan (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1934; died Bradenton, Florida, June 15, 2016) wrote suspense novels for young adults. Her books include I Know What You Did Last Summer and Hotel for Dogs. She received the 1992 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement. Children can learn more at: Lois Duncan.

Amy Hest (born New York, New York, 1950) has written close to 50 books for children. Her works include When Jessica Came across the Sea and Kiss Good Night. Children can visit her website at: Amy Hest.

Elena Kagan

Elena Kagan (born New York, New York, 1960) became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on August 7, 2010. Prior to her Supreme Court appointment, she was the country’s first woman Solicitor General. Children could learn more at: Elena Kagan

Harper Lee (born Monroeville, Alabama, 1926; died Monroeville, Alabama, February 19, 2016) was a novelist. She is best known for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The book received the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Literature. She also wrote Go Set a Watchman, published in 2015.

James Monroe

James Monroe (born Westmoreland County, Virginia, 1758; died New York, New York, July 4, 1831) was the fifth president (1817-1825) of the United States. He established the Monroe Doctrine, and he acquired Florida from Spain. Prior to being president, eh served at Minister to France. Also, Robert Livingston and he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. Children can visit a website at: James Monroe. Idea: Children could find out which capital city of an African country was named in honor of him.

Sir Terence David John “Terry” Pratchett (born Beaconsfield, United Kingdom, 1948; died Broad Chalke, United Kingdom, March 12, 2015 ) wrote fantasy books. His books include Pyramids and Night Watch. He received the 2011 Margaret A. Edwards Award for his body of works.

Marvin Terban (born Chelsea, Massachusetts, 1940) has written at least 28 wordplay books for children. His books include Your Foot’s on My Feet: And Other Tricky Nouns and Time to Rhyme. Children can view a video about him at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C7NF0FN5yw.

Birthdays

Apr 292025

Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington (born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, DC, 1899; died New York, New York, May 24, 1974) was a jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. He wrote over 2,000 compositions, including some for musicals, ballet, opera, and movies. He performed over 20,000 times in 65 countries with his jazz big band. One of his most famous pieces is It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing). Children can learn more at: Duke Ellington.

William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst (born San Francisco, California, 1863; died Beverly Hills, California, August 14, 1951) became a media baron. At one time he owned 25 newspapers, several magazines, and a newsreel company. He is also remembered for building San Simeon, a huge estate in California. It had, among other luxuries, a zoo and an airport.

Zubin Mehta (born Bombay, India, 1936) is a renowned conductor. He received India’s highest award, the Padma Bhusan (Order of the Lotus) in 1967.

Ron Roy (born Hartford, Connecticut, 1940) has written over 60 books for children. He is best known for his A to Z mystery series and his Capital Mystery series. Children can visit his website at: Ron Roy.

Jill Paton Walsh (born London, England, 1937; died Huntington, England, October 18, 2020) wrote books for both children and adults. Her children’s books, numbering around 25, include The Dolphin Crossing and Fireweed.

Birthdays

May 012025

Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane (born Martha Jane Canary in Princeton, Missouri, 1852; died Terry, South Dakota, August 1, 1903) was a well-known frontier woman, scout, and story teller. Children can read her autobiography, Life and Adventures of Calamity Jane, at Calamity Jane.

Carpenter is the far right person in the first row

Scott Carpenter (born Boulder, Colorado, 1925; died Denver, Colorado, October 10, 2013) was one of the seven original US astronauts. He was launched into space on May 24, 1962. The fourth American to travel in space, he circled the earth three times. Aboard Aurora 7, he conducted five experiments in the five-hour voyage. He was the first astronaut to eat solid food in space. Children could learn more at: Scott Carpenter.

Ingrid Law (born New York State, 1970) writes books for children. Savvy received a 2009 Newbery Honor Award, and many children like Scumble as well. Children can learn more at: Ingrid Law.

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