Birthdays

Feb 202025

Ansel Adams (born San Francisco, California, 1902; died Monterey, California, April 22, 1984) was a very famous photographer. He was commissioned by the National Park Service in 1941 to photograph nature. Children can view many of these photographs at: Ansel Adams.

Richard Matheson (born Allendale, New Jersey, 1926; died Los Angeles, California, June 23, 2013) wrote science fiction books. His works include I am Legend and Other Kingdoms.

William Prescott (born Groton, Massachusetts, 1726; died Pepperell, Massachusetts, October 13, 1795) was a Revolutionary War hero. He was fighting at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, when he stated, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

Birthdays

Feb 212025

Jim Aylesworth (born Jacksonville, Florida, 1943) has written at least twenty books for children. His books include The Mitten and The Bad Dream. His book My Grandfather’s Coat received the 2015 Sydney Taylor Award (Younger Readers’ Category). Children can visit his website at: Jim Aylesworth.

Patricia Hermes (born Brooklyn, New York, 1936; died Phoenix, Arizona, July 11, 2018) wrote at least 50 books for children. Her works include a number of books in the My America Series, including Our Strange New Land and A Perfect Place.

Ruthanne Lum McCunn (born San Francisco, 1946) writes books for children. Her works include Thousand Pieces of Gold and God of Luck. Children can visit her website at: Ruthanne Lum McCunn.

Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (born Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, 1936) has written at least sixteen children’s books regarding Native Americans. Her works include Lana’s Lakota Moons and When Thunders Spoke. Older children could learn more at: Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve.

Birthdays

Feb 222025

Robert Baden-Powell (born London, England, 1857; died Nyeri, Kenya, January 8, 1941) established the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.

Frederick Chopin (born Zelazowa-Wola, Poland, 1810; died Paris, France, October 17, 1849) was a classical pianist and composer. He created more than 200 pieces for the piano as well as chamber music and orchestral arrangements. He played his first concert at age eight and began composing after that. He spent most of his adult life in Paris. He died of tuberculosis. His works, influenced by his Slavic background, are full of melody and rhythm.

Elisha Cooper (born United States, 1971) writes and illustrates books for children. In 2018 he earned a Caldecott Honor Award for Big Cat, little cat. Children can learn more at: Elisha Cooper.

Edward Gorey (born Chicago, Illinois, 1925; died Hyannis, Massachusetts, April 15, 2000) was an author and illustrator. He provided the odd illustrations in the books by John Bellairs and Brad Strickland. Children could learn more at: Edward Gorey.

Rembrandt Peale Self-Portrait

Rembrandt Peale (born Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1778; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 3, 1860) was a painter, mostly of portraits. He was a member of the artistic and famous Peale family. Children could view a number of his works at: Rembrandt Peale.

Horace Pippin (born West Chester, Pennsylvania, 1888; died West Chester, Pennsylvania, July 6, 1946) was a painter. The grandson of slaves, he injured his right arm during battle in World War I. After the war, he returned to the United States and worked at various jobs. He developed his artistic talents and became a famous artist. Children could view a number of his works at: Horace Pippin.

George Washington

George Washington (born Westmoreland County, Virginia, 1732; died Mt. Vernon, Virginia, December 14, 1799) was the first president (1789-1797) of the United States. He fought in the French and Indian War as an officer of the Virginia militia. He led the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolution. He helped organize the new country by presiding over the Constitutional Convention. He was elected president unanimously by the electoral college twice. He refused to run for a third term. He has been called “The Father of Our Country.” Children could visit a website at: George Washington.

Birthdays

Feb 232025

C. S. Adler (born Long Island, New York, 1932) has written 44 books for children. Her books include The Magic of the Glits and No Place Cat. Children can visit her website at: C. S. Adler.

W. E. B. Du Bois (born Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 1868; died Accra, Ghana, August 27, 1963) was a famous African American leader striving for equality. A professor, activist, and author, he was one of the co-founders of the NAACP. Children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg. Also, children can learn more at: W. E. B. Du Bois.

George Frederick Handel (born Halle, Saxony, Germany, 1685; died London, England, April 14, 1759) was a composer of Baroque music. One of his best known works is Messiah, first performed in 1742.

Walter Wick (born Hartford, Connecticut, 1953) is a photographer and author of children’s books. He is most known for his I Spy series and his Can You See What I See? series. Children can visit his fascinating website at: Walter Wick.

Birthdays

Feb 242025

Wilhelm Karl Grimm (born Hanau, Germany, 1786; died Berlin, Germany, December 16, 1859) and his brother, Jacob, wrote Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Children could read portions of Grimm’s Fairy Tales at: Project Gutenberg. They could learn more at: Wilhelm Karl Grimm.

Winslow Homer (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1836; died Prout’s Neck, Maine, September 29, 1910) was an artist known for his outdoor scenes. Children could learn more about him at the National Gallery of Art site: Winslow Homer.

Steven Jobs (born Los Altos, California, 1955; died Palo Alto, California, October 5, 2011) co-founded Apple, Inc.

Uri Orlev (born Jerzy Henryk Orlowski in Warsaw, Poland, 1931; died Jerusalem, Israel, July 25, 2022) published over 30 books for children. He grew up in the Warsaw Ghetto. His mother was killed by Nazis, and he was placed in the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. He received the 1996 Hans Christian Andersen Award. His books include The Lady with the Hat and Hairy Tuesday.

Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner (born John Peter Wagner in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, 1874; died Carnegie, Pennsylvania, December 6, 1955) was a famous baseball player. He was nicknamed the “Flying Dutchman.” Children could read Dan Gutman’s Honus and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure. They could also learn more at: Honus Wagner.

Birthdays

Feb 252025

Frank Bonham (born Los Angeles, California, 1914; died Arizona, December 16, 1988) wrote at least 48 westerns and novels for young adults. His books include Nitty Gritty and Durango Street.

Enrico Caruso in Costume

Enrico Caruso (born Naples, Italy, 1873; died Naples, Italy, August 2, 1921) was a famous operatic tenor.

Ida Lewis (born Newport, Rhode Island, 1842; died Little Rock Island, Newport, Rhode Island, October 24, 1911) was a lighthouse keeper. She is best known for making many daring rescues at sea. Children could read Rowing to the Rescue: The Story of Ida Lewis, Famous Lighthouse Heroine by Doris Licameli.

Pierre Auguste Renoir (born Limoges, France, 1841; died Cagnes-sur-Mer, Provence, France, December 17, 1919) was an impressionist painter. One of his most famous works is The Luncheon of the Boating Party. Later in his life, arthritis crippled his hands. He had paint brushes tied to his hands and learned to paint in broader strokes. Children could view some of his works at: Auguste Renoir.

Cynthia Voigt (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1942) is an author who writes for children and young adults. She wrote Dicey’s Song, the Newbery Medal winner for 1983. She also wrote A Solitary Blue, which earned a 1984 Newbery Honor Award. Voight received the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1995 for her body of work. Children could view her website at: Cynthia Voigt.

Birthdays

Feb 262025

Buffalo Bill Cody

Buffalo Bill Cody (born William Frederic Cody in Scott County, Iowa, 1846; died Denver, Colorado, January 10, 1917) was a frontiersman and showman. Children can read more about him at: Buffalo Bill Cody.

Victor Hugo (born Besancon, France, 1802; died Paris, France, May 22, 1885) was an author. One of his best known works is Les Miserables. Students can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

Sharon Bell Mathis (born Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1937) writes books for children. Her book Ray Charles received the 1974 Coretta Scott King Award. Her book The Hundred Penny Box received a 1976 Newbery Honor Award. Children can learn more at: Sharon Bell Mathis.

Colby Rodowsky (born Baltimore, Maryland, 1932; died Silver Spring, Maryland, October 5, 2020) wrote at least seventeen books for children. Her books include Julie’s Daughter and Fitchett’s Folly.

Judith Saint George (born Westfield, New Jersey, 1939; died Bloomfield, Connecticut, June 10, 2015) wrote over 40 books for children. Her books include So You Want to Be President? (which earned illustrator David Small the 2001 Caldecott Medal) and The Duel.

Levi Strauss (born Buttenheim, Bavaria, Germany, 1829; died San Francisco, California, September 26, 1902) invented tough, durable pants for California gold miners. These pants are now known as jeans. Idea: Children could compare and contrast denim with other fabrics. They could see how jeans are made at: Jeans.

Birthdays

Feb 272025

Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1897; died Portland, Oregon, April 8, 1993) was a singer and diplomat. She was the first African American soloist at the Metropolitan Opera. In 1939 the Daughters of the American Revolution would not allow her to perform in Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. Eleanor Roosevelt and others were outraged. Days later she sang before 75,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Her courage and talent brought her great fame. She was a United States delegate to the United Nations in 1958. She received the United Nations Peace Prize in 1977. Children could read the wonderful book, When Marian Sang, written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick. Children could also learn more at Marian Anderson.

Florence Parry Heide (born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1919; died Kenosha, Wisconsin, October 23, 2011) wrote more than 100 books for children. Her books included The Treehorn series, illustrated by Edward Gorey, and Some Things Are Scary, illustrated by Jules Feiffer.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (born Portland, Maine, 1807; died Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 24, 1882) was a poet and writer. His works include The Song of Hiawatha and The Wreck of the Hesperus. Children can read his works at: Project Gutenberg. Children can learn more at: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Uri Shulevitz (born Warsaw, Poland, 1935) is an American writer and illustrator. He has written and/or illustrated at least 38 books. He received the 1969 Caldecott Medal for The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship. He has also received three Caldecott Honor Awards: The Treasure in 1979, Snow in 1999, and How I Learned Geography in 2009. Children can learn more about him at: Uri Shulevitz.

John Steinbeck (born Salina, California, 1902; died New York, New York, December 20, 1968) was an author. His works include Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. He was the Nobel Prize Winner in literature in 1962. Older children can learn more at: John Steinbeck.

Birthdays

Feb 282025

Megan McDonald (born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1959) writes books for children. Her books include the Judy Moody series and the Stink series. Children can visit her website, especially the Fun Stuff section, at: Megan McDonald.

Donna Jo Napoli (born Miami, Florida, 1948) has written at least 75 books for children. She writes for a wide range of readers, from picture books to books for elementary school students to young adult readers. Her books include the Sly the Sleuth series, Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya, and Fire in the Hills. Children could visit her site at: Donna Jo Napoli.

Linus Pauling (born Portland, Oregon, 1901; died Big Sur, California, August 19, 1994) was a scientist. He received one Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1954 for research in molecular structure. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his work in trying to stop nuclear testing. He was also famous for his claims that large amounts of Vitamin C reduce the effects of colds and other diseases. Older children could learn more about him, particularly his Nobel Prizes, at: Linus Pauling.

Lemony Snicket (born Daniel Handler in San Francisco, California, 1970) writes books for children. His books include the Series of Unfortunate Events and The Composer is Dead. Children would enjoy his website, especially the Dire Diversions portion, at: Lemony Snicket.

Birthdays

Mar 012025

Glenn Miller (born Clarinda, Iowa, 1904; disappeared over the English Channel, December 15, 1944) was a bandleader and a composer. His big band sound was especially popular before and during World War II. He was on a flight to Paris to perform for troops when his plane vanished.

Slayton is in the first row, second from left

Donald “Deke” Slayton (born Sparta, Wisconsin, 1924; died League City, Texas, June 13, 1993) was one of the original seven astronauts. A heart condition kept him from traveling in space for some time, and he became chief of flight operations. In 1971 the heart condition disappeared, and he flew on the last Apollo mission. His crew docked for the first time with a Soviet Soyuz vessel. Children can learn more at: Deke Slayton.

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