Birthdays

 Birthdays
Apr 172024
 

Samuel Chase

Samuel Chase (born Somerset County, Maryland, 1741; died Baltimore, Maryland, June 19, 1811) signed the Declaration of Independence. He represented Maryland. He also served on the Supreme Court as an associate justice from 1796 until he died. Children could learn more at: Samuel Chase.

Martyn Godfrey (born Birmingham, England, 1949; died St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, March 10, 2000) wrote at least 30 fantasy and science fiction books for children. His books include More than Weird and the Ms. Teenie-Wonderful series.

John Pierpont Morgan (born Hartford, Connecticut, 1837; died Rome, Italy, March 31, 1913) was a financier and corporate executive. He helped finance American Telegraph and Telephone, and he reorganized several railroads after a panic in 1893. He enjoyed collecting art, and his collections were often loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Idea: Children could brainstorm a list of famous paintings. Each could then create a fictional personal art gallery of his/her favorites.

Jillian Tamaki (born Ottawa, Canada, 1980) is an illustrator. Her illustrations in This One Summer earned her a 2015 Caldecott Honor Award.

Thornton Wilder (born Madison, Wisconsin, 1897; died Hamden, Connecticut, December 7, 1975) was a playwright and novelist. He received a Pulitzer Prize in 1928 for his novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey. He also won Pulitzers for his plays, “Our Town” and “The Skin of Our Teeth.” Children can learn more at: Thornton Wilder.

National Animal Crackers Day

 Events
Apr 182024
 

National Animal Crackers Day is today! Invented in England, the slightly sweet biscuits made their way to the United States in the late 19th century. Several companies produce animal crackers today. Nabisco bakes Barnum Animal Crackers, selling 40 million boxes per year. Idea: Children could open a box of animal crackers and see which animals are in their boxes. They could make a parade of the circus animals and then consume with a big glass of milk.

Zimbabwe Celebrates Independence Day

 Events
Apr 182024
 

Flag of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe celebrates Independence Day. The country gained its independence from Great Britain in 1980. According to the CIA World Factbook, Zimbabwe is slightly bigger than Montana. Located in southern Africa, this landlocked country is home to about 13 million people. The country exports gold, platinum, and textiles. Harare is the capital. Children could learn more at: Zimbabwe.

Paul Revere and William Dawes Sounded the Alarm in 1775

 Events
Apr 182024
 
Paul Revere

Paul Revere

William Dawes

Paul Revere and William Dawes conducted their famous horse ride at 10:00 PM in 1775. They warned their fellow patriots that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. Children could read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s account of the ride, “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” at: Midnight Ride.  They could learn more at: Revere and Dawes.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Apr 182024
 

Clarence Darrow (born Kinsman, Ohio, 1857; died Chicago, Illinois, March 13, 1938) was a lawyer. He defended John Scopes in the famous case of creationism versus evolution, sometimes known as “The Monkey Trial.” That trial was the basis for the play and movie, Inherit the Wind.

Mitchell Sharmat (born Brookline, Massachusetts, 1927; died Tucson, Arizona, July 25, 2011) wrote books for children. He wrote Gregory, the Terrible Eater, and he wrote with his wife, Marjorie Sharmat, the Nate the Great series.

Battles of Lexington and Concord, 1775

 Events
Apr 192024
 
Battles of Lexington and Concord

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Battles of Lexington and Concord, in 1775, marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. About 700 British troops were marching toward Lexington and Concord to destroy military supplies. Approximately 70 Minutemen met the redcoats in Lexington. Records do not indicate clearly who fired the first shot, but eight Minutemen died. Ten more Minutemen were injured. One British soldier was wounded. The British continued on to Concord and then turned back toward Boston. Along the way, patriots shot at the redcoats. British casualties came to 250, and American casualties numbered 90. Children could learn more at: Minute Man National Historical Park.

Boston Marathon Premiered in 1897

 Events
Apr 192024
 

Boston Marathon Premiered in 1897. It was created to honor the 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord. The marathon is the world’s oldest such race. Fifteen men participated that day, Patriots’ Day. Women unofficially began running in the race in 1966 and officially in 1967. In 1975 the Marathon began a wheelchair divison. Today the race attracts about 30,000 participants and 500,000 spectators. The race is still held on Patriots’ Day, but that day is now the third Monday in April.

Ingenuity Became First Invention to Fly on another Planet in 2021

 Events
Apr 192024
 

Ingenuity became the first invention to fly on another planet in 2021. Ingenuity, also called Ginny, is a robotic helicopter that flew above the surface of Mars. It is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission. It, with the robotic Perseverance rover, landed on Mars on February 18, 2021. It is equipped with sensors and two cameras. Ginny was created to send back photos and data regarding Mars. Ginny, as of April 15, 2023, had conducted 50 flights.  It performed its last flight on January 18, 2024. It then sustained damaged to its rotor blade.

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