Mount Washington’s Strongest Winds

 Events
Apr 122024
 

Mount Washington, New Hampshire, recorded its strongest wind ever at 231 miles per hour in 1934. Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeast (6,288 feet).  The weather at the peak is harsh and difficult to predict. The lowest wind chill of -108 degrees was recorded on Mount Washington on February 3, 2023. Experts believe it may be the lowest recorded temperature in the continental United States. Winds exceeded 100 miles per hour. Children can find current weather conditions atop Mount Washington at: https://www.mountwashington.org/. The weather will probably be very windy and very chilly!

Salk Vaccine Administered in 1955

 Events
Apr 122024
 

Salk vaccine was allowed to be used for the first time in 1955. Dr. Jonas E. Salk produced the vaccine to prevent infantile paralysis, also known as poliomyelitis. Prior to the vaccination, polio was one of the worst diseases around. Salk started conducting research in 1947. He field-tested his vaccination in 1953, and it became available to the public in 1955. Today polio has almost been eradicated world-wide.

Space Accomplishments

 Events
Apr 122024
 

Yuri Gagarin in 1961 was the first human to travel in space. A Soviet cosmonaut, Gagarin was aboard Vostok I and spent 108 minutes in space.

Space Shuttle’s first flight occurred in 1981. Astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen guided the space shuttle Columbia around the earth 36 times before landing the craft at Edwards Air Force Base in California on April 14. Idea: Children could find out how the shuttle differed from the previous types of space exploration. Children could explore an index of the 135 Space Shuttle Missions at: Index.

Jake Garn became the first senator to travel in space. He was a payload specialist of a Discovery STS-51-D crew that was launched in 1985. The crew spent almost seven days in space. Children could learn more about his Space Shuttle mission at: Jake Garn.

These three important space travel events happened on this day. Children could make a timeline of significant space explorations.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Apr 122024
 

Henry Clay (born Hanover County, Virginia, 1777; died Washington, DC, June 29, 1852) was a politician. He was elected to the House of Representatives for six terms, and most of that time he was Speaker of the House. He also served in the Senate for almost twenty years. Clay wanted to be president, but he was never elected. He is remembered as saying, “I would rather be right than be president.”

Beverly Cleary (born McMinnville, Oregon, 1916; died Carmel Valley, California, March 25, 2021) wrote more than 30 books for children and young adults. She wrote, among other works, Dear Mr. Henshaw, which received the 1984 Newbery Medal. She also wrote the Ramona series. Over 91 million of her books were sold! Children can visit her website at: Beverly Cleary.

Tammy Duckworth (born Bangkok, Thailand, 1968) is a US Senator from Illinois. She is the first female double amputee in the Senate, and the first Senator to give birth while in office. Before she entered politics, she had been a helicopter pilot in the Iraq War. Children can learn more at: Tammy Duckworth. They could also read A Life of Service: The Story of Senator Tammy Duckworth, by Dow Phumiruk.

Bernhard August “Hardie” Gramatky, Jr. (born Dallas, Texas, 1907; died Westport, Connecticut, April 29, 1979) was an artist. He also wrote and illustrated several children’s books, including Little Toot. Children can learn more at: Hardie Gramatky.

File:Lyman hall.jpg

Lyman Hall

Lyman Hall (born Wallingford, Connecticut, 1724; died Burke County, Georgia, October 19, 1790) signed the Declaration of Independence. He represented Georgia. Born in Connecticut, he studied to become a doctor. He moved to Georgia and established a medical practice. During the Revolutionary War, the British destroyed his rice plantation; he fled with his family back to Connecticut. After the war he returned to Georgia, and ultimately he became governor of the state. Children could learn more at: Lyman Hall.

Paul Showers (born Sunnyside, Washington, 1910; died Orange, Massachusetts, January 17, 1999) wrote about 25 science-related books for children. His books include Sleep is for Everyone and How You Talk.

Gary Soto (born Fresno, California, 1952) writes poetry for adults and fiction for children. His poetry includes A Simple Plan, and his children’s books include Too Many Tamales and the Chato series. Children can visit his website at: Gary Soto.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Opened in 1870

 Events
Apr 132024
 

Metropolitan Museum of Art opened its doors for the first time in 1870. It contains over 200 galleries and possesses over three million pieces of art. Idea: Consider reading From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Two siblings run away to the museum. They solve a mystery, and readers learn a great deal about the museum. Children can visit the museum website at: http://www.metmuseum.org/.

Jefferson Memorial Was Dedicated in 1943

 Events
Apr 132024
 
Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Jefferson Memorial was dedicated in 1943 in Washington, DC. This date was picked in honor of Jefferson’s birthday. Construction was started in 1938 and was finished in 1943. A bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson was planned, but World War II intervened and bronze was needed for the war. A plaster statue painted to look like bronze was on display until 1947 when a real bronze statue took its rightful place. Children can visit a website at: http://www.nps.gov/thje/.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Apr 132024
 

Samuel Becket (born Foxrock, County Dublin, Ireland, 1906; died Paris, France, December 22, 1989) wrote books and plays. During World War II he worked with a French resistance group. One of his most famous works is Waiting for Godot.

Gunning Bedford, Jr. (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1747; died Wilmington, Delaware, March 30, 1812) represented Delaware at the Constitutional Convention. During the Revolutionary War he was for a short time an aide to General Washington. A staunch abolitionist, he served as a federal judge for 23 years. Children can learn more at: Gunning Bedford, Jr..

Alfred Butts (born Poughkeepsie, New York, 1899; died Rhinebeck, New York, April 4, 1993) invented the game Scrabble. He invented the game when he was out of a job during the Depression. After he sold the game to a company, he received three cents for each game sold.

Erik Christian Haugaard (born Fredricksberg, Denmark, 1923; died County Cork, Ireland, June 4, 2009) fled Denmark in 1940 when the Nazis invaded. He began writing children’s books in 1963. He wrote at least twelve books for young adults. He received the 1968 Jane Addams Award for The Little Fishes. Children can learn more at: Erik Christian Haugaard.

Marguerite Henry (born Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1902; died San Diego, California, November 26, 1997) wrote 59 books for children and young adults. She received two Newbery Honor Awards, one in 1945 for Justin Morgan Had a Horse and one in 1948 for Misty of Chincoteague. She earned the Newbery Medal in 1949 for King of the Wind. Children can learn more at: Marguerite Henry.

Lee Bennett Hopkins (born Scranton, Pennsylvania, 1938; died Cape Coral, Florida, August 8, 2019) was a poet and novelist. His first career was as a teacher, and he found out how important poetry was to children and to him. He published over 200 books, and one of his works is Good Rhymes, Good Times. He also created the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award to honor the best poetry works of the previously published year. Children could visit the award’s site at: Hopkins Award. They could also read a biography of him and a history of the award in Children’s Book Award Handbook, by Diana F. Marks.

Peale Portrait of Thomas Jefferson

Peale Portrait of Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (born Albermarle County, Virginia, 1743; died Charlottesville, Virginia, July 4, 1826) was the third president (1801-1808) of the United States. He hoped people would remember him for writing the Declaration of Independence, for writing the statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and for founding the University of Virginia. He also made possible the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Children could visit a website at: Thomas Jefferson. Idea: Jefferson invented several items that made life easier, including the swivel chair, a lap desk, and a decoding device. Children could evaluate his inventions and draw diagrams of them.

Rita Williams-Garcia (born Queens, New York, 1957) writes books for young adults. Her book One Crazy Summer won a 2011 Newbery Honor Award, the Coretta Scott King Medal, and the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction! Children can learn more at: http://www.ritawg.com/.

National Gardening Day

 Events
Apr 142024
 

Texas Bluebonnets

National Gardening Day is today! Spring and warmer weather have arrived, along with some wild flowers, including the Texas bluebonnet. While it still may be too early to plant some flowers, fruits, and vegetables, it is a good day to turn over the soil, look for worms, and think about where to plant everything.

National Look Up at the Sky Day

 Events
Apr 142024
 

National Look Up at the Sky Day is today! At sunrise children could look for colorful skies. During the day, children could observe the color of the sky, the types of clouds, weather conditions, and the sights of living organisms. During sunset, they again could look for colorful skies. At night they could find the moon and determine its phase. They could also look at the stars and find constellations.

First Abolitionist Society Formed in 1775

 Events
Apr 142024
 

The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1775. This group was America’s first abolition society. Some of the early members were Thomas Paine, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, and John Greenleaf Whittier. Renamed the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, the group still exists, working for racial justice.

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