Apollo 16 on the Moon
Apollo 16 was launched in 1972. The fifth group to land on the moon, John Young, Charles M. Duke, Jr., and Thomas K. Mattingly made the 11-day trip, exploring the moon for 71 hours. Among their activities, they launched a satellite that would circle the moon. However, it was sent into an orbit that was not stable. The satellite crashed into the moon’s surface on May 29, 1972. Children could learn more at: Apollo 16.
Flag of European Union
Treaty of Accession was signed in Athens, Greece, in 2003. Ten more nations joined the European Union: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia. Today 27 countries are members of the European Union. Children could learn more at: European Union.
Sunita Williams
Astronaut Sunita Williams ran the Boston Marathon in 2007 while she was serving on the International Space Station. She ran the marathon on a treadmill in four hours 24 minutes. Her fellow crew members cheered for her while her sister Dina Pandya and fellow astronaut Karen L. Nyborg ran the marathon on earth.
Williams participated in Expeditions 15 and 16 and in Expeditions 32 and 33 on the International Space Station. By 2012 she had taken seven spacewalks for a total of 50 hours 40 minutes.
Dorothy Pulis Lathrop (born Albany, New York, 1891; died Falls Village, Connecticut, December 30, 1980) wrote and illustrated children’s books. She illustrated Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. That book earned the author, Rachel Fields, the 1930 Newbery Medal. Lathrop wrote and illustrated The Fairy Circus, earning her a 1932 Caldecott Honor Award. She received the very first Caldecott Medal (1938) for her illustrations in Animals of the Bible. Children can view some of the books she illustrated at: Project Gutenberg.
Gertrude Chandler Warner (born Putnam, Connecticut, 1890; died Putnam, Connecticut, August 30, 1979) created the Boxcar Children series. Warner wrote only the first nineteen books of the series. Now someone else writes the books. At last count, 167 Boxcar Children books have been published. Check the cover of a Boxcar book to see if the author is really Warner. Children could propose a plot for a new Boxcar book. Children could also read a biography, Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children, by Mary Ellen Ellsworth. They could read Gertrude Chandler Warner’s first book at: Project Gutenberg.
Garth Williams (born New York, New York, 1912; died Guanajuato, Mexico, May 8, 1996) wrote and illustrated children’s books. He stated he illustrated 97 books, including Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web and the Little House series. Children can learn more at: Garth Williams.
Wilbur Wright
Wilbur Wright (born Millville, Indiana, 1867; died Dayton, Ohio, May 30, 1912) invented, along with his brother, the first airplane. The two were owners of a bicycle shop when they became interested in aviation. They first experimented with kites and then moved on to gliders. They often experienced failure as they tested idea after idea. On December 17, 1903, Wilbur’s brother, Orville, flew their motorized airplane. Children could visit a website at: Wright Brothers. They could read the Newbery Honor Award book, The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane, by Russell Freedman. Idea: Consider having a paper airplane contest. Encourage new designs rather than the standard plane. Have a contest for the longest flight, and have another contest for the most acrobatic plane
Samuel Youd (born England, 1922; died England, February 3, 2012) wrote science fiction under several pen names, including John Christopher. His books include The Death of Grass and The Tripods trilogy. Children could learn more at: Samuel Youd.
Flag of American Samoa
American Samoa celebrates Flag Day, the day in 1900 when it became an American territory. It was formerly Eastern Samoa. Located in the South Pacific, the island group (according to the CIA World Factbook) is about the size of Washington, DC. About 55,000 people live in this tropical territory. Tuna fishing and tuna processing are a large part of its economy. Pago Pago is the capital. Older children can learn more at: American Samoa.
Flag of Syria
Syria celebrates Independence Day. Liberated from France in 1946, this Middle Eastern country is about the size of North Dakota. Farmers grow cotton and grains on its arable land. Mountains and deserts form a good portion of its geography. About 22.5 million people live in Syria, and its capital is Damascus. Children can learn more at: Syria.
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
Giovanni da Verrazzano discovered New York Harbor in 1524. An Italian, Verrazano was in France’s employ when he found the harbor. He was trying to find the Northwest Passage from Europe to Asia. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is named after him.
Hershey Bar was first sold in 1895. Before Milton Hershey, chocolate was very expensive, but his methods of candy making allowed the average customer to buy a candy bar. Children can learn more about the history of the Hershey Bar at: Hershey. Idea: how about S’mores?
Jerrie Mock in 1964 became the first woman to fly solo around the world. She left Columbus, Ohio, on March 19, 1964, in The Spirit of Columbus. She returned to Columbus on this day 29 days later. She made 21 stopovers and traveled 23,206 miles. She received the Louis Bleriot Medal from the Federation Aeronautique Nationale. Children can learn more at: Jerrie Mock. They could also read The Jerrie Mock Story: The First Woman to Fly Solo around the World by Nancy Roe Pimm.
Surveyor 3
Surveyor 3 was launched in 1967. It made a soft landing on the moon on April 20, 1967. Astronauts from the Apollo 12 mission to the moon brought back parts of the Surveyor. Children could analyze this photograph of the Surveyor. They could find out how it worked and how it was able to land without sinking into the moon’s dusty surface. Children could learn more at: Surveyor 3.