National Chocolate Pudding Day is today! What can we say, other than what fun? Older children can enjoy with chocolate pudding toppings, such as crushed cookies, whipped cream, or sprinkles. Younger children can “finger paint” with chocolate pudding and then enjoy eating their creations.
Flag of Madagascar
Madagascar celebrates Independence Day. It became free from French rule in 1960. It is an island, the fourth largest island in the world, off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is slightly smaller than Texas. It exports coffee, vanilla, and cloves, and about 23 million people live there. Antananarivo is the capital. Children can learn more at: Madagascar.
Velocipede
Bicycle was patented by W. K. Clarkson, Jr. of New York in 1819. Originally called a velocipede, the bicycle soon became a popular mode of transportation. The patent was destroyed in the 1836 patent office fire. In 2014 a billion bicycles were being used for business and fun. China accounts for 450 million of those bicycles. Children can learn more about bikes at: Bicycles.
United Nations Flag
United Nations Charter was signed by fifty nations in San Francisco, California, in 1945. The United Nations replaced the faltering League of Nations. Now 193 members belong to the United Nations. Children could see the list of countries now belonging to the United Nations at: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/member-states.
Candy Land Board
Candy Land was trademark registered in 1951. Teacher Eleanor Abbott invented the game in 1948 in San Diego, California, when a group of children and she contracted polio. Many of the children were in iron lungs, and they had few activities of interest or fun. She tested the game at the hospital, and the children suggested she contact Milton Bradley. The company bought the wildly successful game. In 1984 Hasbro bought Milton Bradley and now owns the game. The game has gone through several iterations, but about a million games are sold every year.
Universal Bar Codes were put into practice in 1974. A package of gum was scanned at the Marsh grocery store in Troy, Ohio. The purchaser was Clyde Dawson, and the store clerk was Sharon Buchanan. Afterward, the package of gum went to the Smithsonian and was put on display.
976CN Tower was opened officially in 1976. Located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it stands 1,815 feet tall. It was the tallest free-standing structure in the world until 2010 when the Canton Tower and Burj Khalifa were built.
Pearl Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (born Hillsboro, West Virginia, 1892; died Danby, Vermont, March 6, 1973) was an author. She won the 1938 Nobel Prize for The Good Earth.
Robert Burch (born Fayette County, Georgia, 1925; died Fayette County, Georgia, December 25, 2007) wrote nineteen books for children. His works include Queenie Peavy and Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain.
Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday (born Ballston Spa, New York, 1819; died Mendham, New Jersey, January 26, 1893) was the “Father of Baseball.” He fought in the Mexican War and in the Civil War. When the war ended, he had attained the rank of major general.
Walter Farley (born Syracuse, New York, 1915; died Sarasota, Florida, October 16, 1989) wrote about 25 books for children. He is known for his The Black Stallion and the sequels to the book. Children could learn more at: Walter Farley.
John Langdon (born near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 1741; died Portsmouth, New Hampshire, September 18, 1819) represented New Hampshire at the Constitutional Convention. A wealthy merchant, he fought in the Revolutionary War and built warships for the navy. He served as both New Hampshire’s governor and as one of the two U.S. senators from the state. During the country’s first presidential election, he counted the electoral votes and then sent George Washington a note with the results. Children could learn more at: John Langdon.
Thomas Locker (born New York, New York, 1937; died Albany, New York, March 9, 2012) was a writer, painter, and illustrator. He wrote and illustrated 36 books, the majority of which were for children. His works include Where the River Begins and Sky Tree.
Barbara Brenner (born Brooklyn, New York, 1925) has written more than 60 books for children. Her books include Wagon Wheels and One Small Place by the Sea. Older children can learn more at: Barbara Brenner.
Arthur Middleton (born Charleston, South Carolina, 1742; died Goose Creek, South Carolina, January 1, 1787) signed the Declaration of Independence. He represented South Carolina. The son of a wealthy plantation owner, Arthur went to England at age twelve to be educated. He returned to South Carolina in 1763 and became a lawyer. He was passionate about breaking away from Great Britain. During the Revolutionary War, the British captured him and held him captive in Florida. Soldiers looted his plantation. After the war he rebuilt the plantation, but he died at a young age. Children could learn more at: Arthur Middleton.
Nancy Willard (born Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1936; died Poughkeepsie, New York, February 19, 2017) was a poet and novelist. She published at least 70 books. She wrote A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers. This book won both the 1982 Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor Award.
Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias (born Port Arthur, Texas, 1911; died Galveston, Texas, September 27, 1956) was a great athlete. She played for the women’s All-American basketball team when she was sixteen years old. She won two gold medals during the 1932 Olympic Games in track events. She then went on to a string of championships in golf. She also enjoyed softball, swimming, and skating. Children could learn more at: Babe Didrikson Zaharias.
Charlotte Zolotow (born Norfolk, Virginia, 1915; died Hudson-on-Hastings, November 19, 2013) wrote more than 70 books for children. Her Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, was a Newbery Honor Book in 1962. The Charlotte Zolotow Award, first presented in 1998, is given each year to the writer of the best picture book. Children can learn more about the award at: Zolotow Award. They could also read the portion dedicated to Charlotte Zolotow and her award in Children’s Book Award Handbook by Diana F. Marks.