Colombia celebrates Independence Day. It declared its autonomy from Spain in 1810. Colombia is a bit less than twice the size of Texas. Bogota is the capital of this country, located on the northwest coast of South America. It exports coffee, bananas, and petroleum. Almost 46 million people live in Colombia. Children can learn more at: Colombia.
Neil Armstrong and Edwin Eugene Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the moon’s surface in 1969. Armstrong walked on the moon first. The first human to do so, he stated, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The two men walked on the moon for over two hours. Michael Collins stayed aboard the Apollo XI’s service module, Columbia. The moon walk was televised live, and everyone watched the event! The sense of great scientific accomplishment, accompanied by a big dose of patriotism, was amazing! Children could learn more about the landing and video at: Moon Landing.
First Image of Mars
Viking I landed on Mars in 1976. Launched August 20, 1975, Viking I carried cameras, a seismometer, a magnet, and sensors for temperature, wind velocity, and pressure. The Lander began to send data 25 seconds after landing and continued to function until November 11, 1982. Children can learn more at: Viking I.
Alexander the Great (born Pella, Greece, July 20/21, 356 BC; died Babylon, Iraq, June 10/11, 323 BC) established one of the largest kingdoms in ancient times. He was never defeated in battle, and he possessed great military skills. Children could read Alexander the Great by Demi.
Paulette Bourgeois (born Toronto, Canada, 1951) writes books for children. Her works include the Franklin the Turtle series and Oma’s Quilt. Her works have been translated into 38 languages. Children can visit her website at: Paulette Bourgeois.
Hillary (left) and Norgay
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (born Auckland, New Zealand, 1919; died Auckland, New Zealand, January 11, 2008) was an explorer. He and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953, became the first people to climb Mount Everest. Idea: Children could determine what gear is necessary for such climbs. They could also read Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, by Alexandra Stewart.