Positron was discovered by Carl D. Henderson in 1932. The positron is the anti-particle to the electron.
Aug 022024
Aug 022024
James Arthur Baldwin (born New York, New York, 1924; died Saint Paul-de-Vence, France, November 30, 1987) was a noted African-American writer. One of his most famous works is Go Tell It on the Mountain.
Vera Brosgol (born Moscow, Russia, 1984) illustrates books for children. She is also known as Verabee. Her works include Be Prepared! and The Little Guys. She received a 2016 Caldecott Honor Award for Leave Me Alone!
Holling C. Holling (born Holling Allison Clancy in Holling Corners, Michigan, 1900; died September 7, 1973) was a children’s author and illustrator. He received a 1942 Caldecott Honor Award for Paddle-to-the-Sea. He also received two Newbery Honor Awards: one in 1949 for Seabird, and one in 1952 for Minn of the Mississippi. He and his wife also created World Museum comic strips in the 1930s that promoted history and creativity. Children could learn more at: Holling C. Holling.
James Howe (born Oneida, New York, 1946) has written over 90 books for children and young adults. His books include the Bunnicula series and There’s a Monster under My Bed. He received the 2007 E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Houndsley and Catina. Children could learn more at: James Howe.
Pierre Charles L’Enfant (born Paris, France, 1754; died Prince Georges County, Maryland, June 14, 1825) was an American Revolutionary War hero and an architect. He drew up the plans for Washington, DC.
Christian Robinson (born 1986) has illustrated at least seventeen books for children. His illustrations in Last Stop on Market Street earned him a 2016 Caldecott Honor Award, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and a Charlotte Zolotow Award. Children can learn more at: Christian Robinson.
Smokey Bear
Smokey Bear was “born” in 1944. The United States Forest Service created Smokey to teach children about preventing forest fires. Children can visit a VERY INTERESTING website at: https://smokeybear.com/en/smokey-for-kids.
Aug 032024
National Watermelon Day is today! Over 1,200 types of watermelon are grown. The watermelon plant is a vine that remains on the ground, and the watermelon is actually a type of berry called a pepo. A watermelon is composed of about 92% water with sugar making up the remainder. Watermelon is high in lycopene and contains other vitamins and minerals.
Aug 032024
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus left Palos, Spain, in 1492 with three ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, in an attempt to reach Asia from a westerly direction. He commanded a crew of 90 men. They spotted land in the New World on October 12, 1492. Children could learn more at: Christopher Columbus.
Aug 032024
Congress passed the first law limiting immigration in 1882. Children can learn about the history of immigration and view some great photographs at: Ellis Island.
Aug 032024
Helicopter
VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Land) craft was demonstrated for the first time in 1954. Today’s helicopters are the most popular form of VTOL, but other forms do exist. Children can learn how helicopters work at: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/helicopter.html.
Aug 032024
Mary Calhoun (born Keokuk, Iowa, 1926; died Boulder, Colorado, October 27, 2015) wrote more than 50 children’s books. Her works include Hot-Air Henry and Katie John.
Nicholas Gilman
Nicholas Gilman (born Exeter, New Hampshire, 1755; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 2, 1814) represented New Hampshire at the Constitutional Convention. During the Revolutionary War, he was with Washington at Valley Forge. After the Constitutional Convention, he served in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate. Children could learn more at: Nicholas Gilman.
Margaret (Maggie) Kuhn (born Buffalo, New York, 1905; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1995) created the Gray Panthers. She did not want to retire at the age of 65, but current laws then gave her no choice. She founded the group to fight age discrimination. Laws regarding mandatory retirement changed as a result of her activities.
Elisha Graves Otis (born Halifax, Vermont, 1811; died Yonkers, New York, April 8, 1861) was an inventor. He created the first elevator with an automatic safety device. He showed the safety of the elevator in 1854, but elevators were not used extensively until skyscrapers were built.
Ernie Pyle (born Dana, Indiana, 1900; died Ie Shima Island, Okinawa, Japan, April 18, 1945) was a journalist and war correspondent. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for his reports on the bombings in London and other World War II stories. He was killed while reporting the Pacific battles.
Aug 042024
Flag of Cook Islands
Cook Islands celebrate Constitution Day. In 1965 the populace approved a constitution that gives them autonomy in free association with New Zealand. The area of the fifteen islands is about 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC. The northern islands are coral atolls, and the southern islands are vestiges of volcanic activity. About 10,500 people live there, mostly on the southern islands. The capital is Avarua. The islands are named after Captain James Cook, who saw one of the islands in 1793. Children could learn more at: Cook Islands.
Aug 042024
Coast Guard was founded in 1790. Currently over 50,000 people serve in the Coast Guard. Numerous cutters, fixed and rotary aircraft, and boats are used to keep our country and citizens safe. Children can learn more at: Coast Guard.
Aug 042024
Artist’s Conception of Phoenix on Surface of Mars
Phoenix was launched by NASA in 2007. The spacecraft landed on a polar region of Mars on May 25, 2008, and conducted tests on water and surface chemistry until November 2, 2008. Then the Martian winter set in, and the fragile equipment could no longer send data. Children could learn more at: Phoenix.