Battle of Bennington Day Is Celebrated in Vermont

 Events
Aug 162024
 

Battle of Bennington Day is celebrated in Vermont. The Green Mountain Boys defeated the British in 1777. During the Revolutionary War, British General Burgoyne sent a large contingent into the town of Bennington to take much-needed supplies and horses. The British were surprised to find 2,000 patriots, led by General John Stark. Burgoyne lost about 1,000 soldiers and was never able to replace his supplies. Eventually Burgoyne had to surrender at the Battle of Saratoga. Children can learn more at: Battle of Bennington.

Klondike Gold Rush in 1896

 Events
Aug 162024
 
Klondike Gold Rush

Klondike Gold Rush

Bonanza Creek, Alaska, experienced a gold rush in 1896. When Skookum Jim, Dawson Charlie and others discovered gold in Rabbit Creek, the Klondike Gold Rush began. Around 100,000 people tried to travel to the area, but only about 30,000 actually completed the trip. Of that number only 4,000 prospectors found gold. In 1903 production started to decline, and about 1,250,000 pounds of gold were mined in the area. Idea: Children could read about the Klondike Gold Rush. What problems did the prospectors face? Children could learn more at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park at: http://www.nps.gov/klgo/index.htm.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Aug 162024
 

Menachem Begin (born Brest-Litovsk, Poland, 1913; died Tel Aviv, Israel, March 9, 1992) was an important Israeli hero. He fought for Israel’s freedom. He was elected Israel’s Prime Minister in 1977 and signed the Camp David Accord in 1979. He and Anwar el-Sadat received the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.

Matt Christopher (born Bath, Pennsylvania, 1917; died Charlotte, North Carolina, September 20, 1997) was a children’s author. He is known for his 130 novels about sports. Children could visit a site hosted by his sons, Dale and Duane, at: Matt Christopher. Idea: Children could pick one of Matt Christopher’s sports books. After reading it, they could make a list of new things they have learned about the sport.

Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (born Lafayette, Indiana, 1914; died Washington, DC, March 1, 2000) wrote more than 50 books for children. Her works include May I Bring a Friend? (which earned the 1965 Caldecott Medal for illustrator Beni Montresor) and The Giant Story (illustrated by Maurice Sendak). Children can learn more at: Beatrice Schenk de Regniers.

Diana Wynne Jones (born United Kingdom, 1934; died United Kingdom, March 26, 2011) wrote fantasy books for children. Her works include Fire and Hemlock and The Archer’s Goon. Children could learn more at: Diana Wynne Jones.