National Aviation Day
National Aviation Day is today. The day honors the birth of Orville Wright, the first of the brothers to fly a plane at Kitty Hawk. President Franklin Roosevelt first proposed the day in 1939. Children could celebrate the day by making and flying paper airplanes.
Honey Bee
World Honey Bee Day is today! Celebrated on the third Saturday in August, the day honors the insect and all that it does for our planet. In 2009 then Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsek issued a proclamation that the day was National Honey Bee Day. The day grew in popularity to what it is today. Honey bees are important because they pollinate so many different types of plants, including fruit trees and plants, vegetables, and nut trees. Bee are insects, so they have six legs. They have five eyes and two sets of wings. Bees communicate how far and in what direction food can be found by performing intricate dances.
Flag of Afghanistan
Afghanistan celebrates Independence Day. In 1919 Afghanistan gained its freedom from the United Kingdom. Slightly smaller than the state of Texas, land-locked Afghanistan has an arid to semi-arid climate. Its natural resources include metals and petroleum. Over 31 million people live there, and Kabul is the capital. Children could learn more at: Afghanistan.
Indianapolis 500 Early Days
Indianapolis 500 Race Track opened in 1909. It went through significant changes to be the race track it is today.
All-American Soap Box Derby was held for the first time in Dayton, Ohio, in 1934. The race was moved to Akron, Ohio, in 1935 because the city had more hills. Today the race is still held in Akron, and all cars must be unpowered. However, the science behind the scenes is amazing! Children can learn more at: Soap Box Derby
Strelka and Belka
Korabl-Sputnik 2 was launched in 1960. The Soviet spacecraft carried two dogs (Strelka and Belka), forty mice, two rats, and some plants into orbit. The spacecraft was recovered, and all the animals survived the four-orbit mission.
Vicki Cobb (born New, York, New York, 1938; died New York, New York, January 8, 2023) wrote more than 90 nonfiction books for children. Students might enjoy trying some of her projects from Science Experiments You Can Eat.
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton (born Hope, Arkansas, 1946) was the forty-second president of the United States. Before he was president, he served first as Arkansas’s state attorney general and then as its governor. He has concerned himself with issues such as health care, NAFTA, and the family leave bill. Children can visit a website at: Bill Clinton.
Ogden Nash (born Rye, New York, 1902; died Baltimore, Maryland, May 19, 1971) was a poet. He enjoyed writing humor. Children could read some of his poetry at: Ogden Nash Poems. Then they could write their own humorous verses.
Orville Wright
Orville Wright (born Dayton, Ohio, 1871; died Dayton, Ohio, January 30, 1948) flew the first airplane on December 17, 1903. His birthday has been proclaimed National Aviation Day since 1939. Children could view an excellent timeline of his life and his brother’s life at: Orville Wright.