Election Day
Election Day is today! Election Day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Children can learn more at: Election Day.
Nov 052024
Nov 052024
Guy Fawkes Day is remembered in England. In 1605 at least eleven people plotted to blow up Parliament and kill political leaders, including King James I. They hid twenty barrels of gunpowder in the cellar of the Parliament building. However, the explosives were discovered the night before the intended detonation. The conspirators were tried, convicted, and beheaded. Guy Fawkes is the name most remembered among the guilty. During the evening of November 5, bonfires and fireworks light up the skies. Children can check out the BBC site and play a Guy Fawkes game at: Guy Fawkes Day.
Nov 052024
Selden’s Patent Design
George B. Selden patented the first gasoline-powered automobile in 1895. Now you might think that this is rather a boring event, but you would be wrong. Selden patented this engine after seeing a slightly different one at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. He and some partners tried to gain a monopoly over the automobile industry. However, Henry Ford and others won a lawsuit that had lasted over eight years. Ford’s reasonably priced cars won over the market, and Selden lost his monopoly. Children can see Selden’s patent at: Automobile.
Nov 052024
“The Mousetrap,” a mystery play by Agatha Christie, opened in London in 1952. It became one of the longest running plays in theater history. Nightly performances of the play continued until March 6, 2020, when COVID-19 caused the theater to close. The play reopened in May 2021. The play continues to run, and tickets are available at least through a large portion of 2025.
Nov 052024
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. Representing the 12th congressional district from New York, she was elected in 1968, and she served until 1983. She also ran unsuccessfully for President in 1972. Chisholm died in 2005. Children can read Shirley Chisholm: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress, by Alicia D. Williams. Older children can read a biography of her at: Shirley Chisholm.
Nov 052024
Raymond Bial (born Danville, Illinois, 1948; died Danville, Illinois, January 1, 2021) was a children’s author. He combined his writing with photography to create photo-essays. He published over a hundred books, including The Underground Railroad and Mist over the Mountains.
Larry Dane Brimner (born Saint Petersburg, Florida, 1949) is a children’s author. He has written over 150 books. One of his books is Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor. The book was named a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, and it received the 2012 Carter G. Woodson Award. Children could visit his website at: Larry Dane Brimner.
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1912; died Apple Valley, California, July 6, 1998) was a singer and an actor. He is famous for his cowboy roles in the early days of movies and television.
Ida Minerva Tarbell (born Erie County, Pennsylvania, 1857; died Bethel, Connecticut, January 6, 1944) was a writer and historian. She meticulously researched her subjects, and she set a new standard for investigative reporting. Children could learn about Tarbell at: Ida Minerva Tarbell. The could also read Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business – and WON, by Emily Arnold McCully. Finally they could read some of her works at: Project Gutenberg.