Happy Birthday, Iowa!

 Events
Dec 282024
 

Iowa State Flag

Iowa became the twenty-ninth state of the United States in 1846. It was named after the Iowa Indian tribe. The area was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1838 it, along with parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, was part of the Iowa Territory. Des Moines is the state capital, and its nickname is the Hawkeye State. Iowa ranks 26th in area and 31st in population. It is still a leading producer of corn, cattle, and hogs. Children can visit an Internet site at: Iowa. Idea: Iowa has only four letters in its name. It and two other states have the shortest names. Children could arrange the states’ names according to how many letters are in each name. Which state has the longest name?

Benjamin Franklin Published Poor Richard’s Almanack for the First Time in 1732

 Events
Dec 282024
 
Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanack for the first time in 1732. He wrote under the pseudonym Richard Saunders and published the almanac yearly through 1758. Here he penned some of his most famous lines, including, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Children could read, write, and illustrate some of his sayings after they have visited: http://www.poorrichards.net/.

Dishwashing Machine Was Patented by Josephine Cochrane in 1886

 Events
Dec 282024
 

Dishwashing machine was patented by Josephine Cochrane in 1886. Cochrane (sometimes spelled Cochran) received Patent Number 355,139. Her invention was the first successful, hand-powered dishwasher of the time. Children can view the patent at: Dishwashing Machine. She founded the Garis-Cochrane Manufacturing Company shortly after the patent was issued. The company was renamed Cochran’s Crescent Washing Machine Company in 1897. She focused on on selling the dishwasher to hotels and commercial businesses. After her death in 1913, the business was acquired by KitchenAid, now part of Whirlpool Corporation. Children could read Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine: Josephine Cochran’s Bright Invention Makes a Big Splash, written Kate Hannigan and illustrated by Sarah Green.

Endangered Species Act Became Law in 1973

 Events
Dec 282024
 
Bald Eagle

Photo of Bald Eagle, courtesy of Saffron Blaze

Endangered Species Act became a law when it was signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973. The law tries to protect species that could become extinct. The law has helped the bald eagle, the whooping crane, and other species. Children can view a list of endangered species at: Endangered Species.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Dec 282024
 

Carol Ryrie Brink (born Moscow, Idaho, 1895; died La Jolla, California, August 15, 1981) was an author of more than 30 books. One of her books is Caddie Woodlawn. It received the 1936 Newbery Award. Children could visit a website at: Carol Ryrie Brink.

Cynthia DeFelice (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1951) has written sixteen novels and twelve picture books for children. Her books include The Real, True Dulcie Campbell and When Grandpa Kissed His Elbow. Children can visit her website at: Cynthia DeFelice.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard (born Baltimore, Maryland, 1927) has written at least twelve books for children. One of her books, Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys, was illustrated by E. B. Lewis, who received a 2001 Coretta Scott King Honor Award for the book’s illustrations. Children could learn more at: Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard.

Emily Cheney Neville (born Manchester, Connecticut, 1919; died Keene Valley, New York, December 14, 1997) wrote books for children. Her first book, It’s Like This, Cat, received the 1964 Newbery Medal. Other works include Traveler from a Small Kingdom and Fogarty.

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson (born Staunton, Virginia, 1856; died Washington, DC, February 3, 1924) was the twenty-eighth president (1913-1921) of the United States. He was the first president from the South since the Civil War. Despite having learning disabilities, he earned a doctorate in political science. He became New Jersey’s governor in 1910. During World War I, he tried to keep the United States neutral. Eventually America joined the War. After the war, he was instrumental in creating the League of Nations. However, Congress voted against joining the League. He won the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize. In that same year Wilson suffered a stroke, and his wife, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, hid his condition from the country. Children can visit a website at: Woodrow Wilson.