Harriet Tubman Day

 Events
Mar 102025
 

Harriet Tubman Day is today! President George H. W. Bush proclaimed the day in 1990. Harriet Tubman died in Auburn, New York, on this day in 1913. Her exact date of birth is unknown. She was born around 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. A slave, she escaped to Philadelphia in 1849. She then became the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad, probably saving about 900 people. During the Civil War, she acted as a spy and a scout. After the war, she cared for orphans and the aged. Children may want to read Before She Was Harriet, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E Ransome. He received a 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award for the book. Children could also learn more about her life at: Harriet Tubman.

Daniel Boone Was Hired in 1775 to Cut the Wilderness Road

 Events
Mar 102025
 

Daniel Boone
Painting by Chester Harding

Daniel Boone was hired in 1775 to cut the Wilderness Road. The road connected Virginia via the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky. The trail was rough and rocky; settlers walked the trail or rode horses. In 1790 the road was improved so that wagons could travel on it. Children can learn more about the Wilderness Road at: Daniel Boone.

Telephone Was Invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 in Cambridge, Massachusetts

 Events
Mar 102025
 

Telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bell’s first call was to Thomas Watson (who was in another room in the same building).His first telephone message was “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.”   The famous duo of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson made history again when the first transcontinental telephone call occurred on January 25, 1915. Watson was in San Francisco, California, when Bell called him from New York, New York. President Woodrow Wilson and the mayors of both cities were also part of the call. Bell also investigated causes of deafness.

Rings around Uranus Were Discovered in 1977

 Events
Mar 102025
 

Rings around Uranus were discovered in 1977. James L. Elliot, Edward W. Dunham, and Doulas J. Mink discovered the rings while they were using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. They actually discovered five rings by accident; they were trying to learn more about the atmosphere on Uranus. Some strange observations led them to the idea of rings. Today thirteen rings around Uranus have been documented. Children can learn more about Uranus, its rings, and its moons by visiting: Uranus and Rings.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Mar 102025
 

Mary Buff (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1890; died 1970) wrote and illustrated fourteen books with her husband, Conrad Buff II. Theiy received a Caldecott Honor Award in 1943 for Dash and Dart. They received three Newbery Honor Awards: in 1947 for The Big Tree, in 1952 for The Apple and the Arrow, and in 1954 for Magic Maize.

Clare Boothe Luce (born New York, New York, 1903; died Washington, DC, October 9, 1987) was a writer and politician. She edited two magazines and wrote a number of plays. She was elected to the House of Representatives and was the first woman to be named ambassador to an important country. She was the US ambassador to Italy from 1953 to 1956.

Lillian D. Wald (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1867; died Westport, Connecticut, September 1, 1940) was a nurse and social worker. She founded the Henry Street Settlement. It became an important public health nursing center. She campaigned actively to make Congress create the United States Children’s Bureau. Children can learn more at: Lillian Wald. The Henry Street Settlement continues to operate.

Johnny Appleseed Day

 Events
Mar 112025
 

Johnny Appleseed Day is celebrated today! John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, died in Allen County, Indiana, in 1845. Stories say he helped plant fruit orchards all along the frontier. He was a friend to both the Native Americans and the settlers. Children could plant some apple seeds in small containers. They could also dry apple rings. They could learn more at: Johnny Appleseed.

Samuel Mulliken Received Four Patents in 1791

 Events
Mar 112025
 

Samuel Mulliken received four patents in 1791. The Philadelphian was granted patents for:

  • a machine to thresh grain and corn – Patent X7
  • a device to break hemp – Patent X8
  • a strategy to cut and polish marble – Patent X9
  • a device to raise a nap on cloth – Patent X10

These patents were the last of the first ten patents issued in the United States. Unfortunately, a fire in the temporary building housing early patents destroyed all the early patents, so Mulliken’s documentation has been lost.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Mar 112025
 

Ralph Abernathy (born Linden, Alabama, 1926; died Atlanta, Georgia, April 17, 1990) was a civil rights leader. He helped organize the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, and he worked closely with Martin Luther King, Jr. He assumed some of King’s responsibilities after King was assassinated. Children could learn more at: Ralph Abernathy.

Libba Bray (born Montgomery, Alabama, 1964) writes books for young adults. Her books include Going Bovine, which received the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award, and Beauty Queens. Young adults can visit her site at: Libba Bray.

Wanda Gág (born New Ulm, Minnesota, 1893; died New York, New York, June 27, 1946) wrote and illustrated books for children. Her book Millions of Cats received a1929 Newbery Honor Award. The ABC Bunny earned Gág a1934 Newbery Honor Award. Nothing at All received a 1942 Caldecott Honor Award. Notice that she earned both a Caldecott and Newbery Awards. Children could read Deborah Kogan Ray’s book, Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Loved to Draw. They can also learn more at: Wanda Gag.

Ezra Jack Keats (born Brooklyn, New York, 1916; died New York, New York, May 6, 1983) was a children’s author and illustrator. He wrote, among other works, The Snowy Day which received the 1963 Caldecott Medal. In addition, Goggles received a 1970 Caldecott Honor Award. In 1985 the Ezra Jack Keats Book Awards were created. Every year the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation honors the best new authors and illustrators. Children can learn more at: Ezra Jack Keats. Children could also learn more about Ezra Jack Keats and the Ezra Jack Keats Book Awards from Children’s Book Award Handbook, by Diana F. Marks.

Robert Treat Paine (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1731; died Boston, Massachusetts, May 11, 1814) signed the Declaration of Independence. He was also elected to the Constitutional Convention. From 1777 to 1790 he was our country’s first attorney general. He also served on the Massachusetts State Supreme Court from 1790 to 1804. Children could learn more at: Robert Treat Paine.

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