Birthdays

 Birthdays
May 022025
 
Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great (born Stettin, now Szczecin, Poland, 1729; died St. Petersburg, Russia, November 17, 1796) was Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She is credited with making Russia into a modern state.

EJMcCoy.jpg

Elijah McCoy

Elijah McCoy (born Colchester, Ontario, Canada, 1844; died Eloise, Michigan, October 10, 1929) was an inventor. The son of runaway slaves, he patented over 50 inventions. His most famous invention was a way to lubricate train engines as they worked. His inventions were so reliable that people did not want to buy imitations. Thus, his name is honored with the phrase, “the Real McCoy.” Children can learn more at: Elijah McCoy.

Mary Quattlebaum (born Bryan, Texas, 1958) has written at least 23 books for children. Her books include the Jackson Jones series and A Year on My Street.

Susan Richards Shreve (born Toledo, Ohio, 1939) writes books for children and adults. Her books include the Joshua T. Bates series and The Lovely Shoes. Her book Lucy Forever and Miss Rosetree, Shrinks received the Edgar Award in 1988. Children could visit her website at: Susan Shreve.

Poland Celebrates Swieto Trzeciego Majo (Constitution Day)

 Events
May 032025
 

Flag of Poland

Poland celebrates Swieto Trzeciego Majo (Constitution Day). Its first constitution was ratified in 1794. This European country, according to the CIA World Factbook, is slightly smaller than New Mexico. The climate ranges from cold and snowy in winter to cool and rainy in the summer. About 38 million people live in Poland, and the country exports machinery and manufactured goods. Wycinanki, paper cutting, is a Polish folk art. Children could learn how to produce the folk art at: Wycinanki. Children can learn more about Poland at: Poland.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
May 032025
 

Mavis Jukes (born Nyack, New York, 1947) writes books for children. Her books include No One Is Going to Nashville and Blackberries in the Dark. She received a 1985 Newbery Honor Award for Like Jake and Me.

Golda Meir

Golda Meir (born Golda Mabovitz in Kiev, Ukraine, 1898; died Jerusalem, Israel, December 8, 1978) moved to the United States in 1906. She left the United States for Palestine in 1921. It was divided into Israel and an Arab state in 1948. She served in various government capacities in Israel and was its Prime Minister from 1969 to 1974.

One Photo by Jacob Riis

One Photo by Jacob Riis

Jacob August Riis (born Ribe, Denmark, 1849; died Barre, Massachusetts, May 26, 1914) was a journalist and a photographer. He came to the United States in 1870 and found employment as a carpenter. He became a reporter and concentrated on the plight of the poor and on child labor. His works brought about changes in city housing, parks, and schools. He was one of the first photographers to use flash bulbs. Children can view some of his works at: Project Gutenberg. Children could read the excellent book Immigrant Kids by Lewis Hine, Jacob Riis, and Russell Freedman.

Atlantis and Magellan – 1989

 Events
May 042025
 

Magellan fixed inside Atlantis

Atlantis, an American shuttle spacecraft, was launched in 1989. It successfully deployed Magellan, which traveled to Venus to map the planet’s surface. Magellan encountered Venus on August 10, 1990 and began taking high-quality radar images on September 15, 1990. It continued to photograph the planet’s surface, making six complete mapping cycles. Magellan mapped about 98 percent of Venus’s surface. It was commanded to plunge into Venus’s surface, still sending data, on October 13, 1994. Children could learn more at: Magellan.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
May 042025
 

Doug Cushman (born Springfield, Ohio, 1953) has written and/or illustrated at least 125 books for children. His books include the Aunt Eater series and the Dirk Bones series. Children can learn more at: Doug Cushman.

Horace Mann (born Franklin, Massachusetts, 1796; died Yellow Springs, Ohio, August 2, 1859) is known as “the father of public education in the United States.” He was the editor of the Common School Journal. Idea: Children could find out more about Mann and his ideas about education.

Julia Gardiner Tyler

Julia Gardiner Tyler (born Gardiner’s Island, New York, 1820; died Richmond, Virginia, July 10, 1889) was America’s First Lady from June 26, 1844 to March 4, 1845. She was the second wife of John Tyler, tenth president of the United States. They were married while he was president. Siding toward the Confederacy, John Tyler died before the beginning of the Civil War. Later, Congress voted to give her a pension. Children could visit a website at: Julia Gardiner Tyler.

Cinco de Mayo Is Celebrated in Mexico and the United States

 Events
May 052025
 

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico and the United States. The Battle of Puebla took place in 1862. General Ignacio Zaragoza led his Mexican army, outnumbered three to one, against Napoleon III’s French forces. Zaragoza won. Speeches, festivals, and parades are held nationwide. Young children could read Cinco de Mayo by Mary Dodson Wade. Idea: Children could have a Cinco de Mayo celebration. A piñata should be included.

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