“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.
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.
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.
Rutgers beat Princeton in the first intercollegiate football game in 1869. The two teams used a round ball, and each university had its own set of rules. Since the game was at Rutgers, they used the Rutgers rules. Players could only kick the ball; they could not throw the ball or run with the ball. The first team to score six points won. Rutgers won by two points.
Parker Brothers bought the patent for Monopoly in 1935 from inventor Elizabeth Magie. Magie had patented two forms of the game. The first patent, Monopoly I, was filed in 1904. That patent expired in 1921, so she filed a second patent (Monopoly II) in 1924. Magie sold the game, originally called The Landlord’s Game, to Parker Brothers for $500.00. Today Hasbro owns the rights to the game. Children could learn about Magie at: Elizabeth Magie.
Meet the Press premiered in 1947. It is the oldest running show on television. A panel of news reporters interviews a different guest, often a politician, each week. Every President since John F. Kennedy has appeared on the show.
Liberty Bell in Philadelphia
Philadelphia became the first American World Heritage City in 2015. UNESCO World Heritage announced the award during a conference in Ariquipa, Peru. Other World Heritage Cities include Florence, Saint Petersburg, Paris, Jerusalem, and Prague. Children can learn more at: Philadelphia.
James Naismith (born Almonte, Ontario, Canada, 1861; died Lawrence, Kansas, November 28, 1939) invented basketball in 1891. He was given the task of designing a game that could keep track and field athletes in shape and be played indoors during the cold winter. He created the first hoop from a peach basket, and the first basketball was actually a soccer ball. Children can read more about the original rules of the game at: Basketball Rules. Children could also read John Coy’s Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball.
Adolphe Sax (born Dinant, Belgium, 1814; died Paris, France, February 7, 1894) invented the saxophone and all its relatives. He became famous and wealthy. Children could watch and hear a saxophone and a HUGE saxophone being played at: Saxophone. Is the saxophone a woodwind instrument or a brass instrument?
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa (born Washington, DC, 1854; died Reading, Pennsylvania, March 6, 1932) was a band conductor and a composer. He wrote, among other works, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Children can read about him at: Sousa.
Elephant was used for the first time to represent the Republican Party. Harper’s Weekly published a Thomas Nast cartoon using the elephant in 1874. Nast first used the donkey to represent the Democratic party in 1870. Children can see the original cartoon at: Elephant.
Jeannette Rankin
Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1916. A Republican from Montana, she served two different times, from 1917 to 1919 and from 1941 to 1943. A pacifist, she voted against the United States entering both World War I and World War II. Children could read a good biography, Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer by Gretchen Woelfle. Children could also learn more at: Jeannette Rankin.