Happy Birthday, New Jersey!

 Events
Dec 182025
 

New Jersey Flag

New Jersey became the third state by ratifying the Constitution in 1787. It was named after an island in the English Channel. The state’s nickname is the Garden State, and Trenton is the capital. During the American Revolution, at least one hundred battles were fought in New Jersey. It is one of the most densely populated states. While it contains large cities, it also boasts about its farms and shores. The honeybee is the state insect. Children could visit an Internet site at: New Jersey. They could locate on a map the sites of the Revolutionary War battles. They could find out why so many battles happened in New Jersey.

Amendment Thirteen to the Constitution Was Adopted in 1865

 Events
Dec 182025
 

amendmentAmendment Thirteen to the Constitution, outlawing slavery, was adopted in 1865. Congress proposed the amendment on January 31, 1865. By the end of February eighteen states had ratified it. Georgia ratified it on December 6, 1865. Enough states had then ratified the amendment to become official. Older children could research the background behind the amendment at: Amendment Thirteen.

The Nutcracker Premiered in Russia in 1892

 Events
Dec 182025
 
A Western Nutcracker

A Western Nutcracker

The Nutcracker, created by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovksy, was performed for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892. The ballet was based on Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann’s story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” The ballet is performed countless times, especially in the United States, at holiday time. Children can read the wonderfully illustrated The Nutcracker, by Susan Jeffers, to understand the ballet’s story.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Dec 182025
 

Joseph Grimaldi (London, England, 1778; died London, England, May 31, 1837) was known as Joey the Clown. His antics added much to theater humor. Children could become clowns today and wear clown makeup. They could organize into small groups and create clown skits.

Judith Heumann (born Brooklyn, New York, 1947; died Washington, DC, March 4, 2023) was called the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.” She contracted polio when she was eighteen months old and used a wheelchair the rest of her life. She organized the 504 Sit In that ultimately produced the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Children could read Fighting for Yes! The Story of Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann, written by Maryann Cocca-Leffler and illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger.

Paul Klee (born near Bern, Switzerland, 1879; died Muralto, Switzerland, June 29, 1940) was an artist. His paintings exude a dreamlike, fantasy quality. Children could visit a website at: Paul  Klee.

Marilyn Sachs (born Bronx, New York, 1927; died San Francisco, California, December 28, 2016) wrote 35 children’s books. Her books include Lost in America and A Pocket Full of Seeds.

Steven Spielberg (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1946) is a film producer and director. Among his credits are Jurassic Park and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Idea: Spielberg’s movies are very popular. Children could visit: Spielberg. Scholars could investigate the revenues from the movies and make a bar graph to indicate the results.

Thomas Paine Published The American Crisis in 1776.

 Events
Dec 192025
 

Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine published the first of a series of pamphlets called The American Crisis in 1776. His goal was to improve morale of both citizens and soldiers. His words were and still are very effective. His first words were:

THESE are the times that try men’s souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph…”

The last of the pamphlets was printed December 9, 1783. Children can view the entire work at: The American Crisis.

George Washington Encamped at Valley Forge in 1777

 Events
Dec 192025
 

Valley Forge Headquarters
Photo by Carol Highsmith

Valley Forge was the site of Washington encampment during the winter of 1777 and 1778. The army of 10,000 soldiers had to make their own huts. Food and clothing were scarce. About one-fourth of the troops died, and a smallpox epidemic made matters worse. The British, on the other hand, had quite nice conditions in Philadelphia. The arrival of Baron von Steuben and his drilling techniques strengthened the army, and they experienced battle success by June. Children could learn more at: Valley Forge. Children could also read the wonderful book The Riddle of Penncroft Farm, by Dorothea Jensen. It portrays the horrors of the Revolutionary War and the conditions of Valley Forge through the eyes of two adolescents.

Gaia Was Launched in 2013

 Events
Dec 192025
 

Gaia

Gaia was launched in 2013. The unmanned spacecraft, sponsored by the European Space Agency, took off from French Guiana. It has three responsibilities. It marks positions of stars. It measures the luminosity of stars. It measures the velocity of space objects.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Dec 192025
 

Eve Bunting (born Maghera, Northern Ireland, 1928; died Santa Cruz, California, October 1, 2023) was a children’s author. She wrote more than 250 books, including Fly Away Home. She received the 1976 Golden Kite Award for One More Flight. She also received the 1993 Edgar Award for Coffin on a Case. Children can see a video interview of Eve at: Eve Bunting.

Sir William Edward Parry (born Bath, England, 1790; died Ems, Germany, July 8, 1855) was an explorer. He led expeditions to the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage. Children could explore the concept of the Northwest Passage. Why was it so important to the United Kingdom?

Eleanor H. Porter (born Littleton, New Hampshire, 1868; died Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 21, 1920) was a children’s author. She wrote both short stories and novels. Her most well-known work is Pollyanna, published in 1913. Children can read many of her works, including Pollyanna, at: Project Gutenberg. They can learn more at: Eleanor H. Porter.

Virginia Company Left England in 1606 to Establish the First Colony, Jamestown, in America

 Events
Dec 202025
 

Virginia Company left England in 1606 to establish the first colony, Jamestown, in America. Three ships, the Godspeed, the Discovery, and the Susan Constant carried approximately 120 people to their new land. The ships landed May 14, 1607. Older children could read an excellent book, Blood on the River: Jamestown, 1607, by Eliza Carbone. Children could learn more at the National Parks Site: Jamestown.

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