Happy Birthday, National Geographic Society!

 Events
Jan 132025
 

National Geographic Society was created in Washington, DC, in 1888. Around 33 founding members met at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, to sign the charter. Visit a website at: National Geographic.  Children enjoy perusing the National Geographic site for kids at: National Geographic Kids. Do you want an easy activity that combines geography and good, hard thinking? Create a geography ABC: write the letters of the alphabet down on paper. Next to each letter children can write down places that begin with that letter. For example, “A” could list Albania, Alabama, Andes Mountains, Arno River…

Interesting Baseball Information

 Events
Jun 032025
 

New York Knickerbockers in 1851 became the first baseball team to wear uniforms. The uniform consisted of full-length blue pants, white shirts, and straw hats. The team players were also very involved in defining baseball’s rules and codes of conduct.

Casey at the Bat was printed for the first time in 1888 in the San Francisco Examiner. Although it was published anonymously, the author was Ernest L. Thayer. Children can read a copy of the poem at: Casey.

Ballpoint Pen Was Patented in 1888

 Events
Oct 302025
 
Ball Point Pens

Ball Point Pens

Ballpoint pen was patented in 1888 by John J. Loud of Weymouth, Massachusetts. He received patent number 392,046. A lawyer, inventor, and tanner, he developed the instrument so that he could write on his leather products. Fountain pens, then the most used type of pen, could not write on leather. Loud’s ballpoint pen, however, was not successful when used on paper. Laszlo Biro created a commercially successful ballpoint pen in 1943. Children can view Loud’s patent at: Ballpoint Pen Patent.