Flag of Uruguay
Uruguay celebrates Independence Day. It became free from Brazilian rule in 1825. Located on the southeastern coast of South America, the country is about the size of the state of Washington. The country’s rolling plains and mild climate allow ranchers to raise a great deal of livestock. Over three million people live in Uruguay, and Montevideo is the capital. Children can learn more at: Uruguay.
Matthew Webb in 1875 became the first person to swim the English Channel. He started in Dover, England, and finished near Calais, France, less than 22 hours later. Since then, at least 1,831 athletes have successfully completed the swim, which is 21 miles at its narrowist point.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
National Park Service celebrates its birthday; it was created in 1916. Congress created the government agency through the National Park Service Organic Act. A part of the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service supervises 401 locations, with 59 of those sites national parks. Over 280 million people visit the national parks each year. Children could visit the National Park’s website, particularly the kids section (WebRangers) at: http://www.nps.gov.
Voyager 2
Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Saturn in 1981 and to Neptune in 1989. Launched August 20, 1977, Voyager 2 investigated Saturn’s atmosphere. It also researched Neptune’s atmosphere and checked out one of Neptune’s moons, Triton. The spacecraft continues to travel and send back data. Children can keep up to date with that data at: http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/
Leonard Bernstein (born Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1918; died New York, New York, October 14, 1990) was a conductor and a composer. One of his musicals was West Side Story.
Ian Falconer (born Ridgefield, Connecticut, 1959; died Norwalk, Connecticut, March 7, 2023) was an illustrator, a children’s author, and a theater set designer. He wrote and illustrated the Olivia series, and he received a 2001 Caldecott Honor Award for Olivia.
Charles Ghigna (born Queens, New York, 1946) writes poetry for children. Sometimes called Father Goose, he has written at least 100 books, including The Alphabet Parade and I See Spring. He has written more than 5000 poems! Children can visit his website at: Charles Ghigna.
Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson (born Silver, South Carolina, 1927; died East Orange, New Jersey, September 28, 2003) was the first African American (of either sex) to play international tennis. She was also the first African American to win the women’s singles tournament at Wimbledon. She won the tournament in 1957 and returned to a ticker tape parade in New York. Idea: Children could find out how one qualifies for Wimbledon. They could also learn more abut Althea Gibson at: Althea Gibson.
Bret Harte (born Albany, New York, 1836; died London, England, August 2, 1902) was a writer known especially for his tales of the American West. One of his most famous works is “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” written in 1869. He completed “The Luck of Roaring Camp” in 1868. Children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.
Walt Kelly (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1913; died Hollywood, California, October 18, 1973) was a cartoonist. He is famous for his character, Pogo.
Lane Smith (born Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1959) writes and illustrates books for children. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, written by Jon Scieszka earned Smith a 1993 Caldecott Honor Award. He earned another Caldecott Honor Award in 2012 for Grandpa Green. Children could visit his website at: Lane Smith.