Lascaux was discovered in 1940. Located in southwestern France, the Lascaux cave was found by a young man named Marcel Ravidat. The series of caves contain about 6,000 paintings, which can be organized into three groups: animals, humans, and abstract creations. The cave was opened to tourists in 1948, but light, changes in air temperature, and carbon dioxide exhaled by humans took a toll on the works of art. The real cave was closed in 1963, and a simulation of the cave was opened nearby. Mold in the real cave continues to be a problem. Children can visit the official (and amazing) website at: Caves of Lascaux.
Canyonlands National Park was created in 1964. Located in southeastern Utah, the Park encompasses over 300,000 acres. The Green River combines with the Colorado River in the park, creating large canyons. Petroglyphs can be found in several locations. Children can visit the park’s website at: Canyonlands.
Luna 2, a Soviet unmanned spacecraft, was launched in 1959. On September 14, 1959, it became the first spacecraft to land on the moon. It discovered that the moon had no magnetic field.
Fiftieth Space Shuttle Mission was launched in 1992. The crew spent seven days in space. The flight provided several firsts: Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space; Mamoru Mohri was the first Japanese scientist to go into space; Mark Lee and N. Jan Davis were the first married couple to fly in a spacecraft. Children could view a timeline of the Space Shuttle missions at: Space Shuttle Missions.