Flag of Mali
Mali celebrates Independence Day. It became free from France in 1960. Slightly less than twice the size of Texas, Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa. Gold mining is one source of income for the country. Almost sixteen million people live there, and Bamako is the capital. Older children could learn more at: Mali.
United States Post Office and the office of Postmaster General were created by Congress in 1789. Today the Post Office employs 700,000 people to deliver 213 billion items per year. It “delivers mail by planes, hovercraft, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, bicycles, mules and feet.” It employs about 68,000 veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans. Children could find some interesting fun facts about the post office at Post Office.
1940 Rural Postman Delivering Mail along Creeks and Roads near Jackson, Kentucky
Operation Little Vittles began in 1948. To understand Operation Little Vittles, we must understand Operation Vittles. After World War II ended. Germany was divided into four sectors, with the United States, France, United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union each in charge of one sector. The Soviet Union’s sector included Berlin. The Soviet Union on June 24, 1948, began blockading Berlin, allowing no food or fuel to enter the city. The other three nations responded by airlifting food and fuel, Operation Vittles, into the desperate city. Colonel Gail Halvorsen was one of the pilots bringing in supplies. He noticed that the children in Berlin got excited to even see a stick of gum. He decided to drop his rations of candy and gum attached to handkerchief parachutes to the children. Thus began Operation Little Vittles. Others heard of his kindness, and individuals and candy makers began donating goodies. Eventually over 23 tons of candy were dropped from about 250,000 small parachutes. On May 13, 1949, the Soviets lifted the blockade, and Operation Vittles and Operation Little Vittles were no longer needed.
Women were allowed to attend military academies, per Congress, in 1975. Today roughly 22 percent percent of the academies’ graduating classes are women.