Flag of San Marino
San Marino celebrates Founding of the Republic Day. Saint Marinus, a stonemason, founded the country in AD 301. About a third of the size of Washington, DC, San Marino is a country within the country of Italy. Over 32,000 people live there, and the capital is the city of San Marino. Older children can learn more at: San Marino.
Flag of Qatar
Qatar celebrates Independence Day. It declared its freedom from Great Britain in 1971. About the size of Connecticut, Qatar is now ruled by Sheik Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The country obtains most of its income from oil and banking. Over two million people live in Qatar, and Doha is the capital. Children can learn more at: Qatar.
Treaty of Paris by Benjamin West
Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. Great Britain and the United States signed the treaty, formally ending the Revolutionary War and recognizing the United States as an independent country. The negotiators for the United States were John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple. Benjamin West’s painting Treaty of Paris (shown here) displays the five American negotiators. The painting was never completed because the British refused to be included. At least one copy of the treaty is housed in the National Archives. Children can read a transcript of the treaty at: Treaty of Paris.
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery in 1838. He boarded a train disguised as a free sailor in Baltimore and traveled to Philadelphia. Children can read about his escape at: Frederick Douglass. Children can also read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.
Peggy Whitson returned to earth on September 3, 2017. She set a new record of 665 days in space, including 288 days during her most recent stint on the International Space Station. She is now the American and any woman to spend the most time in space. She served on three missions on the space station. She set other space records as well. She is the oldest female astronaut at age 57, and she is the first woman to have commanded the International Space Station twice. The biochemist landed in a Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan. Older children can learn more at: Peggy Whitson.