by Anne on January 30, 2008
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, U. S. President
Jan. 30, 1882-Apr. 12, 1945
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
This president had “fireside chats” broadcast over the radio, a collection of miniature pigs and a vibrant wife, Eleanor. FDR was number 32.
Visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum today.
by Anne on January 29, 2008
William McKinley, U.S. President
Jan. 29, 1843-Sept. 14, 1901
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
Number 25 banned the color yellow in the White House. A one paragraph bio of this president highlights his life and career.
Read more about McKinley at The White House site.
Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
Jan. 29, 1954-
Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (Charlesbridge, 2005)
T.V. talk show host, book lover, actress, philanthropist and more, Ms. O, an African-American, is dedicated to making the world a better place.
One of the richest people in the world, Winfrey recently opened a Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Read an article about the school here.
by Anne on January 28, 2008
Jackson Pollock, artist
Jan. 28, 1912-Aug. 11, 1956
Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker (Frances Lincoln Publishers, 2005)
Splatter painting anyone? This is a riveting look at Lavender Mist, one of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock’s most famous paintings and how he came to paint it.
Browse the collection of Pollock’s work at The Museum of Modern Art at MoMa.org.
by Anne on January 27, 2008
Wolfgang Mozart, musician
Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791
Mozart Tonight by Julie Downing (Aladdin, paper, 1994)
Told in first person, Mozart’s life is center stage in this story of his struggles and creativity.
The Mozart Project offers a biography, compositions, selected essays, bibliography and links to all things Mozart.
by Anne on January 26, 2008
Bessie Coleman, aviator
Jan. 26, 1892-Apr. 30, 1926
Talkin’ About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Orchard, 2002)
The first African-American woman airplane pilot’s story is told in approximately two-dozen fictionalized poems a.k.a. eulogies about her life.
PBS features a bio and photo of Coleman on their Fly Girls page.