Miles Davis, musician
May 26, 1926-September 28, 1991
Lookin’ for Bird in the City by Robert Burleigh, illustrated Marek Los (Silver Whistle, 2001)
In this jazzy fictionalized account, Davis meets his idol, Charlie Parker.
An official site by the Davis estate offers the latest news, releases, and bio.
Dorothea Lange, artist
May 26, 1895-October 11, 1965
Dorothea Lange by Robyn Montana Turner (Little Brown, 1994)
A photographer during the Depression, Lange’s work put a face on what life was like for so many Americans.
From the Library of Congress, comes a bio of Lange and images of her work.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
May 25, 1803-April 27, 1882
Paths to Peace: People Who Changed the World by Jane Breskin Zalben (Dutton, 2006)
Buddies with Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau, Emerson had a great influence on the Transcendentalist movement.
An Emerson bio and samples of his work are featured on Thomas Hampson’s I Hear America Singing page at PBS.org.
Ynes Mexia, botanist
May 24, 1870-July 12, 1938
How We are Smart by W. Nikola-Lisa, illustrated by Sean Qualls (Lee & Low Books, 2006)
Mexia discovered a new passion when she was 51. Botany. And thanks to her, more than 500 species of plants were discovered.
A biographical sketch of Mexia is available on the California Academy of Sciences site.
Victoria, Queen
May 24, 1819-January 22, 1901
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 2000)
Queen of England for 64 years and the mother of nine children, the Victorian Age was named after this monarch.
Read more about Queen Victoria on the History of the Monarchy page, hosted by the Household Division of the British Monarchy.
Margaret Wise Brown, writer
May 23, 1910-November 13, 1952
The Days Before Now by Margaret Wise Brown, Joan W. Blos editor, illustrated by Thomas B. Allen (Simon and Schuster, 1994)
From the writing of Brown, creator of the children’s classic, Goodnight Moon, comes this autobiography of her life.
On a website devoted to Brown, read her story and view photos of her life.
Mary Cassatt, artist
May 22, 1844-June 14, 1926
Mary Cassatt by Robyn Montana Turner (Little, Brown reissue, 1994)
Paintings of mothers and children were what Cassatt was most known for. This biography, with images of her work, tells the story of her life in America and France.
Spend time at the WebMuseum, Paris. Read a biography of Cassatt and look at some of her work.
