by Anne on October 26, 2009
Mahalia Jackson, musician
Oct. 26, 1911-Jan. 27, 1972
The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World by Julius Lester, illustrated by Lisa Cohen (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2001)
Renowned gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson “brought the blues feeling into church music.” Born in New Orleans, she moved to the city of Chicago when she was a teenager. It was there that Jackson found her voice.
America’s Library has a small feature on Mahalia Jackson with photos that would be of great interest to children.
Robert Leroy Johnson, musician
May 8, 1911-Aug. 16, 1938

The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World by Julius Lester, illustrated by Lisa Cohen (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2001)
Johnson, a gifted guitar player and singer died young. However, his legacy lives on in the likes of Dylan, the Stones and Clapton.
The Robert Johnson Blues Foundation site features an article from the LA Times about this famous bluesman.
by Anne on February 6, 2009
Ronald Regan, U.S. President
February 6, 1911-June 5, 2004

Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
A movie actor turned president, Regan loved to ride horses and tell a good story. He was the 40th president of the United States.
Read a bio of Regan on the White House site.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias, athlete
June 26, 1911 (or 1914)-September 27, 1956
Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (Charlesbridge, 2005)
Born in Texas, Zaharias was an accomplished golfer, basketball player and track and field star who won two gold medals and one silver in the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Sports Illustrated for Women.CNN features a bio of Didrikson Zaharias on their site.
Robert Leroy Johnson, musician
May 8, 1911-Aug. 16, 1938
The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World by Julius Lester, illustrated by Lisa Cohen (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2001)
Johnson, a gifted guitar player and singer died young. However, his legacy lives on in the likes of Dylan, the Stones and Clapton.
A web site about Johnson contains a bio, compositions, sounds, lyrics, and photos about this bluesman.
Harry Truman, U.S President
May 8, 1884-Dec. 26, 1972
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
The sign on Truman’s desk read “The Buck Stops Here.” This piano-playing 33rd president held watermelon spitting wars in the White House.
The Truman Presidential Museum & Library is the source for Truman research.