Monthly Archives: May 2014
HISTORY CARTOON: SUMMER SCHOOL
* Authorized Reproduction, Rex May: http://baloocartoons.com/
HISTORY TIDBIT: MOUNT EVEREST
On May 29th, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to successfully climb Mount Everest, the Himalayan mountain that stands 29,028 feet /8,847 metres above sea level and is thus considered the world’s tallest mountain. Before 1865, however, there was no Mount Everest for them to climb. Oh, it was there, but […]
MEMORIAL DAY (U.S.A.)
Originally called Decoration Day because of the tradition of decorating military graves with flowers, Memorial Day honours all who died while serving in the U.S. military since the end of the Civil War in 1865. It became an official day of remembrance in 1868 and is held on the last Monday of May.
TRIVIA TRAIL # 16: TRADITIONAL DANCE
Question: What kind of dancers wear bells and bright sashes and jump about waving handkerchiefs or banging sticks to the accompaniment of lively music? Answer: Morris dancers. This form of traditional English dance was believed to bring communities luck, prosperity, and fertility (the agricultural variety). The earliest records of it come from the fifteenth century, […]
DON’T FORGET THE ‘STORY’ #8
Some historic book suggestions in honour of May events, Asian Heritage Month, and Spring. Ages 3-7 Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg (Pioneer legend) Suki’s Kimono by Chieri Uegaki (Modern child embracing ancient heritage) Ages 7-9 The Rescue Adventure of Stenny Green, Hindenburg Crash Eyewitness by Candice Ransom (Graphic Novel) Ages 10-13 My Friend The Enemy […]
VICTORIA DAY
England’s Queen Victoria was born on May 24th, 1819. In 1845, Canada (then a British colony) became the first country in the Empire to give official recognition to her birthday and is the only one that still officially celebrates it, although nowadays it is more often viewed as simply the May Long Weekend. Victoria Day […]
