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The Learning Calendar : April
Each month, we will highlight historical birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, and provide teaching resources to help you learn about each topic.
April
| April 01 | April Fool's Day | | | April Fool's Day began in France in 1564! April 1 used to be New Year's Day - then it was switched to January 1. People who insisted celebrating the "old" New Year's Day were known as April fools - so the general concept was the feast of fools - which has an even more ancient beginning in Roman times. |
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| April 01-30 | National Poetry Month | | | This month is dedicated to paying tribute to the achievements of American poets, and the role of poetry as part of our heritage and society. |
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| April 01-30 | Alcohol Awareness Month | | | This month is dedicated to help raise awareness about the problem of underage drinking. |
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| April 02, 1513 | Ponce De Leon Discovers Florida | | | On April 2, 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, landing at the site that is now St. Augustine. He claimed the land in the name of Spain. |
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| April 02, 1792 | U.S. Mint - Anniversary | | | On this date in 1792, the first US Mint was established in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. |
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| April 02, 1805 | Hans Christian Anderson's Birthday | | | This author is remembered for over 150 classic fairy tales, such as "The Princess and the Pea," "The Snow Queen,", and "The Ugly Duckling." |
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| April 03, 1783 | Washington Irving's Birthday | | | On this date American author, attorney and US Minister to Spain was born. He wrote "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," among others. |
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| April 03-09, 2011 | National Week of the Ocean | | | This week focuses on the importance of the ocean for humanity, and on the ways we can appreciate and protect it. |
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| April 04, 1928 | Maya Angelou's Birthday | | | Maya Angelou, poet and author, was born on this day in 1928. |
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| April 04, 1968 | Martin Luther King's Assassination | | | On this date, Martin Luther King Jr., legendary civil rights activist, was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee. He was killed by James Earl Ray. |
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| April 06, 1909 | North Pole is Discovered | | | On this date, Robert E. Peary reached the North Pole after several attempts that failed. |
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| April 08 | Buddha's Birthday | | | Among Buddhist holidays, this is the most important one, because it commemorates the birthday of the Buddha. It is called the Day of Vesak. |
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| April 09, 1865 | Civil War Ends | | | On this date, General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant - commander of the Union Army. The war lasted 4 years. |
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| April 10, 1847 | Joseph Pulitzer's Birthday | | | Pulitzer was an American journalist and newspaper publisher. He left in his will an endowment for awards for journalism, letters, drama and education that have been awarded since 1917. |
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| April 10-16, 2011 | National Volunteer Week | | | Do you do any Volunteer work? If so, you should be celebrated this week! This week honors all those who help others through volunteer activities and community services. |
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| April 14, 1865 | Abraham Lincoln's Assassination | | | On this date, Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the U.S., was shot while watching a performance entitled "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. He died the following day. The man who shot him was John Wilkes Booth. |
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| April 15, 1912 | Sinking of the Titanic Anniversary | | | On this date, the "unsinkable" luxury cruise ship the Titanic was sailing from England to New York when it hit an iceberg and sank. 1,552 people lost their lives. |
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| April 16, 1867 | Wilbur Wright's Birthday | | | Celebrate the birthday of American aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright! |
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| April 17, 2010 | Palm Sunday | | | This Christian observance commemorates Christ's last entry into the Holy city of Jerusalem. |
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| April 17-23, 2011 | National Coin Week | | | This week is set aside to celebrate the history and understanding of the hobby of coin collecting. |
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| April 18-24, 2011 | Holy Week | | | This is a Christian observance which constitutes the last 7 days of Lent - starting on Palm Sunday, and ending on the following Holy Saturday. It is a tome of solemn recollection of the suffering, death and burial of Christ. |
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| April 19, 1775 | Battle of Lexington and Concord | | | This battle in Massachusetts commemorates the start of the American Revolution - and was started when the British fired the "shot heard 'round the world." |
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| April 19, 1995 | Oklahoma City Bombing | | | In 1995 a car bomb exploded outside the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The bomb tore the front of the building off, and killed 168 people, including 19 children in a day care center. Timothy J. McVeigh was convicted of the crime and executed on June 11, 2001. |
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| April 19, 2010 | Passover Begins at Sundown | | | This day, celebrated on April 24, starts at sundown on the 23rd this year. It is an 8-day celebration that commemorates the delivery of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Unleavened bread called matzoh is eaten during this holiday. |
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| April 20, 1889 | Adolf Hitler's Birthday | | | Adolph Hitler was the German dictator who believed in the superiority of the "Aryan race." He rose as the leader of the Nazi party. He started World War II in 1939 and was also responsible for the murder of millions who were not part of the Aryan race (especially Jews) in concentration camps throughout Europe. |
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| April 22, 2011 | Earth Day | | | Earth Day was first observed in 1970 with the message "give Earth a Chance". Now it is celebrated across the globe with more than 200 million people in over 142 countries participating in various ways. |
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| April 24, 2010 | Easter Sunday | | | This Christian joyous holiday commemorates the Resurrection of Christ three days after his death. |
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| April 26, 1785 | John Audubon's Birthday | | | John Audubon was an artist and naturalist who traveled and captured the beauty of wildlife across the country with his illustrations. He is most famous for his Birds in America illustrations. |
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| April 26, 1986 | Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster | | | An explosion at the Chernobyl atomic power plant in the Ukraine happened on this day, and burned for over 4 days. Radioactive material went into the atmosphere and more than 100,000 people were evacuated. 31 people died and thousands were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. |
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| April 27, 1822 | Ulysses S. Grant's Birthday | | | Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the U.S. and was the commander in chief of the Union army during the Civil War. |
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| April 27, 1947 | Babe Ruth Day | | | This day is set aside to honor legendary ball player Babe Ruth - and is celebrated at all ball fields in the U.S. and Japan. |
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| April 29, 1899 | Duke Ellington's Birthday | | | Duke Ellington is one of the most famous and influential people in Jazz history! He is credited with being the founder of Big Band Jazz. |
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| April 29, 2011 | National Arbor Day | | | This day is set aside to honor plants and trees - and is observed on the last Friday in April. Many organizations celebrate Arbor day by planting a tree. |
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