December 30 Birthday: Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods, athlete
Dec. 30, 1975-

Tiger Woods by David R. Collins, illustrated by Larry Nolte (Pelican, 1999)

Tiger Woods, the gifted young African American golfer, faced prejudice with positive character and determination as a child and as an adult. He won his first U.S. Amateur Championship at the age of 19.

Visit the Tiger Woods Official Website to learn more about this great golfer.

November 7 Birthday: Marie Curie

Marie Curie, physicist and chemist
Nov. 7, 1867-July 4, 1934

Marie Curie by Leonard Everett Fisher (Atheneum, 1994)

Life as a pioneering scientist was not easy but Curie, a Polish-French pioneer in radioactivity persevered and ultimately won two Nobel Peace Prizes for her efforts.

Visit the Nobel Award site to read more about Curie.

book source: library

November 7 Birthday: Alexa Canady

Alexa Canady, physician
Nov. 7, 1950-

Women of Hope: African Americans Who Made a Difference by Joyce Hansen (Scholastic, 1998)

Canady was the first black female neurosurgeon in the U.S. and has won numerous awards for her work. This collective biography includes a photograph and one-page biography of her.

Read more about Canady on a site celebrating Women's History Month.

book source: library

Unknown Birthday: George Crum

George Crum, chef
1822-July 22, 1914

George Crum and the Saratoga Chip by Gayila Taylor, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Lee & Low, 2006)

Thank you, George Crum. For inventing a most tasty treat. August 24 is National Potato Chip Day, though by all accounts, Americans celebrate potato chips every day of the year. Crum, part African-American and part American Indian is the king of snack-makers.

The Lemelson-MIT Program highlighted George Crum as an Inventor of the Week.

book source: library

November 4 Birthday: Will Rogers

Will Rogers, humorist, social commentator, actor
Nov. 4, 1879-Aug. 15, 1935

Will Rogers: An American Legend by Frank Keating, illustrated by Mike Wimmer (Silver Whistle/Harcourt, 2002)

Born in Oklahoma of Cherokee heritage, Rogers's wit and wisdom are highlighted as quotes of his are woven throughout this story of his life. Amazing artwork!

The Official Site of Will Rogers offers a biography, fast facts, photos, quotes and more.

book source: library

November 4 Birthday: James Earle Fraser

James Earle Fraser, sculptor
Nov. 4, 1876-Oct. 11, 1953

The Buffalo Nickel by Taylor Morrison (Houghton Mifflin, 2002)

This is the story of Fraser's life and work, and in particular, his design of the nickel depicting a buffalo on one side and a Plains Indian chief on the other. Fascinating.

Visit Wikipedia to view images of Fraser's other work.

book source: library

November 2 Birthday: James Polk

James Polk, U.S. President
Nov. 2, 1795-June 15, 1849

Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt(Harcourt, 1998)

Another one-termer, Polk was the 11th president of the U.S. The tradition of playing "Hail to the Chief" when a president enters a room began with him. One paragraph describes his life of work in this collective biography.

Read Polk's Inaugural address on March 4, 1845 at the Avalon Project at Yale.

book source: library

November 2 Birthday: Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding, U.S. President
Nov. 2, 1865-Aug. 2, 1923

Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)

This one-termer was the 29th president of the U.S. Krull offers a paragraph of tidbits about his life.

For more information about Harding, visit the Harding Home in Ohio.

book source: library

November 2 Birthday: Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette, politician
Nov. 2, 1755-Oct. 16, 1793

Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 2000)

The queen of France at nineteen, Marie Antoinette ruled for almost twenty years. One of her most famous quotes? "Let them eat cake."

Visit PBS.org to learn more about Antoinette.

book source: library

October 30 Birthday: Charles Atlas

Charles Atlas, athlete
Oct. 30, 1892-Dec. 23, 1972

Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas by Meghan McCarthy (Knopf, 2007)

Angelo Siciliano was a one-man revolution for fitness. Tired of being a weak and skinny kid, Angelo embarked on a quest for physical health. A trip to a local museum where he saw a statue of Hercules, and a visit to his favorite thinking place, the zoo, where he watched a lion stretch his muscles fueled Siciliano's inspiration. He took a new name to go with his new muscles—Charles Atlas—and was ultimately named “The World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man.” Atlas inspired millions to exercise, eat right and live right.

Print out a copy of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [PDF Version - 7.8 MB) to learn more about keeping healthy.

October 30 Birthday: John Adams

John Adams, U.S. President
Oct. 30, 1735-July 4, 1826

Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)

An early riser, this president had the longest life of any in this office. Adams was the 2nd U.S. president, served one term and had a horse named Cleopatra.

Read more about Adams at the WhiteHouse.gov page devoted to him.

October 28 Birthday: Lady Liberty

Lady Liberty, statue extraordinaire
Oct. 28, 1886 dedication

Lady Liberty: A Biography by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press, 2008)

Vignettes written from the perspective of those who created the Statue of Liberty offer moving accounts of her inspiring story. From Edouard De Laboulaye, a professor of law in France who dreamed of giving this birthday gift from his country; to Emma Lazarus, who wrote a poem in Liberty’s honor; to Florence De Foreest, a young girl who was one of more than 100,000 people in America who contributed to the campaign to raise funds; this is a story of honor and hope and love. One of the best book cover designs, ever. And the interior art is glorious, too.

You can visit the Statue of Liberty online. Take a look at the beautiful photo gallery, read about Lady Liberty’s history and take the Junior Ranger Program self-guided program for kids.