Cecil Calvert, 2nd Lord of Baltimore, founded Maryland in 1632. Cecil’s father, George Calvert, had received a royal charter for the land from King Charles I. The new colony was named after Henrietta Maria, the wife of the king. In November 1633, about 200 Catholic settlers led by Cecil’s younger brother boarded the ships ARK […]
To understand meteors, one must also understand meteoroids and meteorites. First, a meteoroid is a particle in the solar system. The meteoroid may be as small as a grain of sand, or, as large as a boulder. When the meteor enters the Earth’s atmosphere, and becomes visible as a shooting star, it is called a
The narwhal is a medium-sized whale that lives in the Arctic region year-round. It is characterized by its single, straight tusk, which is actually an elongated canine (tooth) that grows to a length of ten feet. Normally, such tusks are unique to males. Occasionally, a male narwhal will have two tusks. The tusk functions as
The area that first became New Amsterdam, and eventually New York City, was first referred to as Man-A-Hat-Ta, by the local Indians. The name meant “Heavenly land”. It was first visited by the French explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. Verrazzano explored much of America’s northeast coast, including the waters around New York City and
North Carolina was first settled in 1587. 121 settlers led by John White landed on present-day Roanoke Island on July 22, 1587. It was the first English settlement in the New World. On August 18, 1587, White’s daughter gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World. By 1590, however,
The Peregrine Falcon is a large, powerful falcon of seashores, mountain ranges, and the Arctic tundra. Peregrine Falcons hunt medium-to large-sized birds, and are especially fond of ducks, shorebirds, and pigeons. Peregrine Falcons are extremely strong flyers, and often seize their prey at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Some Peregrine Falcons have even
Description: The Emperor Penguin is the world’s largest and tallest penguin. It is also the heaviest penguin, with some individuals recorded at nearly 100 pounds. The adult has a black head, back, tail, and black wings. The underparts are dingy white. The sides of the neck are marked with a large golden or yellow stripe.
The land that is now Pennsylvania was first claimed by the Swedes under Peter Minuit in 1638. Minuit had agreed to help them establish a colony after having a falling out with Dutch officials. Although the Swedes did colonize the region on the west banks of the Delaware River, known at the time as Nya
Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano located just east of Naples, Italy. It is the only volcano on the continent of Europe to have erupted in the last one hundred years, though other volcanoes have erupted on islands in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1631, approximately three thousand people were killed by an eruption from Mount
Juan Ponce de Leon was born in 1460 in Santeveras, Spain. De Leon was an explorer and fighter from an early age. He helped fight the Muslims in southern Spain in the early 1490’s. He was on board Christopher Columbus’ second expedition to the Americas in 1493. Rather than returning to Spain, the adventurer remained
Description: The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is named for its large head and blunt jaw. This huge sea turtle can grow to 800 pounds (though the average turtle is about 200 pounds) and three and a half feet in length. It is the largest hard-shelled turtle in the world. The carapace (shell) and flippers are reddish
Like many English Puritans, Roger Williams came to Massachusetts as part of “The Great Migration”, the Puritan departure from England and arrival in the new world. When Williams arrived, however, he realized that the Puritan church had not severed all of its ties with the Church of England, and hence, was not pure enough. For
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky, to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln in their one room log cabin on their farm known as Sinking Spring (near modern-day Hodgenville, Kentucky). Although Thomas lacked formal education, he was an excellent farmer and carpenter, and often times served a member of the jury.
The United Kingdom is a large island located in Europe. It also includes part of the island of Ireland. It is made up of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Over 60 million people live in the United Kingdom. The vast majority of the population, however, lives in England. The government of the
Tyrannosaurus Rex, also known as T-Rex, lived in what is now Western North America. At the time the T-Rex lived, the continent was known as Larimidia. The T-Rex lived during the Upper Cretaceous Period, between 85-66 million years ago. The T-Rex is thought to be one of the last non-flying dinosaurs to live before the