Calendar: December 2018
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Monday 26
Alice in Wonderland is born
On this day in 1862, Oxford professor Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, now better known as Lewis Carroll, sent an early Christmas present to a young girl called Alice Liddell. The present was a handwritten version of the well-known story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
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Tuesday 27
Schoolboy Damilola Taylor killed
On this day in 2000, ten year-old Damilola Taylor was stabbed to death in Peckham, South London. If appropriate, you could discuss the issue of knife crime as part of PSHE and citizenship. You could base your discussion on the materials produced by the BBC’s Newsround programme.
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Wednesday 28
Margaret Thatcher leaves 10 Downing Street
On this date in 1990 the UK’s first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, tendered her resignation to the Queen and left Downing Street for the last time.
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Thursday 29
CS Lewis born
On this day in 1898, this famous author was born. Why not read an except from The Chronicles of Narnia for an end-of-term treat?
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Friday 30
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Saturday 01
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Sunday 02
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
The United Nations International Day for the Abolition of Slavery remembers those enslaved in past years, and today.
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Monday 03
First human heart transplant (1967)
A transplant team in South Africa, led by Dr Christiaan Barnard carry out the first heart transplant on a human
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Tuesday 04
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Wednesday 05
Death of Mozart
The classical German composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, died in Vienna on this day in 1791, at the age of 35. Discover educational resources related to Mozart.
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Thursday 06
St Nicholas Day/Sinterklaas
Celebrated in Europe, the day when St Nicholas leaves presents in children’s shoes.
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Friday 07
Last Apollo moon mission launched
The last Apollo moon mission was launched on this day in 1972. On the voyage, the crew took the photograph known as “The Blue Marble”
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Saturday 08
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Sunday 09
The Charge of the Light Brigade published
The poem The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was first published on this day in 1854
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Monday 10
Human Rights Day
The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights is honoured on this day. Why not discuss some of its key articles with the children?
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Tuesday 11
Charlie Chaplin (1987)
On this day in 1987, Charlie Chaplin’s cane and bowler hat were sold for a whopping £82,500. Enjoy an excerpt from a classic Chaplin film with your class.
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Wednesday 12
Greenham Common peace protest (1982)
In this 1982 women’s peace protest 30,000 women held hands, forming a human chain around the fence of Greenham Common airbase, protesting against the storage of nuclear weapons there.
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Thursday 13
St Lucy's Day/St Lucia's Day
A Christian feast day celebrated, particularly in Scandinavia, with processions of young girls holding candles. The youngest daughter wears a crown of candles and wakes the family to coffee and St Lucia buns (Lussekatt) which are made with saffron.
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Friday 14
Monkey Day
Monkey Day aims to raise awareness of issues related to simians, including medical research, animal rights, and evolution. Visit www.monkeyday. com
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Saturday 15
First version of basketball played (1891)
James Naismith introduced the first version of basketball, on this day in 1891. It had two teams of nine players, thirteen rules and balls were thrown into a peach basket nailed up at either end of his school’s gymnasium.
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Sunday 16
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party, when crates of tea were thrown into Boston harbour as a protest against the British-imposed Tea Act, occurred on this date in 1773, sparking the event which led to the American Revolution against British rule.
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Monday 17
Wright brothers’ first flight
On this day Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered flight in the ‘Flyer’.
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Tuesday 18
Steven Spielberg born (1946)
The director of ET, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones was born on this day in 1946
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Wednesday 19
BBC World Service begins broadcasting (1932)
In 1932 the BBC World Service began broadcasting, as the BBC Empire Service.
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Thursday 20
Cardiff becomes Wales' capital city (1955)
On this day in 1955 Cardiff was proclaimed as the capital city of Wales.
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Friday 21
Premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was premiere in the USA on this date in 1937 and was the first feature length colour animation produced in America.
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Saturday 22
Speed limit introduced to UK (1965)
A 70mph speed limit was applied to all rural roads, including motorways, for the first time in 1965.
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Sunday 23
First human kidney transplant performed (1954)
The first human kidney transplant was performed on this day in 1954 by Dr Joseph E Murray in Boston, Massachusetts
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Monday 24
Christmas Eve
Hang up your stockings ready for Father Christmas.
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Tuesday 25
Christmas Day
The Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ – celebrated with church services, the exchanging of presents and a Christmas feast. For lots of ideas and resources to help you with your festive planning at this busy time, visit Scholastic’s online bank of educational resources.
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Wednesday 26
St Stephen's Day
St Stephen was the first Christian martyr. We remember his feast day as part of the Christmas Carol ‘Good King Wenceslas’.
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Thursday 27
Louis Pasteur born (1822)
The French chemist famous for his breakthroughs in microbiology was born on this day in 1822.
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Friday 28
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Saturday 29
William Gladstone born
On this day in 1809, the four-times Liberal Prime Minister, William Gladstone, was born in Liverpool. He died in 1898.
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Sunday 30
Rudyard Kipling born (1865)
The author of The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories was born on this day in 1865
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Monday 31
New Year's Eve
Traditions celebrated in the UK on this day include ‘first footing’, where the first person to cross the threshold of a house after midnight brings a piece of coal and salt
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Tuesday 01
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Wednesday 02
Luna 1 Launches
On this day in 1959, the USSR satellite, Luna 1, was launched. Luna 1 is still in orbit around the Sun.
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Thursday 03
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday
The author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit was born on this day in 1892.
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Friday 04
Louis Braille's Birthday
Inventor of braille, now used and adapted into almost every language was born on this day in 1809
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Saturday 05
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Sunday 06