This week, children everywhere are writing their own “I have a dream” speeches for school. Need a refresher for your assignment? Get it right from the voice for freedom and equal rights:

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Happy Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday

President John F. Kennedy was born on May 29 in 1917. The 35th president of the United States was also an avid sportsman, an author (”Profiles in Courage,” among other titles), a WWII hero, and a recipient of a Purple Heart Medal. Unfortunately, he died way too young, at age 46 on that tragic day in Dallas after having served less than three years as president.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

^{(photo of JFK and his brothers, Robert and Ted © Newscom)}

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JFK’s Birthday

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Vincent Van Gogh’s Birthday

March 26 is Prince Kuhio Day in Hawaii. The day commemorates the birth of Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana’ole in 1871. Kuho was prince to the throne of Hawaii when the island nation was overthrown by American residents in 1893.

Kuhio was imprisonned after the uprising. Upon his release, he traveled throughout the world in a sort of self-imposed exile. The draw of the islands was too compelling, however, and Prince Kuhio returned in the early 20th century. He was elected to the US Congress in 1903 and served there until his death in 1921.

Prince Kuhio Day is a legal holiday in Hawaii.^{(Hawaii State Archives photo)}

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Prince Kuhio Day in Hawaii

March 9 is Barbie’s birthday. That’s right; she’s 49 years old today. (hard to believe)

Did you know that:

• Barbie has had 80 careers–everything from rock star to presidential candidate
• Barbie is currently marketed in more than 150 countries
• Barbie has represented 45 different nationalities
• Barbie has had over 43 pets, including 21 dogs, 14 horses, 6 cats, 3 ponies, a parrot, a chimpanzee, a panda, and a zebra
• Barbie’s full name is “Barbie Millicent Roberts”
• Barbie has had over a billion pair of shoes (my kind of girl)
• Among the designer that have created clothes for her are Givenchy, Versace, Dolce & Gabana, Vera Wang, and Gucci

^{(photo © Flickr user: Robert G/cc license)}

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Barbie’s Birthday

February 22 is George Washington’s birthday, the second half of the February “Presidents Day duo.” To honor the birth of the United States’ first president, here are a few Washington facts: How many do you know?

• Washington was the only president to not live in Washington DC. Although he helped to plan the city, the nation’s capital was in New York City during his presidency.
• In addition to the capital, one state, 31 counties, and 17 cities are named for Washington.
• Washington had red hair, but he powdered his hair as was the fashion during his time.
• George and Martha Washington had no children together, but George raised her two sons, Daniel and John, from her previous marriage.
• Washington’s teeth weren’t really wood, they were made of ivory.
• Washington did not attend college.
• Washington was the only US president to be elected unanimously.

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George Washington’s Birthday

February 12 is the birthday of the 16th president of the United States–Abraham Lincoln. Although his birthday and that of George Washington are celebrated together by the nation on President’s Day (February 18 in 2008), Lincoln’s birthday is marked separately by several places around the country where the Civil War president lived and worked.

Among the places celebrating Lincoln’s Birthday are the state of Illinois, where the date is a legal holiday and where Lincoln lived most of his life; Lincoln’s birthplace in Hodgenville, Kentucky; and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

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Lincoln’s Birthday

February 11 is National Inventors’ Day in the United States. Not by accident is celebrated on the anniversary of the birth of one of the country’s most profilic inventors, Thomas Alva Edison.

Edison, who lived from 1847 to 1931, had 1093 US Patents issued to him. He invented the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and an early printing telegraph, among other things.

Edison’s Menlo Park lab, his last breath sealed in a test tube, and other memorabilia are housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Another good field trip for Inventors’ Day is the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, located in Akron, Ohio.

President Ronald Reagan created National Inventors’ Day in 1983.

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National Inventors Day

Yet, all could be forgiven after listening to just a few bars of his music. Perhaps his greatest work was his “Requiem,” completed just before his death at age 35. Listen below:

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Mozart’s Birthday

The proceedings begin with a welcoming speech and then a grace, usually the Scottish “Selkirk Grace,” written by Burns.

The menu begins with soup, usually a Scotch broth or cock-a-leekie soup. The second course is the Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish made by boiling a sheep’s stomach, filled with minced meat and vegetables. The Haggis is presented at table amidst much fanfare. The diners rise, the bagpipes resound, and the dish is marched around the table on a silver platter. Meanwhile, someone recites Burns’ famous poem, “Address to a Haggis.” The haggis is accompanied by mashed potatoes (tatties) and turnips (neeps). A cheese course or dessert may follow.

After the meal, and with a glass of Scotch whiskey in hand, the diners share toasts to Robert Burns, led by the host. These are followed by readings of Burns poems and the evening ends by singing “Auld Lang Syne,” another Burns work.

^{(photo of the Haggis presentation © mhithaca/cc license; photo of Burns – public domain photo)}

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Burns Night