If I asked you this same question about 70 years ago, you would have had a lot fewer options to pick from. And one thing’s for sure. You would have almost surely named a male athlete. This is because, in the 1950s, the greatest sports legends, and basically the only sports legends were men. 

It was very rare for women to play professional sports. When they did, they were told that they weren’t as competitive or fun to watch as the men playing the same sport as them. This meant that young girls had nobody to look up to. They had no Naomi Osaka or Alex Morgan to dream of becoming. 

A young girl named Billie Jean King was growing up in those days. She loved sports. She was born in California in 1943 into a family of athletes. Seriously, at least one of her family members had excelled at just about every sport you can think of. Her mother was a swimmer, and her father did basketball, baseball, and track. Her younger brother played baseball, and he even became a pitcher in Major League Baseball. 

Today, we might think that  Billie Jean was born to be an athlete. But this was 70 years ago. So, it was something of a surprise when Billie Jean wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps and be an athlete. 

Her family’s skills meant that she had high expectations and big shoes to fill. But, it didn’t take long before Billie Jean was proving she was every bit the talented athlete as the rest of her family. 

She started in softball. And she was really good at it. So good that when she was only 10 years old, she was playing with teenagers. It didn’t matter that they were bigger and stronger. She was still a strong competitor. 

After seeing one of her friends playing tennis, though, Billie Jean traded her softball bat for a tennis racquet. With that first swing at 11 years old, Billie Jean swiftly showed that she was definitely made to be a tennis player. 

She even told her mom that she was going to become the best tennis player in the world. Not the best women’s tennis player, not even the best women’s athlete, but the best tennis player in the world. 

There was one slight problem. Nobody really paid much attention to women’s tennis players, or really any women playing professional sports. So Billie Jean didn’t have anybody to model her career after. She had no female superstar athletes paving the way for her. Nope, she was going to have to do it all herself. Young Billie Jean had lots of challenges ahead of her. She was definitely going to have to prove that she was a tough opponent on the court.

But what she didn’t know was that some of her toughest battles would be off the court.

Still, Billie Jean knew in her heart that tennis was her sport. She was ready to start training. She was ready to start the path to become the best tennis player in the world. Not so fast, said reality! Her first off-court opponent was quick to show up. And it  stopped Billie Jean in her tracks. 

At the time, tennis was a pretty expensive sport. Her family didn’t have a lot of money, and her parents didn’t think they would be able to afford all of the equipment that she needed to start playing tennis. Billie Jean was used to overcoming an opponent with skill or endurance. That couldn’t help her this time.

But what could help her was persistence and hard work. Billie Jean decided that she would earn the money herself. She asked her neighbors if she could do jobs for them. Slowly, she ended up saving the money to buy herself her first racquet.

One opponent down. She had a racquet. She was ready to start practicing. She took free tennis lessons offered in her hometown of Long Beach, California. 

After a couple years of practice, Billie Jean was getting better and better. At age 14, she even won a championship tournament in Southern California! She was proving to herself and everyone around her that she was an athlete. And a great one.

But more opponents popped up off the court.  People criticized the way she played. They said she played too aggressively for a young girl. Billie Jean couldn’t help that she was a girl. No matter how well she performed, the boys around her were getting much more attention and praise. Billie Jean was frustrated. 

The criticism that she faced because of her gender continued to build. Then, as a teenager, she played in a big tennis tournament. At the end, they gathered all of the players for a photo.   Except for Billie Jean.

Why was she excluded from the photo?  At that time in tennis, women played in a traditional skirt. Billie Jean wore shorts. She was more comfortable and could play better in them. But she wasn’t allowed to be in the photo. Not unless she wore a skirt. Like girls were supposed to wear.

She felt like many people were rooting against her. The people in charge of tournaments didn’t want her to be noticed for her success. Despite this little loss, she kept playing throughout all of high school, and by the time she was ready to go to college, Billie Jean was ranked as one of the best women’s tennis players in the whole country. 

Even though she was winning almost every match in every tournament she joined, she made less prize money than the men who won the exact same tournaments. The people around her told her that she was a very good tennis player…for a girl. 

The college she went to wouldn’t even give her a scholarship just because she was a girl! She won every match she could, but still she felt that her gender was the one rival she would never be able to vanquish. 

Billie Jean was starting to realize that her childhood dream of being the best tennis player in the world was going to be much more difficult than she thought. She accepted that it would be difficult, but she did not accept that it would be impossible. 

Billie Jean was already fighting hard on the court. Now she was ready to start fighting back just as hard off the court. When she thought about her childhood dream, she didn’t just want to be the best tennis player in the world for herself. She wanted to be the best player in the world so she could make sports equal for all the girls who followed in her tennis-playing footsteps. 

To do this, Billie Jean would have to start playing more and bigger tournaments. So that’s exactly what she did. In 1961, when she was 18 years old, she competed in her first Wimbledon tournament. Wimbledon is an annual tennis tournament held in London, and it’s basically the World Cup of tennis. It’s one of the biggest and most watched tournaments all over the world every year. 

Billie Jean and her tennis partner Karen Hantz Susman became the youngest pair to ever win the Wimbledon women’s doubles title. After that, she didn’t stop. She kept winning. For the next 20 years almost, it seemed like Billie Jean won every match she played. 

In 1966, she won her first major singles championship at the Wimbledon tournament. And then she won again in 1967. And again in 1968. She went on to win a record-winning total of 20 Wimbledon titles in her career, which she still holds the record for today. 

Her victories spanned the whole world. From 1961 when she won that first Wimbledon, until 1979, Billie Jean won 13 titles at the major tennis tournament in the United States, four at the one in France, and two at the one in Australia, and 20 – yes, 20 – from Wimbledon.  

Even without doing the  math, we can all agree that those added up to a lot of wins for Billie Jean. Most importantly, she achieved that special goal that she told her mother about when she was a young girl. For a total of 6 years, Billie Jean King was ranked as the best women’s tennis player in the world. 

She’d made a name for herself. Now Billie Jean wanted to use the fame and reputation she’d earned on the court to start tackling some of the challenges and problems she’d dealt with off the court.

She first created an association specifically for women playing in tennis. She wanted to make the sport equal between mens and womens players, not only for herself, but for the women she was competing against, and for the thousands of young girls who might one day break the records she was setting. 

With this new Women’s Tennis Association, Billie Jean started a campaign to make prize money equal for both men and women at all these tournaments. At one point, Billie Jean even said she would stop playing in tournaments that would not offer the same amount of prize money. Unless they offered up some equality off the court, Billie Jean would not play. And without Billie Jean, less people came to see these tournaments.  

So the United States Open in 1973 became the first major tournament to offer equal prize money to both men and women thanks to Billie Jean. This was a big deal! It’s rare, even today, for male athletes and female athletes to earn the same amount of money. Billie Jean’s hard work and international success was changing some people’s minds. 

Of course, not everybody was happy with these changes. One of them was an older men’s tennis player. His name was Bobby Riggs. Bobby was especially upset with Billie Jean. He insisted that men’s tennis was better than women’s tennis. He boasted that he could beat any of the best female players, Billie Jean included. Even though he had been retired from the sport for almost 20 years, he challenged Billie Jean to a tennis match. The winner would get $100,000! And almost as importantly, they would get bragging rights. 

Billie Jean had never been one to back away from a challenge. She had changed the game of tennis and made it better for women. She had paid for her own equipment, been excluded from tournament photos, and spent decades training. Was she going to back down now? Of course, she accepted. 

People were very excited. They nicknamed the match the “Battle of the Sexes.” They put it on TV for the whole country to watch! It was the most watched tennis match ever. This meant that the stakes were even higher for Billie Jean. Could she beat a male tennis player? Could she show everybody watching that women were just as good at sports as men? 

On September 20 in 1973 Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs very easily. But it wasn’t her only victory. Her tougher victory was the respect she won for women by the thousands of viewers across the world. People were starting to agree with 11-year-old Billie Jean. Finally, it seemed that Billie Jean could claim the title of the best tennis player. 

Since then, Billie Jean has retired. She set up the Women’s Sports Foundation and a co-ed tennis team to make sure women would always have a place in professional sports. She continues to advocate for women in professional sports.

Billie Jean’s victories are one reason that we have many successful women’s athletes that we can look up to today. People like Simone Biles, Alex Morgan, and Serena Williams aren’t great athletes in spite of being women. They are the greatest athletes because they are women. And that’s something that Billie Jean worked hard to prove.  

So the next time you hear someone say, “They’re pretty good . . . for a girl,” remind them of Billie Jean King. Who was a pretty good athlete. Period. 

Sources: 

https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Billie-Jean-King/630675

https://kids.kiddle.co/Billie_Jean_King#Early_life

https://kidskonnect.com/people/billie-jean-king/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-the-Sexes-tennis

The post The Story of Billie Jean King for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Not for the first time, Charles wondered why he agreed to race today. He could have been asleep in his warm and cozy flat. Instead, he was shivering out here on the edge of the school grounds on a typical drizzly morning in England in autumn.

He should have told his older brother Albert he wasn’t ready to be a Hare. It was such an important job that it was usually reserved for more experienced runners. Like Albert. Albert was the school’s top runner and had won this event – the Royal Shrewsbury School Hunt – for the last three years.

“I want to run a race with my brother,” Albert insisted. What he should have said was “I want to win a race against my brother.”

Either way, Albert dragged Charles to the headmaster’s office who listened to Albert’s argument without interrupting, then finally leaned back in his chair and said, “Well, since I am anxious to learn if Charles has inherited your quickness, I shall agree to let him be a Hare.”

The following day, Charles was paired up with a nice enough lad named Edward. For hours, he and Edward wadded paper into little balls that were now stuffed in knapsacks slung over their shoulders. As they ran, they would drop those balls in order to leave a paper trail for the other runners to follow. 

Most importantly, they would desperately try to stay ahead of the two groups chasing them: the Hounds and the Huntsmen. The Hounds currently stood a few meters from Charles, clustered in identical white knickers and jerseys. Behind them were the Huntsmen. Charles’s pulse quickened when he looked at them. The Huntsmen were led by his brother Albert.

He wore a brown cap and a red jersey and carried a bugle as was customary for the Lead Huntsman. Charles watched, his heart racing, as Albert stepped forward.

“All hounds who wish to run, run hard, run well,” he yelled. “And Huntsmen?”  He paused and the runners grew silent. Then, he fixed his eyes on Charles. “We shall feast on rabbit stew for supper!” The runners cheered loudly.

Charles gritted his teeth. He fixed his eyes on the course ahead. He would show Albert. He would beat all of them.

So when Albert sounded the bugle seconds later, Charles bolted into the forest like he was actually being chased by hounds. He dashed left and right, dropping paper as he went. He jumped over fences and splashed through mud. Even when Edward fell behind, Charles ran.

For nearly three hours, he kept his eyes forward and ran. His legs ached. His lungs throbbed. Only when he saw the marked finish line did he glance back. 

Albert was there, meters away. He was close enough for Charles to see the desperation in his eyes. Albert realized there would be no rabbit stew. He was about to lose his first race.

Charles’s heart pinched. Next year, Albert would head to university. Charles would have two more years to prove he was fast. This was Albert’s last race.

Charles slowed his pace. It took only a heartbeat for Albert to fly past him. But the small nod Albert offered his younger brother was enough. Albert claimed victory that day. But only by a hair.

Sources:

• https://worldathletics.org/news/press-release/royal-shrewsbury-school-hunt-iaaf-heritage
• https://www.shrewsbury.org.uk/co-curricular/sport/cross-country-rssh-#:~:text=Written%20records%20date%20from%201831,a%20mounted%20fox%2Dhunting%20club. 
• https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20800271/the-origins-of-cross-country/ 
• https://www.runnerspace.com/news.php?news_id=268639

The organized sport of running – called cross country – only goes back about two hundred years. It started in England at a boys’ school called Shrewsbury after the headmaster rejected the idea of a fox-hunting club. Charles and Albert, from the story we just read, are fictional but real students like them proposed a running race through the countryside. They modeled the sport after fox hunting, which was popular in England at the time. As you learned in the story, they even had names like Hares and Hounds.

Humans have been running for more than two million years. Today, we run for exercise or for sport. But back then? We ran to survive. 

Imagine life for those first humans. Chances are, you would have spent most of the day thinking about how to get your next meal. Inevitably, you would have realized that dinner was not going to be served to you. No! You had to catch it. Bad news: your two legs weren’t as speedy as the four legs that cheetahs and gazelles had.

Plus, it would be a few thousand years before humans figured out how to make a spear or a slingshot to make hunting a bit easier. In order to eat and avoid being eaten in the early years, you would have had to figure out how to move fast. 

However, anthropologists who study early humans believe that those first people came up with something better than speed. They discovered endurance. Endurance let humans run longer and farther than the animals they wanted to eat. So even though the first humans might not have been as fast, they could outrun their dinner. 

Over time, the human body adapted to help people run. For example, humans’ legs grew longer and their feet became lighter. The joints in their legs helped them absorb more impact. These changes helped humans catch bigger prey. Bigger meals meant more calories. More calories led to bigger brains. Bigger brains helped people discover how to survive longer. Good news for all of us.

Running hasn’t always just been about survival, though; it’s also one of the oldest competitive sports. You see, once we figured out how to outrun animals, we wanted to see if we could outrun each other. In fact, carvings on the walls of Egyptian tombs show people competitively running as early as 3100 BC.  In ancient Greece, people raced against each other at the earliest Olympic games. These races were only about two hundred yards in length because they took place in an arena called a stadion. But the winners of those races were seen as the greatest athletes of the games. They got to wear a crown of olive leaves to prove it! 

Eventually, people started racing longer distances. Probably the most well-known of these is the marathon. Today, marathon runners today run exactly 26.2 miles. Seems like an odd distance for a race, right? Well, marathon runners can thank a Greek messenger and the British queen for that.

In ancient Greece, messengers would run miles to deliver important news or information. Pheidippides was one of these messengers, He lived in the Greek city-state of Athens. At the time, Athens was engaged in a fierce war against the Persian army – an army that was bigger and better trained and favored to win the war by a lot. 

In a surprise turn of events, Athens managed to win a key battle in a city called Marathon. The general of the Athenian army told poor Pheidippides to run as fast as possible to Athens and tell everyone there the good news: Athens had won! Pheidippides did as he was told, racing 25 miles from Marathon to Athens. Legend says that as soon as he announced the victory, he collapsed from exhaustion and well . . . .died. But somehow, the idea of running that far stuck around and became known as a marathon.

But what about the additional 1.2 miles? Fast way forward to 1908. The Olympic games were being held in London. The Queen of England, Queen Alexandra, demanded that the marathon start at Windsor Castle and finish directly in front of her royal box at the Olympic stadium. The only problem was that this was a distance of 26.2 miles – 1.2 miles longer than normal. The queen, not surprisingly, got her way and the fate of marathoners was forever sealed. 

In recent years, the number of people competing in running races has grown. So, too have the types of races available. Long-distance runners can train to run a marathon or its descendent, the half marathon which is 13.1 miles. For those who prefer shorter distances, there are any number of 5K or 10K races to enter around the world on any given weekend.

Most people sign up to run for exercise or to show off the medal you get when you finish. Professional runners, however, compete for prize money. Every year, the well-known Boston Marathon welcomes top runners from around the world. The winner of this race often finishes in under two hours and can win about $75,000. 

Maybe you’ve even heard of a few of the more famous runners, like Usain Bolt. This Jamaican sprinter was named the Fastest Man in the World when he ran 100 meters in 8.58 seconds at the Olympic Games. 

Like our ancestors, we’re still testing the limits of endurance and speed. Fortunately, though, dinner no longer needs to be chased down. We can all be grateful for that.

Sources:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/marathons-ancient-origins

https://worldathletics.org/news/press-release/royal-shrewsbury-school-hunt-iaaf-heritage

https://www.shrewsbury.org.uk/co-curricular/sport/cross-country-rssh-#:~:text=Written%20records%20date%20from%201831,a%20mounted%20fox%2Dhunting%20club.

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20800271/the-origins-of-cross-country/

https://www.runnerspace.com/news.php?news_id=268639

https://www.npr.org/2010/07/19/128626037/for-humans-slow-and-steady-running-won-the-race

https://www.livescience.com/98-runner-high-jogging-separated-humans-apes.html

https://www.history.com/news/why-is-a-marathon-26-2-miles

The post History of Competitive Running and Cross Country for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

With each stride, the ground beneath your feet feels soft and supportive. Your body tingles with energy. The game begins, and you gracefully move with purpose and skill. 

Your feet dance across the field. A black and white ball joins you as you pass and manipulate it with precision. A symphony of understanding passes between you and your teammates. No words are needed, for your actions speak louder than any words. You share a connection knowing where to be and when.

Onlookers watch in awe, their eyes wide with admiration. And then, in a thrilling moment, it happens. The ball comes to you, and you see an opportunity. You run forward, your heart pounding. With all your strength, you kick the ball toward the goal.

Time seems to slow down as you watch the ball soar through the air. The crowd holds its breath, their eyes locked on the spinning sphere. And then, with a thud, the ball finds the back of the net.

Cheers explode around you as your teammates rush to celebrate. You’re surrounded by hugs, high-fives, and smiles. You’ve scored a goal, a moment of triumph that fills your heart with joy.

This is soccer, also known as football in most countries outside of the United States. It’s easily the most popular sport in the world. It passes through borders and connects cultures. It is a sport that unites teammates and brings joy to millions of hearts around the globe. It’s a game that captures the essence of teamwork, perseverance, and the spirit of competition. 

Join us as we learn about the history of soccer…

A long time ago in the 12 century a simpler version of soccer called ‘Folk ball’ was played in English meadows. It was quite different from the soccer we know today. People used their fists to punch the ball and tackle each other. They played pretty rough and it was known to be a very violent game. It wasn’t until later that the British government made soccer a much safer sport by changing the rules. 

The game was played between English public schools, but each school had its own rules, some allowed you to carry the ball,  while others didn’t allow players to pick it up at all.

The different rules made it hard for schools to play each other. That is until 1848 when the Cambridge Rules were adopted. That’s when soccer and rugby became two separate sports and touching the ball with your hands became illegal. 

Have you ever heard of rugby? Unlike soccer, players in rugby can use their hands to pass the ball backward or kick it forward. The game is known to be pretty physical because players can tackle the other team to stop them from scoring.

For many years soccer was mostly played between local schools, but that was soon to change by the Industrial Revolution. 

The Industrial Revolution was a time in history when big changes happened in how things were made. Before, most things were made by hand, but during the Industrial Revolution, machines were invented to do the work faster and more efficiently.

These machines were powered by steam engines and later by electricity. Factories were built where these machines were used to make all sorts of things like clothes, tools, and even food. This meant that more things could be made in less time, and it changed the way people lived and worked.

When factories started popping up, their workers began playing soccer.  They formed teams based on their jobs and played the game after work as a social activity. Then something really important happened: railroads were introduced, which meant that teams could travel to other places and play against different teams. 

This is how the first soccer leagues were created. During this time, teams started paying the best players to join them and people started buying tickets to watch the star players in action. This changed soccer from just a fun game to a professional sport.

At the same time in England, the first amateur soccer club was born. 

The members of the cricket team wanted to stay active during the winter months, so they started playing friendly soccer matches during this time. Eventually, they formed an official soccer team called Sheffield FC, which was established in 1857. 

They made their own rules for the game, but after some time, they decided to follow the rules set by the Football Association (FA).

Soccer was becoming very popular all over England, and the leading clubs started playing against each other. In 1888, the English Football League was created, which made the game even more organized. Around the same time, soccer started gaining popularity in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. By 1890, all four countries in the United Kingdom had their own leagues and competed against each other.

After soccer became popular in England, it quickly spread to other countries around the world. In the late 19th century, only a few national football teams existed. England and Scotland played their first match against each other in the 1870s.

In 1903, a French journalist named Robert Guérin wanted to create an organization that would oversee international soccer. He gathered representatives from seven nations together in Paris. Their goal was to unite national soccer associations worldwide. 

These seven countries including Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, are now recognized as the founding members of the Federation Internationale de Football Association also known as FIFA.

Since it began in Paris, FIFA has grown into the world’s most popular sports organization. Every four years, FIFA hosts an incredible event called the World Cup, which brings together teams from all around the world, both men and women to prove who is the best soccer team in the world. The World Cup is incredibly popular and attracts millions of fans. It is the second most-watched international sporting event, right after the Olympic Games. 

When it comes to wins at the World Cup, one country stands out. This is the country of Brazil in South America. Brazil has an impressive record, having won the tournament FIVE times. Not only that, but Brazil has also participated in every single World Cup, showing their consistency and talent on the field.

As the years go by, the popularity of the World Cup continues to soar. In 2018, when the tournament was hosted by Russia, 3.5 billion people from all corners of the globe watched the matches. This number was even higher than the previous World Cup held in Brazil, showing the growing excitement and love for the game.

Although soccer can be a fun game that we play with our friends, for many people it is much more than just a casual activity. Soccer holds a special place in the hearts of millions around the world. It is a passion, a way of life, and a source of joy and excitement. 

From young children dreaming of becoming professional players to dedicated fans who cheer for their favorite teams, soccer has the power to ignite emotions, create lifelong bonds, and even create super athletes that we watch today. 

Two of the most famous soccer players are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi, born in Argentina, began his soccer journey at a young age. He joined Barcelona’s youth academy at 13 and quickly rose through the ranks. Messi’s incredible skills and scoring ability helped him win many titles with Barcelona, including La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. 

He left Barcelona in 2021 and joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Messi’s humble nature and millions of dollars of donations have also made him an admired figure off the field as well. Cristiano Ronaldo also showed exceptional talent from a young age. His journey started at Sporting CP before moving to Manchester United in 2003. 

Ronaldo’s remarkable skills, speed, and goal-scoring ability led him to great success. Off the field, Ronaldo has been involved in various charities, which means giving of his money, and is known for his dedication to fitness and professionalism. 

Messi and Ronaldo are just two soccer athletes who have influenced the game of soccer in their own unique ways. Their success stories reflect how soccer has the power to change lives. Both Messi and Ronaldo come from humble backgrounds and faced numerous challenges on their paths to stardom. Through hard work, perseverance, and their incredible talents, they have become role models and global icons.

Soccer is a sport that brings communities together, instills values of teamwork and perseverance. Whether played on dusty fields or crowded stadiums, soccer is able to capture the imagination and unite people from different backgrounds in a shared love for the beautiful game.

The post History of Soccer | Football for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Jim was born on May 28, 1887, in Prague, Oklahoma. He was born on a Native American reservation of the Sak and Faux Nation and was first given the name Wa-Tho-Huk, which means “Bright Path.” His mother was Native American but his father was Irish, so he was also given an English name Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe. Later he became known as James or Jim.

Jim had a tough childhood. His parents were farmers, so he spent time helping them grow crops to survive, but he also learned to hunt and trap animals for food from an early age. He spent much of his time running across the wilderness of Oklahoma, which gave him strong legs and lungs. This is called endurance and he was able to run many miles without stopping to catch his breath. 

Growing up, Jim’s parents tried to get him to attend school, but he usually ran away from school at the first chance he got to instead spend time outdoors. There was a lot going on in Jim’s life at this time. His brother and mother passed away, and he and his father argued and fought. Eventually, his father sent him to a new school in Kansas.

In 1904, life would change for Jim when he started attending Carlisle Industrial School in Pennsylvania. One day he noticed the track-and-field team practicing the high jump. Still wearing his work clothes, he thought he’d give it a try. Jim ran across the field and leapt over the 5 foot 9 high bar and broke the school’s record! No one could believe what they had just seen! One of the coaches named Pop Warner saw what Jim did and encouraged him to join the track-and-field team. Of course, with his strong body and strong heart and lungs, Jim excelled at track-and-field and many other sports at Carlisle. He went on to football, lacrosse, baseball, and even ballroom dancing! Jim ended up winning a very big competition for ballroom dancing in 1912.

But, Jim became best known for his skills on the football field. Coach Pop Warner wasn’t sure how he’d do, but when he gave Jim the chance, he grabbed the ball and dodged around the defending team faster than anyone he’d ever seen. Jim played running back, defensive back, and punter for Carlisle’s football team and scored big wins against teams such as Harvard and West Point. His team went on to win the college national championships thanks to Jim’s skill, strength, and speed. He scored 25 touchdowns that year and 198 points. 

Jim played many sports but football became his favorite and around this time he also started training for the Olympics in the Sprint of 1912. At the practices, he amazed the other athletes with his abilities at jumps, hurdles, and shot-puts. He prepared to compete in several other Olympic events as well. Also, while many of these athletes had been training for years, Jim started just a few months before the Summer Olympic Games. 

In the Summer of 1912, Jim traveled to Stockholm, Sweden with the other members of the U.S. Olympic Team. Jim competed in many events, but his biggest win was in the decathlon, which includes 10 different events – four runs, three jumps, and three throws. He beat the expected winner and placed in the top 4 in all 10 events earning a score of 8,413, which held the record for 20 years. 

During one of the races, Jim went to put on his shoes but couldn’t find them! He looked all over but finally decided to just use whatever he could – a shoe that was way too small, and another shoe that was too big! He used a sock to make the big shoe fit and rushed out to start the race. For the first three laps of the race, Jim was behind, but giving it his on on the final lap, he burst ahead and ended up winning the race, even with his mismatched and odd-fitting shoes!

People from all over the world watching the games were astounded at Jim’s athletic abilities. He brought great attention to the United States and his Sac and Fox Native American heritage. At the 1912 Summer Olympic Games, Jim won two gold medals and legend has it that when he did King Gustav of Sweden said to him “You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world.” 

After returning to America, Jim Thorpe became a star. This was his first time being famous, so he was surprised to see his name in so many places and have so many people recognize him.

Next, Jim played professional baseball for the New York Giants and with them became the 1913 National League champions. They then went on to tour around the United States with the Chicago White Sox where Jim was a celebrity and attracted even more spectators to the games. On the tour, Jim met the pope and one of the kings of Egypt. He also went on to play baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Braves. 

Jim Thorpe was talented in many sports, so after baseball, he decided to take up football again, his favorite sport, and in 1920 joined the Canton Bulldogs. They won three championships together. Two years later the National Football League (NFL) was formed and Jim got to become their first president while he continued playing for the Bulldogs until 1928. 

It’s not as well known, but Jim also played basketball for two years, traveling with a team. Jim loved a variety of sports and more than anything just wanted to stay active, doing what he enjoyed most. 

After he retired from professional sports, Jim continued working but found that he didn’t enjoy most of the other jobs as much as he loved being active and competing as an athlete. It was also a tough time to find jobs because it was the Great Depression when work was hard to come by. One of the jobs was acting in movies such as Westerns or sports movies. In 1951 a movie was made about him called “Jim Thorpe – All American.” 

In many surveys, Jim Thorpe has been voted the greatest athlete of the 20th Century along with athletes such as Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, and Wayne Gretzky. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and in 2018 was printed on the Native American dollar coin.

Take a minute to think about what you might learn from the life of Jim Thorpe. Staying active when he was young helped build his body to be strong and healthy. Jim loved to be out and move around. How might you find more ways to stay active? Jim tried many different sports. There are lots of ways to be active. For you, it may be a sport or something as simple as getting out and riding a bike or playing at a playground. What are your favorite ways to stay active? Think about Jim’s willingness to try lots of different things. The first time we try something new, everyone is a beginner! Don’t be afraid to try new things even if you aren’t good at them at first. This is important as you seek new ways to learn and grow.

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And do you know which mountain is the highest in the world?  It’s called Mount Everest, but it is also known as Sagarmatha or Chomolungma by its native people, the Nepalese and Tibetans.  The mountain is so big that one side is in Tibet, China, and the other is in Nepal, India.  It stands 29,031 feet high – as high as the cruising altitude of airplanes!  Have you ever been in an airplane and looked out the window to see the clouds and towns below you?  That is how high you would need to climb to reach the top of Mount Everest!  And that also means it is a big drop, too!  Mount Everest is so big and respected that its name means “Holy Mother.”  Mount Everest is considered the great mother of all the other mountain ranges in the Himalayans, the highest mountains in the world.

Many people have tried to climb Mount Everest through the centuries and most have failed.  In the past, climbers did not have the right kind of equipment or knowledge to climb the mountain.  Plus, there are many dangers on the mountain.  At the top, it is bitterly cold with fierce winds that can blow people off the sides.  Avalanches frequently blast down the mountain.  And there is the dangerous Khumbu Icefall, which is filled with huge chunks of ice as high as skyscrapers.  It is one of the most dangerous parts of the mountain because the big ice blocks fall over as the mountain shifts and avalanches rage.  Also, in the icefall, there are super deep crevasses – meaning cracks in the snow – that are like bottomless pits.  If you fall into one of them, it is almost impossible to get out.  

In order to find a path – or route – to the summit, the first climbers had to figure out how to get across the crevasses. They discovered that they could take long aluminum ladders, tie them together, and lay them across the crevasses!  Can you imagine walking across a shaking metal ladder with no railings while wearing spiky boots and carrying 50 or 100 pounds of gear on your back?  It is incredibly stressful and difficult!  And that’s just at the BOTTOM of the mountain!

To climb up the rest of the mountain, many people need to carry oxygen tanks on their backs, like scuba divers, in order to breathe up high where the air is so thin.  To succeed on this climb, mountaineers also need special clothing, hooks, ropes, axes, and spiky metal crampons to put on their boots so they don’t slip on the ice and snow.  Plus, they need other supplies, like food, a tent, a sleeping bag, a camping stove, and extra clothes.  That’s a lot to carry to the top of the world!  

And even with all of these supplies, it does not guarantee a successful climb.  Climbers need to train very hard to be in top physical shape.  Even after training, a person’s body might not acclimate well to the extreme altitude – meaning it cannot process the thin air and physical strain.  They might get a wheezing cough or headaches and dizziness due to the altitude.  They might start hallucinating, thinking they are very hot, and tear off their winter clothes.  That could be very dangerous as they would then freeze without even knowing it.  There is no telling whose body is best suited for Everest and whose is not.  That is part of the gamble when climbing the mountain.

Additionally, Mother Nature is always unpredictable.  The mountain might be sunny with no wind one hour, then cloudy with raging winds the next.  The sun might warm the snow, causing avalanches to slide down the mountain and block the route or blow away climbing ropes.  Then there are falling rocks and falling climbers!  You always have to be alert on Everest!

For all of these reasons, Mount Everest was never successfully climbed until 1953, when Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary from England successfully summited its peak.  It was such an amazing feat that the news was broadcast all over the world.  One of the last unknown territories on Earth had just been conquered!

But there is also an unsolved mystery surrounding Everest.  Almost two decades before Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary summited Everest, two other British climbers named George Mallory and Andrew Irvine tried it in 1924.  On June 8^th, they set out for the peak.  They were last seen several hundred feet below the summit, climbing upwards and disappearing into the clouds.  They were never seen again.  To this day, we do not know if they made it to the top and, if so, what happened to them on their way back down.  Were they actually the first ones to summit Mount Everest?  We may never know.

Mount Everest is so difficult to climb that before climbers set foot on the mountain, they stop in monasteries – or churches – in the valley to pray with the monks.  They ask the mountain to bless them with safe passage.  They ask the monks to bless prayer flags which they string all over base camp, hoping the winds will send their prayers to Holy Mother.

Today’s climbing expeditions on Everest are truly monumental.  Large tents are erected at the bottom of the mountain to house their computer and satellite equipment, kitchen, and medical center.  Many people are hired to help the climbers – Sherpa guides with their huge yaks that look like water buffalo, doctors, nurses, weathermen, and computer people to monitor the weather and the mountain conditions.  Everyone meets daily to discuss the forecast, plan routes, and decide who will climb and who will not.  

Many times, native Sherpas are tasked with carrying massive loads of equipment up and down the mountain repeatedly over the climbing season.  Since they are raised in the high mountains, their bodies are used to the altitude, so they have less stress on their body, lungs, and heart.  Unfortunately, many times they do most of the work and receive none of the glory.  Some never make it to the top of Everest and spend their whole careers lugging supplies up and down the mountain.

And speaking of going up and down the mountain, in order to successfully climb Mount Everest, a climber needs to acclimatize.  That means they need to make trips up the mountain and back down to base camp repeatedly over several weeks.  With every climb, they go a little higher, then return to the bottom.  This acclimatization process helps their body adjust to the high altitudes and low oxygen.  

So, climbing Everest is not a weekend trip!  It takes at least a year of preparation and training, and then months on the mountain setting ropes, laying ladders, making camps, and doing climbs.  

On the day of the summit climb, most mountaineers like to start in the dead of night.  They put on headlamps, metal crampons, and oxygen masks.  They set out very early, before sunrise so the sun won’t warm the snow and cause avalanches.  They climb in the still night air before afternoon winds kick in.  They spend hours slowly inching up the mountain gasping for air in thick thermal snowsuits and foggy face masks.  Only one thought propels them forward, “Keep going.  Keep going.”  

The sun rises just as they reach the last treacherous stretch, the Hillary Step – a steep, 40-foot rock face before they walk along a summit ridge no wider than a foot or two across.  One wrong step here and they will fall 29,000 feet straight down!  

At last, they are at the summit.  They collapse, cheer, weep, or pray.  They plant flags and snap photos.  But they know they are only halfway done.  They have to make it safely back down the mountain.  They have been warned they have to be off the summit before 2:00 pm when the winds start whipping with hurricane force.  The exhausted climbers take one last look, then start the slow slog back across the ridge, down the Hillary Step, and down 29,000 feet, one step at a time, through snow drifts, glaciers, and the Khumbu Icefall to the safety and security of the base camp.  They have done it – they have successfully summited Mount Everest!

What do you think of Mount Everest?  Would you like to climb it?  Do you think you have the strength and ability to make it to the top?  Many people try, but most do not make it.  They get injured, or exhausted, or perish.  Do you think the risk is worth the reward?   Why do you think mountaineers take such big risks just to climb a mountain?  What about their families back home?

I think there are all different types of people in the world – scientists and artists, athletes and students, entrepreneurs and explorers.  Some people see a mountain and want to climb it.  Others see an ocean and want to sail it.  Others dream of learning and teaching, creating, building, or discovering.  What is your passion and what do you want to do with your life?  What is your ultimate dream, your own personal Mount Everest?

The post History of Climbing Mount Everest | For Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Until the 19th century, horses were the easiest and cheapest way for most people to get around, other than on foot! But in the early decades of the 19th century, strange things began happening. The summer of 1815 never seemed to come. It was cold and rainy in July. Late freezes destroyed crops, which meant food was in short supply. Things were looking bad for people… and their horses. People were desperate for food, so they started eating grain that was normally given to horses and livestock, which led to the animals starving. Few knew it at the time – after all, there was no internet or TV news at the time – but a volcano called Mount Tambora erupted in Indonesia. This eruption spewed so much ash into the air that people around the world felt the effects of an unusually cold and gloomy summer. But even disaster can inspire art and invention.

Karl Drais and Early Bicycles

Enter Karl Drais, an inventor and German civil servant. Drais had invented many other things, like the early typewriter, a meat grinder, and a machine to record piano music on paper. The dire conditions in 1815 made him think that people needed an alternative to horse-powered transportation. He designed a machine with two wheels and a saddle-like seat that he called laufmaschine – or running machine – in German. It looked a bit like a modern bicycle but didn’t have any pedals. Instead, it worked like a balance bike that you might see a toddler zooming along on now. The rider would run the laufmachine forward, raising their feet sometimes to coast for a while. It was also nicknamed the “dandy horse” or “hobby horse,” since it was meant to be a replacement for the real horse.

The laufmachine never caught on in a really big way. It was hard to ride on the dirt roads of the time, where carriages and actual horses made deep ruts and divots in the ground that could be dangerous for riders. In cities. riders took to the smoother sidewalks but went too fast for the pedestrians, and many cities banned the laufmachine. And Drais himself didn’t benefit much from the invention either: he had unpopular political views for the time and lived his old age in poverty. More recently though, Drais has been honored on stamps, coins, and a Google doodle, which is the drawing you see when you open the Google search engine.

Improving the Drais Design

But the idea of two-wheeled, human-powered transportation didn’t die out. By the 1860s, other inventors were hard at work trying to improve on Drais’s design. We’re not really sure who got to it first, but two inventors came up with similar, new bicycle designs around this time: German Karl Kech, and Frenchman Pierre Lallimont. Lallemont was the first to patent his invention, and the French name – velocipede – became the common term for a time. The velocipede looked a lot like the laufmachine, with one important difference: it had pedals that attached to the axle, or center of the front wheel. So instead of running the bike along, now the rider could pedal. A little closer to what you’re familiar with today!

These machines made for a bumpy ride though. In fact, they were nicknamed “Bone-shakers!”

Part of the reason they were so bumpy was that the wheels were made out of wood with a band of steel around the outside. Rubber tires didn’t come along until later. In response to this uncomfortable ride, some people opted to ride a new kind of bike called a “high-wheel,” or penny-farthing. A penny was a large coin in Britain at the time, and the farthing a much smaller coin.  Maybe you’ve seen pictures of these old-fashioned bikes, with one giant wheel in front–like a penny– and a tiny wheel–like a farthing– in the back. And if you’ve seen pictures, you’ve probably wondered how on earth anyone managed to ride them!

Penny farthings were hard to get on and off of because the rider sits over the big front wheel, which was often over four feet high. That’s taller than an average 7-year-old! The rider had to put one foot on a small peg lower down on the frame and then get the bicycle moving fast enough that they could hoist a leg over the seat without the whole thing tipping over. Once the rider was off and rolling, larger potholes or bumps in the road could send them toppling head-first over the handlebars. 

So why did people ride them??!!

Benefits of Bicycles

First, they were fast. Like with the boneshaker, the pedals on a penny farthing are attached right to the axle, or center of the front wheel. But the bigger front wheel meant you covered a lot more ground with every stroke of the pedals. Think about how long the outside edge of that 4-foot-high wheel would be if you stretched it out flat – over 13 ½ feet! That’s how far the bicycle would go with ONE turn of the pedal! A bigger wheel equals more distance for each turn, and less work for your legs. 

Another reason some people liked penny-farthings was that they offered a smoother ride than the aptly-named boneshaker.  The giant front wheel absorbed more of the bumps….at least until you hit that bump big enough to throw you overboard!

The age of the penny-farthing marked the start of the bicycle’s meteoric rise in popularity. Thomas Stevens became the first person to complete a cross-continental bike ride–on a penny-farthing no less!–from San Francisco to Boston. And he didn’t stop there: he continued to ride around the entire earth by 1886!

Of course, penny farthings weren’t practical or safe enough for many people to ride. And bikes with a smaller front wheel didn’t go very fast. Different inventors tried all kinds of things during the 1880s and ‘90s to make bicycles both safe and faster. Over the years, many smaller inventions helped pave the way for the machine that would make the bicycle a practical, fast vehicle for almost everyone. The breakthrough came in 1890 with the safety bicycle.

The safety bicycles had a chain and gear system that sat between the wheels and under the seat, just like a modern bicycle! It had breaks that you controlled with your hands, that would squeeze the wheels and allow you to stop safely. And it had rubber tires that were inflated with air, making for a smooth, cushy ride.

Bicycles Around the World

Bicycling exploded in popularity in the 1890s. Madison Square Garden in New York City hosted multi-day indoor track races where riders tried to cycle as much as they could around the clock for 6 days. Cycling events drew thousands. 

At the same time, regular people were falling in love with riding. Groups formed to advocate for better streets, which would reduce bike accidents and make riding more comfortable. The better streets would also “pave the way”– literally!– for the success of another transportation innovation: the automobile.

Women wanted in on the craze too. But if you think about what women wore in the 1890s – dresses with long, full skirts and tight bodices – it wasn’t exactly cycling attire. Skirts could get tangled in the wheels and gears, and tight bodices make it hard to do any kind of exercise. Along came bloomers! These loose, billowy pants, which gathered tight under the knee, allowed women to ride safety bicycles, though many people didn’t approve. Some people considered it improper for a woman to wear anything other than a skirt, and some business owners even refused to serve women in bloomers. 

In 1894, Annie Londonderry, a Latvian immigrant to the United States and mother of three young children, became the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle. She had an undeniable knack for getting attention and made a lot of headlines. She wore men’s cycling clothes and sold photographs of herself. She gave talks–charging admission, of course–detailing the fantastic adventures–and harrowing dangers–she faced on her journey. She even sold space for advertising messages on her bike. 

Professional cycling organizations cropped up to support riders and organize races. They weren’t always welcoming though. When African American cyclist Major Taylor began winning nearly every race he entered in the 1890s, the League of American Cyclists voted to ban blacks from competing in their races. Many people in the League disagreed with this move and let Taylor race, but the ban wasn’t officially repealed, or taken back, until 1999! 

Today, bicycling may not be quite the craze it was in the 1890s, but it still has plenty of devotees. From the Tour de France to mountain biking, to dare-devil BMXers, there are a variety of bike-based sports to choose from. And, bikes are actually still a popular kind of transportation around the world. In many Chinese cities, people make more than half of their trips on a bicycle. In Denmark and the Netherlands, bicycling is hugely popular as everyday transportation. Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, has more bikes than cars on the road at rush hour! Many parents in these countries even have bikes with big boxes on the front for their kids to ride in. Kind of like the family minivan! 

But nothing compares to the feeling you get when they tear down the sidewalk on their bikes. You feel the wind whooshing through your helmet, your legs pushing the pedals, houses rushing by….that feeling of freedom as you pedal off into adventure and possibility. 

Sources

https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle/draisienne-1817-2017-200-years-cycling-innovation-design

https://www.fashionhistorymuseum.com/post/the-bicycle-bloomer-brouhaha-of-the-1890s

http://www.ibike.org/library/history-timeline.htm

https://www.livescience.com/44765-who-invented-the-bicycle.html

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/13/1104712436/a-tough-love-history-of-the-bicycle

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/cycling-better-mode-transport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny-farthing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Days_of_New_York

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Have you ever ridden a bicycle? If so, you’ve probably experienced the thrill of going so fast that the wind whips your hair and clothes around. You feel free and fast and exhilarated like nothing can catch you or stop you. Like you could ride the wind straight up into the sky. 

Nowadays, cycling isn’t as popular as sports like basketball, baseball, football, or soccer. But in the late 19th century, right after the bicycle was invented, people went crazy for it. Tens of thousands would gather to watch races all over the United States, Europe, and Australia. And the unlikely hero of the cycling world for a time was an African American man named Marshall Taylor, nicknamed “Major.”

Major’s mother and father moved from Kentucky to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was born. We don’t know a lot about them. His father, Gilbert, fought in the Civil War for the North. Gilbert worked as an attendant for a wealthy businessman named Willian Southard. 

This connection to the Southard family would prove lucky for Major. Gilbert brought Marshall along to his job sometimes, and he became best friends with the Southard’s son, Dan. At this time, blacks still faced a lot of unfair treatment in the United States. But even though the Southards were white, they encouraged the friendship. In fact, when they saw how happy Dan was with Marshall, they arranged for him to stay at their house for long periods. Dan and Marshall would play with all kinds of toys in his playroom, build things in William’s workshop, and went to school together. But the best thing about the Southard’s house, once he got hold of it, was Dan’s bicycle.

Major loved riding that bicycle, and soon learned how to do tricks. Soon, the Southards bought him his own bicycle as a gift. One day, when the bike needed repairs, he took it to a bike shop. He showed the owner, Mr. Hays, some of his tricks, and a crowd gathered to watch! Major stood on the seat of the bike while riding, and hopped over the handlebars to get off. He could ride on narrow planks, like a balance beam, and down sets of stairs. Mr Hays got an idea! If Major could attract so many visitors to his shop, maybe he could help sell bikes. He offered him a job then and there. 

Marshall helped out, sweeping and dusting the shop, and performing tricks to attract passersby.  He often wore a jacket that looked like an old military uniform, and that’s how he got the nickname “Major,” which would stick with him. When he had a spare moment, he would marvel at a gold medal that sat in the shop window, a prize for a bicycle race. He imagined winning a race, the crowd cheering and the band playing just for him as they pinned a gold medal to his shirt. 

Mr Hays noticed him admiring the medal, and encouraged Major to enter an upcoming race. Thirteen-year-old Major was nervous, but Mr. Hays told him to just ride as far as he could. Major agreed. He had been riding miles every day, and maybe didn’t realize just how strong and fast he was compared to others. He rode so hard in the race, trying to keep ahead of the other riders, that he began to feel faint. After crossing the finish line, he collapsed from exhaustion.

But, when he woke up, guess what he saw pinned to his chest? It was a gold medal! He had won!

As Major grew older, he entered more races, and trained more seriously. He caught the eye of a champion cyclist named Birdie Munger. Birdie was amazed by Major’s dedication, speed, and skill. Birdie’s racing days were over, but he was opening a bicycle factory and wanted Major to work for him and race on his bicycles! The two quickly became friends, training together on their bikes. Many famous cyclists would visit Birdie, and Major was impressed by how kind and helpful they were towards him. But Birdie Munger knew how to choose good friends. Not everyone in the cycling world was so nice.

Major discovered this when he began to race on the professional circuit. Birdie entered him into his first race himself, without letting the organizers see Major. He worried that if the race officials knew Major was black, they might not let him race. Major hid near the starting line, and hopped on his bike just as the starting pistol was fired. He pedaled madly, and he won!

Eventually, Birdie moved his factory to Worsecter, Massachuesetts, and Major came with him. His goal was to become the fastest man in the world, and win a world championship. Worcester was a more tolerant place than many other parts of the country.  Major trained there and made it his home. He joined an African American church and bought a house. He rode miles every day, lifted weights, and ate a healthy diet. He never smoked or drank alcohol, and, because he was deeply religious, never raced on Sunday.  But Major had to travel for races in areas that were less accepting. There were some places where he couldn’t safely travel at all. Still, he won most of the races he entered, and was becoming famous. 

As Major won more races and became more well known, many white cyclists were angry. They thought he shouldn’t be allowed to compete because of skin color, but they were also embarrassed that he kept beating them. Some white cyclists began to gang up on Major, trying to push him off the track or cause him to crash. As a result, he had several major falls. Major even began to feel that racing was too dangerous.

But a sports promoter named William Brady had different ideas. He wanted to manage Major’s career and help him become the national–and then world–champion. He actually thought people would be curious to see Major ride against the best white riders, many of whom had treated him so badly. And that would make him a lot of money. Major agreed, even though it was dangerous. He realized that if he was going to prove that blacks were capable of doing anything whites could do, he couldn’t just quit. He had to stay on his bike. 

After training and racing for a year with Brady, Major was ready to take to the track at the world cycling championship in Montreal, Canada. He was still the target of racist treatment from other riders and officials in the US, but it didn’t matter. Major won most of the races he entered, so he qualified. And, as you might have guessed, he won, even setting a world record for a one-mile sprint!

But the proudest moment for Major came after the race, when the crowd cheered and the band began to play a victory song. In the United States, when Major won a race, the band would usually play a popular tune about black people from the time. These songs had ugly, insulting lyrics, and even though they were played by instruments and not sung, people knew the words. But in Montreal, the band chose a different song to celebrate Major’s victory: “The Star Spangled Banner.” Major later wrote that “My national anthem took on a new meaning for me from that moment. I never felt so proud to be an American before, and indeed I even felt more American at that moment than I ever felt in America.”

Now Major was an international star. Offers came in from all over the world for him to race in different countries, and challenge the top cyclists of the day. He went to Europe and raced another world champion, Edmond Jacquelin. He traveled to Australia to compete against their national champion, Don Walker. Despite being rivals on the track, Major became good friends with Walker. Major was always a good sport: he never let competition on the racetrack get in the way of good behavior off it.

But whenever he came home to the US, Major was reminded of the unfair treatment and racism that infected the sport in his own country. Officials fined him when he got sick and couldn’t race. Other cyclists continued to try to ban him, push him off the track, or make him crash. And just like other African Americans of the era, hotels, and restaurants often refused to serve him.   

But his life did have bright spots. Major fell in love with a young woman from his church named Daisy. The two were married and traveled around the world while Major raced again in Australia and Europe. When he returned home this time, Major was tired. He especially didn’t want to race in the US anymore if it meant risking his life. He and Daisy had welcomed a baby girl into their lives. Over the next several years, he took several breaks from cycling, but couldn’t quite bring himself to quit completely. Over time, he stopped winning so many races, and finally decided to retire for good. He started several businesses, but none were successful, and he lost much of the money he’d made cycling. 

In 1917, years after his retirement, Major entered one last race. It was an “old-timers” race for cyclists who were retired. His old friend, Birdie Munger, came to start him in the race. A starter would hold the racer’s bike upright , so when the starting pistol went off, they’d be ready to start pedaling immediately. Birdie had started Major in his very first professional competition, but this time, Major knew it would be his last race.

Major Taylor would have won bicycle races even if he’d been born a hundred years after he was. He was an excellent cyclist–fast, strong, dedicated, and strategic. But because he was born at a time when many white Americans had ugly, wrong ideas about African Americans, Major showed that he was not just an excellent athlete, but an extraordinary human being. He kept going, fighting with every stroke of his pedal against people who cheated, taunted, and attacked him. He acted with a bravery, grace, and sportsmanship that most of his rivals could not measure up to. 

As Birdie held his bike in that last race, Major was comforted to have his best friend and most dedicated supporter beside him. When the starting gun cracked, Major Taylor pedaled like the wind, strong and free on the track. And he won.

Additional Resources

Major Taylor sites:

Indiana State Museum exhibit through Oct. 23, 2022

Major Taylor Velodrome, Indianapolis, IN

Worcester Public Library statue

Major Taylor Bike Trail, Chicago, IL

Websites:

Major Taylor Association

Sources

Balf, Todd (2009) Major: A Black Athlete, a White Era, and the Fight to Be the World’s Fastest Human Being. Crown. 

Kranish, Michael (2019) The World’s Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Major Taylor, America’s First Black Sports Hero. Scribner, New York.

Taylor, Marshall W. (1972) The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World; The Autobiography of Major Taylor. EP Dutton.

The post History of Major Taylor for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Close your eyes and imagine you’re in a baseball stadium and stepping up to bat. Dodger Stadium is packed full of cheering fans. Some are cheering you on, others are calling you horrible names from the stands. You take a deep breath and try to ignore them. You hold up your bat and look at the pitcher, who is preparing to throw the ball. He pulls back, then throws the ball and it comes flying toward him at full speed. You swing your bat and hit the ball. With a crack, it flies high over the field as you sprint from first base, then on to second, third, and home. It’s a home run! Your teammates congratulate you, but some in the stands are still calling you mean names. This is what happened to Jackie Robinson, the famous baseball player. But who was Jackie Robinson? How did he end up playing for the Dodgers? And why was the crowd calling him horrible names? 

Birth

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. His father left the family when he was little, leaving his mother, Mallie, to raise him and his four other siblings. Soon after this they moved to Pasadena, California. In California, Jackie and his family lived in a neighborhood where they were treated differently. They had come from Georgia where most of the other families were African-American, but in California families in their new neighborhood were not and were white. This was a time when racial discrimination was common. Racial discrimination is when a group of people are treated differently because of their race and color of skin in this case. For example, they aren’t able to have the same jobs — or they are segregated, which means they have to go to different schools or use different bathrooms or restaurants. Jackie loved sports, but because he was black wasn’t able to play in the same leagues as the other kids.

But this didn’t keep Jackie from playing his favorite sports anyway. Two of his favorites were basketball and baseball. He spent a lot of time practicing and became better and better.

High School & College Athlete

In high school, Jackie’s older brothers Frank and Mack, saw how good Jackie’s was and urged him try out for the school teams. At his high school fortunately there was no segregation and Jackie was able to play alongside his white classmates. There Jackie ended up playing football, baseball, basketball, and track and did very well in all of them. On the baseball team he was the catcher and in football he was the quarterback. For the basketball team he was a guard. In track and field, his best skill was the broad jump. Oh, and he also played tennis. As you can tell, Jackie loved sports! 

After high school, Jackie moved on to junior college where he continued to play all of his favorite sports and do very well. He broke several records there, but later switched schools and moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA. At UCLA the teams were also racially integrated, which means Jackie was able to play on the same teams as the white athletes. In football their team went undefeated. In track and field, he won the national championship for the long jump, jumping over 24 feet! He also played baseball at UCLA and there met his future wife, Rachel. 

Officer Candidate School

After college, Jackie played semi-professional football for a short while, but his career was cut short when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Soon after this Jackie joined the army and applied for Officer Candidate School. At the time Jackie and others who were black were not typically allowed to be officers, or leaders in the military, but eventually they were accepted. He and his wife moved to Fort Hood, Texas to start Officer Training School. One day at Fort Hood, Jackie was waiting for the bus to arrive. When it did arrive, he climbed on the bus and sat at the front, but the driver told him he had to sit at the back because of the color of his skin. Jackie refused and would not move. He did these knowing he knew he might be hurt or put in jail for his actions. The driver called the police and they took Jackie away. Tragically, Jackie wasn’t able to continue Officer Training School, because of his choice to stand up against discrimination.

Jackie was transferred from Fort Hood to a base in Kentucky where he became a coach for the army until the war ended. 

A few years later, Jackie was at the airport and stood in a part of the airport that was segregated. He was asked to leave but did not. This was another example where Jackie refused to be treated differently, defied the law, and put himself in harm’s way by doing so.

One of Jackie Robinson’s famous quotes was: “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… all I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” He also said: “There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.” More than anything, Jackie wanted to be treated fairly and for segregation between people of different skin color to end. 

For a brief time, Jackie played for a segregated league, with other players who were black like himself, but more than anything he wanted to play for the Major Leagues, but most teams wouldn’t allow him because of segregation.

Montreal Royals

Fortunately, the Brooklyn Dodgers were interested in including black players. The manager of the Dodgers, Branch Rickey, called Jackie and met with him asking if he was interested and also whether he’d be able to be strong even when others treated him poorly. Jackie agreed and began playing for the Dodger’s international team, the Montreal Royals. The Royals were a minor league, but a big step forward in his goal to play in the Major Leagues. Jackie traveled with the team and struggled at first, but began to improve and eventually became the MVP (or Most Valuable Player) in his league. 

April 18, 1946, was a momentous day when the Royals played against the Jersey City Giants making it the first time players of different skin color in a minor league competed against each other. 

Brooklyn Dodgers

In 1947 Jackie Robinson was finally invited to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Major Leagues. He played first baseman to a crowd of more than 26,000 spectators which included spectators who were black and white. At first, Jackie’s own team was unsure whether they were ready to play with him. They had come from families who believed in segregation, so it was new for them to welcome and become teammates and friends with someone who was black. But over time they became close and eventually supported him. During one game when the other team was harassing Jackie, a teammate Pee Wee Reese saw what was happening and put his arm around Jackie to comfort him.

Jackie finished the season with the Dodgers with 151 games. He had a batting average of 297, an on-base percentage of 373, and a 427 slugging percentage. He had 175 hits (scoring 125 runs) including 31 doubles, 5 triples, and 12 home runs, driving in 48 runs for the year. Jackie also led the league in sacrifice hits, with 28, and in stolen bases, with 29.

He ended up winning the Major League Rookie of the Year award. A rookie is someone who is new to the major leagues. 

Over the years, Jackie continued to improve at his game and in 1949 joined the all-star team. In 1955 the Dodgers went to the world series and beat the Yankees for the championship. 

Retirement

Later after retiring from baseball, Jackie Robinson was active in politics and later continued to speak out about equality in Major League baseball. He later had a baseball stadium named after him and the Rookie of the Year award was later called “The Jackie Robinson” award. In 1997 his jersey number “42” was retired, which means no one was able to use the same number because it would also be reserved for Jackie. 

Jackie once said: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Think about what that means for a moment. What does it mean to have an impact or make a difference in the lives of others for good? How can you make a difference in the lives of others for good? 

He also said: “Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion, you’re wasting your life.” A spectator means just watching others. It’s fun to watch others, but Jackie’s saying it’s even better to get out and play yourself. Think of something you like to watch. Have you ever considered doing it yourself? 

Conclusion

Spend some time thinking about what Jackie Robinson experienced in his life as he dealt with racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is when someone treats someone else differently due to their race, which means where they come from, the color of their skin, and what they look like. It was very hard for Jackie to be called names and treated poorly due to his race — to be forced to sit at the back of the bus, for example. But Jackie knew that all people are the same on the inside. We are all human, and all want to be treated equally and loved and cared for. We all have the same hopes and dreams and desires to lead a happy life. Jackie wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself and tell others that they were wrong.

Often it takes time for people to change, but many people around Jackie did change. His teammates eventually accepted him and those watching baseball realized Jackie was the same as any other player and should be treated that way. Take the time to think about someone you know who might be a different race or appear to be different than you in other ways. As you get to know them you’ll realize you have more in common than is different. It’s also important to let others know they should be respectful of all people. If you hear someone say something mean about a different race or tell a joke, let them know those words can be hurtful and are not ok. 

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Close your eyes and imagine you are sitting in a stadium with crowds of people all around you. You smell buttery popcorn and freshly cooked hot dogs. “Peanuts! Popcorn!” A vendor yells from across the aisle. “Get your peanuts, popcorn!” As everyone gets seated there is a feeling of excitement in the air. The loudspeakers start playing, “Take me out to the ballgame!” The crowd sings along. You hear the crack of a baseball against a bat. The game has begun! 

If you’re familiar with baseball do these nicknames sound familiar? The Sultan of Swat? The Great Bambino? The Colossus of Clout? These are all nicknames for one of the most famous baseball players to have ever lived, Babe Ruth!

Babe Ruth’s real name was George Herman Ruth Jr. and he was born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 6, 1895. His grandparents were immigrants from Europe, so the first language he spoke was German. Growing up, his dad owned and ran a saloon. There, Ruth really did whatever he wanted. He didn’t have many rules and just ran wild with his friends through the streets of town. And with his dad being busy with the business, Ruth got into a lot of trouble. In fact, he got into so much trouble and his parents couldn’t control him that they put him in St. Mary’s Industrial School. This was a special school for boys who needed more structure than their parents were able to give them at home. At the school, one of his teachers, Brother Matthais, loved baseball. He taught the boys how to play and Ruth got into the game, too. Ruth ended up living at the school for 12 years and there got a basic education and learned some life skills. He used these skills and became a shirtmaker and could make things out of wood, known as carpentry. 

Ruth kept playing baseball and when he was 19 tried and made the minor league team for the Baltimore Orioles. The other players teased Ruth because he was the favorite or “darling” of the owner, Jack Dunn. Because of this they started calling him “Babe”!  This is how Babe Ruth’s famous nickname was born! Even though Babe Ruth was a big success with the Orioles, the owner ran into money trouble and he was forced to sell his best players to the Major Leagues.

From there Ruth was sent to play for the Boston Red Sox. When Ruth first started playing, he was a left-handed pitcher but really wanted to bat more, so he started playing outfield and first base. Ruth tried to hit almost everything, and because of that, he struck out a lot! But he was very determined and never gave up. He even said that “Every strike brings me closer to the next homerun”. And the Red Sox fans loved him, because he did hit a lot of homeruns! One year he hit home runs in 4 games in a row. The next year, he helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 1918. 

In 1919 Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees. The Red Sox sold him because the owner wanted more money and Babe Ruth was worth a lot. And the New York Yankees wanted him because they hoped he could help them win a World Series. There were lots of mixed reactions to him being traded. Some Boston fans were devastated to lose Ruth, while others thought he was too much trouble. While he wasn’t playing baseball, he spent a lot of time partying and sometimes getting into trouble. But the Boston fans who liked Ruth, believed that trading him started an 84 year “curse”, during which the Red Sox did not win a World Series. It was called “The Curse of the Bambino”. Before he was traded, the Red Sox had won 5 of the 15 World Series that had been played. But after they sold Ruth they didn’t win another World Series until 2004. 

With Ruth, the New York Yankees did very well! In fact, they won the World Series 4 times, and they won the American league title 7 times! When Ruth was traded to the Yankees he became a full time outfielder, and was now able to bat all the time. He hit home run after home run and the New York fans loved him! During his first year, the Yankees had a record number of people at the stadium, 1.2 million people. It was the first time that any Major League Baseball game attendance had reached 1 million. During his 13 years with the Yankees, he became the highest paid player up to that point, making 2 ½  times more than any other player in the league. At the time, Ruth even made more than the president of the United States! On the team he was part of a group of players called Murderers Row. They got that name from the power of the hitters. The players were Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, and Babe Ruth. 

Sadly, Ruth spent many years of his life drinking too much alcohol and not taking care of his health. He also spent most of the money he made on things he didn’t need and that didn’t help better his life. Because of his poor health choices, he began to have trouble running the bases and catching the ball. He played his last full season with the Yankees in 1934. 

Ruth wanted to become a manager of a team himself but didn’t have any luck finding a position. But like hitting home runs, Ruth was never one to give up. He once said “you just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”  

Eventually he was traded to the Boston Braves as a “gate attraction.” This means he was hired not necessarily because he was good anymore, but because he’d been famous and would cause people to pay to come to the game to see him. 

He retired early that year in 1935. The next year he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Babe Ruth became popular at a time when baseball became very popular in the United States and known as “America’s Pastime.” One reason was because the world had just gone through the first World War and then the 1918 flu pandemic, which were very tragic times and many lives were lost. America needed something good and positive to focus on. Baseball and sports figures like Babe Ruth became a symbol of that optimism and fun pastime. He also symbolized an American Dream that someone who came from very little money and didn’t have a well-known family could become famous. His life also showed us that it’s important to take care of yourself and set rules for yourself. If we want our bodies to work well we need to take care of them by eating good foods and exercising.

Babe Ruth worked very hard and took risks to become one of the greatest home run hitters of all time. He once said, “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” This means there are many things you can worry about in life or fears that may keep you from acting. But like Babe Ruth said, if you worry too much about “striking out,” you’ll never get those things done and “swing the bat” and make the moves you need to take the next step in life. For you this might mean trying out for a sport or learning how to draw or some other skill. Don’t worry about what others might say or do, don’t worry about “striking out” and just act like Babe Ruth! 

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Believe it or not, the Olympics are a tradition that have ancient roots, all the way back to 7^th century BCE Greece, over 2,500 years ago! They happen every 2 years and switch between the Winter and Summer games. Usually around 200 countries come together to participate. It is an amazing show of worldwide unity and putting aside differences to celebrate sport and achievement.

The Ancient Olympics were part of a festival to honor the Greek god Zeus, who was the father of all the other gods and goddesses in Greek mythology. They were held every 4 years at Olympia, which was named after Mt. Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. The competitors came from everywhere in the Greek world. From Iberia, present day Spain, to the Black Sea, near Turkey.

Although some sources say that it’s possible that the Olympics began in the 9^th or 10^th century BCE, the agreed upon year the Olympics started is 776 BCE. It is said that the only event for the first 13 festivals was the stadion, a foot race 600 ft long. The first recorded person to win the race was a cook from the city of Elis. I thought it was pretty cool that a cook won the first race. Eventually other sports were added which included running races, jumping, wrestling, boxing, horse-related events, discus, and so on.

The Olympics were held in Ancient Greece for almost 1200 years. The Olympics became less frequent starting in the 2^nd century BCE when the Romans invaded Greece. Sometimes they would interfere by trying to declare themselves the winner. Not very fair, right? The Olympics came to an end in 393 CE when Emperor Theodosius I declared an end to all pagan festivals. Pagan began festivals that celebrated the Greek gods.

It was 1,500 years until the Olympics finally returned. A man from France named Pierre de Coubertin was visiting the ancient Olympic site in Greece when he had an idea. He was very interested in physical education and wanted others to be, too. He thought that starting the Olympics games back up would inspire others to be physically fit, too! 

He shared his idea to start the Olympics in November 1892. Two years later he got permission to create the International Olympic Committee, which is the same group in charge of the Olympics even to this day! A Greek man named Demetrius Vikelas was elected to be the first president. Through Coubertin and Vikelas’ hard work, and many people across the world donating, enough money was raised to help Greece host the Olympics. Two years later in 1896 they held the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece. People from all over the world came to watch the first modern Olympics and over 80,000 people filled the stadium during opening ceremonies! More people attended this event than any sporting event in history. There were 280 people participating from 14 different countries. Some of the different sports were cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, racing, weightlifting, tennis and wrestling. 

During the first modern Olympics winners were awarded silver medals and the runners up were awarded copper medals. As you may know today the medals are gold, silver, and bronze. The United States won 11 silver medals and Greece won the most medals overall, 46. Runners up were Germany, France and Great Britain. A highlight of the Olympics was Greek marathon runner, Spyridion Louis, winning the marathon and the most competitive participant was German wrestler, Carl Schumann, who won 4 events. 

The first winter Olympics were held in 1924. For 70 years, both the Summer and Winter Olympics were held during the same year. It wasn’t until 1994 that they were split and began switching every 2 years.

There are many symbols around the Olympics, like the flag and the motto that have deep meaning.

The Olympic flag was originally created by Coubertin in 1913. It is a white background with five rings: blue, yellow, black, green and red. The five rings were to represent the 5 continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. Coubertin chose those colors because together they represented the colors of all the countries participating. He took the rings interlocking from the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, interlocking rings symbolized to Jung continuity and the human being. It was a flag created to represent everyone, truly an international symbol.

The Olympic motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius”, which is Latin for “faster, higher, stronger” It was suggested by Coubertin at the original International Olympic Committee meeting. It was a saying that a friend of his, Henri Didon, who was a priest and a teacher came up with. Coubertin said “These three words represent a programme of moral beauty. The aesthetics of sport are intangible.” It was officially introduced at the 1924 games. 

The Olympic creed was said by the Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, Ethelbert Talbot, in a sermon during the 1908 Olympics. He said, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

The Olympic Anthem is played when the Olympic flag is raised and even though it was performed at the first modern Olympics in 1896, it wasn’t made the official anthem until 1958. It was composed by Spyridon Samaras; the words are from a poem by the Greek writer Kostis Palamas. The poem is a celebration of the Olympics, and the sense of a worldwide friendship that comes with Olympics. A small part of it says, “As now we come across the world/To share these Games of old/Let all the flags of every land/In brotherhood unfold   Sing out each nation, voices strong/Rise up in harmony/All hail our brave Olympians/With strains of victory”. The anthem shows just how much the Olympics are meant to unify us.

Anciently, the prize for winning (only first place was recognized anciently) was a kotinos, a wild olive branch intertwined to form a circle. The kotinos was made from a sacred olive tree by the temple of Zeus near Olympia. But of course now first, second and third place are awarded medals. The front of the medal shows an image of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory and the back shows the host country of the games. Olympic diplomas are then given to fourth through eighth places. 

There is a modern Olympic tradition that was introduced at the Berlin Games in 1936. Months before the games are held, a torch is lit at the site of the ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece. To do this the Sun is used to light the torch using a parabolic reflector (kind of like a giant mirror shaped like a bowl). The torch is then taken out of Greece to the host country and travels around before the games, staying lit the entire time. Sometimes on it’s way to the host country it is taken to really exciting places. The flame has gone underwater, to the North Pole and even to Outer Space! It has been carried by both famous people and ordinary people. The first day of the Olympics is called Opening Ceremonies. The day of Opening Ceremonies it is taken to a cauldron that is used to light the ceremonies. Here all of the participants parade around the stadium carrying flags representing their different countries. It’s an exciting day for the participants and for the world!

Today the Olympics includes many more sports than the first modern Olympics which beyond the traditional sports include basketball, baseball, volleyball, BMX, diving, soccer, hockey, karate, skateboarding, surfing, and trampolines.

The Olympic games come from the desire to be a part of something more, and while no country is perfect, it is incredible to see what we can accomplish when we work together, instead of apart. As we go into this exciting worldwide tradition this month and next, think about what you can do to contribute to unity in your world. Unity or to unify means to come together, to work together, to be one. Think about what this means as a family, friends, in your school and community. Our small efforts always have a bigger effect than we think they will. How can you make a difference?

Also, as you watch the Olympics, think about sports you are interested in, or might be interested in! Physical activity is good for your body and mind. Studies show that exercising makes you happier! When you move about and play and exercise chemicals in your brain are released that make you feel better and feel less stress. Isn’t that cool? I know for me it feels to get out and run or ride my bike or swim with my kids. It clears my mind and it gives me added strength or energy. Spend some time thinking about how you might add more physical activity to your life, and maybe by watching the Olympics you’ll be inspired to try a new sport.

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