In the bustling streets of Florence, Italy, during the early 1400s, a young boy named Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici was about to change history. Giovanni was not born into a family of great wealth or royal blood. His father, Averardo de’ Medici, was a merchant, and his mother, Jacopa Spini, was a middle-class woman. They lived in a small house, but it was filled with love and laughter.

Giovanni was a curious child, always eager to learn about the world around him. He often wandered the markets of Florence, listening to traders and merchants as they haggled over goods. From silks and spices to artworks and armor, Florence was a city thriving with trade, thanks to its location in the heart of Italy.

When he was just a teenager, Giovanni’s father took him on a business trip to Rome. It was there that Giovanni’s saw his first bank. When people needed to move money to a far away place, they could give their money to the bank who would give them a letter with a number showing the amount. Then they could travel to the faraway place and use the letter to get their money. This was much safer than trying to move large amounts of money  by wagon or on their horse – especially since the roads at that time could be very dangerous. Thieves were known to stop people and take their money. Banks could also be used to keep your money safe and to buy things in faraway places. This not only made trading easier but also safer. Giovanni saw all of this going on and was fascinating.

Returning to Florence, Giovanni decided to start his own bank. With a small amount of money saved up and a loan from a family friend, Giovanni set up a tiny banking in the local market. It was just a simple table in the market where people would come to him to trust him with their money. He was friendly and wise, offering to keep people’s money safe and help them transfer money to different cities without risk.

Banks and banking seem like a simple ideas now, but it was very new at the time and Giovanni wanted to be the one who had the biggest, most trusted, and wealthy bank.

Giovanni’s reputation grew. People trusted him because he was fair and kind. His bank began to grow. He also made money on trade. Trade is when you buy items and then sell them for more. He did this all over Europe along with helping people move and save their money. 

But beyond banking, Giovanni wanted to do more than just make money; he wanted to help Florence, the city he loved. He started lending money to artists so they could buy materials to create beautiful paintings, sculptures, and other crafts. This was the time of the Renaissance when artists were trying new styles and painting more realistically than before. 

The Medici Bank, as it was now known, became the largest bank in Europe!  Giovanni had branches of his bank in many major cities, including Rome, Venice, and even distant London. His success allowed him to support not just his family but also the city’s artists, architects, and thinkers. Florence blossomed into a center of the Renaissance, a golden age of art and science in part thanks to the money spent by Giovanni.

One of Giovanni’s proudest moments was praying for the construction of the famous dome of the Florence Cathedral. He hired Filippo Brunelleschi, a genius architect who proposed a daring design. Many were skeptical that such a grand dome could be built, but Giovanni believed in Brunelleschi’s vision. The completion of the dome was a marvel and remains one of the architectural wonders of the world.

Giovanni also believed in giving back to his community. He supported the construction of hospitals, schools, and libraries. Thanks to him, many young Florentines received education and health care, which were rare in those times for anyone but the rich.

As Giovanni grew older, he trained his sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo, to take over the bank. He taught them everything he knew, not just about banking, but also about being wise leaders and generous supporters of art and culture. Giovanni knew that wealth was not just about gold and silver; it was about making the city better for everyone.

Cosimo, Giovanni’s oldest son, was a quick learner, but he loved art more than banking like his father. He loved to stroll through the workshops of sculptors and painters, watching them turn blank canvases and rough stones into breathtaking art.

As Cosimo grew into a teenager, Florence was blossoming into the center of the Renaissance. It was during these years that Cosimo developed a vision for his city. He saw Florence not just as a center of commerce but as a shining light of culture and learning.

When Cosimo took over the Medici Bank from his father, he was ready to use his wealth to transform Florence. He believed that beauty and knowledge were as valuable as gold and silver. He started investing in art and buildings even more than his father. He became a “patron” of the arts, which means he paid to have them created.

Cosimo’s love for architecture led him to pay for the construction of the San Marco monastery in Florence. He invited architects to design a building that would reflect the elegance and spiritual depth of the city. The finished building was a peaceful place that became a home for scholars and artists. 

He also established the Platonic Academy, a school where philosophers gathered to discuss ideas. With Cosimo as the patron, this academy became a center for learning in Europe, attracting scholars from all over the continent. It was here that the works of Plato and other ancient philosophers were studied and preserved.

But life in Florence wasn’t easy for Cosimo. Even though he gave a lot to the city, he also used his money to control some of the leaders. Many people believed he and his family had too much power over Florence and their use of their wealth to run the city was unfair. One of the competing families, the Albizzi, found enough people to go against them that Cosimo had to leave the city for a time. He was devastated to leave the city he loved. The Albizzi didn’t run Florence as well and eventually the people asked Cosimo to come back. 

Back in Florence, Cosimo paid for the construction of public libraries, making knowledge accessible to more than just the elite. He also paid for public projects like aqueducts, which carried clean water through the city. These projects improved daily life in Florence, making it one of the most advanced cities of its time.

Like his father, Cosimo taught his children the value of art, culture, and community. When Cosimo passed away, Pietro took over the Medici Bank and leadership of Florence. We’re not going to spend as much time learning about Pietro but he did carry on his family’s legacy of running the bank and keeping the finances in order. Cosimo’s rule had been very expensive from all of his spending on art and architecture and Pietro was able to focus on the banking again and increase the family’s wealth.

His son, Lorenzo, grew up surrounded by scholars, artists, and poets. From a very young age, he was taught not only about banking and politics but also the value of art and knowledge. Lorenzo had a powerful personality and was very intelligent like his father and grandfather, with a natural ability to lead and inspire those around him. 

In 1469, he was barely 20 years-old when his father passed away and he was left in charge of the family bank. He paid for great art like his grandfathers, Cosimo and Giovanni, but with even greater enthusiasm. He surrounded himself with poets and scholars, too, who helped him turn Florence into the intellectual and artistic capitol of Europe.

One of the most famous artists and inventors of the Renaissance was Leonardo da Vinci. Lorenzo was a patron to Leonardo and Michelangelo, two of the most famous artists in history. He became known as “Lorenzo the Magnificent” for all of his different qualities.

He was also a very skilled politician. This means he knew how to work with leaders in the government. Often the way he worked with leaders was unfair, because he used his money to pay for who was in power and how they voted. He was like a king of Florence, but he did it in a secret way by using his money to make things go his way.

At the time, many of the different cities in what is now Italy competed for power. Cities such as Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples and Genoa. Because all of these cities were competing for power, Lorenzo’s reign as leader of Florence was not without its challenges. In 1478, someone tried to assassinate him during church in the Duomo of Florence. Lorenzo survived, but the attack left scars that would affect his leadership and the safety of his family.

As Lorenzo grew older, running Florence became harder and harder. The bank wasn’t as powerful as when his father was in charge and his building projects and art became too expensive for their family to pay for. He died in 1492, yet, the world has Lorenzo and his father and grandfather to thank for much of the beautiful artwork and buildings you can still visit in Florence today.

The Medici Family, through its generations, showed both the good and ill that come with great power. They were patrons of the arts and education, and helped keep Florence stable. However, their leadership also included times of extreme control, corruption, and abuses of power. Despite this, the Medicis left a significant mark on history, transforming Florence into a center of the Renaissance that still shines brightly today.

The story of the Medici family, from Giovanni to Cosimo to Lorenzo, teaches us that with great power and wealth comes the responsibility to foster culture, knowledge, and beauty. Their legacy reminds us that we all have the capacity to contribute to a better society. Their story inspires us to think of how we, too, can make our own mark in the world, creating something magnificent that could last generations.

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Theme park rides like Thunder Mountain Railroad and others are a blast to ride and experience, but how do these rides come to be? Who designs them? Who builds them and creates all of the environments and machines that are required to make them work? Today we’re going to talk about none other than the world famous Disney Imagineers!

The magical world of Disney theme parks has captivated the hearts of millions around the globe for decades. Behind the scenes of this enchanting experience lies a rich history marked by creativity, ingenuity, and a team of visionary individuals known as Imagineers. The roots of Disney’s theme park legacy can be traced back to WED Enterprises and the birth of Imagineering. 

When Walt Disney first decided to build a theme park, after his wild success as an animation studio, Disney created a group called WED Enterprises. This was in 1952 and Disney formed the group because he knew he would need a crew of very talented people to help design and engineer his theme park, which was still just a thing of his dreams and imagination. 

WED Enterprises included artists, engineers, architects, and designers who would bring Walt Disney’s dreams to life. They were known for having more than just one skill, such as being an architect or an engineer. They had to have BIG imaginations and be ready to think outside the box. At heart, they were storytellers, responsible for creating immersive narratives that would become park rides and other experiences. Their mission was to blend creativity with cutting-edge technology to create an enchanting world for park visitors.

In 1986, WED Enterprises changed its name to Walt Disney Imagineering. Imagineer is the combination of the words engineer and imagine! Imagineers are expected to not only have the skills to do their job but to think creatively and come up with new, bold ideas as they tell their stories in the form of attractions. In fact, one of the Imagineers first principles is “It all begins with a story.” 

Next, let’s dive into the life of some of the most famous Imagineers! Marc Davis was born in Bakersfield, California and from a very young age loved drawing and art! He practiced during his free time and eventually went to college in Kansas, where he further developed his skills. In 1934, Marc joined Disney as an animator and helped illustrate for animated classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi. He worked closely with Walt Disney to create these films and when it came time to start designing Disneyland, Walt Disney knew Marc would be the perfect fit to help bring his dreams to life. 

One of his first projects was designing characters for The Haunted Mansion. Marc had a great sense of humor and was able to bring it to life through art as he designed characters such as The Hitching Ghost and the ghostly bride Constance Hatchaway. He also worked on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and many of the humor pirates you can see and experience throughout the ride. Marc also helped design the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Jungle Cruise, and EPCOT’s Journey into Imagination.

Another early imagineer was Harriet Burns. Harriet was born in San Antonio, Texas and early on had a passion for art and design. She started at Disney in 1955 as a set painter for many of the rides. She became one of the first female Imagineers and helped design and paint characters on the Disneyland Railroad, Its a Small World, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Harriet was also known for her strong will and personality. When she had a vision for how someone should be done, she worked hard at it and made her opinion known until she got results!

The history of Disneyland Imagineers wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Tony Baxter, whose first job at Disneyland was actually an ice cream scooper at age 17. He loved being at the park and was determined to help make it an even more fun and enchanting place. He went to school and studied landscape architecture and later theater design. At this time, he also started helping with construction projects at Disneyland.

In 1970, Tony officially became an Imagineer. His dream job! He helped redesign Fantasyland, then later came up with the idea that became Splash Mountain. Splash Mountain showcased Baxter’s ability to combine storytelling with groundbreaking ride technology. The attraction became an instant classic, enchanting generations with its whimsical charm.

Baxter’s gift for adventure and storytelling reached new heights with the creation of the Indiana Jones ride. Opened in 1995, this dark ride blended film and theme park elements, plunging riders into the heart of an ancient temple filled with scary sights! The attraction’s success showed Baxter’s ability to translate movie magic into an immersive and exhilarating theme park experience.

Other famous Imagineers worth mentioning are the artist Mary Blair, X Atencio, Wing T. Chao, Alice Estes Davis, Yale Gracey, Bob Gurr, Joe Rohde, and Marty Sklar. Because Disney parks are worldwide, Imagineers of many different nationalities, races, and backgrounds are now part of the Imagineering team!

Something else exciting about Imagineers is that as they are working on new rides, they often invent entirely new technologies that are used not only at Disney but in other theme parks and attractions around the world.

One of their most famous innovations are audio-animatronics. These are the life-like robots that become characters on the different Disney rides. They often look very realistic and move in real ways that make the parkgoers feel like they are experiencing the characters and the environments for real! The animatronics on some of the rides were ahead of their time. To date, one of the most advanced and realistic animatronics is the Shaman on the Na’vi River Journey at Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. Animatronics like this require many designers and engineers to figure out how to make them move in life-like ways. You’ll have to check out a video for this one, because you won’t believe your eyes!

Many of the vehicles for Disney’s rides also feature very advanced designs in order to move guests around through the attraction. This includes trackless rides that use magnets to orient them along the path. Another example is the jeep in Indiana Jones that makes passengers feel like they are bumping up and down on a wild ride, which has the flexibility to move many different directions.

Using RFID wristbands, guests are able to open their hotel rooms, enter parks and even make purchases using radio frequencies. Many of these technologies feel like magic when they are being used, but under all of the electronics a smart engineer had to design every piece of the advanced equipment to make it work. 

Other technologies include projection mapping, augmented reality, and virtual reality simulators… all with the goal of making guests feel like they have been transported to a different place and time and are living the actual experience. Pretty amazing, right?

Does becoming an Imagineer sound interesting to you? If so, be sure to look up their principles of design and think of ways you can apply them to your own interests. Do you like to be creative? If so, think of the kind of ride you would create if you were a Disney Imagineer. Draw up a plan and maybe even make a miniature version of it using cardboard and other materials. You might even simulate how it works using a space in your backyard or living room. Be sure to run it by your parents first, of course, but remember that all of these Imagineers were once kids like you who were passionate about art and design and had BIG imaginations! 

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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.

Rudyard’s childhood was filled with excitement. He and his sister, Trix, roamed the colorful streets of Bombay, exploring markets, tasting exotic foods, and making friends with people from all walks of life. The vibrant bazaars and bustling harbors of Bombay ignited his imagination, and he soaked up the sights, sounds, and smells of this fascinating city. These early experiences would later inspire many of the stories he would write.

But adventure wasn’t just limited to the city. Rudyard’s parents believed in giving him a well-rounded education. So, when he was just six years old, they sent him off to a school in England. Can you imagine leaving your home at such a young age and traveling to a distant land? Rudyard did, and it was a thrilling, albeit challenging, experience. He missed the sights and sounds of India, but he also learned to love the English countryside, the stories, and the books that filled his new world.

When Rudyard returned to India at the age of 13, he carried with him a wealth of stories, both from the books he had read and the adventures he had lived. He began to write his own tales, inspired by the vibrant and diverse culture of India. His first published works were written during his teenage years, and they showcased his growing talent as a storyteller.

One of Rudyard’s most famous books is “The Jungle Book.” Can you imagine a story about a young boy who is raised by wolves, befriends a bear and a panther, and faces off against a fierce tiger? Well, that’s exactly what Rudyard Kipling imagined. “The Jungle Book” is a thrilling adventure filled with animals that can talk and a young hero named Mowgli. This book has captivated the hearts and imaginations of countless children around the world for over a century. Rudyard Kipling’s childhood in India, where he was surrounded by exotic wildlife, inspired the enchanting tales of the jungle and its inhabitants.

Rudyard Kipling didn’t just write stories about the jungle; he also penned tales about the high seas and adventures on the open water. One of his most famous works is “Captain Courageous.” It’s a story about a young boy named Harvey who gets thrown overboard from a luxury cruise ship and ends up on a fishing schooner. Harvey must learn the ways of the sea and earn the respect of the rough and rugged fishermen. This thrilling tale takes readers on a journey across the vast oceans and teaches valuable lessons about hard work, determination, and courage.

Another book that will sweep you off your feet is “Kim.” This novel tells the story of an orphan boy who grows up in India and becomes a spy, traveling all over the country. Kim is a master of disguise and has exciting adventures as he explores the rich tapestry of Indian culture, meets fascinating characters, and navigates the complexities of British colonialism. Rudyard Kipling’s deep love for India shines through in “Kim,” as it is a captivating blend of adventure, mystery, and cultural exploration.

But life wasn’t all thrilling adventures and stories for Rudyard. He faced some challenges too. As a young man, he returned to England to work as a journalist and faced tough times. Yet, he persevered and continued writing stories that would later become classics. His life experiences, both good and bad, were woven into the tapestry of his tales, making them all the more relatable and inspiring.

Rudyard Kipling’s adventurous spirit took him to many parts of the world. He traveled to South Africa, where he covered the Boer War as a journalist. 

He visited America and made lifelong friends with famous figures like Mark Twain. These journeys helped him gather more stories and experiences to share with the world.

During the Boer War, Kipling embarked on a journey that would lead him to the heart of the action, traveling alongside British troops. Rudyard wasn’t a soldier, but he carried his pen and notebook like weapons, ready to capture the stories of bravery and valor. He witnessed the roar of cannons, the thunder of hooves, and the courage of men facing the unknown.

One day, while Rudyard was riding with a group of British soldiers, they found themselves deep in enemy territory. The Boers, fierce fighters who knew the South African terrain well, were lurking nearby. A skirmish broke out, and the British soldiers were outnumbered and outgunned.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Rudyard’s journalistic instincts kicked in. He crouched low, scribbling notes furiously as bullets whizzed past. The noise of the battlefield was deafening, but he remained calm, determined to record the bravery of the soldiers, who fought for a cause they believed in.

As the day wore on, the situation became even more perilous. The British soldiers needed to send a message back to their headquarters, but the enemy was watching their every move. Rudyard, known for his resourcefulness, volunteered to sneak through enemy lines with the urgent message. It was a daring mission, but he was determined to get the story out.

Under the cover of darkness, Rudyard set out, crawling through the tall grass and avoiding the watchful eyes of the Boer sentries. He moved silently, his heart pounding with each step. His adventures as a young boy in the bustling streets of Bombay had prepared him for this moment of danger.

After a nerve-wracking journey through the enemy’s territory, Rudyard finally reached the British camp. He delivered the message, and his courageous act earned him the respect of the soldiers. His storytelling wasn’t limited to pen and paper; he had lived an adventure that would become a part of his own legend.

Rudyard Kipling’s experiences during the Boer War served as the backdrop for some of his most poignant writings. He understood the sacrifices made by soldiers and the price of war. His stories from the battlefield, like “The Man Who Would Be King,” and “Soldiers Three,” reflected the human aspects of the conflict, the camaraderie, and the struggles faced by those on the front lines.

One of Rudyard’s most famous poems, “If—,” is a true inspiration. It’s a message about being brave and resilient in the face of adversity. “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…” goes one of its lines. It’s a reminder to stay strong, no matter what challenges life throws your way. “If—” has been recited and cherished by people of all ages for generations, and its wisdom is just as relevant today as it was when Rudyard Kipling wrote it.

Rudyard Kipling’s life was like an adventure story itself. He faced triumphs and trials, explored distant lands, met fascinating people, and left behind a treasure trove of stories for the world to enjoy. His books continue to transport readers to far-off places, introducing them to incredible characters and exciting adventures.

So, young adventurers, as you read Rudyard Kipling’s tales, remember the little boy who once roamed the colorful streets of Bombay, the teenager who journeyed to England, and the man who traveled the world seeking inspiration. His stories are a testament to the power of imagination, the wonder of exploration, and the importance of never giving up on your dreams. Rudyard Kipling’s legacy lives on, inviting you to embark on your own adventures, whether in the pages of a book or out in the wide world beyond.

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But when did we start celebrating Valentine’s Day?  And why?  Do you believe it actually involves a priest, a Greek God, and a duke, plus goats, dogs, and birds?  Well, it’s true, so let’s dive into the past and uncover the hidden history behind this love-filled holiday.

First, we must go back many, many centuries – to the third century in fact – to the thriving city of Rome, the bustling center of Italy and the heart of Catholicism.  The country is ruled by a Roman Emperor named Claudius II.  Claudius is a strict ruler who does not allow disobedience.  He makes a law that states that unmarried men must fight in his wars because they make better soldiers – they are free of wives and children and they fight fiercely.  He strongly believes that married soldiers, on the other hand, are lackluster fighters because they are constantly worried about losing their lives and never returning to their wives and children.  

Also at this time, there is a clergyman – a priest or a bishop – in Italy named Valentine or Valentinus, who travels around Italy preaching the Catholic faith.  At one point, he is imprisoned because of his preaching.  Valentine is brought before Judge Asterius and the judge dares him to prove his faith.  Judge Asterius orders Valentine to heal his blind daughter.  Valentine prays and then puts his hands on the daughter.  Immediately, the daughter’s eyesight returns.  The judge is so grateful to Valentine that he releases him from prison, as well as all the other inmates in his city.  

Valentine continues on his travels and learns about Emperor Claudius’ laws regarding single men being sent into battle.  He thinks this law is unfair, so he secretly performs wedding ceremonies for single men and their sweethearts, thus going around Claudius’ rules.  

Valentine eventually meets Emperor Claudius, who likes him at first, but when the emperor learns that Valentine is performing secret wedding ceremonies, he becomes enraged.  And when Valentine tries to convert him to Catholicism, he orders that Valentine be thrown into prison. He orders Valentine to give up his faith, but Valentine does not do so.  Some stories state that while Valentine is in prison, he writes a letter to Judge Asterius’ now-healed daughter and signs it, “From Your Valentine.”  

Unfortunately, Valentine’s kind acts and constant preaching anger Emperor Claudius and he orders Valentine to be killed on February 14^th.  By the following century, Valentine is one of the most celebrated saints in France and England.

In the 5^th century, a pope named Gelasius I became increasingly worried about the pagans – or non-Catholics – and their strange ceremonies.  These pagans did not believe in one God, but rather fairies, gods, goddesses, and goblins.  The pope decides that the pagan celebrations need to be banished and replaced with a Catholic celebration instead.  So, he orders that the pagan holiday of Lupercalia – held every year on February 15th – will now be the feast day of St. Valentine and celebrated on February 14th.

So, what is Lupercalia?  Lupercalia is a pagan – or non-religious – holiday honoring Faunus, the god of agriculture and the founders of Rome, named Remus and Romulus.  

During Lupercalia every year, a group of religious men used to gather in a secret cave in Rome where they believed that the infants Remus and Romulus were raised by a she-wolf or “lupa.”  The men would offer a goat and a dog as a sacrifice to the god Faunus.  They would then make strips out of the animals’ hides, dip them in fluid, and walk around town touching women and fields with the wet hides!  I am sure you and I would find this practice very strange today, but in those days, women liked to be touched by these hides as they believed it would bring them healthy babies and a bountiful harvest.  Later in the day on Lupercalia, single women would write their names on a piece of paper and put the paper into a large urn or container.  Young bachelors would pick a woman’s name out of the urn and live with that woman for a year.  I wonder if this is where blind dating got its start?!

Later, during the Middle Ages in France and England, it was believed that birds started their mating season in mid-February, around the feast day of St. Valentine. These mating birds and St. Valentine were mentioned in a 1375 poem by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote: “For this was Seynt Valentine’s Day/When every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” 

And just like Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made Christmas trees in homes a popular holiday tradition, another noble couple made love letters a St. Valentine’s Day tradition.  In 1415, Charles, the French Duke of Orleans, fought in the Battle of Agincourt against King Henry V of England.  The French lost the battle and the duke was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London, and other British castles, for the next 25 years.  While in prison, he wrote a poem to his wife called “A Farewell to love,” thinking he would never be released nor see her again.  He called her, “My very gentle Valentine.”  His poem is now considered the oldest valentine in existence.  

So, now we know about the priest and the pope who started St. Valentine’s Day and the noble who wrote a historic valentine.  But how did a chubby little cupid make it into our Valentine’s Day celebrations?  Well, in Greek history there is a handsome god of love named Eros, who shoots golden arrows into people to inspire love or stop others from doing evil acts.  But at some point in history, sometime after the death of Alexander the Great and Queen Cleopatra, images of Eros changed from a handsome god to a chubby cherub.  Eros remains the same to this day – possibly because a cheery cherub is less threatening as a symbol of love than a muscled man with arrows!

So, little by little, through the centuries, mid-February has become the time of year to celebrate love. By the 17^th century, Valentine’s Day had become quite popular.  And in the 18^th century, people started exchanging small tokens of love, like candy, flowers, and handwritten notes.  Then, in the early 1900’s, Valentine’s Day cards arrived in stores due to the popularity of the printing press.  People found it easier to select a preprinted card with a Valentine’s greeting than writing their personal feelings in a handwritten letter. Today, Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending holiday, behind Christmas, with approximately 145 million cards sent every year.  

Couples still give each other boxes of chocolate, bouquets of flowers, and Valentine’s Day cards.  Children create handmade cards – or purchase cards – and give them to their classmates at school.  Sometimes they hold celebrations with tasty treats like cookies, cupcakes, and punch.  

In the United States, we also enjoy a popular candy called “Sweethearts.”  They are tiny, heart-shaped candies with words etched on them like “Be Mine,” “Kiss Me,” or “Miss You.”  They come in different colors like pink, yellow, blue, and green.  And the romantic expressions on the hearts change through the years – some sayings are kept and some are abandoned.  Since the language of young love is always changing, so the sayings on the hearts change, too.  Today, the hearts have expressions like “LOL” stamped on them.

The Sweethearts’ candy maker produces over 100,000 pounds (or 45 kilograms) of candy hearts every day.  That’s much heavier than a hippo, an elephant, or a Tyrannosaurus Rex – and almost as heavy as the space shuttle!  And over 8 billion hearts are made every year.  

So, what do you think of Lupercalia and Valentine’s Day?  Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day where you live?  What do you like most about Valentine’s Day?  Do you hold celebrations at home, school, or church and, if so, what do you do?  Do you have a favorite treat on Valentine’s Day?

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

The tournament was a much-anticipated event, and Sir Oliver had been training diligently for this day. He was determined to prove his worth as a knight and make his family and kingdom proud. With the sun’s first rays peeking over the horizon, he awoke, ready to embark on a journey that would test his courage, skill, and chivalry.

Sir Oliver donned his gleaming armor, which was adorned with a fierce lion emblem, symbolizing his family’s valor and strength. As he strapped on his trusty sword, he could feel the weight of responsibility and honor resting on his shoulders. With a deep breath, he headed to the village square, where a cheering crowd awaited his arrival.

The tournament grounds were gloriously decorated, with colorful banners fluttering in the breeze and the sounds of fun and laughter filling the air. Knights from far and wide had gathered to prove their strength and skill. The jousting field was marked with a long wooden tilt, a wooden barrier, where the knights would charge at each other on their powerful horses.

Sir Oliver’s heart raced with excitement as he climbed on his warhorse. Thunderstrike was a magnificent beast with a jet-black coat and a fiery spirit. The crowd roared with anticipation, knowing that this young knight was determined to make a name for himself.

A trumpet signaled the start of the joust, and Sir Oliver and his opponent prepared to face each other. They charged towards one another at an incredible speed, their lances held high. Then the two knights collided with a clash, but Sir Oliver’s lance found its mark, shattering his opponent’s shield.

The crowd erupted into cheers at Sir Oliver first victory. He nodded humbly, showing respect for his fallen opponent, a true knightly quality.

As the tournament continued, Sir Oliver faced more challengers, each battle testing his mettle and courage. The day wore on, and the sun’s rays began to cast long shadows over the field. Sweat dripped down his brow as he battled knights of all ages and backgrounds.

In the final round, Sir Oliver faced a skilled and honorable opponenent. The joust was a thrilling contest of skill and valor, but in the end, Sir Oliver’s lance hit true, knocking his opponent from his horse. He had won the tournament and the crowd’s adoration.

The people of the village cheered and applauded as they hailed their new champion, Sir Oliver. He was presented with a magnificent trophy, a golden chalice that shone as brightly as his armor. With humility and gratitude, he accepted his prize, but it was not the trophy that filled his heart with the greatest joy. It was the knowledge that he had upheld the code of chivalry throughout the tournament, treating his fellow knights with respect, bravery, and honor.

Knighthood first began to take shape and gain popularity in the early Middle Ages, particularly during the 9th and 10th centuries in Europe. Knights were more common in the Western and Northern parts of Europe, including what are now modern-day France, England, and Germany. 

**Chapter 1: The Birth of Knights**

Knights were like the superheroes of their era. Just as you might admire your favorite movie characters, people in medieval Europe looked up to knights. These brave men started their journey as young squires, like you, who learned the art of combat, chivalry, and honor. They trained hard, and when they became skilled and noble, they were finally knighted.

**Chapter 2: Suiting Up in Shiny Armor**

One of the most exciting things about knights was their armor. Imagine wearing cool, shiny armor like Iron Man! Well, knights had their own amazing suits of armor. There were two main types: plate armor and chainmail.

– *Plate Armor*: This was like a medieval Iron Man suit. It was made of metal plates that covered a knight’s body from head to toe, giving them excellent protection. But, it was also very heavy!

– *Chainmail*: This was like a super-strong, flexible, and lightweight shirt made of tiny metal rings. Knights wore this beneath their plate armor to stay safe in battle.

Knights’ armor wasn’t just for protection; it also had a unique design on the shield, banner, or helmet, representing their family or country. It’s like wearing your favorite superhero’s emblem on your shirt!

Knights didn’t spend all their time just looking awesome in their armor; they had a noble duty to protect their kingdom. They went on exciting adventures. These adventures were often battles, but we won’t get into the scary details. Instead, think of knights as the brave defenders of their kingdoms, fighting to keep their people safe. 

Imagine a grand sports event where knights would show off their skills, not in battle, but in friendly competitions. These were called jousting tournaments like Sir Oliver’s. Just like how you might compete in soccer or basketball, knights competed in these thrilling events.

The main event was the joust, where two knights on horseback charged at each other with long, pointy spears, trying to knock each other off their horses. It was like a medieval game of chicken!

Knights also participated in melees, where they fought with blunted weapons in mock battles. It was all in good fun and showed off their strength and skill. These tournaments were like the medieval version of your favorite sports, and people would gather from far and wide to cheer for their favorite knights.

Knights were not just strong and brave; they had a special code of conduct called chivalry. Chivalry was like a knight’s rulebook for being a true hero.

These are a few of the virtues:

– *Honor*: Knights had to be honest and fair, and they would never cheat or lie.

– *Respect*: They treated others with kindness and respect, especially those who were weaker or in need.

– *Courage*: Knights had to be brave in the face of danger, just like your favorite action heroes.

– *Loyalty*: They were loyal to their king, their country, and their fellow knights.

– *Helping Others*: Knights helped those in need, just like how you might help a friend or family member.

So, how does learning about knights relate to your life today? Well, the lessons of chivalry can be applied even now. You might not have a suit of armor or a sword, but you can be a modern-day knight in your own way.

– *Honor*: Always be honest and fair. Never cheat or lie to win.

– *Respect*: Treat everyone with kindness and respect, just like the knights did.

– *Courage*: Stand up for what’s right, even when it’s tough.

– *Loyalty*: Be loyal to your friends, family, and the people you care about.

– *Helping Others*: Always be ready to help those in need, just like a true hero.

You see, being a knight isn’t just about fighting battles; it’s about being a hero in everyday life. The code of chivalry can guide you in making the world a better place.

And so, our journey through the thrilling history of knights in medieval Europe comes to an end. Knights were the heroes of their time, protecting their kingdoms and living by the code of chivalry. They inspire us to be brave, kind, and honorable in our own lives.

You may not have a suit of armor or a trusty steed, but you have the heart of a modern-day knight. Just remember the lessons of chivalry and let them guide you in your adventures, big and small. You can be a hero in your own way, making the world a better place with your kindness, courage, and honor, just like the knights of yore.

So, young squire, go forth with the spirit of a knight in your heart and make your own heroic mark on the world!

The post Knights of Medieval Europe for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

To be called the king of something, you have to be really good at it. You have to spend a lot of time and effort trying to be the best at it. Michael Jackson did exactly that.

He did have a little bit of a head start on other musicians. Before he was the King of Pop, he grew up performing with his talented family. Michael was born in Indiana in 1958 to a large musical family. Altogether, he had eight brothers and sisters! This helped give him a lot of practice learning how to compete for the spotlight. 

Michael was only six years old when he and four of his older brothers started singing in a band. They called themselves the Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 signed with a popular record label in 1968. For almost twenty years, Michael took the stage with his brothers. Even though he was the youngest, he was the lead singer. If you’ve never heard the Jackson 5 before, check out two of their most famous songs:  ‘I Want You Back’ and ‘ABC.’ 

A B C, It’s easy as

1 2 3, as simple as

Do re mi, A B C, 1 2 3

Ok, you don’t want to hear me sing, but maybe it will ring a bell now!

While all of the brothers in the Jackson 5 were talented and successful, it was their young lead singer who quickly stole the spotlight. His future as the King of Pop was just beginning. 

Michael was still young when the Jackson 5 was topping the charts and releasing hit albums. His parents had to pull him out of school because he would get mobbed by fans during classes. Can you imagine having to sneak into math class to avoid giving autographs? With this type of fame, it was only a matter of time before young Michael was ready to break out and become a star on his own. 

In 1971, Michael was finally ready to step into his own spotlight. He released his first-ever solo album called Got to Be There. He was only 13 years old! Like many teenagers, he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to be when he grew up. For the next few years, he tried a little bit of everything in the entertainment industry. He still sang with his brothers in the Jackson 5. He released five of his own albums. He even did some acting in movies! Michael was good, maybe even great at some of these things. But he still had a long way to go before anybody honored him enough to call him king. 

Working with different people in music and movies helped Michael make connections in the industry. Eventually, he found the type of performer he wanted to be. In the 1980s, he went on his last tour with his brothers. Quitting the band would let him focus more on his solo career. 

It’s a good thing for us that he did. In 1982, Michael Jackson wrote, recorded, and released the best-selling album of all time. Seriously the best album ever! This album, his sixth, was titled Thriller. Thriller is still in the Guinness Book of World Records, even today! This album topped charts, earned many Grammy awards, and even led to a 13-minute long mini-movie for the music video of the song ‘Thriller.’ And, of course, Michael starred in it. It’s one of our family favorites to watch this every Halloween. 

It’s fair to say that by this point, Michael Jackson was on his way to earning the title of King of Pop Music. His beautiful voice and his upbeat songs were wowing fans. But how was Michael going to reign over all other pop singers? He was not just a singer, he was an entire personality. He had moves, music videos, and outfits that were fun to watch! 

Fans all over the world loved his dance moves and his bold clothing choices. He often showed off both in his popular music videos. Maybe you’ve heard of the moonwalk? If not, you should look it up. It’s this famous move where Michael looks like he’s walking forward while he’s really gliding backwards. Cool, right? He was known for doing the moonwalk onstage, often wearing a single sequined glove and cropped pants to show off his white socks. Michael stood out with his sparkling gloves, bright-colored shirts, and jackets and pants made entirely of leather. 

One of Michael’s most iconic looks was his red leather pants and matching jacket that he wore in the music video for Thriller. Before Thriller, music videos usually featured musicians singing their songs. But Michael wanted to tell a story. He popularized the entertaining, movie-like videos that music artists are still making today.  

With this kind of success though comes pressure. Could the King of Pop make another album just as good and just as flashy as Thriller? Michael Jackson answered that question five years later with the album Bad. This album added another five number-one hits to his growing list of achievements. This time, he made a music video with an award-winning movie director named Martin Scorsese. 

At the time, Michael was considered the biggest musician in the world. He had money and fame that most people could only dream of. He had famous friends and a huge mansion. But this rockstar lifestyle came with challenges. 

People wanted to know everything about Michael’s life. From the way he designed his home to the shape of his nose – every part of Michael Jackson was questioned by the public. That can be a lot of stress for one guy, even for a king.

Michael was in the spotlight for more than 40 years. His fame meant that his name frequently appeared in newspapers, magazines, and television stories. Some of his actions caused the public to question him as a role model. Some people stopped supporting him, but others continued to appreciate and love his music.

Still, Michael continued to make music. While none of his new albums were as big as Thriller, they were still popular. Michael stayed busy making music that people loved and entertaining crowds, and he took the time to help others. He was often considered a philanthropist. A philanthropist is someone who donates a lot of their money to help other people. 

In the 1980s, Michael worked with another musician named Lionel Richie. Together, the two wrote the song ‘We Are the World.’ The song was recorded by many famous musicians like Stevie Wonder and Tina Turner. It raised over $60 million to help fight poverty and hunger in Africa. Michael became well-known for his generosity and gave away lots of the money he earned to different charities. 

He also used his music to discuss things that he thought were important. The lyrics from his 1991 hit ‘Heal the World’ ask listeners to be kind to each other and take care of the planet. In his song ‘Black or White’ from the same year, Michael speaks against the hate that he faced because of his appearance and the color of his skin. These songs promoted racial tolerance and acceptance, something that was personal to him. 

In June 2009, Michael Jackson unexpectedly died in Los Angeles. He was only 50 years old. Much of the world mourned. He left behind a legacy of accomplishments and accolades. But mostly, he left the world his incredible music.

In his lifetime, Michael was nominated for 38 Grammy Awards and ended up winning 13 of them. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – once with the Jackson 5 and once as a solo artist. He also has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He still holds the title for having the best-selling album of all time with Thriller. 

It’s pretty easy to see why Michael Jackson became the King of Pop. He did so much for the world of music. Like all kings, he wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes. He was criticized. Still, his music is sure to be enjoyed and rediscovered by new fans for years to come. Long live the extraordinary music from the King of Pop.

Sources:

https://www.biography.com/musicians/michael-jackson

https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Michael-Jackson/487595

https://www.ducksters.com/biography/entertainers/michael_jackson.php

https://kids.kiddle.co/Michael_Jackson#1986-1990

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Jackson

https://www.grammy.com/news/michael-jackson-10-achievements-that-made-him-the-king-of-pop

https://www.michaeljacksonslegacy.org/michael/about-michael/

https://www.grammy.com/artists/michael-jackson/13202

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/michael-jackson-60th-birthday

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

Dressed in your suit, crisp white shirt, and neatly knotted tie, you look very important. And indeed, you are a significant player in the world of business. These men are no ordinary executives; they’re from IBM, which, during this time, is the largest computer maker in the world.

As you wait, a young fellow appears before you. He seems hardly older than a teenager, but there’s an air of confidence about him. You ask him for directions to Bill Gates’s office, and without hesitation, he leads you there. Much to your surprise, he takes a seat behind the desk. It’s then that you realize he is Bill Gates himself, the head of Microsoft!

Bill Gates is just twenty-four years old at this time, although he appears even younger with his tangled hair, much too-large glasses, a sprinkling of freckles, and his cozy pullover sweater. However, as soon as he begins to speak, it becomes evident that he possesses a deep knowledge of computers which would lead him to become the richest man in the world.

________________

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. Due to being the third Gates with the name William Henry, his family called him “Trey,” which is another way to say the word three. However, to everyone else, he was simply Bill.

As a child, Bill was very active, spending hours rocking back and forth on his rocking horse. This habit of rocking back and forth would become something you’d often see during his important business meetings. He found it to help him think better.

On school nights, there was a strict no-TV rule in the Gates household. Instead, the family would have conversations, play games, and immerse themselves in books. Young Bill loved to read, even deciding at age seven to read the entire encyclopedia and World Book! That is a full shelf of books! 

His intelligence was obvious to all who knew him. There’s a memorable incident where the whole family was ready for a short trip in the car and suddenly realized Bill was missing. His mother found him inside the house, deep in thought. When asked what he was doing, he replied, “I’m thinking, Mother!”

Challenges always intrigued him, and he was known for looking for ways to test his abilities. He was naturally left-handed but would switch to his right hand if he found himself bored in school.

At the age of eleven, he participated in a contest at his church. The challenge was to memorize the Sermon on the Mount, a long list of Bible scriptures. He not only memorized the whole thing but also did it without making a single mistake, impressing the minister. When asked about his accomplishments, he replied, “I can do anything I set my mind to.”

Winning was also extremely important to Bill Gates, and he didn’t like losing. During summers, his family spent two weeks at a cabin named Cheerio near Puget Sound. There, young Bill’s competitive spirit shone as he excelled in many different sports, such as water skiing, ice-skating, swimming, and downhill skiing.

However, in the sixth grade his interest in school seemed to drop. This caused his parents, Bill Sr. and Mary, to make an important decision. They enrolled him in the private school Lakeside at the start of seventh grade, setting the course for a new chapter in his life.

___________

Bill was the smallest kid in his seventh-grade class at Lakeside School, but the teachers at Lakeside helped kids find what they loved. Bill Gates was good at math and science, but he hadn’t found his special interest yet.

Then, one spring day in 1968, a teacher took Bill and some of his friends to a place called “the computer room.” But guess what? There wasn’t a computer in there! You see, at that time, there were no small personal computers like we have today. Computers were huge devices as big as rooms that cost millions of dollars and were only used by the government, military, and universities. Even Lakeside, a fancy private school, couldn’t afford one. So, they got the next best thing – a Teletype machine. It looked like a large electric typewriter, and there was a telephone that connected it to a computer in downtown Seattle.

The teacher showed the boys how to type a special command, which made the teletype start making a lot of noise and punching holes in a long roll of paper tape. 

Then, that message went through the phone lines to the computer miles away, and it sent back an answer.

Bill Gates was amazed by what the computer could do! After that, he spent all his free time in the computer room. He read every computer manual he could find and learned computer languages. 

Some other kids at Lakeside got just as excited about computers, and they all learned from each other. It was funny because the teachers had planned to teach the kids about computers, but it turned out that Bill and his friends became the experts. They even taught the teachers!

At Lakeside, he discovered his true passion – computers! His genius brain now had a focus, and it was all about computers! 

A group of kids got together and created a computer club called the Lakeside Programmers. They loved writing their own computer programs. A Computer program is a set of instructions for the computer to follow. Think of a computer program as a set of commands that you give to a computer to make it do certain things. Like typing out words, playing a game, or doing math. When Bill was just thirteen, he wrote his very first program, and it was for playing tic-tac-toe!

For someone like Bill who loved a challenge, the computer was the perfect playground. Every program was like a puzzle. If he made one tiny mistake in the instructions, the computer would get all confused and make mistakes too.

Now, Bill was younger than most of the other kids in the club, and they thought he was using up too much time on the computer. So, they actually kicked him out of the club for a little while. But the other kids soon realized that Bill was smart and knew things that they didn’t. So eventually they asked him to come back to the club. 

Using the computer wasn’t free; it cost a lot of money. His parents paid for his school, but they told him he had to pay for computer time himself. So, Bill did what any smart kid would do – he got a job! There was a company in Seattle called Computer Center Corporation, and they had a computer. The boys at Lakeside made a deal with them: they could use the computer for free if they found mistakes in its programs. It was a dream job for Bill and his friends because they had control over this massive, million-dollar computer.

They had to work at odd times, like at night and on weekends when the company’s staff didn’t need the computer. Sometimes he and his buddies stayed up until midnight. If he missed the bus home, he had to walk three miles!

When he was fifteen, he teamed up with another Lakeside Programmer named Paul Allen. They created a program called Traf-O-Data, which measured traffic flow in Seattle. And guess what? They made $20,000 from it!

He and Paul were pretty different. Paul was quiet and shy, while Bill was more outgoing and liked to argue to make a point. But they both loved computers and respected each other’s ideas.

They believed that computers had the power to change people’s lives, and they talked for hours about all the amazing things computers could do.

In his junior year, Lakeside School asked him to create a computer program for their schedules because they had just merged with an all-girls school, and it was too complicated to do by hand. Bill did it, and in return, he got about $5,000 worth of free computer time. 

Finally, in 1973, Bill graduated from Lakeside School, and he was all set to go to Harvard University. Lakeside had been an incredible journey for him. He discovered his love for computers, started his first business, met Paul Allen, and they were about to do something no one had ever done before.

College life at Harvard University was already keeping Bill Gates on his toes with classes and campus adventures. But little did he know he was about to change the world forever.

Fast forward to the middle of his sophomore year, a time when Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen stumbled upon a magazine called Popular Electronics with the headline: “WORLD’S FIRST MINICOMPUTER KIT.” 

This was the birth of the Altair 8800. The Altair was unique because it was a small computer able to perform tasks that previously required large expensive mainframe computers. Do you remember the huge computers we mentioned in a previous episode that required large rooms of equipment? With an Altair 8800 at an affordable price, someone could own a computer small enough to have in their own home.

The Altair 8800 didn’t look like today’s sleek computers. It looked more like a black microwave with switches and lights. It didn’t even have a keyboard or screens. 

Bill and Paul quickly realized that the Altair 8800 had the hardware but lacked something very important: software. It was like having a car with no fuel – a machine ready to go but unable to move! 

The physical part of the computer like the hard drive and the motherboard is called hardware – but everything you use the computer for, what you see on the screen like games and pictures is called software. Many people call these apps today. The Altair 8800 was a computer with nothing to do with it. This is where Bill Gates and Paul Allen saw an opportunity! 

Bill Gates was not your typical college student. He and Paul Allen were brilliant programmers bursting with energy and vision. They knew what they had to do – create the missing software that would bring the Altair 8800 minicomputer to life. 

Bill called the company that made the computer. The company was called MITS and was located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

He told the head of MITS, Ed Roberts, that he and his partner were writing language software for the Altair 8800. He asked if MITS was interested in seeing it.

Roberts said SURE! He agreed to meet with the boys in a little over a month. They had boldly declared that their program was almost completed … yet they actually hadn’t even begun!

For the next eight weeks, they started on a whirlwind of late-night coding sessions and intense problem-solving. With time running out and their dreams on the line, Bill and Paul had to pull off something extraordinary. A friend from Harvard joined their mission, and just in the nick of time, their program was ready.

Paul Allen journeyed to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to present their creation to Ed Roberts, the head of the company behind the minicomputer. Their software had never been tested on a real Altair 8800 before!

In a room filled with anticipation, Paul entered the command: “PRINT 2 + 2.” Then, the magic happened – the computer responded with a triumphant “4”! Success!

That moment changed everything. Ed Roberts, head of MITS decided to purchase their program, marking the birth of the very first programming language for a microcomputer. And Bill Gates was just a 19-year-old college student at the time!

After Bill and Paul made their deal with MITS, they needed an interesting name for their business. They picked “Micro-Soft” because they were making software for tiny computers (“micro” means tiny). In less than a year, they decided to drop the hyphen. Bill became the president of Microsoft, and Paul was the vice president.

They worked day and night and hired more people as Microsoft grew. As Bill Gates hired new people he expected everyone at Microsoft to work as hard as he did, even late at night and on weekends. Luckily most of the people there didn’t mind because they were young, smart, and excited about computers.

In 1980, Bill was about to sign a major deal with a giant company called IBM. IBM was the biggest computer maker in the world, known for those massive computers that took up entire rooms. But now, they wanted to make smaller computers, and they turned to Microsoft for help. It was a big deal!

At that time, Bill was just twenty-four years old, and Microsoft had about thirty-two employees. In contrast, IBM had well over three hundred thousand people working for them. At first, people at IBM might’ve thought Bill was too young, but they soon realized how much he knew about computers. So, they hired little Microsoft to create the software for their new small computers.

The software they needed was called an operating system, which is like the commander of the computer. It tells everything how to work – the keyboard, the screen, and all the other software. Without an operating system the computer wouldn’t be able to do much, especially not use software!

For nearly a year, Microsoft worked hard to create the software operating system, and in 1981, IBM released its first personal computer, called a PC for short and these PC’s used Microsoft’s operating system called MS-DOS. 

Soon, other companies started making copies of IBM’s small computers, called clones. Microsoft could sell versions of MS-DOS to these companies as well. MS-DOS quickly became the standard operating system for computers all around the world. 

With this success, Microsoft grew like crazy. By the end of 1981, they had 130 employees, and by 1983, nearly 500! Bill was no longer able to know everyone by name, but he was still very involved in everything.

At meetings, Bill expected everyone to work hard and he respected those who stood up for their ideas and defended them. What mattered most to him was finding the best solutions to problems.

Microsoft unveiled its latest software update in 1985 called Windows. What set it apart was a small, tool on the computer screen known as a “mouse.” This tiny device had been around for a while, but for most computer users, it was their first time seeing it. The mouse brought a big change in how people used their computers. 

Before Windows, PC users had to memorize complex commands and type them on a keyboard. But with Windows, things became much easier. They could simply point at pictures on the computer screen. By clicking the mouse on an icon, an entire program would pop up. 

The reason they named their software “Windows” was because it allowed you to have more than one “screen” open at the same time, just like having multiple windows in your room.

In 1986, Bill Gates made an important move by taking Microsoft public. Going public meant that anyone could buy small portions of the company, called “shares” of stock. These shares were bought and sold on what’s called the stock market.

Shares in Microsoft sold very quickly and suddenly overnight Bill Gates became a millionaire. By the following year, the value of Microsoft’s stock had skyrocketed so much that he became a billionaire! 

Eight years after becoming a billionaire, he earned the title of the world’s richest person! He held onto that title for many years, from 1995 to 2007, and once again in 2009. His fortune was worth well over $50 billion. 

When he was thirty-eight, he married Melinda French in Hawaii, and it became famous all around the world. In order to keep it private and avoid people coming to take pictures and watch, they rented out all the hotel rooms on the entire island and even hired all the helicopters so that photographers couldn’t fly over and take pictures.

Later on, they became parents to three kids: Jennifer Katharine, Rory John, and Phoebe Adele.

In 1997, he built a fifty-five thousand square foot home near Seattle Washington that sat on top of a hill with an amazing view of Lake Washington.

To be eco-friendly and save trees, they built the house mainly using old, reclaimed lumber. 

When guests entered the house they could wear a badge with a tiny microchip that contained information about their favorite things.” When a guest entered a room, their favorite music played. The lighting and room temperature are automatically adjusted to suit the person’s tastes. Even their favorite art was displayed on the walls! 

The house had everything you could ever dream of: a game room, a movie theater, and a fully equipped gym. The indoor pool, stretching sixty feet long, had music underwater, and you could dive beneath a glass wall to go outside. There was also a boathouse, a dock, and a guesthouse!

But his absolute favorite part of the house was the giant library. Inside that library, hidden behind a secret wall, was a notebook written by the genius Leonardo da Vinci over five hundred years ago. He paid $30 million to own it!

In the English language, there’s a special word for someone who donates a lot of money to help others: philanthropist. After making a ton of money for many years, Bill started giving away huge amounts of it.

He and his wife started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where they donated billions of dollars from their fortune. Their main question was, “How can we use our resources to help the most people in the best way?”

Back in the early days, every office desk had a typewriter on it. But now, thanks to the computer revolution that Bill Gates led, almost every office desk in the United States has a computer on it … and there’s a computer in almost every home. 

So what do you think about the story of Bill Gates? Pretty fascinating, right? Now when you see a computer and the software (or apps) that run on it you’ll remember one of the geniuses who helped bring it into the world. The world is waiting for new ideas to be born. What are some of your big ideas? Or even little ideas? Big ideas have to start somewhere!

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

The walls of the trench were scarred with the remnants of past battles, and every shadow seemed to conceal unseen dangers. It was a harsh world, where the constant threat of enemy gunfire echoed in the air, and the only safety was found in the tight, makeshift shelters. As James huddled in the trench, the memory of home seemed a distant dream, drowned out by the harsh reality of trench warfare in World War I.

World War I began in 1914 because different countries in Europe had a conflict and couldn’t figure out how to sort things out through negotiations, so tragically they turned to war. The major players were divided into two groups – the Allies, which included countries like Britain and France, and the Central Powers, with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

World War I took place during The Industrial Revolution, a period of massive technological change, which transformed the way things were made and powered. Those changes played a new role in how the war was fought. The Industrial Revolution had ushered in a new era of machinery and innovation. Factories churned out weapons, tanks, and airplanes at a fast pace, powered by steam and later electricity. The introduction of assembly lines made production faster and more efficient. This change, called mechanization altered the nature of warfare, as nations now had access to powerful and technologically advanced weapons. The Industrial Revolution essentially turned the gears of progress, and the impact of this transformation could be seen on the battlefields of World War I, where machines played a significant role in shaping the course of history.

During the war, soldiers on both sides had a horrible job. They fought in trenches, which were long, narrow ditches in the ground. Imagine living in a muddy, wet hole, facing constant rain, and dealing with cold weather. On top of that, there were rats, lice, and the fear of enemy attacks always hanging over their heads.

In the year 1914, during the winter, the holidays were approaching. The soldiers missed their families. They thought of how nice it would be to be home, in a warm home with those they loved. They didn’t want to be fighting and cold and suffering. This was the holidays and Christmas time for them. It was supposed to be a delightful time of year of family, friends, and giving.

On December 24th, Christmas Eve 1914, as the moon shone brightly, a British soldier named James heard the singing coming from the German side. The enemy soldiers were singing Christmas carols. James peaked his head out of the trench and saw candlelights twinkling in the distance. 

Soldiers from both sides cautiously stepped out of their trenches, meeting in the space between, called no man’s land. At first, they were cautious, but then they started sharing things. A German soldier named Franz offered James a piece of chocolate – a rare treat in those times.

In No Man’s Land, the tension between enemies faded, and soon, soldiers from both sides were sharing food and exchanging small gifts. One British soldier set up a makeshift barbershop. Someone pulled out a soccer ball and the ground in between was very icy, but both sides started playing the game together, laughing and enjoying this moment of peace. Soon a couple hundred soldiers were playing together.

One officer later wrote:

“How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

This was a Christmas truce. A truce is an agreement of peace between enemies.

One British soldier, Tommy, wrote in a letter home, “It was a Christmas miracle! We sang, we laughed, and for a brief moment, the war seemed to disappear. We realized that the men on the other side were just like us, missing their families and longing for peace.”

Word of the truce spread, and soon, other soldiers along the Western Front joined in the Christmas celebrations. The spirit of goodwill and humanity triumphed over the hatred and violence of war.

As Christmas morning arrived, the soldiers exchanged more than just gifts. They shared stories of home, pictures of loved ones, and dreams of a future where they could live without fear and anger. For a short time, the war was forgotten, and the soldiers saw each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings.

Private Albert Moren of the British 2nd Queen’s Regiment later wrote, “On Christmas morning, we stuck up a board with ‘A Merry Christmas’ on it. The enemy had stuck up a similar one. Platoons would sometimes go out for twenty-four hours’ rest – it was a day at least out of the trench and relieved the monotony a bit – and my platoon had gone out in this way the night before, but a few of us stayed behind to see what would happen. Two of our men then threw their equipment off and jumped on the parapet with their hands above their heads. Two of the Germans did the same and commenced to walk up the river bank, our two men going to meet them. They met and shook hands and then we all got out of the trench.”

From the German side, Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch later wrote, “How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

These accounts offer a glimpse into the unique and unexpected moments of camaraderie and humanity that emerged during the Christmas truce of 1914.

But as the sun set on that magical Christmas day, the soldiers knew they had to return to their trenches to fight. The war would continue for another 4 long years, and the truce would become a memory. Yet, the Christmas truce of 1914 left a lasting mark on those who experienced it.

As the war continued, the soldiers carried the memory of that special Christmas with them. They remembered the warmth of friendship, the joy of shared laughter, and the hope that even in the darkest times, humanity could prevail.

The story of the Christmas truce teaches us that even in the middle of a conflict, there is room for kindness and understanding. It reminds us that, despite our differences, we are all human, with the same hopes and dreams for a better world.

So, as you spend time with your family and friends during the holiday season, think about the Christmas truce of 1914. Consider how a simple act of kindness can bring people together. Is there someone you have had disagreements with but want to be close to again? Or someone you need to forgive? Finding harmony in life isn’t easy but something we should work toward and just like those brave soldiers on the Western Front, let the spirit of peace and goodwill fill your heart.

And who knows, maybe, just maybe, the inspiration from the Christmas truce will encourage a world where kindness triumphs over hatred, and where the spirit of unity prevails, not just during the holidays but every day of the year.

The post Christmas Truce of 1914 for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

At the heart of the story of Jesus of Nazareth is a man whose life has left an enduring impact on the world. According to the accounts found in the Gospels, Jesus is said to have led a remarkable life. His life and teachings are always described in letters written by Paul, and he is also mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus.

The Gospels, attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, serve as primary sources, each presenting a unique perspective on Jesus’ life. These accounts are akin to friends sharing their recollections of a significant event, creating a picture of the man and his teachings.

Paul, a prominent figure in the early Christian movement, wrote letters to various communities, discussing Jesus’ life and teachings. His letters provide additional insights into the beliefs and practices of the early followers of Jesus.

The historian Josephus, who lived during the same period, contributed to our understanding of the historical context in which Jesus lived. His writings touch upon various aspects of Jewish history, including references to Jesus.

The story begins with the miraculous birth of Jesus. According to the accounts, Mary, his mother, received a visit from an angel who foretold the birth of a special child. Mary, and the man she was to marry, Joseph, traveled from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem where they were to be taxed by the Roman Empire. In Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable for animals because there was no room for them in the inns – or hotels – in the town. Shepherds were believed to have seen an angel and followed a star to the stable where they celebrated the birth of the child they believed would become their king. Later, Wise Men from the Orient visited the child Jesus and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and murr. To this day, Jesus’s birth is celebrated on Christmas and is reenacted in plays and reimagined in different ornaments and artwork to remember the birth of the child. 

As Jesus grew, he gained a reputation for performing miracles. These included healing the sick, turning water into wine, and, in one instance, even bringing a man back to life. These accounts portray Jesus as someone with extraordinary abilities, fostering a belief among many that he possessed unique powers.

Jesus’ teachings form an important part of his legacy. He emphasized principles such as kindness, compassion, and love. One of his well-known teachings is the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This simple yet profound principle advocates treating others with the same kindness and respect one desires for oneself.

His teachings extended to helping those in need, urging his followers to help the hungry, the poor, and the less fortunate. The idea was to cultivate a sense of responsibility and create a world where everyone looks out for one another.

However, according to the accounts of his followers, not everyone embraced Jesus’ message. Powerful figures felt threatened by his teachings, leading to his arrest and subsequent death. Despite the tragic end, his followers believed that Jesus came back to life and his “resurrection” as it was called means that like Jesus others can have life after death.

Following the death of Jesus, his followers (also called disciples), who had been witnesses to Jesus’ teachings and believed in his resurrection, continued to spread his message. They traveled to different regions, carrying the message of love, redemption, and the promise of eternal life. This missionary activity led to the formation of communities of believers who followed the teachings of Jesus and saw him as the promised Messiah. These groups became known as Christians because they believed Jesus was a Savior or Christ who would save them.

The Apostle Paul, in particular, played an important role in the early growth of Christianity. Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean region teaching about Jesus and bringing new people to the faith, including Greeks and people of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

Paul’s letters, which are now included in the New Testament, taught about Jesus and his missionary journeys. They form the early theology of the belief in Jesus as the Christ.

As the Christian communities grew, they faced both acceptance and opposition. The teachings of Jesus, emphasizing love, compassion, and equality, resonated with many, but they also challenged existing social norms and religious practices. Christians were sometimes persecuted for their beliefs, but this adversity only fueled their commitment to the message of Jesus.

Over the centuries, Christianity continued to evolve, adopting various cultural practices and incorporating diverse ideas. Eventually, it became the new religion of the Roman Empire, which led to its spread across the Empire, Europe, and beyond. Later, Christmas became a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Many of the symbols of Christmas today come from the stories of his birth: bright stars and gifts for example.

Today, it is estimated there are over 2 billion Christians worldwide, which are made up of many different types of believers, churches, and denominations – but most are united in the belief in Jesus as a divine being and teacher. But even for those who aren’t believers in Jesus’s divinity, many today accept Jesus as a gifted numbered among Buddha, Confucius, and Gandhi, who have led by their example of how to treat others with kindness and compassion. 

The teachings of Jesus continue to resonate today. You may wonder how what Jesus said and did can apply to your own life. Jesus taught, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It’s easy to become focused on ourselves, but there’s so much going on outside of us and others want to be treated with the same respect we expect.

We all goof up sometimes, right? Jesus was big on forgiving others (and yourself!). So, if someone messes up, or you make a mistake, don’t be too hard on yourself or others. Learn from it, forgive, and move on. 

Jesus taught about compassion. He said we should “love our neighbor” meaning those around us. He taught that he might even mean someone we don’t necessarily like, and even taught his followers to love their enemies. Little acts of kindness, helping out a friend, or volunteering in your community — that’s like living out Jesus’ message of helping those around you.

It’s cool to be awesome at stuff, but remember, nobody’s perfect. Jesus talked about being humble, which means being real about your strengths and weaknesses. It’s all about learning, growing, and staying down-to-earth. He also taught us not to judge others and to try and see our faults and how we can improve before we try and make judgments of others.

Everyone’s got their own story, right? Jesus was big on respecting everyone, no matter where they come from or who they are. He treated people who were normally shunned like the sick or those who made poor decisions the same as everyone else. He often criticized the leaders who were judgemental and didn’t treat others with kindness. Like Jesus, treating others with respect, no matter the differences is like spreading good vibes everywhere you go.

Life can get pretty hectic, huh? Jesus knew the importance of taking a breather. Often, he took the time to get away from the crowds, pray meditate and clear his head. He often did this in the mountains or quiet places or while he walked from town to town. So, set some boundaries for yourself. Take a break, reflect, and take care of your mental and emotional well-being.

In summary, the story of Jesus of Nazareth transcends religious boundaries, offering valuable lessons that can inspire people from all walks of life to strive for a world characterized by empathy, understanding, and goodwill.

We hope you enjoyed learning about the origins of the Christmas holiday and the story of Jesus of Nazareth and his teachings; however you celebrate the winter holiday whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Chinese New Year, or one of the other many holidays across the wide world, we wish you a happy holiday and New Year!

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