Main Page

The Guardian of Education was the first successful periodical dedicated to reviewing children's literature in Britain. It was edited by eighteenth-century educationalist, children's author, and Sunday School advocate Sarah Trimmer and was published from June 1802 until September 1806 by J. Hatchard and F. C. and J. Rivington. The journal offered child-rearing advice and assessments of contemporary educational theories and Trimmer even proffered her own educational theory after evaluating the major works of the day. Fearing the influence of French revolutionary ideals, particularly those of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Trimmer emphasized orthodox Anglicanism and encouraged the perpetuation of the contemporary social and political order. Despite her conservatism, however, she agreed with Rousseau and other progressive educational reformers on many issues, such as the damaging effects of rote learning and the irrationalism of fairy tales. The Guardian of Education was the first periodical to review children's books seriously and with a distinctive set of criteria. Trimmer's reviews were carefully thought out; they influenced publishers and authors to alter the content of their books, helped to define the new genre of children's literature, and greatly affected the sales of children's books. (more...)

From Wikipedia's newest articles:

• ... that Hwanbyeokdang (pictured), a pavilion in South Korea, is associated with a tale regarding a dragon and 16th century poet Jeong Cheol?
• ... that Invincibles members Colin McCool, Doug Ring and Ron Hamence referred to themselves as "ground staff" because they were rarely given an opportunity to play cricket?
• ... that Independence Dam State Park in Defiance County, Ohio, is named for a dam built for the Miami and Erie Canal and features some of the canal's ruins?
• ... that Alec Bennett, riding the CS1 on its first race, won the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1927?
• ... that news of Rufus T. Bush's victory in a transatlantic yacht race took up the whole front page of the New York Times on March 28, 1887?
• ... that although done in spurts, it took until the mid-20th century to finish paving Pennsylvania Route 664?
• ... that the piriform shape of the uterus is given as the reason for the predominance of cephalic presentations at term?
• ... that the chorus melody of "Be Alright", a track from DecembeRadio's 2008 album Satisfied, was written by bassist/vocalist Josh Reedy while showering?
  
  Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

• The Sri Lankan military seizes control of Kilinochchi, the de facto capital of the Tamil Tigers.
• Slovakia adopts the euro, replacing the koruna, and becomes the 16th member of the Eurozone.
• In Bangkok, Thailand, a fire at a nightclub kills 61 people and injures 212.
• The discovery of a bed of dinosaur fossils near Zhucheng in Shandong, China (location highlighted in the map), believed to be the world's largest fossil site, is announced.
• Kabiné Komara is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Guinea by the ruling military junta.
• A new government is formed in Belgium, with Herman Van Rompuy succeeding Yves Leterme as the new Prime Minister.
• Israel launches Operation Cast Lead in response to recent attacks by Hamas, killing more than 350 people in the Gaza Strip.
  Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...

January 3

• 1521 – Pope Leo X issued the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem, excommunicating Martin Luther from the Roman Catholic Church after Luther refused to retract 41 of his 95 theses.
• 1749 – Benning Wentworth, Governor of the New Hampshire Colony, began to issue the New Hampshire Grants on land which was also claimed by New York, and is now Vermont.
• 1848 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts (pictured) began his term as the first President of Liberia.
• 1888 – The 91-cm refracting telescope at the Lick Observatory near San Jose, California, USA, at the time the largest telescope in the world, was used for the first time.
• 1958 – Ten former British colonies in the Caribbean joined to form a new self-governing West Indies Federation.
• 1959 – The Alaska Territory, an organized incorporated territory of the United States, became the 49th state of the union, and the first U.S. state outside of the 48 contiguous states.