From January 1 till December 31, the calendar pages in The Illustrated Almanac present the best facts associated with science, technology, invention, and natural history that Raymond L. Francis could dig up for any given day. Take February 18, for example: In 901 the scholar-mathematician Thabit Ibn Qurra died at 65 in Baghdad. Francesco Redi was born in 1626 and later proved that maggots come from flies, not spontaneous generation. In 1913 Frederick Soddy coined the term "isotope;" in 1930 Clyde William Tombaugh first discovered Pluto; and in 1994 U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno dedicated the Big Cypress camp in the Florida Everglades to benefit children and the environment. The other 365 days (remember leap year) are equally interesting.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6 UpAA one-of-a-kind science almanac. For each day of the year, a separate page lists scientific events that occurred on that date. Birth dates of famous scientists, discoveries, interesting technological achievements, or just quirky scientific happenings that made worldwide headlines or may have been news in only a local region of the country are among the events mentioned. For example, June 20th includes the first ship to cross the ocean by steam (1819); the birth of Christian Freiherr, who introduced "gestalt" to psychology (1859); this country's first balloon honeymoon (1909); the discovery of the New Quebec Crater (1943); an announcement by Besicorp Group Inc. that it will "collaborate with Samsonite to produce solar-powered briefcases" (1994); and more. Many pages have one entry illustrated with a black-and-white photograph or a graphic. Cross-references lead readers to related information. An extensive index includes about 3000 names; there is no subject index. Filled with trivia and fun facts, this is a browser's delight as well as a source for information.AP. A. Dolan, Illinois State University, Normal
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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