Children's Eye Health and Safety Month. More than 50,000 children incur eye injuries per year. For more information, go here.

Children's Good Manners Month. For more information, go here.

Library Card Sign-Up Month. For more information, go here.

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15). Initiated by the U.S. Congress by Presidential Proclamation. For more information, go here.

National Childhood Injury Prevention Week (September 1-7). For more information, go here.

Titanic Discovered. Anniversary. Visit the Titanic Story website for information. You may also want to visit PBS's Lost Liners webpage.

Great Fire of London. Anniversary. On this day in 1666, a fire broke out in the house and shop of Thomas Farynor, King Charles II's baker. It eventually spread, and continued burning until September 6, when it was finally extinguished. The fire destroying nearly four-fifths of London. For more information go here and here. You can watch a flash video of the fire spreading here (click "Watch it Spread" on the right-hand side of the screen).

Japan Surrenders. Anniversary. On this day in 1945, Japan officially and unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, thus ending World War II.

Christa McAuliffe. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 2, 1948; Died January 28, 1986 when the Challenger shuttle exploded after launch at the Kennedy Space Center. She was to be the first teacher in space. For a brief biography, go here.

Recommended book: Christa McAuliffe: A Space Biography by Laura S. Jeffrey (Enslow Publishers, 1998; ISBN: 0894909762; 48 pages; Ages: 9-12).

Aliki. Birthday. Born September 3, 1929. Children's book author. Wrote William Shakespeare and the Globe, among others. For a brief biography and list of her books, go here.

Labor Day. Celebrated on the first Monday in September. For more information on the history of this holiday, go here.

Joan Aiken. Birthday. Born September 4, 1924. Author. For more information, go here.

Richard Wright. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 4, 1908; Died November 28, 1960. Wrote the classic Native Son, among others. For more information, go here.

First Continental Congress Convenes. On this day in 1774, the first session of the Continental Congress convened at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia.

Paul Fleischman. Birthday. Born September 5, 1952. Children's book author and poet. Wrote Whirligig and won a Newbery Medal for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. Visit his website here.

Jane Addams. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 6, 1860; Died 1935. Founded Hull House, a social settlement in Chicago. For more information, go here.

First Circumnavigation of the Globe. One of Magellan's ship's, the Vittoria, arrived in Sanlýcar de Barrameda, Spain, thus completing the first circumnavigation of the world.

Marquis De Lafayette. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 6, 1757; Died 1834. A French soldier who fought with George Washington in the Revolutionary War.

Grandma Moses Day. Anna Mary Robertson Moses, a painter, is one of America's most famous folk artists.

Jack Prelutsky. Birthday. Born September 8, 1940. Children's book author and poet. Wrote A Pizza the Size of the Sun among others. Be sure to visit Scholastic's Poetry Writing with Jack Prelutsky. For a brief biography as well as some of his poems, go here.

Jon Scieszka. Birthday. Born September 8, 1954. Children's book author. Wrote The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and others. Be sure to visit his website, Guys Read.

UNESCO International Literacy Day. For more information, go here.

National Grandparent's Day. For more information, go here. For printables, go here.

Irish Potato Famine. Anniversary. Began in 1846 and lasted until 1850. It is estimated that as many as one million died as a result of the famine. The famine also caused a sharp rise in immigration to the United States. Go here for the The Great Irish Famine Curriculum. Irish Potato Famine.org offers an interactive flash site for kids.

Terrorists Attacks on the United States. Anniversary. On this day in 2001, Islamic terrorists crashed planes into the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Another plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to take over the plane. For more information, go here.

Roald Dahl. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 13, 1916; Died 1990. Children's book author. Wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, among others. Visit his website here.

Mildred Taylor. Birthday. Born September 13, 1943. Children's book author. Wrote the Newbery award-winning book Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. Go here for more information.

"The Star Spangled Banner." Anniversary. On this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key composed the lyrics to the song after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, in Maryland, during the War of 1812.

Lemony Snicket. Birthday. Born Daniel Handler on June 14, 1952. Children's book author. Created A Series of Unfortunate Events. Visit the author's website here.

Agatha Christie. Anniversary of Birth. Born Mary Clarissa Agatha Miller on September 15, 1890; Died 1976. Acclaimed mystery writer. Visit her website here.

Tomie dePaola. Birthday. Born September 15, 1934. Children's book author. Wrote Strega Nona, among others. Visit the author's website here.

James Fenimore Cooper. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 15, 1789; Died September 14, 1851. Novelist, social critic, and historian. Wrote The Last of the Mohicans, among others. For more information, go here.

Robert McCloskey. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 15, 1914; Died June 30, 2003. Children's book author. Wrote Make Way for Ducklings, among others.

Mayflower Day. For more information, go here.

Citizenship Day. Its purpose is to commemorate the formation and signing on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution and recognizes all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens. Citizenship Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman on this day in 1952.

Constitution Week (September 17-23). By Presidential Proclamation. For more information go here. For educational resources, go here.

Constitution of the United States Signed. Anniversary. On this day in 1787, The Constitution of the United States was signed by 38 of 41 delegates present at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

Paul Goble. Birthday. Born September 17, 1933. Children's book author and illustrator. Won the Caldecott Medal for The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.

Gail Carson Levine. Birthday. Born September 17, 1947. Children's book author. Wrote Ella Enchanted, among others.

National Public Lands Day. For more information, go here.

United States Air Force Established. On this day in 1947, the Air Force became a separate and equal element of the United States military forces. For more information, go here.

H.G. Wells. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 21, 1866; Died 1946. Author. Wrote The War of the Worlds, among others. Visit The H.G. Wells Society website.

Elephant Appreciation Day. For more information go here.

Emancipation Proclamation. Anniversary. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the Proclamation stated that all slaves living in territory that was still in rebellion as of January 1, 1863 would be freed. To see photos of the Proclamation, go here. For education links, go here.

Autumn Begins.

National Deaf Awareness Week (September 23-29). Sponsored by the World Federation of the Deaf. Occurs during the last full week in September. For more information, go here.

Jim Henson. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 24, 1936; Died May 16, 1990. Henson was a puppeteer, filmmaker, and television producer. Henson was the creator of the The Muppets. The Jim Henson Company created the original characters from Sesame Street.

Muhammad's Hegira. The Islamic prophet Muhammad completed his Hegira (flight) from Mecca to Yathrib (later renamed Medina) in order to escape persecution. There, Muhammad preached and organized an Islamic community. This date is considered the beginning of the Muslim calendar. For more information, go here.

First Female Supreme Court Justice Sworn In. Anniversary. On this day in 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female justice. On July 1, 2005 she announced that she was retiring. A complete mini-unit with plans for grades 4-5 may be found here.

Jim Murphy. Birthday. Born September 25, 1947. Children's book author. Wrote The Great Fire, among others. Be sure to visit his website.

Andrea Davis Pinkney. Birthday. Born September 25, 1963. Children's book author. For more information, go here.

Shel Silverstein. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 25, 1930; Died May 10. 1999. Children's book author and poet. Wrote The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends, among others. Visit the author's website.

Banned Books Week. September 29-October 6. Celebrate your freedom to read. For more information, go here. For lists of the most frequently challenged and banned books, go here.

Stan Berenstain. Anniversary of Birth. Born September 29, 1923; Died November, 2005. Children's book author. Created the Berenstain Bears series. For more information, go here.