Monday, April 28, 2014

Biographical Bonanza!




biography is a true story about a person's life.
Mrs. Yollis' class is currently reading biographies about
people who have made significant contributions to our world!



Artists, inventors, statesman, composers,
doctors, inventors,
aviators, astronauts, and pioneers in many fields 
are among the amazing historical figures about whom we are reading!









We are each reading a library book, as well as doing research using
 
World Book Online.



 


********************

After reading about your biography subject

please leave  a comment as if you are that person!




Be sure to include at least three facts you learned from your library book or the online encyclopedia. Try to use the HTML code to bold your facts!   DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! (Use your own words!)

Watch the comments to see if you can converse with another biography subject you may know!


Family members and friends: 
You are invited to choose your own biography subject and join in the conversation!

46 comments:

  1. Howdy Mrs. Yollis and class,

    As the first African American to earn an international pilot's license, I am mighty proud to be commenting on this here blog! I was born in 1892, in Texas, and back in my day, I didn’t use a computer at all! This is all new to me!

    When I earned my pilot’s license, there weren’t many opportunities for women pilots in the United States, and especially not for African American women. I’ve heard times have changed, and I’m so glad to hear it! I’ve also heard that there have been many changes in air travel. Maybe some of you will be able to tell me about that!

    I’m surely looking forward to seeing who else shows up here on the blog! I hope to hear from some other fellow aviators, as well as other important people!

    All the best,
    Bessie Coleman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily Dickinson (Shayna)May 1, 2014 at 7:31 AM

      Dear Bessie Coleman,

      My name is Emily Dickinson and I am famous for American Poetry. I was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, I died on May 15, 1886.

      Sadly, I was shy and didn't like to share my poems with other people. Instead, I sewed them together in books and kept them hidden in my drawers. It wasn't until 1886 that my sister, Lavina (Vinnie), found them and hurried to publish them right away. It was a lot of work for those publishers. People say I have very sloppy hand writing, so they had to rewrite all the poems. I didn't even get to see what everyone thought about my poems.

      Even though I was shy, I did write letters to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a minister and author. I wrote over 60 letters to him and I sent over 100 poems to him too.

      You would think I really trusted and relied on this man, but there was one thing I just ignored. Back in my day, there were rules for poetry. You had to use punctuation, capitalization, and correct spelling. I didn't! When Thomas told me it was a good idea, I just ignored him.

      When I was dead, other authors admired me for standing out. Now I am considered one of America's best poets.

      Were you considered a special talent? Did the most exciting things in your life happen after you passed away?

      Your poet,
      Emily Dickinson

      P.S. I thought you would like to see a poem I wrote. Here is one that takes a lot of thinking to figure out.

      A word is dead
      When it is said
      Some say
      I say it just
      Begins to live
      That day

      Can you make sense of this poem?

      Delete
  2. Wilbur Wright (Chance)April 28, 2014 at 3:49 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Hi! I am Wilbur Wright. I made the first flying plane, with some help from my brother Orville.

    I was born on April 16, 1867 in Dayton, Ohio. I also owned a bicycle shop and later we started building planes. The first plane worked, but we wanted to make it better. The second plane failed after we redesigned it. The third plane worked but the wind had to carry it.

    On our fourth plane, we added an engine and propeller so we did not need the wind. But the propeller snapped when we tried to fly it. On the fifth plane it snapped again, so we made the propeller stronger. On the sixth plane, it finally worked!

    @ Bessie Coleman - You are flying a different plane then what I built. What plane are you flying?

    I heard that airplanes are very different now. If you invented current airplanes, I would love to hear from you.

    I can't wait to hear from you!

    From,
    Wilbur Wright (Chance)

    PS How did they get Boeings to fly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Wilbur and Orville Wright,

      I am wondering how did you get blind? Do you think that Goerner and his team have found the Electra plane? Some people say that I died in the Pacific Ocean. Comment back Coleman or Wilbur. :-{}

      From,
      Amelia




      Delete
    2. Jen (Allison's mom)May 8, 2014 at 5:28 PM

      Dear Wilbur (Chance),

      I read your post and it reminded me of something I've recently read about the amazing things that happen when we are pursuing joy:

      We all know that the Wright brothers broke through and flew—but why were they the first to succeed where myriad men had failed? They had plenty of stiff competition among their contemporaries, including Samuel Pierpont Langley. Langley led a well-funded, highly educated team of scientists in the race to build the first powered, manned airplane. It lost the flight race to the Wright brothers, who were total unknowns at the time. There are many theories about why the Wright brothers were able to fly and Langley was not. I have a simple one. Langley was trying to build an airplane. The Wright brothers wanted to fly. Langley was pursuing history, glory, and financial rewards. The Wright brothers were pursuing joy. They wanted to fly and see the world as birds do. Their pursuit of joy, of one concrete ideal, made the difference in their victory."—Richard Sheridan, Joy Inc.: How We Built A Workplace

      Delete
  3. Betsy Ross ( Samantha)April 28, 2014 at 6:51 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    Thank you for letting me share about myself with you and your class. I was born on January 1, 1752 (New Years Day.) I love to make clothing, tablecloths, and umbrellas . I also worked in a shop during the Revolutionary War. I am famous for making the first United States flag.
    I have a couple of fun facts about myself. Did you know that I was married three times? Did also know that I had sixteen brothers and sisters?

    Do you know which president asked me to sew the American flag?

    Your blogging friend,
    Betsy Ross (Samantha)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. George WashingtonMay 6, 2014 at 9:28 AM

      Dear Betsy Ross,

      I was born on February 22, 1732. My father died when I was 7 years old. :-(

      I know who asked you to make the American flag. It was me! That time there was only 13 colonies so you put 13 stars on the flag!

      I was in the Revolutionary War like your husband! However, I was a general.

      Thank You!

      Sincerely,
      George Washington(Roxy)

      Delete
    2. Dear Ms. Ross,

      My mom's birthday is flag day and so every year we celebrate your contributions to our country when we celebrate my mom's birthday. And, my grammy and pop both grew up in your hometown of Philadelphia so they have visited your house and traveled over the Betsy Ross Bridge named in your honor.

      Your admirer,
      Allison

      Delete
  4. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I am the famous Louis Braille. First of all, I invented the easy and fast system Braille. I was inspired by the great Charles Barbier who had a similar code to mine, but it was hard and slow to read. Before I get too far, I want to give you a pronunciation key for my name. People think it is (LOO-is) (brayl), but it is actually (LOO-ee) (brayl). Now, I have some facts for you.

    I was born on January 4, 1809, in Coupvray, France. I was not born blind, and I will tell you how I became blind. When I was three, I had a terrible accident. I loved my father's harness shop and I always wanted to be like him. Well... That wasn't a good choice. I picked up a sharp tool that my father used to take to punch holes in leather. I was scolded many times that the sharp tool wasn't for little boys, but I just didn't listen. One day, the tool was just on the bench, and I thought that it wouldn't hurt to just poke the leather a little bit, but I got too into it. I held the metal closer to my face. At that second, it slipped out of my hand, and stabbed my left eye. With my screams, my father came rushing to me. He held a cloth over my bleeding eye. My family suddenly realized that I needed special medication, but the closest doctor was miles away! Instead, we sought the help of a village woman who treated illnesses and injuries with natural medicines made from herbs. But the herbal treatments weren't enough. My eye grew red and swollen with infection. Within weeks, the infection had spread to my other eye. My family could only hope for the best. Hope began to fade because one day I asked why there was no sunlight in the kitchen. There actually was sunlight, so my family knew that I was blind.

    To get the bad memories away from me, I had special school for the blind. At that school, my father left me alone in the winding hallways. I soon had two friend, Gabriel Gauthier and Hippolyte Coltat. I was one of the best musicians, and I played the piano, cello, and the organ. Because we were blind, we had to memorize the notes on the instrument. My friends and I were good at memorizing notes, and that brought up even closer.

    About the Braille, one of my friend and I worked on the raphigraphy. It was a machine that could print Braille. Whenever you wanted a Braille letter, you would choose the button, and press it.

    I had a good life, but I died at a young age. I passed away because I had a disease shortened for TB. Its full name is Tuberculosis. I developed the ailment in his mid-twenties. Many other students and teachers at the school suffered from bad health, no doubt partially due to the unhealthy environment of the school. When I say that, it includes my best blind friend, Gabriel Gauthier. When my lungs were so bad, I knew that I was dying, so I said calmly to my friend, "I am convinced that my mission is finished on Earth.

    Finally, two days after my forty-third birthday, I passed away. It was on January 6, 1852.

    Proudly,
    Louis Braille

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alexander Graham Bell and Juliette LowMay 6, 2014 at 9:33 AM

      @ Louis Braille,

      I am sorry about your eyes. :-( We are new at typing, but excited too!

      Hi I am an inventor too, and my name is Alexander. I am very impressed because there are finally more ways to contact each other nowadays. A little bird told me, "There are many more ways to talk people all around the world."

      Hi I am another inventor, and my name is Juliette. I invented something very different from you. I am the Founder of The Girl Scouts of America. I met a man named Sir Robert Baden-Powell. He was the Founder of The Boy Scouts of Europe. He really changed my life.

      Did you meet any body who inspired you?


      From,
      Alexander Graham Bell and Juliette Low

      Delete
  5. Echo (Heather's mom)April 28, 2014 at 10:27 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    My name is Kong Fuzi. I was born in 551 BCE (2,565 years ago from now) in the state of Lu in ancient China. I was a famous thinker and a philosopher who spread Chinese culture for the last 2,500 years.

    For most of my life I was a teacher and have over 3,000 students. I also went from state to state trying to find any rulers to listen to my ideas. My ideas, deeds and disciples were compiled into a volume known as Lun Yu. Lun Yu consists of 20 chapters and only about 12,000 characters, but the content is profound.

    Sincerely,
    Kong Fuzi

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I am John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States. People also called me "Jack", but I prefer John. Even though I was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, I am still a very good commenter. I was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29,1917 and was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. I came from a very good political family, and I wasn't even the one getting focused on to be president! I still was the president! I graduated from Harvard in June of 1940, and in the same year got my first book published, which was Why England Slept. That was a best-seller book I made! In 1941 I went into the Navy, and boy did I have a small ship! There were ten people on my ship and that was it. The PT-109 was sunk, and one person was burned and I dragged him to land by a strap between my teeth!

    After that I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and then I was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 1953 Jackie Bouvier married me, and I thought she was beautiful. I wrote the book Profiles in Courage and it won the Pulitzer Prize! That was really amazing to win such a grand award.

    Then my dream came true. I became the 35th president of the United States. While I was president I created the Peace Corps. The goal of the Peace Corps was to get volunteers to go all around the world and help people learn other languages and cultures. Also, I resolved the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Union put missiles on the island of Cuba, which was just ninety miles away from Florida. I fixed that by making a blockade that helped, because it did not start a war, and they couldn’t fire the missiles. Then when Soviet ships steamed right toward our ships. A little while later the Soviet ships went away. My blockade was a success!

    Sadly in 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald shot me. People still have theories of other people doing it, but the majority of the people said it was Lee.

    Then after my death I was awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom for what I did in my presidential years


    Barack Obama, how’s the world of President going right now?

    Sincerely,

    John F. Kennedy (Bryce)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Abraham Lincoln (D★niel)May 6, 2014 at 9:34 AM

      Dear John F Kennedy (Bryce),

      So your the 35 president I'm the 16 president. I was wondering when did you get that nickname? Also did you have a job before you were a president. I went on World Book Online and searched your name up, and read about you. You are a very instructing president.

      Sincerely,
      Abraham Lincoln (Daniel)

      Delete
  7. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I am Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I was born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756. I do not want to brag but I wrote over 800 pieces of music for instruments such as the harpsichord, (an instrument that we used before the piano was invented), the piano and the violin. Can you top that? By ages 3 and 4 I was already playing musical instruments. At age 5 I composed my first piece of music. At age 6 I was on cloud nine when I heard I would be playing for the Austrian empress! My father or dad as you people say these days realized I was very talented. He mentored me and took me on concert tours all over Europe.

    Even though I was very popular I had a very hard time making a living. I had a sister named Nannerl and we loved to play music together. I also enjoyed writing concertos. I wrote three famous ones which were The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni . I got married in 1782 to a woman named Constanze. I died poor when I was only 35 years old
    . Who knew that my music would become so famous? If I was born in 1756 and I died at 35, in what year did I die?

    Back in my day there was no such thing as a computer. We only had typewriters which were not light like lap tops. Even though I was very poor and died at a young age, I think I was very successful.

    Sincerely,
    The famous composer Mozart (aka Jemma)

    P.S. Beethoven or any other composer if you're out there, comment back so we can talk!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beethoven and MozartMay 6, 2014 at 9:20 AM

      Dear Mozart,

      My name is Ludwig Van Beethoven, and right next to me is you! I was a famous composer too, but I played the cello, the viola, and the piano. If you want to learn more about me, please read my comment below.

      You died in 1781. I was born in 1770, and died in 1826. How old was I? Did we ever meet?

      Search me up, and see if I had any brothers or sisters. Go to World Book Online. I think you will enjoy, one of the most famous musical pieces, the 5th Symphony. Did you know that I once created a symphony that had five parts? A regular symphony only has four parts!

      Sincerely,
      Ludwig Van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amedaus Mozart

      Delete
  8. Juliette Low (Clare)April 29, 2014 at 9:15 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    Hi! I am Juliette Low the Founder of the Girl Scouts. I am one of six children! I saw many things growing up. Just after I was born the Civil War started. We lived in the Savannah, Georgia many people we knew died and my Papa almost lost his leg. So we had to leave Georgia and move to Chicago, Illinois. When I was in Chicago I learned to love sports, stories, the arts and animals.

    After the war we went back home to Georgia. I had a wonderful childhood and later met a man who would become my husband. He was exactly what I dreamed of when I was a little girl. I lost most of my hearing in one ear from bad ear infections and bad treatments as a child. Then on my weeding day people were throwing rice and one of the grains got stuck in my ear and became infected and I lost complete hearing in that ear too. I am now almost deaf. I traveled overseas for a while and when I came back my husband had fallen in love with another lady. We decided to get divorced but he died before it went through. I needed to have a new purpose in my life. I tried painting but it wasn't enough. When I tried sculpting i went back overseas and met a man named Sir Robert Baden-Powell. He was the reason I started Girl Scouts. He was the founder of a movement called the Boy Scouts. His sisters had started something for girls called Girl Guides.

    When I came back to America I started the American Girl Guides with my cousin and 18 girls. I was asked to be the first president and later changed the name to the Girl Scouts. I worked for the Girl Scouts for the rest of my life.

    When I died they buried me in my Girl Scout uniform and put a note inside my jacket that said, "You are not only the first Girl Scout, but the best Girl Scout of them all."

    Are any of you in Mrs. Yollis's class Girl Scouts or Girl Guides?

    Sincerely,

    Juliette Low (Clare)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear historical figures,

    Greetings. I am the talented Benjamin Franklin. I am most known for discovering the nature of lightning.

    First and foremost, I want to thank Mrs. Yollis for inviting all of the historical figures to comment on her blog. I do indeed think that blogging is a great way to learn and connect with others. I also think that the computer is a fascinating tool. Why, you can message people without even writing a single thing on paper!

    I was born on January 17, 1706, on Milk Street in Boston, Massachusetts. When I was young, I was a super smart child. I loved to read and that just helped me grow my brain. After I was done with the little amount of books that my family had, I borrowed the neighbors' books to read. Back then, we had no libraries that you could check books out at.

    My favorite activities other than reading were swimming and kite flying. My very first creation was for swimmers. I created four paddles that slipped onto your hands and feet. When I tested them out, they helped me swim faster! Another creation I had involved water, but it also involved a kite. One windy day, my friend and I were flying a kite when we came to a pond. In a flash, I took off all my clothes and gave them to my friend. Then I got into the pond and held on tightly to the kite's string. As the wind blew again, I was towed across the pond.


    If we are going to talk about more of my success, I guess I should start talking abouthow I discovered that lightning was electricity. On a stormy day, I was flying a kite called the Silk Kite. When lightning hit the metal rod at the top of the kite, and the spark traveled all the way down the cord into the key, I felt a little tingle. Then I stored the electricity in a jar called the Leyden Jar. When I touched the key onto the cord at the top of the jar, the electricity would go down the cord and into the water in the jar. There was metal foil around the jar, so the electricity would still be fresh but stored in something.

    After my discovery that lightning was really electricity, I invented the lightning rod. The lightning rod is a metal rod that you put on the top of your house, most likely the chimney, and when the lightning strikes your house your house and the people inhabiting it are protected.

    I also invented bifocal glasses. Do those sound familiar, Mrs. Yollis? I am positive that the glasses you wear every day are my invention. When I started getting older, not to mention that I am three-hundred and eight years old right now, I had two pairs of glasses. One was for reading and the other was for seeing a far distance. I thought that having two pairs of glasses was a bother. So I invented the bifocal glasses, the top side for seeing a far distance and the bottom side for reading.

    My last accomplishment I want to talk about is me helping write the Declaration of Independence. That is a document saying that America wanted freedom from England. At that time, America was ruled over England. Thomas Jefferson did most of the writing, but I did the majority of the phrasing of the words.

    When I passed away on April 17, 1790 in a bed, statues of me were built, poems, articles, and books were written about me, and later, I was put on the hundred dollar bill. I passed away when I was eighty-four so I lived a long life.


    This is for all of you bloggers out there: "Haste makes waste." What I am trying to say is that if you write your comments too fast, your comments will have many errors and will not be published. I made up this quote and put it in my famous book, Poor Richard's Almanac.

    Farewell for now,
    Benjamin Franklin





    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Benjamin Franklin,

      You sound like a wonderful man who I would like to meet. I have some comparisons that I would like to mention. It will be in a Step-Up-to-Writing paragraph, as Mrs. Yollis' class calls it.

      There are many differences that we have, but I decided to mention the three most important ones. Firstly, obviously, I was blind and you were sighted. Of course, at that time, the sighted probably could invent more resources. We were both inventors, but you invented more products than me. Second, we are different because you had no major accident, and I had one major accident. I had my eye pierced by a sharp tool, which caused me to be blind, while you did not have any accident that affected in your success. Either ways, we were both successful in the first place. Finally, you would have never seen me because I didn't exist at that time! If you don't understand what I said, even though I doubt that, I mean that you were born in the 1700's, and I was born in the 1800's. I still would like to meet you, and I wish that you were in my blind school. At last, you weren't, and life went on. Clearly, we were both inventors and famous, but we still have many differences.

      Benjamin Franklin, I have not read your Poor Richard's Almanac. Actually, I have not even heard of your Almanac!

      Oh my! I have to go to class now! I know that this comment is very short, and I will come back when I have time. Good bye, Benjamin Franklin, the inventor of many grand objects!

      Sincerely,
      Louis Braille

      Delete
  10. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    My name is Amelia Earheart. I am certain you are wondering where I am or what happened to me. I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you all about myself. I was born on July 24, 1897, in the small and dull city of Atchison, Kansas. One day when I was at a stunt –flying show, one of the pilots tried to scare me by flying right over my head. But, when the plane whooshed by instead of being scared I thought that the plane said something to me. That was the moment I realized I wanted to fly! In case you didn’t know, no women had ever flown a plane before.

    My first record was set when I flew straight up 14,000 feet. But I didn’t stop there !

    I first got famous for being a sac of potatoes, when I was only a passenger on a flight that crossed the Atlantic. But I wanted to be famous for something bigger. I wanted to be the first women to fly! And I was. I set many records including flying across the Pacific ocean and Atlantic ocean .

    On my last flight across the world, at the equator, my plane, my navigator Noonan, and I vanished. A man in the name of Goerner and his team have proven to have found plane wreckage in Spain where they thought my plane may have landed .

    But the world will never know!

    Wright brothers and Bessie Coleman, please comment back. As fellow pilots, what do you think happened to me?

























    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sally Kirsten Ride (aka Nizma)May 6, 2014 at 9:32 AM

      Dear Amelia Earhart,
      My name is Sally Kristen Ride. I am so sorry that you got lost, and nobody could find you. When the pilot flew over your head, I thought that you meant the two fans cut your hair off. I think flying straight up 14,000 feet is really high!

      Warmly,
      Sally Kristen Ride (aka Nizma)

      Delete
  11. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I am Beverly Cleary, famous for writing a multitude of children's books. I was born in April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon.

    When I was in the first grade, I didn't ever want to read a book myself. Therefore, I was put in the group for the poor readers in my class. :( Once in the third grade, I was very bored, so I picked up a book my mother got me and started reading. That is when I started to enjoy reading. When I got into the seventh grade, our school librarian read my essay to the class and told me I should become an author.


    Now at this very moment, children are buying my books and reading them. I am looking at the very many awards I have. It is an amazing feeling to be liked by people especially children.

    Any authors or poets, feel free to comment back to me!

    Sincerely,
    Beverly Cleary (Aashi)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily Dickinson (Shayna)May 6, 2014 at 9:14 AM

      @ Beverly Cleary,

      It's funny, I was writing poetry all my life, yet you never picked up a book until the third grade! Like you, I also had a love of reading. Which is a good thing, you know. Some people say, reading can make you a lot smarter. I do believe this saying.

      When I wrote my poetry, I would sit at my desk and look out at the garden for inspiration. The beautiful sun, flowers, the lovely sky breeze. What better place to relax?

      Did you go anywhere for inspiration? If not, how else did you come up with the several humorous series that you have written? Are you still writing books?

      Yours truly,
      Emily Dickinson

      Delete
    2. @Beverly Cleary,

      Greetings! This is Benjamin Franklin.

      So, you are an author? Great choice. When I was writing my famous book, Poor Richard's Almanac, I had a wonderful time. Writing more and more helped me grow my brain and gave me ideas for quotes like, "Haste makes waste," and, "Little strokes fell great oaks." Those quotes all mean something. "Haste makes waste" means don't do an activity too hasty, or you will make waste. "Little strokes fell great oaks" means that if you do something patiently, you will succeed. Can you search up some more of my famous quotes? What do some other famous quotes of mine mean?

      I have read one of your books called Ramona and Beezus. That book was a marvelous one. It was about a silly little girl named Ramona who has a huge imagination. The older sister, Beatrice, was very serious. In my opinion, you have made both these characters so realistic that it seems you can just jump into the book and meet them. I understand that you have a whole series about Ramona and Beezus, and I have only read half of the novels. What other books have you written?

      I hope to hear from you soon!

      Farewell for now,
      Benjamin Franklin

      Delete
  12. Dear Mrs. Yollis,


    I am Andrew Carnegie. I lived in Scotland. My dad had a weaving factory. When I was growing up we left Scotland and moved to Pennsylvania where my dad opened a weaving factory again. I was twelve so I got myself a job. I worked in a cotton factory, they only paid me one dollar and twenty cents a week. When I got older someone hired me as a messenger In a telegraph office. I delivered messages to people. I was eventually promoted to a telegraph operator, where I earned twenty five dollars a month, I was very happy with this job. I was recognized as a very smart business person. Later, Mr. Scott, who was my boss, offered me a job at the Western Division Railroad Company where I was earning thirty five dollars a month. I also invested in other business that were very profitable. For example, I got the idea to put seats and beds in trains to help people travel comfortably. Soon I had enough money to open my own my own steel factory. The factory was very successful and we earned $40 million a year. During my retirement, I spent the rest of my life giving my fortune away to good causes like opening libraries. One day I died peacefully in my sleep.


    Cheers,
    @lec

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I am Florence Nightingale. I was named after where I was born in Florence Italy. When I was one I we moved to England. In the1800's women rarely had jobs. I was good in school and loved to read. I loved to play doll hospital when I was sick and played like I was a nurse at a hospital . When I was sixteen, God called me to his service. I didn't exactly know what kind of work God wanted me to do.

    I loved to travel and sight see and I also went to a European school to study for hospitals and charities. I wanted to become a nurse, but I had no money of my own. I chose not to get married and I went to a nursing school in Germany called Kaiserwerth. My parents did not like me going to Kaiserwerth .

    On October 21, 1854, thirty-eight nurses and I set off to help the hurt soldiers in the Crimean war. I was supported by newspapers and people bringing money and food to help. I sailed across the Mediterranean sea and landed nine days later in Constantinople. I found so many hurt people. This is not what I expected!


    At first, the doctors did not let me help. I became the "lady with the lamp" because I would look at all of the hurt people every night. The hospitals were very dirty and people were dying.

    I was very proud that I got the Order of Merit from helping people. However, my real goal was to be a nurse because I cared a lot about people and I thought I would like to heal people.

    Sincerely,
    Florence Nightingale (Allison)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Florence Nightingale,

    I learned more about you than I had ever known. I always knew that you were well regarded as perhaps the most famous nurse in history, but I did not realize the incredible courage you had.

    I also learned that you were Allison's grandmother's ("Grammy's") heroine when she was a girl, and the inspiration for her to become a nurse herself. I am quite sure that you have inspired thousands of others over the years.

    Thank you for kindness and your story.

    Best regards,

    Father Nightingale (Allison's dad)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thomas Edison (Nate)May 1, 2014 at 4:47 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I am Thomas Edison, and I am famous for creating hundreds of inventions.

    Some of the inventions include: the light bulb, the phonograph, the first movie camera, improving the telephone, wax paper, gas masks and the first movie camera with sound. My first invention was a special telegraph that could send two separate messages at once, and I got paid $500 for this gadget. I have a museum in West Orange, New Jersey

    Sincerely,

    Thomas Edison (Nate)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Henry Ford and Wilbur Wright (Darius & Chance)May 6, 2014 at 9:32 AM

      @ Thomas Edison,

      You changed the world, and I wonder what we would do without the lightbulb! It would certainly be hard to see at night.
      Can you think of an invention we need today?

      From,
      Henry Ford and the Wilbur Wright (Darius and Chance)

      Delete
  16. Dear Mrs. Yollis ,

    My name is Milton S. Hershey. I grew up on a farm in Derry Church, Pennsylvania. I am a confectioner. That means, I make candy. I am the founder of Hershey Chocolate Company. But, my first success with candy was actually with caramel, not chocolate. It took many years of working with candy to finally become famous. But, I never gave up!

    I was born September 13, 1857, and died in 1945. I was 88 years old.

    From,
    Milton Hershey

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beethoven (Chloe)May 1, 2014 at 8:00 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis,


    Hallo! My name is Ludwig Van Beethoven, and I am one of the most famous composers ever known! I was born in Bonn, Germany, in the year 1770.


    As a child, my father, Mr. Beethoven, was not the best teacher. Then I became one of Christian Neefe's students. He was a lovely teacher, an inspiration, and an amazing man. Why, he even let my conduct an entire orchestra by myself! I thank him for his help in my career.


    When I was a teenager, I moved to Vienna, Austria. There I played for another famous composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He thought I was talented, and that made me smile brighter than I've ever smiled before.


    Later as a teenager, I became one of Joseph Haydn's students, and learned much more about music. I still think of music as it's own language!


    I created the fifth symphony, one of the greatest pieces of all time. It is known for being loud and exiting! Another piece of music I wrote was Eroica in honor of my favorite hero, Napolean.


    In my twenties, I gradually lost my hearing, and eventually became completely deaf in my late twenties. I still wrote musical pieces as a deaf citizen though.


    Wolfgang, please reply telling me the names of all my symphonies.


    Sincerely,


    Ludwig Van Beethoven (Chloe)

    P.S. this is for my friends back home:

    (Sehr geehrte Frau Yollis ,


    Hallo (hallo ) ! Mein Name ist Ludwig van Beethoven, und ich bin einer der berühmtesten Komponisten überhaupt bekannt ! Ich wurde in Bonn , Deutschland, geboren im Jahr 1770 .

    Als Kind , mein Vater, Mr. Beethoven, war nicht der beste Lehrer. Dann wurde ich auf der Christian Neefe Studenten . Er war eine schöne Lehrerin , eine Inspiration und ein erstaunlicher Mann . Warum ließ er auch mein Verhalten ein ganzes Orchester durch meine Selbst ! Ich danke ihm für seine Hilfe in meiner Karriere.


    Als ich ein Teenager war, zog ich nach Wien , Österreich. Für einen anderen berühmten Komponisten Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Dort spielte ich. Er dachte, ich sei talentiert, und das machte mich zum Lächeln heller als je zuvor lächelte ich .


    Später als Teenager wurde ich einer von Joseph Haydn't Studenten, und lernte viel über Musik. Ich Schweller halten sie für eine eigene Sprache!


    Ich habe die fünfte Symphonie, eine der größten Stücke aller Zeiten. Es ist für laut und Verlassen bekannt ! Ein weitererFrieden von Musik, die ich schrieb, war Eroica zu Ehren meiner Lieblingshelden, Nepolean .


    In meinen Zwanzigern , habe ich nach und nach mein Gehör verloren und wurde völlig taub in meinen späten Zwanzigern. Ich schrieb noch musikalische Stücke als taub Bürger aber.


    Wolfgang , antworten Sie bitte sagt mir die Namen aller meiner Symphonien.


    Mit freundlichen Grüßen,


    Ludwig Van Beethoven)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Claude Monet (Theo)May 1, 2014 at 9:00 PM

    Bonjour,

    My name is Claude Monet and I was born in Paris on November 14, 1840. I am a painter and I am very famous in my country.

    I like to paint my daughter Camille and my son Jean. I have a good friend named Eugène Boudin. He is a painter too and he told me it was better to paint outside and not in a studio. I thought it was a very good idea and so I do.

    I belong to the impressionist painters. A fun thing about the way I paint is that if you look close to my painting you cannot see anything but if you step back you will see a beautiful landscape.

    You can find some of my paintings in Pasadena in the Norton Simon Museum.

    Have you ever been to this museum? Have you seen my paintings? I would love to hear your comments.

    Sincerely,

    Claude Monet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Monet,

      Hello! I am Beverly Cleary.

      Wow! You have painted many paintings. I am an illustrator and an author, so I also like to draw.

      There are many different types of arts like: sculpting, painting, drawing, playing a music instrument, and believe it or not, writing! I earned The Medal of Arts in 2003.

      Were you bestowed any awards or medals?

      Sincerely,
      Beverly Cleary (Aashi)

      Delete
    2. Claude Monet (Theo)May 6, 2014 at 8:08 PM

      Dear Beverly,

      Indeed I like to paint a lot. I never got any medal or award. The official experts of my time did not like my way of painting and did not accept me in exhibitions. With my friends we had to create our own exhibition to show our paintings.

      Do you also have friends who are artists? This is great to share your passion with friends.

      Sincerely,

      Claude Monet

      Delete
  19. Thomas JeffersonMay 2, 2014 at 7:03 AM

    My Fellow Americans,

    My name is Thomas Jefferson and I was the third president.

    I was one of the best American presidents, in my opinion. I was elected to office in 1801 and served until, 1809. I was Vice President under President George Washington, and I was Vice President under President John Adams. I wrote the Declaration of Independence with the help of Benjamin Franklin

    I was born on a plantation in Shadwell, Virginia in 1743 and I died on 1826. If you do the math, I was 83.


    I hear that Mrs. Yollis' class is doing a biography bookmark. I wonder who is doing Thomas Jefferson...


    I hope you enjoyed my writing!

    -Thomas Jefferson

    (P.S. I was a writer) (AKA Peter)









    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Thomas Jefferson,

      I'm currently studying you in school! I find you very interesting. You died when you were 83, and I am still alive and I am 9. If you do the math, you are 74 years older than me!

      I am honored to do you in a biography bookmark!

      Warmly,

      Peter

      P.S I have a blog and I hope you read Happy Presidents Day!

      Delete
  20. Abraham Lincoln (Daniel)May 2, 2014 at 7:50 AM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Wow, I can't believe how many things are new. When I was born (1809) there were no computers, IPads, or the thing that starts with a K a Kindle. I grew up in Hodgenville Kentucky my dad was a poor farmer :(. You guys or very lucky grew up in a log cabin, but at lest I had a home.

    When I grew up decided to run for the Illinois state legislature, but the Great Hawk War started so I joined the militia. When I got back I lost the election. Then I opened a store, and it went out of business so fast. On November 4, 1842 I married Marry Tod. On November 6, 1860 I was elected the 16 president of the U.S. Then on April 12, 1861 the Civil War started. Once it ended I was so happy I went to see a play,and that was my death.

    Can you tell me if I got any awards?

    Sincerely,
    Abraham Lincoln (Daniel)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Albert Einstein (Adam)May 4, 2014 at 7:54 PM

    Dear Mrs Yollis and class,

    I was born on March 14, 1879, and lived in Munich, Germany. When I was in grade school I was very curious and loved to ask questions about everything. When I grew up I wanted to learn physics, which is the science of energy and matter. After thinking about it for a long time, I realized energy can be turned into matter and matter can be turned into energy. This how I came up with my famous equation E=mc2. In 1921 I won the Nobel Prize in physics.

    What are you curious about?

    Sincerely,
    Albert Einstein

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thomas Edison (Nate)May 6, 2014 at 9:35 AM

      @ Albert Einstein,

      My name is Thomas Edison and when I was young I was curious about electricity, along with many other things. When I was young I loved science, and I built my first lab when I was seven. As a boy I worked as a train candy boy and ran my own newspaper from the baggage car of a train. I also worked as a telegraph operator for a while.

      Sincerely,
      Thomas Edison

      Delete
  22. Dear all,

    My name is Babe Ruth, and I am the greatest baseball player of all time.

    I hit 714 home runs in my whole career. I was a big part of baseball history. Sadly, Henry Aaron hit 715 homers in his career, so that did it for my record. The first team I was on was the Boston Red Sox, and then I got traded to the Yanks and that was the start of the great Bambino Curse. The Yanks were very lucky to get me as a trade.

    Are you a big part of baseball history?

    Fondly,

    Babe Ruth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Babe Ruth,

      My name is Wayne Gretzky, and I am the top goal scorer to ever step on ice while playing hockey. I was born in 1961 in Brantford, Ontario. While being a kid I was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 1978, and that year I one the Hart Memorial Trophy for most valuable playing in the NHL. I ended up winning the trophy nine times! I played for three other teams, them being the LA Kings, St. Louis Blues, and the NY Rangers. I retired in 1999 and was inducted that year into the hockey hall of fame. I was part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, and after that I was there head coach. Then in 2009 I stopped coaching.

      Do you have any questions about hockey?

      Sincerely,

      Wayne Gretzky (Ali and Bryce)

      Delete
  23. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    My name is Lionel Messi. I am a famous football player, but you can also call it soccer. I play for FC Barcelona. Through 2008- 2009 I got 38 goals. I was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. Are rivals are Real Madrid.

    Your soccer lover,
    Messi

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dear Mrs.Yollis and class,
    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,


    Hi I'm Ronald Reagan, and I was born in Tampico, Illinois, on June 16, 1911. I was an actor and president, and I helped lower taxes for U.S.citizens.I got reed of a nuclear weapon, and I was a self learner. I traveled to over 200 city's for radio acting. I loved jellybeans and I never was picky.


    Your 1987 president,
    Ronald Reagan

    ReplyDelete
  25. Laura Ingalls Wilder (Emilyn)May 6, 2014 at 9:37 AM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Hi I am Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was born on February 7, 1867 in Wisconsin. When I was a kid I enjoyed running in the fields, making hats out of old birds nests, and putting my feet in the chilly water while the little fish nibble on my toes. When I was fifteen I excepted my first teaching job far away from my house. When I was older I met someone named Almanzo Wilder. That is how I got my last name. I got married to him and had two kids. After a little while Almanzo died. That is when I decided write my first book Little House on the Prairie then I decided to write a series of books Little House on the Prairie. Sadly I died February 10, 1957.

    Warmly,
    Laura Ingalls Wilder (Emilyn)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Dear Edison,
    I am Albert. I was born on March 14,1879,when When I was a boy I asked lots of questions. When I grew up I got expelled. When I was 16 I thought I could go straight to collage.

    And this is how I started my first part of my life.
    from Albert































    ReplyDelete
  27. Neil Armstrong (Evan)May 6, 2014 at 3:27 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I was born in August 5, 1930, on my grandparent's farm in Aglaia, Ohio. My ship was called Apollo 11. I moved to some communities before my family went to Wapakoneta. When I was 13 years old, I developed an interest in flying. My love of airplanes grew when I went on my first airplane ride in a Ford Tia-Motor, a Tin Goose, at the age of 6. The Apollo 11 was lunch in July 20, 1969. Can anyone guess where I was going?

    From,
    Neil Armstrong

    ReplyDelete
  28. Dwight David Eisenhower ( Sydney )May 13, 2014 at 8:58 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    While I was President of the United States, on October 14, 1957 Sputnick was launched. Then, Sputnick 2 carried a dog. This made Americans fear missles from the Soviet Union. I supported catching the Soviet Union.

    On January 31, 1958, the first United States satellite was launched into space. Forming NASA was only one of the many things that I did for America.

    I went to West Point and received a free education. Because of this I started working for the government. What do you want to accomplish?

    From, Dwight D. Eisenhower

    ReplyDelete

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