Nelson Mandela

Fun fact: Nelson Mandela's original tribal name, Rohlihlahla, means "trouble-maker"! Nelson Mandela is also known as Madiba

Who is Nelson Mandela?

Nelson Mandela real name was Rohlihlahla Mandela. He was born in July 1918 and wasn't called Nelson until he started primary school and his teacher gave him Nelson as a Christian name.

Now the whole world knows Nelson Mandela as the first black South African to be elected President of South Africa (1994-1999) and a brave man who endured 27 years in prison with dignity.

Nelson's parents couldn't read or write, and he was the first in his family to attend school at age seven. His father died when he was about nine, and he was sent to live with Jongintaba, the king of the Thembu, his people, and treated as their son. Christianity became a significant part of his life, as did the history of native African culture.

(Photo of Nelson Mandela courtesy of South Africa The Good News)

Nelson went to University at Fort Hare and later the University of Witwatersrand. He made many friends of all colours and nationalities, but was the subject of racism. Nelson became increasingly politically active, joining the African National Congress (the ANC) in 1944 and helping to form the ANC Youth League. At the time in South Africa there were many things that the blacks were not allowed to do, including vote and own property, and the ANC wanted to change that. This policy was called "apartheid" and the African National Congress was anti-apartheid. Although the cause was good, unfortunately, over the next 15 years the struggle became increasingly militant and violent, and Nelson Mandela, who became more powerful within the ANC, agreed at the time that the violence was necessary.

In 1962 Nelson was captured and imprisoned for five years for encouraging the country to strike; the following year he was charged with trying to overthrow the government, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Nelson spent his many hard years in prison studying when he could and keeping in touch with the ever-increasing disharmony in South Africa, which threatened to break out into civil war. All over the world people began to campaign for his release and the "Free Nelson Mandela" campaign was started. In 1990 South Africa's President de Klerk met Nelson and arranged for him to be released - a very moving event which was broadcast on televisions all over the world.

After his release, Nelson and de Klerk worked together to end violence in the country and restore order, and Nelson was elected President in 1994, serving for one term.

After his presidency, Nelson Mandela focused on charity, setting up the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and Nelson Mandela Foundation to fight poverty and HIV/AIDS. He won the Nobel Peace Prize (in 1993) and the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Queen Elizabeth II

God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!

Elizabeth Mary Alexandra, born in 1926, became Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, and is adored all around the world.

Elizabeth became "heir presumptive" at age 10 in 1936 when her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated and her father became George VI. In 1947 she married Prince Philip and they have four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and eight grandchildren, including Prince William and Prince Harry.

We have all sorts of printables for Queen Elizabeth that the kids can enjoy - including colouring pages, posters, notebooking pages and mini booklets, a fun fact-finding worksheet, a tutorial teaching children how to draw their own portrait of the Queen - and even some fun printables of her favourite dog, the corgi!

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In 2012 we celebrated HM Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years on the throne. In September 2015 we celebrated again when Queen Elizabeth became the country's Longest Reigning Monarch. And now we are celebrating another great royal occasion...

The Queen's 90th Birthday

With all sorts of special events planned around the country and an exciting birthday party event held at Royal Windsor (rumoured to involve 900 horses!) we know that many of you in the UK and Commonwelath will be looking for ways to mark this big birthday. We've put together a collection of special new activities here:
The Queen's 90th Birthday All NEW!

Captain Cook

Captain James Cook, 1728-1779, was an explorer and navigator and captain in the Royal Navy, whose skills in mapping and discoveries of faraway lands changed geography in the 18th Century. He is the first known European to have landed in the Hawaiian Islands and on the east coast of Australia, and the first to circumnavigate (sail right around) New Zealand.

Cook was an excellent surveyor and cartographer (someone who draws maps) and it was these skills which won him a place on his first exploratory voyage, in 1769, in search of a great southern continent known as Terra Australis on the ship the Endeavour. Cook first sailed right around New Zealand, to prove that it wasn't part of a bigger continent, and then sailed right along the east coast of Australia, naming it New South Wales and claiming it as British territory. He recorded the first European siting of Australia's Aboriginal people and discovered kangaroos! He returned home in 1771.

Still not convinced that "New South Wales" was the southern continent, Cook set off again in 1772. This time he was unable to reach Australia, so he visited New Zealand, the Antarctic and Tahiti and then returned home.

In 1776 Cook set out on his third voyage, hoping to discover a Northwest Passage around the American contintent. In doing so he discovered the Hawaiian islands. Cook then explored and mapped the north-west coastline of America and tried several times to continue on through the Bering Strait, but failed. Eventually he returned to Hawaii and was treated with much respect by the Hawaiians at first, but unfortunately a number of quarrels broke out and Cook was killed.

Fun Fact: When Cook's sailors encountered Maori warriors in New Zealand they were so impressed with their facial tattoos that some of them got their own tattoos on their arms, starting a craze which has never ended!

"Ambition leads me not only farther than any other man has been before me, but as far as I think it possible for man to go."
Captain James Cook

Roald Dahl

"I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”
Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was one of the world's most popular children's authors, publishing 21 children's books (as well as many adult stories) including the well-loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and James and the Giant Peach.

13th September, Roald Dahl's birthday, has been declared "Roald Dahl Day". Make it an excuse to re-read some of your favourite stories, learn a little something about Roald Dahl, have a Roald Dahl party at your school, or try some story-based crafts! We have gathered together a small collection of resources to inspire you.

Roald Dahl Himself

"If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.”"
Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was born in Wales on 13th September 1916 to Norwegian parents. His father died when he was 3 years old and he was raised by his mother. He had a fairly unhappy time at boarding school which provided some of the inspiration for his later stories.

After leaving school he worked for the Shell Oil Company based in Africa until the outbreak of World War II, when he signed up with the Royal Air Force. Unfortunately he was injured in action and eventually returned home as an invalid. He was then sent to Washington DC to work as an attaché where, almost by accident, he started his writing career. When he was interviewed for an article about his time in action he offered to write about his experiences. His piece was published in the Saturday Evening Post, who signed him up to write more articles.

In 1943 he wrote his first children’s book, The Gremlins, which was originally intended to be made into an animated film by Walt Disney. The film was not made and instead Dahl turned to writing adult fiction, not writing another children’s story until the 1960s.

By this time he was a father himself and had started making up stories to entertain his own children. From this came the stories of James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He went on to write 21 children’s books including Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The BFG, Matilda, and The Witches, all of which have been made into films. Roald Dahl died on 23rd November 1990.