Here’s an advance look at some of the “This Day in Geographic History” (TDIGH) events coming up this week. For each date, we’ve matched it with a map or visual, background information, and a classroom activity so you can plan ahead.
Monday, February 13

TDIGH: Australia Apologizes to the ‘Stolen Generations’
In 2008 the prime minister of Australia formally apologized for the practice of forcibly removing Aboriginal children from their families.
Map: Australia
Background: Australia’s human geography
Activity: Listen to prime minister Kevin Rudd’s apology. Compare the treatment of Australia’s indigenous peoples to the treatment of Native Americans in the U.S. Why hasn’t a U.S. president given a formal apology speech to Native Americans?
Toward the end of World War II, Allied forces carried out a firebombing campaign that devastated the city of Dresden, Germany.
Visual: Photo Gallery: Dresden
Background: Interactive timeline of WWII in Europe
Tuesday, February 14

The holiday devoted to love originated in ancient Rome and was romanticized by authors like Chaucer and Shakespeare during the Middle Ages.
Visual: Animal Pair Pictures
Background: History of Valentine’s Day and related vocab
Activity: Read about and discuss Valentine’s Day traditions around the world.
Saturday, February 18
TDIGH: Chicago 7 Found Not Guilty
Following the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention, a trial found the seven protesters not guilty, while the one black activist was tried separately.
Visual: Newspaper photo of the original Chicago 8
Background: Film about the events leading up to the 1968 riots at the DNC
Activity: Read this 1973 New York Times article about Black Panther activist Bobby Seale’s trial. Why do you think Seale was treated differently from the other seven?
Sunday, February 19

TDIGH: First Oil Pipeline Completed
Since the first oil pipeline was built in Pennsylvania in 1863, networks of underground pipelines have been constructed around the world.
Map: Interactive map of U.S. pipelines
Background: Non-renewable energy
Activity: Connect this to the current debate over the Dakota Access Pipeline by reading “Dakota Access Pipeline: What You Need to Know” and NPR’s series on the topic.
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