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 lesson plan so you can plan ahead.
Check out our Pinterest board for more resources!
Monday, April 23

Illustration by Ebenezer Thayer, courtesy Wikimedia
TDIGH 1635: First Public School in America
Puritans in Massachusetts founded the first public school in what would become the U.S.—and it’s still operating today.
Context: Learn more about Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the debate surrounding “school choice.”
Tuesday, April 24

Photograph by Travelling Runes, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-2.0
TDIGH 1184 BCE: Fall of Troy
Beware Greeks bearing gifts: The decade-long Trojan War ended when Greek soldiers invaded the walled city of Troy hidden in an honorary offering of a giant wooden horse.
Context: Was the Trojan War fact or fiction? Does it matter? Read accounts of the wooden horse in the Odyssey and the Aeneid, then reflect on the story with this introduction by Nat Geo scholar Eric Cline.
Wednesday, April 25

Artwork by Kirk Moldoff, National Geographic
TDIGH: DNA Day
By identifying the structure of DNA, James Watson and Francis Crick answered a fundamental question about how cells reproduce.
Map: Use this map to trace how DNA helps scientists navigate ancient human migration patterns.
Background: Watch this short video: What are DNA and Genes?
Thursday, April 26

TDIGH 1986: Chernobyl Explodes
The explosion of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in the Soviet Union (now Ukraine) is considered the worst nuclear accident in history.
Background: What is nuclear energy? Read through our resource to learn what the Chernobyl power plant was doing.
Friday, April 27

Photograph by Chris Johns, National Geographic
TDIGH 1994: Mandela Elected President
Four years after being released from prison, Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first black president.
Map: Look at this map of South Africa, and dig deeper with this map-based analysis of how race and language influence elections there.
Activity: Use these lesson plans to follow Mandela’s life from rebel to prisoner to statesman.
Sunday, April 29
TDIGH 1992: Verdict Sets Off Los Angeles Riots
Riots or uprising? Deadly conflict broke out in Los Angeles after a jury found police officers not guilty in the beating of motorist Rodney King.
Map: Use this interactive map to navigate the impacts of the conflict.
Background: Follow this timeline of the riots and their impact 25 years later.