Cricket Biography

Everyone knows Benjamin Franklin as part of American history. As one of the founding fathers, he is a fundamental part of our history—but he was once a kid, just like you! Learn what he was like as a child and how his childhood included hard work, listening to others, writing and reading—all helped him become one of the most influential men we learn about in school.

Even without cars or electricity, the Ancient Greeks had some pretty great thinkers. One of the greatest mathematical thinkers was Archimedes. Why do we always remember Archimedes yelling out "Eureka!" in the bathtub? Listen and find out!

When Thomas Edison was a boy, he loved performing experiments and coming up with new inventions. His curiosity sometimes got him in trouble, though, like when he accidentally burned down his dad’s barn! By the time he turned 12, he had found ways to make a living by learning how to print newspapers and send telegraphs in Detroit, Michigan. Imagine what he did as an adult!

It was once common for children to work at jobs with little pay. Then a photographer named Lewis Hine urged this dangerous practice stop to with the power of his camera and the assistance of lawmakers. Learn more about the history of child labor in the United States and how it became outlawed.

Did you know hot air balloons were dreamed up by a French boy in the 1700s? Joseph Montgolfier devoted his life to experiments that he hoped would allow him to fly. With the help of his little brother, his invention allowed humans to fly for the first time in history!

Move America's capital to another city? To Alexander Robey Shepherd, the solution to Washington, DC's problems was clear: modernization. Shepherd took on the monumental task of improving roadways and drinking water, adding street gaslights, and planting trees.

The idea that physical exercise is good for men and women alike is something we take for granted today, but people didn’t always believe this was true. There was a time when exercise was not considered proper or healthy for women. Thanks to athletes like Annette Kellerman, women have come a long way since then.

Before the Internet, there was only one place where you could always find the exact time—the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, where people calculated the time by studying astronomy. This was a long distance away from London, though, so someone had to go there and collect the time for the shopkeepers who sold clocks. Learn about Maria Bellville, the woman who sold time!

During an era when women had few freedoms, there was one woman who spoke up for them. She was known as Nellie Bly, a pioneering female investigative reporter of her time. Well known for her record-breaking trip around the globe, her contributions also exposed corruption in a local hospital.

In the late 1700s, young Louis Braille overcame his disability by inventing "night writing," a system of raised dots to help blind people read. This alphabet of raised dots allowed sightless people to live more independent lives.

"Houston, We have a problem"! During the Apollo 11 moon landing, as many as 400,000 people had jobs that were essential to the successful mission. Learn about aeronautics and the different jobs in the field that helped man take the first steps on the moon and expand our understanding of the solar system. Who was one of the first women to work at NASA and what role did she have?

Fanatical about cricket since he was a boy, Miles Jupp would do anything to see his heroes play. But perhaps deciding to bluff his way into the press corps during England's Test series in India wasn't his best idea. By claiming to be the cricket correspondent for BBC Scotland and getting a job with the (Welsh) Western Mail, Miles lands the press pass that will surely be the ticket to his dreams. Soon, he finds himself in cricket heaven - drinking with David Gower and Beefy, and sharing bar room banter with Nasser Hussain.

Arlott and Swanton typified the contrasting aspects of post-war Britain. Because of their strong personalities and distinctive voices – Swanton's crisp and upper-class, Arlott's with its Hampshire burr – each had a loyal following. As England moved from a class-based to a more egalitarian society, nothing stayed the same – including professional cricket. Wise, lively and filled with rich social and sporting history, Arlott, Swanton and the Soul of English Cricket shows how, as the game entered a new era, these two very different men battled to save the soul of the game.

Emma Edmonds, a woman disguised as Private Frank Thompson, earned a spot in U.S. history as a successful Union spy during the American Civil War. At different times, she also posed as an Irish peddler woman, a black laundress, and a Confederate sympathizer.

When she was young, Helen Keller suffered a fever that cost her her sight and hearing. For a time, her parents let her run wild, but eventually, they hired Anne Sullivan to teach Helen. The two worked together for many years.

Injured by a cannonball, James Edward Hanger was the first amputee of the Civil War. Determined to find a better solution than a peg leg, he worked to develop his own artificial limb company. He even continued working past retirement, providing Hanger Limbs for victims of World War I.

Carrie is a young Navajo dancer who lives in Arizona. When she was in grade school, she decided to become a fancy shawl dancer. Traditional dances are important to the Navajo, a way of praying, healing, and celebrating. Carrie discusses some of the clothing she wears at a powwow.

There's a job available to all natural-born American citizens aged 35 and older: the President! From campaigning to conventions, voting and the Electoral College, it's a long way to the Oval Office! U.S. presidents have a lot of work ahead of them, such as preserving the Constitution and making sure the laws of the land are obeyed.

Learn about Buffalo Bill Cody's life and how his traveling Wild West show introduced a generation of people to the American West.

It takes a strong person to lead a nation. This article explores humble beginnings and massive achievements of several world leaders.