March 12 - Girl Scout Birthday

On this day in history, Juliette Gordon Low assembled 18 girls for the first Girl Scout  (yes, in Canada, we have Girl Guides, not Girl Scouts) meeting. They hiked, played basketball, went on camping trips, learned how to tell time by the stars, and studied first aid.

Learn more about Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low and the history of Girl Scouts here: http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/history/

Check out some of the materials we have in the library!

 

"How the Girl Guides Won the War", by Janie Hampton

 



 

"I Promise: a History of the Girl Guides in Alberta", by the Girl Guides of Canada, Alberta Council

 

 

"A History of Girl Guides: Parkland Area".

 

 

 

Today is also Organize Your Home Office Day.

 

Here are some interesting things that happened on this day in history:

 

- The first steam engine in America was installed to pump water from a mine in 1755

- The US Post Office was established in 1789

- Andrew Carnegie established the Carnegie Hero Fund in 1904

- Mahatma Gandhi began a march to the sea (300km) in protest of British salt tax in 1930

- Anne Frank was killed in Belsen Camp in 1945

- Malcolm X resigned from Nation of Islam in 1964

- The US lowered voting age from 21 to 18 in 1970

- Gordie Howe retired from the NHL after 26 seasons in 1972

- 100 people were killed in ethnic clashes and cattle raids in South Sudan in 2012

 

Stay tuned for our next "On This Day in History".