Thursday, January 29, 2009

January 29 Birthdays: William McKinley and Oprah Winfrey

William McKinley, U.S. President
Jan. 29, 1843-Sept. 14, 1901

Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)

Number 25 banned the color yellow in the White House. A one paragraph bio of this president highlights his life and career.

Read more about McKinley at The White House site.


Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
Jan. 29, 1954-

Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (Charlesbridge, 2005)

T.V. talk show host, book lover, actress, philanthropist and more, Ms. O, an African-American, is dedicated to making the world a better place.

One of the richest people in the world, Winfrey recently opened a Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Read an article about the school here.