Monday, February 09, 2009

February 9 Birthdays: W.A. Bentley and William Henry Harrison

W. A. Bentley, photographer
Feb. 9, 1865-1931

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs, illustrated by Mary Azarian (Houghton Mifflin, 1998)

As a boy, snowflakes captured William Bentley’s attention. But it was a microscope with a camera that led to his life’s work: photographing snowflakes. This Caldecott Medal Winner is cool!

The Official page of Snowflake Bentley.com has articles by Bentley, snowflake links, current Jericho weather conditions, and more.


William Henry Harrison, U.S. President
Feb. 9, 1773-Apr. 4, 1841

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

Harrison, Number 9, served the shortest term—one month.

The POTUS (Presidents of the United States) section of the IPL (The Internet Public Library) gives an overview of Harrison’s life with plenty of links to take you beyond the basic facts.