Tammy Gagne
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Mario Molina knew at a young age that he wanted to grow up to become a scientist. He studied chemistry in his native Mexico before heading off to other countries to learn and prepare for the wondrous career that awaited him in the field. He soon put his curiosity and knowledge to work as a research chemist. In the early 1970s, he made a startling discovery which led him to an upsetting theory. Chemicals that industrial companies were releasing into...
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Kacey Musgraves knew she wanted to be a singer-songwriter when she was just a little girl. She penned her first song at the age of nine. After competing in talent shows in East Texas as a teen, she landed a spot on the televised singing competition Nashville Star in 2007. Although she didn't win, she went on to write and perform some of the most popular songs in country music today. She is known for her free spirit and her willingness to sing about...
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Juan Felipe Herrera had an unusual childhood traveling with his migrant parents from one farm to another. They did not speak much English, but they taught him much about the world around him. For this family it was a world that spanned two countries, Mexico and the United States. Young Juan learned early that his life had a lot in common with great literature. He loved stories from the time his mother first told them to him. Read more about Juan Felipe...
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Kickball is a fun game that is a lot like baseball. Two teams compete on a field with bases in a diamond pattern. But instead of hitting a baseball with a bat, they kick a large ball. Each kicker to make it around all four bases scores a run. After five innings, the team with the most runs wins. One of the most fun places to play kickball is summer day camp. Kids may not know one another when they arrive at summer day camp. But games like this are...
5) Buddha
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Buddha is known throughout the world today as one of the greatest spiritual leaders in history. But, at one time he was the prince of a small kingdom in India. However, Siddhartha, as he was once known, didn't fit into his royal world very well. Although he tried in many ways, Siddhartha just didn't care about wealth and power the way other young men his age would have. Instead, he dreamed of achieving enlightenment- and helping others to discover...
6) Shawn Mendes
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Some people might say that uploading videos of cover songs to social media sites is a waste of time. After all, what are the chances that a person could become famous this way? Just ask Shawn Mendes. After posting his versions of different songs to Vine in 2013, he was discovered. A short time later, the young singer and guitarist signed a record deal with Island Records. He now has two full-length albums under his belt, along with an EP that shot...
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Sylvia Mendez was just like any other third grader in 1946. She liked to learn. She enjoyed recess. But her school was in terrible shape. She wanted to go to the 17th Street School. This was the school that the white children in her city of Westminster attended. But it had a whites-only policy that kept Mexican American children like Sylvia out. Sylvia and her family did not think this policy was fair, so they decided to sue the school district. Their...
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Nydia Velázquez learned about politics while sitting around her family's dinner table each evening. Her father, who worked in Puerto Rico's sugarcane fields, talked to his nine children about the importance of worker's rights. He also taught them that they had a responsibility to help their community. Young Nydia took his words to heart. After earning two college degrees, she decided to put them to use helping the Puerto Rican people of New York...
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Meghan Markle was not born into a royal family-or even a wealthy one. Her father worked as a lighting director on a television show. Her mother was a yoga instructor and social worker. After graduating from college with a communications degree, Meghan decided to pursue an acting career. This took a lot of hard work and patience. But she was as determined as the character she would one day play on the television show Suits. Few people could have predicted...
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Dodgeball is a fun game that kids often play at summer camp. Some schools and community centers also have dodgeball teams that kids can join. There are several variations of this game. In all of them, the object is to eliminate players from the game one at a time. Players throw large, rubber balls at the other players. Once a player is hit, that person is tagged out of the game. When played safely, dodgeball is a fun and challenging sport.
11) Jake Owen
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Jake Owen did not grow up with dreams of becoming a country music star. Instead, he thought he would become a professional golfer. He started winning tournaments in the sport when he was just 15. But an injury to his shoulder changed the course of his life when it ruled out playing golf for a living. Jake dealt with this disappointment by picking up a guitar. In the process, he discovered that he had an equally abundant talent for writing songs and...
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Pickleball is a fun sport with a funny name. A U.S. Congressman invented the game one summer along with two of his friends in the 1960s. The sport combines parts of other games such as badminton, ping-pong, and tennis. Today, kids often play pickleball at summer camps. The USA Pickleball Association helps teach people about the sport both in the United States and beyond its borders.
13) Charlemagne
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The English called him Charles I. The Germans referred to him as Karl der Grosse. In Latin he was known as Carolus Magnus. Today he is best known by his French name-Charlemagne. It means Charles the Great, which is no surprise, for this Frankish king went down in history as the ruler who united the European continent. Charlemagne's passion for Christianity along with his skill as a military leader set him apart from the other leaders of his era. By...
14) Dierks Bentley
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Dierks Bentley spent his early years in Phoenix, Arizona- hundreds of miles from the Country Music Capital of Nashville, Tennessee. He discovered country music while attending boarding school on the East Coast. Although he was a rock music fan at the time, he quickly warmed to the sounds of legends such as Hank Williams, Jr. and George Jones. Soon the young guitarist would be writing his own country songs and playing them for thousands of his own...
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Maria Elena Salinas was born in Los Angeles, California. Her birthplace made her an American citizen. But her heritage allowed her to identify with two countries. One was the United States. The other was Mexico, where she spent the first several years of her childhood. When she returned to the United States as a young girl, she spoke Spanish. In just a few months, she learned English at her new school. As a teen, Maria dreamed of becoming a successful...
16) Prince Harry
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Prince Harry's image is known throughout the world. The British royal is the son of Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. His face regularly appears on the covers of magazines and front pages of newspapers, often alongside his new wife, the Duchess of Sussex. After spending a decade in the British army as a helicopter pilot, Harry now dedicates his life to helping people in a variety of other ways. His charity work, inspired by his...
17) LA Galaxy
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The Los Angeles Galaxy has been around since the founding of Major Leagues soccer. This professional team from southern California has won the MLS Cup five times- more than any other team in this national league of the United States. From Cobi Jones to David Beckham, the Galaxy's roster has included some of the biggest names in the sport. Many players have come from faraway nations to play for this prestigious MLS club. Known for both its powerful...
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Not everyone was happy with the New York Knicks's 12th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Many even booed at the selection of Kristaps Porzingis. But he didn't let the jeers stop him from celebrating. The young Latvian player had played professional basketball in Spain before coming to the United States, where he would soon become one of the best known players in the sport. Kristaps knew he would have to work hard to win over his city. And he was...
19) King Arthur
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The story has been told for centuries-yet it remains one of the most exciting tales in history. The chivalrous King Arthur, his beautiful Queen Guinevere, and the brave knight Lancelot. Even the characters themselves seem too incredible to be real . . . So were they? Did a real king named Arthur ever actually exist? And if so, did he fight with a magical sword named Excalibur or lose his beloved lady to his most trusted friend and protector? Like...
20) Cleopatra
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The name Cleopatra instantly brings to mind an image of a beautiful, raven-haired woman- the Queen of the Nile. This most famous ruler of Egypt was actually the sixth ruler with that name. Known in history for her boldness, Cleopatra was just seventeen years old when she took the throne. Her youth did not stop her from becoming one of the most powerful rulers her country had ever seen. Cleopatra joined forces with two of Rome's most powerful leaders,...