Cara McDonough

Most Recent Articles by Cara McDonough

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  Happy Birthday, Joseph Lee, Father of the Playground Movement
  Joseph Lee dedicated his life to promoting recreation and play for children and adults alike, and is best known for transforming a fledgling playground association into a national recreation movement. He was the president of the National Recreation Association for almost 30 years, and many of the ideas he formed while at the post shaped the recreation field as it stands today.
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  Happy Birthday, Miriam Makeba, Singer and Anti-Apartheid Activist
  Miriam Makeba, widely known as “Mama Africa,” was exiled from her home of South Africa for her revolutionary words and songs, but was widely respected for speaking—and singing—the truth about racism in the country.  Among other accomplishments, including acting as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, she continued performing into her 70s and exposed many Westerners to African music.
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  Highpointing: A View From the Top
  Some consider mountain climbing or hiking as hobbies. But there are others—highpointers—who are into something a little more specific: reaching the highest peak in every state, from the 345-foot Britton Hill in Florida to Alaska’s 20,320-foot Mount McKinley.
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  On This Day: State of Franklin Declares Independence from North Carolina
  On Aug. 23, 1784, factions in western North Carolina declared themselves a separate state called Franklin. Never accepted into the United States, Franklin lasted only four years.
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  On This Day: Fire Kills 134 Aboard the USS Forrestal
  On July 29, 1967, a fire broke out on the aircraft carrier as crewmen prepared to launch jets during the Vietnam War; 134 people died and 62 were injured.