Kids News - Social Studies for Kids

Today, people all over the USA will celebrate the life, legacy and dream of Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist clergyman turned civil rights leader who galvanized the country with his vision that people should be judged by the content of their character not, the color of the skin....

On Monday, January 5th, the city of San Francisco kickstarted a yearlong celebration to mark the 75th anniversary of one its most famous landmarks - The Golden Gate Bridge. Besides being beautiful, the 1.7 mile long bridge was for many years also, the world's longest suspension bridge....

On November 6th, 2012, Americans will decide whether to re-elect President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for another four-year term or, bring in a totally new team. However, before they reach that pivotal moment, the candidates from each party have to overcome a large number of obstacles - The first of which, is the Iowa caucus that took place on January 3rd, 2012....

Depending on the hemisphere you live in late today or early tomorrow - December 22nd, will be the first day of Winter or Summer. Also known as Winter (Summer) Solstice it is the shortest day of the year for those living in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest for the lucky folks in the Southern Hemisphere....

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish festival whose date is based on the Hebrew calendar and therefore, varies annually. This year, the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which is when the holiday begins, happens to fall today - December 20th, 2011....

Normally when fossils of pre-historic animals are discovered, they are usually bigger than their modern-day relatives. This however, does not seem to be true in the case of the modern-day tiger who looks very much like its predecessor, but is surprisingly, a lot bigger....

According to the World Health Organization, over a billion people in the world are starving and the number that is underfed, is even greater. Despite these dire statistics, many of us have no qualms ordering much more than we can devour at restuarants and then, letting it all go to waste - Now, a restaurant in Saudi Arabia is trying to put a stop to the unneccasary wastage - by levying a fine on its customers!...

While today salt is a cheap commodity, such was not the case in the Middle Ages, when refrigerators were not yet invented and the only way to preserve food was by packing it in salt. Hence, it was not surprising that salt mines were worth their weight in gold - Literally....

A buffet for monkeys, a tomato throwing extravaganza, a wife carrying contest! Welcome to some of the world's most unusual festivals - While some are steeped in tradition, others are held just because they are a lot of fun....