Today in History

What went down and why you should care.

jun 27 Learn More First Newbery Medal Awarded


On this day in 1922, the first Newbery Medal for outstanding contribution to children's literature was awarded to Hendrik Willem van Loon for The Story of Mankind. The book tells the story of, well, mankind, and as such, van Loon continued to make additions to the text up until his death, at which point his son Gerrit took over. The book was last updated by Yale professor John M. Merriman in 1999.

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