Each Tuesday, the intrepid team of TPS History detectives meet to delve into the past and research famous events to coincide with the publishing date of this week’s Courier. This term, as we will shortly be remembering the 100 year anniversary of the WW1 Armistice, we have decided to focus on events which happened between the years 1914-18.
The pupils have only one hour to research, write and illustrate their articles. We hope you enjoy them and discover some fascinating bits of History.
Joanna Hall-Tomkin
Head of History and Pastoral Head Years 5 & 6
1945 – Founding of UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO; is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris. Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter. It is the successor of the League of Nations’ International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.
UNESCO has 195 member states] and ten associate members.
UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major programmes: education, natural sciences, social/human sciences, culture and communication/information. Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy, technical, and teacher-training programs, international science programs, the promotion of independent media and freedom of the press, regional and cultural history projects, the promotion of cultural diversity, translations of world literature, international cooperation agreements to secure the world’s cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage sites) and to preserve human rights, and attempts to bridge the worldwide digital divide. It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group.
UNESCO’s aim is “to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information”.
Joanna Hall Tomkin
1948 – Operation On Wings Of Eagles
First flight of Jews from Yemen to Israel, that eventually brought 49,000 Yemenite Jews to the new state of Israel. During its course, the overwhelming majority of Yemenite Jews – some 47,000 Yemeni, 1,500 Aden as well as 500 Djiboutian and Eritrean Jews and some 2,000 Jews from Saudi Arabia– were airlifted to Israel. British and American transport planes made some 380 flights from Aden, in a secret operation that was not made public until several months after it was over.
Joanna Hall Tomkin
1981 – Vaccine For Hepatitis B
It was discovered in 1981, in the Merck institute for Therapeutic research. The vaccine is usually given as 2, 3, or 4 shots over 1 to 6 months. Infants should get their first dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth and will usually complete the series at 6 months of age. Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus that affects the liver. It can cause both acute and chronic infections. The vaccine was a breakthrough in the understanding of hepatitis infections.
Aryan Sharma (6W)
2001 – First Harry Potter Film
In 2001 the movie of the first Harry Potter book, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ opened in the US and the UK. J K Rowling is the author of Harry Potter. The books are English- American and they are very popular. When the film came out, it was a big hit grossing $974.8 million at the box office worldwide.
Sophia Elsmore (8M)
