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Long ago, a man observed the sky for years. He began to see it in a new way. “Earth is going around the sun,” he thought.
This was a great idea that changed the world. At that time, people thought that the sun went around Earth. They thought Earth was the center of the universe.
The man wrote a book about his ideas: The sun is the center of the solar system. Earth and the other planets orbit the sun.
The book was published just before he died in 1543. People were angry when they read the book. They didn’t want to accept it.
Today, we know that the man was right. His name was Nicolaus Copernicus. He is often considered the founder of modern astronomy. His theory is called the heliocentric, or sun-centered, theory.
You have probably watched the Olympics on television. It’s exciting to see the best athletes from all around the world compete in many sports.
Did you know that the first Olympic Games took place in Greece? It was in the summer of 776 B.C. That was more than 2,500 years ago!
At first, the Games were started to honor Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. The Games were held at Olympia every four years.
In those days, athletes did not compete on teams. They competed as individuals. Only men and boys could compete. Women were not even allowed to watch.
Some events were similar to today’s events. There were running, jumping, discus throwing, javelin throwing, and chariot racing.
The biggest difference was the dress. Athletes competed without any clothes! And winners did not get medals. Instead, they were given wreaths of olive leaves.
