Secret Codes, the Navajo Code Talkers, and Lizards - August 14

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Today is National Navajo Code Talkers Day, National Wiffle Ball Day, Creamsicle Day, and World Lizard Day.

• Health and Wellness Month Resource of the Day: Environmental Public Health
• Sandwich Month Sandwich of the Day: Frittata Sandwich

Today's Birthdays
Songs of the Day
Today's Theme: Secret Codes, the Navajo Code Talkers, and Lizards

ON THIS DATE

• 1040 - King Duncan I of Scotland is killed in battle by his cousin Macbeth's troops. 
• 1848 - An act of Congress established the Oregon Territory.
• 1935 - Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law.
• 1947 - Pakistan gains independence from Great Britain one day before India gains independence.
• 2021 - A 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes southwestern Haiti, killing over 2,200 people.

BIRTHDAYS

• 1941 - Singer-songwriter David Crosby
• 1945 - Actor and musician Steve Martin
• 1947 - Author Danielle Steel
• 1950 - Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson
• 1959 - Basketball player Magic Johnson
• 1965 - Football player and coach Mike Vrabel
• 1966 - Actor Halle Berry

SONGS OF THE DAY 

• Steve Martin - King Tut - LISTEN
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu - LISTEN

THEME: SECRET CODES

• Grades 3-5  - NHPBS LearningMedia - Cyberchase - Creating a Code (2:47) - VIEW and DO
• Grades 5-12  - NHPBS LearningMedia - Nova - Deciphering the Maya Code (2:17) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 5-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Spy Techniques of the Revolutionary War: Culper Code Book - READ and DO
• Grade 5-12 - National Cryptologic Museum - EXPLORE 
• Grades 6-12  - NHPBS LearningMedia - Nova - Cyber Codes (3:25)  - VIEW and DO
• Grades 9-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Crash Course: Computer Science - Cryptography (12:16) -  VIEW 

THEME: NAVAJO CODE TALKERS

• Grades 2-5 - NHPBS LearningMedia - The Warrior Tradition - Secrets of the Code Talkers (18:29) -  VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 2-5 - NHPBS LearningMedia - The Warrior Tradition - Secrets of the Code Talkers Lesson Plan - DO
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - The Warrior Tradition - Reporting on Navajo Code Talkers (18:29) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - The Warrior Tradition - Reporting on Navajo Code Talkers Lesson Plan - DO
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - History of the Navajo Code Talkers (1:32) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - National Museum of the American Indian - Navajo Code Talkers - READ
• Grades 6-12 -CIA - Navajo Code Talkers and the Unbreakable Code - READ

THEME: LIZARDS

• Grades PreK-K - NHPBS LearningMedia - Jelly, Ben, and Pogo - Best Lizard (3:00) - VIEW
• Grades K-3 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Wild Kratts - Do the Lizard Walk (26:25) - VIEW and DO
• Grades K-3 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Wild Kratts - Draco Lizard (Available in Spanish) (26:25) - VIEW and DO
• Grades K-3 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Wild Kratts - Basilisk Lizard (1:39) - VIEW and DO
• Grades K-3 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Wild Kratts - Gila Monster (2:29) - VIEW and DO
• Grades K-3 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Wild Kratts - Water Walking Kratts (2:05) - VIEW and DO
• Grades 1-6 - NHPBS Video - Ask Dr. Universe - Why Do Lizards Lose Their Tails? (1:00) - VIEW
• Grades 3-8 - NHPBS Video - Let's Learn - Snake and Lizard (12:20) - VIEW
• Grades 5-8 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Nature - Biological Defence Mechanisms of the Regal Horned Lizard (4:26) - VIEW and DO
• Grades 5-12 - NHPBS Video - Be Smart - The Lizard That Uses Nanotechnology to Walk Upside Down (8:07) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Outdoor Nevada- Horned Lizard (Available in Spanish) (4:32) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Outdoor Nevada - Night Lizards (Available in Spanish) (3:10) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Outdoor Nevada - Gila Monster (Available in Spanish) (3:55) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 9-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - HHMI Biointeractive - Anol Lizards and Speciation (2:27) - VIEW
• Grades 7-12 - NHPBS Video - Eons - When Lizards Took Over the World (8:29) - VIEW

Pressroom Contact

Carla Gordon Russell
Director of Communications
crussell@nhpbs.org
(603) 868-4339