The Planets - September 21

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Today is Batman Day, Coastal Cleanup Day, Red Panda Day, Miniature Golf Day, Dance Day, Chai Day, Gymnastics Day, Museum Day, Pecan Cookie Day, and World Alzheimer's Day.

• Hispanic/Latino Resource of the Day: Hispanic Heritage Awards - Celebrating West Side Story at 60
• Classical Music Resource of the Day:  Gustav Holst - Mars

 AMERICAN REVOLUTION HISTORY ON THIS DATE

1776 – Part of New York City is burned shortly after being occupied by British forces.

1780 – American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to West Point.

On This Date
Today's Birthdays
Songs of the Day
Today's Theme: THE PLANETS 

ON THIS DATE

• 1897 - The New York Sun, in an editorial, writes that "Yes. Virginia, There is a Santa Claus."
• 1937 - J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is published.
• 1938 - The Great Hurricane of 1938, also known as the Long Island Express,  makes landfall on Long Island. It moves on to hit New England and leads to at least 600 deaths.

BIRTHDAYS

• 1866 - English writer H. G. Wells - NHPBS VIDEO - Radio Dramas - The Invisible Man (57:36), The Time Machine (45:35)
• 1874 - English composer Gustav Holst
• 1912 - Filmmaker and cartoonist Chuck Jones - NHPBS VIDEO - LAART - Chuck Jones (6:21)
• 1934 - Canadian poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen - NHPBS VIDEO - Blank On Blank - Leonard Cohen on Moonlight (5:36)
• 1936 - Radio host Diane Rehm - NHPBS VIDEO - When My Time Comes (54:50)
• 1947 - Writer Stephen King - NHPBS VIDEO - It's Lit - The (Stephen) King of Horror (9:00)
• 1950 - Actor Bill Murray - NHPBS VIDEO -  Blank on Blank - On Being Obnoxious (5:57) 
• 1957 - Producer and Director Ethan Coen

SONGS OF THE DAY 

• Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah - LISTEN
• Gustav Holst - The Planets - LISTEN
  
• Train - Drops of Jupiter - LISTEN
• Belinda Carlisle - Heaven is a Place on Earth - LISTEN
• David Bowie - Life on Mars? - LISTEN
• Jimi Hendrix - Valleys of Neptune - LISTEN

THEME: THE PLANETS

• Grades PreK-1 - Sesame Street - Sesame Street: Planet Moon and Stars Song (1:39) - VIEW
• Grades K-3 - Ready Jet Go! - Solar System Song (1:38) - VIEW
  
• Grades K-12 - PBS LearningMedia - Bringing the Universe to America's Classrooms  Collection - READ, VIEW, DO
• Grades 2-6 - NASA - The Space Place - The Planets -READ and VIEW
  
• Grades 2-6 - NASA - The Space Place - Los Planetas - READ and VIEW
• Grades 3-8 - PBS LearningMedia - NASA and Design Squad - Mission: Solar System Collection - VIEW and DO
• Grades 3-12 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Nova - What Is a Planet? (3:03) - READ, VIEW, DO
• Grades 4-12 - NASA - Solar System Exploration - The Planets - READ and VIEW
• Grades 5-8 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Walking the Solar System (5:12) - READ, VIEW, DO
• Grades 6-8 - NHPBS LearningMedia - To Scale - The Solar System (Available in Spanish) (5:16) - READ, VIEW, DO
• Grades 6-8 - NHPBS LearningMedia - Solar System Fact Sheet - READ
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - PBS Spacetime - Is Pluto a Planet? (14:03) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - Be Smart - When Is It Winter On Other Planets? (5:00) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - Be Smart - What Would Trees Look Like On Other Planets? (8:51) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - Be Smart - What Has New Horizons Taught Us About Pluto? (5:55) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - Nova - Inside the Search for Planet Nine (3:13) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - Nova - The Evidence for Planet Nine’s Existence (3:03) - VIEW

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