2 nd April

1513 Ponce de Leon landed in Florida. (See March 27th and April 8th entries.)

1792 Congress authorized U. S. Mint.

1805 Hans Christian Andersen was born. (International Children’s Book Day)

Today is International Children’s Book Day, which is observed on Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday. Did you ever stop to think that the most international of all story forms is the fairy tale? Andersen, who was born in Odense, Denmark, on this day in

1805, created an immortal world of literature as did the brothers Grimm, and Charles Perrault. Dealing with basic emotions and simple confrontations is what their tales have in common. Fairy tales appeal to children because they can clearly understand each message.

Believe it or not, there is a fairy tale in the making. On this date, in 1513, the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed in what is now Florida, near the present-day city of St. Augustine. He was looking for the Fountain of Youth; it is an odd quirk that a place known for its number of retired residents should have been first explored in a search for eternal youth.

Somebody once said that the difference between a government and a mob is that a government makes its own hard money. From that point of view, today is a notable anniversary. On this date in 1792, Congress authorized the establishment of the U. S. Mint. Ever since then, we seem to have been engaged in a dispute between those who thought we were running out of money and those who thought we could always mint more.