Our Family's History Poem

At our house we have a history poem that all our children have learned during elementary school. Some of them have fond memories of this experience. Others like to commiserate with each other on the crazy things their mother made them do. All of them agree, however, that it gave them pegs to hang history facts on as they went on to further studies in history and literature. So, here in all its glory is our family's history poem:

History Poem

About 3000 BC the Egyptians did

slave away on pyramids.

Two thousand years before Christ's birth,

Abraham walked the earth.

In 1400 BC,

Moses led God's people across the Red Sea.

In 1000 BC or thereabout,

David drove the Philistines out.

But in 586 BC,

the Israelites went into Babylonian captivity.

In BC 334 (three hundred and thirty four)

Alexander the Great fought a Greek war.

Though some dates remain a mystery,

at Jesus' birth we divide history.

In AD 476 (four hundred and seventy six)

old Rome fell and could not be fixed.

In AD 622 in the Arabic region,

Mohammed began the Islamic religion.

AD 800, on Christmas day

Charlemagne was crowned emperor they say.

In 1066 with lots of boats,

William the Conqueror invaded the English coast.

In 1215 (twelve hundred and fifteen),

the Magna Carta gave rights to men.

In 1492 (fourteen hundred and ninety-two),

Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

In 1517 (fifteen hundred and seventeen),

Martin Luther said, "Grace is the means."

In 1535 (fifteen hundred and thirty-five),

John Calvin brought the Bible alive.

In 1620 (sixteen hundred and twenty),

the pilgrims landed in a land that was wintry.

On July fourth, 1776,

Americans declared their independence.

In 1861,

the Civil War was begun.