You may know some facts about Mozart, Michael Jordan and Anne Frank. But what about Walter Diemer, Jim Abbott or Ruth Wakefield?

No? Ask a third-grader.

Students at Westside Elementary School would be quick to tell you that Diemer invented bubble gum, Abbott pitched in Major League Baseball despite not having a right hand and Wakefield created the first chocolate chip cookie.

Third-graders researched a variety of historic and modern-day people for their annual Wax Museum project. After learning about a person’s life, students took on their characteristics — from Lucille Ball’s bright red hairdo to George Washington’s white curls.

Dressed in character, each student had a “button” that visitors could push, bringing the Wax Museum figure to life.

It proved challenging.

“What was hard for me was saying my speech over and over again,” said Pratt Wambeke, who portrayed Jackie Robinson.

“My back and feet were killing me. I was wearing cowgirl boots that whole time,” said Maci Menning, who dressed as Annie Oakley.

Students got to choose which famous figure they wanted to research and portray.

Taylor Peters wants to be a chef when she grows up, so her teacher recommended a book about Julia Child.

“So I read it, and it was so interesting,” Peters said. “I really wanted to be that person.”

Peters said she was very nervous before the Wax Museum opened to guests.

“I learned that I shouldn’t be so scared,” she said afterward, adding, “As soon as someone pushed my button, I really liked it and I got really creative with my speech.”

For Cody Fisher, the hour-long event went quickly as he recited his speech for the continuous stream of museum-goers.

“... It’s like, can I just stay still for one minute? People just keep on pushing and pushing,” said Fisher, who portrayed Ralph Samuelson, the inventor of water skiing.

Samuelson tried to ski on a big board, like a snowboard, Fisher said.

“I love going snowboarding, so that was a pretty cool part about it,” he said.

Students learned all sorts of interesting facts during their research.

For instance, Roald Dahl was a fighter pilot in the British Royal Air Force, said Ava Gilliatt who chose to research Dahl “because he is pretty much my favorite author.”

“He was 6 foot, 6 inches — he was taller than Abe Lincoln,” Gilliatt said. (Lincoln was 6 feet, 4 inches, she noted.)

Third-grader Taylor Iverson learned that Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi started ice skating in physical therapy to help her feet when she was 6 years old.

“As soon as I started researching on her, it was kind of a challenge, and I wanted to keep going,” Iverson said. “The more I learned about her, it was just getting cooler and cooler.”

Meanwhile, Peters learned that Julia Child and her husband-to-be got in a car accident right before their wedding.

Facts from their research are likely to stay with the students for years — along with lessons in public speaking.

“By the end, I could say my whole speech, and I still remember it,” Menning said.

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