November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born (d. 1764).

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born (d. 1774).

1735 – Granville Sharp, English abolitionist, was born (d. 1813).

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.
1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.
1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – The  Telegraph Department was cleared of charges instituted by Otago Daily Times editor George Barton who claimed in his newspaper that the government had been intercepting telegraphs for political gain.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880 – Donald Sutherland ‘discovered’ the Sutherland Falls in Fiordland.

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1916 – Dr. Tangalanga, Argentinian comedian and author , was born(d. 2013).

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

1931 – Lilly Pulitzer, American fashion designer, was born (d. 2013).

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1945 – Donna Fargo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist, was born.

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – Deborah Cameron, English linguist, anthropologist, and academic, was born.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1978 – Ruth Davidson, Scottish politician, was born.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwaand eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

2007 – 10,000–40,000 people marched toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform.

2008 – Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declared the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost.

2009 – Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmished off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

Quote of the day

If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don’t want to go there. –  Martin Luther who was born on this day in 1483.

November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born (d. 1764).

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born (d. 1774).

1735 – Granville Sharp, English abolitionist, was born (d. 1813).

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.
1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.
1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – The  Telegraph Department was cleared of charges instituted by Otago Daily Times editor George Barton who claimed in his newspaper that the government had been intercepting telegraphs for political gain.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880 – Donald Sutherland ‘discovered’ the Sutherland Falls in Fiordland.

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1916 – Dr. Tangalanga, Argentinian comedian and author , was born(d. 2013).

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

1931 – Lilly Pulitzer, American fashion designer, was born (d. 2013).

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1945 – Donna Fargo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist, was born.

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – Deborah Cameron, English linguist, anthropologist, and academic, was born.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1978 – Ruth Davidson, Scottish politician, was born.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwaand eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

2007 – 10,000–40,000 people marched toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform.

2008 – Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declared the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost.

2009 – Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmished off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

Quote of the day

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. – Martin Luther who was born on this day in 1483.

He also said:

You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.

And:

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.

And:

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.

November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born (d. 1764).

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born (d. 1774).

1735 – Granville Sharp, English abolitionist, was born (d. 1813).

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.
1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.
1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – The  Telegraph Department was cleared of charges instituted by Otago Daily Times editor George Barton who claimed in his newspaper that the government had been intercepting telegraphs for political gain.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880 – Donald Sutherland ‘discovered’ the Sutherland Falls in Fiordland.

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1916 – Dr. Tangalanga, Argentinian comedian and author , was born(d. 2013).

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

1931 – Lilly Pulitzer, American fashion designer, was born (d. 2013).

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1945 – Donna Fargo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist, was born.

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – Deborah Cameron, English linguist, anthropologist, and academic, was born.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1978 – Ruth Davidson, Scottish politician, was born.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwaand eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

2007 – 10,000–40,000 people marched toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform.

2008 – Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declared the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost.

2009 – Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmished off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

Quote of the day

You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say. – Martin Luther who was born on this day in 1483.

November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born (d. 1764).

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born (d. 1774).

1735 – Granville Sharp, English abolitionist, was born (d. 1813).

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.
1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.
1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – The  Telegraph Department was cleared of charges instituted by Otago Daily Times editor George Barton who claimed in his newspaper that the government had been intercepting telegraphs for political gain.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880 – Donald Sutherland ‘discovered’ the Sutherland Falls in Fiordland.

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwaand eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

2007 – 10,000–40,000 people marched toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform.

2008 – Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declared the Phoenixmission concluded after communications with the lander were lost.

2009 – Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmished off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born (d. 1764).

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born (d. 1774).

1735 – Granville Sharp, English abolitionist, was born (d. 1813).

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.

 1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.

1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

2007 – 10,000–40,000 people marched toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform.

2008 – Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declared the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost.

2009 – Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmished off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born (d. 1764).

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born (d. 1774).

1735 – Granville Sharp, English abolitionist, was born (d. 1813).

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.

 1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.

1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

2007 – 10,000–40,000 people marched toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform.

2008 – Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declared the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost.

2009 – Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmished off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born (d. 1764).

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born (d. 1774).

1735 – Granville Sharp, English abolitionist, was born (d. 1813).

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.

 1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.

1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

November 10 in history

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

 

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born (d. 1546).

 

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

 

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born.

1728 – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born.

 

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.

 

1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.

 

1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

 

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’: Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

 

1880 Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born (d. 1959).

 

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1925 Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born (d. 1984).

 

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born  (d. 1999).

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944 Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

 

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

 

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

 

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

 

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

 

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

 

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

 

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

 

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

 

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

 

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

 

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

November 10 in history

On November 10:

1444 – Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna were crushed by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Vladislaus is killed.

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born.

1619 – René Descartes had the dreams that inspired his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1674 – Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands ceded New Netherlands to England.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born.

1728  – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born.

1766 – The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signed the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University).

1775 – The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas.

1793 – A Goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette.

 

1821 – Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which lead to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia.

1847 – The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board.

1865 – Major Henry Wirz, was hanged, becoming the only American Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

1868 The Matawhero ‘Massacre’:  Te Kooti and his followers killed approximately 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha.

1871 – Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”.

1880  Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born.

1898 – Beginning of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

1925  Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born.

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born.

1942 – World War II: Germany invaded Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa.

1944  Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

 

1944 – The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands.

 

1945 – Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, was celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan).

1947 Greg Lake, British musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), was born.

1947 Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 – Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

1958 – The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1969 – National Educational Television in the United States debuted the children’s television programme Sesame Street.

1970 – The Soviet Lunar probe Lunokhod 1 was launched.

1971 – Khmer Rouge forces attacked the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft.

1972 – Southern Airways Flight 49 from was hijacked and, at one point, was threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

1975 – The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

1975 – United Nations Resolution 3379: United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

1979 – A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, derailed in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.

1989 – Fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria.

1995 – In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), were hanged by government forces.

 

1997 – WorldCom and MCI Communications announced a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time).

2006 – Sri Lankan Tamil Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo.

2007 – ¿Por qué no te callas? (Why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

 

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

October 19 in history

On October 19:

202 BC  Second Punic War: At the Battle of Zama, Roman legions under Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal Barca, leader of the invading Carthaginian army.

439  The Vandals, led by King Gaiseric, take Carthage.

1216  King John of England died and was succeeded by his nine-year-old son Henry.

 

1453 The French recapture of Bordeaux brought the Hundred Years’ War to a close, with the English retaining only Calais on French soil.

1466 The Thirteen Years War ended with the Second Treaty of Thorn.

 

1469   Ferdinand II of Aragon married Isabella I of Castile, a marriage that paved the way to the unification of Aragon and Castile into a single country, Spain.

1512  Martin Luther became a doctor of theology (Doctor in Biblia).

1789 John Jay was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the United States.

1813 The Battle of Leipzig concluded, giving Napoleon Bonaparte one of his worst defeats.

1822  In Parnaíba; Simplício Dias da Silva, João Cândido de Deus e Silva and Domingos Dias declared the independent state of Piauí.

1850  Annie Smith Peck, American mountaineer, was born (d. 1935).

1864 Battle of Cedar Creek – Union Army under Philip Sheridan destroy the Confederate Army under Jubal Early.

1864 – St. Albans Raid – Confederate raiders launched an attack on Saint Albans, Vermont.

1882  Umberto Boccioni, Italian painter and sculptor, was born (d. 1916).

1899  Miguel Ángel Asturias, Guatemalan writer, Nobel Prize laureate, was born (d. 1974).

1904 Polytechnic University of the Philippines founded as Manila Business School through the superintendence of the American C.A. O’Reilley.

1914 The First Battle of Ypres began.

1921 Portuguese Prime Minister António Granjo and other politicians were murdered in a Lisbon coup.

1931  John le Carré, English novelist, was born.

1943  Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, was isolated by researchers at Rutgers University.

 1946 Philip Pullman, English writer, was born.

1950 The People’s Liberation Army takes control of the town of Qamdo in what is sometimes called the “Invasion of Tibet”.

1950  Korean War:  China joined the Korean War by sending thousands of troops across the Yalu river to fight United Nations forces.

1954 First ascent of Cho Oyu.

1959  The first discothèque, The Scotch Club in Aachen,  opened.

1966 President Lyndon Johnson, the first NZ president to visit New Zealand,  and his wife, Lady Bird, arrived at Ohakea airfield at the start of a 24-hour visit.

1969  The first Prime Minister of Tunisia in twelve years, Bahi Ladgham, was appointed by President Habib Bourguiba.

1974 – Niue became a self-governing colony of New Zealand.

1976  Battle of Aishiya in Lebanon.

1983  Maurice Bishop, Prime Minister of Grenada, was overthrown and executed in a military coup d’état led by Bernard Coard.

1986 Samora Machel, President of Mozambique and leader of FRELIMO, and 33 others died when their Tupolev 134 plane crashed into the Lebombo Mountains.

1987  Black Monday – the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 22%, 508 points.

 

1989  The convictions of the Guildford Four were quashed by the Court of Appeal  after they had spent 15 years in prison.

2001 SIEV-X, an Indonesian fishing boat en-route to Christmas Island, carrying over 400 asylum seekers, samk in international waters with the loss of 353 people.

2003 Mother Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

2004 Myanmar prime minister Khin Nyunt was ousted and placed under house arrest by the State Peace and Development Council on charges of corruption.

2004 – Care International aid worker Margaret Hassan was kidnapped in Iraq.

 

2005  Saddam Hussein went on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.

2005 – Hurricane Wilma became the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.

2007  A bomb explosion rocked Glorietta 2, a shopping mall in Makati. It killed 11 and injured more than 100 people.

 

Sourced from NZ History Online & WIkipedia

April 17 in history

On April 17:

 1397  Geoffrey Chaucer told the Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II.

 

1492 Spain and Christopher Columbus signed the Capitulations of Santa Fe for his voyage to Asia to acquire spices.

 

1521 Martin Luther spoke to the assembly at the Diet of Worms, refusing to recant his teachings.

1524 Giovanni da Verrazzano reached New York harbour.

 

1555 After 18 months of siege, Siena surrendered to the Florentine-Imperial army. The Republic of Siena was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

1620 Marguerite Bourgeoys, founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame, was born.

1797  Sir Ralph Abercromby attacked San Juan, Puerto Rico in what became one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in America.

1820 Alexander Joy Cartwright, Inventor of the Modern Game of Baseball, was born.

 

1837  J. P. Morgan, American financier, was born.

1861 American Civil War: Virginia seceded from the United States.

1864 American Civil War: The Battle of Plymouth began.

1865 Mary Surratt was arrested as a conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

1880 New Zealand’s first inter-city brass band contest was hled.

1885 Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Danish author, was born.

 

1895 The Treaty of Shimonoseki between China and Japan was signed. This marked the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, the defeated Qing Empire was forced to renounce its claims on Korea and to concede the southern portion of the Fengtien province, Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan.

 

1905 The Supreme Court of the United States decided Lochner v. New York which held that the “right to free contract” was implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

1907 The Ellis Island immigration centre processed 11,747 people, more than on any other day.

1918 William Holden, American actor, was born.

1924 – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios was formed by the merger of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and the Louis B. Mayer Company.

1929 James Last, German band leader, was born.

 

1941 World War II: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrendered to Germany.

1942 French prisoner of war General Henri Giraud escaped from his castle prison in Festung Königstein.

194 Brazilian forces liberate the town of Montese, Italy, from German forces.

1949 At midnight 26 Irish counties officially left the British Commonwealth. A 21-gun salute on O’Connell Bridge, Dublin, ushered in the Republic of Ireland.

1957  Nick Hornby, English author, was born.

1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion: A group of CIA financed and trained Cuban refugees landed at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro.

 

1964 The Ford Motor Company unveiled the Ford Mustang at the New York World’s Fair.

 

1964  Jerrie Mock became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air.

 

1969 Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.

1969 Czechoslovakian Communist Party chairman Alexander Dubček was deposed.

1970 Apollo 13 returned to Earth safely.

1971 The People’s Republic of Bangladesh formed, under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

1971  Sierra Leone became a republic.

1973 German counter-terrorist unit GSG 9 founded.

1974 Victoria Beckham, English singer (Spice Girls), was born.

1975  The Cambodian Civil War ended. The Khmer Rouge captureed the capital Phnom Penh and Cambodian government forces surrendered.

1982 Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa.

1984  Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher was killed by gunfire from the Libyan People’s Bureau in London during a small demonstration outside the embassy. Ten others were wounded.

 

1986 The Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years’ War between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly ended.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

April 16 in history

On April 16:

1178 BC; The calculated date of the Greek king Odysseus‘s return home from the Trojan War.

 

73 Masada, a Jewish fortress, fell to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the Jewish Revolt.

1071 Bari faell to Robert Guiscard, ending Byzantine rule in Italy.

 

1346 The Serbian Empire was proclaimed in Skopje by Dusan Silni, occupying much of the Balkans.

1521 Martin Luther‘s first appearance before the Diet of Worms to be examined by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the other estates of the empire.

 

1582 Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founded the settlement of Salta, Argentina.

1682 John Hadley, British inventor, was born.

1728 Joseph Black, Scottish chemist, was born.

1746 The Battle of Culloden was fought between the French-supported Jacobites and the Hanoverian British Government.

1780 The University of Münster was founded.

1799 Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Mount Tabor – Napoleon drove Ottoman Turks across the River Jordan near Acre.

1853 The first passenger rail opened in India, from Bori Bunder, Bombay to Thane.

1862 American Civil War: The Battle at Lee’s Mills in Virginia.

1862 American Civil War: A bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia became law.

1863 American Civil War: The Siege of Vicksburg – ships led by Union Admiral David Dixon Porter moved through heavy Confederate artillery fire on approach to Vicksburg, Mississippi.

1865 Henry George Chauvel, Australian general (, was born.

1867 Wilbur Wright, American aviation pioneer (, was born.

1889 Charlie Chaplin, English actor, writer, songwriter, composer, and film producer, was born.

1892 The New Zealand Rugby Football Union was founded.

1910 The University of Queensland was founded, with the names of the members of the first Senate published in the Queensland Government Gazette.

1912  Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly an aeroplane across the English Channel.

1917 Lenin returnedto Petrograd from exile in Switzerland.

1918 Spike Milligan, Irish comedian, was born.

1919 – Gandhi organised a day of “prayer and fasting” in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Amritsar Massacre by the British.

1921 Peter Ustinov, English actor, was born.

 

1922  Kingsley Amis, English author, was born.

1922 The Treaty of Rapallo, pursuant to which Germany and the Soviet Union re-established diplomatic relations, was signed.

 

1924 Henry Mancini, American composer, was born.

1925 The St Nedelya Church assault in Sofia – 150 people were killed and 500 were wounded.

 

1924 Rudy Pompilli, American musician (Bill Haley & His Comets), was born.

 

1927 Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger., was born.

1939 Dusty Springfield, English singer, was born.

1941 World War II: The Italian convoy Duisburg, was attacked and destroyed by British ships.

1941 – Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in the history of Major League Baseball, beating the Chicago White Sox 1-0.

1943 Ruth Madoc, British actress, was born.

1943  Dr. Albert Hofmann discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD.

1945 The Red Army began the final assault on German forces around Berlin.

1945 The United States Army liberated Nazi Sonderlager (high security) Prisoner of War camp Oflag IV-C (better known as Colditz).

 

1945 – More than 7,000 died when the German refugee ship Goya was sunk by a Soviet submarine torpedo.

1946 Syria gained independence.

1947  Texas City Disaster: An explosion on board a freighter in port caused the city of Texas City to catch fire, killing almost 600.

 One of Grandcamp’s anchors Texas City Memorial Park

1947 Bernard Baruch coined the term “Cold War” to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.

1953 Queen Elizabeth II launched the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia.

1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation.

1963 Jimmy Osmond, American pop singer (The Osmonds), was born.

1972 Apollo programme: The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1987 British Conservative MP Harvey Proctor appeared at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court charged with gross indecency.

1990 The “Doctor of Death”, Jack Kevorkian, went through with his first assisted suicide.

1992 The Katina P. ran aground off Maputo, Mozambique. 60,000 tons of crude oil spilt into the ocean.

2003 The Treaty of Accession was signed in Athens admitting 10 new member states to the European Union.

 

2004 – The super liner Queen Mary 2 embarks on her first trans-Atlantic crossing, linking the golden age of ocean travel to the modern age of ocean travel.

2007 Virginia Tech massacre:  Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 and injured 23 before committing suicide.

Students gather to mourn after the shooting.

2008 Democratic senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama participated in the final Democratic primary debate of 2008.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

January 3 in history

On January 3:

106 BC Cicero, Roman statesman and philosopher, was born.

1431  Joan of Arc was handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon.

 

1496 Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tested a flying machine.

 

 A design for a flying machine.

 

1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicatesdMartin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

1793 Lucretia Mott, American women’s rights activist (, was born.

1823 Stephen F. Austin received a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico.

1831 Savitribai Phule, Female social activist, first female teacher in India, and first female poet in Marathi language, was born.

1840 Surveyors arrived in Port Nicholson to lay out plans for the proposed New Zealand Company settlement of Britannia at Pito-one (Petone). When this original site proved unsuitable, the decision was made to relocate across the harbour in a settlement they called Wellington.

 

 

1848 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts was sworn in as the first president of the independent African Republic of Liberia.

1870 Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began.

1883  Clement Attlee, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was born.

1887 Helen Parkhurst, American educator, was born.

 

1888 The refracting telescope at the Lick Observatory, measuring 91 cm in diameter, was used for the first time. It was the largest telescope in the world at the time.

1892  J. R. R. Tolkien, British writer (, was born.

1899 – The first known use of the word automobile, was seen in an editorial in The New York Times.

1909  Victor Borge, Danish entertainer, was born.

1916 Maxene Andrews, American singer (The Andrews Sisters), was born.

1922  Bill Travers, British actor and director, was born.

1923 Charles Tingwell, Australian actor, was born.

1924 British explorer Howard Carter discovered the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt.

1933 Minnie D. Craig became the first female elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first female to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States.

1942  John Thaw, British actor, was born.

1945  Stephen Stills, American musician (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) was born.

1946 John Paul Jones, British musician (Led Zeppelin), was born.

1950  Victoria Principal, American actress, was born.

1953 Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, became the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the U.S. Congress.

1956 A fire damaged the top part of the Eiffel Tower.

1956  Mel Gibson, Australian actor and director, was born.

1957 The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.

1958 The West Indies Federation was formed.

1961 The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.

1962 Pope John XXIII excommunicated Fidel Castro.

1977 Apple Computer was incorporated.

1988 Margaret Thatcher became the longest-serving British Prime Minister in the 20th Century.

1990 Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrendered to American forces.

 

1993 George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

 1994 – More than seven million people from the former Apartheid Homelands, received South African citizenship.

 1999 The Mars Polar Lander was launched.

 

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

December 10 in history

On December 10:

1394 King James I of Scotland was born.

1520  Martin Luther burned his copy of the papal bull Exsurge Domine outside Wittenberg‘s Elster Gate.

1655 The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps was founded by Michiel de Ruyter.

1684  Isaac Newton‘s derivation of Kepler’s laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, was read to the Royal Society by Edmund Halley.

1830 Emily Dickinson, American poet, was born.

1868 The first traffic lights were installed outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Resembling railway signals, they used semaphore arms and were illuminated at night by red and green gas lamps.

1878  Rajaji, India’s freedom fighter and the first Governor General of independent India was born.

1901 The first Nobel Prizes were awarded.

 The committee room of the Norwegian Nobel Committee

1902 Women were given the right to vote in Tasmania.

1906 U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first American to do so.

1907 The worst night of the Brown Dog riots in London, when 1,000 medical students clashed with 400 police officers over the existence of a memorial for animals which had been vivisected.

1907 Rumer Godden, English writer, was born.

1908 Ernest Rutherford won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

1914 Dorothy Lamour, American actress, was born.

1927 The Grand Ole Opry premiered on radio.

1932 Thailand adopted a Constitution and became a constitutional monarchy.

1936 Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication.

The Instrument of Abdication signed by Edward VIII and his three brothers.

1948 The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt with the Spanish version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

1949 Chinese Civil War: The People’s Liberation Army began its siege of Chengdu, the last Kuomintang-held city in mainland China, forcing President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek and his government to retreat to Taiwan.

1952 Susan Dey, American actress, was born.

1955 Jacquelyn Mitchard, American novelist, was born.

1960  Kenneth Branagh, Northern Irish actor and director, was born.

1962 New Zealand born Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. His colleagues James Watson and Francis Crick shared the prize for their studies on the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the genetic molecule found in all organisms. Watson used X-rays to show the shape of the double helix.

1978 Arab-Israeli conflict: Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin and President of Egypt Anwar Sadat were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1983 Democracy was restored in Argentina with the assumption of President Raúl Alfonsín.

1989 Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announced the establishment of Mongolia‘s democratic movement that peacefully changed the second oldest communist country into a democratic society.

1993 The last shift left Wearmouth Colliery in Sunderland. The closure of the 156-year-old pit marked the end of the old County Durham coalfield, which had been in operation since the Middle Ages.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

November 10 in history

On November 10:

1483 Martin Luther, German Protestant reformer, was born.

1619  René Descartes had the dreams that inspire his Meditations on First Philosophy.

1697 – William Hogarth, English artist, was born.

William Hogarth, self-portrait, 1745

1728  – Oliver Goldsmith, English playwright, was born.

1775 The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philidelphia by Samuel Nicholas.

1810 George Jennings, English sanitary engineer, was born.

1868 About 60 people – roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha – were killed in the Matawhero Massacre led by Te Kooti.

1871  Henry Morton Stanley located missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

1880  Jacob Epstein, American sculptor, was born.

1925  Richard Burton, Welsh actor, was born.

1938 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, dies.ustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, died.

1940 Screaming Lord Sutch, English musician and politician, was born.

1944  Sir Tim Rice, English lyricist, was born.

 

1947 – Dave Loggins, American songwriter and singer, was born.

1951 Direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service begins in the United States.

1958  The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston.

1975 The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board.

2007  ¿Por qué no te callas?  (why don’t you shut up?) incident between King Juan Carlos of Spain and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

 

October 31 in history

On October 31:

1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

1795  John Keats, British poet, was born.

1960  Juliette Low American founder of the Girl Scouts was born.

1863  British forces in New Zealand led by General Duncan Cameron began their Invasion of the Waikato.

1887 Chiang Kai-shek, Nationalist Chinese leader, former Republic of China president, was born.

 1908 – Muriel Duckworth, Canadian activist, was born.

1913 Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across United States.

1917 The Battle of Beersheba took place, the “last successful cavalry charge in history”.

A photograph of a re-enactment of the Charge on Beersheba taken in early February 1918.

1920  Dick Francis, Welsh born jockey & author, was born.

1923 The first of 160 consecutive days of 100 degrees (37.6 C) at Marble Bar, Australia.

1931 Dan Rather, American television journalist, was born.

1984  Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh security guards.

1985 Keri Hulme’s book The Bone People  won the Booker Prize.

1999  Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigatingthe world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

October 19 in history

On October 19:

1453 The French recapture of Bordeaux brings the Hundred Years’ War to a close, with the English retaining only Calais on French soil.

1469 Ferdinand II of Aragon married Isabella I of Castile which paved the way to the unification of Aragon and Castile into a single country, Spain.

A detail of the painting Our Lady of the Fly, attributed to Gerard David and/or someone of the circle of Jan Mabuse

1512 Martin Luther became a doctor of theology

Luther in 1533 by Lucas Cranach

1850 – Annie Smith Peck, US mountaineer, was born.

1882 Italian artist Umberto Boccioni was born.

Umberto Boccioni self-portrait

1899 Miguel Ángel Asturias, Guatemalan writer, Nobel Prize laureate, was born.

1931 English writer John le Carré was born.

1943 Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, was isolated by researchers at Rutgers University

Streptomycin

1946 Englsih writer Philip Pullman was born.

1966 US President Lyndon Johnson & his wife, Lady Bird, arrived at Ohakea for a 24 visit to New Zealand.

1974 Niue beccame a self-governing colony of New Zealand.

 Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.