December 30th - 31st
30th December
Events
1897 –
The British Colony of
Natal annexes
Zululand to Natal. The following year, Natal
entered the Customs Unions already existing with Cape Colony and the Orange
Free State.
Emperor Karl of Austria-Hungary, circa 1917 Empress Zita of Bourbon-Parma, circa 1910 |
Following
the death of Franz Joseph, Charles succeeded the thrones. Unsuccessful, Charles’ attempts to negotiate Austria-Hungary
exit from the First World War. Despite Charles
to preserve the empire to transform into a federal union, Austria-Hungary hurtled
into collapse. Czechoslovakia and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serb were proclaimed,
and Hungary broke monarchic ties with Austria at the end of October 1918. At the time of the Armistice 1918, Charles announced
“renounced participation” in state affairs, but he did not abdicate. The
following day, the Republic of German-Austruia was proclaimed. April 1919, he was formally dethroned by the Austrian
Parliament and exiled to Switzerland.
Saddam Hussein in 1998 |
2006 – Former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein is executed
Births
John Milne |
1849 – John Milne – British geologist and mining engineer who worked on the horizontal seismograph
Rudyard Kipling in 1895 |
1865 – Rudyard Kipling – Indian-English journalist, short-story writer, poet and novelist.
Kipling’s
works of fiction include “The Jungle Book” (1894) and “Kim”
(1901)
Deaths
Francis Lewis |
1803 – Francis Lewis (89) – Welsh-American merchant and politician
Lewis was
born 1713, Llandaff. He entered a
mercantile marine age 21 years old and inherited some properties that his
father, Morgan Lewis left him. Selling
the properties and using the proceeds to acquire merchandise, Lewis set sail to
New York City.
After some
several trans-Atlantic trips, visiting some northern European ports, St. Petersburg,
Russia, northern Scotland and Asia.
1756, whilst serving as a British mercantile agent, Lewis was taken
prisoner, and sent to France for imprisonment.
On his release and return home, Lewis became active in politics.
Lewis was a representative
of New York and was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Lewis is
buried at Trinity Church Cemetery, New York City.
Григорий Ефимович Распутин |
1916 – Grigori Rasputin (47) – Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia and gained considerable influence in the late Imperial Russia.
31st December
Events
1600 –
The British East
India Company is
chartered
1660 –
James II of England is named Duke of Normandy by Louis
XIV of France
1687 –
The first Huguenots set sail from France to Cape of Good
Hope
Births
1720 – Charles Edward Stuart – Scottish claimant to the throne of England. During his lifetime he was known as “the Younger Pretender” and “the Young Chevalier”. In poplar memory he is “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. He is best remembered in the 1745 rising and the defeat at Culloden, April 1746.
Lawrence Beesley (back) in the Gymnastics Room of Titanic |
1877 – Lawrence Beesley – English journalist and author who survived the sinking
of the RMS Titanic
Deaths
Archibald Hoxsey |
During his
early 20s Hoxsey worked as an auto mechanic and chauffeur. During 1909-1910 his mechanical ability led a
meeting with the Wright Brothers. The
Wright Brothers during March 1910 opened a flight school, Montgomery, where
Hoxsey was a teacher.
A few days
before his death, Hoxsey set a flight altitude record of 11,474 feet. While trying to set a new altitude record, Hoxsey
crashed from 7,000 feet. Hoxsey is
buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Atkinson, Hebraska.
Moisant and his cat, Mademoiselle Fifi, in 1910 |
1910 – John Moisant (42) – American pilot and engineer.
Moisant weas
the first to conduct passenger flight over Paris as well as across the English
Channel from Paris to London. The Moisant International Aviators, the prominent
flying circus was co-founded by Moisant.
After months
of becoming a treained pilot, Moisant died having been ejected from his
airplane over a field west of New Orleans, Louisiana whilst competing for the
1910 Michelin Cup.
Moisant was buried
at Valhalla Memorial park Cemetery, Los Angeles and his body was moved to
Portal of Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation, Los Angeles.
Comments
Post a Comment