December 30th - 31st

 30^th 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

1916 – The last Coronation in Hungary is performed for Charles IV and Queen Zita.  Charles became the heir presumptive of Emperor Franz Joseph after his uncle Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated during 1914. 

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.

31^st 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

Charles Edward Stuart
by Allan Ramsey,
painted at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, late autumn 1745;
found in the collection of the Earl of Wemyss,
Gosford House,
now in the Scottish National Portrait Galley

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

1910 – Archibald Hoxsey (26) – American aviator who worked for the Wright Brothers

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.