February 9 » William G. Morgan creates a game called Mintonette, which soon comes to be referred to as volleyball.
April 17 » The Treaty of Shimonoseki between China and Japan is signed. This marks the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, and the defeated Qing Empire is forced to renounce its claims on Korea and to concede the southern portion of the Fengtien province, Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan.
May 7 » In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector—a primitive radio receiver. In some parts of the former Soviet Union the anniversary of this day is celebrated as Radio Day.
June 11 » Paris–Bordeaux–Paris, sometimes called the first automobile race in history or the "first motor race", takes place.
June 20 » The Kiel Canal, crossing the base of the Jutland peninsula and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, is officially opened.
November 5 » George B. Selden is granted the first U.S. patent for an automobile.
Day of death December 27, 1945
The temperature on December 27, 1945 was between 3.1 °C and 10.0 °C and averaged 6.8 °C. There was 4.4 mm of rain during 4.1 hours. There was 0.7 hours of sunshine (9%). The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the southwest. Source: KNMI
In The Netherlands , there was from July 27, 1941 to February 23, 1945 the cabinet Gerbrandy II, with Prof. dr. P.S. Gerbrandy (ARP) as prime minister.
In The Netherlands , there was from February 23, 1945 to June 24, 1945 the cabinet Gerbrandy III, with Prof. dr. P.S. Gerbrandy (ARP) as prime minister.
From June 24, 1945 till July 3, 1946 the Netherlands had a cabinet Schermerhorn - Drees with the prime ministers Prof. ir. W. Schermerhorn (VDB) and W. Drees (PvdA).
February 14 » World War II: On the first day of the bombing of Dresden, the British Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces begin fire-bombing Dresden.
April 25 » The last German troops retreat from Finland's soil in Lapland, ending the Lapland War. Military acts of Second World War end in Finland.
May 6 » World War II: Axis Sally delivers her last propaganda broadcast to Allied troops.
May 8 » The Halifax riot starts when thousands of civilians and servicemen rampage through Halifax, Nova Scotia.
July 16 » Manhattan Project: The Atomic Age begins when the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear weapon near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
September 8 » The division of Korea begins when United States troops arrive to partition the southern part of Korea in response to Soviet troops occupying the northern part of the peninsula a month earlier.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: James Downs, "Downs Tree", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/downs-tree/I312392306153.php : accessed January 12, 2026), "James Arthur Ray (1895-1945)".
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