February 1 » Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.
March 19 » Auguste and Louis Lumière record their first footage using their newly patented cinematograph.
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.
September 3 » John Brallier becomes the first openly professional American football player, when he was paid US$10 by David Berry, to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association in a 12-0 win over the Jeanette Athletic Association.
October 22 » In Paris an express train derails after overrunning the buffer stop, crossing almost 30 metres (100ft) of concourse before crashing through a wall and falling 10 metres (33ft) to the road below.
November 27 » At the Swedish–Norwegian Club in Paris, Alfred Nobel signs his last will and testament, setting aside his estate to establish the Nobel Prize after he dies.
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 5 » World War II: General Douglas MacArthur returns to Manila.
March 6 » World War II: Cologne is captured by American troops. On the same day, Operation Spring Awakening, the last major German offensive of the war, begins.
April 9 » The United States Atomic Energy Commission is formed.
May 7 » World War II: Last German U boat attack of the war, two freighters are sunk off the Firth of Forth, Scotland.
May 8 » World War II: The German Instrument of Surrender signed at Reims comes into effect.
September 3 » A three-day celebration begins in China, following the Victory over Japan Day on September 2.
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 February 27, 2026), "James Arthur Ray (1895-1945)".
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