April 30 » J. J. Thomson of the Cavendish Laboratory announces his discovery of the electron as a subatomic particle, over 1,800 times smaller than a proton (in the atomic nucleus), at a lecture at the Royal Institution in London.
July 2 » British-Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi obtains a patent for radio in London.
August 10 » German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovers an improved way of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
August 21 » Oldsmobile, an American automobile manufacturer and marque, is founded.
December 6 » London becomes the world's first city to host licensed taxicabs.
December 30 » The British Colony of Natal annexes Zululand.
Day of death April 13, 1969
The temperature on April 13, 1969 was between 1.4 °C and 6.9 °C and averaged 3.5 °C. There was 4.9 mm of rain during 1.8 hours. There was 6.0 hours of sunshine (44%). The partly clouded was. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the west-northwest. Source: KNMI
May 9 » Carlos Lamarca leads the first urban guerrilla action against the military dictatorship of Brazil in São Paulo, by robbing two banks.
May 26 » Apollo program: Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first manned moon landing.
August 10 » A day after murdering Sharon Tate and four others, members of Charles Manson's cult kill Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
August 12 » Violence erupts after the Apprentice Boys of Derry march in Derry, Northern Ireland, resulting in a three-day communal riot known as the Battle of the Bogside.
August 21 » Gap Inc. opened their first store in San Francisco, California.
November 12 » Vietnam War: Independent investigative journalist Seymour Hersh breaks the story of the My Lai Massacre.
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/I312393605308.php : accessed December 7, 2025), "William Robert Sharpling (1897-1969)".
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