The temperature on February 29, 1928 was between 0.6 °C and 7.2 °C and averaged 3.7 °C. There was 2.0 hours of sunshine (18%). The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east-southeast. Source: KNMI
March 21 » Charles Lindbergh is presented with the Medal of Honor for the first solo trans-Atlantic flight.
September 17 » The Okeechobee hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing more than 2,500 people.
September 18 » Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogyro crossing of the English Channel.
September 27 » The Republic of China is recognized by the United States.
September 28 » Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.
November 15 » The RNLI lifeboat Mary Stanford capsized in Rye Harbour with the loss of the entire 17-man crew.
Day of death May 1, 1961
The temperature on May 1, 1961 was between 2.9 °C and 15.8 °C and averaged 9.9 °C. There was 0.4 mm of rain during 0.1 hours. There was 2.0 hours of sunshine (13%). The partly or heavily clouded was. The average windspeed was 1 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the south-southwest. Source: KNMI
February 16 » Explorer program: Explorer 9 (S-56a) is launched.
May 24 » American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for "disturbing the peace" after disembarking from their bus.
May 30 » The long-time Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo is assassinated in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
May 31 » The South African Constitution of 1961 becomes effective, thus creating the Republic of South Africa, which remains outside the Commonwealth of Nations until 1 June 1994, when South Africa is returned to Commonwealth membership.
June 23 » The Antarctic Treaty System, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and limits military activity on the continent, its islands and ice shelves, comes into force.
August 21 » Motown releases what would be its first #1 hit (in America), "Please Mr. Postman" by The Marvelettes.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Hendrik Dreyer, "Dreyer Tree", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/dreyer-tree/I12043.php : accessed January 19, 2026), "Helena Barendina de Wit (1903-1961)".
Copy warning
Genealogical publications are copyright protected. Although data is often retrieved from public archives, the searching, interpreting, collecting, selecting and sorting of the data results in a unique product. Copyright protected work may not simply be copied or republished.
Please stick to the following rules
Request permission to copy data or at least inform the author, chances are that the author gives permission, often the contact also leads to more exchange of data.
Do not use this data until you have checked it, preferably at the source (the archives).
State from whom you have copied the data and ideally also his/her original source.