The temperature on April 1, 1895 was about 4.3 °C. There was 0.2 mm of rain. The airpressure was 75 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 90%. Source: KNMI
January 12 » The National Trust is founded in the United Kingdom.
April 3 » The trial in the libel case brought by Oscar Wilde begins, eventually resulting in his imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.
June 20 » The Kiel Canal, crossing the base of the Jutland peninsula and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, is officially opened.
June 27 » The inaugural run of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Royal Blue from Washington, D.C., to New York City, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives.
August 31 » German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon.
September 18 » The Atlanta Exposition Speech on race relations is delivered by Booker T. Washington.
Day of death May 21, 1962
The temperature on May 21, 1962 was between 7.0 °C and 13.4 °C and averaged 10.7 °C. There was 4.5 mm of rain during 3.5 hours. There was -0.1 hours of sunshine (0%). The heavily clouded was. The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the south-southwest. Source: KNMI
January 26 » Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the moon by 22,000 miles (35,400km).
February 10 » Cold War: Captured American U2 spy-plane pilot Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
March 19 » The Algerian War of Independence ends.
July 11 » Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth.
September 30 » James Meredith enters the University of Mississippi, defying racial segregation rules.
October 9 » A visible light-emitting diode (LED) is first demonstrated in Syracuse, New York.
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/I19607.php : accessed January 27, 2026), "Thomas Frederick van Niekerk (1895-1962)".
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