Local Heritage Book Barger-Compascuum » Bernard Heinrich Speller (1870-1940)

Christening day May 7, 1870

• The temperature on May 7, 1870 was about 9.3 °C. The air pressure was 2 kgf/m² and came mainly from the north-northwest. The airpressure was 77 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 79%. Source: KNMI
• Koning Willem III (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1849 till 1890 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• From June 4, 1868 till January 4, 1871 the Netherlands had a cabinet Van Bosse - Fock with the prime ministers Mr. P.P. van Bosse (liberaal) and Mr. C. Fock (liberaal).
• In the year 1870: Source: Wikipedia
  • The Netherlands had about 3.6 million citizens.
  • January 15 » A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey ("A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly).
  • May 12 » The Manitoba Act is given the Royal Assent, paving the way for Manitoba to become a province of Canada on July 15.
  • June 26 » The Christian holiday of Christmas is declared a federal holiday in the United States.
  • August 6 » Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Wörth results in a decisive Prussian victory.
  • August 16 » Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-la-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory.
  • August 18 » Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Gravelotte is fought.

Day of marriage July 2, 1895

• The temperature on July 2, 1895 was about 18.4 °C. The airpressure was 75 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 79%. Source: KNMI
• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• Regentes Emma (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1898 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from May 9, 1894 to July 27, 1897 the cabinet Roëll, with Jonkheer mr. J. Roëll (oud-liberaal) as prime minister.
• In the year 1895: Source: Wikipedia
  • The Netherlands had about 5.1 million citizens.
  • January 5 » Dreyfus affair: French army officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island.
  • March 22 » Before the Société pour L'Encouragement à l'Industrie, brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière demonstrate movie film technology publicly for the first time.
  • April 6 » Oscar Wilde is arrested in the Cadogan Hotel, London, after losing a libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry.
  • 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.
  • May 25 » Playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is convicted of "committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons" and sentenced to serve two years in prison.
  • 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.

Day of death August 28, 1940

• The temperature on August 28, 1940 was between 5.9 °C and 17.8 °C and averaged 11.9 °C. There was 9.3 hours of sunshine (67%). The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the north. Source: KNMI
• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from August 10, 1939 to September 3, 1940 the cabinet De Geer II, with Jonkheer mr. D.J. de Geer (CHU) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from September 3, 1940 to July 27, 1941 the cabinet Gerbrandy I, with Prof. dr. P.S. Gerbrandy (ARP) as prime minister.
• In the year 1940: Source: Wikipedia
  • The Netherlands had about 8.8 million citizens.
  • May 5 » World War II: Norwegian refugees form a government-in-exile in London.
  • May 7 » World War II: The Norway Debate in the British House of Commons begins, and leads to the replacement of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with Winston Churchill three days later.
  • June 3 » World War II: The Battle of Dunkirk ends with a German victory and with Allied forces in full retreat.
  • July 10 » World War II: Six days before Adolf Hitler issues his Directive 16 to the combined Wehrmacht armed forces for Operation Sea Lion, the Kanalkampf shipping attacks against British maritime convoys begin, in the leadup to initiating the Battle of Britain.
  • August 18 » World War II: The Hardest Day air battle, part of the Battle of Britain. At that point, the largest aerial engagement in history with heavy losses sustained on both sides.
  • September 6 » King Carol II of Romania abdicates and is succeeded by his son Michael. General Ion Antonescu becomes the Conducător of Romania.

Source: Wikipedia

• 1934 » Edgeworth David, Welsh-Australian geologist and explorer (b. 1858)
• 1937 » George Prendergast, Australian politician, 28th Premier of Victoria (b. 1854)
• 1943 » Boris III of Bulgaria (b. 1894)
• 1943 » Georg Hellat, Estonian architect (b. 1870)
• 1955 » Emmett Till, American murder victim (b. 1941)
• 1959 » Bohuslav Martinů, Czech-American composer and educator (b. 1890)