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 6 » The inauguration of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.
  • 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).
  • February 25 » Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in Congress.
  • April 13 » The New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded.
  • July 15 » Reconstruction Era of the United States: Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union.
  • September 1 » Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Sedan is fought, resulting in a decisive Prussian victory.

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.
  • February 1 » Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.
  • 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.
  • April 24 » Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail single-handedly around the world, sets sail from Boston, Massachusetts aboard the sloop "Spray".
  • 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.
  • November 5 » George B. Selden is granted the first U.S. patent for an automobile.
  • November 28 » The first American automobile race takes place over the 54 miles from Chicago's Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois. Frank Duryea wins in approximately 10 hours.

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.
  • March 12 » Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia.
  • June 17 » World War II: RMSLancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster.
  • July 19 » World War II: Army order 112 forms the Intelligence Corps of the British Army.
  • September 12 » An explosion at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Kenvil, New Jersey kills 51 people and injures over 200.
  • November 18 » World War II: German leader Adolf Hitler and Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano meet to discuss Benito Mussolini's disastrous Italian invasion of Greece.
  • December 9 » World War II: Operation Compass: British and Indian troops under the command of Major-General Richard O'Connor attack Italian forces near Sidi Barrani in Egypt.

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)