January 2 » American statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.
February 14 » British forces begin the Battle of the Tugela Heights in an effort to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
February 27 » The British Labour Party is founded.
March 7 » The German liner SSKaiser Wilhelm der Grosse becomes the first ship to send wireless signals to shore.
July 9 » The Governor of Shanxi province in North China orders the execution of 45 foreign Christian missionaries and local church members, including children.
December 19 » Hopetoun Blunder: The first Governor-General of Australia John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, appoints Sir William Lyne premier of the new state of New South Wales, but he is unable to persuade other colonial politicians to join his government and is forced to resign.
Day of death August 13, 1955
The temperature on August 13, 1955 was between 13.8 °C and 22.8 °C and averaged 17.3 °C. There was 9.6 mm of rain during 2.7 hours. There was 4.5 hours of sunshine (30%). The partly or heavily clouded was. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east. Source: KNMI
February 8 » The Government of Sindh, Pakistan, abolishes the Jagirdari system in the province. One million acres (4000km) of land thus acquired is to be distributed among the landless peasants.
April 11 » The Air India Kashmir Princess is bombed and crashes in a failed assassination attempt on Zhou Enlai by the Kuomintang.
May 5 » The General Treaty, by which France, Britain and the United States recognize the sovereignty of West Germany, comes into effect.
May 25 » First ascent of Mount Kangchenjunga: A British expedition led by Charles Evans, Joe Brown and George Band reaches the summit of the third-highest mountain in the world (8,586 meters); Norman Hardie and Tony Streather join them the following day.
July 15 » Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by thirty-four others.
November 19 » National Review publishes its first issue.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Tineke de Groot, "Family tree De Groot", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-de-groot/R79.php : accessed March 11, 2026), "Peter Wilhelmus Kessels (1900-1955)".
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