January 4 » Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death.
January 17 » El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico becomes part of the United States National Forest System as the Luquillo Forest Reserve.
February 14 » The United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established (later split into the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor).
May 29 » In the May Coup, Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
September 11 » The first race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin is held. It is the oldest major speedway in the world.
December 14 » The Wright brothers make their first attempt to fly with the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Day of death August 16, 1981
The temperature on August 16, 1981 was between 10.8 °C and 20.3 °C and averaged 15.6 °C. There was 8.6 hours of sunshine (59%). The partly clouded was. The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the northwest. Source: KNMI
In The Netherlands , there was from Monday, December 19, 1977 to Friday, September 11, 1981 the cabinet Van Agt I, with Mr. A.A.M. van Agt (CDA/KVP) as prime minister.
In The Netherlands , there was from Friday, September 11, 1981 to Saturday, May 29, 1982 the cabinet Van Agt II, with Mr. A.A.M. van Agt (CDA) as prime minister.
January 2 » One of the largest investigations by a British police force ends when serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper", is arrested in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
March 30 » U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr.; three others are wounded in the same incident.
May 24 » Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldós Aguilera, his wife, and his presidential committee die in an aircraft accident while travelling from Quito to Zapotillo minutes after the president gave a famous speech regarding the 24 de mayo anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha.
May 26 » An EA-6B Prowler crashes on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USSNimitz, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others.
July 17 » A structural failure leads to the collapse of a walkway at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200.
December 4 » South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa).
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: J Eijsermans, "Eijsermans family tree", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-eijsermans/I90441.php : accessed February 25, 2026), "Berta Maas (1903-1981)".
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