January 1 » New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
May 1 » Spanish–American War: Battle of Manila Bay: The Asiatic Squadron of the United States Navy destroys the Pacific Squadron of the Spanish Navy after a seven-hour battle. Spain loses all seven of its ships, and 381 Spanish sailors die. There are no American vessel losses or combat deaths.
August 28 » Caleb Bradham's beverage "Brad's Drink" is renamed "Pepsi-Cola".
October 1 » The Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration is founded under the name k.u.k. Exportakademie.
October 18 » The United States takes possession of Puerto Rico from Spain.
December 3 » The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club defeated an all-star collection of early football players 16–0, in what is considered to be the very first all-star game for professional American football.
Day of death May 21, 1978
The temperature on May 21, 1978 was between 8.7 °C and 13.2 °C and averaged 10.7 °C. The almost completely overcast was. The average windspeed was 1 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the west-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.
February 6 » The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor'easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65mph and snowfall of four inches an hour.
March 23 » The first UNIFIL troops arrived in Lebanon for peacekeeping mission along the Blue Line.
July 30 » The 730: Okinawa Prefecture changes its traffic on the right-hand side of the road to the left-hand side.
October 21 » Australian civilian pilot Frederick Valentich vanishes over the Bass Strait south of Melbourne, after reporting contact with an unidentified aircraft.
November 18 » In Jonestown, Guyana, Jim Jones led his Peoples Temple to a mass murder–suicide that claimed 918 lives in all, 909 of them in Jonestown itself, including over 270 children. Congressman Leo Ryan is murdered by members of the Peoples Temple hours earlier.
December 15 » U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Gert Esterhuizen, "Family tree Eric Esterhuizen", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-eric-esterhuizen/I15561.php : accessed February 25, 2026), "Hendrik Petrus Jacobus PRETORIUS (1898-1978)".
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