May 8 » In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survive the blast.
May 31 » Second Boer War: The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the war and ensures British control of South Africa.
July 17 » Willis Carrier creates the first air conditioner in Buffalo, New York.
August 9 » Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
October 24 » Guatemala's Santa María Volcano begins to erupt, becoming the third-largest eruption of the 20th century.
Day of death August 17, 1904
The temperature on August 17, 1904 was between 9.2 °C and 21.1 °C and averaged 15.4 °C. There was 0.5 hours of sunshine (3%). The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the south. Source: KNMI
January 8 » The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
April 30 » The Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair opens in St. Louis, Missouri.
June 16 » Irish author James Joyce begins a relationship with Nora Barnacle and subsequently uses the date to set the actions for his novel Ulysses; this date is now traditionally called "Bloomsday".
July 21 » Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, becomes the first man to break the 100mph (161km/h) barrier on land. He drove a 15-liter Gobron-Brillié in Ostend, Belgium.
October 4 » The IFK Göteborg football club is founded in Sweden.
October 20 » Chile and Bolivia sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, delimiting the border between the two countries.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Hans Weening, "Family tree Weening", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-weening/I112009.php : accessed February 10, 2026), "Rinskje Bekkema (1902-1904)".
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