The average temperature on January 2, 1909 was 2.0 °C. The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the south-southwest. Source: KNMI
February 12 » New Zealand's worst maritime disaster of the 20th century happens when the SSPenguin, an inter-island ferry, sinks and explodes at the entrance to Wellington Harbour.
April 9 » The U.S. Congress passes the Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act.
April 11 » The city of Tel Aviv is founded.
August 30 » Burgess Shale fossils are discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott.
October 16 » William Howard Taft and Porfirio Díaz hold the first summit between a U.S. and a Mexican president. They narrowly escape assassination.
December 14 » New South Wales Premier Charles Wade signs the Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909, formally completing the transfer of State land to the Commonwealth to create the Australian Capital Territory.
Day of death December 8, 1959
The temperature on December 8, 1959 was between 1.0 °C and 4.3 °C and averaged 2.6 °C. There was 4.2 mm of rain during 7.6 hours. The almost completely overcast was. The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east-southeast. Source: KNMI
January 2 » Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
March 9 » The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.
March 31 » The 14th Dalai Lama, crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum.
June 23 » Convicted Manhattan Project spy Klaus Fuchs is released after only nine years in prison and allowed to emigrate to Dresden, East Germany where he resumes a scientific career.
July 7 » Venus occults the star Regulus. This rare event is used to determine the diameter of Venus and the structure of the Venusian atmosphere.
October 30 » Piedmont Airlines Flight 349 crashes on approach to Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport in Albemarle County, Virginia, killing 26 of the 27 on board.
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/I186931.php : accessed February 18, 2026), "Arjen Bits (1909-1959)".
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