February 15 » The battleship USSMaine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing 274. This event leads the United States to declare war on Spain.
June 21 » The United States captures Guam from Spain. The few warning shots fired by the U.S. naval vessels are misinterpreted as salutes by the Spanish garrison, which was unaware that the two nations were at war.
September 2 » Battle of Omdurman: British and Egyptian troops defeat Sudanese tribesmen and establish British dominance in Sudan.
September 18 » The Fashoda Incident triggers the last war scare between Britain and France.
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.
December 26 » Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of radium.
Day of death December 15, 1978
The temperature on December 15, 1978 was between 4.7 °C and 7.3 °C and averaged 6.3 °C. There was 6.8 mm of rain during 3.8 hours. The heavily clouded was. The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the south-southwest. 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.
March 9 » President Soeharto inaugurated Jagorawi Toll Road, the first toll highway in Indonesia, connecting Jakarta, Bogor and Ciawi, West Java.
May 25 » The first of a series of bombings orchestrated by the Unabomber detonates at Northwestern University resulting in minor injuries.
August 13 » One hundred fifty Palestinians in Beirut are killed in a terrorist attack during the second phase of the Lebanese Civil War.
August 22 » The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FLSN) occupies national palace in Nicaragua.
October 16 » Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pontiff since 1523.
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: Hans Weening, "Family tree Weening", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-weening/I199364.php : accessed January 5, 2026), "Sjoerd de Vries (1898-1978)".
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