The temperature on May 20, 1909 was between 5.1 °C and 21.2 °C and averaged 14.7 °C. There was 13.9 hours of sunshine (87%). The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east. Source: KNMI
January 9 » Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole, plants the British flag 97 nautical miles (180km; 112mi) from the South Pole, the farthest anyone had ever reached at that time.
January 23 » RMSRepublic, a passenger ship of the White Star Line, becomes the first ship to use the CQD distress signal after colliding with another ship, the SS Florida, off the Massachusetts coastline, an event that kills six people. The Republic sinks the next day.
March 31 » Serbia formally withdraws its opposition to Austro-Hungarian actions in the Bosnian Crisis.
April 18 » Joan of Arc is beatified in Rome.
September 20 » The South Africa Act 1909 creates the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies from four smaller colonies.
September 23 » The novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera), by Gaston Leroux, is published as a serialization in Le Gaulois.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: W. Rovers, "Family tree Ro(o)vers", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom_rovers/I31044.php : accessed March 5, 2026), "Wilhelmus Petrus Johannes Maria van Schie (1909-)".
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