January 17 » The United States takes possession of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean.
February 16 » Iceland's first football club, Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, is founded.
July 17 » NEC Corporation is organized as the first Japanese joint venture with foreign capital.
July 29 » The First Hague Convention is signed.
September 13 » Mackinder, Ollier and Brocherel make the first ascent of Batian (5,199 m - 17,058ft), the highest peak of Mount Kenya.
November 28 » The Second Boer War: a British column is engaged by Boer forces at the Battle of Modder River; although the Boers withdraw, the British suffer heavy casualties.
Day of death January 31, 1988
The temperature on January 31, 1988 was between 2.5 °C and 7.5 °C and averaged 4.9 °C. There was 0.1 mm of rain during 0.1 hours. There was 0.9 hours of sunshine (10%). The partly or heavily clouded was. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the southwest. Source: KNMI
In The Netherlands , there was from Tuesday, November 4, 1986 to Tuesday, November 7, 1989 the cabinet Lubbers II, with Drs. R.F.M. Lubbers (CDA) as prime minister.
January 28 » In R v Morgentaler the Supreme Court of Canada strikes down all anti-abortion laws.
February 12 » Cold War: The 1988 Black Sea bumping incident: The U.S. missile cruiser USSYorktown(CG-48) is intentionally rammed by the Soviet frigate Bezzavetnyy in the Soviet territorial waters, while Yorktown claims innocent passage.
March 16 » The Troubles: Ulster loyalist militant Michael Stone attacks a Provisional IRA funeral in Belfast with pistols and grenades. Three persons, one of them a member of PIRA are killed, and more than 60 others are wounded.
April 4 » Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona is convicted in his impeachment trial and removed from office.
August 1 » A British soldier was killed in the Inglis Barracks bombing in London, England.
November 15 » Israeli–Palestinian conflict: An independent State of Palestine is proclaimed by the Palestinian National Council.
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/I5570.php : accessed February 7, 2026), "Josephus Robertus Elsen (1899-1988)".
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