World News
Today in History: March 19th─── 08:00 Thu, 19 Mar 2015
Historical Event:
• 1910: Thomas Thornton becomes the first air passenger in SA when he pays Albert Kimmerling £100 for a short flight from Sydenham Hill in Johannesburg. On the same day, the Rand reporter Julia Stansfield becomes the first woman passenger when Kimmmerling takes her on a flight over Johannesburg.
• 1919: Jack Hindon (44), the man after whom the SA medal for outstanding service is named, dies in Pretoria.
• 1953: Lt.-Col. Hermanus Christiaan (Manie) Bredell, chief adjunct commissioner of the SA Police, dies on his farm Zonneheuwel, near Marquard.
• 1975: The first elections of twenty members of the Legislative Assembly (19-21 March) start in Qwaqwa.
• 1977: The president of the Republic of Congo, Marien Ngouabi, is assassinated at his official residence in Brazzaville.
• 1990: Willie Hepburn sets a South African land speed record when he streaks to 372,401 km/h in a 7-litre Pontiac TransAm on the N3 toll road near Villiers in the Free State.
• 2005: This year's 46664 concert, named after Mandela's prison number under apartheid, highlights the plight of women and girls, who are six times more likely to be infected with the Aids virus than men in South Africa. The event is staged at the exclusive golf resort of Fancourt, just outside George, on the Garden Route and stars world celebrities and a host of local talent.
Arts, Music, TV:
• 1932: The publishing company, Afrikaanse Pers Beperk, is established in Pretoria.
And did you know...
• The budget for the Movie "Titanic" was higher than the Titanic itself.
• Most lifeboats launched off the Titanic were not filled to capacity.
• The Titanic could have been saved if it wasn't for a 30-second delay in giving the order to change course after spotting the iceberg.
• After hitting the iceberg, it took the Titanic 2 hours and 40 minutes to sink.
Sports:
• 1982: Fifteen English cricket players are prohibited to play for three years in England, because of their rebel tour to SA.
• 1993: Ditau Molefyane, junior lightweight champion of SA wins the World Boxing Federation (WBF) title.
• 1998: Makhaya Ntini becomes the first Black SA cricket player to play in a five-day test. He takes 2 wickets in Cape Town.
And did you know...
• On average, soccer players run as far as 9.5 miles in a single match.
• Argentina’s retired soccer player Diego Maradona has his own religion made by his fans.
Source: sahistory.org.com & factslides.com
Compiled by: Thandi Xaba
• 1910: Thomas Thornton becomes the first air passenger in SA when he pays Albert Kimmerling £100 for a short flight from Sydenham Hill in Johannesburg. On the same day, the Rand reporter Julia Stansfield becomes the first woman passenger when Kimmmerling takes her on a flight over Johannesburg.
• 1919: Jack Hindon (44), the man after whom the SA medal for outstanding service is named, dies in Pretoria.
• 1953: Lt.-Col. Hermanus Christiaan (Manie) Bredell, chief adjunct commissioner of the SA Police, dies on his farm Zonneheuwel, near Marquard.
• 1975: The first elections of twenty members of the Legislative Assembly (19-21 March) start in Qwaqwa.
• 1977: The president of the Republic of Congo, Marien Ngouabi, is assassinated at his official residence in Brazzaville.
• 1990: Willie Hepburn sets a South African land speed record when he streaks to 372,401 km/h in a 7-litre Pontiac TransAm on the N3 toll road near Villiers in the Free State.
• 2005: This year's 46664 concert, named after Mandela's prison number under apartheid, highlights the plight of women and girls, who are six times more likely to be infected with the Aids virus than men in South Africa. The event is staged at the exclusive golf resort of Fancourt, just outside George, on the Garden Route and stars world celebrities and a host of local talent.
Arts, Music, TV:
• 1932: The publishing company, Afrikaanse Pers Beperk, is established in Pretoria.
And did you know...
• The budget for the Movie "Titanic" was higher than the Titanic itself.
• Most lifeboats launched off the Titanic were not filled to capacity.
• The Titanic could have been saved if it wasn't for a 30-second delay in giving the order to change course after spotting the iceberg.
• After hitting the iceberg, it took the Titanic 2 hours and 40 minutes to sink.
Sports:
• 1982: Fifteen English cricket players are prohibited to play for three years in England, because of their rebel tour to SA.
• 1993: Ditau Molefyane, junior lightweight champion of SA wins the World Boxing Federation (WBF) title.
• 1998: Makhaya Ntini becomes the first Black SA cricket player to play in a five-day test. He takes 2 wickets in Cape Town.
And did you know...
• On average, soccer players run as far as 9.5 miles in a single match.
• Argentina’s retired soccer player Diego Maradona has his own religion made by his fans.
Source: sahistory.org.com & factslides.com
Compiled by: Thandi Xaba
