Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.
What Time is It? It is flow of a sandstorm that will on each day compress somewhere into a structure – sandstone, selected and only remembered in the longue durée.
On 1 February 1845, Anson Jones, President of the Republic of Texas, signs the charter officially creating Baylor University (the oldest university in the State of Texas operating under its original name).
On 1 February 1870, A state flag of Victoria is adopted, although with no crown like the current flag.
On 1 February 1870, Goodna State School in Goodna, Queensland, Australia is founded.
On February 1895, Oscar Wilde’s last play, the comedy ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, is first shown 14 at St James’s Theatre in London.
On Sunday, 1 February 1920, The South African Air Force (SAAF) is established, the second autonomous Air Force in the world, after the Royal Air Force (RAF).
On Monday, 1 February 1960, In Greensboro, North Carolina, four black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University begin a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter. Although they are refused service, they are allowed to stay at the counter. The event triggers many similar non-violent protests throughout the Southern United States, and six months later the original four protesters are served lunch at the same counter.
On Sunday, 1 February 1970, The Benavidez rail disaster near Buenos Aires, Argentina kills 236.
On Thursday, 1 February 1990, [Across the month] Smoking is banned on all cross-country flights in the United States.
On Tuesday, 1 February 2000, [in February] Popstars becomes the first Australian reality talent show, earns massive ratings for the Seven Network & leads to Bardot, the end product of the show, becoming the first Australian act to debut at no.1 on the ARIA charts.
Images Citations in Composite: ID 17208541 © Anhong | Dreamstime.com; ID 35001957 © DiversityStudio1 | Dreamstime.com; ID 156394527 © Gerd Zahn | Dreamstime.com
Neville Buch
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