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 27 December 1845, Anesthesia is used for childbirth for the first time, by Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Georgia.
On 27 December 1845, American newspaper editor John L. O’Sullivan claims (in connection with the annexation of Texas) in The United States Magazine and Democratic Review that the United States should be allowed “the fullfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions”. It is the second time he uses the term manifest destiny, and it will have a huge influence on American imperialism in the following century.
On Thursday, 27 December 1945, Twenty-eight nations sign an agreement creating the World Bank.
On Thursday, 27 December 1945, Terror strikes are carried out against British military bases in Palestine.
On Tuesday, 27 December 1960, France sets off its third A-bomb test at its nuclear weapons testing range near Reggane, Algeria.
On Sunday, 27 December 1970, President of India V. V. Giri declares new elections.
On Thursday, 27 December 1990, WIN Television purchases Star Television just three days before Queensland is due to be aggregated, giving them the Nine Network affiliation and leaving QTV, who were going to take the Nine affiliation, with the Network Ten affiliation.
On Sunday, 27 December 2015, died Stevie Wright, 68, musician and songwriter, lead singer of The Easybeats.
Images Citations in Composite: ID 17208541 © Anhong | Dreamstime.com; ID 35001957 © DiversityStudio1 | Dreamstime.com; ID 156394527 © Gerd Zahn | Dreamstime.com
Neville Buch