February 25
Born on this day Thursday, February 25, 1943. : Former Beatles member, George Harrison, is born. George Harrison was born on 25 February 1943 in Liverpool, England. His mother had always stated that he was born at ten minutes after midnight, and that is the date officially recorded on his birth certificate; in his later life, however, […]
February 20
Australian History Friday, February 20, 1903. : Royal approval of the new Australian flag is finally gazetted. The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed on 1 January 1901. Shortly after this, in April of that year, the Commonwealth Government announced a Federal Flag design competition. There were 32,823 entries in the competition, and most featured the Union Jack, […]
February 04
Born on this day Tuesday, February 4, 1902. : Charles Lindbergh, the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic, is born. Charles Augustus Lindbergh was born on 4 February 1902 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Displaying an interest in machines from an early age, Lindbergh enrolled in a mechanical engineering program, but quit when he was eighteen. […]
February 09
Born on this day Saturday, February 9, 1884. : Arthur Stace, the man who chalked “Eternity” on Sydney footpaths for 37 years, is born. Arthur Stace was born in Balmain, Sydney, on 9 February 1884. Growing up in a family of alcoholics, he ultimately turned to drink also. He returned from WWI shell-shocked, turning to a life […]
February 10
Australian History Monday, February 10, 1879. : Ned Kelly’s famous Jerilderie letter is penned. Early in February 1879, Ned Kelly and his gang rode into the small town of Jerilderie, located in the Riverina area of southern New South Wales. After robbing the bank of some two thousand pounds, Ned Kelly then dictated a letter to gang […]
February 18
Australian Explorers Wednesday, February 18, 1874. : Explorer Giles is nearly killed by one of his horses. Explorer Ernest Giles was born William Ernest Powell Giles on 7 July 1835 in England. He emigrated to Australia in 1850 and was employed at various cattle and sheep stations, allowing him to develop good bush skills. Giles made several […]
February 17
Born on this day Wednesday, February 17, 1864. : Australian poet and author, Banjo Paterson, is born. Andrew Barton Paterson, or Banjo Paterson, was born on 17 February 1864, near Orange, New South Wales. He was a proficient student and sportsman, and after leaving school at 16, he took up the position of an articled clerk in […]
February 01
Australian History Monday, February 1, 1858. : The first balloon flight in Australia occurs. The hot air balloon was developed in the 1700s by Frenchman Jacques Étienne Montgolfier, together with his brother Joseph-Michel. Montgolfier progressed to untethered flights until 1783 when he tested the first balloon to carry passengers, using a duck, a sheep and a rooster […]
February 22
Born on this day Sunday, February 22, 1857. : Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement, is born. Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell was born on 22 February 1857 in Paddington, London. He was a keen outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, canoeing and yachting. Baden-Powell’s military career offered him opportunities to develop skills that would later become […]
February 26
Born on this day Thursday, February 26, 1852. : John Harvey Kellogg, inventor of the corn flake, is born. John Harvey Kellogg was born on 26 February 1852 in Tyrone, New York. He graduated from New York University in 1875 with a medical degree, and became a medical doctor in Battle Creek, Michigan. Here, he set up […]