February 11
Born on this day Thursday, February 11, 1847. : Thomas Edison, the American inventor who, singly or jointly, held a world record 1,093 patents for inventions, is born. Thomas Alva Edison was born on 11 February 1847 in Milan, Ohio, USA. Childhood illness meant that he was a slow starter and easily distracted in his schooling. After […]
February 19
Australian History Friday, February 19, 1836. : British Parliament officially proclaims the colony of South Australia and formally defines its boundaries. Explorer Matthew Flinders was the first European to investigate the possibilities for settlement on South Australia’s coast, doing so in 1802. The discovery and charting of the Murray River by Charles Sturt to the southern coast […]
February 06
Australian History Monday, February 6, 1832. : The Swan River colony is officially renamed “Western Australia”. The first official, recorded sighting of Australia’s western coastline occurred in 1611, when Dutch mariner Hendrik Brouwer attempted a different route to the Dutch East Indies. Dutch captain Dirk Hartog sailed too far whilst trying out Brouwer’s route from the Cape […]
February 08
Born on this day Sunday, February 8, 1829. : Science fiction writer, Jules Verne, is born. Jules Verne was born in Nantes, France, on 8 February 1828. He initially studied law, but then became interested in the theatre and wrote librettos for operettas. He soon realised his talent lay in writing extraordinary and imaginative stories of voyages […]
February 02
Australian Explorers Monday, February 2, 1829. : Captain Sturt discovers and names the Darling River. Captain Charles Sturt was born in India in 1795. He came to Australia in 1827, and soon after undertook to solve the mystery of where the inland rivers of New South Wales flowed. Because they appeared to flow towards the centre of […]
February 12
Born on this day Sunday, February 12, 1809. : Charles Darwin, the man who split the scientific community in two with his theory of evolution, is born. British naturalist Charles Robert Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. Darwin’s claim to fame is his publication of “On the Origin of Species by Means of […]
February 03
Born on this day Friday, February 3, 1809. : German composer Felix Mendelssohn is born. Felix Mendelssohn was born Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy on 3 February 1809 in Hamburg, Germany. Initially Jewish, Mendelssohn’s family converted to Christianity, joining the Lutheran church. Considered to be the greatest child prodigy since Mozart, Mendelssohn was responsible for reviving the […]
February 05
Australian Explorers Saturday, February 5, 1803. : Early Australian sea-explorer, George Bass, disappears. George Bass, together with Matthew Flinders explored and charted much of the coastline south of Sydney in the early days of the New South Wales colony, adding valuable information to charts of the Australian coastline. Bass and Flinders each completed significant voyages in their […]
February 24
Australian Explorers Wednesday, February 24, 1802. : Flinders discovers and names Port Lincoln in South Australia. Matthew Flinders was born on 16 March 1774 in Lincolnshire, England. He became a sea explorer, and arrived in Australia in the 1790s. The western half of Australia was previously known as New Holland, and the eastern half was known as […]
February 21
Australian Explorers Sunday, February 21, 1802. : John Murray discovers Corio Bay, site of present-day Geelong in Victoria. Port Phillip is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia, on the northern end of which is situated the Victorian capital city of Melbourne. Port Phillip is dotted by numerous smaller bays; one of these is Corio Bay, in […]