Australian Explorers
Sunday, December 7, 1800. : James Grant discovers and names Portland Bay and Cape Otway on the southern coast.
James Grant was a young lieutenant sent out on a survey voyage of the southern coast of Australia during the continent’s early colonial years. Grant was given orders to take possession in the King’s name of any large rivers and good pastureland, as long as such possession was done with the consent of any native inhabitants who might be present.
On 7 December 1800, Grant discovered Portland Bay, describing it as “picturesque and beautiful”, and naming it after the Duke of Portland. He was unable to land, however, due to the windy conditions and strong surf. Sailing further east on the 7th, Grant sighted and named Cape Albany Ottway, after his friend Captain William Albany Ottway. The Cape, and later the nearby Ranges, were renamed Otway.
Australian Explorers
Monday, December 7, 1846. : Leichhardt departs Jimbour Station on his second, but unsuccessful, expedition.
Ludwig Leichhardt was born in Prussia and studied in Germany. He was a passionate botanist who had an interest in exploration, although he lacked necessary bush survival skills. In October 1844, he left from Jimbour Station on the Darling Downs on an expedition to find a new route to Port Essington, near Darwin. The trip took 14 months and covered over 4,800km.
On 7 December 1846, Leichhardt departed from Jimbour Station on his second expedition. His intention was to cross Australia from east to west. However, the expedition was beset with sickness, paper-wasp bites, and discontent among his men after travelling only 800km. The wet weather season set in with a vengeance, forcing the party to wade through deep mud. Six months later Leichhardt returned to Jimbour Station, achieving nothing of his aim. It was nearly another year before Leichhardt attempted the crossing again, this time disappearing with his entire party somewhere in the centre of Australia.
World History
Saturday, December 7, 1782. : A flying haystack, accompanied by fire and smoke, is reported in Banbury, England.
Through the ages there have been many reports of unusual flying objects, dubbed UFOs, or Unidentified Flying Objects. Many times, the incidents can be explained as weather balloons, military exercises and even natural phenomena.
On 7 December 1872, an unusual UFO was reported in Banbury, England. A haystack was seen flying through the air on an irregular course, emitting fire and dense smoke. Witnesses stated that at least 17 trees were uprooted and another 36 damaged, a long stone wall was felled as it flew past, whilst a shack was also disassembled.
Prior to the appearance of the fiery flying haystack, the skies were heavily overcast, leading to a sudden downpour. Lightning flashed, whereupon appeared the flying haystack, making a noise rather like a whistling steam train, travelling irregularly, sometimes high and sometimes low. A strong “sulphurous” smell was noted, which is often connected to ozone and nitrogen oxides, created by the effect of electricity on air. The object appeared to continue for around a mile and a half, when it suddenly disappeared.
Meteorologist, Mr Thomas Beesley of Banbury, visited the area and concluded that the haystack fireball was due to a tornado that swept through the area. It was believed that the appearance of fire came from the friction of tree branches as they were propelled through the air at terrific speeds.
World History
Sunday, December 7, 1941. : Japanese fighters bomb the US navy base at Pearl Harbor, precipitating America’s entry into WWII.
During the early stages of World War II, the United States willingly assisted Britain as one of its allies, but did not declare war on any of the countries involved. This changed on the morning of 7 December 1941, when the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.
Tensions had been rising between the United States and Japan since Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and had continued to encroach on Chinese territory. Earlier in 1941, the USA and the UK reacted to continued Japanese military action in China by imposing boycotts on several industries critical to Japan, freezing assets and closing the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping. Peace negotiations between the US and Japan were unsuccessful, and Japan launched a pre-emptive strike against the US, hoping to gain the upper hand.
Six aircraft carriers launched approximately 360 Japanese warplanes, with the first attack wave occurring at 7:55am, local time. A second wave attacked an hour later. Further attacks by battleships, cruisers, and destroyers ensued. 2403 Americans were killed, including 68 civilians, and a further 1178 were wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk, including five battleships. Ultimately, the Japanese were successful in their aim of crippling the US navy. However, the attack pushed the US into WWII, and provided the catalyst and the motivation for the development of the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
World History
Thursday, December 7, 1967. : Otis Redding records an unfinished “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”, three days before his death in a plane crash.
Otis Redding was an American “soul” singer. Born in Dawson, Georgia on 9 September 1941, his singing career began in the Macon church choir. He was a devoted fan of singer Little Richard, by whose music he was largely inspired, even though Redding later moved more into “soul”.
Redding had an immensely successful career, and was a prolific songwriter. While touring with his backup band, the Bar-Kays in August 1967, he wrote the first verse of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” under the shortened title “Dock of the Bay”. Further lines and additions were jotted onto hotel napkins and paper over the next few months. The first version of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was recorded on 22 November 1967, with overdubbing completed on 7 December 1967. One verse was whistled, as Redding intended to write more lyrics and complete the recording later.
On 9 December, Redding and the Bar-kays appeared on the local “Upbeat” television show in Cleveland, Ohio. The next day, his chartered Beechcraft 18 aeroplane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, killing Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of The Bar-Kays. The cause of the crash was never determined.
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was released posthumously on Stax Records’ Volt label in 1968. It became Redding’s only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the first posthumous single in US chart history.