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1st
1945 Keble Munn returns to Jamaica after serving for five
years in the Canadian Army. During this time he was captured
at Dunkirk and held for eight months in a German POW camp.
1957
The infamous Kendal train crash. An excursion train with 1600
passengers on a church outing from Kingston to Montego
Bay is derailed. 171 passengers are killed and 700 seriously
injured. This is Jamaica’s greatest tragedy
outside of a natural disaster.
2nd
1969
Norman Manley, former Premier and founder of the People’s
National Party, dies at his home “Regardless” in St
Andrew.
5th
1973
“A Warm
December” starring Sidney Poitier, opens at the Carib and
Harbour View cinemas. The female lead opposite Poitier is
former Jamaican beauty contestant, Esther Anderson.
7th
1919
Louise Bennett is born in Kingston.
1959
The National Geographic Society is offering a US$200 reward
for the key to a 17th century map of Port Royal.
A map exists which was sketched before the earthquake that
shows the coastline and all principal buildings. However
there are only numbers on the map and the part of the map,
which contains the key to these numbers, is missing.
1962
Alexander Bustamante and his long time right hand,
Gladys Longbridge, are married in
the chapel of the Residence of the Roman Catholic Bishop of
Kingston. Donald Sangster gives the bride away, best man is
Hugh Shearer and the ceremony is performed by Fr. Stanley
Shearer and Mnsr. Gladstone Wilson.
8th
1940
Alexander Bustamante is placed in detention at Up Park
Camp. The Governor, Sir Arthur Richards, has declared him a
menace to the war effort because of speeches made and
articles published by Bustamante.
1969
The
Jamaican currency changes from pounds sterling to
dollars and cents.
11th
1987 Peter Tosh, International reggae artist and one of
the original Wailers, is shot and killed at his home
following an argument with a friend.
2001
Twenty one Jamaicans are among almost
3000 people killed in
the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York
City.
2004
Hurricane Ivan passes close to Jamaica causing serious
flooding which leaves 18,000 homeless and US$360 million in
damages.
12th
1988
Hurricane
Gilbert tears across Jamaica from Morant Point to Negril
leaving destruction behind. Gilbert is the first direct
strike to the Island by a hurricane in 37 years (Charlie
1951) 45 people are killed and US$4 billion (1988) damage
done.
13th
1834
The first issue of The Daily Gleaner
comes off the
presses. It is a four page octavo sized weekly and is
published by Jacob and Joshua deCordova.
1944
The Priory School is declared open by Lady Huggins, wife of
the Governor. Founder/Principal is Henry Fowler.
16th
1870 Sir Charles Bright of the West India and Panama
Telegraph Company Limited sends the following message to
Kingston: "To His Excellency the Administrator, I am happy
to acquaint your Excellency that the shore end of the Cuba &
Jamaica cable was landed last night here completing
telegraphic communication between Jamaica & Europe. Any
Message you wish to send home will be forwarded." And so
telecommunications began in Jamaica.
17th
1939
Richard Ho Lung is born in Richmond, St Mary.
18th
1935 The Jamaica Horticultural Society presents an
exhibition of zinnias at the Mais Memorial Hall in Kingston.
This is the first such Flower Show in the Island.
1945
A Bill is prepared to enable members of the legislature to
speak more freely. This Bill seeks to afford members of both
chambers absolute immunity from criminal or civil
proceedings arising from anything said before the Chamber.
They will also be protected in regard to anything written by
them in a report or petition to the Chamber.
1949
The Flag of the People’s National Party is raised for the
first time at the start of their 11th annual
conference at Party Headquarters, Edelweiss Park in Cross
Roads. Renowned artist
Edna Manley, wife of the Party Leader
Norman Manley, has designed the flag.
1962
Jamaica is admitted to the United Nations as is Trinidad and
Tobago.
20th
1940
Gibraltar Camp in Mona is completed. This facility has
been constructed to house 4000 wartime refugees from
Gibraltar and Malta in the Mediterranean. The camp comprises
84 barracks, kitchens, dining hall, recreation rooms,
storerooms, administration offices, staff residences, a
hospital and a police station lies on 81 acres.
1971
Royal Bank of Canada breaks tradition when their female
staff members come to work in their new pantsuit uniforms.
The uniforms are made from gold and blue crimplene.
21st
1942 Ewart Beckford (U-Roy)
is born in Jones Town, Kingston.
1954 A Bill to revise the Oath Law is tabled in the House of
Representatives. This Bill proposes that individuals taking
the Oath in Judicial proceedings will no longer have to kiss
the Bible. This is proposed particularly due to the outbreak
of polio in the Island.
1964
Mary Morris-Knibb dies at her home in Woodford Park, St
Andrew at the age of 83. Mrs Morris-Knibb, who founded the
Morris-Knibb Preparatory School in 1928, was the first woman
elected to the KSAC in 1939.
23rd
1939 Kenneth Mock Yen is born in St Andrew.
1948
Mr Justice Clair tells two female jurors that although women
are now regarded as competent to sit on juries they may wish
to retire, as their ears might be too delicate to listen to
the evidence in a rape case.
1968
Lois Brandon becomes the first female Principal of the
Jamaica School of Art.
26th
1957 Lucille Mathurin is appointed Warden of
Mary Seacole
Hall at the University College of the West Indies. The Hall
of Residence is now ready to accept female undergraduates.
27th
1939 Stanley Davis begins manufacturing table salt at his
oil and soap factory. He finds a ready market in war time
Jamaica where imported salt is in short supply.
28th
1954 A twelve-point plan tabled by
Hugh Shearer, Island
Supervisor of the BITU, is accepted by delegates at the 18th
annual conference. This programme includes the establishment
of a 45-hour workweek for agricultural workers and those in
the services and a 40-hour workweek for all others. It also
proposes double time pay for Sunday work and work after
4:00pm and triple time for work done on holidays. Maternity
leave for women in all fields of employment is also being
sought.
1978
The generator used to supply electricity to
Black River, the
first town in Jamaica to have electricity is to become an
exhibit at a museum being established at the College of
Arts, Science & Technology. Also to be exhibited is the
136-year-old lantern used at the Morant Bay lighthouse for
over a century.
29th
1804 Falmouth narrowly escapes destruction when
lightening strikes the army barracks right beside the
gunpowder magazine.
1942
Sir John Huggins is sworn in as Governor.
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