In 1945 Britain and the United Sates drop hundreds of thousands of bombs on the German city of Dresden. A total of 2,600 tons of high explosives were dropped by the R.A.F. and U.S. Air Force in order to destroy the command centre for the German defences against the Russian forces in the East. Up to 100,000 Germans are believed to have been killed as many refuges fled to Dresden, escaping the Soviets advance.
In 1929 Sir Alexander Fleming introduces penicillin to the World. Working at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England the Scottish bacteriologist found that cultures of Staphylococcus Aureus (a common bacterium found in humans) had been contaminated with a mould and the Staphylococcus growth around the mould had been dissolved. On closer inspection of the mould Fleming identified the mould as penicillin notatum as found on bread. On this day Fleming introduced his findings of a cheap and easy to reproduce antibiotic to the world and this discovery has saved countless lives. Antibiotics are natural chemicals released by bacteria and moulds to inhibit growth of other organisms.
In 1779 English explorer Captain James Cook was killed by the natives of Hawaii. On the 18th of January 1778 Captain Cook and his crew were the first Europeans to discover the Hawaiian islands and they were initially welcomed by the natives that were fascinated by them. One year later Captain Cook returned to the islands with his crew but this time they docked at Kealakekua Bay, a site sacred to the Hawaiians, and were revered by the natives as gods. Enjoying being treated like gods, Cook and his crew took advantage of the native’s hospitality. But when a crew member died the Hawaiian’s realised that the visitors were just mortal men and became angered, attacking the Captain and his crew. Cook and his crew escaped on their ship but got caught by storms, forcing them to return. The Hawaiian’s met them with flying rocks and they mobbed the battered crew, some managed to escape but Cook was killed.
In 278 A.D. Priest Valentine was beaten and beheaded for marrying couples against Emperor Claudius II’s command. Claudius II was trying to build his army and believed men were not signing up because of family ties. He therefore decreed that marriage and engagements were banned throughout Rome. Valentine, seeing the injustice, started marrying young couples in secret despite the risk to his life. When the Emperor found out Valentine was placed in jail where he met the jailer’s daughter and fell in love. The Emperor ordered that Priest Valentine be beaten to death with clubs and then beheaded. When he left the jail cell for his execution he left a note for the jailer’s daughter, signed from ‘your Valentine’.
