The Mysteries of History (January 26 Edition)
Penal Colony, Fraught Independence, and a Helicopter Tragedy
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana, 1905
1788 — British Convicts Establish Colony in Australia
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Ships from Britain arrived in what was then called New South Wales in January of 1788; many of the passengers aboard were convicts, who had been given the option of being banished from their home country rather than “rot” in prisons. Over seven hundred banished men from the ships were assigned to an “agricultural work camp” (penal colony) once they arrived.
New South Wales is now just a part of Australia, as can be seen in the map below.
1909 map of Australia, showing the State of New South Wales in the southeastern part of Australia; public domain image from wikimedia commons
This time period was a dramatic one in world events. In America, the United States was on the verge of ratifying its constitution and holding its first presidential election; meanwhile in Europe, widespread unrest in France would culminate in revolution the following year, 1789.
Questions: How many prisoners were ultimately banished to Australia? Did they all come from Britain, or did some of these arrive from other places? What is the current population of Australia? What percentage of them are related to those early "settlers"? How many indigenous people were estimated to have lived in Australia when the British arrived in 1788? How many are there now? What was their population at its lowest level, and when was that? What has Australia contributed to world culture? Is Australia a continent, or just a very large island? Is Tasmania part of Australia? How many Australians would prefer to live in Britain rather than Australia today, even if in freedom? 1950 — Republic of India Established
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Seventy-five years ago today, the Republic of India was formed, with Britain finally agreeing to India’s independence after decades of passive resistance led by Mohandas (aka Mahatma) Gandhi, who had been murdered two years earlier.
Questions: Why was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi also called Mahatma Gandhi? Who was Jawaharlal Nehru, and what was his link to Mohandas Gandhi? Did Nehru influence men's fashion? Who was Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter, and what role did she play in Indian history? Was she related by marriage or otherwise to Mohandas/Mahatma Gandhi? What role did religion play in India's history in this time period?2020 — Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash
public domain image by Keith Allison from wikimedia commons
Five years ago today, all nine people aboard a helicopter died when it crashed in foggy conditions near Calabasas, California. Former professional basketball player Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others made up the passengers and crew, all of whom perished; they were on their way to a basketball game thirteen-year-old Gianna was going to play in.
Mr. Bryant had spent his entire professional basketball career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, whose home court was less than 30 miles from the crash site. Bryant helped the Lakers win five NBA championships during his time with the Lakers. He had retired four years earlier, in 2016.
Questions: What caused the crash (other than the foggy conditions)? Who else, besides the Bryants, were aboard the helicopter? How close to any residences did the crash occur? Which years did the Lakers win championships while Bryant was a part of the team? Did you ever see him play basketball live (either in person or on television)?
