VillagePRESS

For my brothers and sister, the key historic date was September 17th -- our late Dad's 100th birthday. Brother Paul recalls other key events that year:

Interesting to note some of the events of 1909 - and some of the other births. Lots here that we recognise today. Although these details are from the US, interesting that when he was born, the average life expectancy was 50, and he lived into his 90s.

What else happened in 1909?

Popular novels of the time included “The Wonderful World of Oz,” by Frank Baum, and Jack London’s “Call of the Wild.”

Leisure time was spent in family get-togethers, baseball, picnics and long Sunday drives (mostly by horse and buggy). In the evenings, families gathered for sing-alongs around the piano.

These 1909 events made headlines:

· German researcher Paul Ehrlich found a cure for syphilis.

· Shackleton’s expedition reported finding the magnetic South Pole.

· The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded.

· Construction on the Titanic was begun.

· The Roman Catholic Church named Joan of Arc a saint.

· William Howard Taft took over from Teddy Roosevelt as President of the United States.

· The first credit union in the U.S. was established.

· The first event was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

· Construction was begun on the modern city of Tel Aviv, Israel.

· In the Ottoman Empire, thousands of Armenian Christians were slaughtered.

· In 1909, life expectancy was under age 50, and the average worker made $12.98 per week for 59 hours.

· The Model “T” Ford (or “Tin Lizzy”) was starting to roll off the assembly lines, and people could buy homes from the Sears Catalog of Modern Homes.

· In addition to Mary McCarthy, other notable births from 1909 included Benny Goodman, Burl Ives, Katharine Hepburn, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Barry Goldwater, Gene Krupa, Simone Weil, Carmen Miranda, Queen Juliana (of the Netherlands) and Al Capp.