#ThrowbackThursday – 18 July
It’s 18 July, and that means it’s time for another edition of Throwback Thursday! Today, we’re taking a look back at three prominent events that went down on this day in history:
1918 – Happy Birthday, Madiba!
Today marks what would have been the 106th birthday of Nelson Mandela, the first democratically-elected president of South Africa.
Born on 18 July 1918 in the Eastern Cape village of Mvezo, Mandela was the son of the chief of the prestigious Madiba clan (hence his nickname, “Madiba”). However, young Mandela renounced his claim to the chieftainship in order to study law.
While practising as a lawyer, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944, a liberation movement that vehemently opposed the South African government’s apartheid laws and policies. Mandela held various leadership positions within the ANC, doing his best to fight back against the racial regime via non-violent means, and encouraging others to do the same.
As a result, he became the target of government authorities and police forces over the years, being arrested and put on trial several times during his life.
In 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was arrested for leaving the country without a permit and for inciting workers to strike against apartheid laws. He spent 27 years in prison: the first 18 years at Robben Island, and the rest between Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town and Victor Verster Prison in Paarl.
Up until his release in 1990, Madiba endured harsh conditions, from labouring at Robben Island’s quarry to sleeping in a small, freezing-cold cell. However, this did not dim his spirit nor his hope; plus, he maintained support among South Africa’s majority black population, plus gained international recognition as a symbol of resistance and resilience against apartheid.
Following his release in 1990, Mandela – leading the ANC – continued his activism and negotiations with the ruling National Party for the end of apartheid, ensuring a mostly peaceful transition to democracy in South Africa. In 1994, he became the country’s first black president in its first, fully representative democratic election; throughout his time in office until 1999, he worked to dismantle the remnants of apartheid, while also fostering reconciliation and unity among the people of his nation.
When Madiba passed away in 2013 at the age of 95, the world had truly lost an icon of humanity and philanthropy. But, in spite of his passing, he left behind a legacy that is celebrated and carried on by his family and friends, his supporters and fellow statesmen (both nationally and worldwide), and by the citizens he served.
That’s why on 18 July, we commemorate International Nelson Mandela Day, a global initiative whereby people are encouraged to dedicate 67 minutes of their time – representing the 67 years Mandela spent fighting for social justice – to carry out community work and perform acts of charity in honour of his memory.
1938 – Oops, Wrong Way …?
Imagine that you’re travelling to your intended destination. After a short while, you notice that you’re going the wrong way and quickly correct your course.
So, you would think that Douglas Corrigan, a 31-year-old Texan aviator, would have noticed that he was flying in completely the wrong direction – especially after flying for 26 HOURS!
On 17 July 1938, Corrigan departed from an airfield in Brooklyn, New York in his Curtiss Robin monoplane; he had flown in from California a few days before, and had filed a return to Long Beach. It would have taken him a few hours to complete the flight.
However, instead of flying west towards California, the Curtiss Robin flew east across the Atlantic Ocean before ending up at an aerodrome in Dublin, Ireland on 18 July!
Corrigan’s seemingly erroneous flight took 28 hours and 13 minutes to complete. But, according to the aviator himself, it was only after 26 hours into the flight that he realised his navigational mistake.
Of course, the “mistake” was met with scepticism and disbelief from many, sparking speculation that “Wrong Way” Corrigan had deliberately veered off course in an effort to fulfil his lifelong dream of flying across the Atlantic: three years earlier, Corrigan – who was of Irish descent – had sought permission to fly from New York to Ireland, but was denied due to concerns about his aircraft’s poor airworthiness.
It’s never been confirmed if Corrigan ever intentionally flew in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, his flight has become the stuff of legends in aviation history.
1976 – 10s Across the Board!
In the world of gymnastics, Nadia Comănec is considered to be one of the greatest gymnasts in history. To earn this recognition, the Romanian accomplished the unbelievable – and awe-inspiring! – on 18 July 1976.
At the mere age of 14, Comănec participated at the ‘76 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. One of her routines was to perform a set on the uneven bars. Her 30-second routine on the bars wowed the judges, each of whom scored her a perfect 10 – a score that had never before been achieved in Olympic gymnastics.
But it didn’t stop there: throughout the Olympics, Comănec went on to receive SIX additional perfect 10s for her routines on the balance beam and all-around. Altogether, she won three gold medals in recognition of her astounding performance.
Today, Comănec is retired, although she remains very much active in gymnastics, whether it be coaching, serving as an ambassador for the sport or appearing at various gymnastics events. Still, her defining performance in 1976 will always be remembered for its flawlessness and groundbreaking nature – these days, it’s very rare for other gymnasts to achieve a perfect score at the Olympic Games.
You could almost say that Comănec set the bar quite high!
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