Fire in the Sky

I took this photo first thing this morning, it's not too early, as I head out at 7.30 a.m.  I went to morning tea with my church friends, always good to catch up with them.  After lunch I headed into town, did 8,165 steps, which is 5.5 k's.  Pretty good for a week day I thought.

This is blip No. 1918.

Year 1918


The extra is a photo of my aunt, (the baby,. who was born in 1918.  She is sitting on my mother's (9 yrs) knee.  My aunt is still alive, and we are looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday next year.


The first world war was finally over, leaving more than 18,000 NZers dead and tens of thousands more seriously wounded.  Over 5300 soldiers died in 1918 alone.


Then another 8600 died during the influenza pandemic (swine flu).  Many public facilities and businesses closed, and public events and gatherings were postponed.


The population in NZ at the end of 1918 was 1,150,000.  About 60% of those lived in the North Island.


Technology:  More than 12 million telegrams were sent during the year.  Only 6% of the population had telephones.  In December the first power boards were created to control electricity distribution.


83% of the population could read and write.  It was compulsory to attend school from the age of 7 to 14.


Famous people born in 1918.


Billy Graham, an American Evangelist, has celebrated in 98th birthday.  I remember going to hear him preach in 1959 when he and his team came to NZ.  He preached in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with landlines being set up in other centres.  My family heard him by landline in Hamilton.
Betty Ford, wife of President Gerald Ford.  She died in 2011, aged 93.
Nelson Mandela, the President of South Africa.  He died in 2013, aged 95.