Post 992855688

Another one of those coincidences. I just mentioned Willem Barentsz the other day, and now I read the following on the UselessKnowledge.com website » On The Way To Today... June 20th: 1597 - William Barentsz, the Dutch explorer who tried to search for the north-east passage, died in the Arctic in the attempt when his ship became trapped in ice.

Also » 1624 - France and the United Provinces (Netherlands) signed a treaty of non-aggression at Compiegne. | 1819 - The 320-ton paddle-wheel steamship Savannah became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. It arrived in Liverpool after a journey from Savannah, Georgia, of 27 days 11 hours. | 1837 - Upon the death of her uncle, King William IV, Princess Alexandrina Victoria became Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland. During Victoria's reign Great Britain expanded to include new territories becoming the 19th century's most powerful empire. She remained on her throne and in power until her death in 1901. | 1891 - Britain and Netherlands defined their boundaries in Borneo. | 1963 - The United States and the Soviet Union established a hot-line to serve as an emergency communicationns system between the two superpowers during the Cold War. While the system was tested, it was never used. | 1969 - For his time, guitarist Jimi Hendrix earned the biggest paycheck ever paid for one concert performance. Hendrix earned $125,000 to play a single set at the Newport Jazz Festival.