From Giraffes and Lightning to Revolts, Tragedies and Billionaires: The Remarkable History of December 28

Did you know?

Giraffe are 30 times more likely to get hit by lightning than people.

On this day in history, December 28

1700 Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel lays the first bricks of an octagonal church, the tower of which still forms part of the Groote Kerk in Cape Town.

1732 You have probably heard of these sayings:

• Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
• If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some.
• There are three faithful friends – an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.
• A brother may not be a friend, but a friend will always be a brother.
• No gain without pain.
• Keep the eyes wide open before marriage and half-shut afterwards.
• Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.
• Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none.
• Speak little, do much.
• A friend in need is a friend indeed.

We know about them because they were made popular by first edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack, which was first published on this day. Although Franklin is remembered as a brilliant inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, his rise to prominence was as a printer and h is almanac proved so successful that it was published annually for 25 years, from 1732 until 1758.

During the 18th century, almanacs were among the most widely read printed works in America. Farmers relied on them for predictions about the coming year’s weather to guide planting and harvesting decisions. Franklin’s forecasts were not based on scientific data, but in an era when meteorology was still rudimentary, his predictions were considered no less reliable than anyone else’s – and many readers trusted them completely.

What set Poor Richard’s Almanack apart, however, was its lively and entertaining content. Alongside weather forecasts, readers found humorous observations, clever sayings, proverbs, short poems, riddles, games, home remedies, recipes, and assorted trivia. In modern terms, these concise and memorable snippets might be described as early “sound bites.”

Franklin aimed the publication at an expanding audience of literate readers who valued learning, but lacked the means to buy many books. To appeal to them, he adopted the persona of 'Richard Saunders,' presenting himself as an ordinary, struggling man who practiced thrift and hard work. This fictional editor was meant to reflect the everyday experiences of the 'middling' class that made up much of the almanac’s readership.

Some contemporary writers, including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, were sceptical of this modest pose. They argued that Franklin – an educated, well-travelled, and wealthy figure was being disingenuous by writing as a simple, provincial character. Despite such criticism, the almanac’s popularity never waned. It brought Franklin both widespread fame and considerable financial success.

The enduring legacy of Poor Richard’s Almanack is reflected even in naval history: over the years, five ships of the US Navy have carried the name Bonhomme Richard or Bon Homme Richard, the French translation of 'Poor Richard,' in honour of Franklin’s celebrated work.

1849 Dry-cleaning is discovered when M Jolly-Bellin accidentally upsets a lamp, containing turpentine and oil, on his clothing and sees the cleansing effect.

1879 The bridge over the River Tay in Dundee, Scotland, collapses as a train passes over it, killing 75 people.

1909 Frenchman Albert Kimmerling makes the first powered flight in South Africa when he reaches a height of 6m in East London.

1921 Following a drop in the world price of gold, the Rand Revolt begins with a strike by miners after the announcement of wage reductions on the coal and gold mines and the weakening of the colour bar to allow the promotion of black miners to skilled and supervisory positions.

1943 All Kalmyk inhabitants of the Republic of Kalmukkie deported by the Soviet Union to Central Asia and Siberia. Many die en route.

1963 Scottish Lotus driver Jim Clark wins his record seventh Grand Prix of the F1 season, at the South African event at the Prince George Circuit in East London.

1972 The skeleton of Hitler’s deputy, Martin Bormann, is found in Berlin.

1976 Winnie Mandela is banished by the Apartheid government to Brandfort.

1984 Carbon-14 dating show that King Clone – a creosote bush in the Mojave Desert, in southern California – is 11 700 years old, making it one of the oldest living things.

2014 AirAsia Flight 8501 crashes in the Karimata Strait in Indonesia, killing 162 people.

2016 Actress Debbie Reynolds dies of a stroke, the day after her daughter, the Star Wars actress, Carrie Fisher, dies.

2023 L’Oréal heiress and businesswoman Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the first woman to be worth $100 billion, after a rise in the company’s share price.

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