History of 5th May – Flight, Cap, and Grave
The history of 5th May includes three fascinating events. The first is the trailblazing journey of Amy Johnson, who became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia in 1930. The second event is the invention of the screw-on bottle cap with a pouring lip by Edward Ravenscroft in 1936. The third event is the discovery of the oldest known African burial. Read on to find more.
Before I share the History of 5th May, I would like to share the fascinating news of a 32-year-old woman from New Mexico, USA has broken Guinness World Records by rotating her feet back-to-front by almost 180 degrees. Kelsey Grubb has the largest foot rotation (female) and can turn her foot 171.4 degrees. You can find detailed news at the official website of Guinness Book. Now coming down to my first story of Amy Johnson…
The Trailblazing Journey of Amy Johnson
On May 5th, 1930, Amy Johnson made history by becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. Johnson, who had only received her pilot’s license two years prior, departed from Croydon Airport in London in her small de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth airplane, which she had named “Jason”.
Over the course of her journey, Johnson encountered numerous challenges, including mechanical issues, bad weather, and navigational difficulties. She had to make several stops along the way to refuel and rest, including in countries such as Iraq, India, and Singapore.
Despite these obstacles, Johnson persevered and finally arrived in Darwin, Australia on May 24th, after flying a total of 11,000 miles in just over 19 days. Her achievement made headlines around the world and inspired countless others, particularly women, to pursue careers in aviation.
Unfortunately, Johnson’s life was cut short when she died in a plane crash during World War II while serving as a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary. However, her legacy as a pioneering aviator and role model for women in aviation continues to this day.
With this, I come to the second event from the history of 5th May which is ….
Screw It! The Invention That Made Bottles a Breeze
On May 5th, 1936, Edward Ravenscroft patented the screw-on bottle cap with a pouring lip. This invention was a game-changer for anyone who’s ever struggled with a stubborn cork or a tricky twist-off cap.
I mean, can you imagine a world without screw-on caps? We’d all be walking around with sticky hands and spilling drinks everywhere. Plus, we’d have to come up with some seriously impressive tricks to open bottles, like using our teeth or banging them on the table. (Actually, let’s not try that last one.)
Today, screw-on caps can be found in cooking oil bottles to wine bottles making our life easier. So, let’s raise a glass (with a screw-on cap, of course) to Mr. Ravenscroft and his genius invention! Cheers to easier drinking and fewer spills.
Now the most sensational history of 5th May…
Kenyan Cave Yields Groundbreaking Find: Oldest Known African Burial
On 5th May 2021, news broke of an extraordinary discovery in a cave in Kenya that could rewrite the history of human burials. The discovery was the remains of a three-year-old boy buried 78,000 years ago, making it the oldest known burial in Africa, and possibly the world.
The boy’s remains were found in a cave called Panga ya Saidi, which is located in the coastal region of Kenya. The cave has been excavated by an international team of researchers led by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany.
The boy’s remains were found in a shallow pit, and his body was covered with a layer of red ochre, a type of clay used in burials in many ancient cultures. This suggests that the people who buried the boy had some kind of ritualistic or symbolic beliefs about death.
The discovery of the boy’s remains is significant for several reasons. First, it provides evidence that early humans were capable of complex behavior such as burial rituals much earlier than previously thought. Second, it challenges the idea that early human burials were only practiced by modern humans (Homo sapiens), as the boy’s remains are from an earlier species, Homo sapiens’ close relative Homo naledi.
The discovery also sheds new light on the social and cultural behavior of early humans in Africa. The use of red ochre in the burial suggests that the people who buried the boy had some kind of symbolic beliefs about death, and may have had a concept of an afterlife.
The discovery is part of a larger project to excavate the Panga ya Saidi cave and understand the lives of the early humans who lived there. The cave contains evidence of human occupation stretching back over 78,000 years, and the researchers hope to use this evidence to gain insights into the evolution of human culture and behavior.
Overall, the discovery of Africa’s earliest burial is a remarkable find that challenges our understanding of the history of human behavior and culture. It highlights the importance of continued archaeological research to help us gain a deeper understanding of our shared human past.
That’s all for today.
Sayonara
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