1917 Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele. New Zealanders played a prominent role in the successful action at Messines but paid a heavy price: 3700 casualties, including 700 dead. Read more...
1921 First Rotary club in New Zealand founded
A local Rotary club was established at a luncheon in Wellington’s YMCA, with Alexander Roberts elected as the first president. Read more...
1940 Fighter ace Edgar ‘Cobber’ Kain killed
Known to some as ‘Killer Kain’, the Hastings-born pilot's exploits flying Hurricanes for the Royal Air Force’s No. 73 Squadron in the first year of the Second World War had made him a household name. Read more...
