Mary Elizabeth Ackland (1869 - 1949)

Mary's immediate relatives including parents, siblings, partnerships and children in the Ackland family tree.

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Mary's Family

Smith Edwin Ackland

Jane Dawson Ackland

Mary Elizabeth Ackland

Parents:

Smith Edwin Ackland

Wbeal, Australia

Jane Dawson Ackland

Wbeal, Australia

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Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Mary's lifetime

In 1869, in the year that Mary Elizabeth Ackland was born, on February 5th, prospectors in Victoria, Australia, discovered the biggest loose gold nugget ever found. Known as the "Welcome Stranger", it was discovered only 1.2 inches below ground and weighed a whopping 214.1 lbs. It would be worth over $4 million today.

In 1901, Mary was 32 years old when Edward VII succeeded Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria of England had become Queen in 1837 and reigned until her death in 1901. Her 63 year reign was the longest in history prior to Elizabeth II who recently broke her record. The time during which she led the country was known as the Victorian era and she presided over great changes in the United Kingdom, including the expansion of the British Empire and the Industrial Revolution.

In 1928, she was 59 years old when aviatrix Amelia Earhart, age 31, became the first woman to fly solo across North America and back in August. In June, she had been part of a 3 man crew that flew the Atlantic Ocean but since she had no instrument training, she couldn't fly the plane - she kept the flight log. The North American flight became one of her many "firsts" as a female pilot.

In 1939, by the time she was 70 years old, in May, Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated film, reached a total international gross of $6.5 million which made it (to then) the most successful sound film of all time. First released in December 1937, it was originally dubbed "Disney's Folly" but the premiere received a standing ovation from the audience. At the 11th Academy Awards in February 1939, Walt Disney won an Academy Honorary Award - a full-size Oscar statuette and seven miniature ones - for Snow White.

In 1949, in the year of Mary Elizabeth Ackland's passing, comedian Milton Berle hosted the first telethon show. It raised $1,100,000 for cancer research and lasted 16 hours. The next day, newspapers, in writing about the event, first used the word "telethon."