William James Aikman (1863 - 1949)

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

+ Add

William's Parents

Aikman James Aikman

Isabella Stein Aikman

William James Aikman

Parents:

Bio

Aikman James Aikman

Unknown - Unknown

Bio

Isabella Stein Aikman

Unknown - Unknown

+ Add

William's Parents

James Aikman

Isabella Stein Aikman

William James Aikman

Parents:

Bio

James Aikman

Unknown - Unknown

Bio

Isabella Stein Aikman

Unknown - Unknown

Pictures really do say a thousand words. Add photos of William during various points of his life.

What do you remember about William James Aikman? Share your memories of special moments and stories you have heard about him. Or just leave a comment to show the world that William is remembered.

Post

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

In 1863, in the year that William James Aikman was born, in January, British scientist John Tyndall proved the greenhouse effect - which had been widely theorized, but not proven, by scientists.

In 1877, by the time he was only 14 years old, on March 2nd, the U.S. presidential election of 1876 was ended with the selection of Rutherford B. Hayes as the winner. Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote in November 1876 but 20 votes in the electoral college were in dispute. An informal agreement was made in which Hayes agreed to remove federal troops from South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana, ending Reconstruction in the South. So, on March 4th, Rutherford B. Hayes became the 19th President of the United States.

In 1926, William was 63 years old when on October 31st, Harry Houdini died in Michigan. Houdini was the most famed magician of his time and perhaps of all time, especially for his acts involving escapes - from handcuffs, straitjackets, chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, and more. He was president of the Society of American Magicians and stringently upheld professional ethics. He died of complications from a ruptured appendix. Although he had received a blow to the area a couple of days previously, the connection between the blow and his appendicitis is disputed.

In 1937, at the age of 74 years old, William was alive when on May 28th, the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge opened to cars. Taking 5 years to build, the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge was an engineering marvel of its time - 11 men died during construction. The "international orange" color was chosen because it resisted rust and fading. To the present, it is the symbol of the City that is known throughout the world.

In 1949, in the year of William James Aikman'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."