Typhoon Nancy, with possibly the strongest winds ever measured in a tropical cyclone, makes landfall in Osaka, Japan, killing 173 people.

Typhoon Nancy, also known as Typhoon Roke in Japan, was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck Japan in 1961. It is one of the most destructive typhoons in the country’s history and left a significant impact on Japan and the surrounding region.

Formation and Track:
Typhoon Nancy originated as a tropical depression in the western Pacific Ocean. It rapidly intensified and developed into a powerful typhoon as it moved westward toward Japan.

Landfall in Japan:
Typhoon Nancy made landfall in Japan on September 17, 1961. The storm struck the eastern part of the country, affecting primarily the Kanto and Tohoku regions. It brought heavy rains, strong winds, and significant storm surge to coastal areas.

Impact:
Typhoon Nancy was responsible for widespread devastation in Japan. Some of the notable impacts included:
Flooding: The heavy rainfall from the typhoon caused severe flooding in many areas, resulting in the inundation of homes, farmland, and infrastructure.
Landslides: The saturated soil led to numerous landslides, which added to the destruction and resulted in loss of life and property.
Strong Winds: The typhoon’s strong winds damaged buildings, trees, and power lines, leading to widespread power outages.
Casualties: Typhoon Nancy caused a significant loss of life. The exact number of casualties varies by source, but it is estimated that hundreds of people died as a result of the typhoon.

Aftermath:
The Japanese government launched extensive relief and recovery efforts in the wake of Typhoon Nancy. These efforts included providing assistance to affected individuals and communities, repairing infrastructure, and conducting search and rescue operations.

Lessons Learned:
Typhoon Nancy served as a wake-up call for Japan in terms of disaster preparedness. It highlighted the need for better early warning systems, improved infrastructure resilience, and disaster management practices to mitigate the impact of future typhoons and natural disasters.

Naming:
Typhoon Nancy’s name was later retired from the list of tropical cyclone names in the western Pacific, as is customary for particularly destructive storms. This practice helps avoid confusion and ensures that the names of such devastating events are not reused in the future.

A Soviet Zulu-class submarine becomes the first to launch a ballistic missile.

The Montreal Protocol is signed to protect the ozone layer from depletion

The Montreal Protocol is signed to protect the ozone layer from depletion.
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Papua New Guinea gains independence from Australia.

AS THE SUN SET on the afternoon of 16 September 1975, the Australian flag came down for the last time from Hubert Murray Stadium, in Papua New Guinea’s capital of Port Moresby. Almost 70 years of Australian governance was coming to an end.

At 9.30am the next day, a different flag – black and red with a golden bird of paradise – rose on Independence Hill, near a newly formed Parliament House. PNG was no longer an Australian territory but an independent nation.

In contrast to other recently independent states such as Uganda and Kenya, the change of authority in PNG was marked not by bloodshed but by celebration. Sir John Guise, the first Governor-General of PNG, said at the flag lowering ceremony: “It is important the people of Papua New Guinea, and the rest of the world, realise the spirit in which we are lowering the flag of our colonisers. We are lowering the flag, not tearing it down.”

Australia shares a complex history with its closest neighbour. The Australian government first assumed responsibility for the southern half of modern-day PNG in 1906, when Prime Minister Edmund Barton agreed to take control of what was then a British colony.

Australia’s interest in the region lay primarily in the exclusion of other European powers. At the time, Germany occupied the northern half of PNG, so the southern half served as a buffer zone between the Australian mainland and German territory. During the First World War, Australian forces expelled the Germans, and ex-German New Guinea was also claimed as Australian territory.

When the Japanese invaded PNG in July 1942, Australian and Papua New Guinean soldiers banded together to halt the advance – first at Milne Bay and then along the Kokoda Track. The victories underscored the importance of these territories to Australia’s security.

By the 1970s, control of PNG was affording little strategic benefit to Australia and many Papua New Guineans yearned for independence. In 1972, Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and PNG leader Michael Somare began working together toward decolonisation. Three years later it became a reality.

Trial separation
Although formally separated since, Australia and PNG have maintained a close relationship. “What seemed like a divorce in 1975 is a trial separation, in which the two governments can negotiate a new way of living next to each other,” says Donald Denoon, writer and former Professor of History at the University of Papua New Guinea.

With some of the worst health and education problems in the Asia-Pacific region, PNG continues to rely heavily on Australian aid; our government will next year provide $482.3 million in funding to promote development and help lift Papua New Guineans from poverty.

Some historians argue that many of the problems stem from a rushed independence – that PNG was not ready to govern itself. Donald disagrees: “Despite immense problems, Papua New Guinea was well governed for at least a decade after 1975. We cannot assume that longer Australian tutelage would have produced better [native] governance.”

Australia is set to provide continuing support, but the ultimate goal is to make PNG self-sustaining. “Papua New Guinea did become independent in 1975,” says Donald, “but I now see this as a phase in a much longer relationship, rather than the end of a turbulent story.”

The Mary Tyler Moore Show starts showing CBS

The Montreal Protocol is signed in order to protect the ozone layer from further depletion.

The first commercial photocopier, the Xerox 914, is demonstrated.

To protect the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol is signed.