| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The Anzac tradition began during World War I with a landing in 1915 at Gallipoli on the Turkish Aegean coast. Because of a navigational error, the Anzacs came ashore about a mile north of the intended landing point. Instead of facing the expected beach and gentle slope they found themselves at the bottom of steep cliffs, offering the few Turkish defenders an ideal defensive position. Establishing a foothold, the Anzacs found an advance to be impossible. After eight months of stalemate, the AlliesIn general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. In general English usage, those who share a common goal and whose work toward that goal is complementary may be viewed as allies withdrew, leaving 10,000 dead amongst the Anzacs.
Although numerically the Anzacs were a minority of the half-million Allied men who served at Gallipoli, the troops from the two young nations were often at the vanguard and became renowned for their doggedness despite what the British regarded as a lack of discipline. A full 10% of the New Zealand population (then just under 1 million) served overseas during World War I, and New Zealand had the highest casualty and death rate per capitaPer capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head''. Usually used to indicate the average per person of any given statistic, commonly income. It is also used in wills to indicate that each of the named beneficiaries should inherit equal shares of the est of any country involved in the war.
On April 30April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years). There are 245 days remaining. Events 313 Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule. 1492 Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commis 1915, when the first news of the landing reached New Zealand a half-day holiday was declared and impromptu services were held. The following year a public holiday was gazetted on 5 April and services to commemorate were organised by the returned servicemen.
From 1916 onwards, in both Australia and New Zealand, Anzac services were held on or about April 25, mainly organised by returned servicemen and school children in cooperation with local authorities.
ANZAC Day was not gazetted as a public holiday in New Zealand until 1921Events January 2 The first religious radio broadcast ( KDKA AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) January 2 Spanish liner Santa Isabel sinks off Villa Garcia 244 dead January 2 DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park San Francisco opens. January 20 Republic of Turke after lobbying by the RSA. In Australia, at the 1921 state premiers conference it was decided that ANZAC Day be observed on the 25 April each year. However it was not observed uniformly in all the states.
In Australia and New Zealand, ANZAC Day commemoration features solemn "dawn services", a tradition started in Albany, Australia on 25th April 1923Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 Events January 1 Grouping of all UK railway companies into four larg and now held at war memorialA war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to commemorate those who have died, or been injured, in war. For most of human history war memorials were erected to commemorate great victories and remembering the dead was a secondary conces around the country, accompanied by thoughts of those lost at war to the ceremonial sounds of the Last Post on the bugle. The third and fourth stanzas of Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen are often read out.