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1938, Social Security Act passed

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1

Jan

1859

NZ's first lighthouse, Pencarrow, lit for the first time
1

Jan

1951

Legislative Council abolished
2

Jan

1938

First official airmail flight to San Francisco
3

Jan

1840

New Zealand Company surveyors arrive in Port Nicholson
3

Jan

1930

First NZ-made 'talkie' screened
4

Jan

1869

Te Kooti defeated at Ngātapa
4

Jan

1958

Hillary leads NZ party to South Pole
5

Jan

1977

Occupation of Bastion Point begins
6

Jan

1953

Godfrey Bowen sets world sheep-shearing record
7

Jan

1931

Completion of first solo trans-Tasman flight
8

Jan

1863

Haast begins West Coast expedition
9

Jan

1923

Death of Katherine Mansfield
10

Jan

1838

Catholic missionaries arrive at Hokianga
10

Jan

1928

Pioneer aviators vanish over the Tasman
11

Jan

1846

Ruapekapeka pā occupied by British forces
12

Jan

1954

Queen Elizabeth II opens NZ Parliament
13

Jan

1890

'Torpedo Billy' Murphy wins the world featherweight boxing title
14

Jan

1891

Bob Fitzsimmons wins world middleweight boxing title
15

Jan

1970

Anti-Vietnam War protesters greet US Vice President
16

Jan

1941

Women's Auxiliary Air Force founded
17

Jan

1853

NZ Constitution Act comes into force
18

Jan

1980

'Montego Bay' hits number one
19

Jan

1845

Hōne Heke cuts down the British flagstaff - again
19

Jan

1967

19 killed in Strongman Mine explosion at Rūnanga
20

Jan

1957

Scott Base opened in Antarctica
21

Jan

1859

Ice comes to Nelson
21

Jan

1944

NZ and Australia sign the Canberra Pact
22

Jan

1840

First European settlers arrive in Wellington
23

Jan

1855

Massive earthquake hits Wellington region
23

Jan

1951

Disastrous centennial yacht race begins
24

Jan

1865

Imperial forces invade south Taranaki
24

Jan

1980

Soviet ambassador expelled
25

Jan

1974

First day of competition at the Christchurch Commonwealth Games
26

Jan

1844

Governor FitzRoy arrives to investigate Wairau incident
26

Jan

1984

Floods devastate Southland
27

Jan

1962

Peter Snell breaks world mile record
28

Jan

1827

D'Urville sails through French Pass
28

Jan

1901

Hardham wins VC in South Africa
29

Jan

1842

Auckland's first Anniversary Day Regatta
30

Jan

1911

Bookies banned from NZ racecourses
30

Jan

1954

Queen farewells New Zealand
31

Jan

1921

NZ’s first regular airmail service begins

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