Today in History: January 9

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On this day in Bahamian history, in 1879 Dr. Jared Kirtland, a physician and naturalist from Ohio, spotted and recorded the Jack Pine Warbler while on the island of Andros.

The birds are known to spend the spring and summer in their breeding habitat mainly in southern Ontario and northeastern Michigan, before making their way to The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Between August and October, the birds are said to reside here for winter before going back to breed in may.

Then in 1942 an article from the Daily Nassau Tribune detailed events that took place in the House of Assembly.

Stafford Sands got up in the general assembly and proposed the current sitting of the house be extended until World War II was over.

The life of The Bahamas Assembly was already seven long years. The precedent for extending the life of the house was during the last big war, World War I, when elections were postponed because of hostilities.

The general assembly was immediately divided over the issue of postponing elections.

Before Stafford Sands could close his mouth to finish the first reading of his proposed bill, he was interrupted by Roland Symonette who represented the eastern district at the time, and a row over early elections ensued.