10 December

Rutherford wins Nobel Prize

1908 Rutherford wins Nobel Prize

Ernest Rutherford’s discoveries about the nature of atoms shaped modern science and paved the way for nuclear physics. Albert Einstein called him a ‘second Newton’ who had ‘tunnelled into the very material of God’. Read more...
Anzac troops kill Arab civilians at Surafend

1918 Anzac troops kill Arab civilians at Surafend

About 40 male Arab civilians were killed by Anzac troops in revenge for the death of New Zealand Trooper Leslie Lowry. Read more...
Maurice Wilkins wins Nobel Prize

1962 Maurice Wilkins wins Nobel Prize

New Zealand-born Maurice Wilkins and his colleagues James Watson and Francis Crick shared the prize for their investigation of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the genetic molecule found in all organisms. Read more...
Georgina Beyer becomes first transgender woman elected to Parliament

1999 Georgina Beyer becomes first transgender woman elected to Parliament

Georgina Beyer won the Wairarapa electorate for Labour in 1999 by a margin of 3033 votes. Read more...
Joseph Parker wins world heavyweight boxing title

2016 Joseph Parker wins world heavyweight boxing title

The 24-year-old South Aucklander of Samoan descent became the second New Zealand-born holder of a recognised world professional boxing title by outpointing Mexican Andy Ruiz. Read more...