Saturday 3 January 2009
Bermuda 400 years old
The island slipped into 2009 and is ready to celebrate it's 400th anniversary with a number of celebrations, exhibitions and events planned, starting tonight with the official launch on Front Street in the island's capital of Hamilton.
Although Bermuda was discovered in 1503 by the Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez, the island remained uninhabited until a group of British settlers, originally bound for North America and the English settlement of Jamestown arrived in 1609 after their expedition came unstuck on the reefs near Bermuda in a huge storm.
After fighting for three days against the hurricane, the survivors and the ship's captain Sir George Somers were forced to come onshore. During the survivors time on the island, they built two new ships from the wreckage of the vessel, the Sea Venture plus local cedar wood and then continued their way onto Virginia. Somers' story was the inspiration for William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Bermuda is rightly proud of it's history and are describing 2009 as a "momentous year," I'll keep you up to date of how the celebrations go. ¶ 10:30
The island slipped into 2009 and is ready to celebrate it's 400th anniversary with a number of celebrations, exhibitions and events planned, starting tonight with the official launch on Front Street in the island's capital of Hamilton.Although Bermuda was discovered in 1503 by the Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez, the island remained uninhabited until a group of British settlers, originally bound for North America and the English settlement of Jamestown arrived in 1609 after their expedition came unstuck on the reefs near Bermuda in a huge storm.
After fighting for three days against the hurricane, the survivors and the ship's captain Sir George Somers were forced to come onshore. During the survivors time on the island, they built two new ships from the wreckage of the vessel, the Sea Venture plus local cedar wood and then continued their way onto Virginia. Somers' story was the inspiration for William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Bermuda is rightly proud of it's history and are describing 2009 as a "momentous year," I'll keep you up to date of how the celebrations go. ¶ 10:30
