DEFINING MOMENTS

The 28^th September brings up a few rather momentous events which have dramatically changed the direction of many lives.

On the 28^th September 1066, the forces amassed by William the Bastard landed at Pevensey in Sussex. William assembled a large invasion fleet and an army gathered not only from Normandy but from all over France, including large contingents from Brittany and Flanders. He mustered his forces at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. 

The army was ready to cross by about 12^th  August. However, the crossing was delayed, either because of unfavourable weather or because of the desire to avoid being intercepted by the powerful English fleet. The Normans did not in fact cross to England until a few days after Harold's victory over the Norwegians, following the dispersal of Harold's naval force. They landed at Pevensey in Sussex on 28^th September and erected a wooden castle at Hastings, from which they raided the surrounding area. 16 days later it was all over, William became the Conqueror.

The first Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (General Conference on Weights and Measures) took place between the 24^th and 28^th September 1889 – the resolutions made on the 28^th September defined the length of a meter, the weight of a kilogram and the hydrogen thermometer centigrade scale:

The Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures

Considering

·      the "Compte rendu of the President of the Comité International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM)" and the "Report of the CIPM", which show that, by the collaboration of the French section of the International Metre Commission and of the CIPM, the fundamental measurements of the international and national prototypes of the metre and of the kilogram have been made with all the accuracy and reliability which the present state of science permits;

·      that the international and national prototypes of the metre and the kilogram are made of an alloy of platinum with 10 per cent iridium, to within 0.0001;

·      the equality in length of the international Metre and the equality in mass of the international Kilogram with the length of the Metre and the mass of the Kilogram kept in the Archives of France;

·      that the differences between the national Metres and the international Metre lie within 0.01 millimetre and that these differences are based on a hydrogen thermometer scale which can always be reproduced thanks to the stability of hydrogen, provided identical conditions are secured;

·      that the differences between the national Kilograms and the international Kilogram lie within 1 milligram;

·      that the international Metre and Kilogram and the national Metres and Kilograms fulfil the requirements of the Metre Convention,

Sanctions

A.As regards international prototypes:

1.                   The Prototype of the metre chosen by the CIPM. This prototype, at the temperature of melting ice, shall henceforth represent the metric unit of length.

2.                   The Prototype of the kilogram adopted by the CIPM. This prototype shall henceforth be considered as the unit of mass.

3.                   The hydrogen thermometer centigrade scale in terms of which the equations of the prototype Metres have been established.

The 11th Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (CGPM), redefined the metre. Considering:

that the international Prototype does not define the metre with an accuracy adequate for the present needs of metrology,

that it is moreover desirable to adopt a natural and indestructible standard,

decides

B.The metre is the length equal to 1 650 763,73 wavelengths in vacuum of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the levels 2p₁₀ and 5d₅ of the krypton 86 atom.

C.The definition of the metre in force since 1889, based on the international Prototype of platinum-iridium, is abrogated.

D.            The international Prototype of the metre sanctioned by the 1st CGPM in 1889 shall be kept at the BIPM under the conditions specified in 1889

Fleming

On the 28^th September 1928 Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mould growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.

"When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn't plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the world's first antibiotic, or bacteria killer," Fleming would later say, "But I suppose that was exactly what I did."

Joe Falcon and Cléoma Breaux

on their wedding day April 27th, 1932

Something perhaps not as momentous but certainly of note to musicians:

Joseph Falcon, born on the 28^th September 1900 was a Cajun accordion player in southwest Louisiana, best known for the first recording of a Cajun song entitled " Allons à Lafayette" in 1928. He and his wife Cléoma Falcon (née Breaux) left for New Orleans to record the first Cajun record and went on to perform across southern Louisiana and Texas.