July 01

William Grant Stairs was born in 1863 and trained at the Royal Military College of Canada. He served as a Captain in the Canadian and British forces. In 1891, he led the Stairs Expedition to Katanga under the banner of the British South Africa Company. He secured the mineral-rich Katanga region for King Leopold II of Belgium. Stairs’ expedition was noted for its arduous journey through harsh terrain and tense negotiations with local leaders. In 1892, he was killed by Baluba warriors, cutting short a promising career. His expeditions contributed to European colonial mapping of Central Africa and colonial expansion.

Amy Johnson was a British pioneering pilot born in 1903 in Kingston upon Hull. In 1930, she became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, covering over 11,000 miles in just under 20 days. Johnson set several long-distance flying records and became a national hero. During World War II, she served as a pilot ferrying aircraft for the Air Transport Auxiliary. Her courage and skill opened doors for female aviators worldwide. Johnson tragically disappeared over the Thames Estuary in 1941, cementing her status as a legendary figure in aviation history.