Al Reuters strikes again !

[casey]

Even a fluff story in Amsterdam must contain a smidgen of anti-American references. Highlighted for your amusement.


World's oldest person celebrates 115th birthday Wed Jun 29,12:29 PM ET

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch woman who swears by a daily helping of herring for a healthy life celebrated her 115th birthday on Wednesday as the oldest living person on record.

Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, a former needlework teacher, was born in 1890, the year Sioux Indians were massacred by the U.S. military at the Battle of Wounded Knee.

The passionate soccer fan celebrated her birthday in a nursing home in the northern Dutch town of Hoogeveen.

"She eats a piece of herring every day because it's good for the health," said Johan Beijering, director of the Westerkim nursing home. "She is still mentally full of vitality."

The daughter of a headmaster, Van Andel-Schipper was born in the town of Smilde in the northern Netherlands on June 29, 1890.

Also known as Hennie, she married a tax inspector in the 1930s and was forced to sell her jewellery to buy food during the German occupation in World War Two.

"A scan of our archive reveals that Hennie is also older than the Guinness World Records holder for the oldest man living, which makes her the oldest person in the world," said Guinness World Records book editor Craig Glenday.

The world's oldest living man on record, Emiliano Mercado Del Toro, lives in Puerto Rico. He was born on August 21, 1891.

The record for the longest life is held by 122-year-old French woman Jeanne-Louise Calment who died in 1997, according to Guinness World Records (www.guinnessworldrecords

[Goggles Pizano]

Typical. Nothing these European journalists create surprises anymore, nor has it since the late seventies early eighties "Oh my God not Pershing missles!" blather.

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by casey

Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, a former needlework teacher, was born in 1890, the year Sioux Indians were massacred by the U.S. military at the Battle of Wounded Knee.

things were going so well in the Dutch East Indies, i'm sure...

[The Reaper]

I guess none of these were adequate events:

1890 AD Bismark Resigns -William II Emperor of Germany dismissed Chancellor Bismarck. This ended the career of the man who was singly responsible for the unification of Germany.

1890 AD Eiffel Tower -In 1890 the Eiffel Tower was completed.

1890 AD Uganda Occupied by Britain -The Germans and the British resolve their differences in Africa when the Germans give up claims to Uganda which the British occupy, in return for receiving the island of Hegoland in the North Sea from Britain.

1890 AD Van Gogh Dies -On July 29, 1890 Vincent Van Gogh the Dutch painter committed suicide. During his lifetime he sold only one painting becoming successful only upon death.

1890- Womens Suffrage Groups Merge-The nation's two largest women's organizations, the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Women's Suffrage Organization, merged to form the National American Women's Suffrage Association. NAWSA was dedicated to obtaining the vote for women.

1890-McKinley Tariff-The highest tariff in American history, to date, was passed. It called for a tariff of over 49.5% on most goods. The eastern industrialist interests, who were strong supporters of protectionism, were the prime movers behind the tariffs. The Democrats, under Cleveland, lowered the tariffs slightly. They were soon raised again.

Or how about this plum on their own heritage:

1890 - "Beginning of resistance movement in Blora District of Central Java, led by a villager named Surontiko Samin. Saminists especially resisted intrusive modern government through reorganizing their villages socially and politically and altering taxation structures. After 1905, Saminists withdrew from the existing social order, refusing to contribute to village rice banks and other communal institutions. They also rejected Islamic marriage forms and insisted that tax payments were “donations” to the Dutch government. Despite the banishment of Samin in 1907, his movement continued sporadically through the 1920s and beyond."

Maybe it would have had less "ZING" if it had mentioned that she was born in a year that Dutch authorities attemped to destroy the culture and repress free expression of one of their largest colonies, in a time when the Dutch were world powers and great colonialists.