New Zealand

New Zealand
Flag
Location  Oceania
Capital  Wellington
Area  267,710 sq km
Population  4,545,627

"There's no time like the present"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

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January

January 1 New Zealand's Corey Anderson cracked the fastest century in the history of one-day international cricket — from 36 balls - on 1 January 2014 against the West Indies. Pencarrow lighthouse, New Zealand’s first lighthouse, in the Wellington Region was first lit on 1 January 1859. It was decommissioned in 1935 and is now registered as a Historic Place. January 2 January 3 January 4 Pope Francis named John Atcherley Dew of New Zealand as a cardinal among a new batch of cardinals selected by Pope on 4 January 2015. January 5 Air New Zealand was named the world's second safest airline at the annual safety rankings released by Germany-based Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Center on 5 January 2017. January 6 January 7 January 8 January 9 New Zealand ranked fourth at the Democracy Index of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) with an overall score of 9.26, as published on 9 January 2019. January 10 The fossilised remains of a giant burrowing bat that lived in New Zealand millions of years ago have been found by a team of New Zealand and international scientists. The bat – which was about three times the size of an average bat today – was detailed in the Scientific Reports journal on 10 January 2018. January 11 January 12 January 13 January 14 Air New Zealand was named Airline of the Year for 2014, by safety and product rating site AirlineRatings.com, for its in-flight innovations, financial performance and operational safety. January 15 An international team of astronomers, including researchers from New Zealand, have spotted a cosmic explosion about 200 times more powerful than a typical supernova, as published on 15 January 2016 in the journal Science. At its peak intensity, the explosion—called ASASSN-15lh—shone with 570 billion times the luminosity of the Sun. January 16 January 17 January 18 January 19 January 20 January 21 January 22 University of Otago (UOO) researchers have discovered the fossil of an extinct species of dolphin, dubbed Papahu taitapu, which lived in New Zealand waters millions of years ago. Their study was reported in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology in 2014. January 23 January 24 New Zealand was the proud organizer of the 14th Commonwealth Games, held in Auckland from 24 January to 3 February 1990. January 25 New Zealand ranked as the least corrupt nation in the world, according to the Global Corruption Index published by Transparency International on 25 January 2017. New Zealand secured the fourth position at the Democracy Index compiled by the UK based Economist Intelligence Unit with a score of 9.26 out of 10, as published on 25 January 2017. January 26 New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde won two Grammys, Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, for the song Royals on 26 January 2014 at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. January 27 New Zealand was ranked as the fourth-least corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index published on 27 January 2016. January 28 January 29 New Zealand was ranked as the second least corrupt nation in the world according to the Transparency International’s corruption perception index (CPI) published on 29 January 2019. Teen golfer Lydia Ko from New Zealand created history, as the youngest winner of a professional golf tournament, when she won the New South Wales (NSW) Open Women’s title on 29 January 2012 at the age of 14 years and nine months, eclipsing Japan's Ryo Ishikawa's mark of 15 years and eight months, set in 2007. January 30 January 31 New Zealand teen star Lydia Ko became golf's youngest-ever world number one on 31 January 2015 at the age of 17 years, nine months and seven days.

February

February 1 February 2 Remains of New Zealand's Pink and White Terraces, a natural wonder apparently destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1886, has been rediscovered by scientists on February 2, 2011. The terraces, once described as the eighth wonder of the natural world. February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7 February 8 New Zealand clinched the Wellington Sevens rugby title after a comprehensive 21-0 victory over South Africa in the final on 8 February 2014. February 9 February 10 New Zealand singer Kimbra won Record Of The Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance awards at the 2013 Grammy Awards for her hit duet Somebody That I Used to Know with Australian singer Gotye. February 11 February 12 New Zealand war veteran Penwill Moore was awarded France's highest honor, the Legion of Honour, on 12 February 2015 for his services during the Second World War. February 13 February 14 February 15 New Zealand sits atop a previously unknown continent - 94% of which is under the sea - which was named Zealandia, scientists revealed in the journal of the Geological Society of America on 15 February 2017. New Zealand for the first time won a cricket test match at the 48th attempt on 15 February 1978 against England. New Zealand beat England by 72 runs. February 16 February 17 February 18 Cricketer Brendon McCullum of New Zealand made history by becoming first Kiwi to score a Test Triple Century (302). Brendon achieved the glory in Wellington against India on 18 February 2014. February 19 February 20 New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum set a new world record for the fastest Test match cricket hundred on 20 February 2016 in his final international match against Australia in Christchurch, reaching the milestone from 54 balls. New Zealand's cricketer Brendon McCullum smashed the fastest-ever World Cup fifty when he reached the landmark off just 18 balls against England on 20 February 2015. February 21 New Zealand ranked as the least corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index published on 21 February 2018. February 22 February 23 February 24 February 25 February 26 Bret McKenzie, a musician from New Zealand, won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2012 for the song Man or Muppet in the film The Muppets. February 27 For the first time, New Zealand's critically endangered Archey's frog - the world's most evolutionarily distinct amphibian - has been successfully bred from a long-term captive population at Auckland Zoo, according to an official announcement on 27 February 2013. February 28 February 29 New Zealand film director Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won 11 Oscars on February 29, 2004. Only two films before have achieved this record: Ben Hur and Titanic.

March

March 1 March 2 March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 March 11 A team of researchers from New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom has found evidence that the steam and heat from volcanoes and heated rocks allowed many species of plants and animals to survive past ice ages, helping scientists understand how species respond to climate change. Their study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA on 11 March 2014. March 12 March 13 March 14 March 15 New Zealand paralympian Corey Peters claimed New Zealand's first medal at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Russia. Corey won silver in Men's Giant Slalom - Sitting. March 16 New Zealand ranked as the eighth happiest country in the world according to the 2016 United Nations (UN) World Happiness Report. March 17 March 18 March 19 March 20 New Zealand was ranked as the eighth happiest country on Earth, according to a United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network report published on 20 March 2017. March 21 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on 21 March 2019 announced to ban all types of semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles under tough new gun laws following the recent killing of 50 Muslim worshipper in New Zealand’s worst mass shooting. New Zealand's Martin Guptill made the highest score in Cricket World Cup history with 237 not out against West Indies on 21 March 2015 and became the first New Zealand player to hit a double century in ODI. March 22 March 23 March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 New Zealand played their first ever One Day International (ODI) Cricket World Cup final on 29 March 2015. Unfortunately they lost the final to Australia by 7 wickets. Zoë Hilton from New Zealand received a Unesco-L’Oreal International Fellowship for Young Women in Life Sciences on 29 March 2012 for her study of the environment and nutrition necessary to ensure successful captive oyster production. March 30 New Zealand beat England 26-7 to lift the 2014 Hong Kong Rugby Sevens crown. March 31

April

April 1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 April 8 Researchers from New Zealand and their international colleagues have identified signs of recovery for the South Pacific's critically endangered hawksbill turtle population after 150 Years of excessive exploitation. Their findings were published in PLOS One on 8 April 2015. April 9 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 New Zealand cricketers Kane Williamson and Suzie Bates were named as the Wisden Man and Woman Leading Cricketer in the World respectively on 13 April 2016. April 14 April 15 April 16 April 17 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, internationally praised for her handling of the recent massacre in Christchurch mosques, was named on Time magazine's 100 most influential people list on 17 April 2019. April 18 The 2015 Rugby World Cup winner, the All Blacks, of New Zealand was named Laureus World Sports team of the year on 18 April 2016. The crime rates across New Zealand have dropped to match Better Public Services (BPS) target to December 2012, according to statistics released on 18 April 2013 by Justice Minister Judith Collins. The figures show a reduction in total crime (9%), violent crime (7%) and youth crime (14%) across the country. April 19 April 20 New Zealand ranked fifth at the 2016 Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index. The Index is based on an evaluation of media freedom that measures pluralism, media independence, the quality of the legal framework and the safety of journalists in 180 countries. For the first time New Zealand participated as a nation at the 1920 Summer Olympic Games held in Belgium from April 20 to September 12. Previously they have competed as part of Australasian team. April 21 New Zealand-born country music singer Keith Urban was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry's list of legends, country music's highest honor, at a ceremony in Tennessee on 21 April 2012. Keith is the first artist from outside North America to become an Opry member. April 22 Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, was awarded the prestigious Champions of the Earth Award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 22 April 2008. She was awarded for her major policy initiatives on environmental strategies. April 23 By sequencing the DNA of nearly 40 ancient skeletons found in the Mitelelbe Saale region of Germany, scientists from New Zealand along with their international colleagues have suggested that the foundations of the modern European gene pool were laid down in the Neolithic era, between 4,000 and 2,000 BC. Their findings were published on 23 April 2013 in the journal Nature Communications. April 24 April 25 April 26 China overtook Australia as New Zealand's top export destination for the first time in the March 2013 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said on 26 April 2013, a sign of New Zealand's strong and diverse growth in exports to bigger marketplaces. Overseas merchandise trade figures for the March 2013 quarter show goods exported to China were valued at $2.3 billion. Exports to Australia were valued at $2.2 billion. April 27 Teenager Lydia Ko of New Zealand claimed her sixth golf tournament victory and second as a professional on 27 April 2014, taking the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic tournament in California. April 28 April 29 The first 15 turbines of Project West Wind, a wind farm located at New Zealand’s largest and oldest sheep stations known as Terawhiti Station and Makara Farm west of Wellington, were officially switched on by then Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key on April 29, 2009. It was a stepping stone for New Zealand's commitment to remain one of the lowest carbon dioxide emitting countries in terms of electricity generation. April 30

May

May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 Kiwi musician Lorde won two awards, Top New Artist and Top Rock Song for her chart-topper Royals, at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. May 19 May 20 New Zealand is famous for its sheep. However, Sheep aren't native to New Zealand. It was introduced by the British explorer Captain Cook when he released the first sheep in New Zealand on May 20, 1773. May 21 Craig Cliff, short story and poetry writer from New Zealand, won the prestigious Commonwealth Writers' Prize 2011 in Overall Best First Book category for his book "A Man Melting". The winners of the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize were announced on 21 May 2011 at The Sydney Writers' Festival in Sydney. May 22 May 23 May 24 New Zealand's government announced a 40 percent hike in tobacco taxes over the next four years on 24 May 2012 with the aim of reducing nationwide smoking habit. May 25 New Zealand became the eleventh country in the world on 25 May 2017 to successfully launch a rocket into space. The 17m (56ft) rocket Electron was launched from a private launch facility in New Zealand. New Zealand is to co-host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a global science and engineering project to build the world’s largest radio telescope, that will give mankind its farthest peek into the Universe. The Members of the SKA Organization announced the decision on 25 May 2012. May 26 May 27 Lloyd Jones, a novelist from New Zealand, was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Writers' Prize 2007 in Overall Best Book category for his novel Mister Pip. The novel tells the story of Mr Watts, an inspirational white teacher, and his influence among children on the small copper mining island of Bougainville. May 28 May 29 On May 29, 1953 New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay became the first human beings to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Their stay would last a mere 15 minutes since their oxygen reserves were low. May 30 May 31

June

June 1 New Zealand ranked as the second most peaceful country in the world, according to a report published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on 1 June 2017. June 2 June 3 June 4 June 5 June 6 New Zealand was ranked as the second most peaceful country in the world according to the 2018 Global Peace Index (GPI) produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). June 7 June 8 June 9 June 10 June 11 June 12 June 13 Seventeen-year-old Amelia Kerr of New Zealand broke the 21-year-old record of highest individual scores in women’s One Day International cricket with her smashing 232 against Ireland on 13 June 2018. June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 New Zealand and Australian scientists have discovered 16-million-year-old fossilized remains of a new bat species in New Zealand, which walked on four limbs and was three times larger than today’s average bat. The new species, Mystacina miocenalis, was described on 17 June 2015 in the journal PLOS One. New Zealand ranked as the fourth most peaceful country in the world at the 2015 Global Peace Index published by Institute for Economics & Peace. June 18 Air New Zealand won award for the World's Best Premium Economy Class product and service in the 2013 World Airline Awards at the Paris Air Show. June 19 June 20 Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key addressed the Australian parliament on June 20, 2011. His historic address to Australia's Parliament was the first by a New Zealand Prime Minister. New Zealand won the 1987 Rugby World Cup. They won the final comprehensively against France (Final Result: 29 - 9). It was the inaugural rugby world cup and was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 New Zealand won the 35th America's Cup yachting race with a 7-1 dominant victory over Team USA on 26 June 2017. June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30

July

July 1 New Zealand officially banned single-use plastic shopping bags from 1 July 2019, introducing hefty fines for businesses that continue to provide them. July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 The University of Otago is New Zealand's oldest university. The university was opened on 5th July 1871. July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 New Zealand scientists have performed the first-ever 3-D, colour X-ray on a human, using a technique that promises to improve the field of medical diagnostics, as revealed on 10 July 2018. New Zealand on 10 July 2013 signed a free trade agreement with Taiwan aimed at boosting mutual economic gains. July 11 According to a New Zealand research children who suck their thumbs or bite their nails may be less likely to develop allergies in later life, as revealed on 11 July 2016. Lorraine Downes from New Zealand was crowned Miss Universe 1983 at the age of 19. Lorraine became the first New Zealander to win the title. July 12 July 13 New Zealander Lydia Ko won the Best Female Golfer award at the 2016 ESPY Awards held in Los Angeles. July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18 Air New Zealand was named World's Best Premium Economy Class Airline at the prestigious 2018 Skytrax World Airline Awards. July 19 New Zealand ranked eighth at the 2018 United Nations (UN) E-Government Survey, which measures countries’ use of information and communications technologies to deliver public services. July 20 July 21 New Zealand won the 2019 Netball World Cup beating Australia 51 – 52 in the final in Liverpool. July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 New Zealand's parliament on 25 July 2018 passed a law granting paid leave for victims of domestic violence. July 26 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31

August

August 1 Team New Zealand was announced as the winner in the innovation category at the 2014 Microsoft Imagine Cup for their app Estimeet that shows a user how far away her friends are from a designated meeting location. New Zealand launched its first commercially available biofuel, consists of bioethanol made from cows' milk, for the motorists on August 1, 2007. The 10 per cent bioethanol-blended petrol was introduced by Gull Petroleum. August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 New Zealand and Australian palaeontologists have discovered the world’s largest parrot, standing up to 1m tall, more than half the average height of a human, that roamed New Zealand about 19 million years ago. Their finding was revealed in the journal Biology Letters on 7 August 2019. August 8 New Zealand’s Kim Chambers became the first woman to swim the 30-mile stretch from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge. Kim completed her historic swim in the shark-filled waters on 8 August 2015. August 9 Melanie Pau, Yusef Patel, and Stefan Panovski from The University of Auckland were awarded a 2013 Bentley Student Design Award for their Entranceway Project at Onehunga Primary School that promotes healthy and sustainable eating. It is the first time the prestigious global prize as been won by New Zealanders. August 10 August 11 Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand won Men's Pair Rowing gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil. New Zealand dance crew The Bradas won the first place in the adult section of the 2015 World Hip Hop Dance Championships in the United States. August 12 New Zealand and German scientists have discovered fossilized bones from an extinct monster penguin that was about the size of an adult human and swam the oceans some 60 million years ago. The findings were published on 12 August 2019 in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. August 13 August 14 August 15 New Zealand played their first rugby test match on 15 August 1903 against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia. New Zealand won the match comprehensively by 22-3. August 16 Valerie Adams, is a shot putter from New Zealand, won the gold medal in the women's shot put event at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics on 16th August 2008. She won the gold with a throw of 20.56 m. Philip Rush from New Zealand completed a three way swim of the English Channel, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that forms a channel between France and Britain, on 16 August 1987 with world record time of 28 hours 21 minutes. August 17 August 18 August 19 oDocs Eye Care from New Zealand, a social enterprise that focuses on the development and distribution of affordable smartphone based technology for primary eye care, won the prestigious Talent Unleashed Award 2016 in the Social Impact category. August 20 Tom Ashley won the gold medal in the RS:X Mens windsurfing event during day 12 of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Prior to this gold medal New Zealand won this event almost 16 years back. August 21 A dog's blood has been used successfully to save the life of a poisoned cat in a rare inter-species transfusion in New Zealand, as reported on 21 August 2013. August 22 August 23 August 24 New Zealand singer Lorde won the Best Rock Video award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) for her song Royals. Lorde became the first female and first solo artist to win that category in the VMAs' 30-year history. August 25 August 26 Fifteen-year-old amateur golfer Lydia Ko from New Zealand made history on 26 August 2012 becoming the youngest player to win in LPGA Tour history with a victory at the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open. August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31

September

September 1 Mike Moore, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, served as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Moore became Director-General of the World Trade Organization on 1 September 1999. He was the third Director-General of WTO which commenced to deal with the rules of trade between nations at a global or near-global level. September 2 September 3 Nine design graduates from the Massey University in New Zealand won international recognition in the Red Dot global design awards on 3 September 2013 for their respective industrial, graphic, illustration and advertising designs. September 4 New Zealand was voted as the world’s third most beautiful country by the influential travel publisher Rough Guide’s readers, as published on 4 September 2017. September 5 New Zealand ranked as the fourth most generous nation in the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) 2017 World Giving Index. The index measures the average percentage of people in each country who donate money, volunteer or help a stranger. September 6 September 7 September 8 New Zealand scientists and their international colleagues have revealed a secret world of animals and plants -- including unknown species -- that may live in warm caves under Antarctica's glaciers. The caves, hollowed out by steam from active volcanoes, are light and could reach temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius, as revealed in the journal Polar Biology on 8 September 2017, raising the possibility of a whole ecosystem of flora and fauna deep beneath the frozen surface. September 9 The 2011 Rugby World Cup got off to a spectacular start in New Zealand on September 9, 2011. This is the second time New Zealand proudly hosting the Rugby World Cup. September 10 September 11 September 12 A new Creative Productivity Index developed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked New Zealand as the fourth most efficient country in the Asia and Pacific region at turning creative inputs into tangible innovation, as revealed on 12 September 2014. September 13 New Zealand runner Liam Malone on 13 September 2016 broke a Paralympic Games record held by South Africa's Oscar Pistorius to win gold in the men's 200m T44 final in Rio in a time of 21.06 seconds. New Zealand's golfer Lydia Ko became the youngest winner of a major with a six-stroke victory at the Evian Championship in France on 13 September 2015 at the age of 18 years, four months and 20 days. September 14 The Kiwi vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows won the People's Choice Award in the Midnight Madness category at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. September 15 New Zealand ranked as the fourth most democratic country in the world according to the Democracy Index 2014 published by the Economist on 15 September 2015. September 16 September 17 September 18 Chris Murphy of New Zealand won the Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer at the 2014 Astronomy Photographer of the Year for his stunning photograph Coastal Stairways. September 19 Archaeologists from New Zealand and Australia have recovered evidence that people lived in the Australian arid zone in western desert 50,000 years ago. This is 10,000 years earlier than previously understood for the interior deserts of Australia, according to their study published in PLOS One on 19 September 2018. September 20 September 21 The United States has lifted a 26-year old ban on visits by New Zealand warships to U.S. defense and coast guard bases around the world, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced on 21 September 2012. The change in policy is part of an effort to bolster security ties between the two countries. September 22 September 23 September 24 September 25 September 26 Dominion Day which marks as the day New Zealand became a dominion within the British Empire. This day added a new dimension to the struggle for freedom in New Zealand. [Year 1907]. September 27 September 28 September 29 New Zealand on 29 September 2015 announced the creation of a 620,000 km2 Ocean Sanctuary in the Kermadec region, one of the most pristine and unique environments on Earth and will be one of the world’s most significant fully protected ecosystems. New Zealand won the Rugby Championship series with a game to spare as the All Blacks put in a world champion performance to beat Argentina 54-15 and lift the inaugural Rugby Championship title on 29 September 2012. September 30

October

October 1 New Zealand's Hamilton Gardens received the prestigious 2014 Garden of the Year honor as part of the 2014 Garden Tourism Awards held at the International Conference Gardens Without Limits conference in Metz, France. New Zealand's scientists have genetically engineered a cow to produce high protein milk less likely to cause allergic reactions in humans. The research was published on 1 October 2012 in the early-edition of the journal National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. October 2 October 3 October 4 The Auckland Art Gallery in New Zealand was crowned the Building of the Year title on 4 October 2013 at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) held in Singapore. October 5 New Zealand retained the Rugby Championship on 5 October 2013 with victory over South Africa. The World Champions have gone to back-to-back in The Rugby Championship, with a 38-27 win over the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg to give the All Blacks their 12th title in the tournament overall. October 6 October 7 October 8 Air New Zealand made it to the top 10 list of Best Business Class, Best Premium Economy and Best Long Haul Economy Class published by AirlineRatings.com on 8 October 2015. October 9 October 10 Alan G. MacDiarmid won The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2000 in recognition of his contribution "for the discovery and development of conductive polymers". October 11 October 12 October 13 The Government of New Zealand on 14 October 2015 reported a budget surplus for the first time since 2008, meeting a target set in 2011 following the Canterbury earthquakes and the international financial crisis. The surplus of 414 million New Zealand dollars in the year ending 30 June 2015 represented 0.2 percent of the nation's economy. October 14 New Zealand sport shooter Natalie Rooney claimed the women’s Trap Shooting World Cup title in Rome on 14 October 2016 at the end of a nail-biting shoot-off. October 15 New Zealander Eleanor Catton won the 2013 Man Booker Prize for fiction for her novel The Luminaries. Eleanor became the youngest ever winner of the £50,000 Man Booker Prize at the age of 28. October 16 New Zealand was elected as a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council on 16 October 2014 for the years 2015-2016. New Zealander Ariel Chuang, founder of the Amina Foundation, was awarded the 2013 Pacific region Commonwealth Youth Award for her teaching initiatives in Angoche, Mozambique. October 17 October 18 Maata McManus of New Zealand, a pioneering health worker who is using the ancient Maori art of weaving traditional feathered cloaks to reach local women in need of care and support, was recognised by the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 18 October 2018 as the Commonwealth Point of Light. New Zealand’s first trans-global radio transmission was sent to London on 18 October 1924. The two way communication originated in Shag Valley, Otago, New Zealand and replied back from London. October 19 October 20 October 21 October 22 World champions New Zealand rugby team The All Blacks made history by becoming the first top-tier nation to win 18 consecutive Tests with a victory against the Wallabies 37-10 at Eden Park on 22 October 2016. In a landmark study, University of Otago researchers have achieved the feat of sequencing complete mitochondrial genomes for members of the first-known New Zealanders and have revealed a surprising degree of genetic variation among these pioneering voyagers. The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 22 October 2012. October 23 New Zealand won the 2011 Rugby World Cup on 23 October 2011. It is the second Rugby World Cup for New Zealand. They won the final 8-7 against France at the Eden Park stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 October 28 New Zealand was named as the second most business-friendly economy in the world, according to the Doing Business 2015 rankings by the World Bank published on 28 October 2014. October 29 October 30 October 31 New Zealand ranked first at the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index, an indicator of how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-sized business when complying with relevant regulations, on 31 October 2018. New Zealand clinched third Rugby World Cup with 34-17 triumph against Australia on 31 October 2015. New Zealand became the first nation to win the world cup three times, and the first to retain the title.

November

November 1 New Zealand ranked as the tenth most positive country at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2018. New Zealand ranked as the sixth most positive country at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2016. New Zealand ranked as the eighth most positive country at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2015. New Zealand ranked tenth in the list of the World’s Most Positive Countries 2013. New Zealand ranked ninth in the list of the World’s Most Positive Countries 2011 revealed by Daily Positive (D+) published on November 1, 2011. November 2 New Zeland was ranked as the world‘s ninth most gender-equal country, according to the World Economic Forum‘s Global Gender Gap index published on 2 November 2017. New Zealand’s Dan Carter was named World Rugby Player of the Year on 2 November 2015 at a star-studded World Rugby awards ceremony at Battersea Evolution in London. November 3 New Zealand topped the Legatum Prosperity Index 2016, making it the best place in the world to live. November 4 November 5 November 6 A team of New Zealand scientists have confirmed that two spade-toothed beaked whales, the rarest of the species, had been found on one of its beaches. The findings were published on 6 November 2012 in the journal Current Biology. November 7 November 8 New Zealand sailor Peter Burling was named as the 2017 Rolex World Male Sailor of the Year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Bionic legs known as Rex, an acronym for Robotic Exoskeleton, designed by two New Zealand inventors Richard Little and Robert Irving is approved for sale on 8 November 2011 in the United Kingdom for people who have difficulty walking. November 9 November 10 New Zealand ranked third in the 2015 Charities Aid Foundation's World Giving Index which measures each country's charitable behavior. November 11 November 12 November 13 November 14 Air New Zealand was named Airline of the Year on 14 November 2016 by AirlineRatings.com in its Airline Excellence Awards for the fourth consecutive year. November 15 New Zealand and South Korea on 15 November 2014 officially completed negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) covering both goods and services traded between the two countries. November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 Golfer Lydia Ko of New Zealand was named 2015 LPGA's Player of the Year and pocketed $1-million bonus. November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 New Zealand was the first country to give women the right to vote. Women in New Zealand voted for the first time at a polling station in the tiny South Otago settlement of Tahakopa, New Zealand on 28 November 1893. November 29 November 30

December

December 1 The first public railway in New Zealand, between Ferrymead and Christchurch, was opened on 1 December 1863. December 2 Air New Zealand on 2 December 2014 was named Airline of the Year by AirlineRatings.com for the second consecutive year for its in-flight innovations, record financial performance, operational safety and motivation of its staff. December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 December 8 Jenny Shipley was the first ever female Prime Minister of New Zealand. She took the office on December 8, 1997. She was also the first woman ruler of an independent state of South Pacific/Oceania. December 9 New Zealand professional racing driver duo Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley were crowned the 2017 FIA World Endurance Champions. December 10 New Zealand and China signed two agreements on science-technology and education cooperation. The agreements were signed on 10 December 2012 in Wellington during the three-day visit by Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong ahead of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Helen Elizabeth Clark was the second female Prime Minister of New Zealand. Clark became the second, consecutive woman prime minister of New Zealand, succeeding Jenny Shipley on December 10, 1999. December 11 Unlocking Autism, a documentary by New Zealand independent production house Attitude Pictures Ltd, won the Best Social Awareness Program award at the 2014 Asia Television Awards in Singapore. December 12 Scientists from New Zealand and Germany have announced the discovery of a previously unknown species of prehistoric penguin waddled around off the east coast of New Zealand between 55 and 60 million years ago. The researchers estimated that it probably weighed about 220 pounds and was around 5 feet 10 inches tall, as published in Nature Communications on 12 December 2017. December 13 Suzie Bates of New Zealand was named International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2013. December 14 December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 New Zealand rugby union player Dan Carter was named 2015 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. December 20 December 21 December 22 New Zealand’s Suzie Bates won the 2016 International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year and Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year awards. December 23 December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 December 30 December 31

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