THIS DAY IN OUR PAST

The following events took place on February 8 in the years identified:

1954: Because of an out break of measles, the Public Health Department orders the Roman Catholic Infant School on Duke Street to be closed. It will remain closed for two weeks. Only isolated cases of measles have been reported from other areas.

1954: Government decides to separate the functions of island statistician from that of chief electoral officer, and the Bureau of Statistics is to be split and two new departments created. The proposal is for the regrading of the post of island statistician and, the creation of the separate post of chief electoral officer.

1977: Jamaica’s ace sprinter Donald Quarrie gained his first official recognition as a co-holder of the world 100 metres sprint record when the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) ratified his time of 9.9 seconds which he did at a meet in Modesto, California, on May 22, 1976. In a cable sent to The Gleaner by the

Jamaica Athletic Association and signed by the director of the IAAF, John Holt Quarrie’s ratification is made known.

1977:Six thousand youngsters of West Central St Mary between the ages of 15 and 21, who had never had the opportunity to develop their skills in cricket, today find themselves with the necessary equipment to further their techniques of the game. At the Ministry of Public Utilities at the ICWI building, in New Kingston, Australian High Commissioner, Kingsley Barker presents cricket gear to Horace Clarke, MP for West Central St Mary and the minister of public utilities.