AUSTRALIAN historian and author Ron Williams has reached a remarkable milestone as he approaches his 89th birthday – the completion of his 36th book.

With a unique and almost quirky approach to chronicling the past, Williams has captivated readers with his book series ‘Born in 19–? What Else Happened?’, which covers every year from 1939 to 1974, offering a distinctive view of Australia’s social history.

What began as casual conversations around the tea table with his teenage children evolved into a passionate project for Williams, who has always had a deep interest in Australian history.
“Most people know nothing about their year of birth,” he says.

“But as people get a little bit older, they become a bit more reflective and nostalgic.

“They start to look back on their teens and childhood and inevitably start thinking about their parents’ lives too.”

Every year, month by month, Williams diligently integrates a wide scope of stories ranging from world events, national and local news, trivia, rumor, and gossip, rounding it all off with his own pithy comments and newspaper readers’ letters.

For example, in 1953, pets were first welcomed in churches with open arms, painless childbirth gained popularity, the Queen’s coronation made headlines, Edmund Hillary reached the top of Everest, many British immigrants returned to the UK, the first Redex Trial helped solve Australia’s wombat problem, and ladders in nylons were still climbing.

A decade later, the mysterious deaths of Bogle and Chandler baffled police, the Queen knighted Bob (now Sir Robert) Menzies, the Labor Party was ridiculed for listening to 36 faceless men, the fruits of the Baby Boom were being harvested, hooliganism was a big problem, and the world was shocked when US President John Kennedy was shot dead.