Famous Birthdays Fergus McMaster, Australian businessman and aviation pioneer (Qantas), born in Morinish, Queensland (d. 1950) Born in 1879 1879 Highlights About May 3, 1879 Day of the Week: SaturdayHow Long Ago? 145 years Leap Year: No Star Sign: Taurus May 2, 1879 Dates in History May 4, 1879 What Happened in 1879 Anglo-Zulu WarJanuary 11, 1879 The British: 139. Zulu Warriors: 4,000. Let Battle BeginJanuary 22, 1879 Wonder of Woolworths Begins its Meteoric RiseFebruary 22, 1879 Arc Lamps Light the Way to World-Beating DisplaySeptember 18, 1879