climbed to a hut at the Plaine Morte glacier and then made the 4,000 foot descent. Cecil Hopkinson of Britain was the first winner. Monaco's Prince Albert I promulgated that nation's first constitution in response to protests against the absolute monarchy in the tiny European principality. January 8, 1911 (Sunday) The Australasian Antarctic Expedition, led by Douglas Mawson, commander of the Aurora, arrived at Cape Denison and encountered constantly blowing winds that dogged the group throughout its journey. Unlike Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott, Mawson sought to explore the Antarctic continent closest to Australia. Born: Butterfly McQueen, (stage name for Thelma McQueen), African-American stage, film, radio and TV actress, known for Gone With the Wind; later the winner of a Daytime Emmy Award; in Tampa (d. 1995) Gypsy Rose Lee (stage name for Rose Louise Hovick), American striptease entertainer, as Rose Louise Hovick in Seattle (d. 1970) January 9, 1911 (Monday) A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed a federal court decision that had granted inventor George B. Selden an exclusive patent for the automobile. Henry Ford, who had been sued for damages in the form of royalties owed to Selden's Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM) had lost to Selden in September. Ford posted a $350,000 bond to fight the appeal and the Court ruled that Selden's patent was limited. Victorious, Ford was cleared to create the nation's largest automobile company. January 10, 1911 (Tuesday) The fastest recorded temperature drop in meteorological history took place in Rapid City, South Dakota. Unseasonably warm weather saw a temperature of at 7:00 am. Over the next fifteen minutes, the thermometer reading dropped to below freezing . The weather warmed and chilled again two days later for another record. Manuel Enrique Araujo was elected President of El Salvador. The United States signed a treaty with Honduras, guaranteeing a loan to the Central American nation without assuming a protectorate over it. The town of Gladstone, Oregon, was incorporated. January 11, 1911 (Wednesday) Dr. Russell A. Hibbs performed the first spinal fusion, at the New York Orthopedic Hospital. Applying techniques learned from knee surgery to the vertebrae of the spine, Dr. Hibbs operated upon a patient with spinal tuberculosis to prevent further progression in the curvature of the spine. Created to promote research in the natural sciences in Germany, the Kaiser Wilhelm Society (Kaiser-Wilhelm Gesellschaft) was founded in Berlin. Emilio Estrada was