On this day, the Royal New Zealand Navy issued its sailors with their last daily rum ration. Dating back to the 17th century in Britain, the daily rum ration was a long-standing tradition in many modern navies around the world, originating in the difficulty of conserving fresh water for long periods in wooden barrels and the need to keep sailors hydrated while at sea. In modern times, the hydration issue became less of a justification, and one by one national navies put an end to the rum ration in what would come to be known as “Black Tot Days”. The most famous of these is 31st July 1970 when the British Royal Navy put an end to the rum ration after almost 250 years. The Royal New Zealand Navy was the last country to start a daily rum ration (1941) and the last country to abolish it.
