January 28, 2008

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
Vicente Blasco Ibanez, 60. Spanish novelist. His best known works include The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Blood and Sand; and Mare Nostrum. The first two of these were made into movies in 1921, and helped propel Rudolph Valentino to stardom. Mare Nostrum was made into a movie in 1926. Mr. Blasco Ibanez was an activist on behalf of Republican politics in Spain in his younger days, and made many enemies. He eventually became so disenchanted with Spanish politics that he moved to Paris just before the start of World War I. He supported the Allies. Blasco Ibanez died the day before his 61st birthday.

50 years ago
1958

Baseball
Los Angeles Dodgers' catcher Roy Campanella,36, was paralyzed below the neck when his car skidded off a slippery road while he was driving to his home in Glen Cove, New York. After a long career in the negro leagues, Mr. Campanella had a sensational 10-year career with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1948-1957. He was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1953, and 1955. His best season was probably 1953, when he hit .312 with 41 home runs and a league-leading 142 runs batted in, and 103 runs scored. Mr. Campanella played in 5 World Series from 1949-1956, but the Dodgers' only win came in 1955.

40 years ago
1968

Disasters
24 people were killed in a train crash near General Camara, Brazil.

20 people were reported killed in avalanches in the Swiss Alps.

Golf
Billy Casper won the Los Angeles Open with a total score of 274; first prize money was $20,000.

Boxing
Chartchai Chionoi (47-10-2) retained his World Boxing Council world flyweight title with a technical knockout of Efren Torres (53-5-1) at 1:15 of the 13th round at El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos in Mexico City. The fight was stopped because of a severe cut over Mr. Torres' left eye.



30 years ago
1978

#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Solo Tu--Matia Bazar (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Mull of Kintyre--Wings

#1 single in Ireland: Mull of Kintyre--Wings (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Mull of Kintyre/Girls' School--Wings (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Baby Come Back--Player (3rd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 If I Had Words--Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley with the St. Thomas More School Choir
2 Mull of Kintyre--Wings
3 Egyptian Reggae--Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers
4 Singin' in the Rain--Sheila B. Devotion
5 It's a Heartache--Bonnie Tyler
6 Tingelingeling--Andre Van Duin Presenteert Ome Joop en Het Dik Voormekaar Koor
7 The Floral Dance--The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
8 Smurfenbier--Vader Abraham
9 Lailola - No Ablas Mas--José e Los Reyes
10 Only a Fool--The Mighty Sparrow with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires

Singles entering the chart were Take a Chance on Me by ABBA (#15); For a Few Dollars More by Smokie (#22); Darling by Baccara (#23); Kayuta Hill by Partner (#26); and The House of the Rising Sun by Santa Esmeralda (#29).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Short People--Randy Newman
2 Baby Come Back--Player
3 We are the Champions--Queen
4 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees
5 You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)--Rod Stewart
6 Just the Way You Are--Billy Joel
7 Here You Come Again--Dolly Parton
8 How Deep is Your Love--Bee Gees
9 Desiree--Neil Diamond
10 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill

Singles entering the chart were Dust in the Wind by Kansas (#75); Poor Poor Pitiful Me by Linda Ronstadt (#76); Silver Dreams by the Babys (#82); Ebony Eyes by Bob Welch (#90); Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione (#91); Baby Hold On by Eddie Money (#97); I Can't Hold On by Karla Bonoff (#98); You Brought the Woman Out of Me by Hot (#99); and Never Had a Love by Pablo Cruise (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 How Deep is Your Love--Bee Gees (6th week at #1)
2 (Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again--L.T.D.
3 Slip Slidin' Away--Paul Simon
4 You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)--Rod Stewart
5 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill
6 Baby Come Back--Player
7 We are the Champions--Queen
8 Here You Come Again--Dolly Parton
9 Come Sail Away--Styx
10 Sentimental Lady--Bob Welch

Singles entering the chart were (You're My) Soul and Inspiration by Donny and Marie Osmond (#94); Dreamer by Supertramp (#95); Donna by Andre Gagnon (#96); Galaxy by War (#97); Our Love by Natalie Cole (#98); and Storybook Children (Daybreak) by Bette Midler (#99).

World events
Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle imposed emergency rule, hoping to end the nationwide strike aimed at forcing him to resign.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles 3 @ Montreal 6

Football
NFL
New Orleans Saints' owner John Mecom, Jr. fired Hank Stram just 2 years into a 10-year contract as head coach. The Saints had gone 4-10 in 1976, and had followed that with a 3-11 record in 1977. Perhaps the low point of Mr. Stram's coaching reign in New Orleans came in the second last game of the season, when the Saints lost 33-14 at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers, in their second season in the NFL, had lost their first 26 games going into that game. Mr. Stram coached the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs franchise in the AFL and NFL from 1960-1974, winning American Football League titles in 1962, 1966, and 1969. His 1969 team finished the season with a victory over the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl.

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A.: Baby Come Back--Player (3rd week at #1)

25 years ago
1983

Politics and government
Canada's federal Progressive Conservatives, at a party convention in Winnipeg, put Joe Clark's leadership to a vote. The former Prime Minister received the support of 66.9% of those in attendance, a remarkably high percentage for someone whose blundering had cost his party the government three years earlier. However, showing the judgement for which he was famous, Chinless Joe decided that that figure was too low. A leadership convention was then set for June.

20 years ago
1988

Died on this date
Klaus Fuchs, 76. German physicist. Dr. Fuchs was a socialist who became a Communist while still a student in Germany. He fled to the United Kingdom shortly after the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, and went to the United States during World War II, where he worked on the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bombs. Dr. Fuchs worked as a spy with the U.S.S.R., and illegally transferred nuclear information to the Soviets. In January 1950 he confessed to being a spy, and was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for espionage. Dr. Fuchs was released in 1959 after serving 9 1/3 years, and emigrated to East Germany, where he spent the rest of his life. He died 30 days after his 76th birthday.

Abominations
The Supreme Court of Canada struck down Canada's abortion law. Bertha Wilson, showing the mental and moral retardation that characterized her dismal feminist career, wrote for the majority. Ted Byfield, writing in Alberta Report, stated that "her so-called judgement...reads like something you'd be handed on a street corner." I've read "Madam Justice" Wilson's judgement, and Mr. Byfield was right.