January 31, 2008

160 years ago
1848

Politics and government
U.S. Army Major John C. Frémont, popularly admired for his mapmaking expeditions to the West, was court-martialed on grounds of mutiny and disobeying orders. General Stephen Kearny brought charges against Frémont when a dispute arose over who held governing authority in California.

140 years ago
1868

Born on this date
Theodore W. Richards. U.S. chemist. Dr. Richards became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, winning in 1914 "in recognition of his exact determinations of the atomic weights of a large number of the chemical elements." He reportedly suffered from chronic respiratory problems and a profound depression, and died on April 2, 1928 at the age of 60.

90 years ago
1918

Disasters
A series of accidental collisions on a misty Scottish night led to the loss of two Royal Navy submarines and 104 lives, and damage to another five British warships.

80 years ago
1928

World events
The U.S.S.R. exiled Leon Trotsky to Alma Ata, Kazakhstan. Mr. Trotsky was a leader in the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and in he early 1920s, but lost a power struggle with Josef Stalin within the Communist Party, and was gradually removed from various positions until his exile. He and his family were expelled to Turkey in February 1929.

60 years ago
1948

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Anniversary Song--Al Jolson; Bing Crosby (3rd month at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (8th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)
--Bing Crosby with the Rhythmaires
--Buddy Clark
2 How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Jack Owens
--Dinah Shore
3 Too Fat Polka (I Don’t Want Her) (You Can Have Her) (She’s Too Fat for Me)--Arthur Godfrey
4 Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)--Danny Kaye and the Andrews Sisters
--Louis Prima and his Orchestra
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
--Ray McKinley and his Orchestra
--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
5 Golden Earrings--Peggy Lee
6 Serenade of the Bells--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
7 I'll Dance at Your Wedding--Ray Noble and his Orchestra with Buddy Clark
--Peggy Lee
8 Near You--Francis Craig and his Orchestra
--Larry Green and his Orchestra
--The Andrews Sisters
--Alvino Rey and his Orchestra
--Elliot Lawrence and his Orchestra
9 You Do--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Margaret Whiting
--Dinah Shore
--Vic Damone
10 Pass That Peace Pipe--Margaret Whiting
--Beryl Davis

Singles entering the chart were My Old Flame by Spike Jones and his City Slickers (#20); Ooh! Look-a There, Ain't She Pretty by Buddy Greco and the Three Sharps (#22); Now is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song), with versions by Bing Crosby; Gracie Fields; Eddy Howard and his Orchestra; and Margaret Whiting (#38); and I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover, with versions by Art Mooney and his Orchestra, and the Three Suns (#39).

At the movies
Open Secret, directed by John Reinhardt, and starring John Ireland, Jane Randolph, Roman Bohnen, and Sheldon Leonard, received its premiere screening in New York City.



Defense
The Greek government removed General Constantin Ventiris as commander-in-shief of Army units fighting Communist guerrillas, and placed all military forces under the general staff.

Politics and government
Indonesian nationalists formed a new cabinet for the Indonesian Republic in Jakarta, with Mohammed Hatta as Prime Minister.

Economics and finance
U.S.S.R. Finance Minister Arzeny Zverev submitted to the Supreme Soviet a record budget of 387.9 billion rubles ($77.58 billion).

Academia
The University of Delaware followed the University of Arkansas law school in allowing Negro students to enter graduate courses which were unavailable in state Negro schools.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Jailhouse Rock--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
Harbor Command, starring Wendell Corey
Tonight's episode: Gold Smugglers

Space
The United States entered the space race with the successful launch of the Explorer 1 satellite atop an Army Jupiter C rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The event made a household name of rocket wizard Wernher von Braun, and to a lesser extent, physicist James Van Allen (the satellite's instrument package discovered that the earth was surrounded by radiation belts, which were promptly named the Van Allen belts). The launch came almost four months after the Soviet Union had begun the space race with the launch of Sputnik 1. The first American attempt, a Vanguard satellite atop a Navy rocket (but under civilian management), ended in embarrassment, as the rocket collapsed in flames on the launch pad on live television on December 6, 1957.





Politics and government
James Gladstone,70, an Alberta Blood, took his seat as Canada's first aboriginal Senator; he was appointed by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, and sat as a Progressive Conservaitve.

People's Republic of China President Mao Tse-tung dismissed Communications Minister Chang Po-chun; Timber Industry Minister Lo Lung-chi; and Food Minister Chag Nai-chi (all non-Communists) from their cabinet posts for criticizing the government.

Labour
Staff investigator Pierre Salinger presented a memo to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Improper Labor-Management Activities claiming that William Maloney's rise to the presidency of the International Union of Operating Engineers was aided by the murder of three oppositional union officials.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Everlasting Love--Love Affair

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)--Johnny Farnham
2 Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus--The Beatles
3 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
4 The Rain, The Park and Other Things--The Cowsills
5 World/Sir Geoffrey Saved the World--The Bee Gees
6 Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen
7 The Last Waltz--Engelbert Humperdinck
8 Cathy Come Home/The Way They Play--The Twilights
9 You've Not Changed--Sandie Shaw
10 All My Love--Cliff Richard

Singles entering the chart were Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) by John Fred and his Playboy Band (#11); You Only Live Twice/Oh Lonesome Me by Nancy Sinatra/Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood (#34); That's Life by the Wild Cherries (#37); and Neon Rainbow by the Box Tops (#40).

War
The American command in Vietnam reported over 5,000 fatalities after two days of heavy fighting in the Tet Offensive, which included an attack by Viet Cong guerrillas against the United States embassy in Saigon and other attacks in the early hours.

World events
The Republic of Nauru, formerly a United Nations trust territory in the South Pacific administered by Australia and New Zealand, was proclaimed.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. Premier Aleksei Kosygin concluded his week-long visit to India. He and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi issued a joint statement urging an "unconditional stoppage" to the bombing of North Vietnam, saying that a halt in the bombing would "create conditions for negotiations aimed at a political settlement."

West Germany and Yugoslavia resumed diplomatic relations, which had been broken by West Germany in 1957.

30 years ago
1978

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Lifeline

Politics and government
The Northeastern Québec Agreement was signed in Ottawa as an amendment to the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement; it incorporates the Naskapi of Northern Québec, who received funds, lands and rights equal to those obtained by the Cree and Inuit peoples who had signed the original agreement with the government of Canada in 1975.

Hockey
CHL
Salt Lake City 3 @ Kansas City 1

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Robert Stevens, 83. U.S. businessman and politician. Mr. Stevens was chairman of the textile manufacturing firm J.P. Stevens and Company and served as U.S. Secretary of the Army under President Dwight Eisenhower from 1953-1955, during the period when U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin) was investigating alleged Communist infiltration of the Army.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Pilot

This was broadcast after the Super Bowl telecast.

Football
NFL
Super Bowl XXII @ Jack Murphy-San Diego Stadium
Washington 42 Denver 10

The Redskins, behind 10-0 after the first quarter, stormed back to rout the Broncos before 73,302 fans (see video). Washington quarterback Doug Williams was voted the game's Most Valuable Player, as he became the first Negro to quarterback a team to the NFL championship, completing 18 of 29 passes for 349 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Deion Sanders caught 9 passes for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Redskins. Denver quarterback John Elway completed just 14 of 38 passes for 257 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions.