February 21, 2008

80 years ago
1928

War
1,700 Communist troops, captured by Canton government troops near that city, were executed.

Scandal
Several verdicts were handed down in trials relating to the Teapot Dome oil lease scandal of 1923. Justice Frederick L. Siddons of the District of Columbia Supreme Court sentenced oil executive Harry F. Sinclair to six months' imprisonment for contempt of court. Henry Mason Day, an official with Sinclair's Mammoth Oil Company, was sentenced to four months for contempt of court after admitting that he'd hired Burns detectives to shadow the jury in the Albert B. Fall-Harry Sinclair criminal conspiracy (i.e. Teapot Dome) trial. Sherman Burns, the active head of the Burns Detective Agency, along with his father, William J. Burns, were also convicted and sentenced for contempt of court. Sherman was fined $1,000, while his father was sentenced to 15 days' imprisonment. All the defendants gave bail and notice of appeal.

Crime
At Lisbon, Ohio, S.A. Lengel, former Chief of Police in Canton, Ohio, who had once been convicted of the murder of Canton editor Don R. Mellett, was freed by a directed verdict in his second trial.

In New York, five city magistrates, three city clerks and a Municipal Court judge received envelopes through the mail that contained enough silver nitrate to cause death. It was stated that similar envelopes had been sent to President Calvin Coolidge and others in Washington.

Disasters
A U.S. naval court of inquiry into the sinking of the submarine S-4 off Provincetown, Massachusetts on December 17, 1927, which killed 5 officers, 34 enlisted men and a civilian, placed the blame on the dead commander of the submarine, Lieutenant Commander Roy K. Jones, and Lt. Comm. John S. Bayliss, commanding officer of the Coast Guard ship Paulding, which rammed the submarine. The court stated that the two commanders "are jointly responsible for the collision," and that "serious blame was incurred by them."

70 years ago
1938

Died on this date
George Ellery Hale, 69. U.S. astronomer. Professor Hale was known for his study of the sun and for his invention of the spectrohelioscope, a type of solar telescope that allows the sun to be viewed in a selected wavelength of light.

60 years ago
1948

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover--Art Mooney and his Orchestra

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (9th week at #1)
--Bing Crosby with the Rhythmaires
--Buddy Clark
2 I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover--Art Mooney and his Orchestra
--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Uptown String Band
--The Three Suns
3 Golden Earrings--Peggy Lee
4 Serenade of the Bells--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
5 How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Jack Owens
--Dinah Shore
6 Too Fat Polka (I Don’t Want Her) (You Can Have Her) (She’s Too Fat for Me)--Arthur Godfrey
7 I'll Dance at Your Wedding--Ray Noble and his Orchestra with Buddy Clark
--Peggy Lee
8 Now is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song)--Bing Crosby
--Gracie Fields
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Margaret Whiting
9 Beg Your Pardon--Francis Craig and his Orchestra
--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--Larry Green and his Orchestra
10 Manana (Is Soon Enough for Me)--Peggy Lee

Singles entering the chart were Shine by Frankie Laine (#26); Slap 'Er Down Agin, Paw by Arthur Godfey (#28); The Thousand Islands Song by Arthur Godfey with the Too Fat Trio (#38); and Teresa, with versions by Vic Damone; and Dick Haymes and the Andrews Sisters (#40).

Died on this date
James H. McGraw, 87. U.S. publisher. Mr. McGraw founded McGraw Publishing Company, which merged with Hill Publishing Company in 1909 to form McGraw-Hill, one of America's leading publishers of educational materials.

Sam Baroudi, 21. U.S. boxer. Mr. Baroudi was a middleweight and light heavyweight who compiled a record of 41-11-2 in a professional career that began in 1945. On January 23, 1948, he scored a 2-round technical knockout of future heavyweight contender Bob Satterfield. His next fight was on February 20 at Chicago Stadium against future world heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles; Mr. Baroudi fought well during the first 5 rounds, but was knocked out in the 10th and final round, and died the next day.

War
China's Nationalist government reported losing the Manchurian steel centre of Anshan to the Communists.

Politics and government
Charging a rightist plot to bring Czechoslovakia into the Western sphere of influence, Czech Prime Minister Klement Gottwald demanded that President Eduard Benes agree to a reorganization of the government.

The Japanese House of Representatives elected Democratic Party leader Hitoshi Ashida as Prime Minister.

Supporters of the 1948 U.S. presidential candidacy of former Vice President Henry Wallace founded the Progressive Party in Lansing, Michigan.

Economics and finance
The United Kingdom dropped Palestine and Transjordan from the sterling bloc as a preliminary step to ending the British mandate.

Business
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was incorporated in Daytona Beach, Florida by Bill France, Sr.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Story of My Life--Michael Holliday (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
Harbor Command, starring Wendell Corey
Tonight's episode: The Witness

At the movies
Sing Boy Sing, starring Tommy Sands and Edmond O'Brien, opened in theatres.



40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)--Manfred Mann (2nd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)--Johnny Farnham (4th week at #1)
2 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
3 Tin Soldier/I Feel Much Better--Small Faces
4 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
5 Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus--The Beatles
6 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
7 She (EP)--The Monkees
8 Monterey--Eric Burdon & the Animals
9 Different Drum--Stone Poneys
10 You Only Live Twice/Oh Lonesome Me--Nancy Sinatra/Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood

Singles entering the chart were Foxey Lady/Fire by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (#31); Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu) by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra (#33); Melborn and Sideny by Idlers Five (#35); Skip a Rope by Henson Cargill (#36); Sons and Lovers by Paul Jones (#39); and I Can Take or Leave Your Loving by Herman's Hermits (#40).

Disasters
Seven children were killed in a house fire near Gleichen, Alberta.

30 years ago
1978

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

Hockey
CHL
Kansas City 0 @ Tulsa 2

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Pump Up the Volume--M/A/R/R/S (2nd week at #1)

Scandal
Speaking to an audience of 6,000 at his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rev. Jimmy Swaggart admitted an unspecified sin and asked for forgiveness. Mr. Swaggart had loudly (and correctly) denounced the sin of televangelist Jim Bakker when his ministry had been brought down in a sex scandal the previous year. Mr. Swaggart had also accused fellow Assemblies of God pastor Marvin Gorman of adultery. Mr. Gorman responded by hiring a private detective, who obtained photographs of Mr. Swaggart at a motel frequently used by prostitutes. Mr. Gorman handed the evidence over to Assemblies of God leaders.

Olympics
West Germany defeated the United States 4-1 in men's hockey at Olympic Saddledome in Calgary.