February 3, 2008

530 years ago
1478

Born on this date
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham. Mr. Stafford was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, who was executed for rebelling against King Richard III in 1483. Edward was a nephew of King Edward IV and a first cousin once removed of King Henry VIII. Edward Stafford commanded soldiers in Henry VIII's invasion of France in 1513, but his Plantagenet blood and connections led to suspicions that he was plotting against the king. Lord Buckingham was imprisoned in the Tower of London, convicted of treason, and executed on Tower Hill on May 17, 1521 at the age of 43.

70 years ago
1938

Happy Birthday, Emile Griffith!.
U.S. boxer. A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mr. Griffith held the world welterweight title from April-September 1961, March 1962-March 1963, and June 1963-April 1966. He defeated Dick Tiger in 1966 to win the world middleweight championship, lost the title to Nino Benvenuti in April 1967, regained the title that September, then lost the title to Mr. Benvenuti again in March 1968. Mr. Griffith was also recognized by the Austrian Boxing Board of Control as the inaugural world champion in the light middleweight division from 1962-1963. He was The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year for 1964.

Mr. Griffith is best remembered for three fights against Benny "The Kid" Paret in 1961 and 1962. Mr. Griffith won the title from Mr. Paret in the first fight, and lost the title in the rematch. Before the weigh-in for the third fight, Mr. Paret reportedly called Mr. Griffith a "maricon," Spanish for "faggot." Mr. Griffith had to be restrained from attacking Mr. Paret on the spot. In the fight, on March 24, 1962, Mr. Griffith knocked Mr. Paret unconscious with a punch in the 12th round. Mr. Paret was still standing against the ropes, and referee Ruby Goldstein refused to stop the fight as Mr. Griffith landed 13 more punches. Mr. Griffith won the fight and the title with the knockout, and Mr. Paret died nine days later. The death of Mr. Paret resulted in widespread criticism of boxing, and NBC, which had televised the fight, dropped its boxing coverage for many years. The fight inspired a documentary film titled Ring of Fire.

Mr. Griffith remained haunted by Mr. Paret's death, and although he boxed until 1977, he scored just 12 knockouts in 80 remaining fights. He won just 9 of his last 23 fights, and retired with a record of 85 wins (25 by KO), 24 losses, 2 draws. Mr. Griffith, a member of both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame, today reportedly suffers from pugilistic dementia and requires constant care.

50 years ago
1958

Edmontonia
The Federal Building opened in downtown Edmonton. It served as the home of federal government offices until it was closed in 1988. The building still sits there, and has been occasionally used as a movie set. This blogger played a desk sergeant in one scene in a movie called Double Frame (released in 2000), where the building doubled for a police station.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)--Johnny Farnham (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Nights in White Satin--The Moody Blues

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): L'ora dell'amore--I Camaleonti (8th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Am I that Easy to Forget--Engelbert Humperdinck (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde--Georgie Fame

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Green Tambourine--The Lemon Pipers

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Mien Waar Is M'n Feestneus?--Toon
2 World--The Bee Gees
3 Nights in White Satin--The Moody Blues
4 2000 Light Years from Home/She's a Rainbow--The Rolling Stones
5 Tin Soldier--Small Faces
6 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
7 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
8 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
9 Dear Eloise--The Hollies
10 Baby, Come Back--The Equals

Singles entering the chart were Lou-Lou by Eddy Christiani (#34); Het Vissersmeisje by John Woodhouse and his Magic Accordion (#36); Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin (#37); Unchained Melody by David Garrick (#38); and Confusion in My Mind by the Left Side (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Green Tambourine--The Lemon Pipers
2 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
3 Bend Me, Shape Me--The American Breed
4 Spooky--The Classics IV
5 Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra
6 I Wish it Would Rain--The Temptations
7 Susan--The Buckinghams
8 Nobody But Me--The Human Beinz
9 Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You--The Lettermen
10 She's a Rainbow--The Rolling Stones

Singles entering the chart were Walk Away Renee by the Four Tops (#63); Hi-Heel Sneakers by Elvis Presley (#71); Here Comes the Rain, Baby by Eddy Arnold (#78); Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition was In) by the First Edition (#81); Look, Here Comes the Sun by the Sunshine Company (#85); A Million to One by the Five Stairsteps and Cubie (#86); Thank U Very Much by the Scaffold (#88); Night Fo' Last by Shorty Long (#89); Funky Way by Calvin Arnold (#97); Where is My Mind by the Vanilla Fudge (#98); Cab Driver by the Mills Brothers (#99); and A Question of Temperature by Balloon Farm (#100). Hi-Heel Sneakers was the B-side of Guitar Man, charting at #61.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite--Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
2 Baby, Now that I've Found You--The Foundations
3 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
4 Itchycoo Park--Small Faces
5 Green Tambourine--The Lemon Pipers
6 Who Will Answer?--Ed Ames
7 Chain of Fools--Aretha Franklin
8 Next Plane to London--The Rose Garden
9 Bend Me, Shape Me--The American Breed
10 Susan--The Buckinghams

Singles entering the chart were Simon Says by the 1910 Fruitgum Company (#62); Carpet Man by the 5th Dimension (#68); I Thank You by Sam & Dave (#92); (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding (#93); Everything that Touches You by the Association (#95); 1941 by Tom Northcott (#96); Get Out Now by Tommy James and the Shondells (#98); No One Knows by Every Mother's Son (#99); and Houdini by the Dream Machine (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra
2 Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You--The Lettermen
3 Spooky--The Classics IV
4 I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite--Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
5 Tomorrow--Strawberry Alarm Clock
6 I Can Take or Leave Your Loving--Herman's Hermits
7 Money--The Lovin' Spoonful
8 Some Velvet Morning--Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
9 Nobody But Me--The Human Beinz
10 I was Made to Love Her--King Curtis and the Kingpins

Singles entering the chart were Words by the Bee Gees (#26); Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition was In) by the First Edition (#27); I Thank You by Sam & Dave (#28); Quicksand by the Youngbloods (#29); and Try It by the Ohio Express (#30).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Bend Me, Shape Me--The American Breed (2nd week at #1)
2 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
3 Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra
4 Nobody But Me--The Human Beinz
5 Different Drum--Stone Poneys
6 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
7 Green Tambourine--The Lemon Pipers
8 She Says--The 49th Parallel
9 Love of the Common People--Wayne Newton
10 I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite--Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
Pick hit of the week: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly--Hugo Montenegro, his Orchestra and Chorus

World events
35 people were convicted in Havana of anti-revolutionary activity and were sentenced to prison terms of up to 15 years. The chief defendant was Anibal Escalante, 58, former Cuban Communist Party secretary, who received 15 years for allegedly giving "false information" to Soviet, Czechoslovak, and East German officials, and promulgating "propaganda" unfavourable to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Figure skating
The world championships concluded in Geneva. Emmerich Danzer of Austria won the men's title, while Peggy Fleming of the United States was the women's champion.

Boxing
Jerry Quarry (26-1-4) scored a technical knockout over favoured Thad Spencer (32-6) at 2:57 of the 12th round at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena in Oakland, California as part of the World Boxing Association's 8-man elimination tournament to find a champion to fill the vacancy left when Muhammad Ali was stripped of the title in 1967 for refusing induction into the U.S. Army.



Former world light heavyweight champion Harold Johnson (76-10) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Lothar Stengel (13-1) in a heavyweight bout at Festhalle in Frankfurt, West Germany.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): 2-4-6-8 Motorway--Tom Robinson Band (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mull of Kintyre--Wings (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Don't Play that Song--Adriano Celentano

Diplomacy
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat arrived in Washington to confer with U.S. President Jimmy Carter on the Middle East situation.

25 years ago
1983

Diplomacy
U.S. Vice President George Bush, on a tour of western Europe, addressed representatives of NATO countries in Brussels, and indicated that he would invite possible alternatives to President Reagan's zero option plan for eliminating missiles from Europe.

Hit parade
Canada's top 30
1 Pass the Dutchie--Musical Youth
2 Baby Come to Me--Patti Austin
3 Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club
4 Africa--Toto
5 Shame on the Moon--Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
6 Goody Two Shoes--Adam Ant
7 Allentown--Billy Joel
8 I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)--Donald Fagen
9 When I'm With You--Sheriff
10 All of My Heart--ABC
11 Crazy--Supertramp
12 Heart to Heart--Kenny Loggins
13 Come On Eileen--Dexys Midnight Runners & the Emerald Express
14 The Other Guy--Little River Band
15 You Can't Hurry Love--Phil Collins
16 Be Good Johnny--Men at Work
17 Subdivisions--Rush
18 Stray Cat Strut--The Stray Cats
19 Everytime I See Your Picture I Cry--Luba
20 Mirror Man--The Human League
21 She Controls Me--Strange Advance
22 We've Got Tonight--Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
23 The Woman in Me--Donna Summer
24 One on One--Daryl Hall and John Oates
25 You Are--Lionel Richie
26 Silhouettes--The Nylons
27 Breaking Us in Two--Joe Jackson
28 All Right--Christopher Cross
29 Separate Ways--Journey
30 Bad Boy--Ray Parker, Jr.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Karla Faye Tucker, 38. U.S. criminal. Ms. Tucker was the first woman to be executed in Texas since the U.S. Civil War, 15 years after killing two people with a pick ax. She had become a Christian during her time on death row, leading prominent Christian leaders such as Pat Robertson to call for clemency (despite the fact that nowhere in the Bible does it say that because someone has come to Christ, that they are exempt from the consequences of what they did before they knew the Lord).