February 9, 2008

125 years ago
1883

Born on this date
Jules Berry. French actor. Mr. Berry, born Marie Louis Jules Paufichet, appeared in several dozen plays and more than 90 movies in a career spanning more than 40 years. His films included Le Crime de Monsieur Lange (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) (1936) and Les Visiteurs du Soir (The Devil's Envoys) (1942). Mr. Berry died on April 23, 1951 at the age of 68 from a heart attack caused by treatment for rheumatism.

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
William Gillies, 59. Australian politician. Mr. Gillies, a member of the Labour Party, represented Eacham in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1912-1925. He held several posts before serving as Premier and Treasurer of Queensland from February-October 1925. Mr. Gillies resigned from politics in October 1925 to become a member of the newly-established board of trade and arbitration, serving there until his sudden death.

60 years ago
1958

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Equalizer, starring Leif Erickson, Martin Balsam, and Norma Crane

Skiing
Toni Sailer of Austria, who had earlier won the men's giant slalom and downhill events, won the Alpine combined title at the world championships in Bad Gastein, Austria.

50 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Daydream Believer--The Monkees

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Love is Blue--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra
2 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
3 Itchycoo Park--Small Faces
4 I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite--Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
5 Green Tambourine--The Lemon Pipers
6 Zabadak!--Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
7 Spooky--The Classics IV
8 Skip a Rope--Henson Cargill
9 I Can Take or Leave Your Loving--Herman's Hermits
10 Words--The Bee Gees
Pick of the Week: Guitar Man--Elvis Presley
New this week: Electrically Heated Child--Waterproof Candle
Mr. Soul Satisfaction--Timmy Willis
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man--Jerry Jaye
Me, Myself and I--The Bonniwell Mean Machine
Night Fo' Last--Shorty Long

Diplomacy
British Prime Minister Harold Wilson concluded his official visit with U.S. President Lyndon Johnson in Washington. The two discussed the balance of payments deficit, Britain's withdrawal of all its forces from the Far East by 1971, and Mr. Wilson's visit to the Soviet Union on January 22-24, where Mr. Wilson and the Soviet leaders had issued a joint statement backing a "political settlement" to the Vietnam War.

40 years ago
1978

On television tonight
James at 16, starring Lance Kerwin, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Gift

With this episode, the title of the series changed from James at 15 to James at 16. The first episode of James at 16 had James Hunter turning 16, falling in love with a new Swedish girl in school, and throwing away his virginity. A number of stations refused to show this episode, but those of us living in Calgary were able to see it on CFAC or KHQ (the Spokane NBC affiliate).

Diplomacy
The government of Canada ordered 11 Soviet embassy officials deported for allegedly trying to infiltrate the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service.

Politics and government
The United States Senate Select Subcommittee on Intelligence proposed legislation to curb U.S. intelligence agents (otherwise known as "spies") and protect American civil liberties. The bill prohibited political assassinations, covert operations "likely to result in...the overthrow of democratic governments, or the support of actions by foreign police, intelligence or internal security forces of countries which violate human rights."

Transportation
The Budd Company unveiled its first SPV-2000 self-propelled railcar in Philadelphia.

25 years ago
1983

Diplomacy
U.S. Vice President George Bush met with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in London on the last day of a 12-day visit to western Europe, during which he attempted to shore up support for the projected deployment of U.S. intermediate-range missiles in Europe.

20 years ago
1988

Scandal
A panel of international historians issued a report that found that Austrian President (and former United Nations Secretary General) Kurt Waldheim had known of war crimes committed by his units during World War II, but that he had not committed any crimes. The report found that Mr. Waldheim had concealed and misrepresented his service during the war.

Hockey
Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins capped a 3-goal, 6-point game by scoring the winning goal in overtime as the Prince of Wales Conference beat the Clarence S. Campbell Conference 6-5 in the NHL All-Star game at the St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. Lemieux was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Maurice Schumann, 86. French politician. Mr. Schumann, a member of the Popular Republican Movement, held several cabinet posts, most notably as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of President Georges Pompidou (1969-1973).

Dean Griffing, 82. U.S.-born football player, coach, and executive. Mr. Griffing played center and linebacker at Kansas State University (1933-1934) before going to Canada and playing with the Regina Roughriders (1936-1943); Toronto Balmy Beach (1944); and Calgary Stampeders (1945-1947). He coached the Stampeders while playing for them, and served as general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1954-1957) and Denver Broncos (1960-1961). Mr. Griffing was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1965 as a player.