March 11, 2008

160 years ago
1848

Politics and government
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine took office as Premier of the Province of Canada, with Robert Baldwin as Deputy Premier, the first to be democratically elected under a system of responsible government.

120 years ago
1888

Disasters
The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States, killing more than 400 people, dumping as much as 55 inches of snow in some areas, and producing winds that reached 85 miles per hour in New York City.

110 years ago
1898

Died on this date
William Rosecrans, 78. U.S. military officer, politician, and diplomat. Mr. Rosecrans was best known as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He achieved success in Western Theater battles, but a disastrous defeat in the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863 effectively ended his military career. Mr. Rosecrans served as United States Minister to Mexico (1868-1869) and as a Democrat represented California's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1881-1885).

100 years ago
1908

Died on this date
Benjamin Waugh, 69. U.K. clergyman and social activist. Rev. Waugh was a Congregationalist minister and hymnist who was best known for his opposition to workhouses and the Poor law, which led him to co-found the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in 1884. He died 20 days after his 69th birthday.

70 years ago
1938

At the movies
Dangerous to Know, directed by Robert Florey, and starring Gail Patrick, Akim Tamiroff, Anna May Wong, and Lloyd Nolan, opened in theatres.



World events
Kurt Schuschnigg resigned as Chancellor of Austria in a radio broadcast that evening, after failing to receive support from either France or the United Kingdom to maintain Austrian independence from Nazi Germany. Mr. Schuschnigg announced that he was allowing the Nazis to take over the Austrian government in order to avoid bloodshed. Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler had sent an ultimatum to Mr. Schuschnigg, demanding that he hand over all power to the National Socialists or face an invasion. The ultimatum was set to expire at noon, but was extended by two hours. However, Mr. Hitler signed an order at 1 P.M. for troops to invade Austria, and gave the order to Hermann Goering several hours later. Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas resisted the Nazis, refusing to appoint pro-Nazi Interior Minister Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Chancellor, and instead asking other Austrian politicians to assume the position. However, the Nazis seized control of many parts of Vienna (including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which controlled the police). While Mr. Miklas stalled, Mr. Hitler became furious, and he and Hermann Goering published a forged telegram asking the German government to send troops into Austria to preserve order. By midnight, a well-organized Nazi machine was in control of almost all of the critical government buildings and had arrested the main political party members of the old government. Mr. Miklas finally capitulated and appointed Mr. Seyss-Inquart Chancellor.

60 years ago
1948

Died on this date
Stub Brown, 77. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Brown pitched in 11 games with the Baltimore Orioles in 1893 and 1894, and 2 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 1897. He won 4 games (all in 1894) and lost 1. He's not to be confused with Three Finger Brown, who died 26 days before.

50 years ago
1958

Boxing
Sonny Liston (16-1) scored a 4-round technical knockout of Ben Wise (8-8-1) in a heavyweight bout at Midwest Gymnasium in Chicago. On the undercard, Ernie Terrell (8-0) scored a 1-round TKO of Johnny Harper (6-9) in another heavyweight bout, and Lou Bailey (4-6-2) won a 5-round split decision over James Beard (3-3) in a light heavyweight bout.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Koi no Shizuku--Yukari Itō (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Pata Pata--Miriam Makeba

Protest
Two days after student riots in Warsaw concluded, office and factory workers clashed with police and militia men in downtown Warsaw. The Communist party blamed the riots on Zionists. Polish Communist anti-Jewish sentiment had reportedly been increasing since the Six-Day War in June 1967.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Gianna--Rino Gaetano

#1 single in Switzerland: Mull of Kintyre--Wings (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: The Rare Auld Times--Danny Doyle (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Wuthering Heights--Kate Bush

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): (Love Is) Thicker than Water--Andy Gibb (2nd 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 (7th week at #1)
2 She's Not There--Santana
3 Denis--Blondie
4 Big City--Tol Hansse
5 I Can't Stand the Rain--Eruption featuring Precious Wilson
6 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees
7 Daddy Cool - The Girl Can't Help It--The Darts
8 Black Betty--Ram Jam
9 Red Hot--Robert Gordon with Link Wray
10 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll--Ian Dury

Singles entering the chart were Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush (#26); U.O. Me (You Owe Me) by Luv' (#29); Lovely Day by Bill Withers (#31); (The Night the Lights Went Out In) New York City by the Trammps (#32); Einman Wenn du Gehst by Udo Jürgens & Judy Cheeks (#33); and Und Das Alles Nur Weil Wir Uns Lieben by Hein Simons (#35).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Emotion--Samantha Sang
2 (Love Is) Thicker than Water--Andy Gibb
3 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees
4 Night Fever--Bee Gees
5 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill
6 Lay Down Sally--Eric Clapton
7 What's Your Name--Lynyrd Skynyrd
8 Peg--Steely Dan
9 Just the Way You Are--Billy Joel
10 I Go Crazy--Paul Davis

Singles entering the chart were Count on Me by Jefferson Starship (#75); Let Me Party with You (Party, Party, Party) (part 1) by Bunny Sigler (#81); This Time I'm in it for Love by Player (#82); Watching the Detectives/Alison by Elvis Costello (#84); Rumour Has It by Donna Sumer (#86); Sitting in Limbo by Don Brown (#90); I Love My Music by Wild Cherry (#95); and Woman to Woman by Barbara Mandrell (#97).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees (4th week at #1)
2 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill
3 (Love Is) Thicker than Water--Andy Gibb
4 Just the Way You Are--Billy Joel
5 Emotion--Samantha Sang
6 What's Your Name--Styx
7 Peg--Steely Dan
8 I Go Crazy--Paul Davis
9 Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)--Chic
10 Night Fever--Bee Gees

Singles entering the chart were We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again by England Dan & John Ford Coley (#82); I'm Gonna Take Care of Everything by Rubicon (#95); Love is Like Oxygen by Sweet (#97); Shout it Out by B.T. Express (#99); and To Love Somebody by Jackie DeShannon (#100).

Terrorism
More than 30 Israeli civilians were killed in an Al Fatah assault on the Haifa-Tel Aviv road.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles 3 @ Montreal 5

CHL
Fort Worth 5 @ Dallas 2
Tulsa 4 @ Kansas City 9

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tell it to My Heart--Taylor Dayne (2nd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States said that a $7 million payment to the Panama Canal Commission would be put into escrow. Panama's government announced the indefinite deferment of wages to 140,000 government employees, which sparked street demonstrations against the regime. Professional people and union members joined work slowdowns.