March 17, 2008

1,000 years ago
1008

Died on this date
Kazan, 39 or 41. Emperor of Japan, 984-986. Kazan, born Morosada-shinnō, was the eldest son of Emperor Reizei, and succeeded his uncle En'yu on the throne. Emperor Kazan faced strong opposition from the Fujiwara family, and was manipulated into abdicating in 986. Kazan then became a Buddhist monk, and went on numerous pilgrimages.

120 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Paul Ramadier. Prime Minister of France, 1947. Dr. Ramadier was a jurist and a Socialist who served as Mayor of Decazeville (1919-1941, 1944-1959) and also represented Aveyron in the Chamber of Deputies (1928-1942, 1945-1951, 1956-1958), holding several cabinet posts. He served with the French Resistance during World War II. Dr. Ramadier was Prime Minister from January 22-November 24, 1947, and forced Communists out of the government in May, ending the "tripartisme" coalition of Communists, Socialists, and Christian Democrats. Mr. Ramadier died on October 14, 1961 at the age of 73.

70 years ago
1938

Born on this date
Rudolf Nureyev. Russian ballet dancer. Mr. Nureyev became a soloist with the Kirov Ballet in 1958 and defected from the Soviet Union while on tour in Paris in 1961. The leading classical ballet dancer of his generation, he was known for his overpowering stage presence and athletic skill and grace. Major roles included the lead in Les Sylphides; Giselle; Swan Lake; Romeo and Juliet; and Sleeping Beauty. He was ballet director of the Paris Opera from 1983-1989. Mr. Nureyev also starred in the movie Exposed in 1983, where he was teamed with Nastassia Kinski. The film was considered one of the year's worst, with particular criticism going to the performances of the two stars. Rudolf Nureyev died in 1993 at the age of 55.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Tequila--The Champs (Best Seller--1st week at #1; Top 100--1st week at #1); Don't--Elvis Presley (Disc Jockey--1st week at #1)

Space
The United States launched the Vanguard 1 satellite into earth orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite carried two radios and a temperature sensor and was the first orbiting vehicle to be powered by solar energy. Photovoltaic silicon solar cells provided the electrical power to the 6.4-inch, 3.5-pound satellite until its experiments and transmitter fell silent in 1964. Vanguard 1 achieved the highest altitude of any man-made vehicle to that time and confirmed geologists' suspicions that the earth is pear-shaped. Vanguard 1 is the first artificial satellite to have been in space for 50 years.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Nora--Johnny McEvoy

Economics and finance
The London Gold Pool members met in Washington to address the crisis of their rapidly dwindling reserves, and agreed that all gold transactions between governments would continue to be made at $35 U.S. per ounce, but that they would no longer sell gold to private investors. The crisis was believed by many to be the result of two factors: a $3.572 billion deficit in the U.S. balance of payments for 1967; and the devaluation of the British pound on November 18, 1967, which was followed by speculation in U.S. dollars. Some governments (such as France, which openly wanted a return to the gold standard) were believed to be behind much of the buying.

Golf
Dan Sikes won the Florida Citrus Open in Orlando with a score of 274. First prize money was $23,000.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): It's a Heartache--Bonnie Tyler (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mull of Kintyre--Wings (10th week at #1)

#1 single in France: How Deep is Your Love--Bee Gees

War
Thousands of Palestinian civilians in southern Lebanon fled a third day of Israeli attacks.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary W. Michael Blumenthal and Charles L. Schultze, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, warned President Jimmy Carter that inflation had replaced unemployment as the nation's worst economic problem.

Environment
The supertanker Amoco Cadiz broke in two after running aground in heavy seas off the Brittany coast in France, spilling more than 1.3 million of its cargo of 1.6 million barrels of crude oil into the sea.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Sleepy Sleepers--Nykäsen Matti (3rd week at #1)

War
Honduran jets bombed a Nicaraguan army position in the border area; Nicaragua claimed that the bombs had fallen in its own territory. Local Nicaraguan commanders said that the offensive along the border had been ended. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Jim Wright said that he knew of no reasons to send U.S. troops to Honduras.

In the Eritrean War of Independence, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front circled an Ethiopian force and gained a decisive victory in the Battle of Afabet.

World events
The government of Panama announced that it had retired five senior military officials sympathetic to the officers who had attempted to seize military headquarters the day before.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the U.S. deficit on merchandise trade had edged upward to $12.4 billion in January.

Disasters
A Colombian Avianca Boeing 727 airliner crashed into a mountainside near the Venezuelan border three minutes after taking off from Cucuta, killing all 143 aboard.

10 years ago
1998

Health
Researchers in Finland announced that Vitamin E reduced the incidence of prostate cancer by one third, and the death rate by 41% in a study of thousands of smokers. Vitamin A was found to have no effect.