January 16, 2009

1,700 years ago
309

Died on this date
Marcellus I, 54. Roman Catholic Pope, 308-309. Marcellus I succeeded Marcellinus as Bishop of Rome, but only after a four-year interval following Marcellinus's death in 304. Marcellus I imposed severe penances on professing Christians who had lapsed during the recent persecution under Emperor Diocletian. He was thus banished from Rome by Emperor Maxentius, and died 11 days after his 54th birthday. Marcellus I was succeeded as Bishop of Rome by Eusebius.

600 years ago
1409

Born on this date
René I. King of Naples, 1435-1442. René of Anjou, a son of Duke Louis II of Anjou, King of Sicily and a grandson of King John II of France, held various thrones, too numerous to be mentioned here. He died on July 10, 1480 at the age of 71.

200 years ago
1809

Died on this date
John Moore, 47. U.K. military officer. Lieutenant-General Sir John served in various campaigns beginning with the American War of Independence. He was known for his innovative training methods, the results of which included the creation of Britain's first permanent light infantry regiments. Lieutenant-General Sir John was mortally wounded by a cannon shot while commanding British forces in the Battle of La Coruña, but lived long enough to be assured of victory.

War
British forces led by Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore defeated French forces commanded by Marshal of the Empire Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult in the Battle of La Coruña in Spain.

140 years ago
1869

Journalism
Hugh Graham and George Lanigan published the first issue of the Montreal Evening Star.

110 years ago
1899

Died on this date
Charles Chiniquy, 89. Canadian-born clergyman. Rev. Chiniquy, a native of Kamouraska, Quebec, was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1833 and led a successful campaign against drunkenness before moving to Illinois. He was sued by a Catholic layman and was defended by Abraham Lincoln in a case that was settled out of court. Rev. Chiniquy left the Roman Catholic Church in 1858, and eventually became a Presbyterian minister. He denounced the Roman Catholic Church as anti-Christian in tracts and books such as Fifty Years in the Church of Rome and The Priest, The Woman and The Confessional. Rev. Chiniquy died in Montreal.

100 years ago
1909

Exploration
Ernest Shackleton's expedition found the magnetic South Pole.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Rodrigues Alves, 70. 5th President of Brazil, 1902-1906; President-elect of Brazil, 1918-1919. Mr. Alves, a member of the Conservative Party before 1889 and the Republican Party of São Paulo thereafter, was President of the province of São Paulo from 1887-1888 and 1900-1902, and held various cabinet posts before his presidency, which was characterized by his modernization of Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Alves was elected President again on March 1, 1918, taking 99.1% of the vote, but fell victim to the influenza epidemic and died before he could take office. Vice President-elect Delfim Moreira became acting President until new elections could be held on April 13, 1919.

Law
The United States ratified the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring Prohibition in the United States one year after ratification. It reads:

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all the territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

60 years ago
1939

Popular culture
The first Superman comic strip, by Joe Schuster, was published.

70 years ago
1949

War
Israel announced the withdrawal of her forces from four Lebanese villages, in an effect to stimulate armistice talks with Lebanon and Transjordan.

Diplomacy
French High Commissioner for Indonesia Leon Pignon held talks in Cannes with former Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai, urging him to return to Vietnam as head of a French-sponsored provisional government.

Politics and government
Shemsettin Gunaltay took office as Prime Minister of Turkey following the resignation of Hasan Saka, who was facing criticism for rising costs of living.

Chinatica
The Chinese Nationalist government moved its capital from Nanking to Canton.

Protest
Four days of rioting around Durban, South Africa between Zulus and Indians ended with 137 deaths and 1,883 injuries. Race riots were also reported in the Rand mining district of the Transvaal.

Economics and finance
The U.S.S.R. and Poland announced the signing of a commercial agreement calling for a 35% increase in trade between the two countries.

The United States cut off wheat and flour shipments to China pending developments in the Chinese civil war.

Auto racing
NASCAR
Marshall Teague won the National Stock Car Championship in a 100-mile race at Daytona, Florida.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): It's Only Make Believe--Conway Twitty (5th week at #1)

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold confirmed reports that he had persuaded U.A.R. President Gamal Nasser and Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion to agree to public marking of the Israeli-Syrian frontier to eliminate "confusion."

Defense
The U.S. Defense Department and the Joint Congressional Atomic Energy Committee issued a report arguing that the nuclear test detection system urged by the 1958 Geneva experts' conference was of little use when observation posts were 600-1,000 miles from underground explosions of 20 kilotons or less.

Spain opened her Cartagena naval supply base, built as part of the $400-million U.S. program for construction of military facilities in Spain.

Politics and government
Allan Noble, the United Kingdom's chief delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, resigned as British Foreign Secretary. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan named Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Undersecretary John Profumo to replace Mr. Noble.

Economics and finance
Cuban Treasury Minister Rufo Lopez Fresquet reported that major Cuban and American firms had paid an estimated $3 million in advance taxes to help Cuba's revolutionary government.

40 years ago
1969

Died on this date
Vernon Duke, 65. Russian-born U.S. composer and songwriter. Mr. Duke, born Vladimir Dukelsky, emigrated to the United States in 1921. He wrote classical works, including several symphonies, under his real name, but as Vernon Duke was better known for writing music for popular songs, including Taking a Chance on Love and April in Paris. Mr. Duke died of complications from surgery for lung cancer.

Space
The Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 effected the first docking of two manned spacecraft in Earth orbit; the first transfer of crews while in orbit; and the only time such a transfer was accomplished with a space walk. The Soyuz 5 crew of Boris Volyanov, Alexei Yeliseyev, and Yevgeni Khrunov transferred to the Soyuz 4 spacecraft, joining Vladimir Shatalov. The transfer was possibly a simulation of a rescue in space, as well as an aid in the development of modular construction techniques for space stations.

War
American and North Vietnamese delegates agreed to hold expanded peace talks in Paris.

Protest
Charles University student Jan Palach committed self-immolation in Wenceslas Square in Prague in protest against the demoralization of the Czechoslovakian people following the 1968 Soviet invasion of the country and the resulting loss of freedom as compared with the previous year's "Prague Spring" liberalization. He died three days later.

Diplomacy
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau had an audience with Pope Paul VI in Rome, where they discussed the possibility of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Vatican. Following the audience, Mr. Trudeau said that the matter would depend on public opinion, since "we do not want to thrust anything down the throats of the Canadian people." This was an odd remark from Mr. Trudeau, given that he didn't mind shoving official bilingualism, multiculturalism, the metric system, legalized abortion and homosexual behaviour, the National Energy Program, and the Orwellian-named Charter of Rights and Freedoms down the throats of the Canadian people.

Defense
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Defense Planning Committee announced that the alliance's defense ministers had agreed to set up a NATO Mediterranean fleet.

Economics and finance
Two major economic reports submitted to Congress by the administration of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson urged both economic restraint and continued growth for 1969.

30 years ago
1979

Died on this date
Ted Cassidy, 46. U.S. actor. Mr. Cassidy, who stood 6' 9", was best known for playing the butler "Lurch" in television comedy series The Addams Family (1964-1966). His deep voice enabled him to find steady work as a voice actor in cartoons and as the narrator for the series The Incredible Hulk (1978-1979). Mr. Cassidy died of complications following surgery to remove a non-malignant tumour from his heart.

World events
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi left Iran and flew to Egypt after 37 years on the throne, and after a year of anti-government demonstrations and crippling strikes.

Disasters
On the same day that the Shah left Iran, an earthquake struck eastern Iran, registering approximately 7 on the Richter scale; the bodies of at least 199 dead were discovered.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 3 @ Colorado 2
Montreal 2 @ Vancouver 2

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): All Night Long (All Night)--Lionel Richie (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (5th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan, in a major statement, spoke with unusual restraint about the state of U.S.-Soviet relations, and called for the resumption of arms reduction talks.

In an address to his parliament, Jordan's King Hussein appealed to the Palestine Liberation Organization for help in finding a formula for Middle East peace negotiations. He called for an end to the requirement for unanimity in reaching decisions among Arab nations, which had given veto power to hard-line opponents of Israel. King Hussein also urged that Egypt be readmitted to the Arab League. The speech was an attempt to revive U.S. President Ronald Reagan's 1982 plan, which contemplated a semi-autonomous Palestinian entity in the West Bank "in association with Jordan."

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Kokomo--The Beach Boys (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Smooth Criminal--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Steve Otto, 67. Polish-born Canadian politician. Mr. Otto, a Liberal, represented the Ontario riding of York East in the Canadian House of Commons (1962-1972). He was 22 days past his 67th birthday when he disappeared and was presumed dead when his sailboat hit a rock and capsized off the coast of Cuba.

Protest
Three days of rioting erupted in Miami when a police officer fatally shot a Negro motorcyclist, causing a crash that also claimed the life of a passenger.