January 31, 2009

200 years ago
1809

Born on this date
Lemuel Allan Wilmot. Canadian politician and judge. Mr. Wilmot, a native of Lincoln, New Brunswick, was a Reformer, and sat in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1834-1851. He was a leader in the campaign for responsible government, and was the province's Attorney General from 1848-1851. Mr. Wilmot was a judge from 1851-1868, and then served as Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick from 1868-1873. He died in Fredericton on May 20, 1878 at the age of 69.

170 years ago
1839

Politics and government
John "Radical Jack" Lambton, Lord Durham, the outgoing Governor of Canada, handed his Report on the Affairs of British North America to British Prime Minister. Lord Durham blamed the power of the Family Compact and Chateau Clique ruling elites for the 1837 rebellions, and recommended uniting the Canadas under one responsible government, with English the only official language, so as to assimilate the French Canadians.

160 years ago
1849

Politics and government
Newly-appointed Lieutenant-Governor Sir Edmund Walker Head, New Brunswick's first civilian Lieutenant-Governor, addressed the New Brunswick Legislature for the first time.

90 years ago
1919

War
The Tartumaa Partisan Battalion and Finnish volunteer Sons of the North defeated Latvian Riflemen in the Battle of Paju in Estonia. Tartumaa Partisan Battalion commander Lieutenant Julius Kuperjanov was wounded, and died two days later.

Protest
Thousands of workers in Glasgow, Scotland, demanding that the 47-hour work week be shortened, clashed with police in the city's George Square. Six British tanks were brought in to surround the city, but the incident ended without fatalities.

75 years ago
1934

At the movies
The Ninth Guest, directed by Roy William Neill, and starring Donald Cook and Genevieve Tobin, opened in theatres.



60 years ago
1949

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and George Spelvin (Wendell Holmes), on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Devil's Foot

The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis, on MBS

On television today
These Are My Children, the first television daytime soap opera, received its premiere broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago; the program ended its brief run on February 25, 1949.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Harry Truman granted full U.S. recognition to Israel and Transjordan.

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate confirmed President Truman's appointment of Maurice Tobin as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Dean Rusk, director of the U.S. State Department's Office of United Nations Affairs, was named assistant Secretary of State.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected former Texas Governor Coke Stevenson's plea for a review of his 1948 Texas Democratic primary dispute with Senator Lyndon Johnson. Mr. Johnson had won the primary by 87 votes over Mr. Stevenson, earning the nickname "Landslide Lyndon." There were disputes over the legitimacy of some of the votes recorded for Mr. Johnson.

Oil
The U.S. Senate Small Business Committee issued a report on its 1 1/2-year study of the U.S.oil industry, charging that 20 "large, integrated oil companies" dominated domestic petroleum production and marketing. The report claimed that the 1947 oil shortage had been induced by companies to increase prices.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Julia--Johnny Dorelli (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tom Dooley--Nilsen Brothers

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): One Night/I Got Stung--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (3rd week at #1)
2 My Happiness--Connie Francis
3 16 Candles--The Crests
4 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
5 Donna--Ritchie Valens
6 The Children's Marching Song (Nick Nack Paddy Whack)--Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra
--Mitch Miller and his Orchestra
7 Gotta Travel On--Billy Grammer
8 Lonely Teardrops--Jackie Wilson
9 The Chipmunk Song--The Chipmunks with David Seville
10 A Lover's Question--Clyde McPhatter

Singles entering the chart were Try Me by James Brown and his Famous Flames (#65); Nola, with versions by Billy Williams; and the Morgan Brothers (#70); Oh Why (#76)/I Don't Need You Anymore (#96) by the Teddy Bears; Plain Jane by Bobby Darin (#77); It Takes So Long (To Say Goodbye) by Dean Martin (#81); Give Me Your Love by Nat "King" Cole (#85); (I’ll Be with You In) Apple Blossom Time by Tab Hunter (#87); The Story of My Love by Conway Twitty (#88); Here I Stand by Wade Flemons and the Newcomers (#99); and Blah, Blah, Blah by Nicola Paone (#100).

Died on this date
Pedro Morejon Caldes. Cuban military officer. Captain Caldes was executed in Havana by firing squad after Cuba's Supreme War Tribunal rejected his appeal.

Politics and government
Switzerland's male voters rejected proposed constitutional amendments giving women the right to vote in national elections and to hold federal office.

Amintore Fanfani resigned as political secretary of Italy's Christian Democratic Party, charging that conservative party members had deserted him in critical issues.

Education
The Virginia state legislature passed bills repealing the compulsory school attendance law and providing for state tuition grants to students leaving desegregated schools for all-white private schools.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Vice President Richard Nixon to chair a permanent Cabinet Committee on Price Sustainability for Economic Growth.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Lily The Pink--The Scaffold

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells (2nd week at #1)
2 Stand by Your Man--Tammy Wynette
3 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees
4 Touch Me--The Doors
5 Going Up the Country--Canned Heat
6 I Heard it Through the Grapevine--Marvin Gaye
7 Mendocino--Sir Douglas Quintet
8 Star Crossed Lovers--Neil Sedaka
9 These Eyes/Lightfoot--The Guess Who?
10 Sweet Cream Ladies--The Box Tops

Singles entering the chart were To Susan on the West Coast Waiting by Donovan (#24); I'm Livin' in Shame by Diana Ross & the Supremes (#26); One Ring Jane by Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck (#28); Games People Play by Joe South (#29); and The Greatest Love by Dorsey Burnette (#30).

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees
2 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
3 Magic Carpet Ride--Steppenwolf
4 Hooked on a Feeling--B.J. Thomas
5 Electric Stories--The 4 Seasons
6 Stand by Your Man--Tammy Wynette
7 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell
8 If I Can Dream--Elvis Presley
9 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans
10 Lo Mucho que te Queiro (The More I Love You)--Rene & Rene

Died on this date
Meher Baba, 74. Indian religious leader. Meher Baba, born Merwan Sheriar Irani, claimed to be an avatar--a god in human form. He was born to Zoroastrian parents, and began his journey into Eastern mysticism at the age of 19. Meher Baba took a vow of silence at the age of 31 in 1925, and kept the vow, communicating through an alphabet board or hand gestures. He promoted typical Hindu doctrines such as reincarnation, and the unreality of the physical world, and began to attract followers in the West in 1931. Meher Baba suffered serious injuries in two car accidents in the 1950s that limited his mobility, but he continued to teach until his death.

Gail Miller. Canadian crime victim. Miss Miller, a nursing assistant in Saskatoon, was raped and murdered in a back lane. Saskatoon city police rounded up a young man named Albert "Shorty" Cadrain and questioned him about the murder; two weeks later, after hearing about a $2,000 reward, Mr. Cadrain implicated his friend David Milgaard, who was charged and convicted in January 1970. After 8,355 days in prison, Mr. Milgaard was released after a Supreme Court of Canada review of the case.

Environment
Oil leaking from an offshore rig in the Santa Barbara Channel off California spread an 800-square-mile slick, causing widespread destruction of marine life. The slick was capped on February 8.

Disasters
At least 35 people were killed when an express train crashed into the rear of another passenger train in a snowstorm in Chonan, South Korea.

An express train plowed into a stationary freight train in western Hungary, killing 9 people and injuring 69.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick--Ian Dury and the Blockheads (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, resigned, amid fears of an increase in terrorist activity in Italy. After 10 months in office, Mr. Andreotti, leader of the Christian Democratic Party, felt that he had no choice but to resign, five days after the Communists had withdrawn their support of the government, having demanded full participation in the cabinet as the price of their continued support of the government.

Religion
Pope John Paul II continued his Latin American visit, meeting with university students in Guadeloupe; addressing journalists in Mexico City; and delivering an address to peasants, employees, and workers in Monterrey, Mexico.

Hockey
NHL
St. Louis 1 @ Toronto 5

Borje Salming's 10th goal of the season in the 2nd period broke a 1-1 tie as the Maple Leafs came back from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the Blues at Maple Leaf Gardens. Paul Harrison won the goaltending duel over Ed Staniowski. John Anderson, suffering from the flu, scored his 8th and 9th goals of the season in the 3rd period, and Darryl Sittler closed the scoring with a powerplay goal.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): My Oh My--Slade (2nd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the Index of Leading Economic Indicators had risen 0.6% in December 1983, thus reversing the one-month decline in November.

20 years ago
1989

Died on this date
William Stephenson, 92. Canadian-born U.K. soldier and spy. Sir William, a native of Winnipeg, fought for Canada in World War I, and moved to England in the early 1920s. He founded and led British Security Coordination, relaying secrets between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was known by his code name Intrepid, and is said to have been the real-life inspiration for Ian Fleming's fictional spy James Bond.

Politics and government
Testifying before the United States Senate Armed Services Committee, conservative activist Paul Weyrich said that he had on several occasions observed former U.S. Senator (Republican--Texas) and Secretary of Defense nominee John Tower in a drunken condition and socializing with women who were not Mr. Tower's wife.

Scandal
The trial of former U.S. Marine Colonel and National Security Council member Oliver North on 12 charges related to the 1986 Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal began.

Hockey
NHL
Vancouver 6 Edmonton 2
Calgary 8 Los Angeles 5

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Norm Zauchin, 69. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Zauchin played first base with the Boston Red Sox (1951, 1955-1957) and Washington Senators (1958-1959), batting .233 with 50 home runs and 159 runs batted in in 346. His best year was his rookie year of 1955, when he hit .239 with 27 home runs and 93 RBIs in 130 games, and leading American League first basemen with a .995 fielding percentage. He became the Red Sox' first baseman when Harry Agganis fell ill early in the season, and died suddenly, soon after being hospitalized. The highlight of Mr. Zauchin's career was when he hit 3 homers and drove in 10 runs--all in the first 5 innings--for the Red Sox in a 16-0 rout of the Washington Nationals on May 27, 1955. Mr. Zauchin played at least 7 seasons from 1948-1960, hitting at least 126 homers and driving in at least 248 runs.

Giant Baba, 61. Japanese wrestler and promoter. Shohei Baba, who stood 6' 10" and weighed 283 pounds, won numerous titles as a professional wrestler, especially in the 1970s, but was best known for founding the promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1972. He died of cancer eight days after his 61st birthday.

Football
NFL
Super Bowl XXXIII @ Pro Player Stadium, Miami
Denver 34 Atlanta 19

John Elway, playing the final game of his 16-year Hall of Fame career, completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown to Rod Smith, while rushing for a touchdown of his own and handing off to Howard Griffith for 2 more TDs as he led the Broncos to their second straight Super Bowl championship, defeating the Falcons before 74,803 fans. The Falcons scored both their touchdowns in the 4th quarter on a 94-yard kickoff return by Tim Dwight and a 3-yard pass from Chris Chandler to Terance Mathis.