February 7, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sherri Pierce and Nikita Quitazol!

230 years ago
1779

Died on this date
William Boyce, 67. U.K. composer. Mr. Boyce was an organist who was known for his church music, as well as eight symphonies, anthems, and odes. He gave up performing and teaching because of deafness, and died from an attack of gout.

210 years ago
1799

Died on this date
Qianlong, 87. Emperor of China, 1735-1796. Qianlong, born Hongli, succeeded his father Yongzheng, and reigned during an era characterized by prosperity and military success. The society and the imperial court began to deteriorate in Emperor Qianlong's later years, and he abdicated in favour of his son Jiaqing in order not to break the record set by his grandfather Kangxi as the Qing dynasty's longest-serving ruler.

190 years ago
1819

Economics and finance
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles left Singapore the day after establishing it as a British East India Company trading post, leaving it in the hands of William Farquhar.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Hélder Câmara. Brazilian clergyman. Dom Hélder Câmara was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Olinda and Recife from 1964-1985. He promoted "liberation theology," which is Marxism in Christian dress, although he denied being a Marxist. Dom Hélder Câmara also claimed to believe in non-violence, while supporting violent tactics. He died on August 27, 1999 at the age of 90.

Amedeo Guillet. Italian military officer and diplomat. Major Guillet, nicknamed "Devil Commander," was one of the last men to command cavalry forces in war, known for his bravery while serving in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1937) and the Italian guerrilla war in Ethiopia (1941-1943). He held diplomatic posts in various countries after World War II, retiring in 1975. Maj. Guillet died on June 16, 2010 at the age of 101.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
William Halford, 77. U.K.-born U.S. military officer. Lieutenant Halford, a native of Gloucestershire, joined the United States Navy in 1869. He was serving aboard the USS Saginaw when she ran aground near Kure Atoll in 1870. Lt. Halford and three other officers took the ship's boat and sailed 1,500 miles to Honolulu, braving difficult conditions through 31 days. The others were drowned in the heavy surf, but Lt. Halford reached land, and was able to obtain help for the Saginaw,earning the Medal of Honor. Lt. Halford served in the Navy until retiring in 1903, and returned to service during World War I in 1917, and was still active at the time of his death.

75 years ago
1934

Crime
Edward Bremer, 37, was released 21 days after being kidnapped in St. Paul, Minnesota. His two kidnappers ended up being sentenced to life in prison.

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 Bloodstained Goddess

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate confirmed President Harry Truman's appointments of Dean Rusk as Assistant Secretary of State; William McChesney Martin, Jr. as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury; and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Karl Compton as chairman of the Defense Department's Research and Development Board.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a bill giving the President permanent power to reorganize government agencies.

Economics and finance
The greatest influx of livestock to U.S. markets in a year caused a drastic decline in meat prices on livestock exchanges.

Baseball
New York Yankees' center fielder Joe DiMaggio became the first $100,000-a-year athlete when he signed his 1949 contract with the Yankees. The next highest on the team's payroll at the time were Tommy Henrich and Phil Rizzuto at $40,000 each.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tom Dooley--Nilsen Brothers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): One Night/I Got Stung--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (4th week at #1)
2 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
3 Donna--Ritchie Valens
4 16 Candles--The Crests
5 My Happiness--Connie Francis
6 The Children's Marching Song (Nick Nack Paddy Whack)--Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra
--Mitch Miller and his Orchestra
7 Lonely Teardrops--Jackie Wilson
8 Gotta Travel On--Billy Grammer
9 The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)--Andy Williams
10 Goodbye Baby--Jack Scott

Singles entering the chart were Charlie Brown by the Coasters (#62); Miss You by Jaye P. Morgan (#79, charting with the version by the Keymen); Raw-Hide by Link Wray and the Wraymen (#81); Anthony Boy by Chuck Berry (#85); Midnight Oil by Charlie Blackwell (#90); Sea Cruise by Frankie Ford (#93); Madrid by Nat "King" Cole (#96); When You're Smiling by Bobby Freeman (#97); Tragedy by Thomas Wayne with the DeLons (#99); and Teardrops Will Fall by Dicky Doo and the Don'ts (#100).

Died on this date
D.F. Malan, 84. Prime Minister of South Africa, 1948-1954. Daniel François Malan was a Dutch Reformed Church minister who joined the National Party in 1914 and was first elected to Parliament in 1918, serving as South Africa's Minister of the Interior from 1924-1933. Mr. Malan led the National Party to victory in the 1948 general election, implementing and laying the foundations of the racial segregation policy of apartheid until his retirement in 1954.

Nap Lajoie, 84. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Lajoie played second base with the Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900); Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1902, 1915-1916); and Cleveland Bronchos/Naps (1902-1914), batting .339 with 3,242 hits, 82 home runs and 1,599 runs batted in in 2,480 games. He won five American League batting titles, including the triple crown in 1901; his .426 batting average from that season remains the AL record. Mr. Lajoie was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1911 and 1913. He managed Cleveland from 1905-1909, compiling a record of 377-309, and the team was renamed the Naps in his honour. Mr. Lajoie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.

Guitar Slim, 32. U.S. musician. Guitar Slim, whose real name was Eddie Jones, was a blues guitarist and singer in the 1950s who was known for his flamboyant stage act and his use of distortion in playing his electric guitar, more than a decade before rock guitarists employed the technique. His best-known recording was the single The Things that I Used to Do (1953), which spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart in 1954. Mr. Jones turned to drink in later years, and died of pneumonia.

War
Nationalist Party rebels occupied the garrison town of Santa Barbara, Honduras, near the Guatemalan border.

Politics and government
Anti-Communist members of Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Karim el-Kassem's cabinet resigned and were replaced by a predominantly socialist group of civilians and Army officers. The shift was seen as a defeat for those who were supportive of United Arab Republic President Gamal Nasser and favoured an early merger of Iraq with the U.A.R.

500 anti-Gaullist rightists in France announced the formation of a Nationalist Party dedicated to the creation of a totalitarian, anti-Semitic regime which would integrate Algeria within France.

Aviation
The world's longest flight ended when Robert Timm and John Cook landed at McCarran Airfield, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2 months and 3 days after leaving from the same airport. Their flight, in a Cessna 172 Hacienda, lasted 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, 5 seconds. Continual airborne refuelling enabled Messrs. Timm and Cook to fly the equivalent of 6 times around the world.

Economics and finance
U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Communist Chinese Premier Chou En-lai signed a Soviet-Chinese technical aid agreement in Moscow providing for $1.25 billion worth of Soviet assistance for the construction of 78 heavy industrial installations in China by 1967.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I'm a Tiger--Lulu

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells (3rd week at #1)
2 Touch Me--The Doors
3 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees
4 Mendocino--Sir Douglas Quintet
5 Sweet Cream Ladies--The Box Tops
6 These Eyes/Lightfoot--The Guess Who?
7 Stand by Your Man--Tammy Wynette
8 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
9 Long Line Rider--Bobby Darin
10 Worst that Could Happen--Brooklyn Bridge

Singles entering the chart were You Showed Me by the Turtles (#19); Purple Haze by Dion (#24); Ramblin' Gamblin' Man by the Bob Seger System (#25); Twilight Woman by the 49th Parallel (#27); Can I Change My Mind by Tyrone Davis (#28); I Got a Line on You by Spirit (#29); and Time of the Season by the Zombies (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
2 Magic Carpet Ride--Steppenwolf
3 Electric Stories--The 4 Seasons
4 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees
5 Sweet Cream Ladies--The Box Tops
6 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell
7 Hooked on a Feeling--B.J. Thomas
8 Touch Me--The Doors
9 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
10 Can I Change My Mind--Tyrone Davis

Died on this date
Anson Weeks, 72. U.S. musician. Mr. Weeks was a pianist who formed his first jazz band in 1924 in his native Oakland, California. He led a dance band through the 1960s, mainly performing in San Francisco, and issued occasional singles and albums that became regional hits. Mr. Weeks died a week before his 73rd birthday.

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary General U Thant said that the Big 4 talks were a promising step toward a permanent peace in the Middle East.

Politics and government
The West German government accused the Soviet Union of "increasing tension in the international political scene" by attempting to thwart the entry of the West German Federal Assembly into West Berlin for slated presidential elections.

Terrorism
A crowded market in the Biafran village of Umuohiagu was bombed and strafed at noon, killing between 200 and 300 and wounding hundreds, according to officials. Villagers said that the bombs were dropped by a Nigerian jet fighter-bomber.

Protest
Riots began in Bombay, India during a demonstration over the border dispute between the states of Maharashtra and Mysore. The riots continued for several days, leaving 43 dead, 200 injured, and more than 1,000 jailed.

Oil
United States officials acknowledged Peru’s right to expropriate the oil fields at La Brea y Parenas and the Talara refinery, but criticized the demand for $690.5 million in compensation.

Disasters
10 were killed and 100 injured in a head-on crash of a passenger express and a freight train northeast of Melbourne, Australia.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Heart of Glass--Blondie

Died on this date
Josef Mengele, 67. German physician and war criminal. Dr. Mengele had doctorates in anthropology and medicine, and joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and the SS in 1938, achieving the rank of Hauptsturmführer (captain). Dr. Mengele became known for his brutal experiments on prisoners during World War II, but was able to evade capture and prosecution as a war criminal, fleeing to South America and eventually settling in Brazil. He suffered a stroke while swimming and drowned; his death wasn't publicly revealed until 1985.

Space
Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was discovered.

World events
A U.S. State department report to Congress claimed that Israel had suspended some human rights guarantees in the occupied Arab territories, with some political detainees being mistreated. Israel denied the allegations.

Oil
U.S. Energy Secretary James Schlesinger, testifying before a Senate committee, warned that the loss of Iran's oil supply was "prospectively more serious" than the Middle east embargo of 1973-74, and that he was uncertain as to when Iran's exports might resume on a regular basis. Iran had stopped her oil exports on December 26, 1978.

Disasters
It was reported that a month of heavy rains in east central Brazil had killed 204 people and left 200,000 homeless.

25 years ago
1984

Space
As part of the STS-41-B mission aboard the U.S. space shuttle Challenger, astronauts Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart made the first untethered space walks using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). They got as far away as 320 feet from the spacecraft and travelled at 17,500 miles per hour.





War
U.S. President Ronald Reagan ordered the beginning of the withdrawal of the 1,400-man contingent of U.S. Marines from Lebanon, and authorized U.S. military commanders to launch bombardments and air strikes against Syrian positions that fired on Beirut. Mr. Reagan said he was "concentrating our forces," but that after Lebanon reorganized and broadened its government, the U.S. would again train and supply the Lebanese army. The withdrawal was to proceed "shortly" and in stages.

Economics and finance
U.S. Federal Reserve Board chairman Paul Volcker warned the House of Representatives Banking Committee that federal budget deficits "pose a clear and present danger" to economic growth. His comments helped trigger a sharp drop in the Dow-Jones industrial average.

Business
General Motors reported profits of $3.73 billion for 1983 and total sales of almost $75 billion, leading all U.S, auto manufacturers. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, reported profits totalling $6.3 billion.

Olympics
Men's hockey
Group A
Sweden (1-0) 11 Italy (0-1) 3
U.S.S.R. (1-0) 12 Poland (0-1) 1
West Germany (1-0) 8 Yugoslavia (0-1) 1

Group B
U.S.A. (0-1) 2 Canada (1-0) 4
Austria (0-1) 3 Finland (1-0) 4
C.S.S.R. (1-0) 10 Norway (0-1) 4

At the Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, Carey Wilson scored 27 seconds into the game and added 2 more goals as Canada upset the United States 4-2 in the opening game of men's hockey competition for both teams. The result was a disaster for not only head coach Lou Vairo and the U.S. team, but for the American Broadcasting Company, which had paid a hefty fee for U.S. television broadcasting rights for the games, hoping for a repeat of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" gold medal in men's hockey.



20 years ago
1989

Music
Roy Orbison's album Mystery Girl was released on Virgin Records, two months after Mr. Orbison's death. The album included the Big O's current single, You Got It, as well as two songs that were subsequently issued as singles: She's a Mystery to Me (written by Bono and The Edge) and California Blue. Roy's son Wesley co-wrote one song (The Only One), and Mr. Orbison reunited with his old songwriting partner Bill Dees on Windsurfer. Another highlight was his cover of Elvis Costello's The Comedians, which he had performed in his "Black and White Night" concert with is friends in 1987.

World events
The U.S. State Department's annual review of human rights problems around the world criticized the conduct of the Israeli army in the occupied territories, noting that 366 Palestinians had been killed and more than 20,000 injured in 1988. The report found that the Israelis often used excessive force, "causing many avoidable deaths and injuries," and also criticized mass detentions without trial, arbitrary arrests, and deportations. Israeli officials rejected the conclusions of the report. The Palestinian intifada (uprising) against Israeli rule had begun in 1987.

Oil
Mobil Oil Canada and the federal Department of Industry, Science and Technology participated in a seminar in Montreal on a $5-billion drilling project in the Hibernia Basin off Newfoundland.

Hockey
NHL
All-Star Game @ Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton
Clarence S. Campbell Conference 9 Prince of Wales Conference 5

Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings, playing his second game in Edmonton since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers, scored a goal and 2 assists and was named the game's most valuable player before 17,503 fans, including this blogger. Walt Poddubny of the Quebec Nordiques scored 2 goals for the Prince of Wales Conference. This blogger managed to obtain a standing room ticket from a scalper for just $2 more than the legal price, and watched the first two periods from there. I spotted an empty seat in the golds and went down there for the third period, and ended up sitting next to Pat Quinn. A very attractive young brunette in a short skirt sat down in front of us, and I said, "Oh, I like that!" Mr. Quinn said, "That just happens to be my daughter." And very lovely she was.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Bobby Troup, 80. U.S. musician and actor. Mr. Troup was a jazz pianist who wrote songs such as Daddy; Route 66; and Their Hearts were Full of Spring. He played Dr. Joe Early in the television series Emergency! (1972-1979), co-starring with his wife Julie London. Mr. Troup died of a heart attack.

Hussein, 63. King of Jordan, 1952-1999. Hussein was the son of King Talal, who was forced to abdicate after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. He sat on the Hashemite throne for 46 years, ruling as a constitutional monarch, surviving numerous assassination attempts while overseeing the country's evolution into a democratic state. King Hussein acted as a mediator between competing Middle East interests, and in 1994 became the second Arab head of state, after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, to sign a peace treaty with Israel. He died of cancer in Amman and was succeeded by his eldest son Abdullah II.

Asiatica
Immediately upon succeeding to the throne of Jordan, King Abdullah II named his 18-year-old half-brother Hamzah, the son of Queen Noor, as his crown prince and successor.

Football
NFL
Pro Bowl @ Aloha Stadium, Honolulu
AFC 23 NFC 10