March 1, 2009

210 years ago
1809

Economics and finance
U.S. President Thomas Jefferson signed the Non-Intercourse Act (1809), forbidding Americans to trade with Great Britain or France. It replaced the Embargo Act of 1807.

140 years ago
1869

Science
Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev finished his design of the first periodic table and sent it for publication.

110 years ago
1899

Canadiana
Revelstoke, British Columbia was incorporated as a city.

Hockey
CAHL
Montreal Victorias (5-2) 0 @ Montreal Shamrocks (6-1) 1

Harry Trihey scored the only goal as the Shamrocks edged the Victorias before 8,000 fans at Montreal Arena.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Eugene Esmonde. U.K. military aviator. Lieutenant-Commander Esmonde flew with the Royal Air Force from 1928 until his death on February 12, 1942, 17 days before his 33rd birthday, when he was shot down while leading an attack on the German cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen, which were attempting to return to their home base from Brest through the English Channel. Lt.-Cdr. Esmonde was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his action.

Winston Sharples. U.S. musician and composer. Mr. Sharples was a pianist and bandleader in the 1920s, but was best known for composing music for more than 700 cartoons for Paramount and Famous Studios from the 1930s through the 1960s. He died on April 3, 1978 at the age of 69.

90 years ago
1919

Protest
The March 1st Movement of resistance to Japanese rule in Korea began with a demonstration in Seoul. Within six weeks, 2 million Koreans had participated in 1,500 demonstrations, with thousands killed by Japanese police.

Politics and government
Jorge Meléndez of the National Democratic Party took office as President of El Salvador.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
NHL
Finals
Ottawa 3 @ Montreal 6 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Newsy Lalonde scored 5 goals to lead the Canadiens over the Senators at Jubilee Arena. Punch Broadbent scored twice for Ottawa.

80 years ago
1929

Died on this date
Royal Hurlburt Weller, 47. U.S. politician. Mr. Weller, a Democrat, represented New York's 21st District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1923 until his death.

75 years ago
1934

Boxing
Primo Carnera (78-6) retained his world heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Tommy Loughran (78-17-5-2) before 12,000 fans at Madison Square Garden Stadium in Miami.



70 years ago
1939

Transportation
In Montreal, Canadian Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce C. D. Howe opened the first Trans-Canada Air Lines transcontinental passenger service from Montreal to Vancouver.

Disasters
A Japanese Imperial Army ammunition dump exploded at Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, killing 94.

60 years ago
1949

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis, on MBS

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Revenge, starring Eddie Albert and Margo

War
The Indonesian Army recaptured Jakarta from Dutch forces and occupied it for six hours.

Israel opened direct armistice negotiations with Lebanon in the frontier town of Ras en Naqura.

Politics and government
The Hoover Committee on Reorganization of the Executive Branch ended its last session in Washington after completing work on 18 reports intended to cut government costs, define lines of authority in the executive branch, and free important officials from matters of minor detail.

Society
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a measure ending the ban on the naturalization of resident Asians.

Television
American Telephone & Telegraph announced plans to add 13 cities to the Eastern-Midwestern network during the coming year.

Boxing
World heavyweight champion Joe Louis, 34, who had held the title for almost 12 years, announced his retirement from boxing to become a director of a new fight promotion syndicate. He came out of retirement later in the year, in order to make money to pay back taxes.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Guitare et tambourin--Dalida (3rd week at #1)

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Relative Value, starring Denholm Elliott, Torin Thatcher, and Tom Conway

World events
British Governor Hugh Foot and 150,000 Greek Cypriots welcomed Archbishop Makarios upon his return to Cyprus from a three-year exile.

Diplomacy
South Korean President Syngman Rhee offered to accept all Koreans "forcibly taken" to Japan during World War II provided that Japan compensated them prior to repatriation.

Politics and government
The Nationalist Party assumed power in Uruguay, after 93 years of rule by the Colorado Party.

Crime
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation disclosed that major crimes in the United States had risen 8% in 1958, with a 10% increase occurring in smaller communities.

50 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Eloise--Barry Ryan with the Majority (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Casatchok--Dimitri Dourakine and his Orchestra (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Zingara--Bobby Solo (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da--The Beatles

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Lonely Woods of Upton--Sean Dunphy (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): If Paradise Is Half as Nice--Amen Corner

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Atlantis--Donovan
2 Spooky's Day Off--Swinging Soul Machine
3 Ain't Got No--I Got Life--Nina Simone
4 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
5 Ring of Fire--Eric Burdon and the Animals
6 Hair--Zen
7 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da--The Beatles
8 Albatross--Fleetwood Mac
9 Keep in Touch--The Free
10 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees

Singles entering the chart were Love is Love by Barry Ryan (#24); The Way it Used to Be by Engelbert Humperdinck (#30); Muny, Muny, Muny by Daisy Clan (#32); Down Man by Brainbox (#37); Frank Mills by Shelley Plimpton (#38); All the Love in the World by Consortium (#39); and If Paradise is Half as Nice by Amen Corner (#40).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone (3rd week at #1)
2 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
3 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
4 Touch Me--The Doors
5 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 You Showed Me--The Turtles
7 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans
8 Baby, Baby Don't Cry--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
9 Worst that Could Happen--Brooklyn Bridge
10 Dizzy--Tommy Roe

Singles entering the chart were Rock Me by Steppenwolf (#63); Who's Making Love by Young-Holt Unlimited (#64); When He Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters) by Peaches and Herb (#65); Only the Strong Survive by Jerry Butler (#70); A Lover's Question by Otis Redding (#71); Galveston by Glen Campbell (#87); Don't Forget About Me by Dusty Springfield (#88); Snatching it Back by Clarence Carter (#90); Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by Crazy Elephant (#94); You've Made Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat & Tears (#95); Sweeter than Sugar by Ohio Express (#96); Day After Day (It's Slippin' Away) by Shango (#97); Give it Away by the Chi-Lites (#99); and The Way it Used to Be by Engelbert Humperdinck (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
2 Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone
3 Touch Me--The Doors
4 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
5 You Showed Me--The Turtles
6 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans
7 Can I Change My Mind--Tyrone Davis
8 I'm Livin' in Shame--Diana Ross and the Supremes
9 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
10 Games People Play--Joe South

Singles entering the chart were Rock Me by Steppenwolf (#58); Galveston by Glen Campbell (#62); These are Not My People by Johnny Rivers (#65); Long Green by the Fireballs (#82); I Didn't Know What Time it Was by Ray Charles (#83); Don't Forget About Me by Dusty Springfield (#84); You've Made Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat & Tears (#87); Only the Strong Survive by Jerry Butler (#88); Hallways of My Mind by the Dells (#89); The Way it Used to Be by Engelbert Humperdinck (#92); Goodbye Columbus by the Association (#95); Gentle on My Mind by Dean Martin (#97); No, Not Much by the Vogues (#98); Day After Day (It's Slippin' Away) by Shango (#99); and Only You (And You Alone) by Bobby Hatfield (#100). Goodbye Columbus was the title song of the movie.

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Condition Red--The Goodees
2 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
3 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
4 Star Crossed Lovers--Neil Sedaka
5 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
6 Touch Me--The Doors
7 Bears--Quicksilver Messenger Service
8 Games People Play--Joe South
9 Crossroads--Cream
10 Cruel War--Sugar n' Spice
Pick hit of the week: She's Not There--Neil MacArthur

Crime
Clay Shaw, 55, owner of the International Trade Mart in New Orleans, was acquitted by a criminal court jury in New Orleans of conspiracy in the 1963 assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The jury took just 54 minutes to acquit Mr. Shaw, who had been arrested in 1967 by New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who postulated a criminal conspiracy reaching the highest levels of government.

War
The Communist offensive increased its pace in South Vietnam, concentrating on military installations.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Richard Nixon continued talks with French President Charles de Gaulle at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

World events
In the first major harassment of Berlin traffic since April 1965, heavily armed Communist border guards sealed off the main autobahn access route to West Berlin for about two hours.

Disasters
11 people died in an earthquake that shook Lisbon, while 4 were killed and 258 buildings were damaged in an earthquake in Huelva Province, Spain.

Boxing
Kim Ko-Soo won a 15-round decision over Hisao Minami in a middleweight fight in Seoul. I don't know who they were, but I do know this...

Baseball
Mickey Mantle announced his retirement from the New York Yankees after 18 seasons with the team. He made his retirement announcement at the Yankees' spring training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, having delayed the announcement as a favour to the Players Association, who were on strike at the beginning of the scheduled spring training period. Mr. Mantle, who had played center field and then right field before moving to first base for his last two seasons, batted .298 with 536 home runs and 1,509 runs batted in in 2,401 games, helping the Yankees win 12 American League pennants and 7 World Series. He won the triple crown in 1956, and led the AL in slugging four times; in home runs four times; in RBIs once; and in runs six times. Mr. Mantle's total of 18 career home runs in World Series play remains the record.

30 years ago
1979

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Athlete

Diplomacy
Israel rejected U.S. proposals for a peace treaty with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Politics and government
The governing Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), led by Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, won 168 of 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies in the Spanish general election, and formed a government with the help of the Democratic Coalition (CD), led by Manuel Fraga, who took 9 seats. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), led by Felipe González, were second with 121 seats, followed by the Communist Party, led by Santiago Carrillo, with 23 seats. The UCD won a majority in the Senate, taking 118 of 208 seats, followed by the PSOE with 61.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Michael Blumenthal signed an accord in Beijing in which China agreed to settle American claims on $196.6 million in assets that had been confiscated in 1949.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 1 @ Montreal 2

Maple Leafs' owner Harold Ballard had threatened to fire head coach Roger Neilson if the team lost to the defending Stanley Cup champion Canadiens at the Montreal Forum. With Paul Harrison playing well in goal in place of injured regular Mike Palmateer, the Maple Leafs gave a heroic effort, but lost. Mr. Harrison was injured in the last minute, and was replaced by Pierre Hamel; it was Mr. Hamel's first NHL action since the fall of 1974. It was announced after the game that Mr. Neilson had been fired and replaced by John McLellan, who had previously been head coach of the Maple Leafs from 1970-1973.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
Edmonton's top 30 (CHED)
1 Thriller--Michael Jackson
2 99 Red Balloons--Nena
3 Jump--Van Halen
4 Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
5 Here Comes the Rain Again--Eurythmics
6 Nobody Told Me--John Lennon
7 Red Red Wine--UB40
8 Got a Hold on Me--Christine McVie
9 Heaven--Bryan Adams
10 Footloose--Kenny Loggins
11 I Want a New Drug--Huey Lewis and the News
12 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
13 Somebody's Watching Me--Rockwell
14 Wrapped Around Your Finger--The Police
15 Middle of the Road--The Pretenders
16 New Moon on Monday--Duran Duran
17 Yah Mo B There--James Ingram and Michael McDonald
18 Don't Bite--Pretty Rough
19 Runner--Manfred Mann's Earth Band
20 Rebel Yell--Billy Idol
21 Joanna--Kool & the Gang
22 An Innocent Man--Billy Joel
23 This Could Be the Right One--April Wine
24 Hold Me Now--Thompson Twins
25 The Language of Love--Dan Fogelberg
26 Come Back and Stay--Paul Young
27 Scratchin' the Surface--Saga
28 So Bad--Paul McCartney
29 Radio Ga Ga--Queen
30 Adult Education--Daryl Hall and John Oates

Died on this date
Roland Culver, 83. U.K. actor. Mr. Culver's films included Night Train to Munich (1940); The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943); and Dead of Night (1945).

Jackie Coogan, 69. U.S. actor. Mr. Coogan, the son of vaudevillian parents, made his movie debut in Skinner's Baby in 1917, and rocketed to fame when Charlie Chaplin used him as his co-star in The Kid (1921). Mr. Coogan followed this with a string of hits through 1927, including Peck's Bad Boy (1921); Oliver Twist (1922); and Little Robinson Crusoe (1924). He was paid $2,000 per week while making Peck's Bad Boy. Mr. Coogan's popularity diminished with adolescence, and his career stalled after he played Tom Sawyer in Tom Sawyer (1930) and Huckleberry Finn (1931). In 1935, Mr. Coogan was seriously injured in a car accident that claimed the life of his father, Jack Coogan, Sr., and best friend, actor Junior Durkin. His mother promptly remarried (to Arthur Bernstein, his business manager), but the couple refused to let Jackie have access to the money that he'd earned as a child star. Jackie filed suit, but under California law at the time, he had no right to the approximately $4 million that he'd earned, and he was awarded just $126,000 in 1939. Public outrage led the California legislature to pass the Child Actors Bill, also known as the Coogan Act, designed to set up trust funds and protect the earnings of child actors. Mr. Coogan was reduced to bit parts in movies in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and then fought with the United States Army in the Pacific theatre in World War II. Television allowed him to resume his acting career. In addition to many guest spots, Mr. Coogan was a regular in the western series Cowboy G-Men (1952-1953); the comedy series McKeever and the Colonel (1962-1963); and most memorably, The Addams Family (1964-1966), as Uncle Fester. In his last 20 years he continued to make numerous television and occasional movie appearances. His last appearance was in the slasher movie The Prey, which was released eight months after Mr. Coogan's death.

Diplomacy
The Syrian press agency issued a communique on a meeting in Damascus between Lebanese President Amin Gemayel and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad. It was reported that the leaders were in "complete agreement" on ways of "reinforcing Lebanon's Arab identity, unity, and independence."

King Hussein of Jordan and Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat concluded five days of discussion on how to coordinate their approach to Middle east peace negotiations. They agreed to continue talking and reaffirmed their support for the 1982 Arab summit declaration that called for Palestinian statehood.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings (South Carolina) and former Florida Governor Reuben Askew withdrew from the contest for the Democratic party nomination for President of the United States in the November 1984 election.

Skiing
Tamara McKinney of Lexington, Kentucky won the giant slalom in Vail, Colorado, becoming the first American woman to win a single season's World Cup championship.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Bring Me Edelweiss--Edelweiss (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Did I Tell You--Jerry Williams (2nd week at #1)

Austria's top 10 (Ö3)
1 First Time--Robin Beck (5th week at #1)
2 Das Phantom der Oper--Alexander Goebel & Luzia Nistler
3 Twist in My Sobriety--Tanita Tikaram
4 In the Air Tonight ('88 Remix)--Phil Collins
5 Listen to the Voices--Labi Siffre
6 Put a Little Love in Your Heart--Annie Lennox and Al Green
7 Never Trust a Stranger--Kim Wilde
8 Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney
9 Tango Korrupti--Rainhard Fendrich
10 Stop!--Sam Brown

Singles entering the chart were Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart; She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals (#11); We'll Be Together by Sandra (#16); Especially for You by Kylie & Jason (#17); and Good Life by Inner City (#27).

Died on this date
Vasantdada Patil, 71. Indian politician. Mr. Patil, a member of the Indian National Congress Party, was Chief Minister of Maharashtra (1977-1978, 1983-1985) and Governor of Rajasthan (1985-1987).

Space
The Canadian Space Agency was created by an act of Parliament.

Scandal
In Toronto, track coach Charlie Francis told the Dubin Inquiry that his pupil Ben Johnson and other athletes knowingly took banned steroids, and testified that Mr. Johnson started using steroids in 1981.

At the Washington, D.C. trial of former National Security Council member Oliver North, who was facing various charges relating to the mid-1980s Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal, Robert Owen, who had been Mr. North's courier to the Contras, concluded six days of testimony, during which he had said that Mr. North had provided detailed military advice and intelligence data to the Contras from 1984-1986. Major General John Singlaub (retired) testified that Mr. North knew that his efforts on behalf of the Contras violated the Boland Amendment, which prohibited U.S. intelligence agencies from aiding the Contras.

Protest
New riots erupted in Venezuela despite an announcement of wage increases.

Law
The United States became a member of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, an international agreement governing copyright.

10 years ago
1999

Crime
Eight tourists, a Ugandan game warden, and three rangers were murdered in a national forest in Uganda. The killers were Rwandan Hutus who apparently sought to destabilize the Ugandan government, which relied heavily on tourist revenue. The slain tourists were from Great Britain (4); New Zealand (2); and the United States (2).

Scandal
The third of five investigations into the International Olympic Committee was concluded with the release of a final report. The independent panel, headed by former United States Senator George Mitchell, concluded that the bribery related to the effort by Salt Lake City leaders to win the 2002 winter games was only part of a broader corruption of the IOC.

Adventure
Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland (the captain) and Brian Jones of Great Britain took off from Switzerland in the Breitling Orbiter 3, a 180-foot helium-powered balloon in an attempt to make the first circumnavigation of the globe in a balloon.