March 14, 2009

140 years ago
1869

Born on this date
Algernon Blackwood. U.K. writer. Mr. Blackwood worked as a journalist in Britain and the United States, but was primarily known for his supernatural fiction, particularly the novellas The Willows (1907) and The Wendigo (1910). He died on December 10, 1951 at the age of 82, after a series of strokes.

130 years ago
1879

Born on this date
Albert Einstein. German-born U.S. physicist. Dr. Einstein, one of the most famous scientists in history, was best known for his general theory of relativity, but received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect." He died on April 18, 1955 at the age of 76.

Economics and finance
Canadian Finance Minister Samuel Leonard Tilley brought in an average 25% tariff on U.S. goods; if the U.S. repealed or lowered duties, Canada would match them. This was the first implementation of the Conservative Party's National Policy of Protection.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
K.C. Irving. Canadian industrialist. A native of Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Mr. Irving formed the Irving Oil Company in 1924, and extended his business interests to include transportation, oil refining, mining, pulp and paper, and communications. His fortune was estimated to be $8.5 billion at the time of his death on December 13, 1992 at the age of 93.

Hockey
Stanley Cup @ Montreal Arena
Queen's University 2 @ Montreal Shamrocks 6

Harry Trihey scored 3 goals, Arthur Farrell 2, and Fred Scanlan 1 as the Shamrocks retained the cup by defeating Queen's in a one-game challenge, with half the game played under Ontario rules and the other half under Canadian Amateur Hockey League rules. George Dalton and R.R. Carr-Harris scored for Queen's. The Shamrocks had taken possession of the cup from the defending champion Montreal Victorias after finishing first in the CAHL, with the Victorias finishing second.

75 years ago
1934

At the movies
The House of Rothschild, directed by Alfred Werker, and starring George Arliss, Loretta Young, Boris Karloff, and Robert Young, received its premiere screening in New York City.



70 years ago
1939

World events
Under pressure from Germany's Nazi regime, the republic of Czechoslovakia was dissolved, and Slovakia declared independence.

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 Adventure of the Unfortunate Valet

War
The Burmese government offered Karen nationalists an autonomous state, following the capture of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, by Karen forces and Communist guerrillas.

Politics and government
Chinese Communists announced the formation of a Central Plains provisional People's Government for Kiangsu, Anhwei, and Honan Provinces in central China. Communist spokesmen also promised to take Taiwan, charging that the United States planned to use the island as a "springboard for future aggression" against China.

The U.S.S.R.'s Supreme Soviet approved further shuffling of top administration officials, with Maxim Saburov appointed chairman of the State Planning Commission and Anatoli Kostosov promoted to minister of machine tool construction.

Economics and finance
The U.S.S.R.'s Supreme Soviet approved a 415.4-billion-ruble budget for 1949.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that three Southern railroads and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen had illegally denied promotion rights to Negro firemen.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)--Domenico Modugno (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tom Dooley--Nilsen Brothers (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Venus--Frankie Avalon (2nd week at #1)
2 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
3 Alvin's Harmonica--David Seville and the Chipmunks
4 It's Just a Matter of Time--Brook Benton
5 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
6 Donna--Ritchie Valens
7 The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)--Andy Williams
8 Peter Gunn--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
9 Petite Fleur (Little Flower)--Chris Barber's Jazz Band
10 I've Had It--The Bell Notes

Singles entering the chart were The Happy Organ by Dave "Baby" Cortez (#78); As Time Goes By by Johnny Nash (#85); I Kneel at Your Throne by Joe Medlin (#90); Come to Me by Marv Johnson (#93); Boom-A-Dip-Dip by Stan Robinson (#94); The Answer to a Maiden's Prayer by June Valli (#97); and Class Cutter (Yeah Yeah) by Dale Hawkins (#98).

Canada's top 5
1 Venus--Frankie Avalon
2 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
3 Alvin's Harmonica--David Seville and the Chipmunks
4 Petite Fleur (Little Flower)--Chris Barber's Jazz Band
5 The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)--Andy Williams

War
Damascus radio charged that Iraqi fighters had attacked three villages in the Tel Kotckek region of Syria.

World events
The Cuban government allowed former Prime Minister Jorge Garcia Montes, former Defense Minister Santiago Verdeja Neyra, and three other officials with the government of deposed President Fulgencio Batista to leave Cuba for Colombia on safe-conduct passes.

Politics and government
Kenya Labour Federation leader Tom Mboya was re-elected president of the Nairobi People's Convention Party.

A Gallup Poll showed that half of Southern U.S. white Democrats favoured organizing a States Rights Party should a strong advocate of school racial integration be nominated by the Democratic Party as its U.S. presidential candidate in 1960.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da--The Beatles

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Dizzy--Tommy Roe (2nd week at #1)
2 Games People Play--Joe South
3 To Susan on the West Coast Waiting/Atlantis--Donovan
4 Hang 'em High--Booker T. & the M.G.'s
5 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
6 Time of the Season--The Zombies
7 Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon--Paul Revere and the Raiders
8 I'm Livin' in Shame--Diana Ross and the Supremes
9 Traces--Classics IV
10 I Got a Line on You--Spirit

Singles entering the chart were November Snow by Rejoice (#28); I Can Hear Music by the Beach Boys (#29); and Day After Day (It's Slippin' Away) by Shango (#30).

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
2 Games People Play--Joe South
3 Try a Little Tenderness--Three Dog Night
4 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
5 Tear Drop City--The Monkees
6 Condition Red--The Goodees
7 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
8 You Showed Me--The Turtles
9 To Susan on the West Coast Waiting--Donovan
10 River Deep, Mountain High--Deep Purple

Died on this date
Heinie Zimmerman, 82. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Zimmerman was an infielder (playing mostly at third base) with the Chicago Cubs (1907-1916) and the New York Giants (1916-1919), batting .295 with 58 home runs and 799 runs batted in in 1,456 games. His best season was 1912, when he led the National League with a .372 batting average, 14 home runs, 207 hits, and 41 doubles. Mr. Zimmmerman also led the National League in runs batted in with 83 in 1916 and 102 in 1917. He's remembered for an allegedly bonehead play in the 1917 World Series against the Chicago White Sox, when he held onto the ball and chased Eddie Collins across the plate with the Series-winning run. Mr. Zimmerman, along with his teammate Hal Chase, was kicked off the Giants late in the 1919 season for throwing games.

Space
Canada opened its second satellite-tracking ground station, at Mill Village, Nova Scotia.

War
The Communists were on the last day of their post-Tet offensive drive in Vietnam. U.S. President Richard Nixon said that the Communist attack ruled out a reduction in American forces in "the foreseeable future."

Defense
U.S. President Nixon announced his decision to go ahead with a revised missile defense system. His plan called for 12 sites, equipped with both long- and short-ranged missiles, to defend U.S. missile retaliatory capacity. The system, which would cost about $6 billion-$7 billion and be operative by the mid-1970s, was termed "truly a 'Safeguard' system, a defensive system only" by Mr. Nixon. "It safeguards our deterrent," he declared, and thus would not "delay the progress which I hope will continue to be made toward arms talks."

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Oliver's Army--Elvis Costello and the Attractions

At the movies
Hair, directed by Milos Forman, and starring John Savage, Treat Williams, and Beverly D'Angelo, opened in theatres.

Diplomacy
The Israeli cabinet approved the last provisions to the peace treaty with Egypt.

Politics and government
Premier Peter Lougheed led his Progressive Conservatives to a landslide victory in the Alberta provincial election, capturing 74 of 79 seats in the Legislative Assembly to win their third straight majority. Social Credit took 4 seats, with New Democratic Party leader Grant Notley holding onto his seat in Spirit River-Fairview. The Liberals were shut out, as party leader Nick Taylor failed to win in Calgary-Glenmore.

Disasters
A Hawker Siddeley Trident crashed into a factory near Beijing, killing 44 people and injuring at least 200.

25 years ago
1984

Space
Marc Garneau, a member of the Canadian Space Agency's Canadian Astronaut Program, was named the first Canadian to go into space, being assigned to U.S. space shuttle mission STS-41-G, scheduled for October 1984.

Crime
Irish Republican Army terrorist leader Gerry Adams, head of Sinn Féin, was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in central Belfast.

Defense
The United States Senate Appropriations Committee approved $92.8 million for El Salvador and $21 million for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to assist the Contra opposition to the Sandanista regime in Nicaragua.

20 years ago
1989

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Nemesis

Died on this date
Zita of Bourbon-Parma, 96. Empress of Austria-Hungary, 1916-1918. Zita, a daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma, married Archduke Charles of Austria in 1911, and became Empress when her husband acceded to the throne upon the death of Franz Josef I. The Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed at the end of World War I in 1918, and the former Emperor and Empress fled to exile in Switzerland in March 1919. Charles attempted to regain the Hungarian throne, but was unsuccessful, and he died of pneumonia on April 1, 1922. Empress Zita and her eight children lived in several countries, including the U.S.A. and Canada, over the next few decades, but she eventually returned to Switzerland, where she died.

William J. Cobb, aka Happy Humphrey, 62. U.S. wrestler. Mr. Cobb wrestled professionally in North America from 1953-1962, and was the heaviest wrestler in history, weighing between 750-800 pounds. His weight ballooned to 900 pounds after his retirement, and when he checked into a clinic in 1963 to begin a weight-loss program, he weighed 802 pounds. In two years Mr. Cobb lost 570 pounds, checking out of the clinic at 232 pounds, a record for weight loss that was mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records. He regained much of that weight in later years, and weighed about 600 lbs. at the time of his death.

Law
In a reversal of policy, the U.S. administration of President George Bush imposed an indefinite ban on imports of semiautomatic assault rifles, weapons that were said by law enforcement officials to be preferred by drug dealers.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Kirk Alyn, 88. U.S. actor. Mr. Alyn, born John Feggo, Jr., was best known for playing Superman in the movie serials Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), and the title character in the movie serial Blackhawk (1952). He died of Alzheimer's disease.

John Broome, 85. U.S. author. Mr. Broome, born Irving Broome, began writing for comic books in 1936, and wrote for DC Comics, under his own name and various pseudonyms, from 1946-1970. He and his wife eventually moved to Japan, where he taught English. They were vacationing in Thailand when he died in a swimming pool.

Scandal
U.S. national security adviser Sandy Berger said that China had benefited from information obtained from Los Alamos National Laboratory.