March 21, 2009

170 years ago
1839

Born on this date
Modest Mussorgsky. Russian composer. Mr. Mussorgsky's best-known compositions were the opera Boris Godunov (1869/1874); the tone poem Night on Bald Mountain, aka Night on the Bare Mountain (1867); and the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition (1874). He drank himself to death on March 28, 1881, a week after his 42nd birthday.

120 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Jock Sutherland. U.K.-born U.S. football player and coach. A native of Scotland, Mr. Sutherland played end with the University of Pittsburgh's national championship teams in 1915 and 1916, and was an all-American in 1917. He coached at Lafayette College (1919-1923) and the University of Pittsburgh (1924-1938), compiling a record of 144-28-14, and winning as many as nine national championships (the number is uncertain because of the variety of polls conducted to decide the champion). Mr. Sutherland coached in the National Football League with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1940-1941) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1946-1947), compiling a record of 28-16-1. The 1947 Steelers finished tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with an 8-4 record, necessitating a playoff for the conference title, which the Eagles won 21-0. Mr. Sutherland suddenly took ill while on a scouting trip in Kentucky, and was transferred first to Cairo, Illinois and then to Pittsburgh for surgery. He died on April 11, 1948 at the age of 59 after an operation to remove a brain tumor, just six days after falling ill.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Panagiotis Pipinelis. Prime Minister of Greece, 1963. Mr. Pipinelis was a career diplomat before entering politics. He was Minister of Trade (1961-1963) in the government of Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis, and served as interim Prime Minister from June 17-September 29, 1963. Mr. Pipinelis was Minister of Foreign Affairs in the military dictatorship from November 20, 1967 until his death on July 19, 1970 at the age of 71.

90 years ago
1919

Politics and government
The Hungarian Soviet Republic was established from the union of the Social Democratic Party with the Communist Party, becoming the first Communist government to be formed in Europe after the October Revolution in Russia in 1917. Sándor Garbai was Prime Minister and Chairman of the Central Executive Council, but the real power was wielded by Foreign Minister Béla Kun, a Communist.

80 years ago
1929

Journalism
The Quebec Legislative Assembly adopted the Freedom of the Press Act, proposed by Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau. The law gave journalists parliamentary immunity "for all the reports of the chamber, the reports they make to the committees of the chamber to which the public is admitted, the reports of the trials provided that these reports are faithful, made in good faith . They will also have immunity if they publish at the request of the executive public notices to declare that the obligations and actions of a particular company are worthless and to warn the public against them." On the other hand, for those who felt aggrieved by their writings, journalists were required to give three days' notice so that the complainant "has time to retract or to give explanations, if he deems it appropriate."

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
New York Rangers 1 New York Americans 0 (2 OT) (Rangers won 2-game total goals series 1-0)
Detroit 1 @ Toronto 4 (Toronto won 2-game total goals series 7-2)

Semi-Finals
Montreal 0 @ Boston 1 (Boston led best-of-five series 2-0)

Butch Keeling scored with 10 seconds remaining in the second overtime period to give the Rangers their win over the Americans at Madison Square Garden.

75 years ago
1934

Died on this date
Lilyan Tashman, 37. U.S. actress. Miss Tashman began her career as a model and vaudevillian in New York before moving to Hollywood. She appeared in 66 silent and sound movies from 1921 until her death from cancer. Miss Tashman's movies included So This is Paris (1926); Bulldog Drummond (1929); and Puttin' on the Ritz (1930).

70 years ago
1939

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Detroit 0 @ Montreal 2 (Montreal led best-of-three series 1-0)
New York Americans 0 @ Toronto 4 (Toronto led best-of-three series 1-0)

Semi-Finals
Boston 2 @ New York Rangers 1 (3 OT) (Boston led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Mel Hill scored at 19:25 of the third overtime period to give the Bruins their win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

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 Elusive Agent: Part 1

Died on this date
S.S. McClure, 92. U.K.-born U.S. publisher. Samuel Sidney McClure was a native of Northern Ireland who moved to Indiana with his widowed mother when he was 9. He founded the McClure Syndicate--the first newspaper synidcate in America--in 1884, and founded and ran McClure's Magazine from 1893-1911. The magazine published investigative articles by prominent writers, who were allowed to take all the time they needed to research topics.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. delegate to the United Nations Jacob Malik and U.S. delegate Philip Jessup held informal discussions in New York on the Berlin situation. Mr. Malik indicated that the Soviet Union was prepared to lift the Berlin blockade if the Western Allies ended their counter-blockade and set a date for a foreign ministers conference on all German questions.

U.S. President Harry Truman named John Muccio as the first U.S. Ambassador to South Korea.

Politics and government
Nationalist Chinese Premier Ho Ying-chin named a new cabinet, with former Ambassador to the U.S.S.R. Fu Ping-chang as Foreign Minister.

United Nations Secretary-General Trygve Lie named U.S. Ambassador Chester Nimitz to head the Commission for India and Pakistan, and to supervise the plebiscite which would decide the future status of Kashmir.

The U.S. Hoover Commission on Reorganization of the Executive Branch issued a report on federal social security and welfare functions, recommending the creation of a separate department to handle old age and survivors' insurance, public assistance, aid to dependent children, educational grants, and related matters.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)--Domenico Modugno (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (4th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Venus--Frankie Avalon (3rd 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 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
6 The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)--Andy Williams
7 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
8 Peter Gunn--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
9 It's Late--Ricky Nelson
10 I've Had It--The Bell Notes

Singles entering the chart were The Tijuana Jail by the Kingston Trio (#68); Lovin' Up a Storm by Jerry Lee Lewis (#81); Bella by Jack Scott (#82); Enchanted by the Platters (#85); That's Why (I Love You So) by Jackie Wilson (#88); Ballad of a Girl and Boy by the Graduates (#89); Everywhere You Go by the Quaker City Boys (#93); The Beat by the Rockin' R's (#95); (I Don't Care) Only Love Me by Steve Lawrence (#96); 's-All Right?--'a-All Right! by Senor Wences (#97); I Ain't Givin' Up Nothin' (If I Can’t Get Something from You) by Ben Hewitt (#98); Tell Him No by Travis and Bob (#99); and Secret Love by Jimmy Ricks (#100).

Canada's top 9
1 Venus--Frankie Avalon
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 The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)--Andy Williams
6 Petite Fleur (Little Flower)--Chris Barber's Jazz Band
7 Tragedy--Thomas Wayne with the DeLons
8 I've Had It--The Bell Notes
9 Peter Gunn--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra

Montreal's top 6
1 Venus--Frankie Avalon
2 Alvin's Harmonica--David Seville and the Chipmunks
3 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
4 Petite Fleur (Little Flower)--Chris Barber's Jazz Band
5 It's Just a Matter of Time--Brook Benton
6 Please Mr. Sun--Tommy Edwards

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Nikki Quitazol!

Diplomacy
Irish President Sean O'Kelly was welcomed in New York with a ticker tape parade before leaving on a tour of the United States.

Environment
U.S. Senator Clinton Anderson (Democrat--New Mexico) charged that the Defense Department was preventing the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy from "making public some important data on fallout from weapon tests." U.S. Defense Department officials described the concentration of radioactive strontium-90 from nuclear test fallout as "greater in the U.S. than in any other area of the world."

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Games People Play--Joe South
2 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
3 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
4 To Susan on the West Coast Waiting/Atlantis--Donovan
5 Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon--Paul Revere and the Raiders
6 Galveston--Glen Campbell
7 Time of the Season--The Zombies
8 Traces--Classics IV
9 You Gave Me a Mountain--Frankie Laine
10 Nothing But a Heartache--The Flirtations

Singles entering the chart were Rock Me by Steppenwolf (#24); Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) by Peter Sarstedt (#25); Only the Strong Survive by Jerry Butler (#26); Apricot Brandy by Rhinoceros (#28); Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) by the 5th Dimension (#29); and July You're a Woman by John Wilkinson (#30).

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 Dizzy--Tommy Roe (2nd week at #1)
3 Condition Red--The Goodees
4 Time of the Season--The Zombies
5 Games People Play--Joe South
6 Tear Drop City--The Monkees
7 To Susan on the West Coast Waiting--Donovan
8 Things I'd Like to Say--The New Colony Six
9 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
10 Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon--Paul Revere and the Raiders

Died on this date
Mike "Pinky" Higgins, 59. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Higgins played third base with the Philadelphia Athletics (1930, 1933-1936); Boston Red Sox (1937-1938, 1946); and Detroit Tigers (1939-1944, 1946), batting .292 with 140 home runs and 1,075 runs batted in in 1,802 games. He played in the 1940 and 1946 World Series, batting .271 with 1 home run and 8 RBIs in 14 games. Mr. Higgins managed the Red Sox from 1955-1962 (with brief interruptions in 1959 and 1960), compiling a record of 560-556. He was the Red Sox' supervisor of player personnel from 1961-1962, and general manager from 1962-1965, and has often been labelled a racist for continuing the club's long-standing reluctance to employ Negro players. On February 27, 1968, Mr. Higgins was driving drunk when he killed Louisiana transportation official George Killen; Mr. Higgins pled guilty to driving while intoxicated, and suffered two heart attacks between conviction and sentencing. He began serving a four-year prison sentence in January 1969, was paroled on March 20, and suffered a fatal heart attack the next day.

Defense
The Hong Kong newspaper The Star quoted Mao Tse-tung as saying that China was prepared to use nuclear weapons in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack.

Politics and government
Anthony Lee, installed the previous day as resident Commissioner of the island of Anguilla after an invasion by British troops, promised capital improvements.

Disasters
A head-on crash of an electric train and locomotive, triggered by a power failure, killed at least 40 and injured more than 300 near Sao Paulo, Brazil.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor

Diplomacy
Israel's Knesset endorsed the peace treaty with Egypt, clearing the way for signing ceremonies in Washington, D.C. on March 26. The United States was expected to pledge support for Israel in the event the pact with Egypt was violated.

Scandal
The South African bribery scandal widened as ex-Information Ministry official Eschel Rhoodie said that the United States was the main target of South Africa's bid to influence press and government figures to support her racial policies.

Economics and finance
Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko announced that the International Monetary Fund had pledged $150 million in aid to Zaire in exchange for his government's pledge to cut government spending by two-thirds.

Hockey
NHL
Detroit 4 Toronto 2
St. Louis 1 Vancouver 1

25 years ago
1984

World events
A Soviet nuclear-powered submarine collided in the dark with the U.S. aircraft carrier Kittyhawk in the Sea of Japan. Neither craft was seriously damaged.

The day after a Soviet oil tanker had struck a mine outside a Niacaraguan port, the U.S.S.R. accused the U.S.A. of complicity in the mining. The U.S. State Department rejected the charges, saying that Nicaragua's Contra rebels had already claimed responsibility.

Defense
U.S. President Ronald Reagan decided to cancel his proposed sale of 1,600 antiaircraft missiles to Jordan and 1,200 antiaricraft missiles to Saudi Arabia.

Economics and finance
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was blamed for the breakdown of negotiations at the European Economic Community summit in Brussels.

Environment
Canada signed an agreement with nine European countries to cut sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, key components of acid rain.

Hockey
NHL
Hartford 3 @ Edmonton 5

This blogger was in attendance as the Oilers beat the Whalers at Northlands Coliseum.

20 years ago
1989

Died on this date
Otis Douglas, 77. U.S. football player and coach. Mr. Douglas played tackle at the College of William and Mary (1929-1930), but didn't begin playing professionally until the advanced age of 35, playing with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1946-1949, helping the Eagles win National Football League championships in his last two seasons. He was head coach at University of Akron (1941-1942); Drexel University (1949); and University of Arkansas (1950-1952), compiling a record of 17-34-4. Mr. Douglas became the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union midway through the 1956 season, and led them until his resignation after the third game of the 1960 season. The Stampeders were 22-36-3 under Mr. Douglas, making the playoffs only in 1957, losing in the WIFU semi-finals. Mr. Douglas served as a fitness consultant with the Cincinnati Reds in 1961-1962, and was with them when they won the National League pennant in 1961.

War
Salvadoran President-elect Alfredo Christiani called for a cease-fire in El Salvador's civil war and negotiations with the rebels.

Scandal
Glenn Robinson, a former official with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, testified at the trial of former National Security Council member Oliver North that he and Mr. North had falsified documents to conceal the fact that U.S. Air Force Major General Richard Secord (retired) had paid for a $13,800 security fence at Mr. North's home. Mr. North was facing 12 charges stemming from the mid-1980s Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal.

Sports Illustrated reported allegations tying Cincinnati Reds' manager Pete Rose to baseball gambling.

Edmontonia
Enumeration began for the city census. Enumerators were paid 90c per household and 10c for each name on the voters' list for the upcoming civic election. This blogger was covered two large apartment buildings full of university students--a very enjoyable assignment.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that consumer prices had risen 0.4% in February.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles 4 Edmonton 3

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Ernie Wise, 73. U.K. comedian. Mr. Wise, born Ernest Wiseman, teamed with Eric Morecambe in 1941 to form the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise. The two were popular on British television from he 1950s until Mr. Morecambe's death in 1984. Mr. Wise died after a series of strokes and heart attacks.

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1998 were presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The winners included: Picture--Shakespeare in Love; Director--Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan); Actor--Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful); Actress--Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love); Supporting Actor--James Coburn (Affliction); Supporting Actress--Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love); Foreign Language Film--Life is Beautiful.

Adventure
19 days after leaving Switzerland, Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland (the captain) and Brian Jones of Great Britain completed the first nonstop circumnavigation of the globe by balloon after flying about 29,000 miles in the Breitling Orbiter 3, a 180-foot tall helium-powered balloon. Shortly after takeoff they picked up a high-altitude jet stream and travelled east across Africa, Asia, the Pacific ocean, Central America, the Atlantic Ocean, and back to Mauritania.