March 23, 2009

640 years ago
1369

Died on this date
Peter, 34. King of Castile and León, 1350-1369. Peter, nicknamed both "The Cruel" and "The Just," succeeded his father Alfonso XI on the throne of the House of Ivrea. He was at war with Aragon from 1356-1366, and was murdered by his half-brother Henry, who took the throne as King Henry II.

450 years ago
1559

Died on this date
Asnaf Sagad I, 36-38. Emperor of Ethiopia, 1540-1559. Asnaf Sagad I, born Gelawdewos, succeeded his father Dawit II. His reign was characterized by various wars, and he was killed in battle against Somali ruler Nur ibn Mujahid. Asnaf Sagad I was succeeded on the throne by his brother Menas, who took the name Admas Sagad I.

410 years ago
1599

Born on this date
Thomas Selle. German composer. Mr. Selle was known for his choral works, and especially for his use of intermedia (polychoral motets that are interspersed within the Passion story to summarize and comment on the narrative). He died on July 2, 1663 at the age of 64.

140 years ago
1869

Born on this date
Emilio Aguinaldo. 1st President of the Philippines, 1899-1901. Mr. Aguinaldo served as President of the Philippines during the Philippine-American War before being captured and swearing an oath of allegiance to the United States. He collaborated with Japanese occupation forces during World War II, and served several months in prison before being freed by a presidential amnesty. Mr. Aguinaldo died on February 6, 1964 at the age of 94.

130 years ago
1879

Died on this date
Eduardo Abaroa Hidalgo, 40. Bolivian military officers. Colonel Abaroa was killed commanding civilian forces--after military forces had withdrawn--against invading Chilean troops in the Battle of Topáter. Col. Abaroa's refusal to surrender made him a Bolivian national hero.

War
Chilean forces commanded by Eleuterio Ramírez defeated Bolivian forces commanded by Ladislao Cabrera in the Battle of Topáter near Calama, Bolivia. It was the first battle in the War of the Pacific.

120 years ago
1889

Weather
Edmonton's temperature reached 72 F (22.2 C), the warmest March day on record.

Religion
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was established in Qadian, India by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Charles Werner. U.S. cartoonist. Mr. Werner was an editorial cartoonist who worked at the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman (1935-1941); Chicago Sun (1941-1947); and Indianapolis Star (1947-1994). He won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1939. Mr. Werner died of cancer on July 1, 1997 at the age of 88.

90 years ago
1919

Politics and government
Benito Mussolini founded his Italian Fascist political movement in Milan.

80 years ago
1929

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Boston 3 @ Montreal 2 (Boston won best-of-five series 3-0)

70 years ago
1939

War
The Slovak-Hungarian War began when the Hungarian air force, without warning, attacked the headquarters of the Slovak air force in the city of Spišská Nová Ves, killing 13 people.

Diplomacy
Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Juozas Urbšys and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signed the Treaty of the Cession of the Memel Territory to Germany in exchange for a Lithuanian Free Zone for 99 years in the port of Memel.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Toronto 2 @ New York Americans 0 (Toronto won best-of-three series 2-0)
Montreal 3 @ Detroit 7 (Best-of-three series tied 1-1)

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

Mel Hill scored at 8:24 of the 1st overtime period gave the Bruins their win over the Rangers at Boston Garden. It was the second straight win for the Bruins over the Rangers in overtime, with Mr. Hill scoring the winning goal on both occasions.

60 years ago
1949

War
Lebanon and Israel signed an armistice agreement in Ras en Naqura.

Defense
Articles in the Leningrad Pravda and Moscow New Times warned Finland against aligning herself with the North Atlantic treaty powers in violation of the Soviet-Finnish non-aggression pact.

U.S. State Secretary Dean Acheson denied Soviet charges that the U.S.A. had established military bases in Iran, but reaffirmed America's "continuing interest" in Iranian security.

Canadiana
King George VI gave Royal Assent to the British North America Act, 1949, aka Newfoundland Act, passed by the British Parliament, clearing the way for the union of Canada and Newfoundland on March 31. After Newfoundlanders voted "Yes" in a close-and still disputed--referendum on April 1, 1948, Newfoundland Premier Joey Smallwood signed an agreement on December 11, 1948 to admit Newfoundland into Confederation.

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate confirmed President Harry Truman's nomination of Louis Johnson as Defense Secretary, to succeed James Forrestal.

The U.S. National Security Council established an Interdepartmental Committee on Internal Security to coordinate policy against subversive activity within the U.S.A.

Economics and finance
Argentine President Juan Peron signed a decree placing all raw materials under control of the commerce and industry ministry.

The Romanian government cancelled the ration cards of all non-workers, forcing them to buy food at high free-market prices.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mariquilla--José Luís y su Guitarra (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
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 Tragedy--Thomas Wayne with the DeLons
6 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
7 I've Had It--The Bell Notes
8 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
9 Never Be Anyone Else But You--Ricky Nelson
10 Donna--Ritchie Valens

Singles entering the chart were (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I by Elvis Presley (#64); The Tijuana Jail by the Kingston Trio (#72); Fried Eggs by the Intruders (#73); Wishful Thinking by Little Anthony and the Imperials (#79); Come Softly to Me by Ronnie Height (#80); The Beat by the Rockin' R's (#81); Record Hop Blues by the Quarter Notes (#82); Tell Him No by Travis and Bob (#85); For a Penny by Pat Boone (#91); Enchanted by the Platters (#93); Jimmy Kiss and Run by Diane Maxwell (#95); Six Nights a Week by the Crests (#96); That's Why (I Love You So) by Jackie Wilson (#97); Someone by Johnny Mathis (#98); Tell Him No by Dean and Marc (#99); and Sweet Annie Laurie by Sammy Turner and the Twisters (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
2 Venus--Frankie Avalon
3 The All American Boy--Bill Parsons
4 I've Had It--The Bell Notes
5 It's Late/Never Be Anyone Else But You--Ricky Nelson
6 Peter Gunn--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
7 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
8 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
9 Alvin's Harmonica--David Seville and the Chipmunks
10 Tall Paul--Annette

Singles entering the chart were I Need Your Love Tonight/(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I by Elvis Presley (#20); Turn Me Loose by Fabian (#48); That's Why (I Love You So) by Jackie Wilson (#55); Tell Him No by Travis and Bob (#56); The Wang Dang Taffy-Apple Tango (Mambo Cha Cha Cha)/For a Penny by Pat Boone (#57); The Bunny Hop by the Applejacks (#58); Fried Eggs by the Intruders (#59); and Ballad of a Girl and Boy by the Graduates (#60).

World events
The two-week Tibetan Uprising ended with a bloody, three-hour battle in Lhasa at the Jokhang, the most sacred Buddhist temple in Tibet. Chinese People's Liberation Army troops finally prevailed, and the Chinese flag was raised at the Jokhang.

Diplomacy
The U.S.A., in a note to the U.S.S.R., charged that there was "a strong presumption" that five trans-Atlantic cables severed off Newfoundland in February had been cut by a Soviet fishing trawler.

Defense
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill extending the peacetime draft through mid-1963.

Southern Rhodesian Prime Minister Sir Edgar Whitehead bowed to public protests and withdrew a preventive detention bill permitting detention of accused subversives for up to five years without trial.

Crime
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover announced that the agency had broken up a 14-member American-Canadian ring that had allegedly won $45,000 by getting advance answers to word puzzle contests in eight American newspapers.

40 years ago
1969

War
The United States revealed that American and South Vietnamese forces had launched a counteroffensive against Communist forces on March 1 in the Ashau Valley.

Popular Culture
30,000 people attended a rally at the Orange Bowl in Miami to support a teenage crusade for decency in entertainment. The rally was organized following the arrest of Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors, for indecent exposure at a concert in Miami.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Y.M.C.A.--Village People (7th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Heart of Glass--Blondie (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (4th week at #1)

Terrorism
Guatemala was shaken by a terrorist campaign against the moderate opposition; the military government denied involvement, but moderate leaders said that rightists were tied to elements within the police and armed forces.

Scandal
U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell conferred full powers of a special prosecutor upon special counsel Paul Curran , amid Republican criticism that Mr. Curran had not been given sufficient authority to conduct a thorough investigation into loans to President Jimmy Carter's family business by Bert Lance's National Bank of Georgia.

Labour
Over 60,000 steelworkers marched in Paris in protest against unemployment, layoffs, and the possible shutdown of France's steel industry.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Poi E--Patea Maori Club (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (5th week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index had risen 0.4% in February.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Like a Prayer--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

Science
Physicists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announced their discovery of cold fusion at the University of Utah.

Defense
Canadian troops arrived in Pakistan as part of the United Nations' Operation Salam, to assist Afghan refugees and create land mine education programs.

Politics and government
The legislature of Kosovo, an autonomous region of the republic of Serbia in Yugoslavia, voted to give Serbia direct control over the province's courts and police. Demonstrations began immediately and quickly spread to several cities.

Scandal
Stuart Berlin, a U.S. Navy contract specialist, pled guilty to wire fraud and receiving bribes as part of a plan to help Teledyne Electronics win a U.S. Air Force electronics contract. Teledyne pled guilty to conspiracy.

Fawn Hall, former secretary to former U.S. National Security Council member Oliver North, concluded two days of testimony at the trial of Mr. North, who was facing 12 charges in connection with the mid-1980s Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. She testified about her role in helping Mr. North alter or destroy relevant documents.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Luis Maria Argaña, 66. Vice President of Paraguay, 1998-1999. Mr. Argaña, a member of the Colorado Party, held various political offices, including Foriegn Minister (1989-1990), and was President of the Supreme Court of Paraguay (1983-1988). He was assassinated in Asuncion by four men in a gun and grenade assault on the jeep of Mr. Argaña and his driver. Mr. Argaña's faction of the ruling party had called for the impeachment of President Raúl Cubas Grau for his defiance of a Supreme Court order to return to prison General Lino Cesar Oviedo, who had defeated Mr. Argaña for the 1998 Colorado Party presidential nomination, but had then been sentenced to prison for planning a coup against then-President Juan Carlos Wasmosy in 1996. Mr. Argaña was succeeded as Vice President by Julio César Franco.

Diplomacy
Two days of talks between United States envoy Richard Holbrooke and Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic regarding the future of the rebellious Yugoslavian province of Kosovo concluded with no agreement.