March 7, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Carolyn Jagger!

1,820 years ago
189

Born on this date
Geta. Roman Emperor, 209-211. Publius Septimius Geta was the younger son of Emperor Septimius Severus, who gave him the title of Augustus in 208. Geta and his older brother Caracalla became joint rulers upon their father's death in 209, but the brothers had a lifelong feud, and Caracalla had Geta murdered by centurions on December 26, 211 at the age of 22.

210 years ago
1799

War
Napoleon Bonaparte captured Jaffa in Palestine, and his troops proceeded to kill more than 2,000 Albanian captives.

200 years ago
1809

Died on this date
Jean-Pierre Blanchard, 55. French balloonist. Mr. Blanchard was a pioneer in balloon flight and the use of parachutes in the 1780s and '90s in France and other countries. He made the first balloon flight in the Americas on January 9, 1793, flying from Philadelphia to Deptford New Jersey. On February 20, 1808, Mr. Blanchard had a heart attack while aloft in The Hague, and fell from his balloon; he died in The Hague a year later from the effects of his severe injuries.

160 years ago
1849

Born on this date
Luther Burbank. U.S. botanist. Mr. Burbank developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career, and was one of the most respected men in America. He died on April 11, 1926 at the age of 77.

110 years ago
1899

Hockey
Exhibition
Montreal Shamrocks 1 @ Halifax Crescents 1

100 years ago
1909

Hockey
ECHA
Ottawa (10-2) 6 @ Quebec (3-9) 11

Ottawa Hockey Club had already clinched first place and taken the Stanley Cup from the defending champion Montreal Wanderers before losing to Quebec Hockey Club in what turned out to be the last game of the Eastern Canadian Hockey Association.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Rupert Atkinson, 22. Chinese-born U.K. military officer. Captain Atkinson served with the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force in World War I, recording five combat victories from May-October 1918, earing the Distinguished Flying Cross and Military Cross. He was home on leave when he fell victim to the influenza epidemic and died of pneumonia.

70 years ago
1939

Music
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians were in New York, where they recorded their signature tune, Auld Lang Syne, for the first time, on Decca Records.

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: Murder on a Wager

Died on this date
Sol Bloom, 78. U.S. businessman and politician. Mr. Bloom achieved success in developing the Midway Plaisance at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, inspiring the "midways" which have been part of fairs ever since. He moved to New York in 1903, opening a chain of department store music departments and selling Victor Talking Machines. A Democrat, Mr. Bloom represented New York's 19th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1923-1945 and the state's 20th District from 1945-1949. He served as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1939-1947 and from January 1949 until his death, two days before his 79th birthday. Mr. Bloom was an advocate for admission of Jewish refugees to the United States and for immediate recognition of the state of Israel.

Bradbury Robinson, 65. U.S. football player, physician, and politician. Dr. Robinson was a halfback, end, and punter at the University of Wisconsin (1903) and St. Louis University (1904-1907). He was a member of the St. Louis University team that played in the Olympic Games in St. Louis in 1904 as a demonstration sport, and won the championship. Dr. Robinson was invited to suggest reforms to football in order to reduce the high number of injuries, and suggested legalization of the forward pass. He threw the first legal forward passes in American football on September 5, 1906; his first pass to Jack Schneider fell incomplete and resulted in a turnover, but he later connected with Mr. Schneider for a 20-yard touchdown. Dr. Robinson served on the staff of U.S. Surgeon General Hugh Cumming in Europe in the 1920s, and screened immigrants for entry to the United States. He later settled in St. Louis, Michigan, where he practiced as a naturopath, served two terms as mayor, and became one of the first people to warn of the health hazards of refined sugar and DDT. Dr. Robinson died of complications following routine surgery.

World events
Romania suspended operations of the Joint Distribution Committee, a Jewish welfare agency.

Crime
Jury selection began in the New York trial of U.S. Communist leaders.

Health
A polio epidemic was reported to be raging in northern Canada.

Business
The Egyptian government signed an agreement with the Suez Canal Company giving Egypt control over the canal's administration and 7% of the canal's profits.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws imposing tighter restrictions on "union security" contracts than those provided by federal law. The specific case involved a Wisconsin measure banning maintenance-of-membership contract clauses.

Baseball
Boston Red Sox' left fielder Ted Williams signed his 1949 contract for $100,000. He had played 137 games in 1948, leading the American League in batting (.369); slugging (.615); runs batted in (126); and doubles (44).

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)--Domenico Modugno (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tom Dooley--Nilsen Brothers (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (2nd week at #1)

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

Singles entering the chart were It's Late by Ricky Nelson (#29); If I Didn't Care by Connie Francis (#49); Heavenly Lover by Teresa Brewer (#60); Come Softly to Me by the Fleetwoods (#66); Everybody Likes to Cha Cha Cha by Sam Cooke (#78); This Should Go on Forever by Rod Bernard (#79); Catch a Little Moonbeam by Doc Burch (#81, charting with the version by the Rinky Dinks); French Foreign Legion by Frank Sinatra (#86); I Go Ape by Neil Sedaka (#87); Sorry (I Ran All he Way Home) by the Impalas (#91); Bunny Hop by the Applejacks (#94); Who's That Knocking by the Genies (#98); 77 Sunset Strip by Don Ralke (#99); and Guitar Boogie Shuffle by the Virtues (#100). 77 Sunset Strip was a version of the theme from the television series.

Married on this date
NBC newscaster Chet Huntley married former television weather girl Tipton Stringer in Lake Bluff, Illinois.

Crime
Massachusetts state troopers stormed Walpole State Prison and rescued seven hostages before prisoners could make good on their threat to set the hostages afire unless the prisoners were released.

World events
Cuba's Supreme Military Tribunal reversed a lower tribunal's acquittal of 43 Air Force men accused of bombing and strafing Cuban towns in the final days of the guerrilla revolt led by Fidel Castro.

Independence activist Kanyama Chiume, one of the leaders of the Nyasaland African Congress, fled to London to avoid arrest. Central African Federation Prime Minister Sir Roy Welensky charged that the African National Congress had plotted "strikes, riots and assassinations of Europeans and Africans," but he said he would not ask for aid from British troops stationed in Kenya to end the unrest.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Only One Woman--The Marbles

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
2 To Susan on the West Coast Waiting/Atlantis--Donovan
3 Games People Play--Joe South
4 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
5 Hang 'em High--Booker T. & the M.G.'s
6 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
7 Time of the Season--The Zombies
8 I'm Livin' in Shame--Diana Ross and the Supremes
9 But You Know I Love You--The First Edition
10 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations

Singles entering the chart were Galveston by Glen Campbell (#22); You've Made Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat & Tears (#23); Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by Crazy Elephant (#26); Hot Smoke & Sasafrass by the Bubble Puppy (#27); The Letter by the Arbors (#28); The Weight by Aretha Franklin (#29); and Things I'd Like to Say by the New Colony Six (#30).

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells (5th week at #1)
2 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
3 Games People Play--Joe South
4 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
5 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
6 Try a Little Tenderness--Three Dog Night
7 Hooked on a Feeling--B.J. Thomas
8 Touch Me--The Doors
9 Can I Change My Mind--Tyrone Davis
10 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans

At the movies
The Brain (Le Cerveau), directed by Gérard Oury, and starring David Niven, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Eli Wallach, and Bourvil, opened in theatres in France.

Space
Apollo 9 Commander Jim McDivitt and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart went aboard the lunar module Spider for the third time, and detached Spider from the command module Gumdrop for a successful 6 1/2 hour independent flight. After docking, the two modules flew together for two hours. Messrs. McDivitt and Schweickart returned to Gumdrop, and Spider was jettisoned, destined to burn up on reentry into the earth's atmosphere. During the mission, the two vehicles had flown docked together a record total of 54 hours 47 minutes.

Politics and government
Golda Meir accepted the Labour Party's nomination to become Prime Minister of Israel, pledging to "continue in the same framework" as the late Levi Eshkol.

Protest
Tens of thousands marched to the Chinese embassy in Moscow and broke about 100 windows in protest against the deaths of Soviet soldiers in the recent border clash.

Terrorism
Pierre-Paul Geoffroy, an FLQ member connected to 31 Montréal-area bombings, pled guilty in Montréal to 129 charges of making and placing bombs, conspiracy, theft, and possession of dynamite.

Economics and Finance
The price of gold climbed to record levels in Europe's money markets, pushed by speculation that the French franc was about to topple, and fears of labour unrest in France.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Tragedy--Bee Gees

Movies
1,500 guests were in attendance at the Beverly Hilton Hotel's International Ballroom in Beverly Hills, California as the American Film Institute bestowed its seventh annual Lifetime Achievement Award on Alfred Hitchcock. Mistress of ceremonies Ingrid Bergman ignored the script and performed spontaneously. Mr. Hitchcock sat stone-faced through the entire evening. The event was televised five days later. For a detailed examination of this event, read chapter one of Donald Spoto's book The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock (1983).



Hockey
NHL
Toronto 2 @ Vancouver 0

Baseball
Major league spring training games began.

25 years ago
1984

War
The Red Cross announced that 160 Iranian soldiers examined by a Red Cross medical team in Tehran had been affected by "substances prohibited by international law." The announcement came two days after The New York Times had reported that a U.S. State Department official believed that Iraq was using mustard gas in its war against Iran.

Protest
400 students at Stanislaw Staszic Agricultural College in Poland conducted a sit-in to protest the removal of crucifixes from their classrooms. Ryszard Debrynski, the school's director, had ordered the action in response to a government directive barring the crucifixes from hospitals and schools, reflecting the constitutional separation of church and state. Police broke up the sit-in, and the college was closed.

20 years ago
1989

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

Space
This blogger was one of many North Americans who saw a solar eclipse in the morning. The first solar eclipse witnessed by this blogger also occurred on March 7--in 1970.

Diplomacy
Iran and the United Kingdom severed diplomatic relations because of the fatwa (legal judgment) imposed by Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini upon British author Salman Rushdie, whose novel The Satanic Verses (1988) was regarded as disrespectful to the prophet Muhammad.

Protest
China imposed martial law in Tibet after three days of violent protests led by Buddhist monks and nuns against Chinese rule in Tibet.

Labour
U.S. President George Bush said that he had chosen not to use his authority to postpone the strike of Eastern Airlines machinists because he believed that the strike should be resolved through the free collective bargaining process.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Lowell Fulson, 77. U.S. musician. Mr. Fulson, aka Lowell Fulsom, was a guitarist and songwriter who was the most important figure in West Coast blues in the 1940s and '50s. He recorded seven songs which reached the top ten of the Billboard rhythm and blues singles chart, with Blue Shadows reaching #1 and its B-side, Low Society Blues, reaching #8 in 1950. Mr. Fulson died from complications of kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure, 24 days before his 78th birthday.

Movies
The Jutra Awards, honouring the previous year's best achievements in Quebec cinema, were presented for the first time. The Red Violin led with nine Jutras.


Politics and government
Francisco Flores of the ruling Arena Party received 52% of the vote to win the El Salvador presidential election. His closest opponent, Facundo Guardado of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), received 29% of the vote. Mr. Flores said that he would continue the policies of his predecessor, Armando Calderon Sol, who had pushed for privatization of the economy.