January 18, 2010

175 years ago
1835

Born on this date
César Cui. Russian military officer and composer. Mr. Cui, who rose to the rank of general, studied and wrote about military fortifications. As a composer, he wrote 15 operas, and is also remembered for songs and chamber works. He died in 1919.

130 years ago
1880

Born on this date
Richard Squires. Prime Minister of Newfoundland, 1919-1923, 1928-1932. Sir Richard, a Liberal, was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1913, taking the Liberal Party leadership in 1919 and leading the party to victory in the general election. He implemented economic reforms, but resigned as Prime Minister in 1923 amidst accusations of electoral bribery, sitting in the House as an independent member. Sir Richard regained the Liberal Party leadership in 1928 and led the party to another electoral victory, and his wife Helena won a by-election in 1930, becoming the first woman elected to the House. Economic conditions caused by the Depression and further accusations of corruption led to the defeat of the Liberals and of Sir Richard himself in the 1932 general election. He died on March 26, 1940 at the age of 60.

120 years ago
1890

Died on this date
Amadeo I, 44. King of Spain, 1870-1873. Amadeo I, the second son of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy, was elected King of Spain by the Cortes following the deposition of Queen Isabella II. In the midst of growing republican sentiment, King Amadeo abdicated, resulting in the declaration of the short-lived First Spanish Republic. He resumed his title Duke of Aosta, and died of pneumonia.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Kenneth Boulding. U.K.-born U.S. economist. Mr. Boulding was a co-founder of General Systems Theory and coined the term "psychic capital," referring to the accumulation of desired mental states. He was a quaker and pacifist, fond of saying "Any peace is better than any war." Journalist Andy Rooney was one of Mr. Boulding's students at Colgate University in the early 1940s, and wrote about him in his book Sincerely, Andy Rooney (1999), pp. 97-99. Mr. Boulding died on March 18, 1993 at the age of 83.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Edmonton (AAHA) 4 @ Ottawa 8 (Game 1 of 2-game total goals series)

The Ottawa Hockey Club, defending Stanley Cup and Canadian Hockey Association champions, were challenged by Edmonton, champions of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association. Gordon Roberts scored 4 goals for Ottawa; Bruce Stuart scored 2, with Marty Walsh and Bruce Ridpath scoring 1 each. Fred Whitcroft scored 2 goals for Edmonton, with Harold Deeton and Hay Millar scoring 1 each. The game was played at The Arena.

70 years ago
1940

War
The Ontario Provincial Parliament, led by Premier Mitchell Hepburn, condemned the federal government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King for the manner in which Canada's war effort was being prosecuted, giving Mr. King an excuse to ask Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election. Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay declined to participate in a proposed Latin American protest to the U.S.S.R. over its invasion of Finland. Chinese forces claimed to be within 10 miles of Canton.

Politics and government
Maury Hughes, co-chairman of the Garner for President campaign, announced that a nationwide campaign for delegates would be conducted. John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner was Vice President of the United States, having held the office under President Franklin D. Roosevelt since 1933.

60 years ago
1950

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Ben Wright and Eric Snowden, on ABC

The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Jackson Beck, on ABC

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson, speaking at a news conference, reiterated U.S. refusal to recognize the Chinese Communist government, and expressed hope for the rise of a third political force, neither Communist nor Nationalist, in China.

Aleksander Rudzinski resigned as acting head of Poland's United Nations delegation, and applied for asylum in the United States as a political refugee, saying "freedom has disappeared in Poland" due to Soviet domination.

Scandal
A special U.S. Senate subcommittee investigating "five percenters" issued a report attacking presidential military aide Harry Vaughan for maintaining contacts with influence peddlers and accepting deep freezers as a gift from a perfume manufacturer.

Labour
U.S. government attorneys applied for an injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act against John L. Lewis and the United Mine Workers of America as 80,000 coal miners continued their unauthorized strike.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Lonely Boy--Paul Anka (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Le marchand de bonheur--Les Compagnons de la chanson (10th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Running Bear--Johnny Preston
2 Why--Frankie Avalon
3 El Paso--Marty Robbins
4 The Big Hurt--Miss Toni Fisher
5 Way Down Yonder in New Orleans--Freddie Cannon
6 Go, Jimmy, Go--Jimmy Clanton
7 Teen Angel--Mark Dinning
8 The Village of St. Bernadette--Andy Williams
9 Pretty Blue Eyes--Steve Lawrence
10 Among My Souvenirs--Connie Francis

Singles entering the chart were Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin (#74); Waltzing Matilda by Jimmie Rodgers (#75); Why Do I Love You So by Johnny Tillotson (#84); Am I that Easy to Forget by Debbie Reynolds (#86); Amapola by Jacky Noguez and his Orchestra (#88); Too Much Tequila by the Champs (#89); Cry Me a River by Janice Harper (#91); I Forgot More than You'll Ever Know by Sonny James (#95); Up Town by Roy Orbison (#96); Time After Time by Frankie Ford (#97); The Happy Muleteer by Ivo Robic (#99); and Since I Made You Cry by the Rivieras (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 El Paso--Marty Robbins (5th week at #1)
2 Running Bear--Johnny Preston
3 Hound Dog Man/This Friendly World--Fabian
4 Pretty Blue Eyes--Steve Lawrence
5 The Big Hurt--Miss Toni Fisher
6 Way Down Yonder in New Orleans--Freddie Cannon
7 Not One Minute More/You're My Love--Della Reese
8 First Name Initial--Annette with the Afterbeats
9 Heartaches by the Number--Guy Mitchell
10 Marina--Willy Alberti
--Rocco Granata and the International Quintet

Singles entering the chart were Lonely Blue Boy by Conway Twitty (#27); What in the World's Come Over You by Jack Scott (#36); I Can't Say Goodbye by the Fireflies (#42); Hear Them Bells by Bobby Darin (#59); and Delaware by Perry Como (#60). Hear Them Bells had originally been released in 1956, but had failed to achieve success.

Disasters
Capital Airlines Flight 20, a Vickers Viscount en route from Washington, D.C. to Norfolk, Virginia, crashed into a farm in Charles City County, Virginia, killing all 50 aboard, the third fatal Capital Airlines crash in as many years.

Another fatal plane crash was narrowly averted when a DC-3 taking the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association home from an afternoon game in St. Louis lost power in a snowstorm. Flying with poor visibility and no communication, the pilots were unable to find an airport. With only about 30 minutes of fuel left, they were near Carroll, Iowa, trying to find a suitable cornfield in which to land. It was difficult to find one that wasn't surrounded by power lines, but the pilots finally found a cornfield, and made a smooth landing in about four feet of snow.

Boxing
Zora Folley (50-3-2) won a 12-round unanimous decision over Eddie Machen (31-2-1) in a heavyweight bout at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California.

40 years ago
1970

Died on this date
David O. McKay, 96. U.S. religious leader. Mr. McKay was President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from 1951-1970. During his presidency and his 64 years as one of the Mormon Church’s general authorities, Mr. McKay stressed the importance of the church’s educational institutions, and popularized the phrase "every member a missionary." During his presidency, membership in the pseudo-Christian movement of darkness increased from 1.1 million to 2.8 million. He was outspoken in opposition to Communism, and softened, but did not abolish, the prohibition on admission of Negroes of verifiable African descent to the priesthood. In fact, the ban was upheld by Mormon leaders in a statement distributed around the world just 10 days before Mr. McKay’s death. Mr. McKay was succeeded as LDS President by Joseph Fielding Smith.

Disasters
A truck and bus crash near Monlevade, Brazil killed 15 and injured 20.

Football
NFL
Pro Bowl @ Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
West 16 East 13

Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears was voted the game’s outstanding back; George Andrie of the Dallas Cowboys was the top lineman. Norm Van Brocklin of the Atlanta Falcons was the winning head coach, while Tom Fears of the New Orleans Saints took the loss.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Oh! Susie--Secret Service (14th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Video Killed the Radio Star--The Buggles (10th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)
2 She's in Love with You--Suzi Quatro
3 The Part of Me that Needs You Most--Exile
4 Crazy Little Thing Called Love--Queen
5 Rise--Herb Alpert
6 Half the Way--Crystal Gayle
7 If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold it Against Me)--Bellamy Brothers
8 Boy Oh Boy--Racey
9 Breakfast in America--Supertramp
10 I Have a Dream--ABBA

The only single entering the chart was Great Balls of Fire by Nightmare (#19).

Died on this date
Cecil Beaton, 76. U.K. fashion designer and photographer. Sir Cecil was a fashion and portrait photographer--especially of celebrities--as well as a stage and costume designer for theatre and cinema. He won four Tony Awards, and Academy Awards for both art direction and costume design for My Fair Lady (1964). Sir Cecil suffered a stroke in 1974, and died four days after his 76th birthday.

World events
Lord Soames, the British Governor General of Rhodesia, extended the state of emergency in the country until the installation of a new government.

Diplomacy
The U.S. government reaffirmed American support for "the unity, independence and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia."

Economics and finance
The price of gold closed at $802 U.S. in New York, $159 more than at the beginning of the week.

The U.S. government announced that the economy had grown a modest 1.4% during the last quarter of 1979, making the growth rate 2.3% for the year.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Letkautus--Lättykettu & Tehosekoittajat

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Hangin' Tough--New Kids on the Block

Died on this date
Rusty Hamer, 42. U.S. actor. Mr. Hamer played Rusty Williams in the television comedy series Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show (1953-1964) and Make Room for Granddaddy (1970-1971). Like many child actors, he had trouble finding work when he grew up, and committed suicide by shooting himself.

Melanie Appleby, 23. U.K. singer. Miss Appleby and her sister Kim comprised the duo Mel and Kim, who achieved success in the late 1980s. Their single Respectable (1987) reached #1 in Britain and at least seven other countries. Mel Appleby fought a battle with cancer for several years, and chemotherapy so weakened her immune system that a cold developed into pneumonia that proved fatal.

Crime
The longest and costliest trial in American history concluded in Los Angeles when Peggy McMartin Buckey and her son Raymond Buckey were acquitted on 52 counts of child molestation and conspiracy. The jury was deadlocked on one remaining count against Mrs. Buckey and on 13 counts against her son. The trial lasted 33 months, filled 60,000 pages of transcript, and cost the state of California about $15 million. Based on accounts by young children, seven people had originally been indicted on child molestation charges--incidents that had allegedly occurred at the McMartin Pre-School in Manhattan Beach. Charges against the other five defendants had been dropped for lack of evidence. Raymond Buckey had spent 5 years in jail and his mother 22 months in jail. Some jurors who were interviewed after the verdict said that they had reservations about the technique used to interview children who may have been molested, especially the practice of asking them leading questions. The remaining count against Mrs. Buckey was dismissed, while a mistrial was declared on the remaining counts against David Buckey. The case took place during the era (approximately 1988-1992) of "Satanic panic," when sensationalistic media figures such as Geraldo Rivera and Bob Larson and "Christian" psychotherapists such as Richard Fluornoy were promoting the idea that there was an epidemic of satanic ritual abuse. The McMartin case helped to turn the light on "False Memory Syndrome," where alleged victims have memories planted in them by unethical psychotherapists and then recall events that couldn’t possibly have happened.

Scandal
Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested by city police and FBI agents on a drug charge. According to reports, law enforcement officials used a former model and friend of Mr. Barry’s to lure him to the Vista International Hotel in downtown Washington. There, according to the FBI, Mr. Barry bought a small amount of crack cocaine from an undercover agent, put it in a pipe, and smoked it. The incident was videotaped, and Mr. Barry was arrested.

It was reported that Todor Zhivkov, former Communist Party leader of Bulgaria, had been put under house arrest on charges of malfeasance in office and misuse of government property and money.

Society
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan criticized a plan by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to test-market a new cigarette brand, Uptown, to Negro Americans in Philadelphia. Mr. Sullivan, speaking to medical students at the University of Pennsylvania, said, "At a time when our people desperately need the message of health promotion, Uptown’s message is more disease, more suffering, and more death..." Surveys had found that smoking was more common among Negroes than whites.

Health
This day’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reported that Harvard University researchers had conducted a study that failed to show that oat bran had any special ability to lower blood serum cholesterol levels. Based on the study of 20 adults, the researchers concluded that bran or any other starchy carbohydrate was beneficial primarily because people who ate it tended to eat less high-fat food. Manufacturers of oat bran products said the Harvard study sample was too small to be accepted. The oat bran fad had caught on after a previous study had shown that it lowered cholesterol.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that consumer prices had risen 4.6% in 1989, the highest rate since 1981.

The Bank of Canada allowed its trend-setting interest rate to drop 0.29%. The decline was attributed to speculation in the money markets that Bank of Canada Governor John Crow intended to let interest rates fall, reducing the large spread between Canadian and American rates.

10 years ago
2000

Business
The government of Canada offered tax breaks to keep National Hockey League clubs in Canada.