January 29, 2010

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Ken Dies!

190 years ago
1820

Died on this date
George III, 81. King of Great Britain and Ireland, 1760-1820; King of Hanover, 1814-1820. George III was the grandson of King George II, and the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales. He was the first monarch of the House of Hanover to be born in England and to speak English as his first language. He succeeded to the throne on the death of George II. Madness, which in recent years has been attributed to the genetic disease porphyria as well as to arsenic poisoning, increasingly affected King George in his later years, and in 1810 he was replaced as regent by his eldest son, who succeeded to the throne as King George IV upon the death of George III. King George III died six days after the death of his son Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn.

160 years ago
1850

Politics and government
Henry Clay (Whig--Kentucky) introduced the Compromise of 1850 into the United States Senate. The compromise included: the admission of California as a free state; the organization of New Mexico and Utah territories without mention of slavery, the status of that institution to be determined by the territories themselves when they were ready to be admitted as states; the prohibition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia; a more stringent fugitive slave law; and the settlement of Texas boundary claims by federal payment of $10 million on the debt contracted by the Republic of Texas.

150 years ago
1860

Born on this date
Anton Chekhov. Russian playwright and author. Dr. Chekhov, a physician by trade, wrote the novel The Shooting Party (1884) and several novellas, but was known for the plays The Seagull (1896); Uncle Vanya (1899-1900); Three Sisters (1901); and The Cherry Orchard (1904)--and for more than 280 short stories. He died of tuberculosis on July 15, 1904 at the age of 44.

130 years ago
1880

Born on this date
W.C. Fields. U.S. actor. Mr. Fields, born William Claude Dukenfield, was famous (and beloved by this blogger) for his misanthropic persona, side-of-the-mouth vocal delivery, large nose, juggling skill, and fondness for alcohol. His movies included It's a Gift (1934); You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939); and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941). He died on December 25, 1946 at the age of 66 as a result of years of heavy drinking.

110 years ago
1900

Baseball
Under the leadership of Ban Johnson, the American League was organized in Philadelphia, with franchises in Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. The AL competed as a minor league in 1900 before challenging the National League as a major league in 1901.

70 years ago
1940

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce
Tonight’s episode: The Second Stain

French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier delivered a nationwide broadcast titled The Nazi's Aim is Slavery.

War
German planes bombed targets along 550 miles of Britain's east coast from Shetland to Kent.

Hindu-Muslim clashes in Rangoon continued despite appeals by Burmese civic and religious leaders for harmony.

Diplomacy
A spokesman for the Japanese Foreign Office asserted that Japan must affirm continuation of the Anti-Comintern pact because Communism was the antithesis of Japan's goals.

The Pan-American Neutrality Committee announced a resolution to standardize treatment of citizens of belligerent countries.

Politics and government
Supporters of New York City District Attorney Thomas Dewey said that they would enter his name in the Illinois primary in April for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States in the November 1940 election.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the U.S. government's contention that a federal appeals court had no right to supervise the Federal Communications Commission.

Disasters
Three trains on the Nishinari Line in Osaka, Japan collided and exploded while approaching Ajikawaguchi Station; 181 people were killed.

60 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Ahmad I, 64 or 65. Sheikh of Kuwait, 1921-1950. Sheikh Sir Ahmad I, the son of Sheikh Jaber II, succeeded his uncle Salem on the throne. He was the lead cavalry commander and founder of the Military of Kuwait and the Directorate of Public Security Force. Sheikh Sir Ahmad was succeeded by his cousin Abdullah III.

R. Sudiman, 40. Indonesian military officer. General Sudiman, the Japanese-trained chief of staff of the Indonesian Army, died of tuberculosis.

Diplomacy
Ethiopia protested to the United Nations against the appointment of General Guglielmo Nasi as Governor of Italian Somaliland, charging that he was once listed as a war criminal by the Allies for his actions during the Italo-Ethiopian War.

Archaeology
Dr. George F. Carter of Johns Hopkins University reported in Geographical Review that studies in a cliff near La Jolla, California indicated that man lived in North America 40,000 years ago rather than 4,000-20,000 years ago, as previously believed.

Protest
Three Ku Klux Klan groups--Federated Klans of Alabama, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and Association of Carolina Klans--united in Jacksonville, Florida to combat the Federal Council of Churches of Christ, B'nai B'rith, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples.

Economics and finance
Belgium became the first nation to wipe out its indebtedness to the International Monetary Fund, completing repayment of a 1947-48 $33-million loan.

U.S. Budget Director Frank Pace said in a broadcast that the 1951 deficit may be considerably less than the $5.1 billion anticipated in President Harry Truman's budget message.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Starry Eyed--Michael Holliday

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Starry Eyed--Michael Holliday

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: The Fever, starring Everett Sloane and Vivi Janiss

40 years ago
1970

On television tonight
Dragnet 1970, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Homicide: Who Killed Who?



Died on this date
Basil Liddell Hart, 74. French-born U.K. historian and strategist. Sir Basil, born in Paris to English parents, served as a British Army captain during World War I, and remained in the service until 1927. He was known for his influential military history books from the 1920s onward, in which he argued against the use of frontal assault and in favour of the "indirect approach" and reliance on fast-moving armoured formations. Sir Basil's ideas were influential not only in Britain, but in the United States, Australia, and other countries.

Politics and government
Jomo Kenyatta was inaugurated into his second term as President of Kenya.

Indianica
The Indian government ended three years of indecision over the possession of the capital Chandigarh--shared by the predominantly Sikh state of Punjab and the Hindu state of Haryana--by awarding the city to Punjab.

30 years ago
1980

Died on this date
Jimmy Durante, 86. U.S. entertainer. Mr. Durante, nicknamed "The Great Schnozzola" because of his large nose, was one of the most popular stars in the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s as a singer, pianist, comedian, and actor. His distinctive New York-accented gravelly voice is still widely imitated. Mr. Durante retired in 1972 after an incapacitating stroke, and died 12 days before his 87th birthday.

Diplomacy
American and Canadian officials announced the successful escape from Iran the previous day of six U.S. diplomats who were not among those who had been taken hostage in the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. Canadian diplomats led by Ken Taylor had protected the Americans and aided in their flight.

War
A Conference of Islamic States passed a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

Popular culture
Rubik's Cube, patented in Hungary as the "Magic Cube" five years earlier, made its international debut at the Ideal Toy Corporation in Earl's Court, London.

25 years ago
1985

Politics and government
Oxford University dons, by a vote of 738-319, voted to deny British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher an honourary degree. Academics led a campaign against honouring Mrs. Thatcher in protest against the government's cuts in funding for education.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Midnight Taxi--Miho Nakayama

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (9th week at #1)

Politics and government
Former Progressive Conservative MP and Justice Minister Ray Hnatyshyn was sworn in as Canada’s 24th Governor General, succeeding Jeanne Sauve.

It was announced that former Bulgarian Communist Party leader Todor Zhivkov, under house arrest since January 18 on charges of malfeasance in office and misuse of government property and money, had been transferred to a prison.

A congress of Poland’s United Workers’ (Communist) Party in Warsaw voted overwhelmingly to disband and create at once a new Social Democracy Party. Some former Communist Party members bolted and formed yet another new group, the Social Democratic Union.

Protest
A judge investigating the violence in December 1989 in Timosoara, Romania, said that only 95 civilian deaths had been verified, contrary to earlier reports that there had been thousands of victims.

Diplomacy
U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle concluded a three-day visit to Panama, Honduras, and Jamaica. His purpose was to explain the Latin American policy of the administration of U.S. President George Bush.

Society
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney deplored a motion by the city council of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario declaring English the official language of the municipality.

Scandal
Marilyn Harrell, a private escrow agent, pled guilty in U.S. federal court to embezzling $4.5 million that was supposed to go to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She also admitted underreporting income on her tax return for 1987. Ms. Harrell had previously claimed that she had given much of the money to charities and the poor, and had been nicknamed "Robin HUD." Prosecutors said that Ms. Harrell had been "her own biggest charity."

Economics and finance
U.S. President George Bush submitted a budget for the 1991 fiscal year to Congress that called for no increase in taxes. The $1.23-trillion budget included a small cut in real spending for defense--a 1.9% increase in outlays that was below the rate of inflation. Larger cuts were proposed for some domestic programs, but not for environmental programs, the war on drugs, and space projects. Overall, the budget adhered to the deficit limitation of the Gramm-Rudman law, but the Congressional Budget Office and some economists said that the deficit projections were based on economic forecasts that were far too optimistic.

Bank of Canada Governor John Crow told a Canadian Senate banking committee that any reduction in interest rates would have to be done cautiously and gradually.

10 years ago
2000

Boxing
The dismal professional career of American heavyweight Isaac Poole, which had begun in 1988, ended when he was knocked out in the 1st round by Reynaldo Minus (15-5) in Nassau. Those who wish to see professional boxing abolished can use Mr. Poole as evidence for their case. In 23 professional fights he won 2 and lost 21. He was knocked out 16 times, with 8 of his knockout losses coming in the first round and 6 in the second round. One of his two wins was a 4-round decision in Hialeah, Florida on January 22, 1999 over 58-year-old Levi Forte, who was coming off a 21-year layoff, and whose six most recent fights from 1969-1977 had ended in defeat. Mr. Poole was 38 when he fought Mr. Forte.