February 24, 2010

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Kavis Reed!

510 years ago
1500

Born on this date
Charles V. Holy Roman Emperor, 1519-1556. Charles V, the son of King Philip I of Castile and grandson of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, held various other titles, and succeeded his grandfather as Holy Roman Emperor. He defended the Holy Roman Empire against the Protestant Reformation and expansion of the Ottoman Empire, and waged war for about 35 years. Facing the prospect of an alliance of all his enemies, Charles V abdicated some of his titles, and finally abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor in favour of his younger brother Ferdinand I. Charles V retired to a monastery, and died of malaria on September 21, 1558 at the age of 58.

120 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Marjorie Main. U.S. actress. Miss Main, born Mary Tomlinson, was best known for playing Ma Kettle in a series of 10 Ma and Pa Kettle movie comedies in the 1940s and '50s. She died on April 10, 1975 at the age of 85.

90 years ago
1920

Politics and government
Adolf Hitler outlined the basic points of the Nazi Party at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich.

Abominations
Nancy Astor (Conservative--Plymouth Sutton) became the first woman to speak in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom following her election as a Member of Parliament (MP) three months earlier.

75 years ago
1935

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Leigh Lovell, on NBC

70 years ago
1940

At the movies
The short film Teddy, the Rough Rider, directed by Ray Enright, and starring Sidney Blackmer, opened in theatres.



Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Jimmy Ellis! Mr. Ellis was a middleweight, and eventually a heavyweight boxer from Louisville, Kentucky who spent some time as a sparring partner of Muhammad Ali. When Mr. Ali was stripped of his title in 1967, the World Boxing Association held an eight-man elimination tournament, and Mr. Ellis won the WBA title with a controversial decision over Floyd Patterson in 1968. Joe Frazier, who was recognized as champion by New York and several other states, scored a 5-round technical knockout over Mr. Ellis at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 16, 1970 to unify the heavyweight title. Mr. Ellis was knocked out in 12 rounds by Mr. Ali in 1971, and in 9 rounds by Mr. Frazier in a return match in 1975. He retired later that year with a record of 40 wins, 12 losses, and 1 draw. Unfortunately, Mr. Ellis, like so many boxers, is now said to suffer from pugilistica dementia.

War
The German general staff completed the final secret plan for an offensive in the West. The Turkish Supreme Defense Council declared a state of emergency after Soviet troops were reported crossing the Caucasus frontier. Labour leaders in New Zealand issued a statement supporting the war aims of the United Kingdom.

Diplomacy
Speaking in Birmingham, England, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain appealed to all European nations to work together for a new European order. He outlined the U.K.'s peace aims, and offered to seek a settlement with any government that subscribed to them.

Communications
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission urged Congress to bring all U.S. cable and radio services overseas under its rule to avoid foreign interference.

Track and field
Gregory Rice set a world record of 13:55.9 for the three-mile run at Madison Square Garden in New York.

60 years ago
1950

Academia
The University of California Board of Regents ordered new faculty members and other employees to sign last year's non-Communist loyalty oath or resign. Faculty members planned a court test.

Religion
The World Council of Churches executive committee in Bossey, Switzerland appealed for "a gigantic new effort for peace."

Economics and finance
The U.S. Justice Department froze the American assets of Bulgarian, Romanian, and Hungarian citizens on the grounds that the three countries had delayed payment of claims by Americans.

Labour
U.S. President Harry Truman forestalled a nationwide rail strike for 60 days by creating a three-man emergency board to investigate the contract dispute.

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Kvällstoppen): Monia--Peter Holm (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye--Steam (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Conrad Nagel, 72. U.S. actor. Mr. Nagel appeared in films, plays, and television programs in a career spanning almost 50 years; he was a matinee idol in movies from 1918 through the early 1930s. When the use of sound in movies became dominant in 1929, Mr. Nagel was much in demand because of his fine speaking voice; he appeared in 31 movies over the next two years, and the overexposure had the ironic effect of hurting his career. Mr. Nagel was a founding member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the Screen Actors Guild. He received an honourary Academy Award in 1940 for his work with the Motion Picture Relief Fund. Mr. Nagel's films included London After Midnight (1927); The Mysterious Lady (1928); and The Kiss (1929).

Darrell Banks, 32. U.S. singer. Mr. Banks, born Darrell Eubanks, was best known for his single Open the Door to Your Heart (1966), which reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart and #2 on the Rhythm and Blues chart. Several subsequent singles failed to achieve equal commercial success. Mr. Banks was shot and killed by policeman Aaron Bullock in Detroit after Mr. Banks intervened in his affair with Mr. Banks' girlfriend Marjorie Bozeman.

Politics and government
Georgia Governor Lester Maddox (Democrat), after testifying before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on voting rights, created a furor in the House of Representatives restaurant by giving out ax handles--his symbol of opposition to integration.

Protest
A student protest against the Vietnam war at University of California at Santa Barbara turned into a riot, which continued the next day.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The day after arriving in Tehran, the 5-man United Nations commission investigating the rule of deposed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi proceeded with its inquiry after meeting with Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr and Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, and being promised their cooperation. U.S. and UN officials and Mr. Bani-Sadr hoped that a sympathetic hearing of their grievances against the shah by the commission might produce a climate conducive to a visit with the hostages at the U.S. embassy or their possible release.

Olympics
Men’s hockey @ Lake Placid, New York
Bronze medal game
U.S.S.R. 9 Sweden 2



Gold medal game
U.S.A. 4 Finland 2

The gold medal was the first for the United States in hockey since winning at Squaw Valley, California in 1960.



Closing ceremonies for the games took place at Lake Placid Equestrian Stadium.



25 years ago
1985

Hockey
NHL
Montreal 4 New York Islanders 3 (OT)

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Un' Estate Italiana--Edoardo Bennato; Gianna Nannini (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Get Up! (Before the Night is Over--Technotronic

#1 single in France (SNEP): Hélène--Roch Voisine (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (4th week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (2nd week at #1)
2 Get Up! (Before the Night is Over)--Technotronic
3 I Wish it Would Rain Down--Phil Collins
4 Sacrifice--Elton John
5 Me So Horny--The 2 Live Crew
6 Daar Gaat Ze--Clouseau
7 Get a Life--Soul II Soul
8 Get Into It--Tony Scott
9 Fools Gold--The Stone Roses
10 King Kong Five--Mano Negra

Singles entering the chart were Live Together (New Version) by Lisa Stansfield (#22); Here I Am (Come and Take Me) by UB40 (#24); Scandalous! by Prince (#32); Tears on My Pillow by Kylie Minogue (#35); I Don't Wanna Lose You by Tina Turner (#36); and Hey You by the Quireboys (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul (Duet with the Wild Pair) (3rd week at #1)
2 Escapade--Janet Jackson
3 Dangerous--Roxette
4 All or Nothing--Milli Vanilli
5 What Kind of Man Would I Be?--Chicago
6 Roam--The B-52s
7 Two to Make it Right--Seduction
8 Here We Are--Gloria Estefan
9 We Can't Go Wrong--The Cover Girls
10 Price of Love--Bad English

Singles entering the chart were Without You by Motley Crue (#66); Heartbeat by Seduction (#69); Wild Women Do by Natalie Cole (#84); House of Pain by Faster Pussycat (#89); Whip Appeal by Babyface (#90); Got to Have Your Love by Mantronix featuring Wondress (#91); I'm Not Satisfied by Fine Young Cannibals (#92); and Make it Like it Was by Regina Belle (#96).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Two to Make it Right--Seduction
2 Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul (Duet with the Wild Pair)
3 Escapade--Janet Jackson
4 Dangerous--Roxette
5 What Kind of Man Would I Be?--Chicago
6 All or Nothing--Milli Vanilli
7 Tell Me Why--Expose
8 How am I Supposed to Live Without You?--Michael Bolton
9 We Can't Go Wrong--Cover Girls
10 Here We Are--Gloria Estefan

Singles entering the chart were Without You by Motley Crue (#63); The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley (#64); True Blue Love by Lou Gramm (#72); A Face in the Crowd by Tom Petty (#76); I'll Be There by Joyce “Fenderella” Irby (#78); Living in Oblivion by Anything Box (#83); and Anytime by McAuley Schenker Group (#87).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Downtown Train--Rod Stewart (3rd week at #1)
2 Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul (Duet with the Wild Pair)
3 Janie's Got a Gun--Aerosmith
4 What Kind of Man Would I Be?--Chicago
5 Peace in Our Time--Eddie Money
6 Free Fallin'--Tom Petty
7 Dangerous--Roxette
8 Escapade--Janet Jackson
9 All or Nothing--Milli Vanilli
10 Two to Make it Right--Seduction

Singles entering the chart were Blue Sky Mine by Midnight Oil (#69); Take One Away by Burton Cummings (#70); Don't Look Back by Kenny MacLean (#72); Forever by Kiss (#74); The Pass by Rush (#77); All Around the World by Lisa Stansfield (#81); Look Me in the Heart by Tina Turner (#87); Long Way by Honeymoon Suite (#89); and Bodyguard by the Bee Gees (#93).

Died on this date
Sandro Pertini, 93. 7th President of Italy, 1978-1985. Mr. Pertini had a career as a socialist politician lasting almost 60 years; he was opposed to both Communism and corruption.

Malcolm Forbes, 70. U.S. publisher and socialite. Mr. Forbes was the publisher of Forbes magazine, which had been founded by his father B.C. Forbes. Malcolm Forbes was an advocate of capitalism and a practitioner of an extravagant lifestyle, which included homosexual behaviour that wasn't disclosed until just after his death.

Johnnie Ray, 63. U.S. singer. Mr. Ray rocketed to fame with one of the biggest hit records of the 1950s. Cry was written by Churchill Kohlman, a night watchman in a dry-cleaning plant in Pittsburgh. The B-side, The Little White Cloud that Cried, was written by Mr. Ray. Released in the fall of 1951, the record sold a million copies in eight weeks, and 1½ million by February 1952. Cry held the #1 position on the Billboard chart for 10 weeks, while The Little White Cloud that Cried went to #2. Mr. Ray’s emotional singing style earned him a number of derisive nicknames, including "The Prince of Wails" and "The Nabob of Sob." He broke box office records with live appearances in the U.S.A. in 1952 and elsewhere through the mid-1950s. Mr. Ray was a link between post-World War II crooners and mid-’50s rock and roll artists. He was an inspiration to a young Elvis Presley, and had a hit with Such a Night a decade before Elvis covered it. Mr. Ray failed to duplicate the success of his biggest hit, but he had a respectable run on the charts, with singles such as Please, Mr. Sun/(Here Am I) Broken Hearted (1952); All of Me (#12, 1952); Just Walkin’ in the Rain (#2, 1956); and You Don’t Owe Me a Thing (#10)/Look Homeward, Angel (#36) (1957). Yes Tonight, Josephine (#12, 1957) was his last notable hit in the U.S.A., but as was the case with several other American performers, Mr. Ray remained popular in the U.K. His only movie appearance was in There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), and his performance has to be seen to be believed. An unhappy private life--bisexuality and heavy drinking--as well as changing musical tastes contributed to his decline. Go here for more about Mr. Ray.

Tony Conigliaro, 45. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Conigliaro was an outfielder with the Boston Red Sox (1964-1970, 1975) and California Angels (1971), batting .264 with 166 home runs and 516 runs batted in in 876 games. In 1965 "Tony C." led the AL with 32 home runs despite missing 24 games. He had 104 home runs as of August 18, 1967--more than Babe Ruth at the same age--when he was hit near the left eye by a pitch from Jack Hamilton of the California Angels. Mr. Conigliaro mised the reat of 1967 and all of 1968, but came back to hit 20 home runs in 1969 and a career-best 36 in 1970. His vision began to deteriorate after his trade to the Angels, and he retired in mid-season in 1971 after hitting just 4 home runs. A comeback in 1975 produced limited success. Mr. Conigliaro then embarked on a career as a sportscaster. In 1982, Mr. Conigliaro suffered a heart attack while being driven to the airport by his brother Billy, and resulting brain damage left him bedridden for the remainder of his life.

Diplomacy
U.S. President George Bush and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl began two days of talks.

Politics and government
Candidates favouring independence did very well in multiparty elections for the Supreme Soviet of Lithuania. Runoff elections would determine the final outcome.

10 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Betty Lou Beets, 62. U.S. murderess. Mrs. Beets, a resident of Henderson County, Texas, was married six times--twice to the same man--and tried to kill her second and third husbands, the first being stupid enough to marry her again after the attempted murder. She murdered her fifth husband, Jimmy Don Beets, on August 6, 1983; he disappeared, and was the victim of an apparent drowning. Two years later, police received information and executed a search warrant on Mrs. Beets' home, finding the remains not only of Mr. Beets, but of her fourth husband, Doyle Barker. Mrs. Beets was tried only for the murder of Mr. Beets, and claimed that she had killed him in self-defense. She was convicted of murder in July 1985, and three months later was sentenced to death. More than a decade of appeals followed, but Texas Governor and U.S. presidential candidate George W. Bush rejected her final appeal for clemency, and she was executed by lethal injection in the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary.

War
The United Nations Security Council voted to send 5,000 troops and support staff to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was embroiled in a civil war between the government of President Laurent Kabila and three rebel forces. Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe had sent in troops to support Mr. Kabila, while troops from Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda fought for the rebels. A July 1999 peace agreement had not ended the bloodshed, and the peacekeeping troops--from Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, and Senegal--said they would protect the observers and not intervene in the fighting.