March 16, 2010

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Kathy Fisher and Tatyana!

820 years ago
1190

Abominations
A massacre of 150 local Jews took place in a pogrom at Clifford's Tower, the keep of York Castle, York, England.

490 years ago
1520

Died on this date
Martin Waldseemüller, 44-50 (?). German cartographer. Mr. Waldseemüller, aka Hylacomylus, and collaborator Matthias Ringmann were credited with the first recorded usage of the word America to name a portion of the New World in honour of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Mr. Waldseemüller was also the first to map South America as a continent separate from Asia; the first to produce a printed globe; and the first to create a printed wall map of Europe. A set of his maps printed as an appendix to the 1513 edition of Ptolemy's Geography is considered to be the first example of a modern atlas.

350 years ago
1660

Politics and government
The Long Parliament of England was dissolved so as to prepare for the new Convention Parliament.

260 years ago
1750

Born on this date
Caroline Herschel. German-born U.K. astronomer. Miss Herschel, the younger sister of astronomer Sir William Herschel, moved to England in 1772, and joined her brother, running his household, singing in accompaniment to his performances as a church organist, and eventually joining him in his astronomical work. She helped William compile a catalogue of their discoveries, which included eight comets that she discovered from 1786-1797. Miss Herschel was the first female scientist to receive a salary, and received numerous honours before her death on January 9, 1848 at the age of 97.

210 years ago
1800

Born on this date
Ninkō. Emperor of Japan, 1817-1846. Ninkō, born Ayahito, acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father Kōkaku. Emperor Ninkō's reign included natural disasters, famine, corruption, and decline in the power of the Togukawa Shogunate. Emperor Ninkō died on February 21, 1846, 22 days before his 46th birthday, and was succeeded on the throne by his son Kōmei.

190 years ago
1820

Born on this date
Enrico Tamberlik. Italian singer. Mr. Tamberlik was a renowned operatic tenor who performed throughout Europe and North America from the late 1830s through the early 1880s. He died on March 13, 1889, three days before his 69th birthday.

170 years ago
1840

Born on this date
Shibusawa Eiichi, 1st Viscount Shibusawa. Japanese businessman. Mr. Eiichi was known as the "Father of Japanese capitalism," founding hundreds of corporations as well as the First National Bank. He died on November 11, 1931 at the age of 91.

160 years ago
1850

Literature
Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter was published in Boston by Ticknor, Reed, and Fields.

140 years ago
1870

Music
The first version of the overture fantasy Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky received its première performance, conducted by Nikolai Rubinstein.

110 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Mencha Karnicheva. Macedonian revolutionary and assassin. Miss Karnicheva was a member of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), and assassinated IMRO left-wing activist Todor Panitsa in Vienna on May 8, 1925. She was sentenced to eight years in prison, but served only a few months because of poor health, and married IMRO leader Ivan Mihailov in 1926. The couple lived in exile in several countries, finally settling in Rome, where she died on September 10, 1964 at the age of 64.

Cyril Hume. U.S. author and screenwriter. Mr. Hume wrote eight science fiction and horror novels from the early 1920s through the early '30s, and then concentrated on screenplays for movies such as Tarzan the Ape Man (1932); The Great Gatsby (1949); and Forbidden Planet (1956). He died on March 26, 1966, 10 days after his 66th birthday.

Archaeology
Sir Arthur Evans purchased the land around the ruins of Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Aladár Gerevich. Hungarian fencer. Mr. Gerevich has been called the "greatest Olympic swordsman" in history, winning a gold medal in each of seven straight Summer Olympics from 1932-1960, in addition to a silver and two bronze medals. He died on May 14, 1991 at the age of 81.

Auto racing
Barney Oldfield set a speed record of 131.275 miles an hour for the measured mile in a German Blitzen Benz at Daytona, Florida.

80 years ago
1930

Died on this date
Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marquess of Estella, 22nd Count of Sobremonte, 60. Prime Minister of Spain, 1923-1930. Captain General Prime de Rivera served in colonial wars in Morocco, Cuba, and the Philippines before taking power in a military coup in 1923. He established a dictatorship that he said would last for only 90 days, but he decided to stay on, resigning on January 28, 1930 after losing the support of Spain's military leaders. Prime Minister Primo de Rivera's rule alienated traditional supporters, discredited the monarchy, and contributed to the social tensions that led to the Spanish Civil War. The Marquess of Estella died from fever and diabetes, less than two months after leaving office.

75 years ago
1935

World events
German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler cancelled the military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles.

70 years ago
1940

Died on this date
Selma Lagerlöf, 81. Swedish authoress. Miss Lagerlöf was known for novels such as Gösta Berling's Saga (1891) and Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils) (1907). She became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, winning in 1909 "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings."

James Isbister. U.K. war casualty. Mr. Isbister was the first person killed in a German bombing raid on the United Kingdom in World War II, during a raid on Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands.

Diplomacy
In an international radio broadcast, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that a European peace must rest on the right of small nations to be free from threats of large nations.

The U.S. State Department announced that 21 nations of the Western Hemisphere had protested to the United Kingdom her violation of Brazil's safety zone in the recent British seizure of the German freighter Wakama.

World events
British Colonial Secretary Malcolm MacDonald told the House of Commons that restrictions on land sales to Jews in Palestine were designed to prevent trouble throughout the Arab world.

60 years ago
1950

On television tonight
Escape, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Homecoming, starring Marie Kenny, William A. Lee, and Vicky Vola

Died on this date
James Douglas, 83. Canadian politician. Mr. Douglas, a native of Middleville, Ontario, grew up in Winnipeg and moved to Strathcona, Alberta in 1894, and served on the Strathcona city council. He entered federal politics in 1909 as a Liberal, and represented Strathcona in the House of Commons (1909-1921); he was one of the Liberals who joined the Unionist Party with Conservatives prior to the 1917 federal election. Mr. Douglas lost his seat in the 1921 election, and moved back to municipal politics, as a member of Edmonton City Council (1923-1926, 1941-1949) and Mayor (1929-1931).

War
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek resumed direct control over Chinese Nationalist armed forces.

Diplomacy
Czechoslovakia severed relations with the Vatican, expelling the only papal diplomatic representative in Prague for "subversive, anti-state activity."

U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson urged the U.S.S.R. to ensure world peace by taking seven steps, including: negotiation of peace treaties with Germany, Japan, and Australia; withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe; abandonment of the United Nations boycott; and negotiation of a nuclear control agreement.

Defense
The French National Assembly ratified the U.S. arms aid agreement under the North Atlantic Treaty. U.K. Leader of the Opposition Winston Churchill called for the inclusion of West Germany in Atlantic pact defensive plans.

Politics and government
The British government permitted Chief Seretse Khama to go to Bechuanaland and enter the reserve of his tribe if necessary to collect evidence for a lawsuit concerning his personal property.

Economics and finance
U.S. officials arrived in Saigon to draft an aid program for the pro-French Bao Dai government.

U.S. President Harry Truman signed a measure repealing all federal taxes on oleomargarine.

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Venus--The Shocking Blue (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Shiroi Chō no Samba--Kayoko Moriyama (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Venus--The Shocking Blue (6th week at #1)

On the radio
The Challenge of Space, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: The Third Passenger

Died on this date
Tammi Terrell, 24. U.S. singer. Miss Terrell, born Thomasina Montgomery, was known for her duets with Marvin Gaye, including Ain't No Mountain High Enough (#19, U.S., 1967); Your Precious Love (#5, 1967); If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (#10, 1967-1968); Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing (#8, 1968); and You're All I Need to Get By (#7, 1968). She collapsed into Mr. Gaye's arms during a concert in the fall of 1967, and was found to have a brain tumor. Allegations that Valerie Simpson was imitating Miss Terrell's voice and taking her place on the later recordings credited to Miss Terrell were refuted by Miss Simpson in an interview many years later with Miss Terrell's sister.

Terrorism
Two days after hijacking the military-chartered U.S. freighter Columbia Eagle as it was carrying munitions to Thailand and setting the crew adrift, alleged mutineers Clyde McKay, 25, and Alvin Glatkowski, 20, asked for political asylum in Cambodia, where the ship was being held.

Basketball
NBA
The National Basketball Association expanded from 14 to 17 teams by adding the Cleveland Cavaliers, Buffalo Braves, and Portland Trail Blazers. The league also realigned itself into Atlantic, Central, South, and Pacific divisions.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I Got You--Split Enz

#1 single in Switzerland: Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Leroy Goldsworthy, 73. U.S.-born Canadian hockey player. Mr. Goldsworthy, a native of Two Harbors, Minnesota, grew up in Edmonton. He played right wing with the Edmonton Eskimos (1925-26); New York Rangers (1929-30); Detroit Falcons/Red Wings (1930-33); Chicago Black Hawks (1933-34); Montreal Canadiens (1934-36); Boston Bruins (1936-38); and New York Americans (1938-39), scoring 123 points on 66 goals and 57 assists in 336 National Hockey League regular season games and 1 goal in 24 playoff games, with no points in 11 Western Hockey League games. He helped the Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 1934. Mr. Goldsworthy played for various teams in several minor professional leagues from 1926-46. He died in Edmonton.

Politics and government
U.S. presidential primaries for the Democratic and Republican Parties took place in Illinois. Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne had endorsed U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy as the Democratic candidate, but President Jimmy Carter won 65% of the vote and 165 delegates to the national convention. Sen. Kennedy won 30% and 14 delegates, while California Governor Jerry Brown won 5% of the vote. Former California Governor Ronald Reagan won the Republican primary with 48% of the vote and 39 delegates. Rep. John Anderson won 37% and 26 delegates in his home state, while Rep. Phil Crane, another native son, won 4 delegates. George Bush earned 2 delegates. President Carter also won the Democratic primary in Puerto Rico with 52% of the vote and 21 delegates to 48% and 20 delegates for Sen. Kennedy.

Hockey
CIAU
Men’s championship final @ Varsity Arena, Edmonton
Regina 3 @ Alberta 7

The win gave the Golden Bears their third straight Canadian championship, and the first under head coach Billy Moores, who had filled in that season for Clare Drake, who was on sabbatical. Oddly, the Golden Bears had lost in the western playoffs, and were in the championship tournament only because they were the host team.

25 years ago
1985

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Can’t Fight This Feeling--REO Speedwagon
2 Careless Whisper--Wham!
3 California Girls--David Lee Roth
4 The Heat is On--Glenn Frey
5 Sugar Walls--Sheena Easton
6 One More Night--Phil Collins
7 Easy Lover--Philip Bailey with Phil Collins
8 Material Girl--Madonna
9 Too Late for Goodbyes--Julian Lennon
10 Lovergirl--Teena Marie

Weather
It was a beautiful day in Edmonton, reaching 54 F.

Music
Stage Band Festival 1985 took place at the Jasper Place campus of Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton. This blogger was in attendance.

Terrorism
U.S. journalist Terry Anderson was kidnapped in Beirut; he was not released until December 4, 1991 after 2,454 days in captivity.

20 years ago
1990

Economics and finance
In Mexico City Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney signed 10 bilateral agreements with Mexico and discussed free trade with Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

Labour
Canadian Transport Minister Doug Lewis announced random drug and alcohol testing for workers in safety-sensitive jobs, affecting up to 250,000 workers in air, rail, ship, bus and trucking companies.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 4 @ Buffalo 3

10 years ago
2000

Scandal
A report released by U.S. independent counsel Robert Ray found no credible evidence of wrongdoing by anyone in the administration of President Bill Clinton in connection with the acquisition of confidential FBI files containing information on leading Republicans. Administration officials had claimed that the files turned up at the White House as a result of a mix-up by mid-level staff members, and denied that they had ever been stolen or concealed as a political maneuver. First Lady Hillary Clinton was among those under investigation.

Disasters
Eight toddlers were killed in St.-Jean-Baptiste-de-Nicolet, Quebec when the minivan they were in crashed, tossing many of the children into a nearby field.