March 19, 2010

220 years ago
1790

Died on this date
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, 76 or 77. Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, 1790. Hasan Pasha was a Georgian slave who rose through the ranks of the Ottoman military, serving as a Grand Admiral and general from 1770-1790. He led a successful campaign in Egypt in 1786, and was de facto Ottoman governor of Egypt for about a year. Hasan Pasha became Grand Vizier on January 2, 1790; he died from an illness, and was possibly poisoned.

150 years ago
1860

Born on this date
William Jennings Bryan. U.S. politician. Considered one of the greatest orators in American history, Mr. Bryan represented Nebraska in the United States Senate from 1891-1895, and was the Democratic Party candidate for President in 1896, 1900, and 1908, losing each time. He served as Secretary of State from 1913-1915 under President Woodrow Wilson, and ended his public career as the prosecuting attorney in the "Scopes Monkey Trial" in 1925. Mr. Bryan died in his sleep on July 26, 1925 at the age of 65, just five days after the end of that trial.

110 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Frédéric Joliot-Curie. French physicist and chemist. Dr. Joiliot-Curie, born Jean Frédéric Joliot, was the husband of physicist Irène Curie, the daughter of Pierre and Marie Curie. Frédéric and Irène were jointly awarded the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "[for] their synthesis of new radioactive elements." Frédéric was a devoted Communist who served in the French Resistance during World War II and was president of the Communist-front World Peace Council in the 1950s, becoming the first recipient of the Stalin Peace Prize in 1951. He died on August 14, 1958 at the age of 58.

Carmen Carbonell. Spanish actress. Miss Carbonell appeared in plays and films in a career spanning more than 50 years, and twice won Spain's National Theatre Award. Her movies included Fortunato (1942) and Marcelino, pan y vino (Miracle of Marcelino) (1955). Miss Carbonell died on November 27, 1988 at the age of 88.

Died on this date
John Bingham, 85. U.S. politician and diplomat. Mr. Bingham represented Ohio's 21st Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Opposition Party (1855-1857) and Republican Party (1857-1865), and Ohio's 16th Congressional District from 1865-1873. He was assistant Judge Advocate General in the 1865 trial of the conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and was a prosecutor in the impeachment trials of President Andrew Johnson in 1868. Mr. Bingham served as United States Minister to Japan from 1873-1885.

Charles-Louis Hanon, 80. French composer. Mr. Hanon was best known for his work The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises (1873).

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Joseph Carroll. U.S. military officer. Lieutenant General Carroll obtained a law degree and worked as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1940-1947 before joining the newly-created United States Air Force. He was the first director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) (1948-1955), and the first director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (1961-1969). Lt. Gen. Carroll died on January 20, 1991 at the age of 80, after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

90 years ago
1920

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted for the second time against signing the Treaty of Versailles.

80 years ago
1930

Died on this date
Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, 81. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1902-1905. Mr. Balfour, a Conservative, was a member of a political family, and was first elected to the House of Commons in 1874. He held several cabinet posts before succeeding his uncle Lord Salisbury as Prime Minister. Mr. Balfour's government achieved educational and naval reforms, and friendly relations with France, but he was forced to resign when his support for tariffs attracted opposition within his party. The Conservatives were defeated in the 1906 general election, but Mr. Balfour remained as Leader of the Opposition until resigning as Conservative Party leader in 1911. He held several cabinet posts, including Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1916-1919), issuing the Balfour Declaration (1917), supporting Palestine as a home for the Jewish people. Mr. Balfour was elevated to the House of Lords in 1922 as the 1st Earl of Balfour. He died after suffering from circulatory trouble for more than a year.

Henry Lefroy, 75. Australian politician. Sir Henry, a member of the Nationalist Party, represented Moore in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia (1892-1901, 1911-1921), serving as Premier from 1917-1919. His time as Premier was plagued by infighting within the party, which forced his resignation. Sir Henry died five days before his 76th birthday.

70 years ago
1940

War
U.K. airplanes bombed the German air base at Hoernum on the North Sea Isle of Sylt, off the German coast.

Politics and government
Despite a vote of confidence from the Chamber of Deputies, Edouard Daladier resigned as Prime Minister of France, and Paul Reynaud formed a new cabinet.

The Mexican Communist Party accused the United States of plotting a revolt by supporters of General Juan Andreu Almazan for purposes of imperialism.

Diplomacy
In a speech in Toronto, U.S. Minister to Canada James Cromwell chided American isolationists for being unrealistic.

Economics and finance
The League of Nations reported a marked increase of German trade with neutral nations.

60 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, 78. Prime Minister of Romania, 1919-1920, 1932, 1933. Mr. Vaida-Voevod was a member of the Romanian National Party who supported the union of Transylvania, then part of Austria-Hungary with the Romanian Old Kingdom. He was successful in negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, and led his party to victory in the general election, taking office as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs on December 1, 1919. Mr. Vaida-Voevod's radical efforts at land reform were too much for King Ferdinand, who dissolved the government on March 12, 1920. The National Party fused with the Peasants' Party in 1926 to form the National Peasants' Party, and Mr. Vaida-Voevod served briefly as Prime Minister under that label from June-October 1932 and January-November 1933. He formed the Romanian Front, a fascist organization, in 1935; it survived until 1944, until the Communist Party gained influence. Mr. Vaida-Voevod was arrested on March 24, 1945, and spent the remainder of his life under house arrest, dying three weeks after his 78th birthday.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, 74. U.S. author. Mr. Burroughs was an author of adventure and science fiction novels. He was best known as the creator of Tarzan of the Apes, the main character in more than two dozen novels, the first of which was published in 1912. His other notable character was John Carter of Mars, who appeared in novels and short stories from 1912 through the 1940s. Mr. Burroughs died of a heart attack.

Norman Haworth, 67. U.K. chemist. Sir Norman was awarded a share of the 1937 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his investigations on carbohydrates and vitamin C." He's known among organic chemists for his development of the Haworth projection that translates three-dimensional sugar structures into convenient two-dimensional graphical form. Sir Norman died of a heart attack on his 67th birthday.

Diplomacy
The Organization of American States investigated charges that Cuba, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic had violated treaties and endangered peace in the Caribbean for three years by harbouring revolutionaries from other countries. The investigating committee recommended sanctions against future offenders.

Protest
4,000 students and workers carrying Viet Minh flags rioted in Saigon's marketplace against the presence of two U.S. destroyers in Saigon harbour.

Politics and government
A U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee revealed that 27 Commerce Department employees were considered "security risks" and were barred from handling secret documents although all had been cleared of disloyalty charges.

Economics and finance
The Indonesian government devalued the country's currency by 50% and seized half of all circulating currency and bank accounts as a government loan.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?--Emile Ford and the Checkmates (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Romantica--Tony Dallara (7th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Banjo Boy--Jan & Kjeld (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Running Bear--Johnny Preston (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Theme from "A Summer Place"--Percy Faith and his Orchestra (4th week at #1)
2 He’ll Have to Go--Jim Reeves
3 Wild One--Bobby Rydell
4 Baby (You’ve Got What it Takes)--Dinah Washington & Brook Benton
5 What in the World’s Come Over You--Jack Scott
6 Handy Man--Jimmy Jones
7 Puppy Love--Paul Anka
8 Harbor Lights--The Platters
9 Sweet Nothin's--Brenda Lee
10 Beyond the Sea--Bobby Darin

Singles entering the chart were Shazam! by Duane Eddy and the Rebels (#74); Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You) by Della Reese (#78); Let the Little Girl Dance by Billy Bland (#79); Big Iron by Marty Robbins (#92); It Could Happen to You by Dinah Washington (#93); At My Front Door by Dee Clark (#94); Don't Deceive Me by Ruth Brown (#95); Wake Me When it's Over by Andy Williams (#97); Cradle of Love by Johnny Preston (#100); Someone Loves You, Joe by the Singing Belles (also #100); and Think Me a Kiss by Clyde McPhatter (also #100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Wild One--Bobby Rydell
2 Handy Man--Jimmy Jones
3 Bad Boy--Marty Wilde
4 Angela Jones--Johnny Ferguson
5 Sweet Nothin's--Brenda Lee
6 Puppy Love--Paul Anka
7 Beatnik Fly--Johnny and the Hurricanes
8 What Do You Want--Adam Faith
9 O Dio Mio--Annette
10 Teen Angel--Mark Dinning

Singles entering the chart were Stairway to Heaven by Neil Sedaka (#22); Night by Jackie Wilson (#36); Am I that Easy to Forget by Debbie Reynolds (#37); Shazam! by Duane Eddy and the Rebels (#39); Rockin' Rolllin' Ocean by Hank Snow (#40); White Silver Sands by Bill Black's Combo (#41); String Along by Fabian (#42); Private Eye by the Olympics (#45); Bongo Boogie by Preston Epps (#53); Tamiami by Bill Haley and his Comets (#54); What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? by Emile Ford and the Checkmates (#58); and I Love the Way You Love by Marv Johnson (#59).

40 years ago
1970

On television tonight
Dragnet 1970, on NBC
Tonight's episode: D.H.Q.: Night School



Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sean Fleming!

World events
A day after being deposed as Cambodia’s head of state in a coup while he was visiting Moscow, Prince Norodom Sihanouk left for Peking, where he was met by Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai. The new Cambodian government led by Lon Nol was recognized by the United States.

Diplomacy
West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and East German Premier Willi Stoph met in Erfurt, East Germany, the first time that leaders of the two Germanies had met since the country had been divided at the end of World War II. The day-long meeting concluded with an agreement to meet again in an effort to find common ground between their states.

Crime
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an anti-crime bill for the District of Columbia that the administration of President Richard Nixon hoped would be a model for the nation. The measure contained provisions for preventive detention, "no-knock" search, and wiretapping.

30 years ago
1980

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter invited Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to meet with him in order to explore ways to achieve progress in talks on Palestinian autonomy.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 4 New York Rangers 2

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): 1990--Complex

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (3rd week at #1)

World events
The Lithuanian government ignored the deadline imposed by U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev to rescind the country’s declaration of independence of March 11.

War
The ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureș began in Transylvania, Romania.

Politics and government
In local elections in Russia, opposition groups scored many victories over Communists. It was reported that insurgents won 281 of 498 seats on Moscow City Council, and Communists also lost control of city councils in Kiev and Leningrad. Nationalist opposition movements continued to gain in voting for various local and republic offices in Estonia, Latvia, and Ukraine.

Abominations
at a 2 day Caribbean Commonwealth leaders' conference in Bridgetown, Barbados, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney forgave $182 million of debt owed to Canada by Caribbean countries; $93 million of Jamaica's debt to Canada was also forgiven.

Hockey
The first world hockey tournament for women was held in Ottawa.

Football
CFL
The British Columbia Lions traded defensive lineman James Parker, a former winner of the league’s outstanding defensive player award and a future member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, to the Toronto Argos for the negotiation rights to former West Virginia University quarterback Major Harris.

10 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Joanne Weaver, 64. U.S. baseball player. Miss Weaver was the youngest of three sisters who played with the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Joanne played right field with the Daisies from 1951-1954, the league's last four seasons. She batted .359 with 38 home runs and 238 runs batted in in 329 games, and led the league in batting from 1952-1954. Miss Weaver's best season was her last, setting league records in batting average (.429); home runs (29); and total bases (254), leading the league in hits (143); runs (109); and stolen bases (79), winning the award as Player of the Year. Miss Weaver played with the Allington All-Stars, a touring team that played about 100 games from 1954-1958. She died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which also claimed the life of her older sister Betty in 1998.

Diplomacy
U.S.. President Bill Clinton arrived in New Delhi.