March 22, 2010

380 years ago
1630

Society
The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlawed the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables.

270 years ago
1740

Politics and government
Paul Mascarene arrived from Boston, and was appointed President of the Council of Nova Scotia (including present-day New Brunswick).

190 years ago
1820

Died on this date
Stephen Decatur, 41. U.S. naval officer. Mr. Decatur, a hero of the Tripolitan War in 1804-1805, was one of the judges at the court-martial of James Barron, whose ship Chesapeake had been stopped and bombarded by the British warship Leopard in 1807. Mr. Barron had been found guilty in 1808 of neglecting to clear his ship for action, and had been suspended from duty for five years. Mr. Barron nursed a grudge against Mr. Decatur, and finally challenged him to a duel. The duel took place in Bladensburg, Maryland, and Mr. Decatur was mortally wounded.



130 years ago
1880

Born on this date
Ernest C. Quigley. Canadian-born U.S. sports coach and official. Mr. Quigley, a native of Newcastle, New Brunswick, grew up in Concordia, Kansas, and played basketball and coached football at Kansas Wesleyan University. He coached football at Warrensburg Teachers College (1900-1901) and Saint Louis University (1918), and was athletic director at the University of Kansas (1944-1950). Mr. Quigley, however, was best known as an official. He refereed college basketball for 40 years; officiated in major college football games, and was a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Rules Committee (1946-1954); and worked in 3,351 regular season games as a National League baseball umpire (1913-1937), plus six World Series. Mr. Quigley died on December 10, 1960 at the age of 80; he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961.

120 years ago
1890

Born on this date
George Clark. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. Clark drove in the 1913 Indianapolis 500, starting in the 27th position and finishing 10th. He died on October 17, 1978 at the age of 88.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Nicholas Monsarrat. U.K. author. Mr. Monsarrat wrote fiction and non-fiction, much of it informed by his experiences with the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve during World War II. He was best known for novels such as The Cruel Sea (1951); The Story of Esther Costello (1952); The Tribe that Lost its Head (1956); and Richer than All His Tribe (1968). Mr. Monsarrat died of cancer on August 8, 1979 at the age of 69.

90 years ago
1920

Abominations
Azeri and Turkish army soldiers, with the participation of Kurdish gangs, attacked the Armenian inhabitants of Shushi in the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh and began a four-day massacre.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Finals
Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) 2 @ Ottawa Senators (NHL) 3 (Ottawa led best-of-five series 1-0)

Frank Nighbor scored 2 goals and Jack Darragh scored the winning goal with 4 minutes remaining in regulation time as the Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit to edge the Metropolitans at the Arena. Frank Foyston scored both Seattle goals.

70 years ago
1940

War
British control officers at Gibraltar boarded the Italian liner Conte Di Savoia, reportedly in search of German banker Hjalmar Schacht. Japanese War Minister Shunroku Hata said in Tokyo that his country's policies could not be limited by the Nine Power Pact.

Defense
The United States Senate passed and sent to conference a $1-billion defense bill for 1941. The United States War Department announced a new long-range bomber capable of travelling 6,000 miles with 28 tons of bombs.

Economics and finance
Nicaragua announced that it would join the Inter-American Bank.

60 years ago
1950

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Ben Wright and Eric Snowden, on ABC
Tonight’s episode: The Duke of Hollywell

As far as I know, this is the only episode from the 1949-50 season for which a recording is known to exist.

The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Martin Gabel, on ABC

Defense
U.S., U.K., and Canadian naval units completed nine days of joint maneuvers in the Caribbean region, the first international naval exercise held by NATO states in the Western Hemisphere.

Swedish Foreign Minister Oesten Unden told Parliament that Sweden would stay out of the North Atlantic Treaty and try to maintain its traditional neutrality.

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson criticized Sen. Joe McCarthy's (Republican--Wisconsin) attacks on U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Philip Jessup, claiming they had harmed foreign relations.

Politics and government
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the consitutionality of the government's loyalty program and the Attorney General's right to list organizations as "subversive."

50 years ago
1960

On television tonight
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, hosted by John Newland, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Clown, starring Mickey Shaughnessy, Christopher Dark, and Yvette Mimieux



Died on this date
José Antonio Aguirre y Lecube, 56. Spanish politician. Mr. Aguirre was a Basque nationalist who became the 1st President of the provisional government of the Basque Country on October 7, 1936, six days after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The Basque Country fought for the Second Spanish Republic during the Civil War, but Mr. Aguirre was forced to flee the country under a false identity after the Nationalists won the war, and was pursued by agents of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Mr. Aguirre was received in Uruguay, resumed his true identity, and then went to New York, where he lectured at Columbia University. After the U.S.A. and Spain signed the Pact of Madrid in 1953, Mr. Aguirre went to France, serving as President of the Basque government-in-exile. He died in Paris of a heart attack, 16 days after his 56th birthday.

Technology
Arthur Leonard Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes received the first patent for a laser.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Video Killed the Radio Star--The Buggles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Do That to Me One More Time--Captain & Tennille (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Together We are Beautiful--Fern Kinney

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Going Underground/Dreams of Children--The Jam

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Crying--Don McLean (5th week at #1)
2 Pearlydumm--BZN
3 An Englishman in New York--Godley & Creme
4 Do That to Me One More Time--Captain & Tennille
5 With You I'm Born Again--Billy Preston & Syreeta
6 Sajang É--Massada
7 Brass in Pocket--Pretenders
8 Rock 'n' Roll High School--Ramones
9 Coward of the County--Kenny Rogers
10 Matador--Garland Jeffreys

Singles entering the chart were Love in Our Hearts by Peter Brown (#32); What I Like About You by the Romantics (#35); Stomp! by the Brothers Johnson (#36); Fire Lake by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (#38); and Repper de Klep by Danny Boy (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd
2 Longer--Dan Fogelberg
3 Crazy Little Thing Called Love--Queen
4 Desire--Andy Gibb
5 Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl--Spinners
6 On the Radio--Donna Summer
7 Him--Rupert Holmes
8 The Second Time Around--Shalamar
9 Too Hot--Kool & The Gang
10 How Do I Make You--Linda Ronstadt

Singles entering the chart were Let Me Be by Korona (#72); Heart Hotels by Dan Fogelberg (#76); Today is the Day by the Bar-Kays (#79); Train in Vain (Stand by Me) by the Clash (#84); Wondering Where the Lions Are by Bruce Cockburn (#85); The Rose by Bette Midler (#86); It's Hard to Be Humble by Mac Davis (#88); Stay in Time by Off Broadway USA (#90); and Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll, Pt. 1 by Vaughan Mason and Crew (#92). The Rose was the title song of the movie.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd
2 Crazy Little Thing Called Love--Queen
3 Longer--Dan Fogelberg
4 Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl--Spinners
5 On the Radio--Donna Summer
6 Desire--Andy Gibb
7 Him--Rupert Holmes
8 How Do I Make You--Linda Ronstadt
9 Too Hot--Kool & The Gang
10 Call Me--Blondie

Singles entering the chart were Train in Vain (Stand by Me) by the Clash (#81); The Rose by Bette Midler (#82); Heart Hotels by Dan Fogelberg (#84); Let Me Be by Korona (#86); Wondering Where the Lions Are by Bruce Cockburn (#87); Let's Get Serious by Jermaine Jackson (#88); and Two Places at the Same Time by Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio (#90).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd (2nd week at #1)
2 Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl--Spinners
3 Crazy Little Thing Called Love--Queen
4 On the Radio--Donna Summer
5 Too Hot--Kool & The Gang
6 Call Me--Blondie
7 Him--Rupert Holmes
8 Longer--Dan Fogelberg
9 Ride Like The Wind--Christopher Cross
10 How Do I Make You--Linda Ronstadt

Singles entering the chart were Let Me Be by Korona (#80); Train in Vain (Stand by Me) by the Clash (#82); Heart Hotels by Dan Fogelberg (#84); A Certain Girl by Warren Zevon (#85); It's Hard to Be Humble by Mac Davis (#86); I Don't Need You Anymore by Jackie DeShannon (#89); The Seduction (Love Theme) by the James Last Band (#96); I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance by the Gap Band (#98); and Every Generation by Ronnie Laws (#100). The Seduction (Love Theme) was a version of the theme from the movie American Gigolo (1980).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd
2 Coward of the County--Kenny Rogers
3 Crazy Little Thing Called Love--Queen
4 Rock with You--Michael Jackson
5 Ladies Night--Kool & The Gang
6 On the Radio--Donna Summer
7 Do That to Me One More Time--Captain & Tennille
8 Janine--Trooper
9 Please Don't Go--KC & the Sunshine Band
10 Romeo's Tune--Steve Forbert

Singles entering the chart were Ride Like the Wind by Christopher Cross (#84); Off the Wall by Michael Jackson (#85); Crying by Taxi (#89); I Like to Rock by April Wine (#96); Even it Up by Heart (#98); Women by Foreigner (#99); and Something on My Mind by Teenage Head (#100).

Crime
15-year-old Annabel Schild was released by her kidnappers in Sardinia after seven months of captivity.

Hockey
NHL
Buffalo 5 @ Toronto 1

25 years ago
1985

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 3 @ Edmonton 3

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Oi beibi/Tuhansien sulojen maa--Raptori (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): That Sounds Good To Me--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers

Died on this date
Gerald Bull, 62. Canadian engineer. Dr. Bull, a native of North Bay, Ontario, developed long-range artillery, and designed the Project Babylon "supergun" for the Iraqi government of President Saddam Hussein. He was assassinated in Brussels; the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was accused of the assassination, as were Iranian agents.

War
A Soviet military convoy entered the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, in a nationally-televised address, endorsed New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna’s proposal of a constitutional accord parallel to the Meech Lake accord, and said that he would introduce it in parliament and immediately refer it to a special committee for study. However, he added that Meech should be approved first and that the companion agreement would follow. Mr. Mulroney expressed his optimism that the Meech Lake accord could be saved by the June 23, 1990 deadline. Parliament gave an all-party group a mandate to study the Meech Lake accord and to report back on May 18; the group was studying the McKenna Option for a companion agreement. Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells introduced a resolution to rescind Newfoundland's support of the Meech Lake accord, fearing that Meech Lake would cut the federal government's ability to aid Newfoundland economically. The resolution effectively killed the accord.



Environment
Joseph Hazelwood, who was captain of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez when it dumped 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound in Alaska on March 24, 1989, was found guilty in a state court in Anchorage of negligent discharge of oil, but was acquitted of criminal mischief and two other charges.

Scandal
Former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese testified for the defense in the trial of former national security adviser John Poindexter that Adm. Poindexter had not tried to conceal details of the Iran-Contra arms scandal from Congress.

Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicinereported that taking aspirin daily cut the risk of stroke from 50%-80% among patients suffering from atrial fibrillation.

10 years ago
2000

Diplomacy
Pope John Paul II continued his visit to Israel, meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and visiting a refugee camp in Bethlehem.

Law
A British Columbia judge struck down part of the toughest anti-smoking policy in Canada, ruling that restaurants and bars hadn't been given enough notice of the change.