March 31, 2010

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Stephanie!

160 years ago
1850

Died on this date
John C. Calhoun, 68. 7th Vice President of the United States of America, 1825-1832. Mr. Calhoun was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party when he was first elected to Congress, representing South Carolina's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1811-1817). He was Secretary of War in the cabinet of President James Monroe (1817-1825), instituting reforms to modernize the armed forces, and managing Indian affairs. Mr. Calhoun was elected Vice President in 1824, while John Quincy Adams was elected President in the only election to be decided by the House of Representatives. Mr. Calhoun disagreed with Mr. Adams' tariff policies, and supported the presidential candidacy of Andrew Jackson. Mr. Jackson, representing the Democratic Party, selected Mr. Calhoun as his running mate in 1828, and defeated the ticket of Mr. Adams and Richard Rush, representing the National Republican Party. When Mr. Calhoun's wife Floride organized the wives of other cabinet members against Peggy Eaton, wife of War Secretary John Eaton and refused to associate with her in what became known as the "Petticoat affair," Mr. Jackson sided with the Eatons, ending the friendship with Mr. Calhoun. Vice President Calhoun disagreed with President Jackson's tariff policies, and supported the doctrine of nullification, i.e., the idea that states had the right to nullify any federal law they deemed unconstitutional. Mr. Calhoun's advocacy of states' rights put him so much at odds with Mr. Jackson that the President chose Martin Van Buren as his vice presidential running mate in the 1832 election. Mr. Calhoun resigned on December 28, 1832, and took a seat in the Senate the next day, representing South Carolina. He sat in the Senate until 1843, when he resigned in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain the 1844 Democratic presidential nomination. Mr. Calhoun served as U.S. Secretary of State in the cabinet of President John Tyler (1844-1845), and returned to the Senate in 1845, where he became known for his support of slavery and his opposition to the war against Mexico. Sen. Calhoun died of tuberculosis.

130 years ago
1880

Died on this date
Henryk Wieniawski, 44. Polish musician and composer. Mr. Wieniawski was a classical violinist who toured Europe and the United States, and also taught violin. He composed more than 50 works, mainly for violin, including two concertos. Mr. Wieniawski suffered from poor health in later years, and died of a heart attack. His brother Józef, who often accompanied him on piano, was also a composer, and his daughter Régine became a composer.

120 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Ben Adams. U.S. jumper. Mr. Adams won a silver medal in standing high jump and a bronze medal in standing long jump at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, while his brother Platt won the gold and silver medals, respectively, in the same events. Ben pitched for Sweden in an exhibition baseball game at those Olympics, batting 1 for 3 in a 13-3 loss to the U.S.A. He died on March 14, 1961, 17 days before his 71st birthday, and 15 days after the death of Platt, 75.

William Lawrence Bragg. Australian-born U.K. physicist. Sir William and his father William Henry Bragg shared the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics "for their services in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-ray." Sir William died on July 1, 1971 at the age of 81.

Education
The Manitoba legislature passed the Manitoba School Act, abolishing separate schools for Roman Catholics and Protestants effective May 1, 1890, and creating a non-sectarian system of public education. Roman Catholics in the province, many of them Metis, protested that the law was a violation of the terms under which Manitoba had entered Confederation in 1870.

110 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Henry, Duke of Gloucester. U.K. royal family member; Governor-General of Australia, 1945-1947. Prince Henry was the third son and fourth child of King George V and Queen Mary. He served with the British Army in both World Wars, and was created Duke of Gloucester in 1928. Prince Henry married Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, in 1935, and the couple had two sons. The Duke of Gloucester accepted the post of Governor-General of Australia, and travelled widely throughout the country during his two years in office. Prince Henry suffered the first of several crippling strokes in 1965, and made no public appearances after 1967. He was the last surviving child of his parents, and died on June 10, 1974 at the age of 74.

Academia
The Collège du Sacré-Coeur in Caraquet, New Brunswick was incorporated as a university, with the Reverends Prosper LeBastard, Joseph Haquin, Edward Travert and Joseph Dreau as directors.

80 years ago
1930

Movies
To avoid government censorship, Hollywood studios instituted their own set of industry censorship guidelines, popularly known as the Hays Code. The code was frequently flouted over the next few years, and didn't become rigidly enforced until 1934.

75 years ago
1935

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

70 years ago
1940

War
A Gallup Poll reported that only 1% of Americans favoured a German victory in the European war, while 84% favoured the U.K. and France, and 15% offered no opinion.

Diplomacy
The French and British governments agreed that Jean Monnet be president of the Commission of French-British Cooperation.

Politics and government
Rashid Ali Beg Gailani took office as Prime Minister of Iraq and shuffled the cabinet, retaining General Nuri-es Said as Foreign Minister.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah, president of the All-India Muslim League, suggested partitioning India into Hindu and Muslim states.

Economics and finance
U.S. National Association of Manufacturers President H.W. Prentiss, Jr. appealed to every industrialist to mobilize to meet the attacks of "demagogic detractors" and preserve the free enterprise system.

Olympics
A Helsinki newspaper said that the Summer Olympics, scheduled to be held in the Finnish capital in 1940, would not be held this year.

60 years ago
1950

At the movies
Cheaper by the Dozen, directed by Walter Lang, and starring Clifton Webb, Jeanne Crain, and Myrna Loy, received its premiere screening in New York City.



Diplomacy
The government of Czechoslovakia expelled United Press bureau manager John Higgins, and ordered CARE to close its Czech operations by July 31, 1950.

Politics and government
The Council of Europe's Ministers' Committee in Strasbourg invited West Germany and the Saar to become full members of the Council.

Journalism
Scientific American editor Gerald Piel charged that 30,000 copies of the magazine had been burned on the demand of the Atomic Energy Commission because an article by physicist Hans Bethe contained technical data on the hydrogen bomb.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Marina--Rocco Granata and the International Quintet (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): My Old Man's a Dustman--Lonnie Donegan

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Doreen Maney Story, with guest stars Christopher Dark, Connie Hines, and Anne Francis

Politics and government
Voting machines were discussed in the Canadian House of Commons, while aboriginal people in Canada were first permitted to vote in federal elections.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Montreal 2 @ Chicago 0 (Montreal won best-of-seven series 4-0)

Claude Provost and Dickie Moore scored in the 2nd period, and Jacques Plante earned his second straight shutout in goal for the Canadiens as they completed the sweep of the Black Hawks at Chicago Stadium.

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Kvällstoppen): Uppblåsbara Barbara--Robert Broberg (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Let it Be--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Semyon Timoshenko, 75. U.S.S.R. military officer. Marshal of the Soviet Union Timoshenko joined the Red Army in 1918 and the Bolshevik Party in 1919. He achieved success in the Winter War against Finland (1939-1940), which led to his appointment as People's Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union, holding the office from May 7, 1940-July 19, 1941. Marshal Timoshenko held various commands for the remainder of World War II, and various offices through the 1960s.

Space
Explorer 1, the first satellite to be successfully launched by the United States, re-entered earth’s atmosphere and burned up after 12 years in space and 58,000 orbits. It had been launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida atop a U.S. Army Juno I (renamed from Jupiter-C) rocket on the night of January 31, 1958, almost four months after the U.S.S.R. had launched Sputnik I to begin the space race, and almost two months after the first U.S. attempt, Vanguard, had ended in disaster when the rocket blew up after lifting just four feet from the launch pad. Explorer 1 paid immediate dividends by discovering radiation belts circling the earth, which were promptly named the Van Allen belts after Dr. James Van Allen, the scientist who had proposed their existence. Explorer 1 stopped sending information on May 23, 1958, but remained in earth orbit.

Terrorism
Count Karl von Spreti, West Germany’s ambassador to Guatemala, was kidnapped by a band of armed men calling themselves the Rebel Armed Forces. They threatened to kill Count von Spreti unless they were paid $700,000 and 22 prisoners were released by the Guatemalan government of President Julio Mendez Montenegro.

Japan Airlines Flight 351, a Boeing 727 jetliner seized by 15 radical students armed with pistols, bombs, and samurai swords remained on the ground at Seoul with 122 passengers and 7 crew members aboard after authorities gave up an elaborate attempt to convince the hijackers, who wanted to go to North Korea, that they actually were in North Korea.

Crime
An American military court in Longbinh, South Vietnam sentenced First Lieutenant James Duffy to six months in confinement for involuntary manslaughter. The court had originally found Lt. Duffy guilty of premeditated murder of an unarmed Vietnamese civilian, but reconsidered its verdict. During the trial, army officers testifying for the defense said that army policy, as they understood it, was not to take prisoners in Vietnam combat operations.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court held without dissent that trial judges had the right to bind and gag, jail for contempt, or expel from the courtroom an unruly defendant.

Business
American League baseball owners approved a deal that would see the Seattle Pilots move to Milwaukee, but the agreement still required the approval of a bankruptcy referee. That evening, bankruptcy referee Sidney Volinn approved the $10.8-million purchase. Mr. Volinn’s ruling had the effect of finalizing the deal; the Seattle Pilots now became the Milwaukee Brewers.

Boxing
George Foreman (17-0) scored a technical knockout of Rufus Brassell (13-3) at 2:42 of the 1st round of a heavyweight bout at Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston.

Hockey
CHL
Adams Cup
Semi-Finals
Fort Worth 1 @ Omaha 6 (Omaha led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Iowa 6 @ Tulsa 2 (Iowa led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Baseball
In Cactus League action at Tempe, Arizona, the California Angels defeated the Seattle Pilots 4-2. Tom Murphy was the winning pitcher, while Marty Pattin took the loss in what turned out to be the team’s last game as the Seattle Pilots.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Crazy Little Thing Called Love--Queen (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Okuru Kotoba--Kaientai (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Rapper's Delight--Sugarhill Gang

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Sun of Jamaica--Goombay Dance Band (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Jesse Owens, 66. U.S. athlete. Mr. Owens is best remembered for winning four gold medals at the Summer Olympic games in Berlin in 1936, dealing a blow to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's ideas of Aryan racial superiority. While at Ohio State University, Mr. Owens attended a track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1935, where he set world records in the men's long jump, 220-yard sprint, and 220-yard low hurdles,and tied the world record in the 100-yard dash--all in a span of 45 minutes. At the Olympics, he won gold medals in the men's 100-metre and 200-metre runs, the long jump, and as a member of the 4 x 100-metre relay team.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Jimmy Carter submitted a revised budget to Congress for fiscal 1981 containing $15 billion in proposed spending cuts, $2 billion more than expected. The principal cuts focused on aid to states and cities and the disadvantaged, but excluded benefit programs such as Social Security. The Defense Department, which accounted for ¼ of all federal spending, was asked to absorb only $1.4 billion of the spending cuts while accounting for the greatest share--$5.7 billion--of the projected increases since January in federal spending for 1981.

Business
The investment house Bache Halsey Stuart Shields Inc. announced that it had incurred $50 million in potential losses in connection with the silver accounts of Herbert and Bunky Hunt, and that the Texas brothers had paid the firm $17 million that day. The Hunts signed a preliminary agreement to cover another $400 million in losses resulting from their silver trading activities. They agreed to turn over Canadian oil and gas properties and silver holdings in Engelhard Minerals and Chemicals Corp. in exchange for Engelhard’s agreement to let the Hunts out of a contract to buy 19 million ounces of silver at $35 per ounce. The contract came due that day, but silver had closed in New York at $14.20 per ounce. Engelhard would keep its 19 million ounces of silver, receive another 8.5 million ounces from the Hunts, and acquire oil holdings worth an estimated $500 million.

Baseball
The Montreal Expos traded first baseman-pinch hitter Rusty Staub to the Texas Rangers for utility players LaRue Washington and Chris Smith. Mr. Staub, the most popular player in Expos’ history, had starred with the team from 1969-1971 before being traded to the New York Mets. he had then been reacquired during the 1979 season from the Detroit Tigers. He turned 36 the day after the 1980 trade, and played another 6 years in the major leagues, retiring after playing 2,951 career regular season games. Mr. Smith, who had yet to play in the majors at the time of the trade, played just 7 games with the Expos in 1981, and 2 in 1982, going 0 for 9 at bat. He played 22 games with the San Francisco Giants in 1983 before disappearing from the major leagues. Mr. Washington had played 3 games with the Rangers in 1978 and 22 in 1979, but never played another major league game after being traded to the Expos.

25 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Shout--Tears for Fears

#1 single in France (SNEP): Johnny, Johnny--Jeanne Mas

#1 single in Switzerland: You're My Heart, You're My Soul--Modern Talking (4th week at #1)

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, starring Graham Armitage and Kerry Jordan, on Springbok Radio
Tonight's episode: The Rubber-Faced Man

Popular culture
The first WrestleMania--the biggest wrestling event from the World Wrestling Federation (later known as World Wrestling Entertainment)-- took place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Curling
Air Canada Silver Broom @ Kelvin Hall, Glasgow
Final
Canada (Al Hackner) 6 Sweden (Stefan Hasselborg) 2

Canada scored 3 points in the 3rd end to take a 3-1 lead as Mr. Hackner led his rink to their second men's world championship; they had previously won in 1982.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Vattene Amore--Amedeo Minghi; Mietta (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Enjoy the Silence--Depeche Mode (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Le temps des Yéyés--Les Vagabonds (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): The Power--Snap!

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (7th week at #1)
2 Daar Gaat Ze--Clouseau
3 How am I Supposed to Live Without You--Michael Bolton
4 Sacrifice--Elton John
5 The Healer--John Lee Hooker featuring Carlos Santana & the Santana Band
6 Fortune Fairytales--Loïs Lane
7 The Power--Snap!
8 Jij Daar!--Petra & Co
9 Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul
10 Dub Be Good to Me--Beats International

Singles entering the chart were Rok the Nation by Rob 'n' Rax featuring Leila K (#26); Oh Pretty Woman by Gary Moore featuring Albert King (#27); Vulgaris Magistralis by Normaal (#29); Cry for Freedom by White Lion (#31); School by Supertramp (#38); and Soul to Soul by the Temptations (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Black Velvet--Alannah Myles (2nd week at #1)
2 Love Will Lead You Back--Taylor Dayne
3 I Wish it Would Rain Down--Phil Collins
4 I'll Be Your Everything--Tommy Page
5 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
6 Don't Wanna Fall in Love--Jane Child
7 Escapade--Janet Jackson
8 Keep it Together--Madonna
9 Get Up! (Before the Night is Over)--Technotronic
10 Here and Now--Luther Vandross

Singles entering the chart were All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You by Heart (#57); Your Baby Never Looked Good in Blue by Expose (#61); Getting Away with It by Electronic (#88); How "Bout Us by Grayson Hugh (and Betty Wright) (#89); Moonlight on Water by Laura Branigan (#94); and Ready or Not by After 7 (#96). How 'Bout Us was from the movie True Love (1989).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Black Velvet--Alannah Myles
2 Love Will Lead You Back--Taylor Dayne
3 I Wish it Would Rain Down--Phil Collins
4 Escapade--Janet Jackson
5 Roam--The B-52's
6 I'll Be Your Everything--Tommy Page
7 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
8 I Go to Extremes--Billy Joel
9 Keep it Together--Madonna
10 Here and Now--Luther Vandross

Singles entering the chart were All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You by Heart (#58); Your Baby Never Looked Good in Blue by Expose (#61); How 'Bout Us by Grayson Hugh (and Betty Wright) (#68); I'll See You in My Dreams by Giant (#73); Cuts You Up by Peter Murphy (#83); and You Can't Get Away by Shana (#90).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Wish it Would Rain Down--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)
2 Escapade--Janet Jackson
3 I Go to Extremes--Billy Joel
4 Roam--The B-52's
5 Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul (Duet with the Wild Pair)
6 Lover of Mine--Alannah Myles
7 Love Will Lead You Back--Taylor Dayne
8 No Myth--Michael Penn
9 Every Little Tear--Paul Janz
10 Let Your Backbone Slide--Maestro Fresh-Wes

Singles entering the chart were Life in Detail by Robert Palmer (#81); Dorianna by Paul Lang (#83); (If There Was) Any Other Way by Celine Dion (#85); Closer to the Flame by Dave Edmunds (#87); All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You by Heart (#89); I Build this Garden for Us by Lenny Kravitz (#91); and The Nature of Love by Poco (#93).

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev warned Lithuania of "grave consequences" if it did not annul its declaration of independence.

Protest
The day before new poll tax rates were supposed to go into effect in the U.K., a riot involving several thousand protesters took place in London. 331 police officers were among the more than 400 injured, and 341 arrests were made.

10 years ago
2000

At the movies
The Skulls, directed by Rob Cohen, and starring Joshua Jackson, Paul Walkerm and others, opened in theatres. The obvious inspiration for the movie was Skull and Bones, the infamous secret society at Yale University; the university in the movie isn't identified, but it sure seems like one from the Ivy League. The only "name" actor in the movie was Craig T. Nelson, who played Judge Litten Mandrake. The movie received overwhelmingly negative reviews, and was rightly regarded as one of the turkeys of the year (although it's an enjoyable turkey). Two direct-to-video/DVD sequels appeared: The Skulls II (2002); and The Skulls III (2004).



Crime
A British Columbia court found Kelly Ellard guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Reena Virk in Victoria in November 1997.