January 15, 2011

470 years ago
1541

Canadiana
King François I of France named Jean-François de la Rocque, Sieur de Roberval, Lieutenant-general of New France, and commissioned him to begin a colony in Canada and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith."

170 years ago
1841

Born on this date
Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby. U.K. politician. Mr. Stanley, a Conservative, held various cabinet posts before being appointed to the House of Lords, where as Lord Stanley of Preston he served as Governor General of Canada from 1888-1893 and donated the Stanley Cup for the championship of amateur hockey in Canada. He died on June 14, 1908 at the age of 67.

120 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Ray Chapman. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Chapman was a shortstop with the Cleveland Naps and Indians from 1912-1920, batting .278 with 17 home runs and 364 runs batted in in 1,051 games. He led the American League in 1918 with 84 runs and 84 bases on balls. Mr. Chapman died on August 17, 1920 at the age of 29, the day after being hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees, and is generally recognized as the only major league player to die directly from an on-field injury (Philadelphia Athletics' catcher Mike "Doc" Powers died of post-surgery complications after running into a wall in Shibe Park in 1909, but it's uncertain if his death was directly related to his injury).

110 years ago
1911

Journalism
The Palestinian Arabic-language newspaper Falastin was founded in Jaffa by Issa El-Issa.

70 years ago
1941

Literature
Current History and Forum named New England: Indian Summer, 1865-1915 by Van Wyck Brooks as the most important non-fiction book published in 1940.

Diplomacy
Speaking in Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Kosuke Matsuoka stressed the unity in friendship of Japan and Germany.

Economics and finance
U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Secretary of the Tresury Henry Morgenthau defended Lend-Lease as necessary for national defense, and urged quick congressional action. New York District Attorney Thomas Dewey said that Lend-Lease aid to the United Kingdom would end free government in the United States.

Protest
American Negro union leader A. Philip Randolph called for 10,000 Negroes to march on Washington to demand an end to discrimination in defense employment.

Labour
U.S. federal mediator James Dewey announced that the Congress of Industrial Organizations-United Auto Workers strike against Eaton Manufacturing Company had been settled.

60 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Bottle Imp, starring Donald Buka and Glenn Langan

War
U.S. Senator Robert Taft (Republican--Ohio) rejected President Harry Truman's claim that the President could commit American troops to an international command without congressional sanction, charging that it would precipitate "a constitutional crisis affecting the whole basis of the U.S. and the liberty of the people." U.S. Sen. Styles Bridges (Republican--New Hampshire) urged that the United States sever diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and begin all-out mobilization to ensure victory in a world conflict.

Diplomacy
Syria and Jordan established full relations, ending a breach over the status of Arab Palestine.

West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer rejected an East German bid for unity talks by the two German governments.

Crime
Ilse Koch, the wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald and Majdanek concentration camps, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a West German court.

Religion
The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a New York City ordinance requiring prerachers to obtain police permits for religious services on city streets on the ground that it violated constitutional guarantees of free speech.

Society
Cuban police closed down Havana's Barrio Colon red light district in a nationwide drive against vice.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Truman submitted to Congress the largest peacetime budget in American history, calling for the expenditure of $71.6 billion in fiscal 1952. 73% of the proposed budget went for "major national security programs."

50 years ago
1961

Track and field
Bruce Kidd, 17, won a two-mile indoor race in Boston in world record time.

Disasters
A United States Air Force "Texas tower" radar station moored in the Atlantic Ocean 105 miles off the New Jersey coast sank during a storm, taking the lives of all occupants--14 USAF personnel and 14 civilian workers repairing damage to the tower caused by Hurricane Donna.

Football
NFL
Pro Bowl @ Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
West 35 East 31

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): What Have They Done to My Song Ma--The New Seekers

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): A Song of Joy--Miguel Rios (14th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): If Those Lips Could Only Speak--Dermot Henry (3rd week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow--The Dealians
2 Looky Looky--Giorgio
3 Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond
4 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family
5 Zanzibar--Wanda Arletti
6 I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds
7 San Bernadino--Christie
8 You Can Get it if You Really Want--Desmond Dekker
9 Woodstock--Matthews Southern Comfort
10 Indiana Wants Me--R. Dean Taylor

The only single entering the chart was Cry Bluebird Cry by the Rising Sons (#20).

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Hier ist ein Mensch--Peter Alexander
2 Abraham (Das Lied vom Trödler)--Wolfgang
3 Ruby Tuesday--Melanie
4 Black Night--Deep Purple
5 Deine Einsamkeit--Udo Jürgens
6 Paranoid--Black Sabbath
7 Oh, wann kommst du?--Daliah Lavi
8 San Bernadino--Christie
9 Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond
10 Lookin' Out My Back Door--Creedence Clearwater Revival

Singles entering the chart were Ruby Tuesday; Cracklin' Rosie; I Hear You Knocking by Dave Edmunds (#11); Walking Round by Eric [Marlyn] (#14); Woodstock by Matthews' Southern Comfort (#15); Stealer by Free (#16); Einmal um die ganze Welt by Karel Gott (#17); and Wild World by Jimmy Cliff (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Knock Three Times--Dawn (2nd week at #1)
2 Lonely Days-- Bee Gees
3 My Sweet Lord/Isn't it a Pity--George Harrison
4 Stoney End--Barbra Streisand
5 Love the One You're With--Stephen Stills
6 Your Song--Elton John
7 One Man Band--Three Dog Night
8 Immigrant Song--Led Zeppelin
9 I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds
10 Sing High, Sing Low--Anne Murray

Singles entering the chart were Nosiree by Craig Wood (#25); One Bad Apple by the Osmonds (#27); 1900 Yesterday by Liz Damon's Orient Express (#28); Let Your Love Go by Bread (#29); and Band Bandit by Tundra (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (5th week at #1)
2 Knock Three Times--Dawn
3 Lonely Days-- Bee Gees
4 I Think it's Going to Rain Today--Tom Northcott
5 Love the One You're With--Stephen Stills
6 Pay to the Piper--The Chairmen of the Board
7 If You Could Read My Mind--Gordon Lightfoot
8 Your Song--Elton John
9 Black Magic Woman--Santana
10 Sing High, Sing Low--Anne Murray

Singles entering the chart were The Green Grass Starts to Grow by Dionne Warwick (#21); Amazing Grace by Judy Collins (#23); Somebody's Watching You by Little Sister (#24); Mother by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (#27); Hang on to Your Life by the Guess Who (#28); We Gotta Get You a Woman by Runt (#29); and Band Bandit by Tundra (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (4th week at #1)
2 Knock Three Times--Dawn
3 Sing High, Sing Low--Anne Murray
4 Silver Moon--Michael Nesmith & the First National Band
5 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family
6 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson
7 For the Good Times--Ray Price
8 He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother--Neil Diamond
9 No Matter What--Badfinger
10 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland

At the movies
Vanishing Point, directed by Richard C. Sarafian, and starring Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, and Dean Jagger, opened in theatres in limited release.



Died on this date
John Dall, 50. U.S. actor. John Dall Thompson achieved success on Broadway in the comedy Dear Ruth in 1944, and was nominated for an Academy Award in the supporting actor category for his first movie, The Corn is Green (1945). He was a memorable villain in one of this blogger’s favourite Alfred Hitchcock movies, Rope (1948); starred with Peggy Cummins in the great film noir Deadly is the Female (aka Gun Crazy) (1950); and had a small role in Spartacus (1960). Mr. Dall reportedly became a drunkard in later years, and died of a heart attack, several months after a serious fall.

Politics and govermnent
Following the advice of U.S. President Richard Nixon, the Republican National Committee unanimously elected U.S. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas as the party’s new chairman.

30 years ago
1981

Hit Parade
Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon
2 Angel of Mine--Frank Duval & Orchestra
3 Super Trouper--ABBA
4 Woman in Love--Barbra Streisand
5 Some Broken Hearts Never Mend--Telly Savalas
6 The Tide is High--Blondie
7 Santa Maria--Oliver Onions
8 What You're Proposing--Status Quo
9 Another One Bites the Dust--Queen
10 Master Blaster (Jammin')--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart were (Just Like) Starting Over; and My Old Piano by Diana Ross (#20).

On television tonight
Hill Street Blues, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Hill Street Station

This was the pilot for the long-running series.

War
Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called upon the Iranian people to stop criticizing President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr for his conduct of the war against Iraq. Iran accused the Soviet Union of sending military advisers and arms to Iraq.

25 years ago
1986

Defense
U.S.S.R. leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced a three-month extension of the Soviet moratorium on nuclear tests, and he proposed a worldwide ban on nuclear weapons within 15 years. The offer was tied to a requirement that the United States end development of anti-satellite weapons and the Strategic Defense Initiative anti-missile defense system. The reduction of nuclear arms would take place in stages.

20 years ago
1991

War
"Black Beret" troops from the interior ministry seized a police academy in Latvia.

Australiana
Queen Elizabeth II signed letters patent instituting the Victoria Cross for Australia; the country became the first Commonwealth realm with a separate Victoria Cross award in its honours system.

Politics and government
The Supreme Soviet confirmed Aleksandr Bessmertnykh as the U.S.S.R.’s new foreign minister.

10 years ago
2001

Literature
Wikipedia, a web-based encyclopedia, made its debut.

Montrealana
14 suburban municipalities on the island of Montreal filed an injunction in Quebec Superior Court aimed at blocking the application of Bill 170, which would integrate them into a single city of Montreal.

Economics and finance
On the eve of the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Gulf War, Iraq signed a free trade agreement with Egypt in a bid to end its continuing isolation.

Business
Bombardier announced that it had reached an agreement with Skywest Airlines of Utah to manufacture 64 regional planes at a cost of $2 billion.