January 20, 2011

210 years ago
1801

Law
John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He served in that office until his death in 1835.

180 years ago
1831

Born on this date
Piet Joubert. S.A. military officer and politician. Mr. Joubert was first elected to the Transvaalse Volksraad in 1860, representing Wakkerstroom. He was Commandant-General of the South African Republic from 1880-1900, leading Boer forces in the First Boer War (1880-1881). Com.-Gen. Joubert was a member of the Triumvirate, with Paul Kruger and M.W. Pretorius, who ran the provisional S.A. government from 1880-1883. He conducted four unsuccessful presidential campaigns, but served as Vice President from 1883-1888 and 1896 until his death from peritonitis on March 28, 1900 at the age of 69.

170 years ago
1841

Died on this date
Jørgen Jørgensen, 60. Danish-born adventurer. Mr. Jørgensen apprenticed with a British collier and sailed to South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand in the early 1800s; he's been credited as the founder of the Tasmanian capital of Hobart. While visiting his family in Denmark, he was given command of a small vessel, but was captured in battle with a British ship in 1808. Mr. Jørgensen was paroled, and travelled twice to Iceland. On his second visit in 1809, he and other crew members arrested Icelandic Governor the Count of Trampe, and Mr. Jørgensen proclaimed himself "Protector," intending to establish a liberal society like those emerging in the Americas and elsewhere in Europe. The Royal Navy gunboat HMS Talbot arrived two months later, restored Danish rule, and arrested Mr. Jørgensen for violating parole. He was released in 1811, and served as a spy for the British in France and Germany toward the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Mr. Jørgensen spent some time in prison for theft, and was eventually transported to Australia in 1825, spending most of the rest of his life in Tasmania, obtaining a free pardon in 1835.

Minh Mạng, 49. Emperor of Vietnam, 1820-1841. Minh Mang, born Nguyễn Phúc Đảm, succeeded his father Gia Long on the throne. Emperor Minh Mạng was known for his isolationist foreign policy, and opposition to Christian missionaries. He was succeeded as Emperor by his eldest son Thiệu Trị.

War
As a result of the first Opium War, China ceded Hong Kong to Great Britain.

140 years ago
1871

War
The day after it started, the Battle of Buzenval in Saint-Cloud, France concluded with French troops commanded by Louis-Jules Trochu being pushed back into Paris by Prussian forces led by Crown Prince Friedrich.

120 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Mischa Elman. Ukrainian-born U.S. musician. Mr. Elman was a violinist who began his career in Europe before moving to the United States in 1917. He was popular as a concert performer, and had a recording career that spanned 60 years. Mr. Elman died on April 5, 1967 at the age of 76.

Died on this date
Kalākaua, 54. King of Hawaii, 1874-1891. Kalākaua was the last King of Hawaii. Hula and surfing were revived during his reign. King Kalākaua died after several years of ill health and was succeeded on the throne by his sister Liliʻuokalani.

110 years ago
1901

Died on this date
Zénobe Gramme, 74. Belgian engineer. Mr. Gramme invented the Gramme machine, a type of direct current dynamo capable of generating smoother and much higher voltages than the dynamos known before it was first demonstrated in 1871.

90 years ago
1921

Politics and government
The first Constitution of Turkey was adopted, making fundamental changes in the source and exercise of sovereignty by consecrating the principle of national sovereignty.

Disasters
The British K-class submarine HMS K5 sank in the English Channel, with the loss of all 56 men on board.

75 years ago
1936

Died on this date
George V, 70. King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, 1910-1936. The second son of the future King Edward VII, Prince George embarked upon a career as an officer in the Royal Navy, but became heir to the throne upon the death in January 1892 of his older brother Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (known to the family as Prince Eddy). He succeeded to the throne upon the death of his father in May 1910. King George V was monarch during World War I, and in 1917 decreed that the Royal Family would henceforth bear the surname of Windsor, a change from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. George V, the first British sovereign to address his subjects by means of radio, was an effective constitutional monarch who sat on the throne through numerous changes of government during tough economic times in the 1920s and 1930s. On the evening of January 19, 1936 the British Broadcasting Corporation announced, "The King’s life is moving peacefully to its close." His physician, Lord Dawson, wrote in his diary that he hastened the king’s death by giving him a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine, both to spare the family further suffering, and to ensure that the death at 11:55 P.M. could be announced in the morning edition of The Times. George V was succeeded as king by his eldest son Prince Edward (called David by his family), who reigned as King Edward VIII.

70 years ago
1941

War
A German officer was murdered in Bucharest, sparking a rebellion and pogrom by the Iron Guard, killing 125 Jews and 30 soldiers.

Politics and government
Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for an unprecedented third term as the 32nd President of the United States of America.







Abominations
A new German tax effective January 1 levied a 15% additional gross income tax on Jews to "compensate" for their "social inferiority."

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania's alien registration law was an illegal infringement on federal authority.

Business
A U.S. federal grand jury investigating defense industries indicted three corporations, seven individuals, and four foreign companies on charges of creating a monopoly to control magnesite.

Boxing
Selman Martin (5-11-2) won a split decision over Johnny Paychek (38-6-2) in a heavyweight bout at the Civic Center in Hammond, Indiana. Mr. Paychek announced his retirement the next day.

60 years ago
1951

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Goodnight Irene--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra and the Weavers (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Tennessee Waltz--Patti Page (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1; Jukebox--3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Tennessee Waltz--Patti Page (4th week at #1)
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Les Paul and Mary Ford
--Jo Stafford
2 The Thing--Phil Harris
3 My Heart Cries for You--Guy Mitchell
--Dinah Shore
--Vic Damone
--Jimmy Wakely
4 Harbor Lights--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby
5 A Bushel and a Peck--Perry Como and Betty Hutton
--Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely
6 Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You)--Paul Weston and his Orchestra
--The Mills Brothers
--Ralph Flanagan and his Orchestra
--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
7 Thinking of You--Don Cherry
--Eddie Fisher
8 All My Love (Bolero)--Patti Page
--Percy Faith and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Bing Crosby
9 Oh, Babe!--Kay Starr
--Louis Prima and Keely Smith
10 To Think You’ve Chosen Me--Eddy Howard

Singles entering the chart were If by Perry Como (#30) and A Penny a Kiss by Tony Martin and Dinah Shore (#35).

Defense
Supreme Commander of NATO--Europe General Dwight D. Eisenhower, returning to West Germany on a goodwill visit, told the Germans that "bygones are bygones" as far as his World War II enmity was concerned.



Journalism
Edmonton's first newspaper, the Edmonton Bulletin, ceased publication with that day's edition. The Bulletin had begun publishing in 1880 under the leadership of future federal cabinet minister Frank Oliver. The paper had rapidly gained in circulation on The Edmonton Journal in its last years, but found it impossible to keep going after the Journal bought up most of the available newsprint on which newspapers were printed.

50 years ago
1961

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: The Whole Truth, starring Jack Carson

You're in the Picture, hosted by Jackie Gleason, on CBS

This was the premiere broadcast of this game show, which proved so disastrous that Mr. Gleason took up the entirety of the following week's broadcast to apologize for the premiere. The guest panel consisted of Jan Sterling, Arthur Treacher, Pat Carroll, and Pat Harrington, Jr.



Television
The English-language Montreal station CFCF-TV began broadcasting at 5:45 P.M.

Politics and government
John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States of America. The ceremony included an appearance by Robert Frost reciting his poem The Gift Outright. Mr. Kennedy's inaugural address included the words, "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty...And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." NBC televised the event in colour, although it’s not known (by me, anyway) if any of the colour video still exists.





40 years ago
1971

On television tonight
Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar, starring William Windom, Diane Baker, Bert Convy, and John Randolph; The Last Laurel, starring Jack Cassidy and Martine Beswick

This was the last episode of the series for the season. It was part of the NBC wheel series Four in One, which rotated four series of six episodes each. The first series to run was McCloud, followed by San Francisco International Airport, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, and The Psychiatrist. McCloud and Rod Serling’s Night Gallery were renewed and expanded to full series in their own right for the 1971-72 season. Mr. Serling’s teleplay for They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Single Program - Drama or Comedy.

Died on this date
Broncho Billy Anderson, 90. U.S. actor, director, and producer. Mr. Anderson, born Maxwell Henry Aronson, was the first star of Western movies, beginning with The Great Train Robbery (1903), in which he played three roles. He and G.K. Spoor founded Essanay Studios in Chicago in 1907, and Mr. Anderson produced and directed hundreds of short films. He appeared in more than 300 shorts, including 148 Westerns, playing "Broncho Billy." Mr. Anderson retired from acting, making the occasional brief comeback. He received an Honorary Academy Award in 1958 as a "motion picture pioneer."

Radio
CFCT aka Radio Tuktoyaktuk, Canada's first indigenous broadcaster, began broadcasting in English and Inuktutuk to about 650 residents of the Mackenzie River Delta in the Northwest Territories at 6:45 P.M..

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched Meteor 7, the first of three meterological satellites launched in 1971 to form part of the Soviet Union's weather satellite system.

Protest
A demonstration of 1,500 people in support of the movement in defense of Quebec "political prisoners" took place in downtown Montreal.

Labour
In an unprecedented walkout, more than 200,000 British postal workers went on strike for a 15% wage increase.

Disasters
All 31 people aboard were killed when a Peruvian air force transport crashed in the central Andes mountains.

30 years ago
1981

Politics and government
Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States of America. The ceremony was the first presidential inaugural to be held on the western front of the United States Capitol building.





Terrorism
After 444 days in captivity, 52 hostages were freed from the U.S. embassy in Tehran and were escorted out of Iran by Algerian diplomats aboard an Algerian airliner. Following a refuelling stop in Athens, the former hostages were flown to Algiers where they were transferred to the custody of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher.



25 years ago
1986

Americana
Martin Luther King Day was officially observed in the United States for the first time.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Sadeness Part I--Enigma (6th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Sadeness Part I--Enigma (7th week at #1)
2 Keep on Running--Milli Vanilli
3 Unchained Melody--The Righteous Brothers
4 Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice
5 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight--Robert Palmer and UB40
6 Fantasy--Black Box
7 Crazy for You--David Hasselhoff
8 I've Been Thinking About You--Londonbeat
9 Mary Had a Little Boy--Snap!
10 The Joker--Steve Miller Band

Singles entering the chart were Hello Afrika by Dr. Alban featuring Leila K. (#16); Kränk di net by Jazz Gitti & her Disco Killers (#20); Don't Worry by Kim Appleby (#25); and A Little Time by the Beautiful South (#28).

Died on this date
Joseph Carroll, 80. 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 after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

War
Iraq broadcast a videotape of seven captured Allied pilots--Three Americans, two Britons, one Italian, and one Kuwaiti--being paraded blindfolded through the streets of Baghdad. The American pilots appeared dazed and bruised. Several pilots made statements condemning the attacks on Iraq. U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf said that the Allies had not yet achieved air superiority because Iraqi missiles were still being fired, and Iraq still had airplanes it could use. He said the Allies were attacking the elite Iraqi Republican Guard units in southern Iraq.

Soviet paramilitary troops stormed a government building in the Latvian capital of Riga, killing four Latvians.

Protest
100,000-300,000 people demonstrated in Moscow against the Soviet invasion and occupation of the Baltic republics.

Law
Sudan's government imposed Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country's Muslim north and Christian south.

Football
NFL
AFC Championship
Los Angeles Raiders 3 @ Buffalo 51

The Bills scored 21 points in the 1st quarter and 20 in the 2nd as they routed the Raiders before 80,325 fans at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York (see video).

NFC Championship
New York Giants 15 @ San Francisco 13

Matt Bahr kicked 5 field goals, including one from 42 yards on the final play of regulation time, to lead the Giants over the 49ers before 65,750 fans at Candlestick Park (see video).

10 years ago
2001

Politics and government
George W. Bush was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. In his inaugural address, Mr. Bush appealed for civility among the nation’s leaders and called on all Americans to be good citizens. He said that "compassion is the work of a nation, not just a government," and added that America’s grandest ideal was that "everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born."





In an unusual session, the United States Senate approved a number of President George W. Bush’s cabinet nominees: Colin Powell--Secretary of State; Donald Rumsfeld--Secretary of Defense; Paul O’Neill--Secretary of the Treasury; Roderick Paige--Secretary of Education; Spencer Abraham--Secretary of Energy; Donald Evans--Secretary of Commerce; Ann Veneman--Secretary of Agriculture.

Scandal
The day after losing the support of key political and military leaders, Philippines President Joseph Estrada was forced out of office amid accusations he had accepted more than US$11 million in kickbacks from tobacco taxes and illegal gambling. He was succeeded as President by Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after the country’s Supreme Court declared the presidency vacant after Mr. Estrada had refused to resign by an agreed-upon deadline.

Among the 176 pardons and commutations issued by Bill Clinton in his final hours as President of the United States were those of former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Deutch, who faced prosecution for storing U.S. government secrets on his home computer; newspaper heiress Patty Hearst Shaw, who had long since served a prison sentence for her part in a 1974 bank robbery with the terrorist Symbionese Liberation Army; Mr. Clinton’s half-brother Roger Clinton, who had pleaded guilty to a charge involving cocaine distribution; four Hasidic Jews from New York who had been convicted of embezzlement and who may have lobbied one of the state’s Hasidic communities to vote for First Lady Hillary Clinton in her 2000 U.S. Senate bid; and crooked commodities trader Marc Rich, who had fled to Switzerland in 1983 after being charged with conspiracy, evading more than $48 million in taxes, racketeering, and trading with Iran while that country was holding U.S. hostages. Mr. Rich’s ex-wife Denise had been a significant contributor to the Democratic party and to the Clinton Library, and had lobbied for Mr. Rich’s pardon.