Sunday 27 February 2011

February 27, 2011

320 years ago
1691


Born on this date
Edward Cave
. English publisher and editor. Mr. Cave founded The Gentleman's Magazine, the first general interest magazine, which was published in London from 1731-1922. He died on January 10, 1754 at the age of 62.

210 years ago
1801


Politics and government
Pursuant to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Washington, D.C. was placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress.

130 years ago
1881


Born on this date
Sveinn Björnsson
. Regent of Iceland, 1941-1944; 1st President of Iceland, 1944-1952. Mr. Björnsson was a public prosecutor before entering politics. He was a member of Reykjavik City Council (1912-1920) and was its chairman (1918-1920). Mr. Björnsson represented the city in the Althing (1914-1915, 1919-1920), and was twice Icelandic Ambassador to Denmark (1920-1924, 1926-1940). He was Regent of Iceland during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, and being elected President after the country became a republic. Mr. Björnsson took Iceland into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949, and in 1951 allowed American troops into the country as the Iceland Defence Force. Mr. Björnsson died in office on January 25, 1952 at the age of 70, after several years of poor health.

Died on this date
George Colley, 45
. U.K. military officer. Major General Sir George joined the British Army in 1852 and served in South Africa, and was named Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and High Commissioner for South Eastern Africa in April 1880. He was killed leading his troops against Boer forces in the Battle of Majuba Hill.

War
Transvaal forces commanded by General Nicolaas Smit defeated British forces led by Major General Sir George Colley in the Battle of Majuba Hill in South Africa. It was the final and decisive battle of the First Boer War.

125 years ago
1886


Born on this date
Hugo Black
. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1937-1971. Justice Black, a Democrat, represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate (1927-1937), serving as Secretary of rhe Senate Democratic Conference (1927-1937) and Chairman of the Senate Education Committee from January 1937 until he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in August. He had a reputation as a reformer in the Senate, and supported Mr. Roosevelt's New Deal economic program. On the Supreme Court, Justice Black was known as a strict constructionist, believing in the "plain meaning" of the Constitution. He wrote the majority opinion in Korematsu v. United States (1944), which upheld the internment of Japanese Americans. Justice Black generally sided with the liberal wing of the Court, but occasionally differed. He died on September 25, 1971 at the age of 85, eight days after retiring from the Supreme Court and six days after suffering a stroke.

120 years ago
1891


Born on this date
David Sarnoff
. Belarusian-born U.S. broadcasting executive. Mr. Sarnoff founded Radio Corporation of America in 1919, and led RCA until his retirement in 1970. He was a major figure in the development of radio and television. Mr. Sarnoff died on December 12, 1971 at the age of 80.

90 years ago
1921


Politics and government
The International Working Union of Socialist Parties was founded in Vienna.

80 years ago
1931


Died on this date
Chandra Shekhar Azad, 24
. Indian revolutionist. Chandra Shekhar, who took the name Azad ("Free"), led the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA) in resistance against British rule. He died in Allahabad, killing three policemen in a shootout and then shooting himself when his situation became hopeless.

80 years ago
1941


Died on this date
William D. Byron, 45
. U.S. politician. Mr. Byron, a Democrat, served in local and state politics in Maryland before representing Maryland's 6th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1939 until his death as one of the passengers of Eastern Air Lines Flight 21 when the Douglas DC-3 crashed while preparing to land in Atlanta.

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1940 were presented at the Biltmore Bowl at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The winners included: Best Picture--Rebecca; Best Director--John Ford (The Grapes of Wrath); Best Actor--James Stewart (The Philadelphia Story); Best Actress--Ginger Rogers (Kitty Foyle); Best Supporting Actor--Walter Brennan (The Westerner); Best Supporting Actress--Jane Darwell (The Grapes of Wrath).



Politics and government
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill challenged his opponents in the House of Commons, demanding a vote of confidence and receiving unanimous support.

Thomas Miller was installed as Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan.

Defense
U.S. Senator Robert Taft (Republican--Ohio) accused President Franklin D. Roosevelt of "deliberately holding back aid to England in order to put pressure on Congress" to pass Lend-Lease. William Bullitt, former U.S. Ambassador to France and the U.S.S.R., told the Overseas Press Club in New York that a national emergency should be proclaimed, if necessary, to speed up defense preparations.

Diplomacy
A German businessman in Bulgaria filed legal charges against U.S. Minister to Bulgaria George Earle, claiming that Mr. Earle had hit him with a bottle.

World events
Venezuelan police raided a secret Communist radio station near Caracas.

Crime
A U.S. grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted 71 people under the postal law on charges of operating a lottery ring in eight eastern states with a total income of millions of dollars.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Reconstruction Finance Corporation bought $136,330,557 worth of state of Arkansas tax-exempt highway refunding bonds, because the 3½% interest rate demanded by a bank syndicate was considered too high.

Disasters
8 of 16 people aboard Eastern Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-3 flying from New York to Atlanta via Washington, were killed when the plane crashed while preparing to land at Candler Field in Atlanta. U.S. Representative William D. Byron (Democrat--Maryland) was among the dead, and Eastern Air Lines President Eddie Rickenbacker was seriously injured.

60 years ago
1951


On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Margin for Safety, starring Francis Bethencourt, Denholm Elliott, and Una O'Connor

War
Chinese Communist forces fell back under heavy U.S. pressure in east-central Korea between Hoengsong and Pangnim.

World events
The Czechoslovakian government announced the arrest of former Foreign Minister Vladimir Clementis in connection with an abortive pro-Western coup attempt. Gustav Husak, former head of he Slovak Board of Commissioners, was expelled from the Communist Party on the same charges.

Politics and government
The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect when Minnesota became the 36th state to ratify it. It reads:

Amendment XXII
(The proposed amendment was sent to the states Mar. 21, 1947, by the Eightieth Congress. It was ratified Feb. 27, 1951.)

Section 1
[Limit to number of terms a president may serve.]

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2
[Ratification.]

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
Journalism
Armed thugs and police thwarted efforts by employees of the anti-Peronist Buenos Aires newspaper La Prensa to resume publication. One worker was killed and four injured in the assault.

Law
The American Bar Association House of Delegates, meeting in Chicago, approved the expulsion of Communists from the organization.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Office of Price Stabilization imposed a new price control system covering 200,000 retail items and affecting an estimated 233,000 retail stores.

50 years ago
1961


Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): The Green Leaves of Summer--The Brothers Four

#1 single in France (IFOP): Non, je ne regrette rien--Édith Piaf (7th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Pony Time--Chubby Checker
2 Calcutta--Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra
3 There's a Moon Out Tonight--The Capris
4 Surrender--Elvis Presley
5 Don't Worry--Marty Robbins
6 Dedicated to the One I Love--The Shirelles
7 Where the Boys Are--Connie Francis
8 Shop Around--The Miracles
9 Ebony Eyes--The Everly Brothers
10 Wheels--The String-A-Longs

Singles entering the chart were Please Love Me Forever by Cathy Jean and the Roommates (#71); Lonely Man by Elvis Presley (#84); Ja-Da by Johnny and the Hurricanes (#86); All of Everything by Frankie Avalon (#91); Bewildered by James Brown and the Famous Flames (#94); Won't Be Long by Aretha Franklin with the Ray Bryant Combo (#95); More than I Can Say by Bobby Vee (#96); Tunes of Glory by Mitch Miller with his Orchestra & Chorus (#97); A Lover's Question by Ernestine Anderson (#98); Cherry Berry Wine by Charlie McCoy (#99); and Battle of Gettysburg by Fred Darian (#100). Lonely Man was the B-side of Surrender, and was written for, but eventually cut from, the movie Wild in the Country (1961).

Diplomacy
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru told his country’s parliament that he was opposed to any plan to reorganize the United Nations’ Secretary-General’s office "at the present moment," and that he approved continuation of the UN’s Congo operation.

Labour
The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation was inaugurated.

40 years ago
1971


Hit parade
#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Vent'anni--Massimo Ranieri (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (5th week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 The Pushbike Song--The Mixtures
2 My Sweet Lord--George Harrison
3 Knock Three Times--Dawn
4 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family
5 Eleanor Rigby--Zoot
6 I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds
7 Band of Gold--Freda Payne
8 My Baby's Gone--Axiom
9 Lonely Days--Bee Gees
10 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland

Singles entering the chart were Have You Ever Seen the Rain/Hey Tonight by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#27); Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson (#33); Woodstock by Matthews Southern Comfort (#37); Throw a Little Loving My Way by Tadpole (#40); Your Song by Elton John (#49); The Prophet by Ronnie Burns (#53); Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix (#54); San Bernadino by Christie (#57); When I'm Dead and Gone by McGuinness Flint (#59); and I Really Don't Want to Know/There Goes My Everything by Elvis Presley (#60).

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Nothing Rhymed--Gilbert O'Sullivan (5th week at #1)
2 Du--Peter Maffray
3 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson
4 Bridget the Midget--Ray Stevens
5 Hup Daar is Willem!--Ed en Willem Bever
6 Have You Ever Seen the Rain/Hey Tonight--Creedence Clearwater Revival
7 Holy Holy Life--Golden Earring
8 Butterfly--Danyel Gerard
9 Mother--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
10 Silver Moon--Michael Nesmith & the First National Band

Singles entering the chart were Ard Die Heeft De Wereld Cup/Heya Ard Schenk/Ra ta ta by De Specials (#21); Huilen is Voor Jou te Laat by Klaas en Peter (#26); Chirpy, Chirpy, Cheep, Cheep by Lally Stott (#29); Proud Mary by Ike & Tina Turner (#31); Everybody Tries by the Rob Hoeke Rhythm & Blues Group (#32); Zomer in Zeeland by Saskia & Serge (#33); and Everything is Allright by Nanda (#34).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 One Bad Apple--The Osmonds (3rd week at #1)
2 Mama's Pearl--The Jackson 5
3 Knock Three Times--Dawn
4 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson
5 If You Could Read My Mind--Gordon Lightfoot
6 I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds
7 Sweet Mary--Wadsworth Mansion
8 Amos Moses--Jerry Reed
9 Mr. Bojangles--Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
10 Me and Bobby McGee--Janis Joplin

Singles entering the chart were What is Life by George Harrison (#66); No Love at All by B.J. Thomas (#68); Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes by the 5th Dimension (#69); Soul Power (Part 1) by James Brown (#84); Ain't Got Time by the Impressions (#85); After the Fire is Gone by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn (#86); Bell Bottom Blues by Derek and the Dominoes (#91); Beginning to Feel the Pain by Mac Davis (#92); Don't Make Me Pay for His Mistakes by Z.Z. Hill (#94); One Man's Leftovers (Is Another Man's Feast) by 100 Proof Aged in Soul (#96); Wild World by the Gentrys (#97); and Celia of the Seals by Donovan (#98).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 One Bad Apple--The Osmonds (3rd week at #1)
2 Mama's Pearl--The Jackson 5
3 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson
4 Have You Ever Seen the Rain--Creedence Clearwater Revival
5 Sweet Mary--Wadsworth Mansion
6 If You Could Read My Mind--Gordon Lightfoot
7 I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds
8 Watching Scotty Grow--Bobby Goldsboro
9 Mr. Bojangles--Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
10 Amos Moses--Jerry Reed

Singles entering the chart were Tongue in Cheek by Sugarloaf (#78); Ain't Got Time by the Impressions (#86); One Man's Leftovers (Is Another Man's Feast) by 100 Proof Aged in Soul (#89); Tulsa by Billy Joe Royal (#91); Standing Here Wondering Which Way to Go by Marion Williams (#93); Give it to Me by the Mob (#94); Funky by the Chambers Brothers (#96); If it's Real What I Feel by Jerry Butler featuring Brenda Lee Eager (#97); Stop the World and Let Me Off by the Flaming Ember (#98); and Bad Water by the Raeletts (#99).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 One Bad Apple--The Osmonds (2nd week at #1)
2 Mama's Pearl--The Jackson 5
3 I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds
4 If You Could Read My Mind--Gordon Lightfoot
5 Sweet Mary--Wadsworth Mansion
6 Mr. Bojangles--Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
7 Watching Scotty Grow--Bobby Goldsboro
8 Have You Ever Seen the Rain/Hey Tonight--Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson
10 Theme from Love Story--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus

Singles entering the chart were What is Life/Apple Scruffs by George Harrison (#43); Another Day/Oh Woman, Oh Why by Paul McCartney (#53); What's Going On by Marvin Gaye (#82); Snow Blind Friend by Steppenwolf (#84); Soul Power by James Brown (#86); No Love at All by B.J. Thomas (#88); Bell Bottom Blues by Derek and the Dominoes (#89); Tulsa by Billy Joe Royal (#92); The Pushbike Song by the Mixtures (#93); Hot Pants by Salvage (#95); Do Me Right by the Detroit Emeralds (#96); and Maria (You were the Only One) by Jimmy Ruffin (#97).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 One Bad Apple--The Osmonds
2 Mr. Bojangles--Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3 Have You Ever Seen the Rain/Hey Tonight--Creedence Clearwater Revival
4 If You Could Read My Mind--Gordon Lightfoot
5 Watching Scotty Grow--Bobby Goldsboro
6 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson
7 Sweet Mary--Wadsworth Mansion
8 I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds
9 Hang on to Your Life--The Guess Who
10 Mama's Pearl--The Jackson 5

Singles entering the chart were Oye Como Va by Santana (#60); What is Life by George Harrison (#85); Chairman of the Board by Chairmen of the Board (#87); A Stranger in My Place by Anne Murray (#94); Bed of Rose's by the Statler Brothers (#95); I was Wondering by the Poppy Family (#96); Rosaline by Russell Thornberry (#97); No Love at All by B.J. Thomas (#98); Sundown by Chilliwack (#99); and Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life) by the Four Tops (#100).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson (4th week at #1)
2 Stay Awhile--The Bells
3 Theme from Love Story--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus
4 I was Wondering--The Poppy Family
5 One Bad Apple--The Osmonds
6 1900 Yesterday--Liz Damon's Orient Express
7 Born to Wander--Rare Earth
8 Have You Ever Seen the Rain--Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 Fresh as a Daisy--Emitt Rhodes
10 Amos Moses--Jerry Reed
Pick hit of the week: Woodstock--Matthews' Southern Comfort

Abominations
Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) started performing artificially-induced abortions.

30 years ago
1981


Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): När vi två blir en--Gyllene Tider (12th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Reality--Richard Sanderson (5th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Can You Feel It--The Jacksons (2nd week at #1)
2 Celebration--Kool & The Gang
3 Passion--Rod Stewart
4 Lady--Kenny Rogers
5 Shaddap You Face--Joe Dolce Music Theatre
6 I'm Alright--Kenny Loggins
7 Stop the Cavalry--Jona Lewie
8 Love on the Rocks--Neil Diamond
9 A Lot of Things--Peach
10 The Tide is High--Blondie

Singles entering the chart were Give Me Back My Love by Maywood (#14); Rome by Dschinghis Khan (#18); and De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da by the Police (#19).

Personal
This blogger began a job as a busboy/waiter at Mr. Mike’s Steak House in Edmonton for the minimum wage of $3.50 per hour.

Diplomacy
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher continued her visit to Washington, declaring that the free world was counting on the U.S. administration of President Ronald Reagan to restore faith in the U.S. dollar. She cautioned Mr. Reagan not to be too quick to accept a Soviet proposal for a summit between himself and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Protest
More than one million people marched through the centre of Madrid in support of King Juan Carlos of Spain and in condemnation of the attempted coup by members of the Civil Guard several days earlier.

Religion
Pope John Paul II departed Anchorage and flew back to Rome, ending his tour of east Asia and Alaska.

Economics and finance
It was announced that U.S. President Ronald Reagan had decided on an additional budget cut of $10 billion-$13 billion to achieve his goal of reducing the growth of federal spending and to offset the budgetary miscalculation on spending in the next fiscal year.

Business
Chrysler Corporation reported a loss of $1.71 billion for 1980, the largest loss in American corporate history. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors lost a combined total of $4.06 billion in 1980.

25 years ago
1986


Politics and government
Jean Chretien, who had been a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in Canada since 1963 and had served in various ministries as a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, resigned his seat in the House of Commons, saying that he wanted to enter private life and spend more time with his family. His resignation came less than three weeks after a feud with Liberal leader John Turner over the election of a party president in Quebec.

Disasters
The presidential commission investigating the January 28 explosion of the U.S. space shuttle Challenger, which had killed all seven astronauts aboard, continued hearing testimony. Robert Claysher, a vice-president of Rockwell International, manufacturer of the shuttle, testified that he had notified NASA, "Rockwell can not assure that it is safe to fly." Rockwell had been concerned that ice on the launch pad and other structures would fall off during liftoff and damage the shuttle. Arnold Aldrich, director of the shuttle program at the Kennedy Space Center, testified that NASA engineers had concluded that ice would not damage the shuttle on launch. Commission chairman William Rogers said that NASA had abandoned "good judgement and common sense" in dealing with safety problems.

20 years ago
1991


Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Crazy--Seal (3rd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight’s episode: Buster

War
The first U.S. military convoy entered Kuwait City. Iraq agreed to a cease-fire in the Gulf War, and agreed to almost all of the allies’ terms. U.S. President George Bush announced at 9 P.M. Eastern Standard Time that, "Kuwait is liberated, Iraq’s army defeated. Our military objectives are met," and that the allies would cease fire at midnight EST. Iraq informed the United Nations that it would accept the 12 Security Council resolutions against it, which included payment of reparations. The cease-fire took effect only 100 hours after the beginning of the ground war. Total allied combat fatalities were listed at 141. Estimates of Iraqis killed and injured numbered as high as 100,000, and the allies held 175,000 prisoners. It was the first war that Canada fought in without incurring a single fatality.

Scandal
The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee reported on its investigation of the so-called "Keating Five,"--U.S. Senators Alan Cranston (Democrat--California); Dennis DeConcini (Democrat--Arizona); Donald Riegle (Democrat--Michigan); John Glenn (Democrat--Ohio); and John McCain (Republican--Arizona)--who were suspected of improper activities on behalf of Charles Keating, chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association in California, the 1989 collapse of which had cost the U.S. government $2 billion. The report found "substantial credible evidence" of misconduct by Sen. Cranston. The committee said that Sen. Cranston or his staff members had on at least four occasions contacted regulators on Mr. Keating’s behalf in close juxtaposition to receiving or soliciting money from Mr. Keating. Sen. Cranston faced the possibility of disciplinary action by the Senate, but the committee issued only mild reprimands to the other four Senators.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 2 @ Calgary 4

10 years ago
2001


Crime
Police in Seattle used tear gas to break up a rampage of vandalism by Mardis Gras "celebrants." 70 people were injured.

Economics and finance
George W. Bush delivered his first major address as President of the United States, speaking to a joint session of Congress. He strongly advocated his 10-year $1.6-trillion tax cut, contending that budget surpluses would permit this cut plus additional funding of his education reforms and a prescription drug benefit for old people. Democratic Party Senator Tom Daschle (South Dakota) and Representative Dick Gephardt (Missouri) argued that the U.S. could not afford Mr. Bush’s tax cut, and advocated a tax cut of about half as much, and less weighted toward the wealthy.

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