March 11, 2011

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Tim Sproule and Aurora!

370 years ago
1641

War
Guaraní forces living in the Jesuit reductions defeated bandeirantes loyal to the Portuguese Empire at the Battle of Mbororé in present-day Panambí, Argentina.

160 years ago
1851

Died on this date
Marie-Louise Coidavid, 72. Queen consort of Haiti, 1811-1820. Marie-Louise married the future King Henri in 1793, and became queen consort when he created the Kingdom of Haiti on March 26, 1811, serving until his death. She left Haiti in 1821, and lived with her daughers in Pisa, Italy until her death.

George McDuffie, 60. U.S. politician. Mr. McDuffie, a Democrat, represented Edgefield District in the South Carolina House of Representatives (1818-1820), South Carolina's 6th District (1821-1823) and 5th District (1823-1834) in the U.S. House of Representatives; served as Governor of South Carolina (1834-1836); and represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate (1842-1846). He was an opponent of states' rights in the early 1820s, but by the early 1830s had become an advocate of the right of states to nullify federal laws within their borders. Mr. McDuffie fought a series of duels with Colonel William Cumming, suffering serious wounds that ultimately led to his death.

Opera
Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, with libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, received its premiere performance at La Fenice in Venice.

150 years ago
1861

Politics and government
The Confederate States of America adopted its constitution.

100 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Fitzroy Maclean. Egyptian-born U.K. politician and diplomat. Major-General Sir Fitzroy, the son of Major Charles Wilberforce Maclean, was born in Cairo and raised in Italy before completing his education in Britain. He joined the Diplomatic Service in 1933, serving in France (1934-1937) and the U.S.S.R. (1937-1939) before resigning to join the British Army at the outbreak of World War II. Major-General Sir Fitzroy and Enoch Powell were the only men in World War II to enter the British Army as privates and rise to the rank of brigadier. Major-General Sir Fitzroy served in North Africa and the Middle East during the war, but was best known for leading a liaison mission to Yugoslavia (1943-1944). He was a Conservative/Unionist and represented Lancaster (1941-1959) and Bute and Northern Ayrshire (1959-1974) in the House of Commons. Major-General Sir Fitzroy was created 1st Baronet Maclean in 1957 and was knighted in 1994. He died on June 15, 1996 at the age of 85.

90 years ago
1921

Radio
Listeners gathered in the Provincial Technical School at the Rena MacLean Memorial Hospital on the Fanningbank estate in Prince Edward Island to hear a broadcast from Union College in Schenectady, New York, marking the first reception of a long-range radio signal in P.E.I.

80 years ago
1931

Died on this date
F. W. Murnau, 42. German film director. Mr. Murnau was one of the major directors of the silent era, and was known for such German films as Nosferatu (1922); Der letzte Mann (The Last Laugh) (1924); and Faust (1926). He moved to Hollywood and directed such movies as Sunrise (1927) and 4 Devils (1928). Mr. Murnau died the day after being seriously injured in a car accident, and a week before the premiere of his last movie, Tabu.

Politics and government
The government of Québec extended civil rights to women, but still withheld the right to vote.

70 years ago
1941

War
France yielded 25,000 square miles of Indochina to Thailand under the Japanese-mediated peace, ending the border dispute.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Bill at 3:50 P.M. Eastern Time, less than two hours after the House of Representatives had accepted the Senate-amended measure by a vote of 317-71. Mr. Roosevelt revealed that he would ask Congress for $7 billion for Lend-Lease. About 15 U.S. Senator who were opposed to Lend-Lease gathered in the office of Sen. Hiram Johnson (Republican--California) to discuss a nationwide antiwar speaking campaign.

U.S.S.R. Premier Vyacheslav Molotov was reported by Turkish sources to have promised that the Soviet Union would not attack Turkey should the Turks enter the European war.

Terrorism
Bombs planted in the luggage of U.K. Minister to Bulgaria George Rendel exploded in the lobby of his hotel in Istanbul, killing six people.

Politics and government
In a by-election for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the New York's 17th Congressional District that had been vacated by the death of Kenneth F. Simpson (Republican), Republican candidate and New York City Councilman Joseph Clark Baldwin was elected, defeating Democratic candidate Dean Alfange 23,252 votes to 16,690.

Environment
Consolidated Mining and Smelting, based in Trail, British Columbia, paid a further compensation to Washington farmers for polluting the air, in addition to the fine levied by the International Joint Commission in 1932.

Economics and finance
U.S. Senator Joseph O'Mahoney (Democrat--Wyoming) urged Congress to call a national conference to draft a "national economic constitution" to "abolish the economic uncertainties" threatening the American political system.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations United Mine Workers of America demanded a $1 per day wage increase to $7 per day for 450,000 soft coal miners when the present contract expired on April 1, 1941.

Producers of Broadway plays in New York sought a temporary injunction against the Dramatists Guild, charging that the "entire legitimate theatrical industry" was under its domination.

60 years ago
1951

Theatre
Stalag 17, written and directed by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski, received its premiere performance at the Edwin Burke Memorial Theater in New York City.

Politics and government
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi named former Foreign Minister Hussein Ala to succeed the assassinated Ali Razmara as Prime Minister of Iran.

Religion
In a broadcast to Spanish workers, Pope Pius XII said that the Roman Catholic Church "insists on the necessity of a more just distribution of property and condemns all that is contrar to nature in a social situation where in contrast to a small group of privileged and vastly rich people there lives an enormous impoverished mass."

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman's International Development Advisory Board, chaired by Nelson Rockefeller, recommended ther creation of a new agency to handle all foreign economic programs, now shared by 23 offices.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Rubber Ball--Bobby Vee (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: 24.000 baci--Adriano Celentano (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ramona--Blue Diamonds (11th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): Wooden Heart--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Walk Right Back--The Everly Brothers (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Pony Time--Chubby Checker
2 Surrender--Elvis Presley
3 Calcutta--Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra
4 Don't Worry--Marty Robbins
5 Where the Boys Are--Connie Francis
6 Wheels--The String-A-Longs
--[Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra]
7 Dedicated to the One I Love--The Shirelles
8 Apache--Jorgen Ingmann and his Guitar
9 There's a Moon Out Tonight--The Capris
10 Baby Sittin' Boogie--Buzz Clifford

Singles entering the chart were Blue Moon by the Marcels (#49); I've Told Every Little Star by Linda Scott (#73); Merry-Go-Round by Marv Johnson (#75); That's It - I Quit - I'm Movin' On by Sam Cooke (#78); Just for Old Time's Sake by the McGuire Sisters (#82); Little Pedro by the Olympics (#92); Some of Your Lovin' by Johnny Nash (#94); Lonely Man by Elvis Presley (#95); Baby Blue by the Echoes (#96); I'm Jealous by Ike & Tina Turner (#98); Canadian Sunset by Etta James (#100); Orange Blossom Special by Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (also #100); and Green Grass of Texas by the Texans (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 "D" in Love--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
2 Surrender--Elvis Presley
3 The Touchables--Dickie Goodman
4 Little Miss Stuck-Up--The Playmates
5 Three Wheels on My Wagon--Dick Van Dyke
6 Memphis--Donnie Brooks
7 Ling-Ting-Tong--Buddy Knox
8 Top Forty, News, Weather and Sports--Mark Dinning
9 Star-Crossed Lovers--Eddy and Teddy
10 Happy Birthday Blues--Kathy Young with the Innocents

Singles entering the chart were Blue Moon by the Marcels (#16); Bumble Boogie by B. Bumble and the Stingers (#35); California Sun by Joe Jones (#39); Hard Rock Mine by Dorsey Burnette (#40); Donald, Where's Your Troosers? by Andy Stewart (#42); Honky Tonk (Part 2) by Bill Doggett (#44); Just the Two of Us by Jess Conrad (#45); On the Rebound by Floyd Cramer (#46); Happiness by the Elegants (#48); A Hundred Pounds of Clay by Gene McDaniels (#49); and Runaway by Del Shannon (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Three Wheels on My Wagon--Dick Van Dyke
2 Surrender--Elvis Presley
3 Two--Del Erickson
4 A Scottish Soldier (Green Hills of Tyrol)--Andy Stewart
5 The Touchables--Dickie Goodman
6 Donald, Where's Your Troosers?--Andy Stewart
7 "D" in Love--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
8 Ebony Eyes/Walk Right Back--The Everly Brothers
9 Asia Minor--Kokomo
10 Little Miss Stuck-Up--The Playmates

Singles entering the chart were Bumble Boogie by B. Bumble and the Stingers (#24); Blue Moon by the Marcels (#28); Mother-in-Law by Ernie K-Doe (#30); Tonight My Love, Tonight by Paul Anka (#33); Riot in Cell Block #9 by Wanda Jackson (#34); Blizzard by Jim Reeves (#37); Ginnie Bell by Paul Dino (#38); Star-Crossed Lovers by Eddy and Teddy (#39); and Portrait of My Love by Steve Lawrence (#40).

On television tonight
The Roaring 20's, on ABC
Tonight's episode: War with the Nighthawkers

Boxing
Former world welterweight and middleweight champion Carmen Basilio (56-15-7) won a unanimous 10-round decision over Don Jordan (51-17-1) in a middleweight bout at War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, New York.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (9th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (7th week at #1)

On television tonight
Anne Murray: Straight, Clean and Simple, on CBC

This was the Canadian singer's second television special.

Died on this date
Philo T. Farnsworth, 64. U.S. inventor. Mr. Farnsworth held 300 patents, mostly in radio and television. He was best known for his 1927 invention of the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device (video camera tube), the image dissector, as well as the first fully functional and complete all-electronic television system. Mr. Farnsworth also invented the Farnsworth–Hirsch fusor, a small nuclear fusion device. He had many legal battles over his patent rights, drank heavily in his later years, and died of pneumonia. Mr. Farnsworth was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1984.

Whitney Young, 49. U.S. civil rights activist. Mr. Young was a social worker who became active in the National Urban League in the late 1940s, rising to the position of Executive Director in 1961. Under his leadership, the NUL became more active in the struggle for Negro civil rights, particularly in the area of employment discrimination. Mr. Young also became President of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) in 1969, and held both offices at the time he went to Nigeria in March 1971 to attend a conference sponsored by the African-American Institute, and drowned while swimming with friends in Lagos.

Protest
A riot occurred between cadets of the University of Puerto Rico’s Reserve Officers Training Corps and radical students advocating Puerto Rican independence. Two policemen and an ROTC cadet were killed and 50 others were injured in the riot, which began with the appearance on campus of an ROTC cadet in uniform. The radical students rampaged through Rio Piedras afterward, starting fires and attacking stores associated in any way with the United States. The campus was shut down after the riot and 64 were arrested.

30 years ago
1981

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan addressed the Canadian Parliament, deploring the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and pledging continuing friendship with Canada.

War
U.S. officials stated that it appeared that Marxist guerrillas in El Salvador might be running low on weapons, attributable to a decision by Nicaragua and Cuba to reduce their aid to the rebels.

Protest
Hundreds of students demonstrated at the University of Pristina in Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia, to give their province more political rights. The protests then became a nationwide movement.

25 years ago
1986

Died on this date
Sonny Terry, 74. U.S. musician. Mr. Terry, born Saunders Terrell, was a blues harmonicist who was known for his long partnership with singer and guitarist Brownie McGhee. Mr. Terry was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1986.

Politics and government
Elaine Janvier, a white woman, was elected chief of Cold Lake First Nation in Cold Lake, Alberta.

Hockey
NHL
Minnesota 4 Edmonton 0

Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scored his 50th goal of the season against the Calgary Flames at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, becoming the first NHL player to score 50 goals in 9 straight seasons.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Oh! Yeah!/Love Story wa Totsuzen ni--Kazumasa Oda (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Bad Boys--Inner Circle (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
Gordon Towers was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta.

Environment
Canadian Health Minister Perrin Beatty announced a $275-million six-year program to improve drinking water and sewage treatment on Indian reserves.

10 years ago
2001

Health
25 new cases of foot-and-mouth disease were identified in England.

Curling
The Randy Ferbey rink, reprsenting Alberta, defeated Kerry Burtnyk of Manitoba 8-4 to win the Brier at the Ottawa Civic Centre.