March 25, 2011

200 years ago
1811

Academia
Percy Bysshe Shelley was expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.

140 years ago
1871

Born on this date
Louis Perrée. French fencer. Mr. Perrée won a silver medal in the épée event at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. He died on March 1, 1924, 24 days before his 53rd birthday.

130 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Mary Webb. U.K. authoress and poetess. Mrs. Webb was a romantic novelist and poet who wrote about people in the countryside of Shropshire, England in novels such as The Golden Arrow (1916) and Gone to Earth (1917). She suffered from Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder, which may have contributed to her death at the age of 46 on October 8, 1927.

Béla Bartók. Hungarian composer. Mr. Bartók is regarded as one of Hungary's greatest composers. He wrote numerous works for piano, including three concertos. Mr. Bartók took a great interest in folk music, and was one of the founders of ethnomusicology. He died of leukemia on September 26, 1945 at the age of 64.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Ed Begley. U.S. actor. Mr. Begley was an excellent character actor whose movies included Patterns (1956) (also the earlier television version (1955)); 12 Angry Men (1957); and Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), for which he won an Academy Award for his supporting performance. He died of a heart attack on April 28, 1970 at the age of 69.

John Fetzer. U.S. communications and baseball executive. Mr. Fetzer founded and operated various radio stations in Michigan and the midwestern United States in the 1920s and '30s, and achieved influence in Washington, D.C., leading to his service as radio censor with the U.S. Office of Censorship during World War II. He shut down his office at the end of the war and returned to his broadcasting career. Mr. Fetzer purchased Lincoln, Nebraska television staton KOLN in 1953, and began reaching rural markets with television service. He bought partial interest in the Detroit Tigers in 1956 and became full owner in 1961, selling the team to Tom Monaghan after the 1983 season. Mr. Fetzer founded the Fetzer Institute in 1962 to support work “designed to discover and enhance the integral relationships of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of experience which foster human growth, action, and responsible improvement of the human and cosmic condition.” The Fetzer Institute promoted New Age propagandist Benjamin Creme in the 1980s, and continues to promote anti-Christian views and activities today. Mr. Fetzer died from pneumonia on February 20, 1991, 33 days before his 90th birthday. He had a fortune of several hundred million dollars, much of which was bequeathed to the Fetzer Institute.

Sport
Louis Cyr defeated Édouard Breapré in the first round of a wrestling match in Montreal in what was billed as the strongest man in the world (Mr. Cyr) versus the Willow Bunch Giant.

100 years ago
1911

Died on this date
Andrei Yushchinski, 13. Ukrainian crime victim. Master Yushchinski disappeared on his way to school in Kiev, when Ukraine was still part of the Russian Empire; his body was discovered eight days later. Menahem Mendel Beilis was charged with committing a ritual Jewish murder of Master Yushchinski and spent two years awaiting trial before finally being acquitted.

Disasters
A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City killed 145 workers, almost all of them Jewish and Italian immigrant women. The fire drew attention to the plight of women working in low-paying jobs.



80 years ago
1931

Died on this date
Ida B. Wells, 68. U.S. journalist and civil rights activist. Miss Wells became known for her reporting on lynching in the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight newspaper and her pamphlets Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in all its Phases (1892) and The Red Record (1895). She moved from Memphis to Chicago in 1895, and continued to oppose lynching, while advocating women's suffrage and opposing racism within the suffrage movement. Miss Wells died of uremia; she was posthumously honored with a Pulitzer Prize special citation in 1920 "[f]or her outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during the era of lynching."

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, 40. Indian journalist and politician. Mr. Vidyarthi was an advocate of Indian independence from British rule who founded the revolutionary Hindi weekly Pratap in 1913 to express his views. He joined the non-cooperation movement led by Mohandas Gandhi in 1916, and as a member of the Indian National Congress Party, represented Kanpur on the United Provinces Legislative Council (1925-1929). Mr. Vidyarthi served several jail sentences for his activities, and died 16 days after being released from prison. While on his way to Karachi to attend an Indian National Congress Session, he came across communal rioting between Hindus and Muslims in Kanpur. Mr. Vidyarthi saved the lives of many Hindus and Muslims from the violence, but was stabbed to death by rioting Muslims, and his body wasn't identified until several days later.

Crime
The Scottsboro Boys were arrested in Alabama. The nine Negro youths were arrested on charges of raping two white women in a freight car on a train passing through the state.

70 years ago
1941

Movies
Warner Brothers studios bought the rights to Edna Ferber's unpublished novel Saratoga Trunk for the record price of $175,000.

War
Germany extended its war zone westward to within three miles of Greenland, including U.K.-occupied Iceland.

Defense
Yugoslavian Premier Dragisha Cvetkovitch and Foreign Minister Alexander Cincar-Markovitch signed the Tripartite Pact in Vienna, bringing Yugoslavia into the Axis alliance, and sparking anti-Nazi demonstrations in Yugoslavia.

Crime
Communist Party U.S.A. leader Earl Browder surrendered to federal authorities in New York City to begin serving a four-year prison sentence for passport fraud.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order freezing Yugoslavian assets in the United States amounting to $50 million.

Labour
U.S. Representative Martin Dies (Democrat--Texas) told the House of Representatives that the National Maritime Union was a Communist-dominated organization. Congress of Industrial Organizations President Philip Murray denied that Communists were employed by the Steel Workers Organizing Committee. Pennsylvania state police routed CIO pickets in the steel strike at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation's plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Violence also flared at the Chicago works of International Harvester Company when CIO strikers clashed with police and American Federation of Labor employees.

Health
The U.S. Public Health Service announced that the most serious outbreak of measles in seven years was active along the Eastern seaboard and was spreading westward.

60 years ago
1951

Theatre
The Tony Awards for 1950-51 were presented at the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom in New York City. The Rose Tattoo won for Best Play, and Guys and Dolls won for Best Musical.

War
Shooting incidents occurred between Israelis and Syrians in a Jordan River border area where Jewish workers were draining the Huleh swamps.

Politics and government
A report issued by the American Jewish Congress and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples condemned the 81st United States Congress for taking "no substantial action" on civil rights legislation.

Journalism
Alberto Gainza Paz, editor and publisher of the Buenos Aires newspaper La Prensa, disclosed in Uruguay that he had fled Argentina to avoid imprisonment, and claimed that congressional seizure of his newspaper was unconstitutional.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Wooden Heart--Elvis Presley

#1 single in Italy: Come sinfonia--Pino Donaggio (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mit 17 fängt das Leben erst an--Ivo Robić (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): Wooden Heart--Elvis Presley (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Wooden Heart--Elvis Presley

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Surrender--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)
2 Pony Time--Chubby Checker
3 Don’t Worry--Marty Robbins
4 Dedicated to the One I Love--The Shirelles
5 Where the Boys Are--Connie Francis
6 Apache--Jorgen Ingmann and his Guitar
7 Wheels--The String-A-Longs
--[Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra]
8 Ebony Eyes--The Everly Brothers
9 Gee Whiz (Look at his Eyes)--Carla Thomas
10 Think Twice--Brook Benton

Singles entering the chart were Funny by Maxine Brown (#86); Some Kind of Wonderful by the Drifters (#87); I Told You So by Jimmy Jones (#89); Shu Rah by Fats Domino (#90); It's Unbelievable by the Larks (#91); Jungle Drums by Clyde Otis and his Orchestra (#99); Theme from Dixie by Duane Eddy (#100); Sweet Little Kathy by Ray Peterson (also #100); and Memphis by Donnie Brooks (also #100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Blue Moon--The Marcels (2nd week at #1)
2 Ling-Ting-Tong--Buddy Knox
3 Runaway--Del Shannon
4 "D" in Love--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
5 Donald, Where's Your Troosers?--Andy Stewart
6 The Corruptibles--The Good Guys
7 Bumble Boogie--B. Bumble and the Stingers
8 Star-Crossed Lovers--Eddy and Teddy
9 Surrender--Elvis Presley
10 Mother-in-Law--Ernie K-Doe

Singles entering the chart were Sleepy-Eyed John by Johnny Horton (#35); Tonight My Love, Tonight by Paul Anka (#38); Flaming Star by Elvis Presley (#42); The Great Snowman by Bob Luman (#43); Little Lonely One by the Jarmels (#45); Shu Rah by Fats Domino (#46); Sweet Little Kathy by Ray Peterson (#48); Frogg by the Brothers Four (#49); and What'd I Say by Jerry Lee Lewis (#50). Flaming Star was the title song of the movie, which starred Mr. Presley.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Blue Moon--The Marcels
2 Two--Del Erickson
3 Bumble Boogie--B. Bumble and the Stingers
4 Runaway--Del Shannon
5 "D" in Love--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
6 Ling-Ting-Tong--Buddy Knox
7 Memphis--Donnie Brooks
8 Mother-in-Law--Ernie K-Doe
9 Star-Crossed Lovers--Eddy and Teddy
10 Surrender/Lonely Man--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were The Great Snow Man by Bob Luman (#23); Shy Away by Jerry Fuller (#26); Flaming Star by Elvis Presley (#34); Bonanza by Al Caiola and his Orchestra (#37); Theme from Dixie by Duane Eddy (#39); and After the Hurricane by Paul Evans (#40). Bonanza was a version of the theme from the television series.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched Sputnik 10, a spherical Vostok 3KA-2 capsule containing a life-size human mannequin and a small dog named Zvezdochka ("Little Star"). The capsule completed one orbit of Earth and re-entered the atmosphere, landing safely. Zvezdochka was unharmed and the mannequin was recovered, indicating to Soviet authorities that the Soviet Union was ready to attempt a manned space flight.



The United States launched Explorer 10 from Cape Canaveral, Florida using a Thor-Delta rocket. The 79-pound satellite was propelled into a highly eccentric orbit ranging from 100 miles to 145,000 miles from Earth. It radioed valuable information on Earth and interplanetary magnetic fields for 60 hours before its chemical batteries were exhausted. NASA said the data lent support to the theory that the interplanetary magnetic field near the Earth was mainly an extension of the magnetic field of the sun.

Politics and government
Quebec Premier Jean Lesage delivered a speech to teachers that was one of the early mileposts in the Quiet Revolution. He said, “The Quebec state is the collective fulcrum of the French-Canadian community. The Quebec state is no stranger among us. Will we figure it out! It's ours. It is ours. It belongs to us and it emanates from us.”

Society
Under pressure from President John F. Kennedy, the U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission agreed to avoid racially-segregated hotels in Charleston, South Carolina during its two-day observance of the 100th anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter. Mr. Kennedy entered the dispute after the New Jersey unit of the commission decided to boycott the meeting because a Negro member of the state unit would be barred from sessions at a Charleston hotel. President Kennedy appealed for equal treatment of all participants, but the commission said it had no jurisdiction over hotel owners. After Mr. Kennedy commented on the matter a second time at a press conference, the commission agreed to move all its sessions to the desegregated U.S. Naval Station at Charleston. Meanwhile, several northern state units had announced their withdrawal from the national group.

Boxing
Florentino Fernandez (30-2) knocked out Marcel Pigou (34-5-3) at 2:11 of the first round of a middleweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York.



40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Non je ne veux pas faire la guerre--Les Poppys

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (9th week at #1)

War
Civil war broke out in Pakistan as President Yahya Khan ordered troops, planes, and tanks to crush East Pakistan’s movement for home rule. The Awami League, led by Sheik Mujibur Rahman, long-time leader in the fight for East Pakistani autonomy, had won an absolute majority in Pakistan’s first general elections in December 1970. President Khan had then twice postponed the first session of the National Assembly which was to write a new constitution. General strikes and violence followed, and Mr. Khan declared martial law. Sheik Mujibur countered with a campaign of non-violent civil disobedience, leaving him in virtual control of East Pakistan. 11 days of negotiations followed in East Pakistan’s capital of Dacca. Just when a compromise seemed near, Mr. Khan left abruptly for Islamabad, called the Sheik a traitor, outlawed the Awami League, and ordered troops into East Pakistan. Conflicting reports put casualties at 10,000-300,000 East Pakistanis as a well-equipped army of 70,000 men, aided by the air force, battled with rebels armed often only with knives, clubs, and scimitars. Sheik Mujibur was seized by government troops early in the fighting.

For the fourth straight week, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong delegates boycotted the weekly session of the Paris peace talks, this time joined by their deputies. The boycotts were protests against U.S. bombing and what they termed U.S. "threats of war."

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Keep on Loving You--REO Speedwagon
2 Kiss on My List--Daryl Hall & John Oates
3 Woman--John Lennon
4 The Best of Times--Styx
5 Rapture--Blondie
6 A Little in Love--Cliff Richard
7 Celebration--Kool & The Gang
8 9 to 5--Dolly Parton
9 Morning Train (Nine to Five)--Sheena Easton
10 Turn Me Loose--Loverboy

Singles entering the chart were What Kind of Fool by Barbra Streisand (Duet with Barry Gibb) (#19); and I Can't Stand It by Eric Clapton and his Band (#20).

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 7 @ Hartford 2

Whalers’ head coach Larry Pleau was heavily criticized for pulling his goalie for a sixth attacker in the 3rd period earlier than is normally the case, which resulted in several empty net goals for the Oilers at the Hartford Civic Center.

25 years ago
1986

World events
Philippines President Corazon Aquino, saying that she was acting to "cut out the cancer in our political system," abolished the National Assembly, abrogated the Constitution introduced in 1973 by then-President Ferdinand Marcos, and declared that she would rule be decree. She proclaimed an interim constitution that retained most of the 1973 Constitution, including the bill of rights. A commission would draft a new constitution that would then be submitted to a vote of the people, and a new legislature would be elected within a year.

War
U.S. planes attacked another Libyan patrol boat in the Mediterranean Sea. U.S. officials said at least two Libyan patrol boats had been sunk. Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi warned that he was prepared to carry out a struggle all over the world against the United States.

The U.S. administration of President Ronald Reagan announced that it was sending Honduras $20 million in emergency funds to deal with incursions by Nicaraguan troops into Honduras against base camps of Nicaraguan Contras.

Scandal
Switzerland, which had never previously frozen the assets of a depositor, announced that it was freezing all deposits belonging to former Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, his family, and allies.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the consumer price index had fallen 0.4% in February, the biggest drop since 1953. For the preceding 12 months, the index had risen only 3.2%. The stability in prices was said to be principally the result of the decline in the price of oil, which was selling for only $11-$12 per barrel by late March 1991.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Oh! Yeah!/Love Story wa Totsuzen ni--Kazumasa Oda (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Se mustamies--Hausmylly (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Marcel Lefebvre, 85. French-born Swiss clergyman. Most Rev. Lefebvre was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1929, and was asssociated with the Holy Ghost Fathers, eventually their Superior General. He was a major leader of the conservative bloc during the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) (1962-1965), and resigned from the leadership of the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1968 rather than implement reforms recommended by Vatican II. Most Rev. Lefebvre founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in 1970, and was excommunicated by Pope John Paul II in 1988 after defying the pope and consecrating four bishops to carry on the work of SSPX. Most Rev. Lefebvre died of cancer; Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the other four bishops in 2009.

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1990 were presented at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, with Dances With Wolves winning Best Picture. Other Oscars included: Director--Kevin Costner, Dances With Wolves; Best Actor--Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune; Best Actress--Kathy Bates, Misery; Best Supporting Actor--Joe Pesci, GoodFellas; Best Supporting Actress--Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost; Best Foreign Language Film--Reise der Hoffnung (Journey of Hope).

Politics and government
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman agreed to co-operate for two months to avoid a breakup of Yugoslavia.

Protest
U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev banned demonstrations in Moscow for three weeks.

Environment
The Canadian House of Commons Environment Committee urged a 20% cut in carbon dioxide emissions to help combat global warming.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Herb Siler, 66. U.S. boxer. Mr. Siler was a heavyweight who compiled a professional record of 20-12 from 1960-1967. In his third professional fight, he was knocked out in 4 rounds by Cassius Clay--the future Muhammad Ali--to become the future world champion's second victim and first knockout victim. Mr. Siler also lost two fights to future world heavyweight champion Ernie Terrell, and was knocked out in 1965 by 1960 Olympic heavyweight champion Franco De Piccoli. Mr. Siler was convicted of manslaughter in 1972, and served a seven-year prison sentence. He reportedly became a Christian in prison, conquered his drinking habit, and established a succesful construction business in the 1980s.

Movies
The Academy Awards for 2000 were presented at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, with Gladiator winning Best Picture. Other Oscars included: Director--Steven Soderbergh (Traffic); Actor--Russell Crowe (Gladiator); Actress--Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich); Supporting Actor--Benicio Del Toro (Traffic); Supporting Actress--Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock). Wo Hu, Cang Long (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) won four Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film.



War
Macedonians launched a ground offensive against ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia.