March 29, 2011

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Alexandra Duenas Mejia!

1,010 years ago
1001

Born on this date
Sokkate. King of Pagan, 1038-1044. Sokkate, a son of King Nyaung-u Sawrahan, acceded to the throne upon the death of his elder brother Kyiso. He was killed on August 11, 1044 at the age of 43 in single combat with Anawrahta, who succeeded him and went on to found the Pagan Empire, the first kingdom to unify the regions of what is now Myanmar.

550 years ago
1461
War
The forces of Edward of York defeated Lancastrian forces commanded by Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset in the Battle of Towton, resulting in Edward taking the throne as King Edward IV of England, replacing Henry VI and bringing a temporary stop to the Wars of the Roses.

180 years ago
1831

War
Husein Gradaščević set out toward Travnik with 4,000 men, leading the Great Bosnian uprising against the Ottoman Empire.

170 years ago
1841

Academia
St. Mary's College, a Jesuit liberal arts institution in Halifax, was granted a charter by the government of Nova Scotia, while Queen's College, a liberal arts college in Horton founded by Baptists in 1838, became Acadia College.

140 years ago
1871

Britannica
Royal Albert Hall in London was opened by Queen Victoria.

110 years ago
1901

Transportation
The Skippers Bridge over the Shotover River near Queenstown, New Zealand opened.

100 years ago
1911

Died on this date
Alexandre Guilmant, 74. French composer. Mr. Guilmant was organist at la Trinité church in Paris (1871-1901) and co-founded the Schola Cantorum in Paris, teaching there from 1894 until his death. He wrote more than 90 works, mainly for organ. Mr. Guilmant died 17 days after his 74th birthday.

Defense
The M1911 .45 ACP pistol became the official U.S. Army sidearm.

70 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)--Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell

At the movies
Federal Fugitives, directed by William Beaudine, and starring Neil Hamilton and Doris Day, opened in theatres. This was not the Doris Day who later became famous as a singer and actress.



Radio
The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement went into effect at 3 A.M. local time, regulating the bandplan of mediumwave AM broadcasting; more than 1,000 of the 1,300 stations under the agreement shifted their frequencies.

War
British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy forces defeated those of the Italian Regia Marina off the Peloponnesian coast of Greece in the Battle of Cape Matapan, sinking three cruisers and two destroyers.

Defense
Secret U.K.-U.S.A. military staff talks ended in Washington after producing a war plan for concentrating on Germany in the event of war with Japan.

World events
Germany ordered her nationals to leave the Yugoslavian province of Serbia as a new government moved to end Croatian opposition. Polish sourced in London reported that the Gestapo had started a new wave of terror in Poland; the sources reported that 3,000 prisoners had died in the Oswiecim concentration camp, and that 85% of Krakow's Jews had been forced to leave the city.

Protest
Syrian Arabs demanded immediate elections for the creation of a representative governing council, and called a general strike.

Society
Dr. Edwin Nicholson, a scouting camp master, declared that through the method of emotional conditioning and indoctrination, Boy Scout training tended to encourage youths to accept the status quo and become subservient to the will of others.

Labour
5,000 Congress of Industrial Organizations United Auto Workers membes voted to continue their 67-day strike at Allis-Chalmers depsite the U.S. government's order to return to work.

Swimming
NCAA
The University of Michigan won its eighth consecutive championship.

Basketball
NCAA
Men's championship
Final
Wisconsin 39 Washington State 34

60 years ago
1951

Theatre
The King and I by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, directed by John Van Druten, and starring Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence, opened at the St. James Theatre on Broadway in New York.

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1950 were presented at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The winners included Best Picture--All About Eve; Director--Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve); Actor--Jose Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac); Actress--Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday); Supporting Actor--George Sanders (All About Eve); Supporting Actress--Josephine Hull (Harvey).

Crime
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted and sentenced to death for passing U.S. atomic secrets to the U.S.S.R.

Defense
The Council of Ministers of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization closed its seventh annual conference in Bangkok with a communiqué stating that if "there continues to be an active military attempt to obtain control of Laos, members of SEATO are prepared, within the terms of the treaty, to take whatever action may be appropriate in the circumstances." It said SEATO noted "with grave concern the continued offensive by rebel elements in Laos who are continuing to be supplied and assisted by Communist powers in...disregard of the Geneva accord." U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk had unsuccessfully sought a stronger resolution committing SEATO to fight if necessary to prevent a Communist takeover of Laos. It was reported that the U.S. administration of President John F. Kennedy, in a private diplomatic communication to the Soviet Union, had given a sharper warning.

Diplomacy
The People's Republic of China announced the conclusion of a pact with the U.S.S.R. for the passage of railroad trains across the Manchurian-Siberian border.

Soviet authorities rejected a U.S.-U.K. protest against the previous day's incident when East Berlin police had fired upon a busload of U.S. soldiers and civilians when the bus ignored their orders to stop.

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate extended the life of the Senate Crime Investigating Committee for 30 days to give it time to file a final report.

50 years ago
1961

Politics and government
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified; it reads:

Section 1. The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:

A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Knock Three Times--Dawn

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Shiretoko Ryojō--Tokiko Kato (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep--Middle of the Road (2nd week at #1)

Crime
U.S. Army Lieutenant William Calley was convicted of murder at a court-martial for his role in the March 16, 1968 massacre of civilians in the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai.

Charles Manson and three members of his "family" were sentenced to death in the gas chamber in California for the murders of actress Sharon Tate and eight other people in Los Angeles in 1969.

World events
India asked United Nations Secretary-General U Thant to "help stop the massacre of unarmed people" in Pakistan. East Pakistan had declared its independence three days earlier, taking the name Bangladesh.

Diplomacy
Yugoslavian President Marshal Josip Broz Tito met with Pope Paul VI during a formal state visit to Italy, thus becoming the first Communist leader ever to officially meet the Roman Catholic pontiff.

Ralph E. Collins was appointed as the first Canadian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China.

Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson (49-7-1) scored a technical knockout of Roger Russell (11-9-2) at 1:29 of the 9th round at the Philadelphia Arena.



30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Woman--John Lennon (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Fade to Grey--Visage

Died on this date
Eric Williams, 69. Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, 1962-1981. Dr. Williams was a historian specializing in slavery in the Caribbean, with his best-known work being Capitalism and Slavery (1944). He founded the People's National Movement in 1956, which achieved success in that year's election, which enabled him to become Chief Minister. He held that office until 1959, and was Premier of Trinidad and Tobago (1959-1962) until the nation achieved its independence from British rule. Mr. Williams then served as Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister until his death; he was succeeded by George Chambers.

Weather
Edmonton received its first rain of the year.

Terrorism
Hijackers holding an Indonesian jet at the Bangkok airport shot and wounded an American hostage when he tried to escape. 55 passengers and crew members remained on the plane. The hijackers were demanding that Indonesia release 20 political prisoners, but they raised the number to 80, then 84.

Track and field
Dick Beardsley of the United States and Inge Simonsen of Norway crossed the tape together as they led 6,700 participants in the first London Marathon.



Hockey
NHL
Montreal 0 @ Quebec 4

Jacques Richard scored his 50th goal of the season to help the Nordiques shut out the Canadiens at Le Colisee.

25 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Adesso Tu--Eros Ramazzotti (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): The Promise You Made--Cock Robin

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): The Promise You Made--Cock Robin (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Living Doll--Cliff Richard and the Young Ones

#1 single in the U.K.: Absolute Beginners--David Bowie

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Rock Me Amadeus--Falco

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Rock Me Amadeus--Falco
2 These Dreams--Heart
3 Secret Lovers-Atlantic Starr
4 R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.--John Cougar Mellencamp
5 Kiss--Prince and the Revolution
6 What You Need--INXS
7 Sara--Starship
8 Kyrie--Mr. Mister
9 Nikita--Elton John
10 Sanctify Yourself--Simple Minds

Singles entering the chart were Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston (#52); Is it Love by Mr. Mister (#57); Rough Boy by ZZ Top (#67); Never as Good as the First Time by Sade (#75); Absolute Beginners by David Bowie (#88); and A Good Heart by Feargal Sharkey (#89). Absolute Beginners was the title song of a movie that starred Mr. Bowie.

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)--Glass Tiger
2 Sara--Starship
3 Nikita--Elton John
4 How Will I Know--Whitney Houston
5 Kyrie--Mr. Mister
6 These Dreams--Heart
7 A Good Heart--Feargal Sharkey
8 Silent Running--Mike + the Mechanics
9 Conga--Miami Sound Machine
10 Secret Lovers--Atlantic Starr

Singles entering the chart were Absolute Beginners by David Bowie (#73); Take Me Home by Phil Collins (#82); and What Have You Done for Me Lately by Janet Jackson (#92); Deeper by Billy Newton-Davis (#95); Your Love by the Outfield (#96); and Chain Reaction by Diana Ross (#97).

Died on this date
Harry Ritz, 78. U.S. actor. Mr. Ritz, born Harold Joachim, was the youngest member of the Ritz Brothers comedy team, with brothers Al and Jimmy. The team appeared in a string of movies from 1936-1943, and concentrated on nightclub appearances for more than 20 years afterward.

Crime
An Italian court freed three Bulgarians and three Turks who had been charged with conspiring to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981. One of the Turks acquitted was Mehmet Ali Agca, who had fired the shots. Mr. Agca was the principal government witness in the conspiracy trial, but his erratic behaviour undermined his credibility. He was already in prison for the shooting and was convicted of complicity in smuggling the weapon he had used into Italy. In its ruling, the court did not find the accused innocent, but only that the evidence of their guilt was insufficient. The court did convict another Turk, Omer Bagci, of storing and delivering the weapon, but no sentence could be imposed because he had been extradited from Switzerland only on the conspiracy charge.

20 years ago
1991

Died on this date
Lee Atwater, 40. U.S. political adviser. Mr. Atwater was a political strategist with the Republican Party who was known for his exploitation of emotional wedge issues in election campaigns, and was often effective. He was best known for managing the 1988 U.S. presidential campaign of then-Vice President George Bush, and using advertisements to portray Democratic Party candidate Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The campaign was successful, and Mr. Atwater was named chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1989. He collapsed at a breakfast on March 5, 1990, and was diagnosed with a brain tumour. During his last months, Mr. Atwater converted to Roman Catholicism and apologized to people who had been hurt by his actions.

Politics and government
British Columbia Premier Bill Vander Zalm said he would step down when his Social Credit party chose a new leader; he was being investigated for improper real estate dealings relating to the sale of his family's Fantasy Gardens to a Taiwanese billionaire.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had increased 1.1% in February, ending a six-month decline.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
John Lewis, 80. U.S. musician. Mr. Lewis was a jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who had a performing career spanning more than 50 years. He was best known as the founder and director of the Modern Jazz Quartet, which performed from 1952-1974 and 1981-1997. Mr. Lewis died after a long battle with prostate cancer.