November 5, 2011

270 years ago
1741

Exploration
An expedition led by Vitus Bering discovered Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands chain of Alaska.

200 years ago
1811

Protest
Salvadoran priest José Matías Delgado rang the bells of La Merced church in San Salvador, calling for insurrection and launching the 1811 Independence Movement.

Politics and government
U.S. President James Madison delivered his third annual State of the Union message to Congress. The main subject of the message was relations with Britain and France.

190 years ago
1831

Crime
American slave leader Nat Turner was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in Virginia after leading a recent slave rebellion.

160 years ago
1851

Born on this date
Charles Dupuy. Prime Minister of France, 1893, 1894-1895, 1898-1899. Mr. Dupuy, a Progressive Republican, was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1885, and was Minister of the Interior and Minister of Worship while he was serving his brief terms as Prime Minister. He achieved some social and economic reforms, but was in office when Captain Alfred Dreyfus was arrested and court-martialed. Mr. Dupuy was an unsuccessful candidate for President of France in 1894, and resigned as Prime Minister in 1899 when a court of cassation ordered a new court martial for Capt. Dreyfus. Mr. Dupuy served three brief terms as acting President during vacancies, and in 1900 was elected Senator for Haute-Loire, sitting until his death on July 23, 1923 at the age of 71.

130 years ago
1881

Born on this date
George A. Malcolm. Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, 1917-1936. Mr. Malcolm, a native of Michigan, obtained his law degree from the University of Michigan before working as a civil servant with the American colonial government in the Philippines. Mr. Malcolm founded the University of the Philippines' College of Law and served as its first dean from 1911 until accepting the appointmen to the Supreme Court. He wrote 3,340 opinions before being forced to resign as a result of a new constitution that restricted the Court to Filipinos. Mr. Malcolm was appointed Attorney General of Puerto Rico in 1939, but was fired in 1942 as a result of clashes with Governor Rexford Tugwell. Mr. Malcolm returned to the United States, and died in Los Angeles on May 16, 1961 at the age of 79.

Protest
About 1,600 New Zealand government troops invaded the western Taranaki settlement of Parihaka, which had come to symbolize peaceful resistance to the confiscation of Māori land.

125 years ago
1886

Born on this date
Sadae Inoue. Japanese military officer. Lieutenant General Inoue joined the Imperial Japanese Army in 1908, and commanded the 69th division (1942-1943) and 14th division (1943-1945) in World War II. He commanded forces in Palau in the Battle of Anguar (1944) and the Battle of Peleliu (1944), with many casualties on both sides. Lt. Gen Inoue was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death in 1949 for negligence of command responsibility in permitting subordinates to execute three downed American airmen captured in Palau. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1951, and he was released in 1953. Lt. Gen. Inoue died on October 26, 1961, 10 days before his 75th birthday.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Etta Moten Barnett. U.S. actress and singer. Mrs. Bennett performed in musical films such as Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) and Flying Down to Rio (1933), but was best known for playing Bess in Porgy and Bess on Broadway and with the touring company (1942-1945). She died on January 2, 2004 at the age of 102.

100 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Roy Rogers. U.S. actor and singer. Mr. Rogers, born Leonard Slye, was known as "King of the Cowboys," first as a founding member of the country singing group Sons of the Pioneers in the 1930s and then as a singing cowboy star in his own right from the mid-1930s through the late 1950s in movies and on radio and television. He and his second wife Dale Evans usually appeared together from their marriage in 1947 through the rest of their performing careers. Mr. Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame twice--as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers in 1980, and on his own in 1988. He died on July 6, 1998 at the age of 86.

Marie Osborne Yeats. U.S. actress and costume designer. Mrs. Yeats was known as Baby Marie when she became the first major child star of American films, appearing in 29 movies from 1914-1919. She appeared in bit parts in several films from 1934-1950, and returned to Hollywood as a costume designer for several movies from the mid-1950s through 1977. Mrs. Yeats died on November 11, 2010, six days after her 99th birthday.

War
After declaring war on the Ottoman Empire on September 29, 1911, Italy annexed Tripoli and Cyrenaica.

75 years ago
1936

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Harry West, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Cardboard Box

70 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Arndt Pekurinen, 36. Finnish activist. Mr. Pekurinen was a pacifist who served time in prison from 1929-1931 for repeatedly refusing military conscription. He was imprisoned again during the Winter War against the U.S.S.R. in 1939-1940. When the Continutation War broke out in 1941, Mr. Pekurinen was sent to the front, and ordered to put on a uniform and bear arms; when he refused, he was executed without trial. The first two soldiers ordered by Captain Pentti Valkonen to shoot Mr. Pekurinen refused, but the third, Corporal Asikainen, obeyed.

War
The German command announced that its forces had penetrated the Crimean Mountains in southern Crimea and had reached the Black Sea between Yalta and Theodosia.

Diplomacy
The Japanese government announced that Saburo Kurusu had been ordered to Washington to assist Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura in an effort to reach a settlement with the United States.

The government of Chile announced that so far, 11 Latin American governments had agreed to make a joint protest to Germany against the execution of hostages in occupied countries.

Defense
The White House announced that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King had agreed at their recent conference in Hyde Park, New York to set up a Joint Defense Production Committee to coordinate the production of defense material.

The New York Herald Tribune reported that the naval government of Guam had ordered the families of U.S. naval personnel stationed there to return home because of growing tension in the Far East. The U.S. War Department announced that it would take over the branches and warehouses of Air Associates Inc. In a five-hour speech, U.S. Senator Burton K. Wheeler (Democrat--Montana) attacked the proposal to amend the Neutrality Act to permit American merchant ships to be armed.

Medicine
Drs. Charles Rammelkamp and Chester Keefer of Boston University School of Medicine reported on experiments with a powerful new healing substance, called tyrothrycin or gramicidin, which may be used in healing local infections without harming the tissues.

Technology
Dr. Edwin Land of Polaroid Corporation reported that he had perfected a new secret material that permitted the photographing of two superimposed pictures on the same film, making three dimensional still and motion pictures practical.

Labour
U.S. President Roosevelt's fact-finding board, headed by Wayne Morse, recommended that railroads increase the wages of 1,150,000 employees by a total of $270 million from September 1, 1941 to December 31, 1942.

A dispute between the independent United Aircraft Welders Association and the American Federation of Labor International Association of Machinists halted work at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation plants in southern California.

60 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Chamber of Gloom, starring Geraldine Brooks, Earl Dawson, and Bruce Gordon

Died on this date
Reggie Walker, 62. S.A. runner. Mr. Walker won the gold medal in the men's 100-metre competition at the 1908 Summer Olympic Games in London. He remains, at 19, the youngest winner of the event.

War
Communist negotiators at Panmunjom rejected a U.S. proposal that Communist-held Kaesong either be declared a no-man's land or traded to the United Nations for UN-held territory in eastern Korea.

Defense
A U.S. Air Force B-45 Tornado dropped Buster-Jangle Easy, the fifth in a series of seven atomic devices to be detonated in Nevada, and the first to be dropped by a jet bomber.

U.S. President Harry Truman retired from the Army as a reserve colonel.

Diplomacy
The 1951 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to French trade union leader Léon Jouhaux "for his work on social equality and Franco-German renconciliation."

Politics and government
Former Colombian Interior Minister Roberto Urdaneta took office as provisional President aftr President Laureano Gomez began a leave of absence due to illness. Mr. Urdaneta said that he would try to ease the state-of-siege rule in effect since 1949.

The Israeli Knesset endorsed Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's moderately pro-Western foreign policy.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that $50,000 bail set for each of 12 indicted California Communists was too high, and warned against use of "principles of totalitarianism" in the nation's campaign against Communism.

Economics and finance
Nelson Rockefeller resigned as chairman of the International Development (Point Four) Advisory Board.

50 years ago
1961

Space
The United States launched the satellite Discoverer 34 into a polar Earth orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Football
CFL
Calgary (7-9) 43 @ British Columbia (1-13-2) 7

Calgary fullback Earl Lunsford rushed 31 times for 238 yards at Empire Stadium in Vancouver to become the first CFL player to rush for a mile in a single season. His total of 1,794 yards beat the previous record of 1,722 set by Johnny Bright of the Edmonton Eskimos in 1958.

NFL
Chicago (5-3) 14 @ Philadelphia (7-1) 16
Detroit (4-3-1) 20 @ San Francisco (4-3-1) 20
Green Bay (6-2) 21 @ Baltimore (4-4) 45
Minnesota (1-7) 17 @ Los Angeles (2-6) 31
Pittsburgh (3-5) 17 @ Cleveland (5-3) 13
St. Louis (4-4) 31 @ Dallas (4-4) 17
Washington (0-8) 0 @ New York (6-2) 53

AFL
New York (4-4) 13 @ San Diego (9-0) 48
Oakland (2-6) 31 @ Buffalo (3-6) 22
Houston (4-3-1) 55 @ Denver (3-6) 14

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): L'Amour est l'Enfante de la Liberte--Rumour (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mamy Blue--Pop Tops

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Mammy Blue--Charisma (3rd week at #1)
2 Butterfly--Danyel Gerard
3 You--Peter Maffay
4 Never Ending Song of Love--The New Seekers
5 Daar's Niks Soos Ware Liefde--Groep Twee
6 Silver Threads and Golden Needles--Barbara Ray
7 Co-Co--The Sweet
8 Get Me Some Help--Neville Whitmill
9 Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum--Middle of the Road
10 Tom Tom Turnaround--New World

Singles entering the chart were Papa's Gonna Kiss it Better by William E. (#19); and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by Joan Baez (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Theme from Shaft--Isaac Hayes
2 Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves--Cher
3 Peace Train--Cat Stevens
4 The Desiderata--Les Crane
5 Imagine--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
6 Mammy Blue--Pop-Tops
7 Only You Know and I Know--Delaney & Bonnie
8 Lonesome Mary--Chilliwack
9 Absolutely Right--Five Man Electrical Band
10 Baby I'm-A Want You--Bread

Singles entering the chart were It's a Cryin' Shame by Gayle McCormick (#23); Wild Night by Van Morrison (#29); and Stones by Neil Diamond (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Theme from Shaft--Isaac Hayes (2nd week at #1)
2 Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves--Cher
3 Mammy Blue--Pop-Tops
4 Imagine--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
5 Lonesome Mary--Chilliwack
6 Only You Know and I Know--Delaney & Bonnie
7 Peace Train--Cat Stevens
8 Birds of a Feather--Raiders
9 Wild Night--Van Morrison
10 Absolutely Right--Five Man Electrical Band

Singles entering the chart were Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) by Marvin Gaye (#33); Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself by the Bee Gees (#34); Bless You by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas (#35); Gimme Some Lovin' by Traffic, Etc. (#38); An Old Fashioned Love Song by Three Dog Night (#39); and Hey Girl by Donny Osmond (#40).

At the movies
The Player, written and directed by Thomas DeMartini, and starring Minnesota Fats, Jerry Como, Rae Phillips, and Carey Wilmont, received its premiere screening in St. Petersburg, Florida.



Died on this date
Sam Jones, 45. U.S. baseball pitcher. "Toothpick Sam," whose nickname derived from having a toothpick in his mouth when he pitched, played with the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League (1947-1948) and then with the Cleveland Indians (1951-1952); Chicago Cubs (1955-1956); St. Louis Cardinals (1957-1958, 1963); San Francisco Giants (1959-1961); Detroit Tigers (1962); and Baltimore Orioles (1964), compiling a record of 103-103 with an earned run average of 3.62 in 327 games, batting .178 with 1 home run and 30 runs batted in. He was known for having one of the best curve balls in the game, but had trouble with his control, leading the National League in bases on balls four times while leading the league in strikeouts three times. Mr. Jones pitched a no-hitter in 1955, a year in which le led the NL with 20 losses. His best season was 1959, when he tied for the NL lead in wins (21) and shutouts (4), and led in earned run average (2.83). Mr. Jones compiled a record of 95-62 in 10 seasons in the minor leagues (1950-1954, 1963-1967). He developed neck cancer in 1962, but it went into remission until recurring in 1971, ultimately proving fatal.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 14 (CHED)
1 Start Me Up--Rolling Stones
2 Private Eyes--Daryl Hall & John Oates
3 My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack
4 The Friends of Mr. Cairo--Jon and Vangelis
5 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--The Police
6 Tryin' to Live My Life Without You--Bob Seger
7 The Night Owls--Little River Band
8 Say Goodbye to Hollywood--Billy Joel
9 All Touch--Rough Trade
10 For Your Eyes Only--Sheena Easton
11 Magic Power--Triumph
12 Hard to Say--Dan Fogelberg
13 Just One Kiss--Dixon House
14 Young Turks--Rod Stewart

Edmonton's Top 10 (CFRN)
1 More to Love (LP track)--Jim Photoglo (6th week at #1)
2 Private Eyes--Daryl Hall & John Oates
3 Arthur's Theme (Best that You Can Do)--Christopher Cross
4 Hard to Say--Dan Fogelberg
5 Here I Am--Air Supply
6 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
7 Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)--Marty Balin
8 We're in this Love Together--Al Jarreau
9 When She was My Girl--Four Tops
10 The Night Owls--Little River Band

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed a constitutional accord with all the provincial premiers except René Lévesque of Québec, after a late night "Kitchen Cabinet" meeting involving Justice Minister Jean Chrétien, Ontario Attorney-General Roy McMurtry and Saskatchewan Justice Minister Roy Romanow. They agreed on a method to repatriate Canada's constitution, with an amending formula and a Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Mr. Lévesque abstained, arguing that the proposed Constitution Act did not guarantee Québec's French-only language policy.

20 years ago
1991

Died on this date
Fred MacMurray, 83. U.S. actor. Mr. MacMurray was mainly known for comic roles in movies such as The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) and Son of Flubber (1963), but was also memorable as a "heavy" in films such as Double Indemnity (1944); The Caine Mutiny (1954); and The Apartment (1960). He was best known to a later generation as the star of the television comedy series My Three Sons (1960-1972). Mr. MacMurray died of pneumonia after battling leukemia for a decade.

Robert Maxwell, 68. Czechoslovakia-born U.K. publisher. The owner of Mirror Group Newspapers and the New York Daily News was cruising off the Canary Islands aboard his yacht Lady Ghislaine, and his body was found in the sea off the coast of Tenerife.

Politics and government
Mike Harcourt was sworn in as Premier of British Columbia, 19 days after his New Democratic Party had unseated the Social Credit government of Premier Rita Johnston in the provincial election.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Roy Boulting, 87. U.K. movie director, producer, and screenwriter. Mr. Boulting and his twin brother John were responsible for such films as Brighton Rock (1947); Seven Days to Noon (1950); The Magic Box (1951); I'm All Right Jack (1959); and Heavens Above! (1963).

Bill Cooper, 58. U.S. radio host and writer. Mr. Cooper was known for his book Behold a Pale Horse (1991), in which he warned of various global conspiracies, some involving extraterrestrials. He hosted the talk show The Hour of the Time on shortwave station WWCR from a studio in his house atop a hill in the small town of Eagar, Arizona, beginning in 1992. Mr. Cooper was charged with tax evasion in 1998, and was named a "major fugitive" by the United States Marshals Service. When Apache County sheriff's deputies attempted to arrest Mr. Cooper at his home on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and endangerment stemming from disputes with local residents, he shot a deputy in the head, and was in turn fatally shot.

Law
A Manitoba inquiry called for compensating Thomas Sophonow with $2.6 million, after he was tried three times, and convicted twice, before being cleared of the 1981 murder of a Winnipeg teen.