February 10, 2012

175 years ago
1837

Died on this date
Alexander Pushkin, 37. Russian poet, novelist, and dramatist. The author of such works as Eugene Onegin and Boris Godunov was killed in a duel in St. Petersburg.

140 years ago
1872

Born on this date
John Augustine Hartford. U.S. businessman. Mr. Hartford was President of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) from 1916 until his death on September 20, 1951 at the age of 79. He ran the business operations side of the company while his brother George ran the financial side.

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Hound of the Baskervilles, Part 3

70 years ago
1942

Music
U.S. bandleader Glenn Miller received the first ever Gold record for sales of one million copies of his orchestra's recording of Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Politics and government
The Congress Party, led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, won a majority of seats in the lower house of the Indian parliament in the nation's first general election since gaining independence from Great Britain in 1947.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Nata per me--Adriano Celentano (12th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Young Ones--Cliff Richard (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): The Young Ones--Cliff Richard (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Peppermint Twist--Part 1--Joey Dee and the Starliters (3rd week at #1)

U.S. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Duke of Earl--Gene Chandler (2nd week at #1)
2 The Twist--Chubby Checker
3 Peppermint Twist - Part I--Joey Dee & the Starliters
4 Norman--Sue Thompson
5 The Wanderer--Dion
6 I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)--Barbara George
7 Can't Help Falling in Love--Elvis Presley
8 Baby It's You--The Shirelles
9 Dear Lady Twist--Gary (U.S.) Bonds
10 Break it to Me Gently--Brenda Lee

Singles entering the chart were Don't Break the Heart that Loves You by Connie Francis (#71); (I've Got) Bonnie (#74)/Lose Her (#76) by Bobby Rydell; Ecstasy by Ben E. King (#78); Hey, Let's Twist by Joey Dee and the Starliters (#90); Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Timi Yuro (#93); Yessiree by Linda Scott (#94); B'wa Nina (Pretty Girl) by the Tokens (#95); Surfin' by the Beach Boys (#96); Bermuda by Linda Scott (#98); Lollipops and Roses by Jack Jones (#99); Moments by Jennell Hawkins (#100); Something's Got a Hold on Me by Etta James (also #100); and Our Anniversary by Shep and the Limelites (also #100). Surfin' was the Beach Boys' first single.

Diplomacy
In Berlin, the U.S.S.R. exchanged American pilot Gary Powers, who had been held by the Soviets since the downing of his U-2 spy plane over Soviet airspace in 1960, for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy who had been serving a prison sentence in the United States.

Boxing
Cassius Clay (11-0) won a technical knockout over Sonny Banks (10-3) at 26 seconds of the 4th round of a heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. Mr. Banks knocked down Mr. Clay in the 1st round--the first knockdown suffered by Mr. Clay in his professional career--but was knocked down by Mr. Clay in the 2nd round.



20 years ago
1992

Died on this date
Alex Haley, 70. U.S. writer. Mr. Haley was a senior editor with Reader's Digest and an interviewer with Playboy magazine before ghostwriting his first book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965). Mr. Haley was best known for his book Roots: The Saga of an American Family (1976), which became a popular television miniseries in 1977. He was writing another historical novel when he died of a heart attack.

Crime
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was convicted of rape. His accuser, Desiree Washington, had been a contestant in the Miss Black America pageant in Indianapolis in July 1991, and Mr. Tyson had been a celebrity guest at the pageant. Miss Washington had accused Mr. Tyson of raping her in a hotel room. The jury in the trial in Indianapolis found Mr. Tyson guilty of rape and two counts of deviant conduct.

Olympics
Bonnie Blair of the U.S.A. won the gold medal in the women's 500-meter speed skating event at the Winter Olympics in Albertville France, becoming the first American woman to win a gold medal in an event in two consecutive Olympics. She beat 31 opponents in a time of 40.33 seconds.