February 20, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Mandy Sellars!

220 years ago
1792

Politics and government
U.S. President George Washington signed the Post Office Act, establishing a permanent Post Office Department.

60 years ago
1952

Olympics
Andrea Mead Lawrence won the women's slalom at Oslo, becoming the first American woman to win two skiing gold medals. She had earlier won the giant slalom.

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Test, starring Brian Keith, Eduardo Ciannelli, and Rod Lauren

Space
The Mercury-Atlas 6 mission took place, as John Glenn became the first American human to orbit Earth, making 3 circuits aboard his Friendship 7 spacecraft. It was the first manned spacecraft to be launched atop an Atlas rocket; the 1961 suborbital flights of Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom had been launched atop Redstone rockets.











Basketball
ABL
The owners of the fledgling American Basketball League voted not to expel the Cleveland Pipers from the league. The Pipers were the first sports team to be owned by Cleveland shipping magnate George Steinbrenner.

40 years ago
1972

Diplomacy
Israeli civil aviation authorities revealed that Israel and Jordan had made a treaty of cooperation calling for radio communication between the Israeli airfield at Elath and a new Jordanian field near Aqaba to prevent air collisions.

Hockey
NHL
Pittsburgh 1 @ Minnesota 1

This was the Sunday broadcast on CBC radio.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Town Called Malice/Precious--The Jam (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A.: (Billboard): Centerfold--J. Geils Band (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Centerfold--J. Geils Band (4th week at #1)
2 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall and John Oates
3 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
4 Shake it Up--The Cars
5 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
6 Open Arms--Journey
7 That Girl--Stevie Wonder
8 Sweet Dreams--Air Supply
9 Leader of the Band--Dan Fogelberg
10 The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)--Juice Newton

Singles entering the chart were Freeze Frame/Flamethrower by J. Geils Band (#75); Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks (#80); Goin' Down by Greg Guidry (#86); Memory by Barbra Streisand (#87); Summer Nights by Survivor (#88); and Just Can't Win 'Em All by Stevie Woods (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Centerfold--J. Geils Band (4th week at #1)
2 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall and John Oates
3 Tainted Love--Soft Cell
4 Our Lips are Sealed--Go-Go's
5 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
6 Letting Go--Straight Lines
7 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind and Fire
8 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
9 Under Pressure--Queen and David Bowie
10 Turn Your Love Around--George Benson

Singles entering the chart were I Love Rock 'N' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (#45); Wanna Be with You by Earth, Wind and Fire (#47); and Mirror, Mirror by Diana Ross (#49).

20 years ago
1992

Died on this date
John Kneubuhl, 71. Samoan-born U.S. playwright and screenwriter. Mr. Kneubuhl was born in American Samoa to a Samoan mother and American father, and wrote plays about his native land. He worked in Hawaii and then in Los Angeles, where he wrote scripts for television series such as The Wild Wild West; The Invaders; and Hawaii Five-O. Mr. Kneubuhl returned to American Samoa in the 1980s.

Dick York, 63. U.S. actor. Mr. York co-starred in the television comedy series Bewitched from 1964-1969, but left the series because of severe back pain from an injury suffered when he appeared in the movie They Came to Cordura (1959). His last years were painful, as pain-killing drugs rotted his teeth and cigarettes damaged his lungs.