March 5, 2012

500 years ago
1512

Born on this date
Gerardus Mercator. Flemish cartographer. Mr. Mercator was best known for Nova et Aucta Orbis Terrae Descriptio ad Usum Navigantium Emendate Accommodata (1569), his world map based on a new projection which represented sailing courses of constant bearing (rhumb lines) as straight lines. He was also known in his own time as a manufacturer of globes and scientific instruments. Mr. Mercator died on December 2, 1594 at the age of 82.

125 years ago
1887

Born on this date
Heitor Villa-Lobos. Brazilian composer. Perhaps the best-known of Brazilian composers, the native of Rio de Janeiro first attracted attention in North America when recordings of his works were sold at the world’s fair in New York in 1939. Mr. Villa-Lobos composed 12 symphonies, and numerous concertos and works for solo piano and guitar. Perhaps is most famous compositions were the Bachianas Brasileiras (1930-1945). Mr. Villa-Lobos died on November 17, 1959 at the age of 72.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
The Unexpected, hosted by Herbert Marshall, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Calculated Risk, starring Louis Jean Heydt and Rochelle Hudson

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
Thriller, hosted by Boris Karloff, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Flowers of Evil, starring Luciana Paluzzi, Kevin Hagen, and Jack Weston



30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
Yellowknife's Top 30 (CJCD)
1 Centerfold--J. Geils Band
2 Open Arms--Journey
3 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall and John Oates
4 Waiting on a Friend--Rolling Stones
5 Sweet Dreams--Air Supply
6 Shake it Up--The Cars
7 You Could Have Been with Me--Sheena Easton
8 Take it Easy on Me--Little River Band
9 Love is Alright Tonite--Rick Springfield
10 Abacab--Genesis
11 Spirits in the Material World--The Police
12 That Girl--Stevie Wonder
13 Turn Your Love Around--George Benson
14 Tonight I'm Yurs--Rod Stewart
15 Mirror, Mirror--Diana Ross
16 Leader of the Band--Dan Fogelberg
17 Hooked on Classics--Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
18 Make a Move on Me--Olivia Newton-John
19 I Believe--Chilliwack
20 I Love Rock 'N' Roll--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
21 Should I Do It--Pointer Sisters
22 Cool Night--Paul Davis
23 Find Another Fool--Quarterflash
24 The Friends of Mr. Cairo--Jon and Vangelis
25 Juke Box Hero--Foreigner
26 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
27 We Got the Beat--Go-Go's
28 Key Largo--Bertie Higgins
29 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
30 Through the Years--Kenny Rogers

At the movies
The 9-screen Principal Plaza Cineplex, the first in the city of Edmonton, opened, showing 8 movies. Montenegro was showing on two screens; the other movies were Absence of Malice; Cinderella (1950); Fame; Man of Iron; Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography; and, for the artsy-fartsy foreign film fans, What the Butler Saw (aka What the Swedish Butler Saw, aka The Groove Room), a Swedish import advertised as "The First 3-D Sex Film." I don't know if anyone who intended to see Not a Love Story accidentally wandered into the theatre showing What the Butler Saw.

Died on this date
John Belushi, 33. U.S. comedian and actor. Mr. Belushi was a member of the cast of television comedy program Saturday Night Live from 1975-1979. He and SNL colleague Dan Aykroyd sang as the Blues Brothers, and had several hit singles from 1978-1981, including Soul Man and Gimme Some Lovin'. His movies included Animal House (1978); 1941 (1979); The Blues Brothers (1980); and Neighbors (1981). Mr. Belushi was found dead in his room at Bungalow number 3 of the Chateau Marmont Hotel in West Hollywood, California, victim of a "speedball," an injection of cocaine and heroin. A woman from Toronto, Cathy Smith, admitted several months later that she had given Mr. Belushi the fatal injection. She was charged with first-degree murder, but the charge was plea-bargained to manslaughter, and she served 15 months in prison. Mr. Belushi was the subject of Bob Woodward's book Wired (1984). In his 1982 book More Funny People, Steve Allen had a chapter on Mr. Belushi, which makes for interesting reading, albeit unflattering to its subject.

25 years ago
1987

On television tonight
Our World, hosted by Linda Ellerbee and Ray Gandolf, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Up Against the Wall: 1961



Religion
As part of Christian Awareness Week at the University of Alberta, a debate took place between Jeff Amano of Probe Ministries and Fred Ulrich, a Buddhist priest from Edmonton, on the topic of resurrection vs. reincarnation. A large audience attended the Thursday night debate in a classroom in the V-Wing.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): One--U2

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 5 @ Calgary 5
The Maple Leafs, trailing 5-3 in the last minute of regulation time and playing with 6 attackers, scored 2 goals to tie the game at Olympic Saddledome.