March 13, 2012

150 years ago
1852

Americana
The cartoon figure "Uncle Sam" first appeared in the weekly publication New York Lantern.

110 years ago
1902

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Challenge series
Montreal Amateur Athletic Association 0 @ Winnipeg Victorias 1 (Winnipeg led best-of-three series 1-0)

The Victorias were the defending champions, having defeated the Montreal Shamrocks to win the Stanley Cup the previous year.

60 years ago
1952

Boxing
Sugar Ray Robinson (131-2-2) retained his world middleweight title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Carl "Bobo" Olson (48-6) at San Francisco Civic Auditorium. Mr. Robinson had won Pennsylvania state recognition as world champion with a 12-round knockout of Mr. Olson on October 26, 1950.





50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Profit-Sharing Plan, starring Henry Jones, Ruth Storey, and Rebecca Sand

Hockey
World championships @ Colorado Springs
Sweden (4-0) 5 Canada (3-1) 3
U.S.A. (3-1) 8 West Germany (1-3) 4

Ulf Sterner and Nils Nilsson each scored 2 goals as Sweden upset defending champion Canada before 5,000 fans at Broadmoor World Arena. Sven Johansson scored the other goal for the Swedes, who led 4-0 after 2 periods and held off a furious 3rd period rally. Floyd Martin, Harry Smith, and Jackie McLeod scored for the Canadians, who were represented by the Galt Terriers.

40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Len Ford, 46. U.S. football player. Mr. Ford played offensive and defensive end with the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference in 1948 and 1949, and starred as a defensive end with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1950-1957, playing on NFL championship teams in 1950, 1954, and 1955. He finished his career with the Green Bay Packers in 1958.

Diplomacy
The United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China resumed full diplomatic relations after 22 years, and the U.K. withdrew its consulate from Taiwan.

Scandal
Author Clifford Irving and his wife admitted that his biography of billionaire Howard Hughes was a hoax, and pled guilty in New York to U.S. federal charges of conspiracy to defraud publisher McGraw-Hill of $750,000. The Irvings also pled guilty, along with Mr. Irving’s cousin and researcher, Richard Suskind, to state charges of grand larceny and conspiracy to defraud.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: The Lion Sleeps Tonight--Tight Fit (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A.: (Billboard): Centerfold--J. Geils Band (6th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Open Arms--Journey
2 Centerfold--J. Geils Band
3 That Girl--Stevie Wonder
4 I Love Rock 'N' Roll--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
5 Shake it Up--The Cars
6 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall and John Oates
7 Mirror, Mirror--Diana Ross
8 We Got the Beat--Go-Go's
9 Pac-Man Fever--Buckner & Garcia
10 Sweet Dreams--Air Supply

Singles entering the chart were If I Had My Wish Tonight by David Lasley (#81); I'll Try Something New by A Taste of Honey (#82); Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson (#88); On a Carousel by Glass Moon (#89); and She Will Survive by Bobby Vinton (#97).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 Tainted Love--Soft Cell (2nd week at #1)
2 Tonight I'm Yours--Rod Stewart
3 Centerfold--J. Geils Band
4 I Love Rock 'N' Roll--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
5 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall and John Oates
6 Our Lips are Sealed--Go-Go's
7 Letting Go--Straight Lines
8 Open Arms--Journey
9 Johnny are You Queer?--Josie Cotton
10 Physical--Olivia Newton-John

Singles entering the chart were Fantasy by Aldo Nova (#43); Key Largo by Bertie Higgins (#45); and Should I Do It by the Pointer Sisters (#49).

Music
This blogger attended the final day of the Northern Alberta Stage Band Festival at John L. Haar Theatre at the Jasper Place campus of Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton.

War
45 soldiers from an elite South African unit killed 201 guerrillas from South-West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) during a 7 ½-hour attack on the SWAPO staging post in southwestern Angola.

Figure skating
16-year-old Elaine Zayak of the United States landed six triple jumps in the long program to move from seventh place after the short program and win the world women's championship in Copenhagen.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Stay--Pierre Cosso & Bonnie Bianco

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that prices charged by producers for finished goods had risen 0.1% in February. The U.S. balance of payments on current account showed a deficit of $36.84 billion in the fourth quarter of 1986 and $140.57 billion for the entire year, both records.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Das Boot--U96 (8th week at #1)

Economics and finance
Commonwealth of Independent States delegates reached agreement on repaying the foreign debt of the former Soviet Union. The former Soviet Foreign Economic Bank was charged with administering the debt, and each member of the former Soviet state assumed a proportionate share of the debt.

The United States Labor Department reported that prices charged by producers for finished goods had risen 0.2% in February.

10 years ago
2002

Abominations
Incumbent dictator Robert Mugabe was declared the winner of the Zimbabwean presidential election.

Crime
U.S. Muslim cleric Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of a sheriff’s deputy in Fulton County, Georgia.