March 14, 2012

80 years ago
1932

Died on this date
Frederick Jackson Turner, 70. U.S. historian. Dr. Turner taught at the University of Wisconsin (1890-1910) and Harvard University (1910-1922), and trained many historians. He was best known for his essay The Significance of the Frontier in American History (1893), the basis of the "Frontier Thesis," arguing that American democracy was formed by the American frontier, including egalitarianism, a lack of interest in high culture, and violence. Later generations of historians disputed the Frontier Thesis, but it was very influential in his own time. Dr. Turner was a visiting scholar at the Huntington Library in California from 1922 until his death.

75 years ago
1937

Born on this date
Benny “Kid” Paret. Cuban boxer; world welterweight champion, 1960-1961; 1961-1962. A native of Santa Clara, Mr. Paret began his professional boxing career in his native Cuba in 1954, moving to the United States in 1958. On May 27, 1960, he won a 15-round unanimous decision over Don Jordan at the Las Vegas Convention Center to win the world welterweight title. After one successful defense of his title and several non-title bouts against heavier opponents, Mr. Paret lost the title when he was knocked out in the 13th round by Emile Griffith at Convention Hall in Miami Beach, Florida on April 1, 1961. Mr. Paret regained the belt from Mr. Griffith by a split decision at Madison Square Garden in New York on September 30, 1961, and met Mr. Griffith in a rematch for the title in Madison Square Garden on March 24, 1962. Mr. Griffith was well ahead on points after 11 rounds, and then unleashed a savage beating upon Mr. Paret in the 12th round. As referee Ruby Goldstein declined to intervene, Mr. Paret slumped to the floor unconscious, no longer welterweight champion. He was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, where he went into a coma and never came out.

70 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Moonlight Cocktail--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (3rd week at #1)

60 years ago
1952

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Andrea Jameson!

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Diamond Lens, starring Robert Bernard, Theo Goetz, and Franchot Tone



50 years ago
1962

Figure skating
Marie and Otto Jelinek of Canada won the gold medal in the pairs competition at the world championships in Prague. The Jelineks, brother and sister, had been born in Prague but had fled Czechoslovakia with their family in 1948 when the country became a Communist dictatorship.

40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Linda Jones, 27. U.S. singer. Miss Jones, a soul singer known for her intense style of performing, placed 8 singles on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart from 1967-1972. Her first hit, Hypnotized, was her biggest, reaching #4 on the R&B chart and #21 on the Hot 100 pop chart. What've I Done (To Make You Mad) reached #8 on the R&B chart in 1967. Her last hit, Your Precious Love, was a remake of the 1958 Jerry Butler and the Impressions hit For Your Precious Love, and reached #15 on the R&B chart later in 1972. Miss Jones, who had been diagnosed with diabetes in childhood, died of a diabetic attack three days after her last performance, which took place at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Politics and government
Alabama Governor George Wallace won the Florida primary for the Democratic party nomination for President of the United States, taking 42% of the vote to 18% for U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota; 13% for U.S. Senator Henry Jackson of Washington; 9% for U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine; 7% for New York Mayor John Lindsay; 6% for U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota; and 4% for Representative Shirley Chisholm of New York. In the Republican primary, President Richard Nixon won easily, getting 87% of the vote.

Disasters
All 112 people aboard a Danish jetliner were killed in a crash near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

30 years ago
1982

Disasters
A series of avalanches near Grenoble, France killed 11 people and injured 20 more.

Curling
Brier
Final
Northern Ontario 7 British Columbia 3

Al Hackner’s rink had little trouble winning the Canadian men’s championship at Keystone Centre in Brandon, as B.C. skip Roy Vinthers had a dismal game.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Si Può Dare Di Più--Gianni Morandi, Umberto Tozzi, and Enrico Ruggeri (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Everything I Own--Boy George

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Jacob's Ladder--Huey Lewis and the News

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Jacob's Ladder--Huey Lewis and the News
2 Livin' on a Prayer--Bon Jovi
3 (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)--Beastie Boys
4 Will You Still Love Me?--Chicago
5 Somewhere Out There--Linda Ronstadt with James Ingram
6 You Got it All--The Jets
7 Mandolin Rain--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
8 Big Time--Peter Gabriel
9 Let's Wait Awhile--Janet Jackson
10 Lean on Me--Club Nouveau

Singles entering the chart included What's Going On by Cyndi Lauper (#65); Talk Dirty to Me by Poison (#84); and The Boy in the Bubble by Paul Simon (#86).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 Livin' on a Prayer--Bon Jovi
2 At this Moment--Billy Vera and the Beaters
3 Touch Me (I Want Your Body)--Samantha Fox
4 Keep Your Hands to Yourself--Georgia Satellites
5 Shake You Down--Gregory Abbott
6 C'est la Vie--Robbie Nevil
7 Will You Still Love Me?--Chicago
8 Respect Yourself--Bruce Willis
9 Somewhere Out There--Linda Ronstadt with James Ingram
10 Montego Bay--Amazulu

Singles entering the chart included Walking Down Your Street by the Bangles (#85); The Right Thing by Simply Red (#89); Band of Gold by Belinda Carlisle (#93); With or Without You by U2 (#94); and Sign 'o' the Times by Prince (#97).

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 6 Calgary 4

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Saltwater--Julian Lennon (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: La Forza Della Vita--Paolo Vallesi

#1 single in France: Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--George Michael/Elton John (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): To Be with You--Mr. Big (3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 To Be with You--Mr. Big (4th week at #1)
2 Missing You Now--Michael Bolton featuring Kenny G
3 Remember the Time--Michael Jackson
4 Good for Me--Amy Grant
5 I Can't Dance--Genesis
6 Until Your Love Comes Back Around--RTZ
7 I'll Get By--Eddie Money
8 Masterpiece--Atlantic Starr
9 What Becomes of the Brokenhearted--Paul Young
10 Justified & Ancient--KLF (featuring Tammy Wynette)

Singles entering the chart included One by U2 (#73); Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven by Bryan Adams (#75); I'm the One You Need by Jody Watley (#77); and Killer by Seal (#82).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 To Be with You--Mr. Big (2nd week at #1)
2 Remember the Time--Michael Jackson
3 I Can't Dance--Genesis
4 Tears in Heaven--Eric Clapton
5 Good for Me--Amy Grant
6 Hazard--Richard Marx
7 What Becomes of the Brokenhearted--Paul Young
8 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me-George Michael/Elton John
9 Missing You Now--Michael Bolton
10 Again Tonight--John Mellencamp

Singles entering the chart included One by U2 (#62); The Big Ones Get Away by Buffy Sainte-Marie (#89); Human Touch (#91)/Better Days (#98) by Bruce Springsteen; and The Real Thing by Kenny Loggins (#96).

Curling
Brier
Semi-Final
Ontario 7 Alberta 4

Hockey
NHL
Vancouver 6 Calgary 4

CIAU championship
Men’s Semi-Final
Alberta 9 Quebec @ Trois Rivieres 1

10 years ago
2002

World events
Leaders of the two remaining republics in Yugoslavia agreed to remake the country into a loose federation called Serbia and Montenegro.

Diplomacy
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo pulled out of peace talks in Sun City, South Africa.

Religion
Anglican priest and former particle physicist John C. Polkinghorne was named the 2002 winner of the Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries About Spiritual Realities.