March 15, 2012

110 years ago
1902

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Challenge series
Montreal Amateur Athletic Association 5 @ Winnipeg Victorias 0 (Best-of-three series tied 1-1)

75 years ago
1937

Medicine
The first blood bank in the United States was established at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

70 years ago
1942

Died on this date
Alexander von Zemlinsky, 70. Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher. Mr. Zemlinsky was a pianist and organist, and brother-in-law of composer Arnold Schoenberg. Mr. Zemlinsky wrote two symphonies, as well as chamber and piano works, and numerous choral works. He's perhaps best known for his Lyric Symphony (1923), a seven-movement piece for soprano, baritone and orchestra, set to poems by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore (in German translation). Mr. Zemlinsky was conductor of the Deutsches Landestheater in Prague (1911-1927) and then worked in Berlin under Otto Klemperer, but fled Germany when the Nazis took power in 1933. He went to New York and then ended up teaching at two universities in California, dying after a series of strokes.

60 years ago
1952

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Wheel of Fortune--Kay Starr (Best Seller--1st week at #1; Disc Jockey--1st week at #1); Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads (Juke Box--8th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads (7th week at #1)
2 Tell Me Why--The Four Aces
--Eddie Fisher
3 Any Time--Eddie Fisher
4 Blue Tango--Leroy Anderson and his "Pops" Concert Orchestra
--Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra
5 Slow Poke--Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys
--Arthur Godfrey
--Helen O'Connell
6 The Little White Cloud that Cried--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads
7 Wheel of Fortune--Kay Starr
--Bobby Wayne
--Eddie Wilcox Orchestra with Sunny Gale
8 Please, Mr. Sun--Johnnie Ray
9 Bermuda--The Bell Sisters
10 Tiger Rag--Les Paul and Mary Ford

Singles entering the chart were At Last by Ray Anthony and his Orchestra (#30); Hambone by Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford (#38); Wishin' by Eddy Howard (#44); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Guy Mitchell (#45); Ay-round the Corner (Bee-hind the Bush) by Jo Stafford (#46); and Noodlin' Rag by Perry Como (#48). Wishin' was the B-side of Stolen Love, which charted at #21.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Rock-A-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling in Love--Elvis Presley (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
The British Liberal party won its first by-election in four years as Eric Lubbock won in Orpington, increasing the Liberals' membership in the House of Commons to 7.

Figure skating
Don Jackson, 21, of Canada, defeated Karol Divin of Czechoslovakia to win the world men's championship before a capacity crowd of 18,500 at Fucik Hall in Prague. Alain Calmat of France finished third, with 17-year-old Don McPherson of Canada finishing fourth. Mr. Jackson became the first skater to land a triple lutz jump in competition.

Hockey
World championships
Sweden (5-0) 17 U.K. (1-5) 0
Finland (2-4) 9 West Germany (1-4) 3

Only 1,966 saw the Swedes rout the British at Denver Coliseum.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Centerfold--J. Geils Band

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in France: On se retrouvera--Francis Lalanne (3rd week at #1)

Curling
Brier
Final
Ontario 11 British Columbia 7

It was the first Canadian men’s championship for Ontario skip Russ Howard.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Justified & Ancient--The KLF (featuring Tammy Wynette)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Justified & Ancient--The KLF (featuring Tammy Wynette) (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Das Boot--U 96 (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
Wojeck: Out of the Fire, starring John Vernon and Patricia Collins, on CBC

The made-for-television movie was a revival of the crime drama series that had been broadcast on CBC in the fall of 1966 and early 1968.



Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Walker Morrow!

Curling
Brier
Final
Manitoba 4 Ontario 3 (11 ends)

Vic Peters was the skip who led Manitoba to the Canadian men’s championship.

Hockey
CIAU championship
Men’s Final
Alberta 5 Acadia 2

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Pat Weaver, 93. U.S. television executive. Mr. Weaver revolutionized television programming by shifting the production of programs from the sponsors to the networks, with commercial time then sold to sponsors. Programs that he created included Your Show of Shows (1950-1954); Today (1952-); and Home (1954-1957). Actress Sigourney Weaver is his daughter.

William Scholl, 81. U.K. businessman. “Dr. Scholl” designed an orthopedic sandal, which became a fashion sensation in the 1960s and 1970s.

World events
Israel pulled its armed forces out of every West Bank town except Bethlehem.

Popular culture
A 7-foot statue of John Lennon was unveiled at the airport in Liverpool, England, which was renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport.