March 23, 2012

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Adventure of the Ace of Spades

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Person or Persons Unknown, starring Richard Long and Frank Silvera

40 years ago
1972

War
The United States walked out of the Paris peace talks on the Vietnam War, charging that the Communists were not interested in negotiating.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden: Oh Julie--Shakin' Stevens (3rd week at #1)

World events
Dissident army officers in Guatemala staged a coup and overthrew the regime of General Romeo Lucas Garcia, who was to have been replaced in July by General Angel Anibal Guevara, who had been elected on March 7 amid allegations of fraud. Tanks and troops surrounded the presidential palace. A conservative junta led by retired General Efrain Rios Montt was appointed to rule the country, while deposed President Lucas was reportedly taken to the airport for a flight out of the country. Gen. Rios Montt also assumed the title of Minister of Defense.

Politics and government
A non-confidence vote in the Israeli Knesset on the coalition government of Prime Minister Menachem Begin resulted in a tie. Mr. Begin proposed that his cabinet resign, but the cabinet voted 12-6 to remain in office. The vote was inspired by dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of recent disorders in the West Bank. Some right-wing legislators who were opposed to the scheduled April 25 withdrawal of the last Israeli troops from the Sinai peninsula had defected from their previous position of support for Mr. Begin.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): I Knew You were Waiting for Me--Aretha Franklin and George Michael (2nd week at #1)

Terrorism
31 people were injured after a car bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army exploded at the British army base at Rheindahlen, West Germany.

20 years ago
1992

Died on this date
Friedrich von Hayek, 92. Austrian-born U.K. economist. A champion of economic freedom, Dr. Hayek was best known for his book The Road to Serfdom (1944). He shared the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1974 with Gunnar Myrdal of Sweden.

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Neal Edgar Miller, 92. U.S. psychologist. Dr. Miller conducted pioneering research on biofeedback—a technique by which unconscious or involuntary bodily processes may be manipulated by conscious mental control.

Thomas Kelly, 82. U.S. aerospace engineer. Mr. Kelly led the team of engineers who designed the lunar module Eagle in which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.

Protest
More than one million people in Rome demonstrated against government plans to rewrite labour regulations.

Horse racing
Street Cry, owned by Sheikh Muhammad al-Maktoum and ridden by Jerry Bailey, won the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest race.

Sport
Cael Sanderson of Iowa State University, a 197-pound senior, concluded an undefeated collegiate career by winning an unprecedented fourth straight weight class title at the NCAA wrestling championships in Albany, New York. In his final bout, Mr. Sanderson defeated Lehigh University sophomore Jon Trenge with a double-leg takedown, and received a five-minute standing ovation from the 12,000 fans.