March 24, 2012

150 years ago
1862

Born on this date
Frank W. Benson. U.S. artist. Mr. Benson was known for his Realistic portraits, American Impressionist paintings, watercolours, and etchings. Some of his best known paintings depicted his daughters outdoors at the family's summer home in Maine. Mr. Benson died on November 15, 1951 at the age of 89.

130 years ago
1882

Medicine
German bacteriologist Robert Koch announced the discovery of the tuberculosis bacillus.

110 years ago
1902

Born on this date
Thomas E. Dewey. U.S. politician. A "gangbusting" special prosecutor and district attorney, Mr. Dewey ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York in 1938 before winning in 1942, holding the office from 1943-1954. He was the Republican Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 1944 against Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt, and again in 1948, against Mr. Roosevelt’s successor, Harry Truman. Mr. Dewey held a wide lead over Mr. Truman in the polls, but a risk-free, platitude-filled, safe campaign proved his undoing, and Mr. Truman won in one of the biggest upsets in U.S. presidential election history. Mr. Dewey was vacationing in Miami, Florida with friend, Archer Daniels Midland magnate Dwayne Andreas on March 16, 1971, and had just finished a round of golf with Boston Red Sox’ star outfielder Carl Yastrzemski, when he suffered a fatal heart attack, eight days before his 69th birthday.

90 years ago
1922

Crime
In an apparent sectarian attack, police officers broke into the home of the McMahon family in Belfast and shot all eight males inside, killing businessman Owen McMahon, four of his sons, and one of his employees. Two others were shot but survived, and a female family member was assaulted. The victims were all Roman Catholics. The killers were believed to be members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and the killings were believed to be in reprisal for the Irish Republican Army's killing of two policemen the day before.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Another Country, starring Yvonne De Carlo, Tom Avera, Stefan Schnabel, and Gregory Morton



50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Quando, Quando, Quando--Tony Renis (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Wonderful Land--The Shadows (2nd week at #1)

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

This was the last week that Record Mirror published its own weekly chart; they then began publishing Record Retailer's top 50.

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Hey! Baby--Bruce Channel (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Hey! Baby--Bruce Channel (3rd week at #1)
2 Don't Break the Heart That Loves You--Connie Francis
3 Midnight in Moscow--Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
4 Let Me In--The Sensations
5 What's Your Name--Don and Juan
6 Slow Twistin'--Chubby Checker (with Dee Dee Sharp)
7 Twistin' the Night Away--Sam Cooke
8 Love Letters--Ketty Lester
9 Dream Baby--Roy Orbison
10 Good Luck Charm--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were Johnny Jingo by Hayley Mills (#74); The Jam (Part 1) by Bobby Gregg and Friends (#76); Twist, Twist Senora by Gary (U.S.) Bonds (#77); Cinderella by Jack Ross (#83); Memories of Maria by Jerry Byrd (#88); You Talk About Love by Barbara George (#96); Smile by Ferrante and Teicher (#98); and I Will by Vic Dana (#99). Memories of Maria, a guitar instrumental, was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. I don't think Mr. Orbison ever released his own version of the song.

Transportation
The Seattle Center Monorail, constructed for the 1962 world's fair, opened (see video).

Boxing
Emile Griffith (29-3), well ahead on points after 11 rounds, unleashed a brutal beating against Benny "Kid" Paret (35-12-3) in the 12th round at Madison Square Garden in New York to regain the world welterweight title that he had lost to Mr. Paret on September 30, 1961, but Mr. Paret slipped into a coma and was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital.



Hockey
NHL
Chicago 3 @ Montreal 5
Detroit 2 @ Toronto 2

Phil Goyette's 7th goal of the season with 4:09 remaining in the game was the winner for the Canadiens as they defeated the Black Hawks at the Montreal Forum. Ralph Backstrom scored his 26th and 27th goals of the season for the Canadiens, while Bobby Hull scored his 49th of the season for the Black Hawks.

Forbes Kennedy's 1st goal of the season with 2:21 remainin in the game gave the Red Wings their tie with the Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens. Alex Delvecchio scored hs 26th goal of the season for Detroit, while Al Arbour, with his 1st of the season, and Dick Duff, with his 15th, scored for Toronto.

Baseball
The New York Mets scored 3 runs in the 1st inning and 6 in the 3rd as they beat the Kansas City Athletics 14-7 in a spring training game before 1,843 fans at Connie Mack Field in West Palm Beach, Florida, the home park of the Athletics. New York third baseman Don Zimmer hit 2 doubles and a single, drew a base on balls, and reache first base on an error in 6 plate appearances. Kansas City second baseman Jerry Lumpe was 4 for 5 with a home run and 3 runs batted in. Bob L. Miller started on the mound for New York and got the win over Kansas City starter John Wyatt. The win was the Mets' fourth straight, evening their Grapefruit League record at 7-7, while the loss ended the Athletics' 3-game winning streak.



30 years ago
1982

World events
Lieutenant General Hussain Mohammed Ershad, chief of staff of the army of Bangladesh, announced that he had seized power and deposed President Abdus Sattar, who had been elected in November 1981. Lt. Gen. Ershad stated that his aim was to end corruption in public life. Communication with the rest of the world ended soon after the coup.

The Guatemalan junta that had taken power in a coup the previous day suspended the constitution and the activities of all political parties, but made no mention of future elections.

25 years ago
1987

Crime
U.S. Marine Sergeant Clayton Lonetree, a guard at the United States embassy in Moscow, was arrested on 24 charges, including espionage and failure to report espionage. Three days later, military prosecutors said that Sgt. Lonetree and Corporal Arnold Bracy had been enticed by Soviet women into working for the KGB—the Soviet secret police—and that they had provided Soviet agents with access to sensitive areas of the embassy, including the room where secret messages were coded and decoded.

Politics and government
Former U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig announced that he would seek the 1988 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States.

20 years ago
1992

World events
Chemical weapons inspectors left Iraq after completing the destruction of more than 460 chemical rockets.

Politics and government
Former California Governor Jerry Brown narrowly upset Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton in the Connecticut primary for the 1992 Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States.

Journalism
Punch, Britain's oldest satirical magazine, announced that it would cease publication after 150 years.

10 years ago
2002

Movies
The Academy Awards for 2001 were presented. A Beautiful Mind was named Best Picture, and its director, Ron Howard, also won, as did cast member Jennifer Connelly for her supporting performance. Other winners included Denzel Washington for Best Actor for Training Day; Halle Berry for Best Actress for Monster's Ball; and Jim Broadbent for Best Supporting Actor for Iris.

Died on this date
Cesar Milstein, 74. Argentine-born British immunologist. Dr. Milstein shared the 1984 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Niels Kaj Jerne and Georges J. F. Köhler for his work in the development of a technique for producing monoclonal antibodies.