June 13, 2012

140 years ago
1872

Born on this date
Thomas N. Heffron. U.S. movie director. Mr. Heffron directed 69 silent films from 1913-1923, including The Man from Mexico (1914); Are You a Mason? (1915); and The House of a Thousand Candles (1915). He died on May 24, 1951 at the age of 78.

120 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Basil Rathbone. South African-born U.K. actor. One of this blogger's favourite actors, Mr. Rathbone played villains in movies such as David Copperfield (1935); Captain Blood (1935); and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), before achieving his greatest fame, playing Sherlock Holmes in 14 movies and over 200 radio broadcasts from 1939-1946. He died in New York on July 21, 1967 at the age of 75, the day after being given a clean bill of health by his doctor.

70 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Tangerine--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)

Politics and government
The United States Office of War Information was created.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: All the Time in the World, starring Esther Ralston, Don Hamner, and Lewis Charles



40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Georg von Békésy, 73. Hungarian-born biophysicist. Dr. Békésy worked for the Hungarian Post Office from 1923-1946, where he did research on telecommunications signal quality, leading him to become interested in the workings of the ear. He taught at Harvard University from 1947-1966 and at the University of Hawaii from 1966 until his death. Dr. Békésy was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discoveries of the physical mechanism of stimulation within the cochlea."

Clyde McPhatter, 39. U.S. singer. Mr. McPhatter was the lead singer with Billy ward and his Dominoes from 1950-1953 before founding the Drifters and handling lead vocals with them from 1953-1954. His voice and style were very influential in the genre of doo-wop singing in the 1950s and '60s. Mr. McPhatter entered the U.S. Army late in 1954, and embarked on a solo career upon his discharge. As a solo artist he had three singles that reached #1 on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart: Treasure of Love (1956--#16 on the Top 100 pop chart); Long Lonely Nights (1957--#49 on the Top 100); and A Lover's Question (1958--#6 on the Hot 100). Lover Please reached #7 on the Hot 100 in 1962. Success in later years eluded Mr. McPhatter, and he gradually drank himself to death. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

30 years ago
1982

Died on this date
Khalid, 69. King of Saudi Arabia, 1975-1982. Khalid succeeded to the Saudi throne upon the assassination of King Faisal on March 25, 1975. His reign was characterized by economic development.

War
Fighting between Israeli forces and Palestine Liberation Organization guerrillas resumed in Beirut.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Saskatchewan (1-0) 33 @ Calgary (0-2) 32

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Multimix--The Communards (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Hold Me Now--Johnny Logan (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): You Want Love (Maria Maria)--Mixed Emotions (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U2

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Always--Atlantic Starr

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Always--Atlantic Starr (2nd week at #1)
2 Head to Toe--Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
3 You Keep Me Hangin' On--Kim Wilde
4 In Too Deep--Genesis
5 I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston
6 The Lady in Red--Chris DeBurgh
7 Wanted Dead or Alive--Bon Jovi
8 Diamonds--Herb Alpert (vocals by Lisa Keith and Janet Jackson)
9 With or Without You--U2
10 Looking for a New Love--Jody Watley

Singles entering the chart included I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2 (#56); Hearts on Fire by Bryan Adams (#67); Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac (#71); Don't Mean Nothing by Richard Marx (#75); Mary's Prayer by Danny Wilson (#88); and Can't We Try by Dan Hill (with Vonda Shepard) (#89).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 Looking for a New Love--Jody Watley
2 (I Just) Died in Your Arms--Cutting Crew
3 Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You--Glenn Medeiros
4 Boom Boom--Paul Lekakis
5 You Keep Me Hangin' On--Kim Wilde
6 I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston
7 La Isla Bonita--Madonna
8 With or Without You--U2
9 Talk Dirty to Me--Poison
10 Lean on Me--Club Nouveau

Singles entering the chart included I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2 (#83); Songbird by Kenny G (#86); Hearts on Fire by Bryan Adams (#90); and Rock the Night by Europe (#93).

Died on this date
Geraldine Page, 62. U.S. actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of the 20th century, Miss Page had a successful career on stage in New York before appearing in movies and television shows. She was an Academy Award nominee for her performances in Hondo (1953); Summer and Smoke (1961); Sweet Bird of Youth (1962); You're a Big Boy Now (1966); Pete 'n' Tillie (1972); Interiors (1978); and The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984). She finally won the Oscar as Best Actress for The Trip to Bountiful (1985).

Johnny High, 30. U.S. basketball player. Mr. High played with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA from 1979-1984. He was killed in a car accident in Phoenix while driving drunk.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Take it from Me--Girlfriend

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Blowin'--B'z

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap! (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Please Don't Go--Double You (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Please Don't Go--Double You (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Joy--François Feldman (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap! (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Abba-esque (EP)--Erasure

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Jump--Kris Kross (8th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Jump--Kris Kross (3rd week at #1)
2 Under the Bridge--Red Hot Chili Peppers
3 Baby Got Back--Sir Mix-a-Lot
4 My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)--En Vogue
5 Damn I Wish I was Your Lover--Sophie B. Hawkins
6 In the Closet--Michael Jackson
7 Live and Learn--Joe Public
8 If You Asked Me To--Celine Dion
9 Just Take My Heart--Mr. Big
10 Achy Breaky Heart--Billy Ray Cyrus

Singles entering the chart included Giving Him Something He Can Feel by En Vogue (#81) and Strawberry Letter 23 by Tevin Campbell (#88); and Take this Heart by Richard Marx (#94).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 If You Asked Me To--Celine Dion (2nd week at #1)
2 Hold on My Heart--Genesis
3 Sinking Like a Sunset--Tom Cochrane
4 Under the Bridge--Red Hot Chili Peppers
5 You Won't See Me Cry--Wilson Phillips
6 Damn I Wish I was Your Lover--Sophie B. Hawkins
7 Do it to Me--Lionel Richie
8 One--U2
9 I Will Remember You--Amy Grant
10 My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)--En Vogue

Singles entering the chart included It's Probably Me by Sting and Eric Clapton (#38); Take this Heart by Richard Marx (#55); 57 Channels (And Nothin' On) by Bruce Springsteen (#69); Everytime I Roll the Dice by Delbert McClinton (#70); Just for Tonight by Vanessa Williams (#73); and The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead by XTC (#85).

Labour
Bob White, president of the Canadian Auto Workers, was elected president of the Canadian Labour Congress; Jean-Claude Parrot, head of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, was elected vice-president.

10 years ago
2002

Defense
The United States withdrew from the Antiballistic Missile Treaty, signed in 1972 by U.S. President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Politics
Afghanistan’s loya jirga elected Hamid Karzai to lead the country’s transitional government for the next two years. The vote, monitored by the United Nations, gave Mr. Karzai 1,295 votes out of a total of 1,575.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Carolina 1 @ Detroit 3 (Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-1)

The win gave the Red Wings their third Stanley Cup championship in the previous six years.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Toronto (1-0) 18 @ Ottawa (0-1) 11
Montreal (1-0) 37 @ Hamilton (0-1) 26

The Renegades’ loss to the Argonauts at Frank Clair Stadium was their first game in the CFL, and marked the first appearance by an Ottawa team in the Canadian Football League since the Ottawa Rough Riders folded after the 1996 season.