August 5, 2012

120 years ago
1892

Economics and finance
The United States Congress appropriated $2.5 million to be coined into commemorative half-dollars in aid of the World’s Columbian Fair in Chicago in 1893.

110 years ago
1902

Born on this date
Luis Russell. Panamanian-born U.S. musician. Mr. Russell moved to New Orleans in 1919 and later to Chicago and New York City, where he was a jazz pianist, who also played guitar and violin. He worked with the bands of Doc Cook and King Oliver, and led his own band in the late 1920s and early '30s, and again from 1943-1948, while recording several dozen sides from 1926-1934. Mr. Russell retired from regular performing in 1948, and opened a notions shop. He died on December 11, 1963 at the age of 61.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Death Cargo, starring Anthony Ross, Brian Keith, and Paul Langton

50 years ago
1962

Died on this date
Marilyn Monroe, 36. U.S. actress. The most prominent sex symbol of the 1950s was found in bed in her Los Angeles home with an empty bottle of Nembutal sleeping pills by her side. Conspiracy theories abound. Miss Monroe's movies included The Asphalt Jungle (1950); All About Eve (1950); Clash by Night (1952); Monkey Business (1952); Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953); How to Marry a Millionaire (1953); River of No Return (1954); There's No Business Like Show Business (1954); The Seven Year Itch (1955); Bus Stop (1956); The Prince and the Showgirl (1957); Some Like it Hot (1959); Let's Make Love (1960); and The Misfits (1961).

World events
The U.S.S.R. set off a new wave of nuclear weapons tests in arctic Siberia. Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker deplored the tests.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Puppy Love--Donny Osmond (5th week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Puppy Love--Donny Osmond
2 Sylvia's Mother--Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
3 Alone Again (Naturally)--Gilbert O'Sullivan
4 The Candy Man--Sammy Davis, Jr. with the Mike Curb Congregation
5 Song Sung Blue--Neil Diamond
6 Nice to Be with You--Gallery
7 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack
(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All--The 5th Dimension
8 Daddy Don't You Walk so Fast--Wayne Newton
9 Beautiful Sunday--Daniel Boone
10 Marshall's Portable Music Machine--Robin Jolley

Singles entering the chart were Gypsy Queen by Country Radio (#23); Precious and Few by Climax (#29); Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Blue Haze (#30); You're All Woman by Sherbet (#33); I Saw the Light by Todd Rundgren (#34); How Can I Be Sure by David Cassidy (#36); and Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) by the Hollies (#38).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Alone Again (Naturally)--Gilbert O'Sullivan (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Daddy Don't You Walk so Fast--Wayne Newton
2 Alone Again (Naturally)--Gilbert O'Sullivan
3 Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)--Looking Glass
4 (If Loving You is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right--Luther Ingram
5 Too Late to Turn Back Now--Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
6 School's Out--Alice Cooper
7 Where is the Love--Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
8 How Do You Do--Mouth and MacNeal
9 Day By Day--Godspell
10 Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)--The Hollies

Singles entering the chart were Ben by Michael Jackson (#73); I Believe in Music by Gallery (#76); Rock Me on the Water by Jackson Browne (#78); America by Yes (#81); City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie (#84); Toast to the Fool by the Dramatics (#89); Goodbye Again by John Denver (#92); Circles by the New Seekers (#97); Your Wonderful Sweet, Sweet Love by the Supremes (#98); Stories?? by Chakachas (#99); and I Could Never Be Happy by the Emotions (#100). Ben was the title song from the movie.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Too Late to Turn Back Now--Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose (2nd week at #1)
2 Wild Eyes--Stampeders
3 Daddy Don't You Walk so Fast--Wayne Newton
4 How Do You Do--Mouth and MacNeal
5 Alone Again (Naturally)--Gilbert O'Sullivan
6 Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)--Looking Glass
7 Conquistador--Procol Harum (with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra)
8 School's Out--Alice Cooper
9 Day By Day--Godspell
10 Layla--Derek and the Dominoes

Singles entering the chart were Black & White by Three Dog Night (#73); Run to Me by the Bee Gees (#79); Some Sing, Some Dance by Pagliaro (#85); Hey Baby by Crowbar (#95); Saturday in the Park by Chicago (#97); My My My by Karo (#99); and Jesahel by English Congregation (#100).

Calgary’s Top 10
1 Wild Eyes—Stampeders (2nd week at #1)
2 Daddy Don’t You Walk so Fast—Wayne Newton
3 The Candy Man—Sammy Davis, Jr. with the Mike Curb Congregation
4 How Do You Do—Mouth and MacNeal
5 Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)—The Hollies
6 Alone Again (Naturally)—Gilbert O’Sullivan
7 Brand New Sunny Day—James Robert Ambrose
8 Take it Easy—Eagles
9 Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)—Looking Glass
10 Motorcycle Mama—Sailcat
Pick hit of the week: Some Sing, Some Dance—Pagliaro

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
Edmonton’s Top 20 (CHED)
1 Abracadabra—Steve Miller Band
2 Eye of the Tiger—Survivor
3 Hard to Say I’m Sorry—Chicago
4 Hold Me—Fleetwood Mac
5 Only the Lonely—The Motels
6 One More Time—Streetheart
7 Your Daddy Don’t Know—Toronto
8 What Kind of Fool am I?—Rick Springfield
9 Always on My Mind—Willie Nelson
10 Even the Nights are Better—Little River Band
11 Love Plus One—Haircut One Hundred
12 Eyes of a Stranger—Payolas
13 Take it Away—Paul McCartney
14 Enough is Enough—April Wine
15 Hurts so Good—John Cougar
16 Only Time Will Tell--Asia
17 Keep the Fire Burnin’—REO Speedwagon
18 Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me—Juice Newton
19 I Found Somebody—Glenn Frey
20 Wasted on the Way—Crosby, Stills & Nash

Died on this date
John Charnley, 70. U.K. physician. Sir John was an orthopedic surgeon who pioneered hip replacement surgery at Wrightington Hospital in Lancashire in the 1960s. His textbook The Closed Treatment of Common Fractures (1950) influenced generations of orthopedic surgeons. Sir John died 24 days before his 71st birthday.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): It's a Sin--Pet Shop Boys (2nd week at #1)

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Abba-esque--Erasure (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Robert Muldoon, 71. Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1975-1984. Sir Robert, a member of the National Party, represented Tamaki in the N.Z. Parliament from 1960-1991. He was Minister of Finance from 1967-1972, and became Leader of the Opposition upon winning the National Party leadership in 1974. Sir Robert led the National Party to victory in the 1975 general election, and returned as Finance Minister as well as taking office as Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, Mr. Muldoon supported the welfare state, but opposed Communism and the legalization of homosexual acts. He led the National Party to re-election in 1978 and 1981, but they lost to the Labour Party in 1984, and Sir Robert resigned as party leader. He was, and remains, a polarizing figure in New Zealand.

Olympics
Mark McKoy won the men's 110-metre hurdles in Barcelona Olympics; it was Canada's first Olympic gold medal in track since 1928. 10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Darrell Porter, 50. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Porter was a catcher with the Milwakee Brewers (1971-1976); Kansas City Royals (1977-1980); St. Louis Cardinals (1981-1985); and Texas Rangers (1985-1987), batting .247 in 1,782 games, with 188 home runs and 826 runs batted in. He was the most valuable player in the 1982 National League Championship Series (batting .556) and World Series (batting .286). Mr. Porter's best season was probably 1979, when he batted .291 with 20 home runs and 112 RBIs, and led American League batters in bases on balls with 121 and sacrifice flies with 13. In 1980 he admitted to having problems with substance abuse, and checked into a rehabilitation facility. He then professed to have become a born-again Christian, but he was found dead outside his car, and an autopsy found a level of cocaine consistent with recreational use, which helped to cause his death.

Americana
The gun turret of the USS Monitor was raised from the ocean floor near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The Monitor was an ironclad vessel used in the service of the Union forces during the U.S. Civil War, and had sunk in December 1862.