January 24, 2013

575 years ago
1438

Religion
The Council of Basel suspended Pope Eugene IV, 16 days after Pope Eugene had convened a rival council at Ferrara, Italy, and had excommunicated the prelates assembled at Basel.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Vicki Baum. Austrian author. Miss Baum was best known for her novel Menschen im Hotel (Grand Hotel) (1929). She died on August 19, 1960 at the age of 72.

Ernst Heinkel. German aircraft designer. Mr. Heinkel's company produced the world's first turbojet, jet plane, and rocket aircraft. His designs contributed to the strength of the Luftwaffe before and during World War II. He died on January 30, 1958, six days after his 70th birthday.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Norman Dello Joio. U.S. composer. Mr. Dello Joio was known for his choral music, although he also wrote music for piano. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1957 for Meditations on Ecclesiastes, and won an Emmy Award for 1964-65 for his score to the NBC special The Louvre. Mr. Dello Joio died on July 24, 2008 at the age of 95.

75 years ago
1938

Died on this date
Rosamond Pinchot, 33. U.S. socialite and actress. Miss Pinchot was from an influential political family. She appeared in several Broadway plays, and made her only film appearance in The Three Musketeers (1935). Miss Pinchot committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning two days before the tenth anniversary of her marriage to "Big Bill" Gaston, from whom she'd been separated for several years.

70 years ago
1943

War
The Casablanca Conference, whose participants included U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Free French Generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, concluded with a decision to pursue a policy of "unconditional surrender" by the Axis powers. German dictator Adolf Hitler refused General Friedrich von Paulus, commander of the 6th Army, permission to surrender to Soviet forces at Stalingrad.

60 years ago
1953

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): You Belong to Me--Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his Orchestra; Dean Martin (2nd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes--Perry Como (Best seller--3rd week at #1, Jukebox--2nd week at #1; Disc Jockey--1st week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes--Perry Como (2nd week at #1)
2 Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James
--Patti Page
3 Till I Waltz Again with You--Teresa Brewer
4 The Glow-Worm--The Mills Brothers
5 Oh Happy Day--Don Howard
6 Keep it a Secret--Jo Stafford
7 Have You Heard--Joni James
8 Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me--Karen Chandler
9 It's in the Book (Parts 1 and 2)--Johnny Standley
10 Tell Me You're Mine--The Gaylords

Singles entering the chart were It's Worth Any Price You Pay by Eddy Howard (#27); My Heart Belongs to Only You by Bette McLaurin (#28); Lies by Perry Como (#31); and Pretend by Ralph Marterie and his Orchestra (#33). Lies was the B-side of Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Dance On!--The Shadows

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: He's Alive, starring Dennis Hopper, Ludwig Donath, Curt Conway, and Paul Mazursky

This episode reportedly received more hate mail than any other episode of the series.

Boxing
Cassius Clay (17-0) knocked out Charlie Powell (23-7-3) at 2:04 of the 3rd round of a heavyweight bout at Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.

40 years ago
1973

Died on this date
J. Carrol Naish, 77. U.S. actor. Mr. Naish was a character actor who appeared in more than 200 movies and television programs, often playing characters who were of Latin, Arab, or East Indian ancestry. His movies included The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935); Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936); The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936); Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937); Sahara (1943); The Whistler (1944); House of Frankenstein (1944); A Medal for Benny (1945); Humoresque (1946); and Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971). Mr. Naish was nominated for Academy Awards for his supporting performances in Sahara and A Medal for Benny. He starred as the title character in the radio (1948-1953) and television (1952-1953) comedy series Life with Luigi and the television series The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957-1958). Mr. Naish died of emphysema, three days after his 77th birthday.

Masao Ohba, 23. Japanese boxer. Mr. Ohba, World Boxing Association world flyweight champion since October 22, 1970, was killed in a car accident in Tokyo. In a professional career that began in 1966, Mr. Ohba compiled a record of 35-2-1, including 5 successful defenses of his title, which he had won from Berkerk Chartvanchai. His last fight was on January 2, 1973, a 12-round knockout of Chartchai Chionoi in Tokyo. Mr. Chionoi ended up succeeding Mr. Ohba as world champion.

War
U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger announced that a truce was expected in Laos and Cambodia. The U.S.A. and North Vietnam had signed a cease-fire agreement the previous day, with the cease-fire to take effect on the morning of January 28 in Vietnam.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
George Cukor, 93. U.S. film director. Mr. Cukor won the Academy Award for Best Director for My Fair Lady (1964). His other movies included Dinner at Eight (1933); David Copperfield (1935); Romeo and Juliet (1936); Camille (1936); The Women (1939); The Philadelphia Story (1940); A Woman's Face (1941); Gaslight (1944); A Double Life (1947); Adam's Rib (1949); and A Star is Born (1954).

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston

#1 single in Switzerland: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): This Time/Life Without You--Christy Moore

Died on this date
Thurgood Marshall, 84. U.S. lawyer and judge. Mr. Marshall achieved prominence as a lawyer when he successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954. He served as a judge with the Second Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals from 1961-1965 and as U.S. Solicitor General from 1965-1967. In 1967 Mr. Marshall became the first Negro to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States; he served as an Associate Justice until 1991.

10 years ago
2003

Politics and government
The Department of Homeland Security, under Secretary Tom Ridge, became a U.S. cabinet department.