February 21, 2013

500 years ago
1513

Died on this date
Julius II, 69. Roman Catholic Pope, 1503-1513. Julius II, born Giuliano della Rovere, was known for an activist foreign policy, rebuilding St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and hiring Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

470 years ago
1543

War
Led by Emperor Galawdewos of Ethiopia, a combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeated the Somali-Ottoman army led by Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi in the Battle of Wayna Daga east of Lake Tana in Ethiopia.

400 years ago
1613

World events
Mikhail I was unanimously elected Czar of Russia by a national assembly, beginning the Romanov dynasty.

90 years ago
1923

Winnipegana
Harry Houdini escaped from a straitjacket 30 feet above the parking lot of the Manitoba Free Press Building on Carlton Street before 5,000 onlookers.

75 years ago
1938

Died on this date
George Ellery Hale, 69. U.S. astronomer. Professor Hale was known for his study of the sun and for his invention of the spectrohelioscope, a type of solar telescope that allows the sun to be viewed in a selected wavelength of light.

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 (6th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Till I Waltz Again with You--Teresa Brewer (Best seller--2nd week at #1, Jukebox--2nd week at #1; Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Till I Waltz Again with You--Teresa Brewer (3rd week at #1)
2 Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes--Perry Como
3 Oh Happy Day--Don Howard
--Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music
--[The Four Knights]
4 Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James
5 Tell Me You're Mine--The Gaylords
6 Have You Heard--Joni James
7 Keep it a Secret--Jo Stafford
8 Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me--Karen Chandler
9 The Doggie in the Window--Patti Page
10 Pretend--Nat "King" Cole
--Ralph Marterie and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were I Don't Know by Buddy Morrow and his Orchestra (#23); Rachel, with versions by Artie Wayne, and Al Martino (#32); My Jealous Eyes by Patti Page (#33); and John, John, John by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (#36). My Jealous Eyes was the B-side of The Doggie in the Window.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): The Wayward Wind--Frank Ifield

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Miniature, starring Robert Duvall, Pert Kelton, Barbara Barrie, and William Windom

At the movies
The Mind Benders, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Dirk Bogarde, Mary Ure, John Clements, and Michael Bryant, received its premiere screening in London.





40 years ago
1973

War
Israeli amphibious and airborne forces attacked two Palestinian refugee camps, El Badawi and Nahal el Bard, near Tripoli, Lebanon. Palestinian sources claimed that 30 Arabs had been killed, including 13 civilians, while 8 Israelis were reported wounded in counterattacks. Israel claimed that the attacks were for the purpose of forestalling a number of planned Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israelis overseas.

Israeli fighter planes shot down a Libyan civilian jetliner that had strayed over Israeli-occupied Egyptian territory in the Sinai Desert on a routine flight from Benghazi, Libya to Cairo. The final death toll was 108. Israeli officials claimed that they had intercepted the plane as a last resort after the French pilot had ignored instructions to land. Libyan Foreign Minister Mansur Kikhia condemned the downing as a "criminal act."

After 20 years of civil war, the Laotian government and the Communist-led Pathet Lao guerrilla movement announced a cease-fire agreement effective noon Vientiane time on February 22. The agreement provided for the immediate cessation of all military activities by all forces, including American and North Vietnamese, in Laos; a new provisional coalition government to be formed within 30 days; a mixed political council to work out the details of future elections and form of government; and removal of all foreign troops within 60 days after the establishment of the government.

World events
The body of Marshal Henri Petain, the French military hero of the Battle of Verdun in World War I who had sullied his reputation by collaborating with the Nazis as head of the French government in World War II, was discovered near Paris and returned to its tomb on the Ile d'Yeu off the French Atlantic coast, whence it had been stolen two days earlier. Ther robbery was found to have been the work of extreme rightists who were seeking to absolve Mr. Petain and all others who had collaborated with the Nazis during the war of the official verdict of treason.

Boxing
Former World Boxing Association world heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis (35-7) knocked out Bob Felstein (16-12-1) in the 2nd round of a bout at Orlando Sports Stadium in Orlando, Florida.



30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Gloria--Laura Branigan (3rd week at #1)

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Pump Up the Volume--M/A/R/R/S (2nd week at #1)

Scandal
Speaking to an audience of 6,000 at his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rev. Jimmy Swaggart resigned from his ministry, admitted an unspecified sin and asked for forgiveness.



Mr. Swaggart had loudly (and correctly) denounced the sin of televangelist Jim Bakker when his ministry had been brought down in a sex scandal the previous year. Mr. Swaggart had also accused fellow Assemblies of God pastor Marvin Gorman of adultery. Mr. Gorman responded by hiring a private detective, who obtained photographs of Mr. Swaggart at a motel frequently used by prostitutes. Mr. Gorman handed the evidence over to Assemblies of God leaders.

Olympics
West Germany defeated the United States 4-1 in men's hockey at the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): This Time/Life Without You--Christy Moore (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Harvey Kurtzman, 68. U.S. cartoonist and editor. Mr. Kurtzman worked as a cartoonist on comic books and newspapers before joining E.C. Comics in 1949. He wrote and edited the first 23 issues of Mad (1952-1955), when it was a comic book. Mad changed its format to that of a magazine in 1955, and Mr. Kurtzman left the following year in a financial dispute with publisher William M. Gaines. Mr. Kurtzman prmomptly went to work for Hugh Hefner, editing the satirical magazines Trump (1957) and Help! (1961-1965), as well as the self-published Humbug (1957-1958). He created and wrote the cartoon feature Little Annie Fanny (1962-1988) for Playboy magazine. Mr. Kurtzman reconciled with Mr. Gaines in the mid-1980s, and contributed several articles to Mad before his death from liver cancer.

Television
CBS bought the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City in order for David Letterman to continue hosting his late-night talk show from there. Mr. Letterman was scheduled to leave NBC several months hence to join CBS.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Harry "Kid" Matthews, 80. U.S. boxer. Mr. Matthews began as a welterweight and gradually became a heavyweight, compiling a record of 90-7-6 in a professional career from 1937-1956. He had difficulty securing bouts against top fighters, but recorded a win and a draw against former world middleweight champion Al Hostak in 1942, and defeated heavyweight contenders Freddie Beshore in 1951 and Rex Layne in 1952. Mr. Matthews was knocked out in 2 rounds by Rocky Marciano in a world heavyweight title elimination bout in 1952, but recorded a win and a draw against Mr. Beshore in 1953 before losing three times to British and British Empire champion Don Cockell (1953-1954). In his second-last fight, Mr. Matthews won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles.