February 27, 2013

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Irwin Shaw. U.S. author. Mr. Shaw, born Irwin Shamforoff, was best known for his novels The Young Lions (1948) and Rich Man, Poor Man (1970). His screenplays included The Talk of the Town (1942); Easy Living (1949); and Desire Under the Elms (1958). Mr. Shaw died on May 16, 1984 at the age of 71.

80 years ago
1933

World events
In Berlin, the German Reichstag burned down that night. A Dutch Communist named Marinus van der Lubbe, a recent arrival in Germany, was arrested inside the building. Three Bulgarians were subsequently arrested and charged as part of the conspiracy to burn the Reichstag. Mr. van der Lubbe was the only one convicted, and he was beheaded on January 10, 1934. The extent to which others may have been involved is still debated by historians. The most significant result of the fire was a dramatic increase in the political power of Adolf Hitler, who had become Chancellor of Germany less than a month earlier. With elections coming up on March 5, Mr. Hitler asked for, and received from President Paul von Hindenburg, the Reichstag Fire Decree, which Mr. Hindenburg signed into law under section 48 of the Weimar constitution. The decree suspended most civil liberties in Germany, and was used by the Nazis in banning "unfriendly" publications. Thousands of Communists were arrested in the next several days. The Nazis, with their allies in the German National People's Party were able to obtain a majority in the Reichstag, and pass the Enabling Act, giving Mr. Hitler the right to rule by decree. A month after the fire, Mr. Hitler had achieved dictatorial power. You may have noticed that this wasn't the last time that a terrorist act was used as a pretext for suspending civil liberties and giving dictatorial powers to the executive branch of government in a Western "democracy." And of course, those liberties didn't come back anytime soon.

70 years ago
1943

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): There are Such Things--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (5th week at #1)

Protest
Gentile wives and relatives of 1,800 Jewish men who had been arrested by the Nazis and scheduled for deportation marched in Rosenstrasse (Rose Street) in Berlin.

Disasters
74 coal miners were killed in an explosion at Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana.

60 years ago
1953

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes--Perry Como (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Lonesome Village, starring Raymond Bailey and Heywood Hale Broun

Education
A bill to simplify spelling in the United Kingdom passed second reading in the House of Commons by a vote of 65-53.

50 years ago
1963

World events
Former French Army Colonel Antoine Argoud was charged with an assassination attempt on President Charles de Gaulle which had occurred two years earlier.

Politics and government
Juan Bosch took office as the 44th President of the Dominican Republic and the first to be democratically elected since the 25-year dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo had ended with Generalissimo Trujillo's assassination on May 30, 1961.

40 years ago
1973

Protest
Members of the American Indian Movement led the way as 200 Sioux Indians occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota, taking 11 members of the Oglala Sioux settlement hostage.

30 years ago
1983

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, on Springbok Radio
Tonight's episode: Tragedy at Nettlebed

Track and field
Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland set a world record for the indoor mile at 3:49.78 at the Vitalis/U.S. Olympic Invitational meet in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Mr. Coghlan's record stood until 1997.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Sì, la vita è tutta un quiz--Renzo Arbore (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Boys (Summertime Love)--Sabrina (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Should Be So Lucky--Kylie Minogue

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Should Be So Lucky--Kylie Minogue (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): I Should Be So Lucky--Kylie Minogue (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Father Figure--George Michael

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Father Figure--George Michael
2 What Have I Done to Deserve This?--Pet Shop Boys (with Dusty Springfield)
3 Could've Been--Tiffany
4 She's Like the Wind--Patrick Swayze (featuring Wendy Fraser)
5 Seasons Change--Exposé
6 Never Gonna Give You Up--Rick Astley
7 Hungry Eyes--Eric Carmen
8 I Get Weak--Belinda Carlisle
9 Need You Tonight--INXS
10 Don't Shed a Tear--Paul Carrack

Singles entering the chart were Where Do Broken Hearts Go by Whitney Houston (#49); I Saw Him Standing There by Tiffany (#61); One Step Up by Bruce Springsteen (#67); Are You Sure by So (#82); Wait by White Lion (#86); Kiss and Tell by Bryan Ferry (#87); Naughty Girls (Need Love Too) by Samantha Fox (#89); and Don't Make a Fool of Yourself by Stacey Q (#90).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Pump Up the Volume--M/A/R/R/S
2 Crying--Roy Orbison and k.d. lang
3 Could've Been--Tiffany
4 Need You Tonight--INXS
5 Hazy Shade of Winter--Bangles
6 When a Man Loves a Woman--Luba
7 Candle in the Wind--Elton John
8 The Way You Make Me Feel--Michael Jackson
9 Tell it to My Heart--Taylor Dayne
10 She's Like the Wind--Patrick Swayze (featuring Wendy Fraser)

Singles entering the chart were Out of the Blue by Debbie Gibson (#90); Heaven Knows by Robert Plant (#93); Breakfast at the Circus by David Wilcox (#97); and Big Big World by Parachute Club (#98).

Abominations
In the seaside town of Sumgait in the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, ethnic Azeris attacked and killed Armenians in what became known as the Sumgait Massacre or Sumgait Pogrom.

War
Iraqi jets bombed Iranian oil refineries.

Olympics
Elizabeth Manley of Ottawa, representing Canada, became the latest woman to become "Canada's Sweetheart" when she surprised everyone with the performance of her life in the long program in the women's figure skating event at the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary. Miss Manley won the long program, and almost won the overall title. The favourite, Katarina Witt of East Germany, held on to win the gold medal; Miss Manley won the silver, and American Debi Thomas won the bronze, becoming the first Negro athlete ever to win a medal in the Winter Olympics.







20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): You Don't Treat Me No Good--Sonia Dada

#1 single in Italy: If I Ever Lose My Faith in You--Sting

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): I Feel You--Depeche Mode

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Mockin' Bird Hill--Roots Syndicate (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): No Limit--2 Unlimited (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (14th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (13th week at #1)
2 A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)--Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
3 Ordinary World--Duran Duran
4 Saving Forever for You--Shanice
5 Mr. Wendal--Arrested Development
6 I'm Every Woman--Whitney Houston
7 7--Prince and the New Power Generation
8 Hip Hop Hooray--Naughty By Nature
9 If I Ever Fall in Love--Shai
10 Here We Go Again--Portrait

Singles entering the chart included Freak Me by Silk (#49); I See Your Smile by Gloria Estefan (#73); Bad Girl by Madonna (#75); If I Ever Lose My Faith in You by Sting (#76); Come in Out of the Rain by Wendy Moten (#80); Hope of Deliverance by Paul McCartney (#91); and Beautiful Girl by INXS (#92).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Steam--Peter Gabriel
2 Ordinary World--Duran Duran
3 No Mistakes--Patty Smyth
4 I'm Every Woman--Whitney Houston
5 Bed of Roses--Bon Jovi
6 A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)--Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
7 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston
8 Deeper and Deeper--Madonna
9 Little Bird--Annie Lennox
10 Man on the Moon--R.E.M.

Singles entering the chart included Don't Tear Me Up by Mick Jagger (#57); Kiss That Frog by Peter Gabriel (#66); Bad Girl by Madonna (#74); Who Do You Think You Are by Sass Jordan (#77); Colder than You by the Waltons (#84); and Won't Get Fooled Again by Van Halen (#87).

Died on this date
Lillian Gish, 99. U.S. actress. Miss Gish began appearing in motion pictures in 1912, and was one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era. Her films included The Birth of a Nation (1915); Intolerance (1916); Hearts of the World (1918); Broken Blossoms (1919); Way Down East (1920); Orphans of the Storm (1921); The Scarlet Letter (1926); The Wind (1928); Duel in the Sun (1946); The Night of the Hunter (1955); and The Whales of August (1987).

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Fred Rogers, 74. U.S. television host. Mr. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister who decided to explore the potential of television programming for children. Beginning his career in Pittsburgh, he spent several years in Canada in the 1960s with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before returning to the United States, where Mister Rogers' Neighborhood began airing on the Eastern Educational Network in 1968 before moving to the Public Broadcasting Service in 1969, where it remained until Mr. Rogers' retirement in 2001.

World events
Former Bosnian President Biljana Plavsic was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the persecution of thousands of Muslims and Croats in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995. She was the only woman indicted for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

Diplomacy
Iraq agreed to begin destroying their al-Samoud 2 rockets in order to comply with a deadline imposed by the United Nations.

Terrorism
The United States Administration of President Geroge W. Bush reduced the national terrorist alert level from orange (high risk) to yellow (elevated risk), the second highest of five levels. The level had been raised to orange on February 7 as a result of an increased amount of "chatter" in terrorist communications.

Religion
Rowan Williams, an honourary Druid, was installed as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.