February 6, 2013

225 years ago
1788

Americana
Massachusetts entered the Union as the 6th state to ratify the Constitution.

170 years ago
1843

Popular culture
The Virginia Minstrels, the first minstrel show in the United States, opened at the Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City.

110 years ago
1903

Born on this date
Claudio Arrau, 88. Chilean-born U.S. musician. Mr. Arrau was regarded as one of the greatest classical pianists of the 20th century, performing everything from baroque to modern music. He emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a dual Chilean and American citizen in 1979. Mr. Arrau died on June 9, 1991 at the age of 88.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Mary Leakey. U.K. paleoanthropologist. Mrs. Leakey and her husband Louis spent many years working in Olduvai Gorge in Africa, where they discovered skulls of such alleged human ancestors as proconsul and zinjanthropus. She died on December 9, 1996 at the age of 83.

70 years ago
1943

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): There are Such Things--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra with Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini removed his son-in-law Count Galeazzo Ciano as Italy's foreign minister and assumed the duty himself.

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

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Build-Box, starring Glenda Farrell

30 years ago
1983

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, starring Graham Armitage and Kerry Jordan, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: The Auction of the Oxford Crown

Crime
Klaus Barbie, the alleged "Butcher of Lyon," returned to France to stand trial for war crimes that had taken place 40 years earlier when he had been the Gestapo chief in Lyon.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Pump Up the Volume--M/A/R/R/S

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

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Boys (Summertime Love)--Sabrina

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Could've Been--Tiffany

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Could've Been--Tiffany
2 Need You Tonight--INXS
3 Hazy Shade of Winter--Bangles
4 The Way You Make Me Feel--Michael Jackson
5 Seasons Change--Exposé
6 Hungry Eyes--Eric Carmen
7 I Want to Be Your Man--Roger
8 What Have I Done to Deserve This?--Pet Shop Boys (with Dusty Springfield)
9 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
10 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man--Prince

Singles entering the chart were Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson (#45); Check it Out by John Cougar Mellencamp (#79); Girlfriend by Pebbles (#80); Rock of Life by Rick Springfield (#81); When We was Fab by George Harrison (#82); Some Kind of Lover by Jody Watley (#86); You Will Know by Stevie Wonder (#89); and Thinking of You by Earth, Wind and Fire (#90).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Could've Been--Tiffany
2 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
3 Need You Tonight--INXS
4 Faith--George Michael
5 Candle in the Wind--Elton John
6 Hazy Shade of Winter--Bangles
7 The Way You Make Me Feel--Michael Jackson
8 Pop Goes the World--Men Without Hats
9 Cherry Bomb--John Cougar Mellencamp
10 When a Man Loves a Woman--Luba

Singles entering the chart were Moonbeam by Men Without Hats (#90); Day After Day by Blue Rodeo (#91); Love Becomes Electric by Strange Advance (#94); and Gonna Stay in Love by Louisa Florio (#96).

Died on this date
Barclay Plager, 46. Canadian-born hockey player and coach. After a number of years in the minors, Mr. Plager got the opportunity to play in the NHL in the expansion of 1967 when he was acquired by the St. Louis Blues. He played defense for the Blues for 10 years, and was their head coach from 1977-1979. He was an assistant coach with the Blues for most of the 1980s (and, briefly, head coach again in 1983), a position he held at the time of his death. A brain tumour shortened his life and coaching career, and his jersey #8 was retired by the Blues in an on-ice ceremony on March 24, 1981. For a number of years, Barclay's younger brothers Bob and Bill were teammates of his with the Blues. Barclay Plager played in four NHL All-Star games (1970, '71, '73, '74). He also had success in the Central Hockey League before and after his NHL career. He was voted the league's outstanding defenseman with the Omaha Knights in 1963-64, and as playing coach for the Kansas City Blues in 1976-77, won the Tommy Ivan Award as the CHL's Most Valuable Player. He was also a member of the Edmonton Flyers in the Western Hockey League in 1962-63, the Flyers' last season.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Gli Spari Sopra--Vasco Rossi (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy (5th week at #1)

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

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

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (11th week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (10th week at #1)
2 If I Ever Fall in Love--Shai
3 In the Still of the Nite--Boyz II Men
4 Saving Forever for You--Shanice
5 Rump Shaker--Wreckx-N-Effect
6 Deeper and Deeper--Madonna
7 7--Prince and the New Power Generation
8 Good Enough--Bobby Brown
9 When She Cries--Restless Heart
10 Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap!

Singles entering the chart included Stand by Poison (#60) and Angel by Jon Secada (#84).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (8th week at #1)
2 Faithful--Go West
3 Love Can Move Mountains--Celine Dion
4 Deeper and Deeper--Madonna
5 Steam--Peter Gabriel
6 Harvest Moon--Neil Young
7 When She Cries--Restless Heart
8 No Mistakes--Patty Smyth
9 Paper Doll--Fleetwood Mac
10 Little Bird--Annie Lennox

Singles entering the chart included Gypsy Wind by Ray Lyell (#50); Hope of Deliverance by Paul McCartney (#59); Sweet Thing by Mick Jagger (#77); and Cat's in the Cradle by Ugly Kid Joe (#94).

Died on this date
Arthur Ashe, 49. U.S. tennis player. Mr. Ashe became the first Negro male to win a major tournament, winning the men's singles events at the U.S. Open (1968), Australian Open (1970), and Wimbledon (1975). He died of pneumonia related to AIDS, which he had contracted from a blood transfusion. Mr. Ashe was one of the last players left from the days when tennis players were regarded as sportsmen.

Hockey
NHL
All-Star Game @ Montreal Forum, Montreal
Prince of Wales Conference 16 Clarence S. Campbell Conference 6

This pathetic Saturday afternoon exhibition before 17,137 fans was an excellent example of how bad hockey could be when body contact was completely removed from the sport.

10 years ago
2003

Football
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame announced the election of builder Ed Henick and players Ron Estay, George McGowan, Dave Ridgway, and Chris Walby.