March 13, 2013

875 years ago
1138

Religion
Roman Catholic Cardinal Cardinal Gregorio Conti was elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
William Casey. U.S. spymaster. Mr. Casey directed the Central Intelligence Agency from 1981 until his death on May 6, 1987 at the age of 74.

Edmontonia
The first branch of the Edmonton Public Library opened.

80 years ago
1933

Economics and finance
Banks in the United States began to reopen after U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had declared a "bank holiday."

75 years ago
1938

On the radio
In Europe, Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer put together a multi-site live broadcast about the Anschluss. The Columbia Broadcasting System special, hosted by Bob Trout in New York, included Mr. Shirer in London (with Labour MP Ellen Wilkinson); reporter Edgar Ansel Mowrer of the Chicago Daily News in Paris; reporter Pierre J. Huss of the International News Service in Berlin; and Senator Lewis B. Schwellenbach in Washington, D.C. Another reporter, Frank Gervasi in Rome, was unable to find a transmitter to broadcast reaction from the Italian capital, but phoned his script to Mr. Shirer in London, who read it on the broadcast. The broadcast became the basis for World News Roundup, which still runs each weekday morning and evening on the CBS radio.

Died on this date
Clarence Darrow, 80. Mr. Darrow was one of the most famous lawyers in American history. He was best known for his defense of teenage murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who had killed 14-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924, and John Thomas Scopes, a Tennessee schoolteacher who was charged in 1925 with violating the state's prohibition on the teaching of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

World events
The Anschluss of Austria with Germany immediately came into effect by legislative act (subject to ratification by referendum), the day after the German 8th Army had marched into Austria unopposed. Under the legislation, Austria became the German province of Ostmark, and Arthur Seyss-Inquart (a pro-Nazi Austrian lawyer who had been appointed Interior Minister under pressure from German Chancellor Adolf Hitler) was appointed Governor.

70 years ago
1943

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I've Heard That Song Before--Harry James and his Music Makers with Helen Forrest (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
The Moon is Down, directed by Irving Pichel, and starring Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Henry Travers, Lee J. Cobb, Doris Bowdon, and Margaret Wycherly, received its premiere screening in Toronto.



Died on this date
Stephen Vincent Benét, 44. U.S. author and poet. Mr. Benét won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for John Brown's Body (1928). He was also known for the short stories The Devil and Daniel Webster (1936) and By the Waters of Babylon (1937). He died of a heart attack.

Abominations
Nazis began liquidating the Jewish ghetto in Krakow, Poland. They sent about 8,000 deemed able to work to the Plaszow labour camp, with most of the rest either killed or sent to the death camp at Auschwitz.

60 years ago
1953

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): She Wears Red Feathers--Guy Mitchell

50 years ago
1963

Boxing
Cassius Clay (18-0) won a unanimous 10-round decision over Doug Jones (21-4-1) at Madison Square Garden in New York. Mr. Clay had predicted a victory by knockout within 6 rounds, but Mr. Jones boxed cleverly. The decision was very unpopular with the crowd, who had cheered Mr. Jones throughout the fight and booed loudly and threw objects into the ring when the decision in favour of Mr. Clay was announced.



40 years ago
1973

World events
Police in Bermuda ordered all inhabitants of the island to surrender their handguns and announced that six suspects had been detained in the March 10 assassination of Governor Sir Richard Sharples and his aide-de-camp, Captain Hugh Sayers. Several suspects, thoug unidentified, were said to be members of the Black Beret Cadre, an organization similar to the Black Panthers in the U.S.A.

Diplomacy
The People's Republic of China responded to the personal request of U.S. President Richard Nixon and released John T. Downey, a Central Intelligence Agency representative who had been imprisoned since 1952. His sentence was commuted when Mr. Nixon sent word that Mr. Downey's mother was critically ill in New Britain, Connecticut. Mr. Downey, whom the Chinese had once called the "arch American" criminal, said that his 20 years in prison "were to a large extent wasted" and had not benefited anybody.

Politics and government
Argentine President-elect Hector Campora demanded that former President Juan Peron, who had been exiled to Spain in 1955, be present at the inauguration ceremonies on May 25.

30 years ago
1983

World events
Joshua Nkomo, leader of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), Zimbabwe's official opposition party, flew to London claiming that his life was in danger, as Zimbabwe appeared to be on the brink of civil war.

Diplomacy
Israeli Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir began two days of talks with U.S. officials in Washington.

Curling
Ontario, skipped by Ed Werenich, defeated Ed Lukowich's Alberta rink 6-3 in the final of the Brier at Sudbury, Ontario. The two skips wore live microphones during the game for the CBC telecast, a Brier first. As Mr. Werenich prepared for his final shot, he said to his front end of Neil Harrison and John Kowaja, ‘I’m just going to throw this, and you guys sweep the piss out of it!’ I liked curling a lot better before they put the mikes on the players.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle (3rd week at #1)

Academia
Gallaudet University, a school for deaf students in Washington, D.C., appointed Irving King Jordan, Jr., dean of arts and sciences, as the university's first deaf president. Non-deaf Elizabeth Ann Zinser had been chosen for the position by the trustees on March 6, sparking student protests (presumably mostly silent protests) that almost shut down the university. Ms. Zinser's appointment was opposed by many faculty and staff members, and she resigned on March 11, noting how deeply feelings ran on the issue.

Japanica
The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opened between Aomori and Hakodate.

Curling
Alberta, skipped by Pat Ryan, defeated Saskatchewan 8-7 in the final to win the Brier at Chicoutimi, Quebec. Including playoffs, Mr. Ryan's rink finished with a perfect record of 12 wins and no losses.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): You Don't Treat Me No Good--Sonia Dada (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: La Solitudine--Laura Pausini

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): No Limit--2 Unlimited (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): No Limit--2 Unlimited

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

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): No Limit--2 Unlimited (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): No Limit--2 Unlimited (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Informer--Snow

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Ordinary World--Duran Duran
2 A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)--Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
3 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston
4 Nothin' But a "G" Thang--Dr. Dre
5 I'm Every Woman--Whitney Houston
6 Bed of Roses--Bon Jovi
7 Hip Hop Hooray--Naughty By Nature
8 Informer--Snow
9 Mr. Wendal--Arrested Development
10 Don't Walk Away--Jade

Singles entering the chart were I Feel You by Depeche Mode (#49); Simple Life by Elton John (#71); Nothin' My Love Can't Fix by Joey Lawrence (#73); Love U More by Sunscreem (#78); and It was a Good Day by Ice Cube (#84).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Ordinary World--Duran Duran (2nd week at #1)
2 I'm Every Woman--Whitney Houston
3 Bed of Roses--Bon Jovi
4 No Mistakes--Patty Smyth
5 Man on the Moon--R.E.M.
6 Hope of Deliverance--Paul McCartney
7 Little Bird--Annie Lennox
8 If I Ever Lose My Faith in You--Sting
9 Harvest Moon--Neil Young
10 Steam--Peter Gabriel

Singles entering the chart included Prairie Town by Bachman (#57); What You Won't Do for Love by Go West (#78); Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz (#85); Brian Wilson by Barenaked Ladies (#87); Connected by Sasso MC's (#94); Will You Remember Me by Jann Arden (#95); Don't Walk Away by Jade (#96); So Close by Dina Carroll (#97); Brother Louie by Quireboys (#98); and Real World by Alanis (#99).

Music
This blogger attended a performance of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. The concert, which was most enjoyable, was part of their Pops' series, and Toni Tennille was the guest performer, performing mainly standards rather than the hits she had enjoyed as half of the duo The Captain and Tennille in the 1970s.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Ian Samwell, 66. U.K. musician, songwriter, and producer. Mr. Samwell was the original rhythm guitarist with the Drifters, Cliff Richard's accompanying group, who soon changed their name to the Shadows. Mr. Samwell was replaced in 1959, but continued as a songwriter for Mr. Richard and other British artists. He became a staff producer with Warner Brothers Records in London, and achieved success in the early 1970s, discovering the group America and producing their early records. Mr. Samwell spent his last years in Sacramento, California, where he died several years after undergoing a heart transplant.

Abominations
The United States Senate voted 64-33 to outlaw partial-birth abortions, a procedure in which the baby is killed when emerging from the birth canal. Abortion rights advocates promised to challenge the constitutionality of the law if it was signed by President George W. Bush.

World events
Police in Serbia announced that 40 arrests had been made in connection with the previous day's assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.

War
Israeli forces began two days of raids on Islamic Jihad militants and other targets on the West Bank.