March 17, 2013

220 years ago
1793

Died on this date
Leopold Hofmann, 54. Austrian composer. Mr. Hofmann wrote 66 symphonies and dozens of concertos.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Paul Ramadier. Prime Minister of France, 1947. Dr. Ramadier was a jurist and a Socialist who served as Mayor of Decazeville (1919-1941, 1944-1959) and also represented Aveyron in the Chamber of Deputies (1928-1942, 1945-1951, 1956-1958), holding several cabinet posts. He served with the French Resistance during World War II. Dr. Ramadier was Prime Minister from January 22-November 24, 1947, and forced Communists out of the government in May, ending the "tripartisme" coalition of Communists, Socialists, and Christian Democrats. Mr. Ramadier died on October 14, 1961 at the age of 73.

120 years ago
1893

Died on this date
Jules Ferry, 60. Prime Minister of France, 1880-1881; 1883-1885. Mr. Ferry was known for his support of non-clerical education and French colonial expansion. He died of complications from a wound received in an assassination attempt more than five years earlier.

90 years ago
1923

Space
An annular solar eclipse occurred, visible in the Southern Hemisphere.

Boxing
Mike McTigue (56-9-2) won a 20-round decision over Battling Siki (52-8-4) at La Scala Theatre in Dublin to win the world light heavyweight title. Battling Siki was a native of Senegal who was based in Paris, while Mr. McTigue was a native of County Clare, Ireland, currently based in New York. Julian L. Simon, in his book Research Methods in Social Science (1969), cited this as a classic example of pushing probability too far--an African fighting an Irishman in Dublin on St. Patrick's Day. What were Mr. Siki's chances of winning the decision?



60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Black Prophet, starring Boris Karloff and Leslie Nielsen

Baseball
The Boston Braves played their last spring training exhibition game under that name. The following day, it was announced that owner Lou Perini was moving the team to Milwaukee.

50 years ago
1963

Disasters
1,184 people were killed when Mount Agung erupted on Bali.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Cum on Feel the Noize--Slade (3rd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 You're So Vain--Carly Simon (2nd week at #1)
2 I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo
3 Crocodile Rock--Elton John
4 I Am Woman--Helen Reddy
5 Nights in White Satin--The Moody Blues
6 Your Mama Don't Dance--The Bootleg Family
7 Dreams are Ten a Penny--Kincade
8 I've Got to Have You--Carly Simon
9 Ben--Michael Jackson
10 Separate Ways--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were Wig Wam Bam by the Sweet (#39) and What Would the Children Think? by Rick Springfield (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack (2nd week at #1)
2 Love Train--O'Jays
3 Last Song--Edward Bear
4 Dueling Banjos--Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
5 Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)--Deodato
6 The Cover of "Rolling Stone"--Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
7 Daddy's Home--Jermaine Jackson
8 I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)--The Moody Blues
9 Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)--Gladys Knight and the Pips
10 Danny's Song--Anne Murray

Singles entering the chart were Hallelujah Day by the Jackson 5 (#69); Cindy Incidentally by the Faces (#82); Mama was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs by Sonny and Cher (#83); Playground in My Mind by Clint Holmes (#84); Down and Out in New York City by James Brown (#86); Who Was It? by Hurricane Smith (#87); Across 110th Street by Bobby Womack and Peace (#91); I Can Understand It by New Birth (#93); Hocus Pocus II by Focus (#94); Mr. Magic Man by Wilson Pickett (#95); River Road by Uncle Dog (#96); Frankenstein by the Edgar Winter Group (#97); Preacher Man by the Impressions (#98); Who Gets Your Love by Dusty Springfield (#99); and Dancing to Your Music by Archie Bell and the Drells (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Danny's Song--Anne Murray
2 Dueling Banjos--Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
3 Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack
4 Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend--Lobo
5 Crocodile Rock--Elton John
6 Do it Again--Steely Dan
7 Oh Babe, What Would You Say--Hurricane Smith
8 The Cover of "Rolling Stone"--Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
9 I Just Want to Make Music--Tobias
10 Dancing in the Moonlight--King Harvest

Singles entering the chart were The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence (#70); Midnight Lady by the Pepper Tree (#89); Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed (#91); Pinball Wizard by the New Seekers (#93); Old Enough to Break My Heart by Flying Circus (#94); Groundhog by Chilliwack (#95); Song of Love by Alabama (#97); Out of the Question by Gilbert O'Sullivan (#98); Cindy Incidentally by the Faces (#99); and The Twelfth of Never by Donny Osmond (#100).

Calgary’s Top 10
1 Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack (3rd week at #1)
2 Dueling Banjos--Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
3 Daddy's Home--Jermaine Jackson
4 Do You Want to Dance--Bette Midler
5 Little Willy--The Sweet
6 Dancing in the Moonlight--King Harvest
7 You Don't Know What Love Is--Susan Jacks
8 Superfly--Curtis Mayfield
9 Big City Miss Ruth Ann--Gallery
10 Oh My Lady--Stampeders
Pick hit of the week: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence

World events
Cambodian Air Force Captain So Patra, common law husband of Prince Norodom Sihanouk's daughter, stole a plane and bombed the barracks of the Presidential Palace, killing 43 people. President Lon Nol responded by declaring a state of emergency and suspending all civil liberties.

Basketball
NBA
The Philadelphia 76ers absorbed their 68th loss of the season, setting a league record. They finished the 1972-73 season with a record of 9-73.

30 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Haldan Keffer Hartline, 79. U.S. physiologist. Dr. Hartline shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 1967 for his work in analyzing the neurophysiological mechanisms of vision.

Defense
In a letter made public, U.S. Marine Commandant Robert Barrow said that Israelis had "harassed, endangered, and degraded" U.S. Marines, who were acting as peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Sleepy Sleepers--Nykäsen Matti (3rd week at #1)

War
Honduran jets bombed a Nicaraguan army position in the border area; Nicaragua claimed that the bombs had fallen in its own territory. Local Nicaraguan commanders said that the offensive along the border had been ended. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Jim Wright said that he knew of no reasons to send U.S. troops to Honduras.

In the Eritrean War of Independence, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front circled an Ethiopian force and gained a decisive victory in the Battle of Afabet.

World events
The government of Panama announced that it had retired five senior military officials sympathetic to the officers who had attempted to seize military headquarters the day before.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the U.S. deficit on merchandise trade had edged upward to $12.4 billion in January.

Disasters
A Colombian Avianca Boeing 727 airliner crashed into a mountainside near the Venezuelan border three minutes after taking off from Cucuta, killing all 143 aboard.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): No Limit--2 Unlimited (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Helen Hayes, 92. U.S. actress. Miss Hayes was known as the "First Lady of the American Theatre." She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) and for Best Supporting Actress for Airport (1970), and won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play for Happy Birthday (1947) and Time Remembered (1958). Miss Hayes also won an Emmy Award for Best Actress in 1953--for no specific role--and also won a Grammy Award, becoming one of 11 people to win all four awards.

Terrorism
Five days after more than 250 people had been killed in a bomb explosion in Bombay, 86 people were killed in an explosion in Calcutta that levelled two apartment buildings in a central residential area.

10 years ago
2003

Diplomacy
When it was apparent that the United Nations Security Council would not approve the draft resolution submitted by the U.S.A., U.K., and Spain declaring that Iraq had missed its last chance to disarm peacefully, the three co-sponsors withdrew the resolution. U.S. President George W. Bush warned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his son to leave Iraq within 48 hours, an ulitmatum that Mr. Hussein rejected. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan ordered all UN personnel, including weapons inspectors, to leave Iraq.

Canada announced that it would not participate in a war against Iraq, while announcing $250 million in aid for Afghanistan. The commitment doubled the amount given to Afghanistan since 1990, and was the largest Canadian aid commitment ever given to a single country.

Politics and government
U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Robin Cook resigned from the cabinet of Prime Minister Tony Blair over disagreement with the government's plans to invade Iraq.