June 25, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Gail McGonigal!

1,760 years ago
253

Died on this date
Cornelius. Bishop of Rome, 251-253. Cornelius was exiled to Centumcellae, Italy in 252 as a result of anti-Christian persecution under Roman Emperor Trebonianus Gallus. Cornelius was reported to have died either as a result of the hardships of banishment, or from beheading.

225 years ago
1788

Americana
Virginia entered the Union as the 10th state.

160 years ago
1853

Exploration
John Rae left York Factory in what is now Manitoba to survey the west coast of Boothia Peninsula between Castor and Pollux River and Bellot Strait.

125 years ago
1888

Politics and government
The U.S. Republican National Convention concluded at the Auditorium Building in Chicago. U.S. Senator Benjamin Harrison (Indiana) was elected on the eighth ballot as the party's 1888 U.S. presidential candidate. Former U.S. Representative and Minister to France Levi P. Morton was elected on the first ballot as the vice presidential nominee.

90 years ago
1923

Politics and government
George Howard Ferguson led the Conservatives to power in the Ontario provincial election.

75 years ago
1938

Politics and government
Dr. Douglas Hyde was inaugurated as the first President of Ireland.

70 years ago
1943

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: Wisteria Lodge

Died on this date
Arthur Goldstein, 56. German politician. Mr. Goldstein was a Social Democrat and then a Communist. He fled to Paris after the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, but was deported to the Auschwitz death camp on June 23, 1943, and was murdered in the gas chamber with 517 other Jews.

War
More than 100 U.S. Flying Fortresses, the largest formation of heavy bombers ever sent over a single target from North Africa, attacked Messina in eastern Sicily. Buenos Aires police closed volunteer organizations aiding the Allies.

Diplomacy
King George VI returned by plane to England, concluding a 14-day, 5,800-mile trip to Algiers, Oran, Tunis, Cap Bon, Tripoli, and Malta.

Defense
The French Committee of National Liberation established an eight-man commission to unify the Giraud-de Gaulle forces, and invalidated the acts of Vichy French courts against patriots.

Protest
Michigan Governor Harry Kelly said that his committee's investigation into the Detroit race riot indicated that there was no plot and that no grand jury investigation was necessary.

Religion
The Central Conference of American Rabbis, meeting in New York, adopted resolutions declaring that there was no essential incompatibility between Reform Judaism and Zionism, and urging an end to the fight over Zionism.

Labour
The United States Congress quickly overrode President Franklin D. Roosevelt's veto of the Connally-Smith anti-strike bill. Mr. Roosevelt said that he would not recognize the United Mine Workers of America policy committee's October 31, 1943 deadline for a wage agreement.

60 years ago
1953

Crime
A British jury sentenced John Reginald Christie to death for murdering his wife and then hiding her body under the floorboards of their Notting Hill home in London.

50 years ago
1963

Health
The Alberta government of Premier Ernest Manning began a voluntary medical care program.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France: La maladie d'amour--Michel Sardou (4th week at #1)

Canadiana
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip began a 10-day visit to Canada.

Diplomacy
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev concluded his nine-day visit to the United States. A joint communique issued with U.S. President Richard Nixon called their talks a "further milestone," but also indicated that areas of difference, such as the Middle East, still remained, while disclosing that East-West talks on armed forces reductions in central Europe would begin on October 30.

Scandal
Former presidential counsel John Dean read a six-hour statement to the United States Senate Select Committee on Presidential Activities which included allegations that President Richard Nixon had participated for the last eight months in the cover-up surrounding the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in France: L'Italiano--Toto Cutugno (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Stars on 45 Proudly Presents The Star Sisters--The Star Sisters

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Every Breath You Take--The Police (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Every Breath You Take--The Police (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (5th week at #1)
2 Let's Dance--David Bowie
3 Time (Clock of the Heart)--Culture Club
4 Electric Avenue--Eddy Grant
5 Beat It--Michael Jackson
6 Every Breath You Take--The Police
7 Always Something There to Remind Me--Naked Eyes
8 She Blinded Me with Science--Thomas Dolby
9 She's a Beauty--The Tubes
10 Affair of the Heart--Rick Springfield

Singles entering the chart were Rock 'N' Roll is King by Electric Light Orchestra (#64); Pieces of Ice by Diana Ross (#79); The Border by America (#80); Puttin' on the Ritz by Taco (#83); War Games by Crosby, Stills & Nash (#85); The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats (#86); It's Inevitable by Charlie (#87); Shy Boy by Bananarama (#89); Fade Away by Loz Netto (#90); and Johnny B. Goode by Peter Tosh (#96).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Electric Avenue--Eddy Grant
2 Every Breath You Take--The Police
3 Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara
4 Puttin' on the Ritz--Taco
5 Let's Dance--David Bowie
6 Time (Clock of the Heart)--Culture Club
7 Beat It--Michael Jackson
8 White Wedding--Billy Idol
9 Sign of the Times--Mens Room
10 Overkill--Men at Work

Singles entering the chart were Baby Jane by Rod Stewart (#39); We Two by Little River Band (#41); Girls Night Out by Toronto (#45); It's a Mistake by Men at Work (#46); and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics (#49).

Died on this date
Alberto Ginastera, 67. Argentine composer. Mr. Ginastera was one of South America's most important composers. He wrote pieces for piano and organ, film scores, three operas, and two ballets.

Protest
As U.S. Vice-President George Bush visited West Germany, his motorcade was pelted with rocks thrown by protesters opposing the deployment of U.S. missiles in Europe. Up to 20,000 people demonstrated peacefully outside his hotel.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Gimme Five--Jovanotti (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Theme From S'Express--S'Express

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You--Glenn Medeiros (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): N'importe quoi--Florent Pagny (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Boys in Green--Republic of Ireland Soccer Squad (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): I Owe You Nothing--Bros

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Foolish Beat--Debbie Gibson

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Foolish Beat--Debbie Gibson
2 Together Forever--Rick Astley
3 Dirty Diana--Michael Jackson
4 Make it Real--The Jets
5 One More Try--George Michael
6 The Valley Road--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
7 The Flame--Cheap Trick
8 Circle in the Sand--Belinda Carlisle
9 Alphabet St.--Prince
10 Mercedes Boy--Pebbles

Singles entering the chart were I Hate Myself for Loving You by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (#81); Boom! There She Was by Scritti Politti featuring Roger (#82); Here with Me by REO Speedwagon (#84); Joy by Teddy Pendergrass (#86); Knocked Out by Paula Abdul (#87); Please Don't Go Girl by New Kids on the Block (#88); and Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns 'N' Roses (#89). If I'm not mistaken, the last three new entries marked the first chart entries for all three artists.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Together Forever--Rick Astley
2 Beds are Burning--Midnight Oil
3 One More Try--George Michael
4 Pink Cadillac--Natalie Cole
5 The Valley Road--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
6 Everything Your Heart Desires--Daryl Hall John Oates
7 Circle in the Sand--Belinda Carlisle
8 Dirty Diana--Michael Jackson
9 Foolish Beat--Debbie Gibson
10 Breakaway--Big Pig

Singles entering the chart were Sign Your Name by Terence Trent D'Arby (#72); Fast Car by Tracy Chapman (#77); Something to Live For by Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts (#81); Time and Place by Andrew Cash (#87); Hands to Heaven by Breathe (#89); Go Ahead 'N' Love Me by the Jitters (#93); and Love Changes (Everything) by Climie Fisher (#96).

Died on this date
Jimmy Soul, 45. U.S. singer. Mr. Soul, born James McCleese, was known for his single If You Wanna Be Happy, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the last two weeks of May 1963. He died of a heart attack.

War
Iraq recaptured its Majnoon oil fields north of Basra from Iran.

Canadian Armand Roy was named by the United Nations to head a multinational peacekeeping force in Western Sahara ; 700 Canadian infantry were to monitor a cease-fire in Morocco.

20 years ago
1993

On television tonight
After 11 years, Late Night with David Letterman broadcast its last program on NBC, as Mr. Letterman was preparing to begin a similar show on CBS. Larry "Bud" Melman was among the guests.

Politics and government
Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn administered the oaths as Kim Campbell was sworn in as Canada's 19th Prime Minister, with a 24-member cabinet. Canada's first female Prime Minister named Jean Charest, her chief rival in the recent contest for the leadership of the federal Progressive Conservative Party, as Deputy Prime Minister.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that employees alleging discrimination on the part of employers must prove that discrimination was the real reason for the employer's action.

Philip Murray was appointed Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; he served until September 1, 2000.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Ottawa (1-1) 15 @ Hamilton (1-0) 19
Winnipeg (1-1) 40 @ Saskatchewan (0-2) 17
Calgary (2-0) 22 @ Edmonton (0-1) 8

The Eskimos' loss to the Stampeders at Commonwealth Stadium was the only appearance for John Cutler in an Edmonton uniform. Like his father Dave, whose Hall of Fame career as an Eskimo lasted from 1969-1984, John was a kicker who wore #26 and used a straight-on kicking style. Edmonton defensive back David Shelton, who had missed the entire 1992 season after breaking a leg in the second pre-season game, broke the same leg again, ending his career.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Lester Maddox, 87. U.S. politician. Mr. Maddox, a Democrat, was Governor of Georgia from 1967-1971 and Lieutenant-Governor of Georgia from 1971-1975. Elected as a promoter of racial segregation, he instituted some integrationist measures while in office.

World events
U.S. officials allowed thousands of refugees from the civil war in Liberia to enter the U.S. diplomatic compound in Monrovia, but shells from attacking rebel forces exploded in the compound, causing injuries.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board lowered the overnight loan rate between banks to 1.0%, its lowest rate since 1958.