February 14, 2014

1,000 years ago
1014

Europeana
Pope Benedict VIII crowned Henry of Bavaria, King of Germany and of Italy, as Holy Roman Emperor.

170 years ago
1844

Born on this date
Valentin Landry. Canadian journalist and schoolteacher. Mr. Landry, a native of Pokemouche, New Brunswick, was founding editor of the newspapers Le Courrier des Provinces Maritimes and L'Evangeline, and a leader in the “Acadian Renaissance.” He died on May 17, 1919 at the age of 75.

125 years ago
1889

Technology
In Saint John, New Brunswick, James T. Lipsett patented the rotary ventilator, which uses wind power to increase the updraft in chimneys or roof vents. This type of ventilator remains popular today for use in residential air exchange systems.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Jack Benny. U.S. comedian. Mr. Benny, born Benjamin Kubelsky, was one of the most popular comedians of the 20th century, first in vaudeville, and especially on radio (1932-1955), and later, television (1950-1965). He starred in several movies, the best of which was probably To Be or Not to Be (1942). Mr. Benny was famous for playing himself as a cheapskate who played the violin badly, and was always claiming his age as 39. He died at the age of 80 on December 26, 1974 after a brief bout with cancer.

90 years ago
1924

Business
The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).

70 years ago
1944

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

War
Field Marshal Karl von Rundstedt, commander of German defense forces in Europe, said there would be no evasive or withdrawal action in the face of an Allied coastal invasion. A British submarine sank a German-controlled Italian submarine in the Strait of Malac. Soviet forces took the main German stronghold in the Cherkassy pocket in the middle Dnieper area. An anti-Japanese revolt took place in Java. The Japanese position in the Arakan sector of western Burma deteriorated in the face of heavy Allied pressure. U.S. and N.Z. troops, with naval and air support, met little enemy resistance in occupying the Green Islands at the northern end of the Solomons.

Politics and government
1940 Republican Party U.S. presidential candidate Wendell Willkie formally announced that he would seek the 1944 Republican presidential nomination.

Theatre
The American Academy of Arts and Letters announced the award of its medal for stage diction to Paul Robeson.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to approve U.S. participation in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, and established a $1.3-billion appropriation for it.

Labour
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill appropriating $36.5 million to the War Food Administration for its farm labour recruiting programs.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Needles and Pins--The Searchers

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles (4th week at #1)
2 She Loves You--The Beatles
3 Roll Over Beethoven--The Beatles
4 Don't Talk to Him--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
5 Navy Blue--Diane Renay
6 Puppy Love--Barbara Lewis
7 I Only Want to Be with You--Dusty Springfield
8 Who Needs It--Gene Pitney
9 You Don't Own Me--Lesley Gore
10 Little Girl Blue--Bobby Curtola

Pick hit of the week: After the Dance--Dion Di Muci
New this week: Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream--The Kingston Trio
Stardust--Nino Tempo & April Stevens
Kissin' Cousins--Elvis Presley
Hey, Bobba Needle--Chubby Checker
He Really Loves Me--Debbie Rollins
Burning Memories--Ray Price

Kissin' Cousins was the title song of the movie.

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: From Agnes--With Love, starring Wally Cox, Sue Randall, and Raymond Bailey

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Jar, starring Pat Buttram, Collin Wilcox, William Marshall, Jane Darwell, James Best, George Lindsey, Slim Pickens, Jocelyn Brando, and Billy Barty

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Teenage Rampage--Sweet

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Liliya!

World events
The day after stripping author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn of his citizenship and deporting him to West Germany, the U.S.S.R. charged him with treason.

Scandal
In a letter to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, Leon Jaworski, the special prosecutor investigating the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. and the subsequent cover-up, stated that President Richard Nixon had refused to turn over a large number of additional tapes of White House conversations and documents needed for the investigations. Mr. Jaworski said that he could return indictments without the materials, but that they were important for a complete and thorough investigation.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): My Oh My--Slade (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
Celebrity: Part III

Diplomacy
At the funeral for Yuri Andropov in Moscow, Konstantin Chernenko, who had replaced Mr. Andropov as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, met with foreign dignitaries, including U.S. Vice President George Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Mr. Bush later said that the mood and spirit of the meeting were good and that he had delivered a letter from U.S. President Ronald Reagan conveying his interest in productive talks with the new Soviet leadership.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan concluded two days of talks in Washington with King Hussein of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Mr. Reagan reaffirmed his commitment to his 1982 peace initiative proposing Palestinian self-government in the occupied West Bank and Gaza "in association with Jordan." After the three men met, Mr. Mubarak contraindicated U.S. policy; he called for talks with the Palestine Liberation Organization, saying there was no substitute for "a direct dialogue" with the Palestinian people through "their chosen representatives."

Olympics
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean of the United Kingdom received unanimously perfect scores for quality--an unprecedented achievement--and were awarded the gold medal in the ice dancing competition at the Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

25 years ago
1989

Died on this date
James Bond, 89. U.S. ornithologist. Mr. Bond was curator of ornithology at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. He was expert on Caribbean birds, and wrote the book Birds of the West Indies (1936). British writer Ian Fleming was a birdwatcher, and came across Mr. Bond's book while working in Jamaica. He obtained Mr. Bond's approval to use his name for the main character of Mr. Fleming's spy novels. Mr. Bond won several awards in ornithology.

Vincent Crane, 45. U.K. musician. Mr. Crane was a pianist and organist with the rock acts The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (1967-1969) and Atomic Rooster (1969-1983). He suffered from bipolar disorder from 1968 on, and committed suicide with a deliberate overdose of Anadin tablets.

World events
Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa--a legal judgment--encouraging Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of the novel The Satanic Verses (1988), accused of being disrespectful to the prophet Muhammad.

Diplomacy
Presidents of five Central American countries signed an agreement in El Salvador that would disarm and repatriate Contra rebels based in Honduras who were opposing Nicaragua's Sandanista regime. The Contras could be relocated in other countries, along with their families. Nicaragua agreed to hold an election by February 1990 and to allow outside observers to monitor it. Nicaragua also agreed to free Contra prisoners as well as former members of the National Guard under the late and deposed dictator Anastasio Somoza. U.S. President George Bush, whose administration had been taken by surprise by the announcement of the accord, said that the U.S. should be wary of any promises made by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

Disasters
The Supreme Court of India ordered Union Carbide Corporation to pay $470 million to victims of the 1984 leak of methyl isocyanate gas in Bhopal, India that had killed 3,329 people and had caused lasting effects to 20,000 more. The court issued the order after the company and the government agreed to a proposal by the chief justice. Union Carbide was to pay the amount in a lump sum by March 31, 1989. All other civil and criminal charges relating to the incident would be dropped. The court did not consider the question of liability for the disaster.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (5th week at #1)
2 The Power of Love--Celine Dion
3 Found Out About You--Gin Blossoms
4 Linger--The Cranberries
5 Amazing--Aerosmith
6 Distant Sun--Crowded House
7 Streets of Philadelphia--Bruce Springsteen
8 Everyday--Phil Collins
9 Will You Be There (In the Morning)--Heart
10 Mr. Jones--Counting Crows

Singles entering the chart were 5 Free Minutes by Spirit of the West (#75); I Could Care Less by the Waltons (#79); Tracks of My Tears by Go West (#85); Loser by Beck (#86); All Apologies by Nirvana (#87); We All Need by Rushworld (#88); Miles Away by Jackson Browne (#89); and Ain't Seen Love Like That by Mr. Big (#91).

Died on this date
Christopher Lasch, 61. U.S. historian. Professor Lasch was best known for his books The Culture of Narcissism (1979) and The Revolt of the Elites: And the Betrayal of Democracy (1994).

Andrei Chikatilo. Russian serial murderer. Mr. Chikatilo admitted to murdering 55 girls, boys, and women. Many of his victims were mutilated or cannibalized. Mr. Chikatilo eluded capture for many years before his arrest in 1990. He was executed by firing squad in a prison in the Rostov-on-Don region of Russia.

Rodney Orr, 31. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. Orr was a stock car driver who was Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series in 1992 and won the championship in 1993. He moved up to the main NASCAR circuit in 1994, but before ever driving in a race, was killed in a crash in a practice for the Daytona 500, just three days after veteran driver Neil Bonnett had also been killed in a practice.

Economics and finance
The White House Council of Economic Advisers warned that the growing income gap between rich and poor Americans was "a threat to the social fabric that has long bound Americans together." The Council forecast continued steady economic growth, low interest rates, and low rates of inflation through the 1990s.

10 years ago
2004

Disasters
In a suburb of Moscow, the roof of the Transvaal water park collapsed, killing more than 25 people and injuring more than 100 others.