February 18, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Paul Jelley and Ezra Levant!

720 years ago
1294

Died on this date
Kublai Khan, 78. Mongol Emperor, 1260-1294. Kublai Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, succeeded his brother Möngke on the throne, and established the Yuan dynasty in 1271. He was succeeded by his grandson Temür Khan, Emperor Chengzong.

450 years ago
1564

Died on this date
Michelangelo Buonarotti, 88. Italian artist. Another of those people known primarily by his first name, Michelangelo was famous for his sculptures Pieta and David, and his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

200 years ago
1814

Born on this date
Samuel Fenton Cary. U.S. politician. Mr. Cary was a Republican, a Democrat, and a member of the Greenback Party at various times, but was consistent in his support for prohibition of alcohol. He represented Ohio's 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1867-1869), and was the Greenback Party candidate for Vice President of the United States in 1876. Mr. Cary died on September 29, 1900 at the age of 86.

War
French forces commanded by Emperor Napoleon I defeated Austrian and Wurttemberger forces led by King Frederick I of Wurtemmberg in the Battle of Montereau at Montereau-Fault-Yonne, France.

Politics and government
Upper Canada MP Joseph Wilcocks, who had led American raids into Canada during the War of 1812, was expelled posthumously from the Assembly at York for being a traitor.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
George Mogridge. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Mogridge played with the Chicago White Sox (1911-1912); New York Yankees (1915-1920); Washington Nationals (1921-1925); St. Louis Browns (1925); and Boston Braves (1926-1927), compiling a record of 133-130 with an earned run average of 3.20 and 20 saves in 398 games. On April 24, 1917, he pitched the first no-hitter in Yankees' history, and the first at Fenway Park in Boston. Mr. Mogridge led the American League in 1918 in games pitched (45); relief losses (7); and saves (7). He was 16-11 with the Nationals when they won the 1924 World Series, starting and winning the fourth game and pitching 4 2/3 innings of relief in the seventh game. Mr. Mogridge died on March 4, 1962, two weeks after his 73rd birthday.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Pee Wee King. U.S. musician. Mr. King, born Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski, was a country singer and songwriter known for co-writing and performing Tennessee Waltz. His other hit singles included Slow Poke and You Belong to Me. He died on March 7, 2000, 17 days after his 86th birthday.

Baseball
The New York Giants and Chicago White Sox continued their post-season exhibition tour, but their game scheduled to be played in Paris was rained out.

75 years ago
1939

Americana
The Golden Gate International Exposition, the first of two World's Fairs to be held in the United States in 1939-1940, opened at Treasure Island in San Francisco.

70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Charles Bedaux, 57. French-born U.S. management consultant and explorer. Mr. Bedaux moved to the United States in 1906, and became an American citizen. He was a pioneer in the field of work measurement, and became a millionaire by persuading industrial firms to use his Bedaux System of Human Power Measurement, to the displeasure of labour unions. Mr. Bedaux financed the Bedaux Canadian Sub-Arctic Expedition in 1934, which departed Edmonton, heading westward through northern British Columbia. The expedition was intended to test the new Citroën half-track cars, but failed to reach its destination. Mr. Bedaux hosted the 1937 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and was on friendly terms with the Nazis and the Vichy French regime during World War II. On January 13, 1943, Mr. Bedaux and his son were arrested by American authorities in Algeria, where he was reportedly supervising the construction of a German pipeline. Mr. Bedaux was kept in custody for a year without charge, but was sent to the United States in early 1944, where, as an American citizen, he was charged with treason and trading with the enemy. Mr. Bedaux committed suicide with an overdose of barbiturates while in Federal Bureau of Investigation custody in Miami.

War
Soviet units captured Staraya Russa, 10 miles south of Lake Ilmen and the easternmost point held by the Germans in northern Russia.

Crime
One person was killed and several injured in an attack upon a truck delivering the pro-Axis newspaper Federal in Buenos Aires.

Medicine
Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Gyorgi discovered a hitherto unknown element in the blood that causes hemophilia.

Economics and finance
U.S. adviser Bernard Baruch presented his report on postwar reconversion, emphasizing the coordination of existing agencies through the Office of War Mobilization. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed the bill extending the life of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and his veto was sustained by the House of Representatives. Rep. Brent Spence (Democrat--Kentucky) introduced a bill extending the life of the CCC to June 1945, without the rider ending food subsidies.

60 years ago
1954

Abominations
The first Church of Scientology was established in Los Angeles.

Scandal
U.S. Secretary of the Army Robert Stevens ordered two generals to ignore a summons from U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin) to appear on the first day of Senate hearings into Communist infiltration of the U.S. Army.

50 years ago
1964

On television tonight
The Fugitive, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Rat in a Corner, with guest stars Warren Oates, Virginia Vincent, and Malachi Throne

Died on this date
Joseph-Armand Bombardier, 56. Canadian inventor and businessman. Mr. Bombardier invented the snowmobile in 1937 and founded the company bearing his name.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Farewell Aunty Jack--Grahame Bond

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): 48 Crash--Suzi Quatro (2nd week at #1)

Crime
Two weeks after his daughter Patty had been kidnapped from her Berkeley, California apartment by the Symbionese Liberation Army, California newspaper magnate Randolph Hearst announced that he was prepared to put up $2 million---$500,000 of his own money and the rest from the Hearst Foundation--for free food for the poor in order to open up negotiations for her return.

Football
WFL
World Football League Commissioner Gary Davidson announced that the league's Memphis franchise was moving to Houston, and the Boston franchise was moving to New York.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La Donna Cannone--Francesco De Gregori (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Love of the Common People--Paul Young (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Love of the Common People--Paul Young (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper

#1 single in the U.K.: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (3rd week at #1)
2 Jump--Van Halen
3 Joanna--Kool & The Gang
4 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes
5 Break My Stride--Matthew Wilder
6 Think of Laura--Christopher Cross
7 Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
8 Talking in Your Sleep--The Romantics
9 Nobody Told Me--John Lennon
10 99 Luftballons--Nena

Singles entering the chart were Adult Education by Daryl Hall-John Oates (#47); Radio Ga-Ga by Queen (#65); Girls by Dwight Twilley (#74); The Kid's American by Matthew Wilder (#82); This Could Be the Right One by April Wine (#87); and Beast of Burden by Bette Midler (#89).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Red Red Wine--UB40
2 Talking in Your Sleep--The Romantics
3 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
4 Nobody Told Me--John Lennon
5 Break My Stride--Matthew Wilder
6 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes
7 Jump--Van Halen
8 Major Tom (Coming Home)--Peter Schilling
9 Say Say Say--Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
10 I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues--Elton John

Singles entering the chart were Radio Ga-Ga by Queen (#38); Hyperactive by Thomas Dolby (#41); Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell (#47); Let's Stay Together by Tina Turner (#48); and This Woman by Kenny Rogers (#50).

Protest
The Jordanian embassy in Tripoli, Libya was burned by protesters, for which Jordan blamed the Libyan government.

Diplomacy
The New York Times reported that for nine months in 1981 and 1982, the U.S. administration of President Ronald Reagan had conducted indirect talks with Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat. John Mroz, an American specialist on the Middle East, had reportedly met with Mr. Arafat more than 50 times to discuss PLO recognition of Israel's right to exist in exchange for U.S. recognition of the PLO. The talks were inconclusive.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): 051/222525--Fabio Concato (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): You Got It--Roy Orbison

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Tonight--Tina Turner and David Bowie (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Pour toi Arménie--Charles Aznavour and various artists (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Straight Up--Paula Abdul (2nd week at #1)
2 Wild Thing--Tone Loc
3 Born to Be My Baby--Bon Jovi
4 Lost in Your Eyes--Debbie Gibson
5 The Lover in Me--Sheena Easton
6 When I'm with You--Sheriff
7 She Wants to Dance with Me--Rick Astley
8 What I Am--Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
9 Walking Away--Information Society
10 You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block

Singles entering the chart were Your Mama Don't Dance by Poison (#56); One by Metallica (#76); Room to Move by Animotion (#88); Never Had a Lot to Lose by Cheap Trick (#92); Hallelujah Man by Love and Money (#93); Heaven Knows by When in Rome (#95); and I Wanna Be the One by Stevie B (#96).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Straight Up--Paula Abdul (2nd week at #1)
2 Born to Be My Baby--Bon Jovi
3 Wild Thing--Tone Loc
4 When I'm with You--Sheriff
5 When the Children Cry--White Lion
6 The Lover in Me--Sheena Easton
7 Lost in Your Eyes--Debbie Gibson
8 She Wants to Dance with Me--Rick Astley
9 What I Am--Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
10 You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block

Singles entering the chart were Never Had a Lot to Lose by Cheap Trick (#76); 24/7 by Dino (#79); It's Only Love by Simply Red (#81); Can You Stand the Rain by New Edition (#83); Birthday Suit by Johnny Kemp (#86); A Shoulder to Cry On by Tommy Page (#89); Driven Out by the Fixx (#91); and Imagine by Tracie Spencer (#93). Birthday Suit was from the movie Sing (1989).

Hockey
NHL
New Jersey 3 @ Toronto 5
Boston 4 @ Calgary 3

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Without You--Mariah Carey

Olympics
Myriam Bédard of Canada won the gold medal in the 15-kilometre individual biathlon at the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway; it was Canada's first Olympic medal in Nordic competitions, and the first Olympic biathlon gold won by a non-European. Dan Jansen of the United States won the gold medal in the men's 1,000-metre speed skating event. Four-time world men's figure skating champion Kurt Browning of Canada failed in his third and final attempt to win an Olympic medal, finishing 12th in the free skate and 5th overall in the men's competition.

10 years ago
2004

Politics and government
Vermont Governor Howard Dean withdrew from the contest for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States in the November 2004 election.

Disasters
Up to 295 people, including nearly 200 rescue workers, died near Neyshabur, Iran when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer caught fire and exploded.