February 2, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sandy Ting and Simon O'Byrne!

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Pitrim Sorokin. Russian-born U.S. sociologist. Professor Sorokin was an anti-Communist and a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party who supported the White Movement during the Russian Revolution. He eventually fled the country and emigrated to the United States in 1923, and founded the Harvard University Department of Sociology. Prof. Sorokin's best-known work was the four-volume Social and Cultural Dynamics (1937-1941), in which he classified societies according to their "cultural mentality," which can be "ideational" (reality is spiritual), "sensate" (reality is material), or "idealistic" (a synthesis of the two). He suggested that major civilizations evolve from an ideational to an idealistic, and eventually to a sensate mentality. Prof. Sorokin died on February 10, 1968, eight days after his 79th birthday.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Eric Kierans. Canadian politician. Mr. Kierans was Minister of Revenue (1963-1965) and Minister of Health (1966-1966) in the Liberal government of Quebec Premier Jean Lesage and then entered federal politics, serving as Canada's Postmaster General (1968-1971) and Minister of Communications (1969-1971) in the Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He died on May 9, 2004 at the age of 90.

Baseball
The New York Giants and Chicago White Sox continued their post-season exhibition tour, with the White Sox winning 6-3 in Cairo. The game ended in dramatic fashion: the Giants had Mickey Doolan on second base and Fred Merkle on first with nobody out in the bottom of the 9th inning, and Larry Doyle, on a full count, hit a line drive down the third base line, with the runners going. Chicago third baseman Buck Weaver made a leaping catch of the ball and tagged Mr. Doolan for the second out before throwing to Tommy Daly at first base to get Mr. Merkle before he could get back to first base, completing a triple play. Several witnesses thought Mr. Weaver could have made an unassisted triple play if he had had the presence of mind to do so.

75 years ago
1939

Disasters
The Japanese submarine I-36 sank in the Bungo Channel, killing 81.

70 years ago
1944

War
Soviet troops penetrated one-half mile inside Estonia, 11 miles north of Narva, and captured Vanakula. U.S. Marines captured Roi Island at the northern end of Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Economics and finance
The American Iron & Steel Institute reported 1943 steel production at 88,872,598 tons, with 98.1% of capacity at work.

Business
Argentine President Pedro Ramirez decreed that radio stations in Argentina must be wholly owned and managed by citizens who had resided in Argentina for at least 18 years.

60 years ago
1954

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Man who Wouldn't Talk, starring Peter Capell and Harry Townes; narrated by Quentin Reynolds

50 years ago
1964

Space
The U.S. probe Ranger 6 crashed on the moon, three days after launch.

Music
Sam Cooke was at RCA Studio in Los Angeles, where he finished recording the song Good Times. Also in Los Angeles, the Beach Boys were at Western Studio 3, where they recorded Keep an Eye on Summer, a track for their album Shut Down Volume 2.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Dirty Ol' Man--The Three Degrees (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Tiger Feet--Mud (2nd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy (2nd week at #1)
2 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--Elton John
3 For the Good Times--Perry Como
4 Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer--Paul McCartney and Wings
5 The Most Beautiful Girl--Charlie Rich
6 48 Crash--Suzi Quatro
7 Photograph--Ringo Starr
8 Mind Games--John Lennon
9 The Ballroom Blitz--The Sweet
10 I am Pegasus--Ross Ryan

Singles entering the chart were Be by Neil Diamond (#35); Our Day Will Come by Miss Linda George (#38); and Raised on Rock by Elvis Presley (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr
2 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
3 Americans--Byron MacGregor
4 Show and Tell--Al Wilson
5 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
6 Smokin' in the Boy's Room--Brownsville Station
7 Let Me Be There--Olivia Newton-John
8 I've Got to Use My Imagination--Gladys Knight and the Pips
9 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
10 Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)--Aretha Franklin

Singles entering the chart were Jet by Paul McCartney and Wings (#71); Mockingbird by Carly Simon and James Taylor (#73); I've Got a Thing About You Baby (#74)/Take Good Care of Her (#76) by Elvis Presley; There Won't Be Anymore by Charlie Rich (#87); I'll Be the Other Woman by Soul Chicken (#90); Tell Me a Lie by Sami Jo (#92); Thanks for Saving My Life by Billy Paul (#93); She's Gone by Daryl Hall & John Oates (#95); Outside Woman by Bloodstone (#96); Houston (I’m Comin’ To See You) by Glen Campbell (#98); A Mother for My Children by the Whispers (#99); and We're Getting Careless with Our Love by Johnnie Taylor (#100).

She's Gone was the first single by Messrs. Hall and Oates to make the chart.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks (2nd week at #1)
2 You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr
3 Smokin' in the Boy's Room--Brownsville Station
4 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
5 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
6 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford
7 Show and Tell--Al Wilson
8 Are You Lonesome Tonight--Donny Osmond
9 Love Song--Anne Murray
10 Me and Baby Brother--War

Singles entering the chart were Linda Won't You Take Me In by Murray McLauchlan (#80); Same Old Feeling by Edward Bear (#85); Mighty Love by the Spinners (#87); You Sure Love to Ball by Marvin Gaye (#88); I Fell in Love with You Sometime by Gary & Dave (#89); Star Baby by the Guess Who (#91); You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me by the New Seekers featuring Lyn Paul (#93); Rescue Me by Shirley Eikhard (#94); Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do) by Bill Amesbury (#95); One More Chance by Tom Middleton (#96); I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind by the Four Tops (#97); You've Been Wrong by Joey Gregorash (#98); and Trying to Hold On to My Woman by Lamont Dozier (#99).

Calgary's top 10
1 You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr
2 Smokin' in the Boy's Room--Brownsville Station
3 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford
4 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
5 Let Me Be There--Olivia Newton-John
6 I Thought of You Again--Susan Jacks
7 D'Yer Maker--Led Zeppelin
8 This is Your Song--Don Goodwin
9 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
10 Highway Driving--Alabama
Pick hit of the week: Running Wild--Stampeders

Sport
The 10th Commonwealth Games ended at Christchurch, New Zealand. Canada finished third in medals with 25 gold, 19 silver, and 18 bronze.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Jenseits von Eden--Nino de Angelo (6th week at #1)

Religion
On a beautiful sunny Thursday, Christian Awareness Week continued at the University of Alberta. Campus Crusade for Christ speaker Michael Horner delivered his second of three noon hour lectures at SUB Theatre; the title was Who Did Jesus Think He Was, Anyway?. That night, illusionist Andre Kole put on his show at Kinsmen Field House.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Back to the Stone Age--Stone (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney

Died on this date
Arnold Nordmeyer, 87. N.Z. politician. Rev. Nordmeyer was a Presbyterian minister who joined the Labour Party in 1933, and represented Oamaru (1935-1949), Brooklyn (1951-1954), and Island Bay (1954-1969) in Parliament. He was Minister of Health (1941-1947); Minister of Finance (1957-1960); President of the Labour Party (1950-1955); and Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition (1963-1965). Mr. Nordmeyer died five days before his 88th birthday.

Ondrej Nepela, 38. Czechoslovakian figure skater. Mr. Nepela won the European men's championship for five straight years (1969-1973); the men's world championship for three straight years (1971-1973); and the gold medal in the Winter Olympic Games (1972). He skated professionally with Holiday on Ice (1973-1986), and became a coach. He died 11 days after his 38th birthday, officially from cancer of the lymph nodes, but more likely of AIDS.

World events
A violent coup against Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner began.

War
Withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan continued as the last armoured column left the capital of Kabul.

Diplomacy
Japanese Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita met in Washington with U.S. President George Bush. The two reportedly discussed political, military, and economic matters.

U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle was in Caracas, where he attended the inauguration of Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez. Mr. Quayle criticized former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who was also in Caracas, for meeting with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

Politics and government
Bowing to public pressure, the United States Senate voted 95-5 to reject a proposal to raise their own pay as well as that of judges and top officials in the executive branch. The pay raises, running to 50% and more, had been approved by President Ronald Reagan in early January, but had been widely opposed by the American public.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (7th week at #1)

Theatre
Kavita Duggal starred in a performance of The World of Apu at the HUB International Centre on the campus of the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Politics and government
South African President F.W. de Klerk announced that the country's national elections, in which people of all races would choose national and regional assemblies, would be held April 26-28. He also launched his own campaign for re-election.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had increased 0.7% in December 1993.

10 years ago
2004

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that he was planning to order the evacuation of all Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip as part of his plan to "disengage" from the territories occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War in 1967. About 7,500 Jews lived alongside 1.2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Defense
U.S. President George W. Bush called for an independent commission to study the country's intelligence-gathering operations.

Tennis
Roger Federer of Switzerland became number one-ranked men's singles player, a position he would hold for a record 237 weeks.