February 20, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Maza Sellars!

820 years ago
1194

Died on this date
Tancred, 55 or 56. King of Sicily, 1189-1194. Tancred, an illegitimate grandson of King Roger II, seized control of Sicily following the death of his cousin King William II. Tancred faced foreign invasions and internal opposition, making a treaty with King Richard I of England, and conducting successful military campaigns against hostile nobility. King Tancred died two months after his son and co-King Roger III, and was succeeded by his son William III.

675 years ago
1339

War
The Milanese army defeated the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti in the Battle of Parabiago in Lombardy.

175 years ago
1839

Born on this date
Benjamin Waugh. U.K. clergyman and social activist. Rev. Waugh was a Congregationalist minister and hymnist who was best known for his opposition to workhouses and the Poor law, which led him to co-found the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in 1884. He died on March 11, 1908, 20 days after his 69th birthday.

Law
The United States Congress prohibited duelling in the District of Columbia.

170 years ago
1844

Born on this date
Joshua Slocum. N.S.-born U.S. sailor. Captain Slocum, born Joshua Slocombe in Mount Hanley, Nova Scotia, left home at the age of 16 for Dublin and then England, sailing on various ships before setting in San Francisco in 1865 and becoming an American citizen. He spent most of his life at sea on various voyages, most notably conducting the first solo circumnavigation around the world in his sloop Spray (1895-1898), which he wrote about in his best-selling book Sailing Alone Around the World (1899-1900). In his later years, Capt. Slocum's mental state deteriorated somewhat, and his revenues declined. He disappeared on or after November 14, 1909 at the age of 65, while on his way from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts to the West Indies; most experts figured he had been hit by a steamer or a whale. Capt. Slocum was never seen or heard from again, and he was declared legally dead in 1924.

150 years ago
1864

War
In the largest battle fought in Florida during the U.S. Civil War, Confederate forces commanded by Brigadier General Joseph Finnegan defeated Union forces led by Brigadier General Truman Seymour in the Battle of Olustee.

120 years ago
1894

Education
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Roman Catholics in Manitoba had no grounds for appeal of the Manitoba School Act of 1890, which had abolished the provincial system of government-supported Catholic schools that had been in place since the province's creation in 1870. Manitoba had originally been populated by French Canadian and Metis Catholics, but in the 20 years since Confederation, her population had been changed by large numbers of English-speaking Protestant settlers, who were responsible for the 1890 law.

100 years ago
1914

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 for the third straight day.

75 years ago
1939

Society
The German American Bund, a pro-Nazi organization led by naturalized U.S. citizen Fritz Kuhn, drew 22,000 to a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Mr. Kuhn, with a huge portrait of George Washington behind him, denounced President Franklin D. Roosevelt, calling him "Frank D. Rosenfeld," and referring to the president's economic policy as the "Jew Deal." 3,000 members of the Ordnungsdienst, the militant arm of the Bund, were on hand, and used strong-arm tactics against protesters in maintaining order. The rally was the largest for the Bund, which operated camps for young people in New York and New Jersey. Before the year was out, Mr. Kuhn faced various criminal charges, and was eventually deported to Germany, where he died in obscurity in 1951. The Bund itself officially disbanded on December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.





70 years ago
1944

War
U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Alan Kirk was named commander of the combined Allied force in the coming invasion of Europe. The "Big Week" of World War II began with American bombing raids on German aircraft manufacturing centres. Reinforcements reaching the Allies in Italy enabled progress to be made against German forces on the Cassino line. In their continued drive on Pskov, U.S.S.R. troops pushed back the Germans along a 100-mile front. In the Pacific theatre, U.S. forces captured Eniwetok Island from the Japanese.

Politics and government
Former Massachusetts Governor Joseph Ely announced his candidacy for the 1944 Democratic Party U.S. presidential nomination.

Economics and finance
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Director Herbert Lehman appointed Soviet trade expert Nicolai Feonov as a deputy director general in charge of the regional supply office in London.

60 years ago
1954

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): You, You, You--The Ames Brothers

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Oh, Mein Papa (Oh! My Pa-Pa)--Eddie Fisher (Best Seller--7th week at #1; Disc Jockey--6th week at #1; Jukebox--4th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Oh, Mein Papa (Oh! My Pa-Pa)--Eddie Fisher (7th week at #1)
--Eddie Calvert
2 That's Amore--Dean Martin
3 Stranger in Paradise--Tony Bennett
--The Four Aces
--Tony Martin
4 Changing Partners--Patti Page
5 Secret Love--Doris Day
6 From the Vine Came the Grape--The Gaylords
--The Hilltoppers
7 The Gang that Sang "Heart of My Heart"--The Four Aces
-- Don Cornell, Alan Dale, and Johnny Desmond
8 Till Then--The Hilltoppers
9 Rags to Riches--Tony Bennett
10 Woman (Uh-Huh)--Jose Ferrer
--Johnny Desmond

Singles entering the chart were Hold Me by Don Cornell (#26); Cross Over the Bridge by Patti Page (#30); The Big Bell and the Little Bell by Julius LaRosa (#32); Turn Around Boy by Lew Douglas and his Orchestra (#45); Cling to Me by Johnny Desmond, Eileen Barton and the McGuire Sisters (#49); and Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do Do it Again by the Four Tunes (#50).

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Glad All Over--The Dave Clark Five (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Diane--The Bachelors

Music
The Beach Boys were at Western Studio 3 in Hollywood to finish recording their album Shut Down Volume 2. The songs recorded that day were Don't Worry Baby; In the Parkin' Lot; This Car of Mine; Shut Down, Part II; Louie, Louie; Denny's Drums; and the comedy track "Cassius" Love vs. "Sonny" Wilson.

Terrorism
Terrorists raided an armoury in Shawinigan, Quebec.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland: Kansas City--Les Humphries Singers

Crime
The self-proclaimed "American Revolutionary Army" abducted Atlanta Constitution editorial page editor Reg Murphy from his home in Atlanta.

Hockey
NHL
Buffalo 2 @ Toronto 4

Darryl Sittler scored a goal and three assists to lead the Maple Leafs over the Sabres in the Wednesday night Hockey Night in Canada telecast on CTV. Ed Johnston won the goaltending duel over Rocky Farr. Buffalo defenseman Tim Horton, playing the 1,446th regular season game of a career spanning more than 20 years, was named the game's third star, but it was the last time most people saw him alive. After the game, he had a lengthy meeting--where some drinks were consumed--with his partner in the Tim Hortons Donuts chain. A painkiller Mr. Horton had taken after being hit in the jaw by a puck several days earlier was wearing off, and these factors, plus a lack of sleep, probably impaired his judgment. He decided to drive his Pantera sports car back to Buffalo in the middle of the night, and was estimated to be driving at 100 miles per hour on the highway at about 4:00 the next morning when he crashed the car and was killed.

Baseball
Alvin Dark was named the new manager of the Oakland Athletics, replacing Dick Williams, who had resigned after leading the team to two consecutive World Series championships. Mr. Dark had previously managed the Athletics when they were in Kansas City from 1966-1967, and had also managed the San Francisco Giants (1961-1964) and Cleveland Indians (1968-1971), leading the Giants to the National League pennant in 1962.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Love Is a Battlefield--Pat Benatar (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Thriller--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
In the contest for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States in the November 1984 election, former Vice-President Walter Mondale won the Iowa caucus, taking 45% of the vote to 15% for U.S. Senator Gary Hart; 13% for former U.S. Senator George McGovern; and 5% for U.S. Senator John Glenn.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)--The Proclaimers

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Real Gone Kid--Deacon Blue

Terrorism
50 British soldiers escaped injury when they evacuated their barracks at Tern Hill, Shropshire before two bombs planted by Irish Republican Army terrorists exploded.

Politics and government
Afghan Prime Minister Mohammed Hassam Sharq resigned after nine months in office, and a military council assumed most government functions.

Government leader Tony Penikett led his New Democratic Party to a majority in the Legislative Assembly in the Yukon territorial election, taking 9 of 16 seats, with the Progressive Conservative Party, led by Willard Phelps, capturing the remaining 7 seats. Going into the election the NDP held 8 seats to 6 for the PCs and 2 for the Liberals. The Liberal Party, led by Jim McLachlan, were shut out in 1989, and Mr. McLachlan lost his seat in Faro to NDP candidate Maurice Byblow.

Hockey
NHL
Washington 2 @ Calgary 6

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Can See Clearly Now--Jimmy Cliff (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Without You--Mariah Carey (2nd week at #1)

10 years ago
2004

Politics and government
Religious conservatives won a clear majority in parliamentary elections in Iran, as thousands of reformist candidates were not allowed to run for office.

Health
A mild strain of the avian flu virus that was ravaging poultry farms in southeast Asia turned up at a chicken farm in British Columbia.