March 12, 2014

725 years ago
1289

Died on this date
Demetrius II, 29 or 30. King of Georgia, 1270-1289. Demetrius II acceded to the throne at the age of 11 upon the death of his father David VII. He ruled under a regency for some time, but distinguished himself in battle. In 1288, Mongol Emperor Arghun Khan suspected King Demetrius of involvement in a plot against him, and summoned him to the capital of Mokavan, or else he would invade Georgia. King Demetrius ignored his advisers, and went to Mokavan, where he was imprisoned, and finally beheaded. Demetrius II was succeeded on the throne by his cousin Vakhtang II.

350 years ago
1664

Canadiana
King Charles II granted territory between the St. Croix and Kennebec Rivers to his brother James, Duke of York.

325 years ago
1689

War
The Williamite War in Ireland between Jacobites (supporters of King James II, a Roman Catholic) and Williamites (supporters of King William III, a Protestant) began.

150 years ago
1864

War
A U.S. Navy fleet of 13 ironclads and 7 gunboats and other support ships entered the Red River in Louisiana, beginning the Red River Campaign of the U.S. Civil War.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Idris I. King of Libya, 1951-1969. Idris of Libya was elected King of Libya by the National Congress, and took the throne when the United Kingdom of Libya was proclaimed as a sovereign state on December 24, 1951. While he was in Turkey for medical treatment, King Idris was deposed on September 1, 1969 by a military coup led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Idris went into exile in Egypt, and died in Cairo on May 25, 1983 at the age of 94.

120 years ago
1894

Popular culture
Coca-Cola was bottled and sold for the first time in Vicksburg, Mississippi by local soda fountain operator Joseph Biedenharn.

110 years ago
1904

Transportation
Great Britain's first main line electric train went into service, from Liverpool to Southport, England.

100 years ago
1914

Died on this date
George Westinghouse, 67. U.S. engineer. Mr. Westinghouse invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of electricity. He championed the use of power by alternating current, which eventually became more popular than direct current, which had been championed by Thomas Edison.

90 years ago
1924

Radio
KFOY began broadcasting in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1928 the station merged with WAMD to become KSTP.

80 years ago
1934

World events
Using the authority of the Constitution of 1933, State Elder Konstantin Päts and General Johan Laidoner staged a coup in Estonia, and banned all political parties in an attempt to to neutralize the right-wing populist Vaps Movement. The coup was supported by the army and parliament.

75 years ago
1939

Religion
Pope Pius XII was crowned at the Vatican.

70 years ago
1944

War
American troops took Wotho Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the fourth island in the group to be captured by U.S. forces. Pope Pius XII called on the two sides in World War II to avoid making Rome a battleground.

World events
For the first time since 1940, German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler did not speak at Heroes' Day ceremonies in Berlin.

Diplomacy
The British Home Office banned travel between the U.K. and Ireland effective the following day, except in rare emergencies and on official business.

Economics and finance
U.S. House of Representatives Republican party leader Joseph Martin announced the formation of a 25-member committee to make a study of the tax field and "prepare a postwar revenue program."

60 years ago
1954

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I See the Moon--The Stargazers

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Saw Her Standing There--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Anyone Who Had a Heart--Cilla Black (3rd week at #1)

Crime
American Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined $10,000 for attempting to bribe a Federal Court jury which was hearing a conspiracy charge against him in 1962.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Titi à la neige--Tweety & Sylvester (6th week at #1)

Crime
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested three people in Miami in connection with the March 6 kidnapping of 8-year-old John Calzadilla near his home in Dix Hills, New York. He had been released unharmed on March 8 at a restaurant in Secaucus, New Jersey after the boy's father had delivered a $50,000 ransom. Two of those arrested were brothers of the father's ex-wife. Five others, including four teenagers, had already been charged.

Scandal
It was disclosed that the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee had requested 42 more tapes of White House conversations, beyond the 6 tapes previously requested, covering six different areas in connection with the committee's investigation of 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.

Oddities
Japanese Army Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda returned to his native country two days after being discovered in the Philippines, unaware that World War II had ended in 1945.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Love Is a Battlefield--Pat Benatar (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Thriller--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)

War
Reconciliation talks among various factions in Lebanon began. Lebanese President Amin Gemayel appealed to those present to end "nine years of insane and continuous war." Mohammed Ibrahim Massoud, one of Syria's new vice presidents and a key player in the reconciliation talks, came as an observer.

Diplomacy
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain arrived in Ottawa to begin a six-day state visit to Canada.

Labour
The British coal miners' strike that had begun a week earlier at Cortonwood Colliery in Yorkshire had now spread to Kent, Scotland, and South Wales, and included more than half of the United Kingdom's 187,000 coal miners.

Figure skating
The British ice dancing team of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean became the first skaters to receive nine perfect 6.0 scores in the world championships, in Ottawa.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Maurice Evans, 87. U.K. actor. Mr. Evans was known for his starring roles in plays by William Shakespeare on stage in the U.K. and U.S.A. from the 1930s through the 1950s, and on television in the United States in the 1950s.

Curling
The Alberta rink of Pat Ryan defeated British Columbia 3-2 to win the Brier.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles 6 Edmonton 3

CIAU
Canada West Finals
Calgary 1 @ Alberta 3 (Alberta won best-of-three series 2-1)

The Golden Bears scored 2 goals in a 5-second span as they defeated the Dinosaurs at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): It's Alright--East 17 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: The Rhythm of the Night--Corona (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Right in the Night--Jam & Spoon (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): La solitudine--Laura Pausini (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Je danse le Mia--IAM

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Move on Baby--Cappella

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Without You--Mariah Carey (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 The Sign--Ace of Base
2 The Power of Love--Celine Dion
3 Whatta Man--Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue
4 Without You/Never Forget You--Mariah Carey
5 So Much in Love--All-4-One
6 Bump n' Grind--R. Kelly
7 Breathe Again--Toni Braxton
8 Now and Forever--Richard Marx
9 Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)--Us3
10 All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting

Singles entering the chart were I'm Ready by Tevin Campbell (#66); Just Another Day by Queen Latifah (#68); Feenin' by Jodeci (#82); I Like to Move It by Reel 2 Reel featuring the Mad Stuntman (#89); Love Sneakin' Up on You by Bonnie Raitt (#90); March of the Pigs by Nine Inch Nails (#91); Born to Roll by Masta Ace Incorporated (#94); C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) by the Wu-Tang Clan (#96); and Comin' On Strong by Sudden Change (#97).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): The Power of Love--Celine Dion (3rd week at #1)

Music
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, with guest conductor Kenneth Jean, performed at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Clarinetist Sharon Kam was the guest soloist in a concert that featured so much coughing by members of the audience that it was a wonder Mr. Jean didn't turn around and start conducting the audience.

Abominations
32 female deacons gathered at the Bristol Cathedral in London for the laying on of hands by the Bishop, Rev. Barry Rogerson, making them the first female priests in the 460-year history of the Church of England. The ceremony culminated a debate that had begun when the General Synod of the Anglican Church had decided in 1975 that the ordination of women was theologically unobjectionable. Opposition to the move remained strong, and at least 700 Church of England priests, some of them retired, showed their displeasure by announcing their intention to convert to Roman Catholicism. 35 priests had announced their resignations. There were 10,200 priests in the Church of England.

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher met in Beijing with Chinese Premier Li Peng.

Politics and government
Lucas Mangope, President of the South African "homeland" of Bophuthatswana, changed his mind yet again, and refused to participate in South Africa's first universal-suffrage election, scheduled for late April. On March 7, Mr. Mangope had said that Bophuthatswana would refuse to participate in the election, and his government had collapsed on March 10. On March 11 he had announced that Bophuthatswana would participate in the election.

10 years ago
2004

Politics and government
The South Korean National Assembly voted 193-2 to impeach President Roh Moo-Hyun for allegedly violating election laws; it was the first impeachment in the country's history. Prime Minister Koh Gun became the new head of state.