March 15, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Walker Morrow!

150 years ago
1864

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the U.S. Navy fleet arrived at Alexandria, Louisiana.

140 years ago
1874

Born on this date
Eugène Fiset. Canadian physician, military officer, and politician. Dr. Major-General Sir Eugène, a native of Rimouski, Quebec, was a surgeon in the Boer War and World War I. He retired from medicine in 1923 to go into politics; a Liberal, he represented Rimouski in the Canadian House of Commons (1924-1939), and was Deputy Minister of Militia and Defence. Dr. Major-General Sir Eugène served as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (1939-1950), and died in Saint-Patrice-de-la-Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec on June 8, 1951 at the age of 77.

120 years ago
1894

Society
The provincial legislature of Nova Scotia voted in favour of prohibition of alcoholic beverages.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Joe E. Ross. U.S. comedian and actor. U.S. comedian and actor. Born Joseph Roszawikz, Mr. Ross was a burlesque comedian who was known for saying, "Ooh! Ooh!" He was a supporting actor in the television comedy series You'll Never Get Rich (later known as The Phil Silvers Show) (1955-1959) and co-starred in the comedy series Car 54, Where Are You? (1961-1963) and It's About Time (1966-1967). Mr. Ross died on August 13, 1982 at the age of 68.

75 years ago
1939

Married on this date
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, 19, Crown Prince and future Shah of Iran, married 17-year-old Princess Fawzia of Egypt at the Abdeen Palace in Cairo.

World events
German troops occupied the remaining part of Bohemia and Moravia, as the republic of Czechoslovakia ceased to exist. Carpatho-Ukraine, an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia since the fall of 1938, declared itself an independent republic.

70 years ago
1944

War
In a five-hour air attack, Allied planes virtually levelled the Italian town of Cassino. Soviet troops forced the Bug River along a 62-mile front and advanced 12-19 miles. Yugloslavian partisans announced the smashing of a German attempt to break into liberated Slovenian territory. American troops landed on the northeastern tip of Manus Island, largest of the Admiralty Islands group. Land-based planes made the first Allied attack on Japanese-held Truk in the Caroline Islands. U.S. Selective Service director Lewis Hershey said that farm workers' deferments must be cancelled to meet armed services requirements of 1.1 million men by July 1.

Defense
North American Aviation Inc. announced that its P-51 Mustang fighter had a speed of 425 miles per hour in level flight, a radius of more than 500 miles, and a ceiling of 40,000 feet.

Politics and government
The Cuban government coalition of the Liberal, Democratic, ABC, and Popular Socialist parties nominated Dr. Carlos Saladrigas as its presidential candidate.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the "states rights" bill on absentee votes for armed services personnel and sent it to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who telegraphed all state governments to ask if the federal ballot could legally be used.

Labour
The U.S. National War Labor Board rejected a petition by the American Federation of Labor to modify the Little Steel wage formula limiting wage increases to 15%.

50 years ago
1964

Married on this date
U.K. Actress Elizabeth Taylor and U.K. actor Richard Burton were married in a civil ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal; it was her fifth marriage, and his second. The marriage occurred nine days after Miss Taylor's divorce from singer Eddie Fisher.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Baby Blue--George Baker Selection (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Teenage Rampage--Sweet (5th week at #1)

30 years ago
1984

Law
The United States Senate voted 81-15 to reject a constitutional amendment that would have permitted silent prayer in public schools.

Economics and finance
An agreement between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Republican party leaders in Congress to reduce U.S. budget deficits was announced. Compared to the budget submitted to Congress in February by Mr. Reagan, the new agreement would reduce military and domestic spending by about $40 billion each and would increase taxes by $48 billion. Including savings on interest, the total deficit-reduction over the next three years would come to $150 billion.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board reported that industrial production had increased 1.2% in February.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Bring Me Edelweiss--Edelweiss (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Did I Tell You--Jerry Williams (4th week at #1)

Austria's top 10 (Ö3)
1 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
2 Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney
3 Das Phantom der Oper--Alexander Goebel & Luzia Nistler
4 In the Air Tonight ('88 Remix)--Phil Collins
5 Twist in My Sobriety--Tanita Tikaram
6 First Time--Robin Beck
7 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry
8 Listen to the Voices--Labi Siffre
9 Put a Little Love in Your Heart--Annie Lennox and Al Green
10 Tango Korrupti--Rainhard Fendrich

Singles entering the chart were Crackers International by Erasure (#17); Love Like a River by Climie Fisher (#18); Room with a View by Tony Carey (#20); and You Got It by Roy Orbison (#22).

Scandal
At the trial of former U.S. National Security Council member Oliver North, who was facing various charges related to the mid-1980s Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal, former national security adviser Robert McFarlane testified that President Ronald Reagan had approved an April 1985 plan to give Honduras $110 million in aid in return for Honduran support for the Contras, who were opposing the Sandanista regime in Nicaragua.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the merchandise trade deficit had declined to $9.49 billion in January.

20 years ago
1994

Politics and government
U.S. Representative Dan Rostenkowski (Democrat--Illinois), chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, was renominated for the November 1994 election, defeating four challengers. Mr. Rostenkowski was facing an ongoing criminal investigation into his financial affairs.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that prices charged by producers for finished goods had increased 0.5% in February.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
John Pople, 78. U.K. chemist. Sir John was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry," sharing the prize with Walter Kohn.

Space
Astronomers reported the discovery on November 14, 2003 of Sedna, the most distant object in the solar system, and the largest object to be discovered in the solar system since Pluto in 1930.