March 23, 2014

125 years ago
1889

Weather
Edmonton's temperature reached 72 F (22.2 C), the warmest March day on record.

Religion
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was established in Qadian, India by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

75 years ago
1939

War
The Slovak-Hungarian War began when the Hungarian air force, without warning, attacked the headquarters of the Slovak air force in the city of Spišská Nová Ves, killing 13 people.

Diplomacy
Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Juozas Urbšys and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signed the Treaty of the Cession of the Memel Territory to Germany in exchange for a Lithuanian Free Zone for 99 years in the port of Memel.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Toronto 2 @ New York Americans 0 (Toronto won best-of-three series 2-0)
Montreal 3 @ Detroit 7 (Best-of-three series tied 1-1)

Semi-Finals
New York Rangers 2 @ Boston 3 (OT) (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Mel Hill scored at 8:24 of the 1st overtime period gave the Bruins their win over the Rangers at Boston Garden. It was the second straight win for the Bruins over the Rangers in overtime, with Mr. Hill scoring the winning goal on both occasions.

70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Myron Selznick, 45. U.S. talent agent. Mr. Selznick, the son of film executive Lewis J. Selznick and the brother of producer David O. Selznick, represented more than 300 actors and directors. He died of a portal vein thrombosis.

Betty June Binnicker, 11; Mary Emma Thames, 8. U.S. murder victims. Misses Binnicker and Ames, residents of Alcolu, South Carolina, disappeared while riding their bicycles and looking for flowers. The girls, both white, were found dead the following day in a ditch, having suffered severe head wounds. George Stinney, 14, a Negro, had briefly spoken to the girls before their disappearance, and was arrested, convicted--by an all-white jury--and executed in the electric chair 85 days after the murders.

War
After three days of fighting, Soviet troops in western Ukraine advanced 25-37 miles from Tarnopol to Proskurov. A second Japanese unit entered the Indian state of Manipur, advancing 25 miles south of Imphal. The U.S. War Production Board announced that the armed services had approved a plan to exempt men aged 22-26 from the draft in several vital war industries.

Terrorism
6 British constables were killed and 12 wounded in a series of gunfights and bombings by political terrorists in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa.

Diplomacy
The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved an amendment to the bill extending Lend-Lease for another year, prohibiting the President fro settling Lend-Lease obligations in the postwar period "except by constitutional procedure."

Abominations
The Provisional Consultative Assembly of the French Committee of National Liberation approved an article in the provisional government code extending the franchise to women.

Politics and government
New Jersey Governor Walter Edge signed a bill authorizing the distribution of federal and state ballots to men and women in the U.S. armed services who would be absent from their home districts for the November 1944 election. South Carolina Governor Olin Johnston stated that the U.S. federal ballot was unacceptable in his state.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau announced that the fifth war loan goal would be $16 billion.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Toronto 1 @ Montreal 5 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
Chicago 1 @ Detroit 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Maurice "Rocket" Richard set a modern Stanley Cup record by scoring all of his team's goals as the Canadiens beat the Maple Leafs at the Montreal Forum. Toe Blake assisted on all five goals.

60 years ago
1954

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Tenth Reunion, starring Patricia Barry, John Dall, and Margaret Hayes

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): If I Had a Hammer--Trini Lopez (8th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Outer Limits, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Guests, starring Geoffrey Horne, Luana Anders, Gloria Grahame, Nellie Burt, and Vaughn Taylor

Died on this date
Peter Lorre, 59. Austro-Hungarian born U.S. actor. Born László Löwenstein, Mr. Lorre became famous playing a child-killer in the German film M (1931). He fled Germany when the Nazis came to power in 1933, and eventually made his way to England, where he starred in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and The Secret Agent (1936), both directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Mr. Lorre soon settled in Hollywood, where he starred in eight movies as the Japanese detective Mr. Moto from 1937-1939. Mr. Lorre became a popular star and supporting actor in movies from the Warner Brothers studio in the 1940s, especially those that also featured Sydney Greenstreet, such as The Maltese Falcon (1941); Casablanca (1942); The Mask of Dimitrios (1944); Passage to Marseille (1944); Three Strangers (1946); and The Verdict (1946). He starred in the short-lived radio series Mystery in the Air on NBC in 1947. Mr. Lorre was, and remains, one of the actors most frequently imitated by parodists.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Dynamite--Mud (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Billy - Don't Be a Hero--Paper Lace (2nd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 My Coo Ca Choo--Alvin Stardust
2 Farewell Aunty Jack--Grahame Bond
3 Sorrow--David Bowie
4 The Lord's Prayer--Sister Janet Mead
5 I Love You Love Me Love--Gary Glitter
6 Heartbeat - It's a Lovebeat--DeFranco Family
7 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
8 Rock On--David Essex
9 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy
10 I Am Pegasus--Ross Ryan

Singles entering the chart were Love's Theme by the Love Unlimited Orchestra (#34); Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up by Barry White (#35); and Last Time I Saw Him by Diana Ross (#38).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Dark Lady--Cher

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Rock On--David Essex
2 Sunshine on My Shoulders--John Denver
3 Dark Lady--Cher
4 Mockingbird--Carly Simon and James Taylor
5 Jet--Paul McCartney & Wings
6 Hooked on a Feeling--Blue Swede
7 Bennie and the Jets--Elton John
8 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
9 Eres Tu (Touch the Wind)--Mocedades
10 Boogie Down--Eddie Kendricks

Singles entering the chart were (I’ve Been) Searchin' So Long by Chicago (#55); A Dream Goes On Forever by Todd Rundgren (#88); Dance with the Devil by Cozy Powell (#89); Steam Heat by the Pointer Sisters (#97); Might Just Take Your Life by Deep Purple (#98); and I Am What I Am by Lois Fletcher (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Love Song--Anne Murray (2nd week at #1)
2 Rock On--David Essex
3 Dark Lady--Cher
4 Sunshine on My Shoulders--John Denver
5 Jet--Paul McCartney & Wings
6 Mockingbird--Carly Simon and James Taylor
7 Eres Tu (Touch the Wind)--Mocedades
8 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
9 Boogie Down--Eddie Kendricks
10 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford

Singles entering the chart included Oh Very Young by Cat Stevens; Midnight at the Oasis by Maria Muldaur; The Entertainer by Marvin Hamlisch; Chameleon by Herbie Hancock; Let's Get Married by Al Green; Touch and Go by Al Wilson; The Payback (Part 1) by James Brown; and Where is the Answer by Copper Penny.

Calgary's top 10
1 Sunshine on My Shoulders--John Denver
2 The Lord's Prayer--Sister Janet Mead
3 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
4 Dark Lady--Cher
5 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
6 I Love--Tom T. Hall
7 Jungle Boogie--Kool & The Gang
8 You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr
9 Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo--Rick Derringer
10 I Fell in Love with You Sometime--Gary & Dave
Pick hit of the week: Jet--Paul McCartney & Wings

Curling
In the Air Canada Silver Broom Semi-finals, the Jan Ullsten rink of Sweden defeated the Hec Gervais rink of Canada 8-7, and the Bud Somerville rink of the United States edged the Peter Attinger, Jr. rink of Switzerland 3-2 at Allmend Eisstadion in Bern, Switzerland.

Basketball
NCAA
North Carolina State, led by David Thompson, ended UCLA's seven-year reign as U.S. national men's champions with an 80-77 double-overtime victory in the semi-finals at Greensboro, North Carolina.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Poi E--Patea Maori Club (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (5th week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index had risen 0.4% in February.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Like a Prayer--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

Science
Physicists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announced their discovery of cold fusion at the University of Utah.

Defense
Canadian troops arrived in Pakistan as part of the United Nations' Operation Salam, to assist Afghan refugees and create land mine education programs.

Politics and government
The legislature of Kosovo, an autonomous region of the republic of Serbia in Yugoslavia, voted to give Serbia direct control over the province's courts and police. Demonstrations began immediately and quickly spread to several cities.

Scandal
Stuart Berlin, a U.S. Navy contract specialist, pled guilty to wire fraud and receiving bribes as part of a plan to help Teledyne Electronics win a U.S. Air Force electronics contract. Teledyne pled guilty to conspiracy.

Fawn Hall, former secretary to former U.S. National Security Council member Oliver North, concluded two days of testimony at the trial of Mr. North, who was facing 12 charges in connection with the mid-1980s Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. She testified about her role in helping Mr. North alter or destroy relevant documents.

20 years ago
1994

Died on this date
Giulietta Masina, 73. Italian actress. Miss Masina was the wife of director Federico Fellini, and starred in films of his such as The White Sheik (1952); La Strada (1954); Il Bidone (The Swindle) (1955); and Nights of Cabiria (1957).

Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta, 44. Mexican politician. Mr. Colosio, who had been Secretary of Social Development in the administration of President Carlos Salinas de Gortari and was the current presidential candidate of the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was shot in the head at close range by Mario Aburto Martínez just after delivering a campaign speech in Tijuana.

Disasters
Aeroflot Flight 593 crashed in Siberia when the pilot's 15-year old son accidentally disengaged the autopilot, killing all 75 people on board.

A United States Air Force F-16 aircraft collided with a USAF C-130 at Pope Air Force Base and then crashes, killing 24 United States Army soldiers on the ground in what became known as the Green Ramp disaster.

Hockey
NHL
Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings tipped a pass from Marty McSorley into an open net against the Vancouver Canucks for his 802nd career regular season goal, breaking the record set by Gordie Howe.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Dick Hamer, 87. Australian politician. Sir Rupert, known as Dick Hamer before being knighted in 1981, was a member of the Liberal Party. He was a member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1958-1971 and represented Kew in the Victorian Parliament from 1971-1981, serving as Premier of Victoria from 1972-1981.

Space
The U.S. Martian rover Opportunity explored sedimentary rocks that appeared to have been formed under flowing saltwater.

Terrorism
The Palestinian organization Hamas appointed Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi as its leader, succeeding Sheik Ahmed Yassin, who had been killed the previous day in an Israeli missile attack.