March 25, 2014

430 years ago
1584

Americana
Sir Walter Raleigh was granted a patent to colonize Virginia.

380 years ago
1634

Americana
The first settlers sent by Lord Baltimore arrived in Maryland.

175 years ago
1839

Diplomacy
A truce was called in the damaging Aroostook, New Brunswick lumber war over the New Brunswick boundary with Maine; an agreement was later signed by Lord Ashburton and Daniel Webster.

120 years ago
1894

Protest
"Coxey's Army", consisting of unemployed men and led by Ohio businessman Jacob Coxey, departed Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C. to demand help from the federal government during a time of economic depression. It was the first significant American protest march.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Norman Borlaug. U.S. agronomist. Dr. Borlaug introduced high-yield, disease-resistant varieties of wheat into Mexico, and then into Pakistan and India, pioneering what became known as the "Green Revolution." As a result, Dr. Borlaug was called "The man who saved a billion lives." He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007, becoming one of seven people to win all three honours. Dr. Borlaug died on September 12, 2009 at the age of 95.

Died on this date
Frédéric Mistral, 83. French poet and lexicographer. Mr. Mistral shared the 1904 Nobel Prize for Literature with Spanish dramatist José Echegaray. Mr. Mistral won for his efforts to restore Occitan, the historic language of the French region of Provence. His most important work was his 12-song poem Mirèio (Mireille) (1859).

90 years ago
1924

World events
On the anniversary of Greek Independence, and ten days after taking office as Prime Minister as leader of the Agricultural and Labour Party, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaimed the Second Hellenic Republic. The action was submitted to the approval of the population in a referendum scheduled for April 13.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Calgary Tigers (WCHL) 0 Montreal Canadiens (NHL) 3 @ Ottawa (Montreal won 2-game, total goals series 9-1)

Howie Morenz, Aurel Joliat, and Bill Boucher scored for the Canadiens and Georges Vezina posted the shutout in goal. The game was played on artificial ice in Ottawa because of the poor condition of the natural ice at Mount Royal Arena in Montreal. The Canadiens had defeated the Pacific Coast Hockey Association champion Vancouver Millionaires before playing the Western Canada Hockey League champion Tigers and defeating them to win the Stanley Cup.

80 years ago
1934

Golf
Horton Smith won the first Masters tournament--then known as the Augusta National Invitational tournament--at Augusta National Club in Augusta, Georgia, shooting an even par 72 in the final round to finish with a score of 284, 4 under par. Tournament founder Bobby Jones came out of retirement and finished 10 strokes behind Mr. Smith. First prize money was $1,500.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Bésame Mucho (Kiss Me Much)--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra with Bob Eberly and Kitty Kallen (Best Seller--4th week at #1); Mairzy Doats--The Merry Macs (Jukebox--2nd week at #1)

Edmontonia
Edmonton's city council authorized the city's first campaign to attempt to exterminate mosquitoes.

War
Soviet forces made new gains in Ukraine, reaching the outskirts of the Black Sea port of Nikolayev and the Dniester River along a 50-mile front north of Cernauti and Proskurov. U.S. and Chinese troops took Shaduzup in northern Burma, in a blow at the east flank of Japanese forces in the Mogaung Valley.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Tom Connally (Democrat--Texas) revealed that Secretary of State Cordell Hull had suggested that a congressional committee be established to consult with the State Department on a postwar peace organization.

Labour
Congress of Industrial Organizations steel workers presented a brief to the U.S. National War Labor Board demanding a fixed annual wage based upon a 40-hour week.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Montreal 2 @ Toronto 1 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-1)

50 years ago
1964

Died on this date
Charles Benjamin Howard, 78. Canadian politician. Mr. Howard, a member of the Liberal Party, represented Sherbrooke in the House of Commons from 1925-1940 before being appointed to the Senate, where he represented Wellington from 1940 until his death. He also served as mayor of Sherbrooke in 1950-1951.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Coo Ca Choo--Alvin Stardust (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Distancia--Roberto Carlos (2nd week at #1)

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Street Dance--Break Machine (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (4th week at #1)

War
France began withdrawing its last 1,250 troops from Beirut.

Politics and government
Incumbent Jose Napoleon Duarte of the centrist Christian Democratic Party received 43% of the vote in the first round of voting in the Salvadoran presidential election, with rightist candidate Roberto D'Aubuisson running second with 30%. An absolute majority was required for victory. Rebels succeeded in preventing voting in areas of El Salvador under their control.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Esatto--Francesco Salvi (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): I Only Wanna Be with You--Samantha Fox

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Alles kan een mens gelukkig maken--René Froger

#1 single in France (SNEP): Pour toi Arménie--Charles Aznavour and various artists (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Like a Prayer--Madonna

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 The Living Years--Mike + the Mechanics
2 Eternal Flame--Bangles
3 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli
4 The Look--Roxette
5 My Heart Can't Tell You No--Rod Stewart
6 Lost in Your Eyes--Debbie Gibson
7 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
8 Walk the Dinosaur--Was (Not Was)
9 Roni--Bobby Brown
10 You're Not Alone--Chicago

Singles entering the chart were Soldier of Love by Donny Osmond (#73); Every Little Step by Bobby Brown (#84); Downtown by One 2 Many (#88); Working on It by Chris Rea (#89); The Different Story (World of Lust and Love) by Peter Schilling (#92); Walking Through Walls by the Escape Club (#95); and Voices of Babylon by the Outfield (#97).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Living Years--Mike + the Mechanics (2nd week at #1)
2 Eternal Flame--Bangles
3 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli
4 Paradise City--Guns 'N' Roses
5 My Heart Can't Tell You No--Rod Stewart
6 Lost in Your Eyes--Debbie Gibson
7 The Look--Roxette
8 Walk the Dinosaur--Was (Not Was)
9 You're Not Alone--Chicago
10 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals

Singles entering the chart were Rock On by Michael Damian (#80); Do You Believe in Shame? by Duran Duran (#83); I Only Wanna Be with You by Samantha Fox (#85); Soldier of Love by Donny Osmond (#87); Voices of Babylon by Outfield (#89); and Working on It by Chris Rea (#92).

Environment
Exxon Corporation announced that it accepted full financial responsibility for the previous day's oil spill from the tanker Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

Died on this date
Earl Nightingale, 68. U.S. broadcaster. Mr. Nightingale joined the the U.S. Marines at the age of 17, and was one of 15 survivors aboard USS Arizona in the Japanes attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. He read occultist Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich in 1950, and was inspired by Mr. Hill's quote “We become what we think about.” Mr. Nightingale became a motivational speaker whose record The Strangest Secret (1956) sold a million copies, becoming the first spoken word record to win a Gold Record award. Our Changing World, a five-minute weekday program, aired from 1959 to the 1980s, and became the most widely-syndicated radio program in history. Mr. Nightingale died of complications following heart surgery, 13 days after his 68th birthday.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Sleeping in My Car--Roxette (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Streets of Philadelphia--Bruce Springsteen

Died on this date
Max Petitpierre, 95. President of the Swiss Confederation, 1950, 1955, 1960. Mr. Petitpierre, a member of the Free Democratic Party, was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1944-1961, heading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during that period. He died 27 days after his 95th birthday.

War
The last U.S. peacekeeping forces left the Somali capital of Mogadishu, though about 50 soldiers remained to protect U.S. diplomats, and another 12 soldiers remained to provide logistical support to United Nations forces in Mogadishu. 19,000 other UN peacekeepers were still in Somalia.

10 years ago
2004

Diplomacy
British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Tripoli for a visit with Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi, ending 30 years of diplomatic isolation. The two leaders promised to fight terrorism.

Law
The United States Senate voted 61-38 in favour of a measure making it a crime to harm a fetus while committing a federal crime against a pregnant woman.