January 15, 2015

200 years ago
1815

Died on this date
Emma, Lady Hamilton, 49. U.K. noblewoman. Lady Hamilton, born Amy Lyon, was the wife of Sir William Hamilton, British Ambassador to Naples, and mistress of Royal Navy Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson in the late 1790s and early 1800s. Sir William died in 1803 and Lord Admiral Nelson was fatally wounded in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805; Lady Hamilton was left little money by either man--Lord Admiral Nelson's instructions to do so were ignored--and she descended into poverty and died of amoebic dysentery.

War
The American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, was captured by a squadron of four British frigates in one of the last events of the War of 1812.

150 years ago
1865

Died on this date
Edward Everett, 70. U.S. politician and diplomat. Mr. Everett was a Unitarian pastor who was associated with several political parties, most notably the Whig Party from 1834-1854. He represented Massachusetts' 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1825-1835); was Governor of Massachusetts (1836-1840); served as U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom (1841-1845); was U.S. Secretary of State in the administration of President Millard Fillmore (1852-1853); and represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate (1853-1854). Mr. Everett was the best-known orator in the United States, and was the featured speaker at the dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery in November 1863; his two-hour speech immediately preceded President Abraham Lincoln's two-minute Gettysburg Address. Mr. Everett died six days after catching a bad cold.

War
In the U.S. Civil War, Fort Fisher, North Carolina fell to Union forces after a two-day battle, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.

125 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Michiaki Kamada. Japanese military officer. Vice Admiral Kamada commanded Japanese naval forces in Borneo in 1944-1945, and was military governor of Borneo. He surrendered his forces on September 8, 1945, and was executed on October 18, 1947 at the age of 57, after being sentenced to death by a Dutch military court for the executions of 1,500 west Borneo natives in 1944 and the ill treatment of 2,000 Dutch prisoners of war held on Flores Island.

120 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Artturi Ilmari Virtanen. Finnish chemist. Dr. Virtanen was awarded the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research and inventions in agricultural and nutrition chemistry, especially for his fodder preservation method." He died of pneumonia on November 11, 1973 at the age of 78, several weeks after breaking his leg in a fall.

110 years ago
1905

Born on this date
Torin Thatcher. U.K. actor. Mr. Thatcher began his career on stage in 1927 and in movies in 1934, often playing flashy villains. His movies included Blackbeard the Pirate (1952); The Robe (1953); and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958). Mr. Thatcher moved to Hollywood in the 1950s, and died of cancer on March 4, 1981 at the age of 76.

100 years ago
1915

Transportation
At Basque, British Columbia, the Canadian Northern Railroad completed the line between Quebec City and Vancouver.

75 years ago
1940

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Greek Interpreter

At the movies
The Fatal Hour, starring Boris Karloff as Mr. Wong, opened in theatres.



War
The Pan-American Permanent Neutrality Committee, established to serve as the interpreter of American neutrality for the duration of World War II, began work in Rio de Janeiro. U.K. submarines Starfish and Undine were sunk in a raid on German defenses at Heligoland Bight. Soviet planes bombed Abo and Viborg, Finland. Chinese dispatches claimed that the Japanese army was falling back toward Canton in the province of Kwangtung.

Politics and government
Cuban President Federico Laredo Bru signed a bill to postpone Cuban elections until March 28, 1940.

Defense
U.S. Assistant Secretary of War Louis Johnson told a group of New York bankers that the United States should be equipped for an army of one million men.

Law
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill to protect witnesses before Congress from intimidation or coercion.

Economics and finance
Bonneville Dam authorities revealed plans to establish a steel mill in Oregon to meet local needs.

70 years ago
1945

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Don't Fence Me In--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters (3rd week at #1)
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Kate Smith
2 I'm Making Believe--The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald
3 I Dream of You (More than You Dream I Do)--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
--Andy Russell
--Frank Sinatra
4 The Trolley Song--The Pied Pipers
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Judy Garland
5 Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive--Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and His Orchestra
6 There Goes that Song Again--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
7 Dance with a Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stockin’)--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Evelyn Knight with Camarata and his Orchestra
--Tony Pastor and his Orchestra
7 Let Me Love You Tonight (No Te Importe Saber)--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
8 Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s An Irish Lullaby)--Bing Crosby
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
9 And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine--Stan Kenton and his Orchestra
10 Tico-Tico--Charles Wolcott and his Orchestra
--Ethel Smith and Bando Carioca

Singles entering the chart were Kate Smith's version of Don't Fence Me In; Frank Sinatra's version of I Dream of You (More than You Dream I Do); Kay Kyser and his Orchestra's version of There Goes that Song Again; Boogie Woogie Etude by Jose Iturbi (#27); Sleigh Ride in July, with versions by Dinah Shore and Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (#32); I Don't Want to Love You (Like I Do), with versions by Phil Brito and Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra (#42); (All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings by Martha Stewart (#44); and More and More by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (#45).

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: Dr. Anselmo

War
The United States War Department announced that stern measures had been taken to wipe out Gestapo-like terrorism in camps in the United States housing German prisoners of war. The cease-fire in Greece between British forces and Greek rebel ELAS forces went into effect at 12:01 A.M. U.S. troops in Belgium entered Houffalize and drove to within 6 miles of St. Vith, further reducing the German salient. Allied forces seized the Dutch city of Bakenhoven and cleared Achouffe, Mont, and Tavernaux. Soviet troops in Poland reached within 21 miles northeast of Krakow. U.S. troops in the Philippines were reported 28 miles inland from their Luzon beachhead, driving into the province of Tarlac and meeting little Japanese resistance. The U.S.A. announced that the Burma-China supply road was complete but not yet operable, as the Japanese still held Wanting on the border.

Economics and finance
U.S. Director of War Mobilization and Reconversion James Byrnes called on Selective Service Director Lewis Hershey to apply a priority system to control inductions of war workers in order to give the maximum protection to war production.

Energy
The U.S. War Production Board announced that effective February 1, 1945, outdoor illumination for advertising and the like would be ended to save an estimated two million tons of coal annually.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Serenade (from "The Student Prince")--Mario Lanza

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Mr. Sandman--The Chordettes (Best Seller--7th week at #1); Let Me Go Lover--Joan Weber (Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1; Jukebox--1st week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Mr. Sandman--The Chordettes (5th week at #1)
--The Four Aces
2 Let Me Go Lover--Joan Weber
--[Teresa Brewer with the Lancers]
3 The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane--The Ames Brothers
--Archie Bleyer
4 Teach Me Tonight--The DeCastro Sisters
5 Hearts of Stone--The Fontane Sisters
--The Charms
6 I Need You Now--Eddie Fisher
7 Papa Loves Mambo--Perry Como
8 Melody of Love--Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra
--David Carroll and his Orchestra
--The Four Aces
9 That's All I Want from You--Jaye P. Morgan
10 Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)--Eddie Fisher

Singles entering the chart were Silk Stockings by Perry Como (#20); Song in Blue by Les Paul and Mary Ford (#24); Tweedlee Dee, with versions by Georgia Gibbs and LaVern Baker and the Gliders (#27); and Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) by the Penguins (#43).

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Love Potion No. 9--The Searchers
2 This Diamond Ring--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
3 I Feel Fine--The Beatles
4 Downtown--Petula Clark
5 The Wedding--Julie Rogers
6 Amen--The Impressions
7 Look of Love--Lesley Gore
8 I'll Be There--Gerry and the Pacemakers
9 Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)--Del Shannon
10 Run, Run, Run--The Gestures
Pick hit of the week: No Arms Can Ever Hold You--The Bachelors
New this week: The "In" Crowd--Dobie Gray
For Lovin' Me--Peter, Paul and Mary
I Found a Move--Jo Anne and Troy
Love is Here to Stay--Ed Ames
My Heart Would Melt--Al Martino

Died on this date
Pierre Ngendandumwe, 34. Prime Minister of Burundi, 1963-1964; 1965. Mr. Ngendandumwe, a member of the Union for National Progress and an ethnic Hutu, was assassinated in Bujumbura by Gonzalve Muyenzi, a Tutsi refugee from Rwanda eight days after taking office as Prime Minister for the second time, leading to further unrest between the two ethnic groups. Mr. Ngendandumwe was succeeded as Prime Minister by another Hutu, Joseph Bamina, who was executed 11 months later.

Music
I Can't Explain, the first single by the Who under that name (they had previously released a single as the High Numbers), was released on Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom, several weeks after its release on Decca Records in North America. Bald Headed Woman was the B-side.

The Beach Boys were at Western Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, where they finished recording the song Kiss Me, Baby.

40 years ago
1975

War
The Alvor Agreement was signed, ending the Angolan War of Independence and giving Angola independence from Portugal.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Gerald Ford presented to Congress an economic recovery plan that included a $16-billion tax cut and a $3-per barrel increase in the tax on crude oil.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Christmas Eve--Tatsuro Yamashita (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Gordon Jackson, 66. U.K. actor. Mr. Jackson appeared in numerous films and television programs, but was best known for playing butler Angus Hudson in the television series Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975), winning an Emmy Award. He played George Cowley in the television series The Professionals (1977-1983). Mr. Jackson died of bone cancer.

War
With guerrillas fighting in the Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan in what had virtually become an ethnic civil war, the Soviet government sent troops into the area. The Azerbaijanis resisted, destroying or blockading bridges, roads, and rail lines. Some troops were killed.

Protest
100,000 people gathered outside the headquarters of the East German state security service, and the peaceful rally soon turned violent. Many in the crowd stormed the headquarters, generally tore up the interior, and destroyed or threw out thousands of documents.

Transportation
Major reductions in VIA Rail service took effect, eliminating at least 14 of the railway’s 38 routes and more than 2,500 jobs. The nationwide cuts had been announced in October as part of a Canadian government plan to cut subsidies to VIA from $641 million in 1988 to $350 million in 1992.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Here Comes the Hotstepper--Ini Kamoze

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): An Angel--The Kelly Family (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Cotton Eye Joe--Rednex (8th week at #1)

Football
NFL
AFC Championship
San Diego 17 @ Pittsburgh 13



NFC Championship
Dallas 28 @ San Francisco 38



10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Ruth Warrick, 88. U.S. actress. Miss Warrick made her movie acting debut with a supporting role in Citizen Kane (1941), but was best known for her work in television soap operas, especially All My Children, in which she starred from 1970 until her death.

Space
The European Space Agency's Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology-1 (SMART-1) lunar orbiter satellite discovered elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the moon.

Abominations
The day after being convicted by a court martial, U.S. Army Specialist Charles Graner Jr was sentenced to 10 years in prison for physically and sexually mistreating Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Football
NFL
AFC Divisional Playoff
New York Jets 17 @ Pittsburgh 20 (OT)



NFC Divisional Playoff
St. Louis 17 @ Atlanta 47