January 26, 2015

520 years ago
1495

Born on this date
Go-Nara. Emperor of Japan, 1526-1557. Go-Nara, the second son of Emperor Go-Kashiwabara, acceded to the throne upon the death of his father. He was Emperor until his death on September 27, 1557 at the age of 62, and was succeeded by his son Ōgimachi.

450 years ago
1565

War
Forces of the Islamic sultanates of the Deccan defeated those of the Vijayanagara Empire in the Battle of Talikota, leading to the subjugation, and eventual destruction of the last Hindu kingdom in India, and the consolidation of Islamic rule over much of the Indian subcontinent.

420 years ago
1595

Born on this date
Antonio Maria Abbatini. Italian composer. Mr. Abbatini wrote three operas, but was mainly known for his church music, publishing books of masses, psalms, antiphons, and motets. He lived into his eighties, and died after March 15, 1679 (or 1677).

220 years ago
1795

Died on this date
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, 62. German composer. Mr. Bach, the fifth son of Johann Sebastian Bach, was a harpsichordist who wrote keyboard sonatas, symphonies, oratorios, liturgical choir pieces, and motets, operas and songs.

130 years ago
1885

Died on this date
Charles George Gordon, 51. U.K. military officer. Major-General Gordon, known as "Chinese" Gordon for his success in leading Chinese soldiers in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion in the 1860s, served as Governor-General of the Sudan from 1874-1880. An Islamic Mahdist rebellion led by Muhammad Ahmad threatened Sudan, and General Gordon returned to the country to head off the threat. He led the defense of Khartoum against the Mahdist siege of the city that began in March 1884. A relief column was sent from Britain, but it was too late, and General Gordon was killed in an attack on his palace, two days before his 52nd birthday.

110 years ago
1905

Africana
The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan, weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kilograms), was found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria, South Africa.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
William Hopper. U.S. actor. Mr. Hopper, the son of actor DeWolf Hopper and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, was best known for playing Paul Drake in the television series Perry Mason (1957-1966). He died of pneumonia on March 6, 1970 at the age of 55, three weeks after suffering a stroke.

75 years ago
1940

Music
Frank Sinatra made his first public appearance as a vocalist with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, at the Coronado Theatre in Rockford, Illinois.

War
Soviet forces broke the Finns' strongest defense, the Mannerheim Line, at Summa on the Karelian Isthmus.

Diplomacy
Dutch Foreign Minister Eduard van Kleffens said that the Netherlands would retain its membership in the League of Nations.

Politics and government
Idaho Governor C.A. Bottolfsen, a Republican, appointed John W. Thomas to fill the United States Senate seat that had been vacated by the death on January 19 of William Borah (Republican).

U.S. Senator Burton K. Wheeler (Democrat--Montana) demanded that President Franklin D. Roosevelt state now whether or not he would seek a third term in office.

The Mexican Communist Party announced that it would purge those members not loyal to the U.S.S.R.

Economics and finance
The Japanese-American commercial treaty of 1911 expired, but the U.S. refrained from imposing the higher tonnage and import duties permitted under U.S. law.

Labour
New York Judge Thomas Thacher condemned the quasi-judicial authority of the National Labor Relations Board and urged review of agency decisions by an independent legal authority.

70 years ago
1945

At the movies
The Jade Mask, starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Tom Pendergast, 71. U.S. politician. Mr. Pendergast was the Democratic Party boss in Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, controlling political activity there from approximately 1925-1939, when his career was ended by a conviction for income tax evasion. Mr. Pendergast's most famous protege was Harry Truman, who was elected to the United States Senate in 1934, and took office as Vice President of the United States six days before Mr. Pendergast's death.

War
U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Audie Murphy stood on top of a tank destroyer and killed or wounded 50 German soldiers while being wounded himself in actions in France that earned him the Medal of Honor. U.S. Army troops joined the attack north of Aachen, supporting British forces against the German salient west of the Roer River. The Soviet Red Army reached the Baltic Sea at Tolkemit and began encircling the German Fourth Army near Heiligenbeil in East Prussia. The Japanese drive against U.S. air bases in southeastern China continued to progress in the provinces of Hunan, Kiangsi, and Kwangtung.

Diplomacy
It was reported that Herbert Pell would not return to London as the American commissioner of the United Nations War Crimes Commission because of the congressional failure to appropriate $30,000 for his salary and expenses.

Politics and government
The United States Senate Commerce Committee rejected former Vice President Henry Wallace as Secretary of Commerce, and approved the George bill to separate federal lending agencies from the Department.

Business
A syndicate consisting of Larry MacPhail, Dan Topping, and Del Webb purchased 96.88% of the New York Yankees baseball team and its minor league properties for $2.8 million from the heirs of the late Colonel Jacob Ruppert.

60 years ago
1955

On television tonight
Disneyland, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Davy Crockett Goes to Congress, starring Fess Parker

This was the second of five episodes starring Mr. Parker as Davy Crockett, sparking a national Davy Crockett craze in the United States.

At the movies
Battle Taxi, directed by Herbert L. Strock, and starring Sterling Hayden, Arthur Franz, amd Marshall Thompson, opened in theatres.



50 years ago
1965

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Fun and Games and Party Favors, with guest stars Katherine Crawford, Mark Goddard, Joan Tompkins, Anthony D. Call, and Peter E. Deuel

Law
Hindi became the official language of India.

40 years ago
1975

Died on this date
Astyanax Douglass, 75. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Douglass was a catcher who played 4 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 1921 and 7 games with the Reds in 1925, batting .167 (4 for 24) with 1 run batted in.

Donald Sheldon, 53. U.S. aviator. Mr. Sheldon, a native of Colorado, grew up in Wyoming and flew 26 missions as a gunner aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress with the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and four other decorations. He settled in Talkeetna, Alaska, from where he operated Talkeetna Air Service as a bush pilot, pioneering the technique of glacier landings on Mount McKinley. Mr. Sheldon died of cancer.

Politics and government
The Democrat Party, led by Seni Pramoj, finished first in the Thai general election, winning 72 of 269 seats in the national parliament. The Social Justice Party, led by Thawit Klinprathum, finished second with 45 seats, followed by the Thai Nation Party with 28.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 4 @ Vancouver 6<br />
Gregg Boddy, Ron Sedlbauer, Leon Rochefort, Dennis Ververgaert, Paulin Bordeleau, and Mike Robitaille scored for the Canucks as they defeated the Maple Leafs before the usual capacity crowd of 15,570 at Pacific Coliseum in the Sunday CBC radio broadcast. Inge Hammarstrom scored the first 2 Toronto goals, and Darryl Sittler the last 2. Gary Smith was in goal for Vancouver, Doug Favell for Toronto, with each goalie facing 24 shots.

WHA
Toronto 7 @ Edmonton 5

Frank Mahovlich, Pat Hickey, and Jeff Jacques each scored 2 goals for the Toros as they beat the Oilers before 12,237 fans at Edmonton Coliseum. Paul Henderson scored the other Toronto goal. Mr. Mahovlich's second goal, his 20th of the season at 5:44 of the 3rd period, gave Toronto a 6-3 lead, and proved to be the winner. Mr. Hickey scored his second goal into an empty net with 27 seconds remaining. Rusty Patenaude scored twice for Edmonton, with Barry Long, Eddie Joyal, and Ken Baird also scoring. Gilles Gratton won the goaltending duel over Jacques Plante.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): One Night in Bangkok--Murray Head

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner

#1 single in the U.K.: I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Like a Virgin--Madonna (7th week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Like a Virgin--Madonna (5th week at #1)
2 All I Need--Jack Wagner
3 I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner
4 Run to You--Bryan Adams
5 You're the Inspiration--Chicago
6 Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)
7 Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid
8 Born in the U.S.A.--Bruce Springsteen
9 Cool it Now--New Edition
10 I Would Die 4 U--Prince and the Revolution

Singles entering the chart were Only the Young by Journey (#45); High on You by Survivor (#61); Keeping the Faith by Billy Joel (#70); Go for It by Kim Wilde (#82); The Borderlines by Jeffrey Osborne (#84); Beat of a Heart by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth (#85); Nightshift by the Commodores (#86); Why Can't I Have You by the Cars (#87); Playing to Win by LRB (#88); Rain Forest by Paul Hardcastle (#89); and Obsession by Animotion (#90).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Careless Whisper--Wham! featuring George Michael
2 Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid
3 Like a Virgin--Madonna
4 Run to You--Bryan Adams
5 Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)
6 All I Need--Jack Wagner
7 Sea of Love--The Honeydrippers
8 I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner
9 Smalltown Boy--Bronski Beat
10 Ti Amo--Laura Branigan

Singles entering the chart were Somebody by Bryan Adams (#81); Nightshift by the Commodores (#87); Jungle Love by the Time (#88); Solid by Ashford & Simpson (#94); Foolish Heart by Steve Perry (#95); and One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head (#96).

25 years ago
1990

Died on this date
Lewis Mumford, 94. U.S. sociologist and historian. Mr. Mumford was best known for his studies of cities and urban architecture. His books included The City in History (1961) and The Myth of the Machine (2 volumes, 1967; 1970).

Space
The Canadian Space Agency signed a $146-million contract with Spar Aerospace for the first phase of Radarsat, to be launched in 1994 to send back high-resolution images of Arctic ice, oil spills, etc.

Law
A Canadian inquiry’s report said that the justice system that was supposed to protect him "failed Donald Marshall at every turn." Mr. Marshall, a Micmac Indian, spent 11 years in prison for a 1971 murder that he did not commit. The inquiry into his wrongful conviction and the subsequent mishandling of appeals found that Nova Scotia’s justice system was both incompetent and racist in the handling of his case. False testimony was given at Mr. Marshall’s trial by the police chief in charge of the case, who also pressured young witnesses to falsify stories. The investigation also found that crucial evidence that could have exonerated Mr. Marshall was kept from his lawyer, who was preparing an appeal. The report was also highly critical of a 1983 Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling which, although it found Mr. Marshall innocent of the crime, said he was partly to blame for the false conviction because he had lied to police.

World events
U.S. District Court Judge William Hoeveler ordered former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega held in custody in Florida without bail.

Politics and government
Romanian Vice President Dumitru Mazilu resigned and accused the regime of the National Salvation Front of using "Stalinist practices."

Economics and finance
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that the gross national product grew 2.9% (later revised to 3.0%) for 1989, down from 4.4% for 1988.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Kourin, kourin--Sikaduo (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Pat Welsh, 79. U.S. actress. Mrs. Welsh provided the voice of the title character in the movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

War
Ecuadorean Special Forces attacked Peruvian forces in the Peruvian territory of Quebrada Fashin, beginning the Cenepa War.

Economics and finance
The United States House of Representatives voted 300-132 to approve an amendment to the United States Constitution that would require Congress, in each year beginning with the fiscal year of 2002, to approve a federal budget that was balanced. The language, however, contained a loophole allowing the approval of a budget with a deficit, providing that it received the support of three-fifths of the members of both houses.

10 years ago
2005

Politics and government
Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State.

Disasters
Two trains derailed, killing 11 and injuring 200 in Glendale, California, near Los Angeles.