February 11, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Maria Nastas!

480 years ago
1535

Born on this date
Gregory XIV. Roman Catholic Pope, 1590-1591. Pope Gregory XIV, born Niccolٍ Sfondrato or Sfondrati, succeeded Urban VII on December 5, 1590. He intervened on the side of the Catholic party in the French Wars of Religion, and excommunicated King Henry IV of France as a heretic. Gregory XIV was in poor health when he assumed the papacy, and died from a large gallstone on October 16, 1591 at the age of 56. He was succeeded by Innocent IX.

230 years ago
1785

Music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 was given its premiere performance in Vienna.

225 years ago
1790

Society
The Religious Society of Friends, better known as Quakers, petitioned the United States Congress for the abolition of slavery.

220 years ago
1795

Died on this date
Carl Michael Bellman, 55. Swedish songwriter. Mr. Bellman was best known for two collections of poems set to music: Fredmans epistlar (Fredman's Epistles) (1790) and Fredmans sånger (Fredman's Songs) (1791). Mr. Bellman was a heavy drinker who suffered from gout and tuberculosis; he died in his sleep, a week after his 55th birthday.

175 years ago
1840

Opera
La fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) received its premiere performance by the Paris Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse in Paris.

160 years ago
1855

Africana
Kassa Hailu was crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, by Abuna Salama III in a ceremony at the church of Derasge Maryam.

120 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Clutha Mackenzie. N.Z. politician. Sir Clutha, the son of Prime Minister Thomas Mackenzie, fought in World War I, and was blinded at Gallipoli in 1915. As a member of the Reform Party, he represented Auckland East in the New Zealand Parliament (1921-1922), and spent the rest of his life in activities and organizations for the blind. Sir Clutha died on March 30, 1966 at the age of 71.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Pat Welsh. U.S. actress. Mrs. Welsh provided the voice of the title character in the movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). She died on January 26, 1995 at the age of 79.

90 years ago
1925

Died on this date
Aristide Bruant, 73. French entertainer. Mr. Bruant was a nightclub singer and comedian in Paris who was credited with creating the chanson réaliste genre of music, but was best known as the man in the red scarf and black cape featured on certain famous posters by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

75 years ago
1940

Died on this date
John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir, 63. U.K. author and Governor General of Canada, 1935-1940. Mr. Buchan was known for novels such as Prester John (1910); The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915); and Greenmantle (1916). A Scottish nationalist, he represented the Unionist party in the House of Commons before being named to the House of Lords Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield prior to his appointment as Governor General of Canada. Lord Tweedsmuir became the first Governor General to visit the Arctic, and promoted the Canadian tour of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He died five days after falling while suffering a stroke and suffering a severe head injury.

War
The Haiphong-Yunan railroad in China was closed for several months because of damage by Japanese bombing.

Politics and government
Dr. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, candidate of the Partido Republicano Nacional (National Republican Party) (PRN) was elected President of Costa Rica, receiving 84.5% of the vote against two opponents. In legislative elections, PRN candidates received 85% of the votes for 45 seats in the Constitutional Congress.

U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt upheld the right of the Communist-dominated American Youth Congress not to condemn the U.S.S.R. for its invasion of Finland.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Temporary National Economic Committee opened hearings on supposed monopolies in the insurance industry.

The United States Commerce Department reported that nine states maintained restrictive trade barriers against each other.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Al Dubin, 53. Swiss-born U.S. songwriter. Mr. Dubin, with Joe Burke, co-wrote Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Me, one of the most popular songs of 1929. He then teamed up with Harry Warren, and the two wrote such songs as Shuffle Off to Buffalo; We're in the Money; I Only Have Eyes for You; and Lullaby of Broadway. Mr. Dubin was a heavy drinker, and died in hospital three days after collapsing on the street after overdosing on a prescription of barbiturates.

Diplomacy
The Yalta Conference of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin concluded with a secret agreement on the future of Germany and Poland, and an agreement concerning the Soviet Union's entry into the war in the Pacific.

War
British troops entered Cleve, Germany on the northern end of the Siegfried Line. After a four-say offensive, Soviet troops in Germany moved 37 miles west of the Oder River along a 100-mile front, resulting in the virtual encirclement of Breslau.

Politics and government
A new government was formed in Belgium, with Socialist Achille van Acker as Prime Minister, and with participation by all four political parties.

Society
Publication of the newspaper The Flat Hat at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia was suspended because of an editorial by Marily Kaemmerle which suggested that the time would come for interracial education, social contacts, and marriage.

Economics and finance
The American Federation of Labor made public a housing program designed to provide 19 million post-war jobs through construction of 15 million homes in the 10 years after the end of World War II.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Mambo Italiano--Rosemary Clooney (3rd week at #1)

World events
The United States Navy completed evacuation of 14,500 civilians, 10,000 Nationalist Chinese troops, and 4,000 guerrillas from the Tachen Islands in the face of a threat from Communist Chinese forces.

Boxing
Harold Johnson (50-7) knocked out Paul Andrews (29-5) at 1:46 of the 6th round of a light heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York.



50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'--The Righteous Brothers (2nd week at #1)

40 years ago
1975

Died on this date
Richard Ratsimandrava, 43. President of Madagascar, 1975. Lieutenant-Colonel Ratsimandrava, the Minister of the Interior in the military government of President Gabriel Ramanantsoa, was assassinated while driving home from the presidential palace, just six days after ousting Major General Ramanantsoa as President. The new military ruling committee claimed that Col. Ratsimandrava had been killed by members of the Republican Security Forces (Groupe Mobile de Police-GMP), a counterinsurgency outfit dissolved by his predecessor.

Politics and government
Margaret Thatcher was chosen as leader of Britain's Conservative Party, replacing former Prime Minister Edward Heath and becoming the first woman to lead a political party in the U.K. She became leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, as the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Harold Wilson, was in power at the time.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Tenshi no Wink--Seiko Matsuda

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): ¿Cómo Pudiste Hacerme Esto a Mí?--Alaska y Dinarama (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Henry Hathaway, 86. U.S. film director. Mr. Hathaway directed such movies as The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935); The House on 92nd Street (1945); Kiss of Death (1947); Call Northside 777 (1948); North to Alaska (1960); The Sons of Katie Elder (1965); and True Grit (1969).

Scandal
Clive Ponting, assistant secretary to the British Minister of Defence, was acquitted of breaching section two of the Official Secrets Act at the Central Criminal Court in London. He had been charged with leaking two documents about the sinking of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano in the 1982 Falklands War. He had sent information to the Labour MP for Linlithgow, Tam Dalyell, in July 1984, but the jury found this did not entail "communicating information to an unauthorised person," which was illegal.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Welcome to Our World--John Grenell

#1 single in Switzerland: Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield (6th week at #1)
2 Bakerman--Laid Back
3 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
4 Sit and Wait--Sydney Youngblood
5 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
6 Leave a Light On--Belinda Carlisle
7 I Feel the Earth Move--Martika
8 Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli
9 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
10 The Road to Hell (Part 2)--Chris Rea

The only single entering the chart was All or Nothing by Milli Vanilli (#14).

World events
South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, 71, was released from prison. In his first speech, in Cape Town, he urged that pressure be kept on the white government until the apartheid system of racial segregation was destroyed.

Boxing
In one of the greatest upsets in history, James "Buster" Douglas (30-4-1) came back from an 8th-round knockdown to knock out Mike Tyson (37-1) at 1:22 of the 10th round of their fight at the Tokyo Dome to win the world heavyweight title. Mr. Tyson had been such a prohibitive favourite that the only betting establishment in Las Vegas willing to provide a line laid odds of 42-1.



20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Another Night--Real McCoy

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Stay Another Day--East 17

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Zombie--The Cranberries (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Short Dick Man--Fingers featuring Gillette

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): No Limit--Irene Moors & de Smurfen (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Think Twice--Celine Dion (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Creep--TLC (3rd week at #1)
2 On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men
3 Another Night--Real McCoy
4 Take a Bow--Madonna
5 Baby--Brandy
6 You Gotta Be--Des'ree
7 Always--Bon Jovi
8 Sukiyaki--4 P.M.
9 Before I Let You Go--BLACKstreet
10 I'm the Only One--Melissa Etheridge

Singles entering the chart were Freak Like Me by Adina Howard (#54); Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me) by Portishead (#62); Dream About You/Funky Melody by Stevie B (#76); Rodeo by 95 South (#89); Where I Wanna Be Boy by Miss Jones (#90); and Move it Like This by K7 (#92).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men (11th week at #1)
2 Creep--TLC
3 Take a Bow--Madonna
4 Another Night--Real McCoy
5 You Gotta Be--Des'ree
6 Always--Bon Jovi
7 Hold My Hand--Hootie & the Blowfish
8 Sukiyaki--4 P.M.
9 Every Day of the Week--Jade
10 Here Comes the Hotstepper--Ini Kamoze

Singles entering the chart were Everlasting Love by Gloria Estefan (#62); Get Down by Craig Mack (#70); Whutcha Want? by Nine (#73); Cocktales by Too Short (#75); and Dreamer by Livin' Joy (#84).

Space
U.S. space shuttle mission STS-63 concluded as the six-member crew departed the Russian space station Mir, and the space shuttle Discovery landed at Kennedy Shuttle Landing Facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles 5 @ Toronto 2