February 27, 2015

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Denis Whitaker. Canadian military officer and football player. Brigadier-General Whitaker was a quarterback with the Hamilton Tigers (1937-1939, 1945-1946). He won two Distinguished Service Orders with the Canadian Army during World War II, and led a team of Canadian football players to a 16-6 win over an American team in the Tea Bowl, played in England in 1944. Mr. Whitaker was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He died on May 30, 2001 at the age of 86.

80 years ago
1935

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1934 were presented at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. It Happened One Night became the first film to sweep the major categories: Best Picture; Best Director (Frank Capra); Best Actor (Clark Gable); Best Actress (Claudette Colbert); and Best Adapted Screenplay (Robert Riskin).

75 years ago
1940

War
The U.S.S.R. reported the first Soviet success since Christmas 1939 on the Petsamo front in Finland.

Politics and government
The New York State Assembly passed a resolution petitioning the United States Congress to pass a law prohibiting a third term for any President.

Through his supporters, U.S. Vice President John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner entered the race for New York delegates to the Democratic National Convention in the contest for the 1940 nomination for President of the United States.

Herman Laborde and Valentin Campa, president and secretary, respectively, of the Mexican Communist Party, were purged from the party.

Economics and finance
After months of negotiations, plans for the Inter-American Bank were finally approved by the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee.

Science
Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discovered carbon-14.

70 years ago
1945

Politics and government
U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur turned control of the civil government of the Philippines over to President Sergio Osmena.

Law
The United States Senate Judiciary Committee decided to shelve all proposed constitutional amendments for the duration of World War II.

Defense
Major General Clayton Bissel, in charge of U.S. Army intelligence, and Assistant U.S. War Secretary John McCloy testified at a House of Representatives Military Affairs Committee investigation that they knew of no Communists who had been given commissions in the Army.

Labour
The U.S. National War Labor Board announced authorization of regional loans to permit payment of an hourly wage of 55c to eliminate rates that resulted in a low standard of living.

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Under the Boardwalk/Walking the Dog--The Rolling Stones (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Les Filles de mon Pays--Enrico Macias

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Se piangi, se ridi--Bobby Solo

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Kleine Annabell--Ronny (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Letkiss--Gudrun Jankis; Stig Rauno (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I'll Never Find Another You--The Seekers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): This Diamond Ring--Gary Lewis and the Playboys (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 This Diamond Ring--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
2 My Girl--The Temptations
3 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'--The Righteous Brothers
4 Downtown--Petula Clark
5 Eight Days a Week--The Beatles
6 I Go to Pieces--Peter and Gordon
7 All Day and All of the Night--The Kinks
8 King of the Road--Roger Miller
9 The Jolly Green Giant--The Kingsmen
10 The Boy from New York City--The Ad Libs

Singles entering the chart were Do the Clam by Elvis Presley (#69); The Race is On by Jack Jones (#72); Nowhere to Run by Martha & the Vandellas (#76); You Better Get It by Joe Tex (#78); 10 Little Bottles by Johnny Bond (#81); For Mama (La Mamma), with versions by Connie Francis and Jerry Vale (#87, and versions by Matt Monro and Vic Damone mentioned but not charted); I Don't Want to Spoil the Party by the Beatles (#88); Stranger in Town by Del Shannon (#89); It's Gonna Be Alright by Maxine Brown (#90); (Here They Come) From All Over the World by Jan & Dean (#92); This is My Prayer by the Ray Charles Singers (#93); Gee Baby (I’m Sorry) by Three Degrees (#95); Apache '65 by the Arrows (#97); and Land of a Thousand Dances (Part 1) by Thee Midniters (#100, with the version by Cannibal and the Headhunters mentioned but not charted). Do the Clam was from the movie Girl Happy (1965). I Don't Want to Spoil the Party was the B-side of Eight Days a Week.

On television tonight
Sherlock Holmes, starring Douglas Wilmer and Nigel Stock, on BBC 1
Tonight's episode: The Devil's Foot

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): January--Pilot (4th week at #1)

30 years ago
1985

Died on this date
Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., 82. U.S. politician and diplomat. Mr. Lodge, a Republican, was descended from a long line of politicians, and continued the family tradition by representing Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1937-1944 and 1947-1953. He then served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1953-1960. In 1960 Mr. Lodge was the vice-presidential running mate to Republican Party presidential candidate Richard Nixon, losing a close and disputed election to the Democratic Party ticket of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Mr. Lodge served as U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam from 1963-1964 and again from 1965-1967, during the early years of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He then served as U.S. Ambassador to West Germany from 1968-1969, before leading the U.S. delegation at the Paris peace talks from 1969-1973. Mr. Lodge occasionally represented U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford to the Vatican from 1970-1977.

J. Pat O'Malley, 80. U.K.-born U.S. actor and singer. Mr. O'Malley began his career as a singer in England before moving to the United States, where he was a familiar character actor in many films and television programs. He co-starred with Shirley Booth in the television comedy series A Touch of Grace (1973).

25 years ago
1990

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Glee Club

This was one of my favourite episodes.

Died on this date
Josephine Johnson, 79. U.S. authoress. Miss Johnson wrote several novels and numerous short stories. She won five O. Henry awards for her short stories, but is best known for being, at age 24, the youngest person to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for her first novel, Now in November (1934).

Diplomacy
Recently-freed South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela went to Zambia to meet with African National Congress leaders, and was greeted by official delegations from many countries.

Politics and government
The Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. gave its approval to President Mikhail Gorbachev’s proposal for a popularly elected president having broad executive powers.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said that Contra rebels would have to demobilize before the Sandanistas yielded control of the army and police. Violetta Chamorro, who had defeated Mr. Ortega in the general election two days earlier, called on the Contras to disband to help speed the transfer of power.

Environment
Exxon Corporation and Exxon Shipping were indicted on five criminal counts relating to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Lick It--20 Fingers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Zombie--Ororo (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)--Scatman John

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Conquest of Paradise--Vangelis (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Bang and Blame--R.E.M. (2nd week at #1)
2 Take a Bow--Madonna
3 When I Come Around--Green Day
4 Mishale--Andru Donalds
5 Strong Enough--Sheryl Crow
6 Buddy Holly--Weezer
7 She's a River--Simple Minds
8 On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men
9 The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead--Crash Test Dummies
10 Better Man--Pearl Jam

Singles entering the chart were Murder Incorporated by Bruce Springsteen (#60); She Forgot to Laugh by Rymes with Orange (#77); You Got It by Bonnie Raitt (#81); Thank You by Boyz II Men (#82); Come Back by Londonbeat (#83); We Celebrate by the Barra MacNeils (#84); Give Me a Reason to Stay by Freddy Curci (#87); Ode to My Family by the Cranberries (#88); Big Yellow Taxi by Amy Grant (#89); If You Don't Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself) by Pete Droge (#92); Until the End of Time by Foreigner (#93); Gotta Get Away by Oilspring (#95); and Letting Go by Julie Masse (#97).

War
1,800 U.S. Marines began coming ashore in Somalia to assist United Nations peacekeepers in their withdrawal. The UN was in the process of pulling its peacekeeping force out of Somalia after two years.

Terrorism
A terrorist explosion in a market in the city of Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan left about 100 dead and 150 wounded.

Politics and government
Massachusetts Governor William Weld said that he would not run for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States in 1996.

Economics and finance
Canadian Finance Minister Paul Martin tabled his budget; he wanted to cut federal spending 8.8% and bring the deficit down to 3% of gross domestic product.

Hockey
NHL
St. Louis 3 Toronto 2

10 years ago
2005

Movies
The Academy Awards for 2004 were presented at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. Awards for Million Dollar Baby included Best Picture; Best Director (Clint Eastwood); Best Actress (Hilary Swank); and Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman). Other awards included: Best Actor--Jamie Foxx (Ray); Best Supporting Actress--Cate Blanchett (The Aviator); and Best Foreign Language Film--The Sea Inside.