February 3, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Louise Taylor!

325 years ago
1690

Economics and finance
The colony of Massachusetts issued the first paper money in the Americas.

175 years ago
1840

Born on this date
Allan McLean. U.K.-born Australian politician. Mr. McLean, a native of Scotland, moved to Australia as a child. He represented Gippsland North in the Victorian Legislative Assembly (1880-1901), holding several cabinet posts and serving as Premier of Victoria (1899-1900). Mr. McLean opposed Australian federation, but entered federal politics after it took effect in 1901, and represented Gippsland in the House of Representatives (1901-1906) as a member of the Protectionist Party, serving as Minister for Trade and Customs (1904-1905). Mr. McLean narrowly lost in seat in the 1906 federal election, and died on July 13, 1911 at the age of 71, after long suffering from a rheumatic condition.

150 years ago
1865

Politics and government
The Canadian legislature resolved, in an address to Queen Victoria, to ask for a Union of the Provinces of British North America.

80 years ago
1935

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: Cherchez La Femme

Died on this date
Hugo Junkers, 76. German aircraft designer and engineer. Mr. Junkers pioneered the design of all-metal airplanes and flying wings. He founded the company that became Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG, and was Germany's leading aircraft manufacturer between the two world wars. He died on his 76th birthday.

75 years ago
1940

At the movies
Calling Philo Vance, starring James Stephenson, opened in theatres. The film was a remake of The Kennel Murder Case (1933), which had starred William Powell.

War
German planes bombed the British coast from the Tyne River to Norfolk, claiming the sinking of 14 ships.

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department asked both French and Japanese authorities to assure safe passage over the Haiphong-Yunan railroad in China.

Politics and government
The Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee announced its endorsement of Franklin D. Roosevelt for a third term as President of the United States.

The "farm bloc" of the United States Senate moved to restore budget cuts in the Agriculture bill, the day after the House of Representatives had voted a cut of $66.9 million.

Economics and finance
Robert J. Watt, U.S. delegate to the International Labour Organization meeting in Geneva, urged that body to prepare a plan for the world's transition from a war to a peace-time economy.

70 years ago
1945

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Don't Fence Me In--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen and his Orchestra (Best Seller--7th week at #1; Airplay--2nd week at #1; Juke Box--8th week at #1)

Died on this date
Roland Freisler, 51. German lawyer and judge. Mr. Freisler, who joined the Nazi Party in 1925, was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the Volksgerichtshof (People's Court) from 1942-1945. The court operated outside constitutional authority and conducted show trials of those who were accused of political actions against the regime of Fuehrer Adolf Hitler. Mr. Freisler was conducting a session of the Volksgerichtshof when he was killed in an Allied bombing raid on Berlin.

War
As part of Operation Thunderclap, 1,000 B-17s of the U.S. 8th Air Force dropped 2,256 tons of bombs on Berlin, killing 2,500-3,000 people and leaving another 120,000 homeless. U.S. troops in Belgium cleared the last German forces with the capture of Krewinkel. Soviet forces in eastern Germany reached a point 6 miles west of Kuestrin and 11 miles west of Frankfurt an der Oder in their drive on Berlin. Peace talks between the Greek government and the EAM-ELAS factions opened in Athens. U.S. and Filipino forces began a month-long battle to retake Manila from Japan. Troops with the U.S. 6th Army broke into the suburbs of Manila and liberated over 5,000 Allied prisoners held at Manila General Hospital, the University of Manila, and other locations.

Defense
The New York Times reported that over 50 United States Senators supported the proposal of Sen. Arthur Vandenberg (Republican--Michigan) for immediate Allied pacts to keep Germany and Japan demilitarized.

Baseball
Major league club owners adopted a new charter with only one major change, whereby the owners could not appeal decisions of the Commissioner to the courts.

60 years ago
1955

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley, on BBC
Tonight's episode: The Copper Beeches

50 years ago
1965

Space
The United States launched the satellite Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) 2 from Cape Kennedy, Florida. The satellite's mission was to study solar X-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet radiation, and included creating artificial solar eclipses.

Scandal
The United States Air Force Academy reported that 105 cadets had resigned as a result of an investigation into cheating, and theft and sale of examination papers.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Little Angel--William Shakespeare

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Hajimete no Dekigoto--Junko Sakurada

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Todo El Tiempo Del Mundo--Manolo Otero (7th week at #1)

Diplomacy
French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing and West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt began two days of talks in Paris.

Economics and finance
Representatives of 110 backward nations began a five-day conference in Dakar, Senegal to argue for higher prices and better trade terms.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): When the Rain Begins to Fall--Pia Zadora and Jermaine Jackson

#1 single in Switzerland: One Night in Bangkok--Murray Head (3rd week at #1)

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Love Shack--The B-52's (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Lambada--Kaoma (19th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield

#1 single in France (SNEP): Les Valses de Vienne--François Feldman (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Me So Horny--The 2 Live Crew
2 Got to Get--Rob 'n' Raz featuring Leila K
3 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
4 Get a Life--Soul II Soul
5 Words--The Christians
6 Get Into It--Tony Scott
7 Inna City Mamma--Neneh Cherry
8 Homely Girl--UB40
9 In Private--Dusty Springfield
10 Whatcha' Gonna Do with My Lovin'--Inner City

Singles entering the chart were Get Up! (Before the Night is Over) by Technotronic (#18); Nothing Compares to U by Sinéad O'Connor (#26); Ik Zie 'n Pils by De Havenzangers (#27); En Nou die Hèndjes de Lucht In by Van Alles Wè m.m.v. C.V. De Loeiers (#28); Fools Gold by the Stone Roses (#30); I Can't Stand It by Twenty 4 Seven featuring MC FixxIt (#32); Op De Deksel Van De Jampot... by Vader Abraham (#33); and I'm Not the Man I Used to Be by Fine Young Cannibals (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 How am I Supposed to Live Without You--Michael Bolton (3rd week at #1)
2 Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul (Duet with the Wild Pair)
3 Downtown Train--Rod Stewart
4 Two to Make it Right--Seduction
5 Janie's Got a Gun--Aerosmith
6 I Remember You--Skid Row
7 Free Fallin'--Tom Petty
8 Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly
9 Just Between You and Me--Lou Gramm
10 Everything--Jody Watley

Singles entering the chart were Keep it Together by Madonna (#56); Love Me for Life by Stevie B (#69); I Wish it Would Rain Down by Phil Collins (#71); Forever by Kiss (#72); All Around the World by Lisa Stansfield (#78); That's What I Like by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (#91); 1-2-3 by the Chimes (#93); and You're the Only Woman by the Brat Pack (#94).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Downtown Train--Rod Stewart
2 How am I Supposed to Live Without You--Michael Bolton
3 Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly
4 Two to Make it Right--Seduction
5 Everything--Jody Watley
6 Just Between You and Me--Lou Gramm
7 Free Fallin'--Tom Petty
8 Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul (with Wild Pair)
9 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
10 I Remember You--Skid Row

Singles entering the chart were Keep it Together by Madonna (#70); Forever by Kiss (#73); All Around the World by Lisa Stansfield (#83); Walk on By by Sybil (#85); Get Up! (Before the Night is Over) by Technotronic (#87); Wouldn't Change a Thing by Kylie Minogue (#89); If U were Mine by U-Krew (#90); There's a Party Going On by Yvonne (#92); Let Love Rule by Lenny Kravitz (#95); and Fly High Michelle by Enuff Z’Nuff (#96).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (8th week at #1)
2 Downtown Train--Rod Stewart
3 Just Between You and Me--Lou Gramm
4 Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly
5 Janie's Got a Gun--Aerosmith
6 Free Fallin'--Tom Petty
7 Peace in Our Time--Eddie Money
8 Just Like Jesse James--Cher
9 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
10 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)

Singles entering the chart were Almost Hear You Sigh by the Rolling Stones (#75); Tender Lover by Babyface (#77); Boots or Hearts by the Tragically Hip (#80); Love Will Lead You Back by Taylor Dayne (#82); All My Life by Linda Ronstadt (with Aaron Neville) (#85); Get Up! (Before the Night is Over) by Technotronic (#87); True Blue Love by Lou Gramm (#89); Sometimes She Cries by Warrant (#91); and Love Don't Come Easy by the Alarm (#93).

Music
Bobby Vee and the Crickets performed in Mr. Vee's home town of Fargo, North Dakota. Also on the bill was Del Shannon, giving what turned out to be his last live performance; he shot himself five days later while under the influence of Prozac.

Politics and government
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev told the Communist Party’s Central Committee, "We should abandon the ideological dogmatism that became ingrained during the past decades."

The Bulgarian parliament confirmed Andrei Lukanov as the country’s new Premier.

Scandal
Darryl Strawberry's baseball career took a dramatic turn for the worse when the 27-year-old five-time all-star outfielder for the New York Mets entered a centre for drug and alcohol abuse in Manhattan to treat what the team described as a drinking problem.

Horse racing
Bill Shoemaker, 58, the greatest jockey in history, rode in his last race, finishing fourth at Santa Anita Park. He retired with 8,833 victories in 40,350 races.

Hockey
NHL
Pittsburgh 4 @ Toronto 8

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Stay Another Day--East 17 (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Think Twice--Celine Dion (3rd week at #1)

Space
The United States Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin mission STS-63. The crew was James Wetherbee (Commander); Eileen Collins (Pilot); and Mission Specialists Bernard Harris; Michael Foale; Janice Voss; and Vladimir Titov. Ms. Collins was the first woman to pilot a space shuttle mission. The shuttle's mission was to dock with the Russian space station Mir.



Economics and finance
U.S. President Bill Clinton announced that he favoured a minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, higher than the current figure of $4.25 per hour. He said that if the minimum wage was not increased, it would stand at a 40-year low in 1996.

The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had increased in January by 0.3% to 5.7%.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 5 Toronto 3

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Zurab Zhvania, 41. Prime Minister of Georgia, 2004-2005. Mr. Zhvania was co-chairman of Georgia's Green Party before joining the Union of Citizens of Georgia in 1992. He served as Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia from 1995-2001 and State Minister of Georgia from 2003-2004, assuming the position of Prime Minister on February 18. Mr. Zhvania and fellow Georgian politician Raul Usupov, 24, were found dead in a rented apartment, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of a faulty gas heater. Some have questioned the official story and have alleged that the two were murdered. Zurab Nogaideli succeeded Mr. Zhvania as Prime Minister.