February 4, 2015

425 years ago
1590

Died on this date
Gioseffo Zarlino, 72 or 73. Italian composer and music theorist. Mr. Zarlino wrote madrigals and 41 motets, but was better known as a music theorist, making a large contribution to the theory of counterpoint as well as to musical tuning.

275 years ago
1740

Born on this date
Carl Michael Bellman. 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 on February 11, 1795, a week after his 55th birthday.

120 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Nigel Bruce. Mexican-born U.K. actor. Mr. Bruce was born in Ensenada, Mexico, where his father worked as an engineer. He was best known (and loved) for portraying Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes in 14 movies and over 200 radio programs from 1939-1946. Mr. Bruce continued the role for the 1946-1947 radio season--getting top billing--with Tom Conway as Sherlock Holmes. He died of a heart attack on October 8, 1953 at the age of 58.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
William Talman. U.S. actor. Mr. Talman was best known for playing District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the television series Perry Mason (1957-1966). His movies included I Married a Communist (1950) and The Hitch-Hiker (1953), in which he played memorably villainous roles. Mr. Talman, a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer, and filmed two public service spots shortly before his death, warning against the dangers of smoking. He died on August 30, 1968 at the age of 53.

Ray Evans. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Evans, a lyricist, partnered with Jay Livingston, a composer, to write several hundred songs, the best known of which were for movies and television programs. The pair won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Buttons and Bows (The Paleface, 1948); Mona Lisa (Captain Carey, U.S.A., 1950); and Que Sera Sera (The Man Who Knew Too Much, 1956). Other notable movie songs of theirs included Tammy (Tammy and the Bachelor, 1957); Almost in Your Arms (Houseboat, 1958); and Dear Heart (Dear Heart, 1964). Messrs. Livingston and Evans also wrote the theme songs for the televison series Bonanza (1959) and Mr. Ed (1961). Mr. Evans died on February 15, 2007, 11 days after his 92nd birthday.

Norman Wisdom. U.K. entertainer. Sir Norman was best known for playing the character Norman Pitkin in a series of movies made between 1953-1966. He was enormously popular in Albania as one of the few Western actors whose movies were allowed to be shown in that country during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. Sir Norman died on October 4, 2010 at the age of 95.

75 years ago
1940

Died on this date
Nikolai Yezhov, 54. U.S.S.R. bureaucrat. Mr. Yezhov was a member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1935-1939, and held various positions, including head of the secret police force NKVD from 1936-1938, overseeing mass arrests and executions during the Great Purge. He fell from favour with Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, and confessed--probably under torture--to various anti-Soviet activities. Two days after being convicted in a secret trial, Mr. Yezhov was executed by shooting, in the basement of a small NKVD station in Moscow.

War
Japanese planes disrupted traffic on the Haishong-Yunan rail line in China despite U.S. appeals.

Diplomacy
The Balkan Entente conference--with the foreign ministers of Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia--concluded with the communique that the entente would continue in force until 1949.

Economics and finance
The governing body of the International Labour Organization rejected U.S. delegate Robert J. Watt's suggestion the previous day that the ILO prepare a plan for the world's transition from a war to a peace-time economy.

The New York Times reported that because of the European War, Palestine was suffering its worst depression ever.

70 years ago
1945

Diplomacy
The Yalta Conference with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin opened at the Livadia Palace in the Crimea. The principal subject was the government of Poland.



War
U.S. troops in Germany continued their advance with the capture of Ruhrberg, Einruhr, Urft, Morsbach, and Gerhahn. Soviet units in Germany made a 19-mile advance on the Oder River front and outflanked Kuestrin on the north, driving a wedge between it and Stettin on the Baltic Sea. 47 hostages were freed from Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila by Japanese authorities as U.S. forces continued their siege of the camp. The British Indian Army and Imperial Japanese Army began a series of battles in Burma known as the Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations.

Economics and finance
The American Bankers Association announced a proposal for an international financial organization that would include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, but would eliminate the International Monetary Fund.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Mambo Italiano--Rosemary Clooney (2nd week at #1)

50 years ago
1965

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

40 years ago
1975

Died on this date
Louis Jordan, 66. U.S. musician. Mr. Jordan, the "King of the Jukebox," was a saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader, and one of the most popular rhythm and blues artists of the 1940s, recording 18 singles that reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart. He was one of the first Negro artists whose popularity crossed over into white audiences. His hits included Ration Blues (1943); Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby (1944); Caldonia (1945); Choo Choo Ch'Boogie (1946); Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens (1946); and Saturday Night Fish Fry (Parts 1 and 2) (1949). Mr. Jordan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 as an early influence.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Gerald Ford told Congress that "The economy is in a severe recession."

European Economic Community and Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) delegates met officially for the first time in Moscow, but failed to reach agreement.

Oil
French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing and West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt concluded two days of talks in Paris with an agreement to propose a joint meeting of oil-consuming and oil-producing nations to work out differences.

The governments of Canada, Alberta, and Ontario invested $600 million in Syncrude Canada to develop the Athabasca tar sands in northern Alberta.

Disasters
1,328 people were killed when an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haicheng, Liaoning, China.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): You Gotta Chance: Dance de Natsu wo Dakishimete--Kōji Kikkawa (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): ¿Cómo Pudiste Hacerme Esto a Mí?--Alaska y Dinarama (4th week at #1)

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Love Shack--The B-52's (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins

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

Singles entering the chart were Sit and Wait; Dear Jessie by Madonna (#21); Rich in Paradise "Going Back to My Roots" by F.P.I. Project (#27); and The Message is Love by Arthur Baker and the Backbeat Disciples featuring Al Green (#30).

Died on this date
"Whipper" Billy Watson, 74. Canadian wrestler. Mr. Watson, born William Potts in East York, Ontario, was a main attraction at Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto from 1940-1971, frequently holding the British Empire heavyweight title, and briefly holding the world title in 1947 and 1956. He also wrestled in St. Louis in the 1940s and '50s, joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1955, and bought the Seattle territory. Mr. Watson was forced to retire from wrestling after suffering a serious knee injury in a car accident. He devoted himself to charity work, especially with Easter Seals. Mr. Watson retired to Florida, where he died.

Protest
100,000 people demonstrated in Moscow on behalf of democracy.

Football
NFL
Pro Bowl @ Aloha Stadium, Honolulu
NFC 27 AFC 21

Los Angeles Rams’ cornerback Jerry Gray was the game’s Most Valuable Player.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Zombie--The Cranberries (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Zombie--The Cranberries

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Zombie--The Cranberries (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Can You Feel the Love Tonight--Elton John (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): No Limit--Irene Moors & de Smurfen (2nd week at #1)

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

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

Singles entering the chart were Baby by Brandy (#60); Tour by Capleton (#62); This Lil' Game We Play by Subway (featuring 702) (#64); Mad Izm by Channel Live (#75); Take You There by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth (#84); Supa Star by Group Home (#88); and Fat Boy by Max-A-Million (#89).

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

Singles entering the chart were I Know by Dionne Farris (#56); Kitty Kitty by 69 Boyz (#69); Hold On by Jamie Walters (#78); (She’s Got) Skillz by All-4-One (#82); Woman to Woman by Jewell (#84); Pimp of the Year by Dru Down (#86); Freak Like Me by Adina Howard (#87); and Baby by Brandy (#89).

Died on this date
Patricia Highsmith, 74. U.S. authoress. Miss Highsmith, born Mary Patricia Plangman, was known for psychological thriller novels such as Strangers on a Train (1950); The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955); and Ripley's Game (1974), all of which were made into movies. She died 16 days after her 74th birthday.

Space
The crew of U.S. space shuttle mission STS-63 deployed the Orbital Debris Radar Calibration System-II (ODERACS-II) to help characterize orbital debris environment for objects smaller than 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) in diameter.



Economics and finance
U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor announced the institution of tariffs of as much as 100% on a wide range of imports from China, including plastic articles, telephones, answering machines, bicycles, silk goods, and jewellery. The action was a response to Chinese copying of motion pictures and music recordings and exporting the pirated copies abroad. China immediately responded to the U.S. action by imposing tariffs on U.S. imports.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Ossie Davis, 87. U.S. actor. Mr. Davis was known for portraying dignified characters in such movies as Gone are the Days! (1963); The Hill (1965); Do the Right Thing (1989); and Malcolm X (1992). Gone are the Days! was based on Mr. Davis's play Purlie Victorious (1961). He was one of the first Negroes to direct movies in Hollywood, with his efforts including Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) and Gordon's War (1973). Mr. Davis was a well-known civil rights activist, acting as master of ceremonies for Martin Luther King's March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, and delivering the eulogy at the funeral of Malcolm X in 1965. In his later years, Mr. Davis co-hosted the annual National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C.