February 5, 2015

130 years ago
1885

World events
King Leopold II of Belgium established the Congo as his personal possession.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Robert Hofstadter. U.S. physicist. Dr. Hofstadter was awarded a share of the 1961 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his pioneering studies of electron scattering in atomic nuclei and for his thereby achieved discoveries concerning the structure of the nucleons." He died on November 17, 1990 at the age of 75.

Died on this date
Ross Barnes, 64. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Barnes was a second baseman and shortstop with the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association from 1871-1875, batting .379 in 266 games. When the National League began play in 1876, Mr. Barnes was with the Chicago White Stockings, and he led the league in batting (.429); slugging (.590); runs (126); hits (138); doubles (21); triples (14); and bases on balls (20). Mr. Barnes was a master at bunting the ball so that it bounced in fair territory before reaching third base and then rolled foul, and made many infield hits in that manner. After the 1876 season, the rule was changed so that such a play was a foul ball. The rule change, combined with an illness that robbed Mr. Barnes of his strength and agility, combined to limit his playing time and effectiveness in later years. He played just 22 games in 1877. He played with Tecumseh of the International Association in 1878, then returned to the NL with the Cincinnati Reds in 1879. After sitting out 1880, Mr. Barnes finished his career back with the Red Stockings in 1881. In 234 National League games, Mr. Barnes batted .319 with 2 home runs and 111 runs batted in.

75 years ago
1940

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Abbey Grange

War
The Allied Supreme War Council secretly agreed to prepare to occupy the Norwegian city of Narvik and to recruit an expeditionary force of "volunteers" to assist Finland in her war against the U.S.S.R. The Japanese Foreign Office said that Japanese planes would continue to bomb the Haiphong-Hunan railroad in China because of military necessity.

Diplomacy
The U.S.A. and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations.

Politics and government
At a press conference in Hyde Park, New York, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt refused to answer questions regarding whether he would seek a third term in office in the November 1940 election.

The American Youth Congress refused to oust alleged Communists from its organization.

Economics and finance
Financial experts of the Western Hemisphere, meeting in Washington, agreed upon the establishment of an Inter-American Bank to stimulate trade within the Americas.

Labour
The International Labour Organization declared the U.S.S.R.'s permanent seat vacant and nominated the Netherlands as the successor.

70 years ago
1945

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Don't Fence Me In--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters (6th week at #1)
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Kate Smith
--Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights
2 Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive--Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and His Orchestra
--Artie Shaw and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
3 Rum and Coca-Cola--The Andrews Sisters
4 I'm Making Believe--The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald
5 There Goes that Song Again--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
6 I Dream of You (More than You Dream I Do)--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
--Andy Russell
--Frank Sinatra
--Perry Como
7 Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night in the Week)--Frank Sinatra
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
8 The Trolley Song--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--The Pied Pipers
--Judy Garland
9 Confessin' (That I Love You)--Ella Fitzgerald and the Song Spinners
--Perry Como
10 I'm Beginning to See the Light--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were Kay Kyser and his Orchestra's version of There Goes that Song Again; Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night in the Week); I Didn't Know About You, with versions by Woody Herman and his Orchestra and Count Basie and his Famous Orchestra (#18); Strange Music, with versions by Freddy Martin and his Orchestra and Fred Waring and his Concert Vochestra (#25); Let's Take the Long Way Home by Jo Stafford (#29); and Like Someone in Love by Bing Crosby (#39). Let's Take the Long Way Home was the B-side of I Promise You, charting at #27.

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Dead Adventuress

Died on this (?) date
Violette Szabo, 23. French-born U.K. spy. Mrs. Szabo, the daughter of a British Army driver and French dressmaker, married French Foreign Legion officer Étienne Szabo in 1940. After he was killed in combat in the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1942, she trained as a field agent with the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Mrs. Szabo was sent to France as part of a mission with a team in June 1944, just after D-Day, but was captured and tortured by the SS, and eventually interned at Ravensbrück concentration camp in August 1944. She was treated harshly, and finally executed with a bullet in the back of the head on or before February 5, 1945. Mrs. Szabo was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1946.

War
French leader General Charles de Gaulle listed minimum French terms for peace in Europe and served notice that France would not be bound by any U.S.-U.K.-U.S.S.R. decisions until she was treated as an equal partner. U.S. forces in Germany took the important communications centre of Brandscheid on the Siegfried Line. White Russian troops lined up along the Oder River on a 75-mile front, pushing to within 33 miles of Berlin with the capture of Zellin. The first concentrted Allied offensive against German forces in Italy in more than three months opened 10 miles south of Bologna. U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur returned to Manila, keeping the promise he had made when U.S. forces had been forced out of the Philippines by Japanese invaders in March 1942.

Politics and government
The Georgia state Senate passed a bill restoring permanent registration of voters, completing legislative action on the repeal of the Georgia poll tax law.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Supreme Court denied the right of the U.S. Treasury Department to order that only an "official" rate be used in converting British pounds into dollars for customs duty purposes.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Hold My Hand--Don Cornell; Nat "King" Cole (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Mambo Italiano--Rosemary Clooney (3rd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Hearts of Stone--The Fontane Sisters (Best Seller--1st week at #1); Let Me Go Lover--Joan Weber (Disc Jockey--4th week at #1; Jukebox--4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Melody of Love--Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra
--David Carroll and his Orchestra
--The Four Aces
2 Hearts of Stone--The Fontane Sisters
--The Charms
3 Mr. Sandman--The Chordettes
--The Four Aces
4 Let Me Go Lover--Joan Weber
--[Teresa Brewer with the Lancers]
5 The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane--The Ames Brothers
--Archie Bleyer
6 Sincerely--The McGuire Sisters
7 (My Baby Don’t Love Me) No More--The DeJohn Sisters
--[The McGuire Sisters]
8 Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)--Perry Como
--The Crew-Cuts
9 Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)--The Penguins
--The Crew-Cuts
10 That's All I Want from You--Jaye P. Morgan

Singles entering the chart were The Crazy Otto by Johnny Maddox and the Rhythmasters (#14); Everlovin' by Patti Page (#21); How Important Can it Be? by Joni James (#31); Plantation Boogie by Lenny Dee (#33); A Rusty Old Halo by Mahalia Jackson and the Falls-Jones Ensemble (#34); You'll Always Be My Lifetime Sweetheart by Perry Como (#37); The Elephants Tango by the Commanders with Eddie Grady (#41); Malaguena by Caterina Valente (#42); and The Finger of Suspicion by Dickie Valentine with the Stargazers (#45). You'll Always Be My Lifetime Sweetheart was the B-side of Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So).

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 This Diamond Ring--Gary Lewis and the Playboys (2nd week at #1)
2 Love Potion No. 9--The Searchers
3 Look of Love--Lesley Gore
4 Paper Tiger--Sue Thompson
5 Downtown--Petula Clark
6 I Go to Pieces--Peter and Gordon
7 The Name Game--Shirley Ellis
8 Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)--Del Shannon
9 I'll Be There--Gerry and the Pacemakers
10 Hawaii Tattoo--The Waikikis
Pick hit of the week: Coming on Too Strong--Wayne Newton
New this week: Come Tomorrow--Manfred Mann
The Time Has Come--Dianne James
Save Me the Pillow You Dream On--Dean Martin
The Wishing Well--Hank Snow
Baby Hold Me Close--Jerry Lee Lewis
Come On Home--Bill Black's Combo

Art
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Lester Pearson agreed to provide new funding for fine art work by Canadian artists, and creates the Art Bank, with the funding equalling 1% of the amount of construction contracts for federal buildings.

40 years ago
1975

Protest
Riots broke out in Lima, Peru, the day after police forces had gone on strike. The uprising (locally known as the Limazo) was bloodily suppressed by the military dictatorship.

Defense
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko concluded a five-day visit to Syria and Egypt to discuss defense.

The United States Congress voted to end military aid to Turkey because of lack of "substantial progress" in Cyprus peace negotiations.

30 years ago
1985

War
Rome Mayor Ugo Vetere and Carthage Mayor Chedli Klibi met in Tunis to sign a treaty of friendship officially ending the Third Punic War, which officially lasted 2,131 years. Fighting in the war took place between 149-146 B.C., resulting in the complete destruction of the city; the annexation of all remaining Carthaginian territory by Rome; the death or enslavement of the entire Carthaginian population; and the end of Carthage's independent existence.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Aku no hana (悪の華)--Buck-Tick

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (10th week at #1)

Scandal
Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan refused Judge Harold Greene’s direction to provide excerpts from his diaries to the attorneys of former national security adviser Admiral John Poindexter, on trial for his role in the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages deal. Mr. Reagan, through his attorneys, asserted a claim "to the constitutionally protected privacy of his diaries." Judge Greene agreed with Adm. Poindexter that Mr. Reagan possessed information that was unavailable from any other source, and ordered Mr. Reagan to give videotaped testimony.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Here Comes the Hotstepper--Ini Kamoze (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Old Pop in an Oak--Rednex (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Cotton Eye Joe--Rednex (11th week at #1)

Died on this date
Doug McClure, 59. U.S. actor. Mr. McClure was best known for playing Trampas in the western television series The Virginian (1962-1971). He was a longtime smoker and died of lung cancer.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Gnassingbé Eyadéma, 67. President of Togo, 1967-2005. General Eyadéma led successful military coups in 1963 and 1967, and took office as President after the 1967 coup. As leader of the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), Gen. Eyadéma retained power in multiparty elections in 1993, 1998, and 2003, although the legitimacy of the results was denounced by opposition politicians. He died on board a plane about 150 miles south of Tunis, "as he was being evacuated for emergency treatment abroad, " according to a government statement. The cause of death was said to be a heart attack. General Eyadéma was succeeded as President by his son Faure, but that succession was denounced as a coup, and Faure resigned on February 25 in favour of first deputy parliament speaker Bonfoh Abass until after the presidential election of April 24, 2005.