March 2, 2015

200 years ago
1815

War
British forces succeeded in establishing sovereignty over the island of Ceylon.

160 years ago
1855

Died on this date
Nikolai I, 58. Czar of Russia, 1825-1855. Nikolai I, the son of Paul I, succeeded his brother Alexander I on the throne. Czar Nikolai's reign was marked my geographical expansion and economic growth, but he centralized administration and suppressed dissent. Czar Nikolai led his country into the Crimean War in 1853, but died of pneumonia while the war was still on, and was succeeded by his son Alexander II.

150 years ago
1865

Died on this date
Carl Völkner, 45 or 46. German missionary. Mr. Völkner was a Protestant missionary in New Zealand who was hanged by his congregation the day after being captured in Opotiki with fellow missionary Thomas Grace. The murder of Mr. Völkner led to hard feelings and severe reprisals from the New Zealand government for many years thereafter.

130 years ago
1885

War
In the Sino-French War, French forces won the Battle of Hoa Moc near Tuyen Quang in northern Vietnam.

100 years ago
1915

War
Vladmir Jabotinsky formed a Jewish military force to fight with the Allies in Palestine.

75 years ago
1940

On television today
New York University won the first televised intercollegiate track meet, broadcast live from Madison Square Garden in New York over New York station W2XBS.

War
Reports from Finland indicated that Soviet forces had occupied Tammisuo, north of Viborg, and Lupin Lahti, east of the city. The government of New Zealand announced that it was supplying men to the British Royal Navy, as well as keeping its own navy at war strength.

Diplomacy
U.S. Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles met with German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler in Berlin.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill increasing Import-Export Bank capital to $200 million; the U.S. immediately granted credit to Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

Law
The U.S. Committee for the Protection of Foreign Born opened its conference in Washington to protest anti-alien legislation before Congress.

Politics and government
The Rhode Island House of Representatives adopted a resolution asking Congress to prohibit a third term for a President of the United States.

Disasters
2 people were killed as tornadoes swept through the lower Ohio River and Mississippi River valleys.

Tennis
Bobby Riggs won the U.S. indoor title in Chicago.

Basketball
NCAA
Dartmouth College won the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball Conference title, while the University of North Carolina won the Southern Conference title.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Emily Carr, 73. Canadian artist. Miss Carr, a native of Victoria, was known for her paintings of aboriginal themes and landscapes, especially forest scenes.

War
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt expressed the idea that some German ex-soldiers be used in the reconstruction of Russia, although he claimed that the subject had not come up at the recent Yalta Conference with U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin. U.S. troops captured the Dutch cities of Venlo and Roermond. Neuss on the Rhine River opposite Duesseldorf was also taken. U.S. Marines deove a 700-yard salient into the Japanese defense lines on the northern part of Iwo Jima. U.S. troops in the Philippines landed on the islands of Ticao and Burlas off the west side of the long southeast extension of Luzon, in a move to eliminate Japanese forces in southern Luzon.

World events
El Salvador decreed a general amnesty, adding that political exiles could now return home.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill for postwar river and harbour projects.

60 years ago
1955

World events
King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia abdicated the throne in favor of his father, King Norodom Suramarit.

50 years ago
1965

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Survivors, with guest stars Ruth White, Louise Sorel, and Lloyd Gough

At the movies
The Sound of Music received its world premiere screening at the Rivoli Theatre in New York (see video).



Space
AC-5, the fifth flight of the Atlas-Centaur engineering test vehicle, failed when the rocket rose a few feet and then fell back onto the pad at Launch Complex 36A at Cape Kennedy, Florida, and exploded.







War
The U.S. and South Vietnamese Air Force began Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

Scandal
Lucien Rivard, jailed while fighting extradition to the United States on narcotics charges, escaped from a Montreal prison using a garden hose to climb a prison wall. Mr. Rivard had asked to use the hose for the purpose of flooding the prison yard to create an ice rink, although the temperature was well above freezing. He faced charges of bribery connected with the escape, resulting in the resignation of Canadian Justice Minister Guy Favreau.

40 years ago
1975

Died on this date
J.M. Kariuki, 45. Kenyan politician. Mr. Kariuki was a socialist who held various positions in the government of President Jomo Kenyatta from 1963 until his assassination in Nairobi. A Parliamentary Select Committee implicated senior police officers, administrative officers, and politicians in the assassination, but no one was ever punished. Mr. Kariuki had been a vocal critic of government corruption and had often been mentioned as a likely successor to Mr. Kenyatta. Mr. Kariuki's assassination touched off street protests by university students and the subsequent closing of the University of Nairobi for several years.

Heidi Biggs, 14. U.S. cancer patient. Miss Biggs, a resident of Belleville, Illinois, had expressed a desire to visit Hawaii. Russell Perry, a resident of Sudbury, Ontario, had heard of this, and paid for a trip to Hawaii for Miss Biggs and her mother. Mrs. Biggs and Heidi had flown to Hawaii on February 16 and had several enjoyable days before Heidi fell seriously ill, and was confined to her hotel room before returning home. Miss Biggs died shortly after arrival at the hospital in Belleveille, less than an hour after landing.

Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier (32-2) scored a technical knockout of former World Boxing Association world heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis (39-12-1) at 59 seconds of the 9th round at St.Kilda Junction Oval in, Melbourne. Mr. Frazier had scored a 5-round TKO of Mr. Ellis 5 years earlier to unify the title after being recognized as champion by the athletic commissions of six U.S. states, including New York.



30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Noi Ragazzi Di Oggi--Luis Miguel (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Shout--Tears for Fears

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Shout--Tears for Fears (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Know Him So Well--Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: I Know Him So Well--Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Careless Whisper--Wham! featuring George Michael (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Careless Whisper--Wham! (3rd week at #1)
2 Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)
3 California Girls--David Lee Roth
4 Loverboy--Billy Ocean
5 Can't Fight This Feeling--REO Speedwagon
6 Sugar Walls--Sheena Easton
7 I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner
8 The Heat is On--Glenn Frey
9 Mr. Telephone Man--New Edition
10 The Old Man Down the Road--John Fogerty

Singles entering the chart were Crazy for You by Madonna (#45); We Close Our Eyes by Go West (#74); Smooth Operator by Sade (#88); and Change by John Waite (#89). Crazy for You was from the movie Vision Quest (1985).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner (2nd week at #1)
2 Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)
3 Neutron Dance--Pointer Sisters
4 Careless Whisper--Wham! featuring George Michael
5 You're the Inspiration--Chicago
6 Loverboy--Billy Ocean
7 Method of Modern Love--Daryl Hall John Oates
8 California Girls--David Lee Roth
9 All I Need--Jack Wagner
10 Solid--Ashford & Simpson

Singles entering the chart were Take Me with U by Prince and the Revolution (with Apollonia) (#81); Whose Side are You On? by Matt Bianco (#90); Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge (#91); Obsession by Animotion (#93); Why Can't I Have You by the Cars (#94); Second Nature by Dan Hartman (#95); Keeping the Faith by Billy Joel (#96); Stay in the Light by Honeymoon Suite (#97); and Shades of '45 by Gary O' (#98).

Health
The U.S. government approved a screening test for AIDS that detected antibodies to the virus, allowing possibly contaminated blood to be excluded from the blood supply.

Hockey
NHL
New Islanders 2 @ Toronto 4

Jeff Brubaker scored 2 goals to lead the Maple Leafs to their upset win in the national Hockey Night in Canada telecast.

25 years ago
1990

Politics and government
At a meeting in Zambia, the executive committee of the African National Congress named Nelson Mandela the ANC’s Deputy President. Because ANC President Oliver Tambo was ill, Mr. Mandela in effect became the ANC leader.

Law
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Manitoba Metis Federation could go to court to claim Red River Valley land promised in the 1870s.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the leading economic indicators were unchanged in January.

Swimming
Mark Tewksbury of Canada swam the 50-metre backstroke in a world record time of 25.06 seconds.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Club Bizarre--U96 (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Henry Gregor Felsen, 78. U.S. author. Mr. Felsen wrote numerous books and stories, but was best known for novels such as Hot Rod (1950); Street Rod (1953); Crash Club (1958); and Boy Gets Car (1960), as well as humourous novels featuring the character Bertie Poddle.

War
400 Italian soldiers assisted in the evacuation of United Nations peacekeepers from the Somali capital of Mogadishu. U.S. Marines killed and wounded several Somalis, as clans competed for areas vacated by the UN.

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted 66-34 in favour of an amendment to the Constitution requiring that the federal budget be balanced, one vote short of the two-thirds majority required. 14 Democrats voted with the Republican majority, but Mark Hatfield (Oregon) was the only Republican who voted against the amendment, angering his Republican colleagues.

Scandal
Former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti was ordered to stand trial on charges of Mafia membership.

Science
Researchers at Fermilab in Illinois announced the discovery of the top quark.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York bought up to $300 million worth of U.S. dollars in an effort to boost the currency.

Baseball
The major league spring training exhibition season opened, with all teams except the Baltimore Orioles using replacement players.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Martin Denny, 93. U.S. musician. Mr. Denny was a native of New York who was raised in Los Angeles and moved to Hawaii in 1954 and began using Hawaiian sounds in his music. He became known as the "father of exotica," and had a major hit with his single Quiet Village (1959).

Rick Mahler, 51. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Mahler played with the Atlanta Braves (1979-1988, 1991); Cincinnati Reds (1989-1990); and Montreal Expos (1991), compiling a record of 96-111 with an earned run average of 3.99. His best season was 1985, when he was 17-15 with a 3.48 ERA. Mr. Mahler was 7-6 with 4 saves with the Reds when they won the World Series in 1990. Mr. Mahler's brother Mickey was also a major league pitcher, and the brothers were teammates in 1979. Rick Mahler died of a heart attack at home in Jupiter, Florida, while preparing for his second season as a minor league pitching coach in the New York Mets' organization.