March 23, 2015

475 years ago
1540

Religion
Waltham Abbey was surrendered to King Henry VIII of England; it was the last religious community to be closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

240 years ago
1775

Politics and government
Patrick Henry called for America's independence from Britain, saying "Give me liberty, or give me death!" in an address to the Virginia Provincial Convention at St. John's Episcopal Church in Richmond.

150 years ago
1865

Born on this date
Hart O. Berg. U.S. engineer. Mr. Berg worked with Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in the 1890s, helping to develop the revolver and the machine gun. He represented American automobile interests in Europe from the late 1890s until the late 1900s, but was best known for representing the Wright Brothers in Europe from the late 1900s until parting ways with them around 1912. Mr. Berg was credited with selling the airplane to Europe. He travelled back and forth between the United States and Europe for many years thereafter, representing various business interests. Mr. Berg died on December 9, 1941 at the age of 76, after a long illness.

Defense
The British Parliament voted £50,000 for Canadian defense, after the Union ship Kearsarge sank the U.K.-built Confederate ship Alabama during the U.S. Civil War.

130 years ago
1885

War
In the Sino-French War, Chinese forces won the Battle of Phu Lam Tao near Hung Hoa in northern Vietnam.

125 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Cedric Gibbons. U.S. art director and production designer. Mr. Gibbons worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios from 1924-1956, and was credited with work on over 1,500 movies. He was one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and designed the Oscar statuette. Mr. Gibbons was nominated for 39 Academy Awards, and won 11; he was inducted into the Art Directors Hall of Fame in 2005. Mr. Gibbons died after a long illness on July 26, 1960 at the age of 70.

90 years ago
1925

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal Canadiens (NHL) 1 Victoria Cougars (WCHL) 3 @ Vancouver (Victoria led best-of-five series 2-0)

The game was played at Denman Arena in Vancouver instead of Patrick Arena in Victoria because of a huge demand for tickets.

80 years ago
1935

Law
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was signed.

75 years ago
1940

Politics and government
A slate of candidates supporting U.S. Vice President John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner for the 1940 Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States was filed in California, challenging the slate filed in favour of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The New Zealand Labour Party began a meeting in Wellington to determine its stance toward the European war.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau ruled that Allied money advanced to U.S. industry for expansion was a gift, and thus not taxable.

Hockey
NHL
Kilby MacDonald, a left wing with the New York Rangers, was named the winner of the Calder Trophy as the top rookie for the 1939-40 season after scoring 15 goals and 13 assists in 44 games.

70 years ago
1945

War
The United States House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a bill to extend the Selective Service Act for one year beyond May 15, 1945. Soviet troops reached the Baltic coast between Danzig and Gdynia, splitting the German forces defending the two ports. U.S. forces in the Philippines advanced to within 10 miles of Baguio, the summer capital of Luzon.

Politics and government
The French cabinet said that French Indochina would get partial self-government after the end of World War II, and that its citizens would be declared citizens of the "French Union," which would include France and all parts of "the imperial community."

The United States Senate rejected the nomination of Aubrey Williams as Rural Electrification Administration administrator after a heated debate over his alleged Communist connections, particularly his service with the Southern Conference for Human Welfare.

Medicine
Dr. Norbert Fell of Parke, Davis, & Company secured a patent on a method to control hay fever, asthma, and similar allergies by use of an antigen for building resistance to allergic reactions.

Health
The United States Census Bureau reported that the death rate from cancer in the U.S. had more than doubled since 1900.

60 years ago
1955

Died on this date
Artur da Silva Bernardes, 79. 12th President of Brazil, 1922-1926. Mr. Bernardes was Governor of Minas Gerais from 1918-1922 before taking office as President, where he faced a military rebellion and spent much of his reign under a state of siege.

Politics and government
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower held a news conference, addressing topics that included the possible use of nuclear weapons.



50 years ago
1965

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Masquerade, with guest stars Norma Crane and Edward Asner

Died on this date
Mae Murray, 79. U.S. actress. Miss Murray, born Marie Koenig, was nicknamed The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "The Gardenia of the Screen" during her time as a star of silent movies from 1916 through the end of the 1920s. Her few sound movies were unsuccessful, and she disappeared into obscurity, and spent much of her later life in poverty.

Space
Gemini 3, the first U.S. two-man mission, with Gus Grissom (Command Pilot) and John Young (Pilot) aboard, lifted off from Cape Kennedy, Florida and splashed down almost 5 hours later after completing 3 Earth orbits.





Journalism
The first issue of the Sudanese English-language newspaper The Vigilant was published in Khartoum.

40 years ago
1975

Diplomacy
Peace talks between Israel and Egypt broke down, and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger returned to the United States.

Baseball
The Cleveland Indians, trailing 7-1 after 4½ innings, scored at least 2 runs in each of their last 4 innings to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 12-8 in a spring training game before 6,249 fans in Tucson, Arizona, the largest crowd ever to see the Indians play there. The main attraction was the first appearance of new Cleveland manager Frank Robinson as a player; he flied out, walked, and scored a run as the Indians' designated hitter before pinch hitting for himself with Leron Lee, who batted 3 for 3 with a double and 3 runs. Hank Aaron, in his first year with the Milwaukee, started as the Brewers' designated hitter and batted 1 for 2, doubling in a run.

George "Doc" Medich allowed just 4 hits in 7 innings as the New York Yankees blanked the Detroit Tigers 5-0 in a spring training game before 5,451 fans in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Alex Johnson's 2-run home run off Detroit starting pitcher Vern Ruhle in the 2nd inning gave the Yankees all the runs they needed.

The Montreal Expos scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to defeat the Texas Rangers 8-7 in a spring training game before 2,157 fans in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bob Bailey led the Expos with a single, double, home run, and 3 runs batted in, while Gary Carter also homered for Montreal. Jeff Burroughs hit 2 home runs for Texas.

In what turned out to be a preview of the 1975 World Series matchup, the Cincinnati Reds scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning as they defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-3 in a spring training game before 4,528 fans in Tampa, Florida. Johnny Bench hit a 2-run home run for the Reds, while former Red Deron Johnson, playing left field, hit a solo homer for Boston. Gary Nolan, who had missed almost two full seasons because of arm trouble, allowed 7 hits and 3 runs--2 earned--in getting the win on the mound for the Reds. Don Aase allowed 6 hits and 5 runs--2 earned--in taking the loss.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Una Storia Importante--Eros Ramazzotti (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): You're My Heart, You're My Soul--Modern Talking

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): This is Not America--David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)

#1 single in the U.K.: Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Can't Fight This Feeling--REO Speedwagon (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Can't Fight This Feeling--REO Speedwagon (2nd week at #1)
2 Material Girl--Madonna
3 One More Night--Phil Collins
4 The Heat is On--Glenn Frey
5 Careless Whisper--Wham!
6 Lovergirl--Teena Marie
7 Too Late for Goodbyes--Julian Lennon
8 California Girls--David Lee Roth
9 Sugar Walls--Sheena Easton
10 Private Dancer--Tina Turner

Singles entering the chart were We are the World by USA for Africa (#14); Everything She Wants by Wham! (#44); Vox Humania by Kenny Loggins (#53); Suddenly by Billy Ocean (#62); Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody by David Lee Roth (#75); Baby Come and Get It by the Pointer Sisters (#77); Fresh by Kool & The Gang (#78); Things Can Only Get Better by Howard Jones (#82); 'Til My Baby Comes Home by Luther Vandross (#83); Swear by Sheena Easton (#87); and Never Ending Story by Limahl (#88). Never Ending Story was from the movie The NeverEnding Story (1984).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 One More Night--Phil Collins
2 Neutron Dance--Pointer Sisters
3 Shout--Tears for Fears
4 I Want to Know What Love Is--Foreigner
5 Careless Whisper--Wham! featuring George Michael
6 Easy Lover--Philip Bailey (with Phil Collins)
7 Solid--Ashford & Simpson
8 You're the Inspiration--Chicago
9 Can't Fight This Feeling--REO Speedwagon
10 Jungle Love--The Time

Singles entering the chart were Tears are Not Enough by Northern Lights (#69); Smooth Operator by Sade (#83); Rock and Roll Girls by John Fogerty (#85); That was Yesterday by Foreigner (#88); (Make Me Do) Anything You Want by Helix (#94); Emotion by Barbra Streisand (#98); and Welcome to the Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (#99).

25 years ago
1990

At the movies
Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. government ordered Western diplomats to leave Lithuania and restricted entry of foreigners into that country.

World events
The Nicaraguan Contras agreed to dismantle their camps in Honduras; those in Nicaragua would gather in United Nations-supervised security zones until they were absorbed into civilian life.

Politics and government
Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon said that he would not ask his province’s legislature to approve the Meech Lake Canadian constitutional accord until its "flaws" had been addressed. In Quebec, Premier Robert Bourassa reiterated his refusal to negotiate any other constitutional changes until Meech Lake was ratified, adding that any attempt by the other provinces to discuss a companion agreement without Quebec’s participation would be "an anti-Quebec strategy."

Environment
The day after being found guilty in an Alaska court of negligent discharge of oil when the oil tanker Exxon Valdez dumped 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound in 1989, the ship’s captain, Joseph Hazelwood, was sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service and ordered to make a "token restitution" of $50,000 over time.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Poison--The Prodigy

Died on this date
Jerry Lester, 85. U.S. entertainer. Mr. Lester was a nightclub comic and singer who briefly replaced Jack Carter as host of the television variety program Cavalcade of Stars in 1950, and soon became the first host of the late-night talk and variety show Broadway Open House. He left the program in 1951, and appeared and hosted various shows until he retired from show business in 1975 after developing Alzheimer's disease.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
David Kossoff, 85. U.K. actor. Mr. Kossoff appeared in plays, movies, and television programs, but was best known for playing Alf Larkin in the television comedy series The Larkins (1958-1960, 1963-1964) and playing Professor Kokintz in the movies The Mouse that Roared (1959) and Mouse on the Moon (1963). Mr. Kossoff spent his later years campaigning against the use of drugs, as a result of the death in 1976 of his 25-year-old son Paul, lead guitarist with the rock group Free, who died of a pulmonary embolism after years of battling drug addiction. David Kossoff died of liver cancer.

Disasters
During a test on a distillation tower at British Petroleum's refinery in Texas City, Texas, liquid waste built up and flowed out of a blowout tower. Waste fumes ignited and exploded, killing 15 workers and injuring more than 170.