March 27, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Beth Nyambura!

170 years ago
1845

Born on this date
Jakob Sverdrup. Norwegian clergyman and politician. Mr. Sverdrup, the nephew of Prime Minister Johan Sverdrup, was a Lutheran vicar who joined the Liberal Party, and later, the Moderate Liberal Party. He was first elected to Parliament in 1877, and served as Minister of Church Affairs (1885-1886, 1888, 1898) and Minister of Auditing (1886-1888). Mr. Sverdrup was appointed Bishop of Bjørgvin in 1898, but was unable to take up the post because of declining health; he died on June 11, 1899 at the age of 54.

Wilhelm Roentgen. German physicist. Dr. Roentgen pioneered the use of X-rays, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics for 1901. He died on February 10, 1923 at the age of 77.

160 years ago
1855

Technology
Abraham Gesner, an inventor from Halifax, Nova Scotia, received U.S. patents for his kerosene distillation process. He and a group of investors subsequently set up North American Kerosene Gas Light Company, to market the new lamp fuel that would completely replace whale oil.

125 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Harald Julin. Swedish swimmer and water polo player. Mr. Julin won a bronze medal in the men's 100-metre freestyle swimming competition at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. He was a member of the water polo team that won the bronze medal at the 1908 Olympics; the silver medal at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm; and the bronze medal at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. Mr. Julin died on July 31, 1967 at the age of 77.

Disasters
76 people were killed and 200 injured when a tornado struck Louisville, Kentucky.

90 years ago
1925

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal Canadiens (NHL) 4 @ Victoria Cougars (WCHL) 2 (Victoria led best-of-five series 2-1)

80 years ago
1935

Died on this date
Huzaima bint Nasser of Syria, 50 or 51. Queen of Syria, 1920; Queen of Iraq, 1921-1933. Queen Huzaima was the wife of Faisal, who was proclaimed King of Syria in March 1920. The Kingdom of Syria was dissolved four months later, but Faisal was named King of Iraq, with Huzaima as Queen, in 1921. When King Faisal died in 1933, he was succeeded by his son Ghazi, and Huzaima became queen mother of Iraq.

Politics and government
British author John Buchan was created Lord Tweedsmuir as he was announced as the next Governor General of Canada. He officially replaced the Earl of Bessborough in the office on November 2, 1935.

75 years ago
1940

Died on this date
Michael Savage, 68. Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1935-1940. Mr. Savage, a native of Australia who emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 35, led the first N.Z. Labour Party government, and was the architect of the country's welfare state. He represented Auckland West in the House of Representatives from 1919, and led the Labour Party from 1933, until his death from colon cancer four days after his 68th birthday. Mr. Savage was succeeded as Prime Minister by Peter Fraser.

War
Evacuation of about 100,000 people from areas ceded to the U.S.S.R. by Finland officially ended at midnight.

World events
The Bolivian government of President Gualberto Villarroel suppressed a leftist revolt in La Paz.

Defense
U.S. War Secretary Harry Woodring revealed the government's plan to sell 1,200 planes to the U.K. and France.

Diplomacy
The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved an investigation of foreign propaganda in the United States.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved and sent to President Franklin D. Roosevelt the Starnes bill providing for deportation of any alien engaged in espionage or propaganda.

Politics and government
Finnish Prime Minister Risto Ryti organized a peacetime cabinet.

Leaders of the Progressive Republican Clubs in Wisconsin refused to endorse New York District Attorney Thomas Dewey as the party's nominee for President of the United States in the November 1940 election.

70 years ago
1945

War
Argentina declared war on Japan and Germany. British units broke through German defenses around Brunen at the northern end of of the front, and plunged eastward across the Westphalian front. Soviet troops drove to within 20 miles of the Austro-Hungarian border. U.S. troops in the Philippines captured Cebu City and its port facilities. Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan's ports and waterways, began.

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the compromise job bill giving extensive power to Office of War Mobilization Director James Byrnes and sent it to the Senate.

60 years ago
1955

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Silver Blaze

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I'll Never Find Another You--The Seekers (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Toujours des Beaux Jours--Sheila

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Io che non vivo--Pino Donaggio (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Downtown--Petula Clark

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Letkiss--Gudrun Jankis; Stig Rauno; Dutch College Swing Band (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Last Time--The Rolling Stones (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Stop! In the Name of Love--The Supremes

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Stop! In the Name of Love--The Supremes
2 The Birds and the Bees--Jewel Akens
3 King of the Road--Roger Miller
4 Can't You Hear My Heartbeat--Herman's Hermits
5 Eight Days a Week--The Beatles
6 Ferry Cross the Mersey--Gerry & the Pacemakers
7 Goldfinger--Shirley Bassey
--[John Barry and his Orchestra]
8 Shotgun--Jr. Walker and the All Stars
9 Red Roses for a Blue Lady--Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra
10 This Diamond Ring--Gary Lewis and the Playboys

Singles entering the chart were The Last Time by the Rolling Stones (#71); Ooo Baby Baby by the Miracles (#72); Double-O-Seven by the Detergents (#80); Come Back Baby by Roddie Joy (#81); Crazy Downtown by Allan Sherman (#82); You Can Have Him by Dionne Warwick (#83); Why Did I Choose You by Barbra Streisand (#86); Somebody Else is Taking My Place (#87)/With All My Heart (#99) by Al Martino; That'll Be the Day by the Everly Brothers (#90); Baby the Rain Must Fall by Glenn Yarbrough (#91); Hawaii Honeymoon by the Waikikis (#93); I'll Never Find Another You by the Seekers (#95); Whipped Cream by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass (#96); I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night by George and Gene (#97); The Entertainer by Tony Clarke (#98); and This is It by Jim Reeves (#100). George and Gene were George Jones and Gene Pitney.

On television tonight
Sherlock Holmes, starring Douglas Wilmer and Nigel Stock, on BBC 1
Tonight's episode: The Six Napoleons

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Bye Bye Baby--Bay City Rollers

Died on this date
Arthur Bliss, 83. U.K. composer. Sir Arthur composed various choral and orchestral works. He became music director of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the 1940s, and served as Master of the Queen's Music from 1953 until his death.

Oil
Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System began.

Hockey
WHA
Winnipeg 0 @ Houston 8

Gordie Howe scored 2 goals and 2 assists and his son Mark added a goal and an assist as the Aeros routed the Jets before 7,829 fans at Sam Houston Coliseum.

Basketball
NBA
Kansas City-Omaha 103 @ Golden State 111

Rick Barry scored 34 points and Derrek Dickey grabbed 23 rebounds to lead the Warriors over the Kings before 12,787 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena.

Baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates released pitcher Steve Blass, three days after he walked 8 batters in the 4th inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox. Mr. Blass played with the Pirates in 1964 and 1966-1974, compiling a record of 103-76 with an earned run average of 3.63. He won 2 games in the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, including the seventh game, and was 19-8 in 1972. In 1973, Mr. Blass suddenly lost his control--walking 84 batters in 88 2/3 innings--and was never able to regain it.

The St. Louis Cardinals released second baseman Ron Hunt. Mr. Hunt played with the New York Mets (1963-1966); Los Angeles Dodgers (1967); San Francisco Giants (1968-1970); and Montreal Expos (1971-1974) before joining the Cardinals in September 1974. He batted .273 with 39 home runs and 370 runs batted in in 1,483 games. Mr. Hunt was best known for his ability to get hit by pitches; he led the National League in each of his last 7 seasons, setting a major league single-season record in 1971 with 50. His career total of 243 was the major league record until it was broken by Don Baylor in 1987.

The Atlanta Braves released catcher Paul Casanova. The Cuban native played with the Washington Senators (1965-1971) before joining the Braves in 1972. He batted .225 with 50 home runs and 252 runs batted in in 859 games.

The Texas Rangers released pitcher Bob Johnson, three days after he gave up 4 hits and 4 runs--all earned--in 1 inning in a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins. Mr. Johnson had pitched with four major league teams from 1969-1974, compiling a record of 28-33 before joining the Rangers after the 1974 season. He was a teammate of Mr. Blass with the Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series championship team in 1971.

30 years ago
1985

Scandal
Tulane University basketball player John "Hot Rod" Williams was arrested and indicted on two counts of sports bribery and three counts of conspiracy. According to his indictment, Mr. Williams had accepted at least $8,550 for manipulating point spreads in Metro Conference games against Southern Mississippi, Memphis State, and Virginia Tech. The case ended in a mistrial, after which the charges were dropped.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (Hot Press): Take That Look Off Your Face--Marti Webb

30 years ago
1990

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Faith

The United States began broadcasting TV Martí--a network broadcasting propaganda against the Cuban dictatorship of Fidel Castro--to Cuba.

Died on this date
Percy Beard, 82. U.S. hurdler and coach. Mr. Beard set a world record time of 1.2 seconds in the 120-metre hurdles in 1931, and tied the record in 1934. He won a silver medal in the men's 110-metre hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Mr. Beard was track and field coach of the University of Florida Gators from 1937-1964, and used his civil engineering background to design all-weather tracks. He was inducted into the U.S. National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1981.

Marilyn Buferd, 65. U.S. actress. Miss Buferd, representing California, was Miss America for 1946. Her undistinguished movie career included The Unearthly (1957) and Queen of Outer Space (1958).

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. government ordered all foreigners to leave Lithuania.

Protest
Two days of fighting began between Negro factions in South Africa.

Politics and government
The outgoing Sandanista government of Nicaragua signed an agreement recognizing recently-elected President Violetta Chamorro's right to have full authority over the army and security forces.

Economics and finance
Provincial finance ministers declined to help the government of Canada collect the goods and services tax, scheduled to go into effect on January 18, 1991.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Your Loving Arms--Billy Ray Martin

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Quiero volar--G.E.M. (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Think Twice--Celine Dion (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Conquest of Paradise--Vangelis (7th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Strong Enough--Sheryl Crow (2nd week at #1)
2 Take a Bow--Madonna
3 I Know--Dionne Farris
4 She's a River--Simple Minds
5 The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead--Crash Test Dummies
6 You Lose You Gain--John Bottomley
7 O Siem--Susan Aglukark
8 Believe--Elton John
9 Mishale--Andru Donalds
10 Gel--Collective Soul

Singles entering the chart were I Go Wild by the Rolling Stones (#74); I Believe by Blessed Union of Soul (#81); Star 69 by R.E.M. (#82); Fly from Heaven by Toad the Wet Sprocket (#83); I Live My Life for You by Firehouse (#84); Lusitana by the Watchmen (#85); Love the One You're With by Luther Vandross (#87); The Old Neighbourhood by Mike Shields (#92); Anything for You by Snow featuring Nadine Sutherland, Beenie Man, Buju Banton Terror Fabulous, Louie Culture & Kulture Knox (#93); Grey Dusk of Eve by the Rankin Family (#96); and The Blue Train by Linda Ronstadt (#97).

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1994 were presented at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The awards for Forrest Gump included Best Picture; Best Director (Robert Zemeckis); and Best Actor (Tom Hanks). Other awards included: Best Actress--Jessica Lange (Blue Sky); Martin Landau (Ed Wood); Dianne Wiest (Bullets Over Broadway); and Foreign Language Film--Burnt by the Sun.



Died on this date
Tony Lovink, 92. High Commissioner of the Crown in the Dutch East Indies (Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies), 1949. Mr. Lovink was the last person to represent the Dutch Crown in the Dutch East Indies before they gained their independence as Indonesia in 1949.

Business
Bell Canada said that it would slash 10,000 jobs over three years while spending $1.7 billion Canadian to remake Canada's largest phone company.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Grant Johannesen, 83. U.S. musician and teacher. Mr. Johannesen was a concert pianist who specialized in the music of French composers and performed internationally; he was especially popular in Moscow. Mr. Johannesen was director of the Cleveland Institute of Music (1974-1985) and was a frequent soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Utah Symphony. He died while visiting friends in Germany.