March 6, 2015

1,825 years ago
190

Died on this date
Shao, 13 or 14. Emperor of China, 189. Shao, born Liu Bian, succeeded his father Ling as Emperor of the Han dynasty at the approximate age of 13, reigning under a regency from May 15-September 28, 189. He was deposed by warlord Dong Zhuo, who then installed Emperor Shao's half-brother Liu Xie on the throne as Emperor Xian, with the deposed Shao being given the title Prince of Hongnong. In 190, Dong Zhuo became afraid that rebellious warlords would attempt to restore Shao to the throne; Dong Zhuo thus sent his adviser Li Ru to force the Prince of Hongnong to commit suicide by drinking poisoned wine.

1,170 years ago
845

Abominations
42 Byzantine officials who had been captured in the Sack of Amorium in 838 were executed by the Abbasid Caliphate for refusing to convert to Islam.

350 years ago
1665

Journalism
The first joint Secretary of the Royal Society, Henry Oldenburg, published the first issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Pete Gray. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Gray, born Peter Wyshner, was an outfielder who played major league baseball despite having lost his right arm above the elbow in a childhood accident. Mr. Gray played 77 games with the St. Louis Browns in 1945, batting .218 with no home runs and 13 runs batted in. He had been a successful player in the minor leagues from 1942-1944, but major league pitchers took advantage of his inability to adjust to breaking pitches. Mr. Gray concluded his playing career in the minors in 1946 and 1948-1949. He died on June 30, 2002 at the age of 87.

90 years ago
1925

Labour
12,000 coal miners in Truro, Nova Scotia began a strike that lasted until August 6, 1925.

80 years ago
1935

Died on this date
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 93. U.S. jurist. Mr. Holmes was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902-1932, and acting Chief Justice in February 1930. He was nicknamed "The Great Dissenter," although he usually sided with the majority on the Court. Mr. Holmes rejected the idea of "natural law," arguing in favour of experience as a guide in legal matters. He died two days before his 94th birthday.

75 years ago
1940

War
Reports from Stockholm indicated that new Soviet peace offers had been made to Finland through the Swedish government. Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced plans to recruit an additional 90,000 men for military service by June 1941.

Diplomacy
Charles Rist of France and Frank Ashton-Gwatkin of the U.K. arrived in Washington for economic conferences with U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill providing for increased military plane production by a larger section of industry.

Economics and finance
France and Italy signed a one-year trade agreement.

Agriculture
The wartime Agricultural Supplies Board was founded by the Canadian government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King.

Basketball
NCAA
Stanley Modzeleinski of Rhode Island State University set a new intercollegiate scoring record for a single season with 495 points.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Rudolf Karel, 64. Czech composer. Mr. Karel wrote four symphonies, three operas, and other orchestral and chamber works. He participated in the resistance against German occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War II, and was arrested by the Nazis. Mr. Karel worked on his opera Three Hairs of the Wise Old Man while interned at Pankrác concentration camp, using a pencil or medicinal charcoal to write on toilet paper, and passing the 240 sheets to a friendly warden; his pupil Zbynek Vostrak completed the orchestrations after his death. Mr. Karel was transferred to Theresienstadt concentration camp in February 1945, and died there of dysentery.

War
U.S. forces captured Cologne, Germany's fourth-largest city. After a two-day advance of 29 miles, Soviet troops entered Cammin, 36 miles northeast of Stettin. U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima made small gains on the left and centre flanks of their lines.

Politics and government
Dr. Petre Groza formed a new Romanian cabinet with himself as Prime Minister.

World events
It was reported from Paris that French police had released British author P.G. Wodehouse from "preventive detention." Mr. Wodehouse had been detained for making radio broadcasts while a captive of the Nazis.

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee recommended the extension of the Lend-Lease Act for another year beyond its June 30, 1945 expiration date.

Business
The U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission ruled illegal Allegheny Corporation's control of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad; New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad; and Pere Marquette Railroad.

Montgomery Ward and Company filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking a review of the decision handed down in January by the U.S. District Court in Chicago. Federal Judge Philip Sullivan had ruled that the U.S. Army seizure of Montgomery Ward properties in seven localities was illegal. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had ordered the seizure because of Montgomery Ward's refusal to obey National War Labor Board orders.

Football
NCAA
The University of Notre Dame named Hugh Devore as acting head football coach and athletic director.

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Under the Boardwalk/Walking the Dog--The Rolling Stones (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Les Filles de mon Pays--Enrico Macias (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Le colline sono in fiore--The New Christy Minstrels (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Kleine Annabell--Ronny (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Letkiss--Gudrun Jankis; Stig Rauno (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): It's Not Unusual--Tom Jones

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): My Girl--The Temptations

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Eight Days a Week--The Beatles
2 This Diamond Ring--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
3 My Girl--The Temptations
4 King of the Road--Roger Miller
5 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'--The Righteous Brothers
6 Tell Her No--The Zombies
7 Downtown--Petula Clark
8 The Jolly Green Giant--The Kingsmen
9 The Birds and the Bees--Jewel Akens
10 Ferry Cross the Mersey--Gerry & the Pacemakers

Singles entering the chart were Red Roses for a Blue Lady by Wayne Newton (#37, charting with the version by Vic Dana); Long Lonely Nights by Bobby Vinton (#68); Come See by Major Lance (#73); Do You Wanna Dance? (#74)/Please Let Me Wonder (#85) by the Beach Boys; Got to Get You Off My Mind by Solomon Burke (#80); Pass Me By by Mike Douglas (#90, charting with the version by Peggy Lee); 4--By the Beatles (EP) (#92); Teasin' You by Willie Tee (#94); You Can't Hurt Me No More by Gene Chandler (#95); Poor Man's Son by the Reflections (#98); Be My Baby by Dick and DeeDee (#99); and Not Too Long Ago by the Uniques (#100). The songs on 4--By the Beatles were Honey Don't; I'm a Loser; Mr. Moonlight; and Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby, all taken from the album Beatles '65.

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

At the movies
Nightmare in the Sun, co-written, co-produced, and directe by Marc Lawrence, and starring Ursula Andress, John Derek, Aldo Ray, and Arthur O'Connell, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Margaret Dumont, 82. U.S. actress. Miss Dumont, born Daisy Juliette Baker, was known for her supporting performances in seven movie comedies starring the Marx Brothers. She died eight days after taping a broadcast of the television program The Hollywood Palace, in which she was reunited with guest host Groucho Marx.

Politics and government
The Liberal and Country League government of South Australia was defeated by the Labour Party in the state election, ending a reign of 26 years and 4 months, all under Premier Tom Playford. Frank Walsh took office as Premier four days later.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)--Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel

On television tonight
Good Night America, hosted by Geraldo Rivera, on ABC

Guests Robert Groden and Dick Gregory showed the film made by Abraham Zapruder of the November 22, 1963 assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, the first time the film had been shown to a national television audience.

Died on this date
Glenn Hardin, 64. U.S. runner. Mr. Hardin won a silver medal in men's 400-metre hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles and a gold medal in the same event at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. His death came 18 days after the death of Morgan Taylor, the winner of the gold medal in men's 400-metre hurdles at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris and silver medals in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam and 1932 in Los Angeles.

Jacque MacKinnon, 36. U.S. football player. Mr. MacKinnon was a tight end and fullback with the San Diego Chargers (1961-1969) of the American Football League and Oakland Raiders (1970) of the National Football League, before coming out of retirement to play briefly with the Southern California Sun of the World Football League in 1974. He was an AFL All-Star in 1966 and 1968, and was a member of the Chargers' 1963 AFL championship team. Mr. MacKinnon was killed when he jumped over a tall fence, not knowing there was a construction site on the other side. He fell 30 feet and suffered fatal head injuries.

Billy Douglas, 19. U.S. football player. Mr. Douglas was a starting defensive back with Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina. While making a routine tackle during a spring practice scrimmage, he suffered a severed spinal cord resulting from a broken vertebra, and died two days later.

Diplomacy
Iran and Iraq signed the Algiers Agreement, a settlement of their border dispute.

Baseball
The Oakland Athletics released second baseman Dick Green, ending his career. Mr. Green had joined the Kansas City Athletics in 1963 and moved with the team to Oakland in 1968, batting .240 with 80 home runs and 422 runs batted in in 1,288 games. He was the starting second baseman for the Athletics in their World Series championships of 1972-1974, and was almost voted the most valuable player in the 1974 World Series because of his outstanding defensive play, despite batting 0 for 13.

The Kansas City Royals sold utility player Kurt Bevacqua to the Milwaukee Brewers for an undisclosed amount. Mr. Bevacqua was on the roster of the Omaha Royals of the American Association--Kansas City's top farm team--at the time of the deal, and he was assigned to the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League. He had split the 1974 season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Royals, batting just .114 in 18 games with Pittsburgh and .211 in 39 games with Kansas City.

30 years ago
1985

Theatre
Yul Brynner, 64, played his 4,500th performance as the king in The King and I at the Broadway Theatre on Broadway in New York. Mr. Brynner first played the role on March 29, 1951 at St. James Theatre.

Boxing
Mike Tyson (1-0) made his professional debut, scoring a technical knockout of Hector Mercedes (0-4) 1:47 into the 1st round of a heavyweight bout at Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, New York.

25 years ago
1990

Aviation
Ed Yielding and Joseph T. Vida set a transcontinental speed record, flying an SR-71 Blackbird 2,404 miles from Los Angeles to Virginia in 64 minutes, averaging 2,124 mph.

World events
The United States said that poison gas was being produced at a plant at Rabta, Libya, about 50 miles southwest of Tripoli.

Protest
Two days after the president of the South African "homeland" of Ciskei had been overthrown, protests had spread to four other homelands, led by activists sympathetic to the African National Congress. The militants clashed with police in the "homelands."

Diplomacy
Nicaraguan President-elect Violetta Chamorro met with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias in Costa Rica to discuss repatriation of the Nicaraguan Contras. Mrs. Chamorro said after the meeting that she would solve the Contra problem by declaring an amnesty, called for demilitarization of Central America, and said she would reduce Nicaragua’s army to a small police force.

Tennis
13-year-old Jennifer Capriati made her professional debut, defeating 28-year-old Mary Lou Daniels 7-6, 6-1 in Boca Raton, Florida.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: No More "I Love You's"--Annie Lennox

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Zombie--Ororo (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Think Twice--Celine Dion

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Conquest of Paradise--Vangelis (4th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Take a Bow--Madonna
2 Bang and Blame--R.E.M.
3 Strong Enough--Sheryl Crow
4 Mishale--Andru Donalds
5 When I Come Around--Green Day
6 She's a River--Simple Minds
7 The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead--Crash Test Dummies
8 Buddy Holly--Weezer
9 Better Man--Pearl Jam
10 I Know--Dionne Farris

Singles entering the chart were No More "I Love You's" by Annie Lennox (#54); Can't Stop Lovin' You by Van Halen (#71); Hold On by Jamie Walters (#83); Believe by Elton John (#84); Wonderdrug by Jann Arden (#85); If You Love Me by Brownstone (#88); Nautical Disaster by the Tragically Hip (#89); Lightning Crashes by Live (#90); For Your Love by Stevie Wonder (#93); Life, in a Nutshell by Barenaked Ladies (#94); and Mannequin by Wild Strawberries (#95).

War
Russian military headquarters claimed that Russian troops had pushed Chechen rebels from their last stronghold in Grozny, capital of the rebel republic of Chechnya.

Crime
Mexican officials charged former Mexican Deputy Attorney General Mario Ruiz Massieu with obstructing the investigation into the 1994 murder of his brother Jose, deputy leader of Mexico's governing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

Business
Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. agreed to pay U.S. $810 million for Texasgulf Inc. of North Carolina.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Hans Bethe, 98. German-born U.S. physicist. Dr. Bethe began his career in his native country, but left after the Nazis came to power in 1933, and within two years had settled in the United States, becoming a professor at Cornell University. He made important contributions to astrophysics, quantum electrodynamics and solid-state physics, and was awarded the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his contributions to the theory of nuclear reactions, especially his discoveries concerning the energy production in stars." Dr. Bethe worked on the development of the atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb, but later spoke out against nuclear weapons, while advocating the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He continued to publish scientific papers well into his 90s; physicist Freeman Dyson, one of his students, referred to Dr. Bethe as the "supreme problem-solver of the 20th century."

Teresa Wright, 86. U.S. actress. Miss Wright was one of the most appealing actresses of the 1940s, winning the Academy Award for her supporting performance in Mrs. Miniver (1942). Her other movies included The Little Foxes (1941); The Pride of the Yankees (1942); Shadow of a Doubt (1943); and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).

Danny Gardella, 85. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Gardella was a left fielder with the New York Giants (1944-1945) and St. Louis Cardinals (1950), batting .267 with 24 home runs and 85 runs batted in in 169 games. In 1946 he was one of several major league players who jumped to the Mexican League, which was offering more money than the major leagues. Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler responded with a five-year ban on players who jumped to the Mexican League for violating the reserve clause of their contracts. Mr. Gardella challenged the legality of the reserve clause in court, but accepted an offer of amnesty from Mr. Chandler in 1949. Mr. Gardella appeared in 1 game with the Cardinals in 1950, but was then sent back to the minor leagues, where he finished his career in 1951. He died eight days after his 85th birthday.