March 8, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Linda and Diane Woodhams!

160 years ago
1855

Died on this date
William Poole, 33. U.S. boxer and gangster. Mr. Poole, nicknamed "Bill the Butcher," founded the Washington Street Gang--later known as the Bowery Boys--in New York City in the 1840s. He was a bareknuckle boxer whose illegal fights went largely unrecorded; he was known for his dirty fighting style, and was also a skilled knife fighter. Mr. Poole was an opponent of New York's Tammany Hall political machine, and was the local leader of the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic Know Nothing Party. He died several days after being shot by two enforcers of John Morrissey, his Tammany Hall arch rival.

Canadiana
The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, the world's first working railway suspension bridge, opened, connecting Niagara Falls, Canada West, to Niagara Falls, New York. The first train crossed the bridge the following day.

140 years ago
1875

Economics and finance
The first official daily Toronto Stock Exchange report was published in the Toronto Globe.

120 years ago
1895

Hockey
AHAC
Montreal Victorias (6-2) 5 Montreal Crystals (3-4) 2

The Victorias clinched the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada championship with their win over the Crystals.

75 years ago
1940

War
A Finnish delegation headed by Prime Minister Risto Ryti left Helsinki for Moscow for peace negotiations. Japanese forces in China captured Shekki, the chief town of the Chungshan district.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Prentiss Brown (Democrat--Michigan) proposed that every employee of a company receiving federal grants or benefits be barred from making monetary contributions to political campaigns.

Scandal
George Spector, convicted of a bribery conspiracy with former U.S. Federal Judge Martin Morton, surrendered in federal court in New York City.

Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science reported the discovery of pantothenic acid, an essential vitamin for normal growth in animal and plant life.

Economics and finance
The Japanese foreign office stated that the $20-million U.S. loan to China through the Import-Export Bank was an unfriendly act.

A U.S. Federal Reserve Board official predicted that unless long-term credit expansion was obtained, the Board would not be able to cope with inflation.

Labour
American Federation of Labor President William Green called for renewed peace talks with the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Swimming
The Yale University team set a world record of 3:54.4 for the 400-metre relays.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Bligh Bond, 80. U.K. archaeologist and architect. Mr. Bond designed schools and large houses. In 1908, he was appointed by the Church of England to direct excavations of the medieval Glastonbury Abbey, and rediscovered the nature and dimensions of a number of buildings that had occupied the site before he was fired in 1921. Mr. Bond claimed to have employed psychical methods to make his discoveries, but his assertions met with much skepticism. He lived in the United States from 1926-1936, working with the American Society for Psychical Research and being consecrated as a bishop in the Old Catholic Church. Mr. Bond returned to England after breaking with the ASPR, and died of a heart attack.

War
Phyllis Mae Daley, the first Negro American nurse to serve in World War II, received her U.S. Navy commission. Soviet forces threw a 40-mile siege arc around Stettin and drove to within 6 miles of the port.

Diplomacy
The Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace closed in Mexico City after approving 60 resolutions strengthening the Western Hemisphere.

Labour
The United States Senate passed the O'Mahoney-Kilgore bill, a committee substitute for the May-Bailey bill, which gave the War Mobilization Commission power to mobilize workers for war production.

Disasters
The flood-swollen Ohio River caused 10 deaths and millions of dollars in damage to Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Yenka--Johnny & Charley (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Born to Be with You--Butch Moore

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Eight Days a Week--The Beatles
2 The Boy from New York City--The Ad Libs
3 Shakin' All Over--Chad Allan and the Expressions (Guess Who?)
4 Little Things--Bobby Goldsboro
5 Go Now!--The Moody Blues
6 My Girl--The Temptations
7 Goldfinger--Shirley Bassey
8 Come Home--The Dave Clark Five
9 It's About Time--Bobby Curtola
10 Ferry Cross the Mersey--Gerry & the Pacemakers

Singles entering the chart were Stop! In the Name of Love by the Supremes (#15); Do the Clam by Elvis Presley (#29); Stranger in Town by Del Shannon (#30); I'll Be the Boy by Jack London & the Sparrows (#31); I Must Be Seeing Things by Gene Pitney (#32); If I Loved You by Chad & Jeremy (#33); Ask the Lonely by the Four Tops (#34); Hobo by Wes Dakus (#35); Don't Mess Up a Good Thing by Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure (#36); Walk That Walk by David Clayton-Thomas (#37); People Get Ready by the Impressions (#38); Shotgun by Jr. Walker and the All Stars (#39); and Baby Ruth by Butterfingers (#40). I'll Be the Boy was the B-side of Dream On Dreamer.

On television tonight
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Death Scene, starring Vera Miles, John Carradine, and James Farentino

Music
Glen Campbell completed recording the song Guess I'm Dumb. Mr. Campbell, who had played on recording sessions with the Beach Boys, had recently toured with the group as a substitute for Brian Wilson, who had decided to quit touring in order to devote more time to writing songs and producing the records. Mr. Campbell had been invited to join the Beach Boys permanently, but turned down the offer in order to continue his pursuit of a career as a solo artist. The Beach Boys offered him the opportunity to record Guess I'm Dumb, written by Mr. Wilson and Russ Titelman, and produced and arranged by Mr. Wilson. The song sounds as though it had been written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; it was shortly thereafter released as a single on Capitol Records but failed to chart. Had Mr. Campbell chosen to remain with the Beach Boys, Guess I'm Dumb would have been a good addition to side 2 of their current album The Beach Boys Today!

War
The first U.S. combat troops--about 3,500 Marines--arrived in Vietnam.

Academia
The Newfoundland government of Premier Joey Smallwood granted free tuition to all Newfoundland first-year students at Memorial University of Newfoundland, becoming the first provincial government in Canada to make such a move.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Un corpo e un'anima--Wess & Dori Ghezzi (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): 100 Years--Joey Dyser (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: If--Telly Savalas

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Have You Never Been Mellow--Olivia Newton-John

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Have You Never Been Mellow--Olivia Newton-John
2 My Eyes Adored You--Frankie Valli
3 Pick Up the Pieces--Average White Band
4 Lady Marmalade--LaBelle
5 Black Water--The Doobie Brothers
6 Lovin' You--Minnie Riperton
7 Lady--Styx
8 Roll on Down the Highway--Bachman-Turner Overdrive
9 Best of My Love--The Eagles
10 Lonely People--America

Singles entering the chart were Philadelphia Freedom by the Elton John Band (#50); What am I Gonna Do with You by Barry White (#56); Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan (#80); Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of a New Day) by Jethro Tull (#83); Beer Barrel Polka by Bobby Vinton (#85); My Little Lady by Bloodstone (#87); He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) by Tony Orlando and Dawn (#88); Swing Your Daddy by Jim Gilstrap (#89); Bump Me Baby (Part 1) by Dooley Silverspoon (#92); Only One Woman by Nigel Olsson (#96); Theme from "The Prophet" (Pleasure is a Freedom Song/On Love) by Richard Harris (#97); Sorry Doesn't Always Make it Right by Diana Ross (#98);and The Pill by Loretta Lynn (#99).

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Best of My Love--The Eagles (2nd week at #1)

Winnipeg's Top 30 (CFRW)
1 Have You Never Been Mellow--Olivia Newton-John
2 Changes--David Bowie
3 Mandy--Barry Manilow
4 Black Water--The Doobie Brothers
5 You're No Good--Linda Ronstadt
6 Roll on Down the Highway--Bachman-Turner Overdrive
7 Some Kind of Wonderful--Grand Funk
8 Lonely People--America
9 Lady--Styx
10 Boogie On Reggae Woman--Stevie Wonder
11 Best of My Love--The Eagles
12 Bungle in the Jungle--Jethro Tull
13 Pick Up the Pieces--AWB
14 Don't Call Us, We'll Call You--Sugarloaf/Jerry Corbetta
15 Please Mr. Postman--Carpenters
16 My Eyes Adored You--Frankie Valli
17 California Jam--Klaatu
18 Lady Marmalade--LaBelle
19 (Make Me Do) Anything You Want--A Foot in Coldwater
20 Get Dancin'--Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes
21 She's My Lady--Jayson Hoover
22 Mother Earth--Ian Thomas
23 Movin' On--Bad Company
24 Dream On--The Righteous Brothers
25 You're the First, the Last, My Everything--Barry White
26 No No Song--Ringo Starr
27 Never Can Say Goodbye--Gloria Gaynor
28 Judy Played the Jukebox--The Crescent Street Stompers
29 In the Mood--Rush
30 You are So Beautiful--Joe Cocker

Winnipeg's Top 30 (CKRC)
1 Black Water--The Doobie Brothers (3rd week at #1)
2 Have You Never Been Mellow--Olivia Newton-John
3 My Eyes Adored You--Frankie Valli
4 Roll on Down the Highway--Bachman-Turner Overdrive
5 Changes--David Bowie
6 Lady Marmalade--LaBelle
7 Mandy--Barry Manilow
8 Best of My Love--The Eagles
9 Fire--Ohip Players
10 Don't Call Us, We'll Call You--Sugarloaf/Jerry Corbetta
11 Poetry Man--Phoebe Snow
12 Please Mr. Postman--Carpenters
13 Bungle in the Jungle--Jethro Tull
14 No No Song--Ringo Starr
15 Morning Side of the Mountain--Donny and Marie Osmond
16 You Beat Me to the Punch--Charity Brown
17 Lady--Styx
18 Some Kind of Wonderful--Grand Funk
19 Can You Give it All to Me--Myles and Lenny
20 Powerful People--Gino Vannelli
21 Up in a Puff of Smoke--Polly Brown
22 Mother Earth--Ian Thomas
23 (Make Me Do) Anything You Want--A Foot in Coldwater
24 Pick Up the Pieces--AWB
25 (Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song--B.J. Thomas
26 Nightingale--Carole King
27 I Can Dance--Shooter
28 Sad Sweet Dreamer--Sweet Sensation
29 Lovin' You--Minnie Riperton
30 Part of the Plan--Dan Fogelberg

Died on this date
George Stevens, 70. U.S. film director. Mr. Stevens won Academy Awards for best Director for A Place in the Sun (1951) and Giant (1956). His other movies included Gunga Din (1939); Shane (1953); and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959).

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger began a five-day trip to Egypt and Israel.

Hockey
Minnesota 3 @ Toronto 5
New York Islanders 7 @ Vancouver 5

Errol Thompson scored 3 goals and assisted on the winning goal by Rod Seiling with 12:42 remaining in the game as the Maple Leafs defeated the North Stars before 16,476 fans at Maple Leaf Gardens in the national Hockey Night in Canada telecast on CBC.

Billy Harris scored 2 goals and Jude Drouin had 3 assists as the Islanders held on to defeat the Canucks before a sellout crowd of 15,570 at Pacific Coliseum in the regional Hockey Night in Canada telecast on CBC, which was also seen in the Northwest Territories and Yukon. Gregg Boddy and Bobby Lalonde each scored a goal and an assist for Vancouver. The teams combined to score 5 goals in the 2nd period and 6 in the 3rd. Bob Nystrom scored with 3:36 remaining in the game to give New York a 7-3 lead, but Mr. Boddy replied just 7 seconds later, and Chris Oddleifson closed the scoring with 1:02 remaining. Billy Smith won the goaltending "duel" over Gary Smith and Ken Lockett.

Baseball
Al Bumbry hit a 2-run inside-the-park home run in the 8th inning and doubled home the first 2 of 4 Baltimore runs in the top of the 9th inning as the Orioles edged the New York Yankees 7-6 in a spring training game before 6,489 fans in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Catfish Hunter started on the mound for New York and allowed 3 hits and 1 run--unearned--in 3 innings. It was his first appearance in a New York uniform since being signed as a free agent after 10 years with the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics. Mike Willis, the third of four Baltimore pitchers, pitched the 7th and 8th innings, and allowed 4 runs--all earned--in the 8th, but was credited with the win. Former Milwaukee Brewer Skip Lockwood allowed 5 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in taking the loss.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): You're My Heart, You're My Soul--Modern Talking (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): I Want To Know What Love Is--Foreigner (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Edward Andrews, 70. U.S. actor. U.S. actor. Mr. Andrews was a character actor who was known for playing crooked businessmen or officials in various movies and television programs, especially in the 1960s and '70s.

Terrorism
At least 45 people died and 175 were injured in a car bomb explosion in Beirut (see also here).

Economics and finance
The U.S.Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that 407,700 Americans were millionaires.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Love Shack--The B-52's

Literature
Canadian Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn presented the 51st annual Governor General's Literary Awards. The winners included:
English Non-Fiction: Robert Calder (Willie)
English Fiction: Paul Quarrington (Whale Music)
French Fiction: Louis Hamelin (La Rage)
English Drama: Judith Thompson (The Other Side of the Dark)

Economics and finance
The Canadian House of Commons passed the budget of Finance Minister Michael Wilson. Cuts in transfer payments to the provinces led the governments of British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario to take the federal government to court.

Protest
29 police officers were injured and 60 people were arrested in the London borough of Hackney during a protest over a new community charge, or poll tax, instituted by the British government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that was to replace the previous system of property taxes. Violence also occurred during protests in Bristol and Southampton.

Figure skating
Kurt Browning of Caroline, Alberta defeated Viktor Petrenko of the U.S.S.R. to become the first Canadian to win the world championship in two consecutive years. The competition took place in Halifax, and was the first world championship to take place after compulsory figures had been eliminated. Jill Trenary of the United States won the women’s title.









Hockey
NHL
Toronto 7 Hartford 6

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Aslan Maskhadov, 53. 3rd President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, 1997-2005. Mr. Maskhadov, leader of the Vainakh Democratic Party, was the senior military figure in Chechnya's wars of independence against Russia before holding political office. He was killed by a grenade thrown by Russian special forces into a bunker in which he was hiding. Mr. Maskhadov was succeeded as President by Sheikh Abdul Halim.