Sunday 31 January 2016

January 31, 2016

170 years ago
1846


Americana
After the Milwaukee Bridge War, the towns of Juneautown and Kilbourntown united to become the City of Milwaukee.

125 years ago
1891


Protest
The first attempt at a Portuguese republican revolution broke out in the northern city of Porto.

80 years ago
1936


Canadiana
The government of British Columbia opened Mount Seymour Provincial Park, north of Vancouver. The 274-hectare property was named after former B.C. Governor Frederick Seymour.

75 years ago
1941


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Woodpecker Song--Kate Smith; Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (3rd month at #1)

At the movies
Buck Privates, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, opened in theatres.

War
Free French commander General Charles de Gaulle appealed to General Maxim Weygand's African army to help complete the conquest of Italian Libya.

Thai and French officials signed a Japanese-mediated armistice terminating Indochinese border disputes.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that the federal government was prepared to take over any plant in the country considered necessary in the national defense.

Eight of ten Republican Party members of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee issued a dissenting report on Lend-Lease, urging a $2-billion loan to Britain instead.

Philippines President Manuel Quezon states that the defense of his country rested primarily with the United States.

Crime
Nine leaders of the German-American Bund were sentenced from 12-14 months in prison for violating New Jersey "race hatred" law.

Literature
Richard Wright, author of the novel Native Son (1940), was awarded the U.S. National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples' Joel Springarn Medal for the highest achievement "in any honorable field of endeavor."

Economics and finance
Four major New York banks disclosed a cooperative plan to speed up financing of defense contracts.

Boxing
Joe Louis (45-1) retained his world heavyweight title with a knockout of Red Burman (73-17-1) at 2:49 of the 5th round at Madison Square Garden in New York.

70 years ago
1946


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time--Les Browne and his Orchestra (1st month at #1)

War
At the hearings of the United States Senate committee on the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Admiral P.N.L. Bellinger, naval air wing commander at Pearl Harbor in 1941, testified that he had not been ordered by Admiral Husband Kimmel to carry out reconnasissance to the north the week before the attack.

Law
Yugoslavia's new constitution came into effect, modelling that of the U.S.S.R., establishing six constituent republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Macedonia; Montenegro; Serbia; and Slovenia.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Harry Truman acknowledged at a press conference that the agreement giving southern Sakhalin Island and the Kurile Islands to the U.S.S.R. was a secret part of the 1945 Yalta agreement, and he promised that other secret Allied agreements would be disclosed "at the proper time."

U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes instructed the U.S. embassy in Warsaw to ask the Polish government to take steps to ensure political rights and free elections.

Politics and government
At the final session of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference, Nationalists and Communists approved plans to set up a government; to draft a constitution; and to reorganize the National Assembly.

General Eurico Gaspar Dutra was inaugurated as President of Brazil.

Alfredo Duhalde was installed as acting President of Chile with a promise to form a new cabinet, prompting the Chilean Federation of Labour to end a 24-hour general strike.

Kuang Aphaiwong took office as Prime Minister of Siam, succeeding Seni Pramoj.

Defense
The U.S. War Department announced the creation of the First Experimental Guided Missile Group to perfect robot bombs and aerial guided missiles.

Arrangements for British troops to enter Japan were announced in London and Washington. The force was to be composed of men from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and India.

Economics and finance
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam introduced the đồng to replace the French Indochinese piastre at par.

60 years ago
1956


Died on this date
A. A. Milne, 74
. U.K. author. Alan Alexander Milne wrote various works of poetry and prose, but is best known for his children's books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928). He died 13 days after his 74th birthday, several years after suffering a stroke.

50 years ago
1966


Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Canción Del Tamborilero (The Little Drummer Boy)--Raphael (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Lovely Leitrim--Larry Cunningham (2nd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Yesterday Man--Chris Andrews
2 You Didn't Have to Be So Nice--The Lovin' Spoonful
3 As Tears Go By--The Rolling Stones
4 The Hoochi Coochi Coo--Wes Dakus
5 She's Just My Style--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
6 Attack--The Toys
7 Under Your Spell Again--Johnny Rivers
8 Tell Me Why--Elvis Presley
9 My Love--Petula Clark
10 Walk Hand in Hand--Gerry and the Pacemakers

Singles entering the chart were California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas (#31); Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind by the Lovin' Spoonful (#32); Stop Me from Fallin' in Love by Beau Hannon (#33); Michelle by David & Jonathan (#35); When Liking Turns to Loving by Ronnie Dove (#36); Good Time Music by the Beau Brummels (#37); (You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself by Frankie Valli (#38); While I'm Away by Bobby Curtola (#39); and A Beginning from an End by Jan & Dean (#40).

Died on this date
Arthur Percival, 78
. U.K. military officer. Lieutenant General Percival was best known for his surrender of British forces to the Japanese in Malaya and Singapore in February 1942.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the unmanned Luna 9 probe to the Moon.

War
The U.S. resumed air raids on North Vietnam after a 37-day peace offensive.

40 years ago
1976


Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): La tartaruga-- Bruno Lauzi (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Willempie--André van Duin

#1 single in the U.K.: Mamma Mia--ABBA

Rhodesia's Top 10 (Lyons Maid)
1 Hold Me Close--David Essex (4th week at #1)
2 The Warrior--4 Jacks and a Jill
3 Milky Ways--Columbus
4 Tears on My Pillow--Johnny Nash
5 SOS--ABBA
6 Sailing--Rod Stewart
7 Kiss Me, Kiss Your Baby--Geoff St. John
8 Moonlighting--Leo Sayer
9 Calypso--John Denver
10 Up in a Puff of Smoke--Polly Brown

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Love Rollercoaster--Ohio Players

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Convoy--C.W. McCall (3rd week at #1)
2 I Write the Songs--Barry Manilow
3 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover--Paul Simon
4 You Sexy Thing--Hot Chocolate
5 Love Rollercoaster--Ohio Players
6 Fly Away--John Denver
7 Love to Love You Baby--Donna Summer
8 Walk Away from Love--David Ruffin
9 Sing a Song--Earth, Wind & Fire
10 Breaking Up is Hard to Do--Neil Sedaka

Singles entering the chart were Take it Like a Man by Bachman-Turner Overdrive (#81); Tangerine by Salsoul Orchestra (#84); Close to You by B.T. Express (#92); What's the Name of This Funk (Spider Man) by Ramsey Lewis (#95); Hard Times by Peter Skellern (#96); Boogie Fever by the Sylvers (#97); Nursery Rhymes (Part 1) by People's Choice (#98); Growin' Up by Dan Hill (#99); and Bad Luck by Atlanta Disco Band (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Convoy--C.W. McCall (2nd week at #1)
2 Fox on the Run--Sweet
3 I Write the Songs--Barry Manilow
4 Do You Know Where You're Going To--Diana Ross
5 Love Rollercoaster--Ohio Players
6 Saturday Night--Bay City Rollers
7 You Sexy Thing--Hot Chocolate
8 Evil Woman--Electric Light Orchestra
9 I Love Music (Part 1)--O'Jays
10 Let's Do it Again--The Staple Singers

Singles entering the chart were Grow Some Funk of Your Own by Elton John (#55); Sweeney Todd Folder by Sweeney Todd (#82); Having a Party by the Crescent Street Stompers (#88); Lazy Love by the New City Jam Band (#90); Yesterday's Hero by John Paul Young (#93); Lonely Night (Angel Face) by Captain and Tennille (#94); Take Me by Grand Funk (#95); Hold Back the Night by the Trammps (#96); Dream Weaver by Gary Wright (#97); If I Only Knew by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils (#98); Junk Food Junkie by Larry Groce (#99); and I Heard it Through the Grapevine by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#100).

Died on this date
Ernesto Miranda, 34
. U.S. criminal. Mr. Miranda was a career criminal frm Arizona who confessed to kidnapping and rape in 1963 after a police interrogation that neglected to inform Mr. Miranda of his rights. He was convicted and sentenced to prison, but his case was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled in 1966 by a 5-4 vote in Miranda v. Arizona that both inculpatory and exculpatory statements made in response to interrogation by a defendant in police custody will be admissible at trial only if the prosecution can show that the defendant was informed of the right to consult with an attorney before and during questioning and of the right against self-incrimination before police questioning, and that the defendant not only understood these rights, but voluntarily waived them. Mr. Miranda was retried without the confession being admitted as evidence, but he was convicted again, and was paroled in 1972. He was stabbed to death in a bar fight in Phoenix.

Energy
The International Energy Agency adopted a long-term policy to reduce member nations' dependence on imported energy.

Hockey
NHL
New York Rangers 4 @ Toronto 6

30 years ago
1986


Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Jeanny--Falco (4th week at #1)

At the movies
Down and Out in Beverly Hills, co-written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Mazursky, and starring Nick Nolte, Bette Midler, and Richard Dreyfuss, opened in theatres.

World events
Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier imposed a state of siege after demonstrating and looting had spread to several cities. The violence had begun in reaction to the killing of three students in November 1985. U.S. White House spokesman Larry Speakes announced that Mr. Duvalier had fled Haiti, but he later admitted that the report was inaccurate, and blamed "bum information" from the U.S. State Department. Mr. Duvalier claimed that he was in power "firm as a monkey's tail."

Economics and finance
The Canadian dollar closed at a record low of 70.20c U.S. The drop came despite increased Canadian interest rates and attempts by the Bank of Canada to bolster the dollar’s value.

The Dow Jones industrial average finished at a new high of 1570.99.

25 years ago
1991


Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Do the Bartman--The Simpsons (2nd week at #1)

On the radio
Eddie Keen delivered his last editorial and departed as news director of CHED after nearly 20 years with the Edmonton station.

War
Allied forces recaptured the Saudi town of Al Khafji; 500 Iraqis were taken prisoner and 200 killed or wounded.

Israeli forces completed three days of strikes at a Palestinian refugee camp and other Palestinian targets.

Law
Canada’s proposed abortion law, which would have permitted an abortion if a physician felt a woman’s physical or psychological health was in danger, was defeated on a 43-43 tie vote in the Senate (in contrast to the American Senate, the Canadian Senate has no mechanism for breaking a tie, and a tie vote defeats a bill). The bill had narrowly passed the House of Commons in 1990. Politicians of both parties in the Senate were free to vote their consciences--if they had any--but most Progressive Conservatives voted for the bill while most Liberals voted against it. The bill had been opposed by pro-abortion advocates--who didn’t believe abortion should be covered under the Criminal Code--and by pro-life advocates, who didn’t think the bill was restrictive enough.

20 years ago
1996


Space
Comet Hyakutake was discovered by Japanese amateur astronomer Yuji Hyakutake.

Terrorism
An explosives-filled truck rammed into the gates of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in Colombo, killing 91 people and injuring 1,400.

War
UNITAS militia members in Angola began to trickle in to United Nations assembly points.

Diplomacy
The United States announced the withdrawal of diplomatic staff from Sudan out of concern for their safety.

10 years ago
2006


Died on this date
Moira Shearer, 80
. U.K. ballerina and actress. Miss Shearer, born Moira Shearer-King, was best known as the star of the movie The Red Shoes (1948). She died two weeks after her 80th birthday.

Diplomacy
Canada signed the Afghanistan Compact, an agreement in London between the United Nations, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community. Canada committed to five years of support through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Law
Samuel Alito was confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Politics and government
U.S. President George W. Bush delivered his annual State of the Union address to Congress.

Economics and finance
The United States Senate approved Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.

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