February 16, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Veronica Jones and Anna!

625 years ago
1391

Died on this date
John V, 58. Byzantine Emperor, 1341-1376; 1379-1390; 1390-1391. John V, of the house of Palaiologos, succeeded his father Andronikos III at the age of 8. He was deposed by his son Andronikos in 1376, but regained the throne. John V's grandson John VII briefly deposed him in 1390, but John V regained power again before dying, and being succeeded by his son Manuel.

370 years ago
1646

War
Parliamentarian forces commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax defeated Royalist forces led by Sir Ralph Hopton in the Battle of Torrington in Devon. It marked the end of Royalist resistance in the West Country in the first English Civil War.

220 years ago
1796

War
Colombo fell to British forces, completing their invasion of Ceylon.

150 years ago
1866

Born on this date
Johann Strauss III. Austrian composer and conductor. Mr. Strauss, the son of composer Eduard Strauss, nephew of composers Josef Strauss and Johann Strauss II, and grandson of composer Johan Strauss I, wrote operettas and dance music, but was better known as a conductor. He died on January 9, 1939 at the age of 72.

Billy Hamilton. U.S. baseball player. "Sliding Billy" was an outfielder with the Kansas City Cowboys (1888-1889); Philadelphia Phillies (1890-1895); and Boston Beaneaters (1896-1901), batting .344 with 40 home runs and 742 runs batted in in 1,594 games. He led the National League in batting percentage in 1891 and 1893; in runs four times; in stolen bases five times; in bases and balls five times; and in on base percentage five times. Mr. Hamilton has been credited with 912-915 stolen bases--third on the career list--although stolen bases were calculated differently in his time. Mr. Hamilton died on December 16, 1940 at the age of 74; he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961.

Politics and government
Spencer Compton Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington became Secretary of State for War in the Liberal cabinet of British Prime Minister Earl Russell.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Hans F.K. Günther. German eugenicist. Dr. Günther was a professor at the Universities of Jena (1930-1935) and Berlin (1935-1940) and Albert Ludwigs University (1940-1945). He advocated Nordic superiority in books such as Rassenkunde des deutschen Volkes (Racial Science of the German People) (1922) and Kleine Rassenkunde des deutschen Volkes (A Short Ethnology of the German People) (1928), which greatly influenced Adolf Hitler. Dr. Günther joined the Nazi Party in 1932, and was the only leading racial theorist to join the party before the Nazis took power in 1933. He served three years in internment camps after World War II, but was ruled to be not an instigator of Nazi crimes. Dr. Günther maintained his racial views until his death on September 25, 1968 at the age of 77.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Bill Doggett. U.S. musician. Mr. Doggett was a jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist who was best known for the single Honky Tonk (Parts 1 and 2), which reached #1 on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart and #2 on the pop chart in 1956. He died on November 13, 1996 at the age of 80.

Protest
A mob of 500 men, mostly soldiers, wrecked a Calgary restaurant for dismissing an ex-soldier.

Tennis
Suzanne Lenglen of France retained her world women's championship with a 6-3, 8-6 win over Helen Wills of the United States in Cannes.

80 years ago
1936

Politics and government
Elections brought the Popular Front to power in Spain.

Olympics
The 4th Winter Olympic Games close at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The Port Arthur Bearcats won Canada's only medal, the silver in hockey; the United Kingdom, whose team was composed mainly of Canadians, won the gold medal.

75 years ago
1941

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Hound of the Baskervilles, Part 6

War
The United Kingdom announced that a sea area of 50 x 80 miles north of Singapore had been mined as a precautionary measure.

Defense
Harry Hopkins, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal envoy to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, returned to New York from the U.K. and declared that Britain needed American help "desperately," but "they don't need our men." The U.S. National Economy League, led by Ernest Angell, urged a 10% defense tax on all personal income.

Politics and government
It was announced in the French press that Admiral François Darlan now held the offices of Vice Premier; Foreign Minister; Interior Minister; Commander of the Fleet; and head of the Department of Information in the Vichy regime.

Economics and finance
Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover revealed that a plan to feed three million Belgians had been submitted to the British and German governments.

Labour
Printing unions in the United States urged Congress to limit commercial radio time to 25% of programs, charging that the switch from newspapers to radio by advertisers had resulted in the loss of 25,000 jobs in printing trades.

Medicine
U.S. Indian Service physicians reported that the sight-destroying disease trachoma was a virus and could be successfully treated with sulfanilamide within three weeks.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!--Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra with Vaughn Monroe and the Norton Sisters (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Airplay--5th week at #1; Juke Box--2nd week at #1); Symphony--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with Clyde Rogers (Honor Roll of Hits--7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Ernst Berl, 68. Austro-Hungarian born U.S. chemist. Mr. Berl developed a process for converting vegetation into coal and oil.

World events
The White House announced that U.S. President Harry Truman had been informed of the Soviet spy ring in Canada several months earlier.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. used its United Nations Security Council veto for the first time, rejecting a U.S. motion that the United Kingdom and France negotiate withdrawal from the Levant states.

The Argentine Foreign Office affirmed the government's loyalty to the American republics, calling U.S. accusations of collaboration with Germany during World War II "unjustified and inexact."

Politics and government
40 left-wing Korean parties formed the Korean Democratic People's Front in Seoul.

The United States Veterans Administration announced a two-year plan to build 183 hospitals with 151,500 beds in 39 states.

Economics and finance
In an anti-inflation move, the Japanese government limited incomes to 500 yen per month; cut bank withdrawals to 300 yen for heads of families; restricted food distribution; and called for conversion of currency into new bank notes.

U.K. Viceroy of India Viscout Archibald Wavell reduced the basic cereal ration from 16 to 12 ounces daily after declaring a 3-million ton food shortage.

Labour
Strikes of 67,000 Republic Steel and 75,000 Bethlehem Steel workers in the United States were settled by an agreement providing for an 18½c hourly wage increase.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): L'Homme et l'Enfant--Eddie & Tania Constantine (11th week at #1)

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Jump in My Car--Ted Mulry Gang (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun--Masato Shimon (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Para Que No Me Olvides--Lorenzo Santamaría

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Moviestar--Harpo

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger began an eight-day visit to Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala to discuss trade and other matters.

Environment
In Barcelona, representatives of 12 nations signed a Mediterranean pollution-control pact.

30 years ago
1986

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I'm Your Man--Wham!

#1 single in Switzerland: Jeanny--Falco (5th week at #1)

World events
France booked seats for deposed Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and his family on a flight to the United States, which said that Mr. Duvalier was undesirable and would not be admitted.

Politics and government
Corazon Aquino declared that she had defeated President Ferdinand Marcos in the February 7 Philippine election, and announced the beginning of a non-violent campaign to topple the government. She called for a one-day nationwide strike.

Socialist Mario Soares won a runoff election to become Portugal’s first civilian president in 60 years. In the first round of voting, Mr. Soares had trailed rightist candidate Diego Freitas do Amoral, but voters on the left side of the spectrum, including communists, closed ranks behind him, and he obtained 51% of the vote. Mr. Soares succeeded General Antonio Ramalho Eanes as President.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): I've Been Thinking About You--Londonbeat

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Hugo Rap--Skærmtrolden Hugo

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Do the Bartman--The Simpsons

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Knockin' Boots--Candyman (2nd week at #1)
2 Crazy--Seal
3 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C&C Music Factory
4 Innuendo--Queen
5 Wicked Game--Chris Isaak
6 Go for It! (Heart and Fire)--Joey B. Ellis and Tynetta Hare
7 Can't Help Myself--2 Brothers On The 4th Floor & Da Smooth Baron MC
8 Love Let Love--Tony Scott
9 Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice
10 Liefde Voor Muziek--Raymond v/h Groenewoud

Singles entering the chart were The Grease Megamix by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (#26); Fantasy by Black Box (#29); Here Comes the Hammer by M.C. Hammer (#34); Play That Funky Music by Vanilla Ice (#36); (I Wanna Give You) Devotion by Nomad featuring MC Mikee Freedom (#37); and Amazonia by Rumba Tres (#40). The Grease Megamix was a medley of songs from the movie.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams (2nd week at #1)
2 All the Man that I Need--Whitney Houston
3 One More Try--Timmy -T-
4 The First Time--Surface
5 Someday--Mariah Carey
6 Where Does My Heart Beat Now--Celine Dion
7 I'll Give All My Love to You--Keith Sweat
8 Disappear--INXS
9 Play That Funky Music--Vanilla Ice
10 Love Will Never Do (Without You)--Janet Jackson

Singles entering the chart were Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)/I Want You by Robert Palmer (#77); How to Dance by Bingo Boys featuring Princessa (#85); Cry for Help by Rick Astley (#86); Another Sleepless Night by Shawn Christopher (#93); Temple of Love by Harriet (#96); Still Got the Blues by Gary Moore (#97); and How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously? by Pet Shop Boys (#99).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Wiliams (2nd week at #1)
2 All the Man that I Need--Whitney Houston
3 The First Time--Surface
4 Sensitivity--Ralph Tresvant
5 Where Does My Heart Beat Now--Celine Dion
6 Someday--Mariah Carey
7 Disappear--INXS
8 One More Try--Timmy -T-
9 Play That Funky Music--Vanilla Ice
10 Love Will Never Do (Without You)--Janet Jackson

Singles entering the chart were State of the World by Janet Jackson (#53); Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)/I Want You by Robert Palmer (#58); Rico Suave by Gerardo (#85); Sadeness (Part 1) by Enigma (#86); How to Dance by Bingoboys featuring Princessa (#87); Funk Boutique by Cover Girls (#88); I'll Do 4 U by Father MC (#89); and Cry for Help by Rick Astley (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Disappear--INXS
2 Love Will Never Do (Without You)--Janet Jackson
3 Til I am Myself Again--Blue Rodeo
4 Wicked Game--Chris Isaak
5 All the Man that I Need--Whitney Houston
6 All This Time--Sting
7 After the Rain--Nelson
8 I’m Not in Love--Will to Power
9 Show Me the Way--Styx
10 Waiting for Love--Alias

Singles entering the chart were Sadeness Part 1 by Enigma (#72); I'll Be Your Baby Tonight by Robert Palmer (#78); River of Love by David Foster (#85); Easy Come Easy Go by Winger (#86); Always Come Back to You by Natasha's Brother (#88); Silent Lucidity by Queensryche (#90); Ride the Wind by Poison (#92); Power of Love by Deee-Lite (#93); Friends Forever by Candi and the Backbeat (#95); Never Say Die by Jon Bon Jovi (#98); and Deeper Shade of Soul by Urban Dance Squad (#99). Always Come Back to You was from the movie The Nutcracker Prince (1990).

Died on this date
Enrique Bermúdez, 58. Nicaraguan guerrilla leader. Lieutenant Colonel Bermúdez founded and led the Contras, the guerrilla force opposing the Marxist Sandanista government that ruled the country from 1979-1990. He was assassinated by persons unknown in the parking lot of the InterContinental Hotel in Managua after people he was secheduled to meet in the hotel failed to show up.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 2 @ Toronto 3

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Spaceman--Babylon Zoo (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Spaceman--Babylon Zoo (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Pat Brown, 90. U.S. politician. Mr. Brown, a Democrat, was Attorney General of California fro 1951-1959 and Governor of California from 1959-1967. He defeated U.S. Senator William Knowland (Republican) to win the 1958 gubernatorial election, and defeated former U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon in the 1962 election before losing to former movie actor Ronald Reagan in 1966. Mr. Brown's time as Governor was characterized by huge public works projects and a modernized educational system. Mr. Brown was the father of future California Governor Jerry Brown.

Brownie McGhee, 80. U.S. musician. Walter Brown McGhee was a blues singer and guitarist, and was best known for his collaborations with harmonicist Sonny Terry in a partnership that ran from the early 1940s to the 1980s.

Roger Bowen, 63. U.S. author and actor. Mr. Bowen wrote 11 novels, but was perhaps best known for playing Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the movie MASH (1970); oddly, Mr. Bowen died of a heart attack the day after the death of McLean Stevenson, who played Col. Blake in the television series M*A*S*H (1972-1975).

Politics and government
The Italian parliament was dissolved after months of stalemate and a failed attempt at constitutional and electoral reform.

Health
The Japanese government apologized to the 200 recipients of donated blood who had contracted HIV, opening the way to compensation.

Labour
Energy shortages forced thousands of coal miners in Ukraine to end their 15-day strike over wage arrears.

Disasters
A Chicago-bound Amtrak train, the Capitol Limited, collided with a MARC commuter train bound for Washington, D.C. in Silver Spring, Maryland, killing 11 people.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Ernie Stautner, 80. German-born U.S. football player and coach. Mr. Stautner, who moved to the United States with his family at the age of 3, was a defensive tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1950-1963. He was named an All-Pro nine times, and was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1969. Mr. Stautner had a long career as an assistant coach in the NFL from 1965-1994 before becoming head coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe from 1995-1997, leading the team to World Bowl championships in his first two seasons. He died of Alzheimer's disease.

Defense
The last Mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) was decommissioned by the United States Army.

Olympics
Canada won four medals at the Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy: Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards won a bronze in women's skeleton; Jeff Buttle won a bronze in men's figure skating; and the men's and women's speed skating teams both won silver medals in their respective team pursuit events.