February 28, 2016

770 years ago
1246

War
The siege of Jaén ended in the context of the Spanish Reconquista, resulting in the Castilian takeover of the city from the Taifa of Jaen.

125 years ago
1891

Died on this date
George Hearst, 70. U.S. magnate and politician. Mr. Hearst became wealthy through mining activities in the western United States, especially with silver in Utah. A Democrat, he represented California in the United States Senate from March-August 1886 and 1887 until his death. Mr. Hearst was the son of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst.

120 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Philip Showalter Hench. U.S. physician. Dr. Hench was the head of the Department of Rheumatic Diseases at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He shared the 1950 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology with Mayo Clinic colleague Calvin Kendall and Swiss chemist Tadeus Reichstein "for their discoveries relating to the hormones of the adrenal cortex, their structure and biological effects." In particular, they won for the discovery of the hormone cortisone. Dr. Hench died of pneumonia while on vacation in Jamaica on March 30, 1965 at the age of 69.

110 years ago
1906

Hockey
Stanley Cup challenge
Queen's University 7 @ Ottawa Silver Seven 12 (Ottawa won 2-game, total goals series 28-14)

The Silver Seven were the defending champions.

100 years ago
1916

Died on this date
Henry James, 72. U.S.-born U.K. author. Mr. James, who spent most of his time in Britain, was known for novels such as The Portrait of a Lady (1880-1881) and The Turn of the Screw (1898). He was the brother of psychologist William James.

80 years ago
1936

Died on this date
Charles Nicolle, 69. French bacteriologist. Dr. Nicolle was awarded the 1928 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his identification of lice as the transmitter of epidemic typhus.

Protest
Charges against the five leaders of the 1935 On to Ottawa Trek were dropped.

75 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Woodpecker Song--Kate Smith; Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (4th month at #1)

Died on this date
Alfonso XIII, 54. King of Spain, 1886-1941. Alfonso XIII was King from birth, his father Alfonso XII having died the previous year. Alfonso XIII's mother Maria Christina of Austria served as regent until Alfonso XIII's 16th birthday in 1902. King Alfonso XIII supported the government of dictator Le Marqués de Estella from 1923-1930, but fled the country in 1931 when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. Living in exile in Rome,Alfonso XIII maintained his claim to the throne until six weeks before his death, when abdicated in favour of his third son Juan.

War
A Japanese spokesman said that France must accept Japan's mediation proposal in the Thailand-Indochina dispute today or face the consequences.

Diplomacy
U.S. consulates in the Italian cities of Naples and Palermo were closed on the Italian government's request, and their staffs were transferred to the consulate general in Rome.

Defense
A U.S. federal grand jury in Honolulu indicted 80 people, most of them Japanese, for conspiring to violate laws on registration of sampans, which were frequently seen in the area when the U.S. fleet was maneuvering.

Weather
A blizzard resulting in 12-foot snowdrifts swept the eastern U.S. seaboard from Maine to Virginia.

Economics and finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission member Gerhard Gesell and commissioner Sumner Pike recommended to the Temporary National Economic Committee (TNEC) that a federal insurance advisory council be created.

Labour
U.S. Office of Production Management Director William Knudsen submitted a three-point plan to curb strikes in defense industries, providing for federal mediation; a 60% strike vote; and a 40-day delay for OPM to investigate and report.

Boxing
World lightweight champion Lew Jenkins (48-16-5) scored a technical knockout of former champion Lou Ambers (91-8-7) at 2:26 of the 7th round of a non-title fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. Mr. Jenkins knocked Mr. Ambers down twice in the 7th round. Mr. Jenkins had scored a 3rd-round TKO on May 10, 1940 to win the championship from Mr. Ambers. This was Mr. Ambers' last professional fight.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Rum and Coca-Cola--The Andrews Sisters (1st month at #1)

Died on this date
Béla Imrédy, 54. Prime Minister of Hungary, 1938-1939. Mr. Imrédy, a member of the Unity Party, originally had a pro-British foreign policy, but turned increasingly pro-German and pro-Italian. He founded the Party of Hungarian Renewal in 1940, and was executed by a firing squad after being convicted by a People's Tribunal in 1945 of war crimes and collaboration with the Nazis.

War
At the trial in Nuremberg of accused Nazi war criminals, chief U.S. prosecutor Robert H. Jackson demanded that 2,040,155 members of six Nazi orgnizations be found guilty of war crimes. Former Governor of Bessarabia General Constantin Voiculescu and 10 Romanian officers were sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against Jews.

Diplomacy
The French government accepted the U.S. proposal to condemn the Spanish regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco for the execution of 10 Spanish veterans of the French resistance movement, but revealed that it had asked for U.S.-U.K.-U.S.S.R. support of its plan to submit the Spanish issue to the United Nations Security Council on March 21.

France signed a treaty with the Chinese government in Chungking ending French extraterritorial rights in Peking, Amoy, Shanghai, Tientsin, Hankow, and Canton.

U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes told the Overseas Press Club that the United States wanted friendship with the U.S.S.R., but warned that it "cannot show aggression to be accomplished by coercion or pressure or by subterfuge."

Defense
The U.S. Army Air Forces revealed that they had been experimenting with radar detection of captured German V-2 bombs to find a defense against atomic bomb raids.

Transportation
United Air Lines revealed that it had ordered a jet plane for commercial use.

Labour
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that 1.4 million workers were on strike in January, a record high for any single month.

60 years ago
1956

Society
A restaurant in Chatham, Ontario was fined $50 for refusing to serve two Negro students.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Capri c'est fini--Hervé Vilard (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Come Back to Stay--Dickie Rock

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Michelle--David & Jonathan
2 At the Scene--Dave Clark Five
3 California Dreamin'--The Mamas and the Papas
4 Little Boy (In Grown Up Clothes)--The 4 Seasons
5 Breakin' Up is Breakin' My Heart--Roy Orbison
6 While I'm Away--Bobby Curtola
7 What Now My Love--Sonny & Cher
8 When Liking Turns to Loving--Ronnie Dove
9 These Boots are Made for Walkin'--Nancy Sinatra
10 Batman Theme--The Marketts

Singles entering the chart were Superman by Dino, Desi and Billy (#31); Why Can't You Bring Me Home by Jay & the Americans (#32); Magic Town by the Vogues (#33); Woman by Peter & Gordon (#34); Take Me to Your Heart Again by Vince Hill (#35); Stop Me from Falling by Beau Hannon (#36); Juanita Banana by the Peels (#37); My Baby Loves Me by Martha and the Vandellas (#38); Elusive Butterfly by Bob Lind (#39); and It Won't Be Wrong by the Byrds (#40).

Died on this date
Elliot See, 38; Charles Bassett, 34. U.S. astronauts. Mr. See was a civilian pilot with General Electric who was chosen by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the second group of astronauts in 1962. Captain Bassett, a test pilot with the United States Air Force, was chosen for the third group of astronauts in 1963. They were the prime crew for the Gemini 9 mission, with Mr. See as Command Pilot and Capt. Bassett as pilot. They were killed when their T-38 trainer jet, piloted by Mr. See, crashed into the McDonnell Aircraft Building 101, known as the McDonnell Space Center, located 1,000 feet from Lambert Field airport in St. Louis. Mr. See was coming out of a cloud in bad weather and attempted a visual landing, while the Gemini 9 backup crew of Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan, following in another T-38, waited to try an instrumental landing, and landed safely. Building 101 was where the Gemini spacecraft was built, and they were going there to train for two weeks in a simulator. The crash occurred just 500 feet from the Gemini 9 spacecraft, and several workers in the building were injured by falling debris. See other items here; here; here; and here.

Space
The United States launched Essa 2, second of the satellites of the Tiros Operational Satellite (TOS) system, from Cape Kennedy, Florida.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Sandokan--Oliver Onions (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Love Hurts--Nazareth (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)--The Four Seasons (2nd week at #1)

Rhodesia's Top 10 (Lyons Maid)
1 Tears on My Pillow--Johnny Nash (3rd week at #1)
2 Morning Sky--George Baker Selection
3 Hold Me Close--David Essex
4 The Last Farewell--Roger Whittaker
5 The Warrior--4 Jacks and a Jill
6 I'm on Fire--5000 Volts
7 Good, Bad But Beautiful--Shirley Bassey
8 Darling--David Cassidy
9 Who Loves You--The Four Seasons
10 Kiss Me, Kiss Your Baby--Geoff St. John

The only single entering the chart was Jock of the Bushveld by John Edmond (#20).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Theme from S.W.A.T.--Rhythm Heritage

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Theme from S.W.A.T.--Rhythm Heritage
2 Love Machine (Part 1)--The Miracles
3 All by Myself--Eric Carmen
4 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover--Paul Simon
5 Take it to the Limit--The Eagles
6 Love to Love You Baby--Donna Summer
7 Lonely Night (Angel Face)--Captain and Tennille
8 Dream Weaver--Gary Wright
9 Grow Some Funk of Your Own--Elton John
10 Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)--Bee Gees

Singles entering the chart were Looking for Space by John Denver (#71); There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World) by the Carpenters (#74); Show Me the Way by Peter Frampton (#75); Fopp by Ohio Players (#82); Colorado Call by Shad O’Shea and the 18 Wheelers (#87); The Call by Anne Murray (#94); She's a Disco Queen by Oliver Sain (#96); Eh! Cumpari by Gaylord and Holiday (#99); and You are Beautiful by the Stylistics (#100). Show Me the Way was a live version--from the album Frampton Comes Alive! --of the song that had been released as a single in 1975.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Love Hurts--Nazareth
2 Love to Love You Baby--Donna Summer
3 Squeeze Box--The Who
4 Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)--Bee Gees
5 You Sexy Thing--Hot Chocolate
6 Loving You Baby--Wednesday
7 All by Myself--Eric Carmen
8 Love Rollercoaster--Ohio Players
9 Breaking Up is Hard to Do--Neil Sedaka
10 Evil Woman--Electric Light Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were Action by Sweet (#82); Anyway You Want by Charity Brown (#83); I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do by ABBA (#89); Happy to Be on an Island in the Sun by Demis Roussos (#96); Doesn't it Seem Like a Miracle by Suzanne Stevens (#97); Mondo Disco by El Coco (#98); Yes I Can by Valdy (#99); and Song for Wendy by Cliff Edwards (#100).

Hockey
NHL
Atlanta 2 @ Montreal 3

WHA
The Minnesota Fighting Saints, one of the founding clubs of the World Hockey Association, folded. The team had a record of 30-24-5 in 1975-76, good enough for second place in the West Division, but the team was short of money, and the players had been paid just once in the last two months. The decision to fold the franchise was made in the lobby of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as the team was preparing to fly to Cincinnati for a game that night against the Stingers.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Jeanny--Falco (8th week at #1)

Died on this date
Laura Z. Hobson, 85. U.S. author. Mrs. Hobson, born Laura Kean Zametkin, was known for her novel Gentleman's Agreement (1947), which was made into an Academy Award-winning film, also in 1947.

Olof Palme, 59. Prime Minister of Sweden, 1969-1976; 1982-1986. Mr. Palme became leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party in 1969, succeeding Tage Erlander as party leader and Prime Minister. The Social Democrats lost the 1976 and 1979 elections, but were restored to power in 1982. Mr. Palme was known for his foreign policy of non-alignment and his support for Third World "liberation" movements. He was shot twice in the stomach and his wife was shot in the back as they left a movie theatre in Stockholm at 11:30 P.M. She survived.

Weather
It was such a nice day in Edmonton that this blogger wore shorts outside.

Business
Westar Mining Limited (formerly the British Columbia Coal Division of the British Columbia Resources Investment Corporation) closed the Balmer North mine at Michel, B.C.

Scandal
Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth issued one-year suspensions or fines amounting to 10% of their income against Keith Hernandez, Dave Parker, and five other major league players for using cocaine. 21 players in all were penalized in the largest drug-abuse scandal in major league history.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Do the Bartman--The Simpsons (6th week at #1)

War
Just before the Gulf War cease-fire went into effect, 800 U.S. tanks clashed with 300 Iraqi tanks north of Kuwait. Iraq reportedly lost 200 tanks and the U.S. lost none. According to a U.K. white paper issued in July 1991, allied combat deaths in the war were as follows: U.S.A., 147; Saudi Arabia, 33; U.K., 24; Egypt, 10; United Arab Emirates, 6; France, 2; Kuwait, 1, for a total of 223. A U.S. Defense Department spokesman said on July 17 that the U.S. had suffered 148 combat deaths and 120 non-combatant deaths during the war, and another 13 after the cease-fire. U.S. personnel wounded in combat totalled 458. 11 U.S. women were killed in combat and 4 in non-combat situations, according to the spokesman.

20 years ago
1996

Music
At the 38th annual Grammy Awards presentation in Los Angeles, Ottawa native Alanis Morissette won four Grammys: best rock song and best female rock vocal for You Oughta Know, and album of the year and rock album of the year for Jagged Little Pill. Canadians picked up a total of 11 Grammys, including two by Joni Mitchell for her album Turbulent Indigo.

Law
The Supreme Court of Canada restored former Alberta teacher Jim Keegstra's conviction for promoting anti-Semitism.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Owen Chamberlain, 85. U.S. physicist. Dr. Chamberlain and Emilio Gino Segrè were awarded the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physics "for their discovery of the antiproton," a subatomic particle. Dr. Chamberlain died of Parkinson's disease.