March 3, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sherry and Irishka!

240 years ago
1776

War
The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps began the Battle of Nassau in the American Revolutionary War.

175 years ago
1841

Born on this date
John Murray. Canadian-born U.K. oceanographer and naturalist. Sir John, a native of Coburg, Canada West, completed his education in Edinburgh, and remained in Scotland for the rest of his life. He participated in the Challenger Expedition (1872-1876) and a four-month expedition in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1910. Sir John was the first person to note the existence of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and of oceanic trenches. He was killed in a car accident on March 16, 1914, 13 days after his 73rd birthday.

75 years ago
1941

War
Japanese troops landed along 240 miles of the Kwangtung coast in southern China.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. rebuked Bulgaria over allowing occupation by German troops. Turkey was reported to have "nullified" its non-aggression and friendship pact with Bulgaria.

Education
The executive council of the American Federation of Teachers reported that Local 5 of the New York teachers union followed the Communist Party line.

Music
Noted German conductor Otto Klemperer was released from jail in Morristown, New Jersey after being detained overnight following a Rye, New York police broadcast charging that he was "dangerous and insane." Mr. Klemperer was known to be manic-depressive.

Labour
U.S. Undersecretary of War Robert P. Patterson, testifying before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, urged that an agency similar to the National War Labor Board of 1918 be created to mediate labour disputes in defense industries.

70 years ago
1946

Politics and government
Left-wing and right-wing Koreans protested a U.S. military government ordinance requiring all political parties to register with American authorities.

Diplomacy
Swiss officials agreed to confer with the U.K., U.S.A., and U.S.S.R. on the disposal of German assets in Switzerland.

Protest
U.S.S.R. Ambassador to China Appolon Petrov protested over anti-Soviet demonstrations in many Chinese cities, aimed at the allegedly slow withdrawal of all Soviet forces from Manchuria.

Society
The U.S. War Department announced a new plan limiting the size of Negro units in the postwar Army to infantry regiments, and calling for the creation of composite Negro and white units.

Labour
General Motors rejected the Congress of Industrial Organizations United Auto Workers' prooposal for a resumption of work while a contract was being arbitrated. The UAW strike against GM was in its 103rd day.

Disasters
27 people were killed when an American Airlines plane crashed into a fog-covered peak in the Laguna Mountains in California.

Golf
Ben Hogan won the St. Petersburg Open, with Sam Snead finishing second.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Sixteen Tons--"Tennessee" Ernie Ford; Frankie Laine (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Eventuell, eventuell--Peter Alexander & Caterina Valente (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Memories are Made of This--Dean Martin

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Lisbon Antigua--Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra (Best Seller--1st week at #1; Disc Jockey--1st week at #1); Rock and Roll Waltz--Kay Starr (Jukebox--1st week at #1; Top 100--1st week at #1)

Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley entered the Billboard Top 100 at #68, and the Billboard Country and Western chart at #9. It was Mr. Presley's first Top 100 chart entry.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Rock and Roll Waltz--Kay Starr (2nd week at #1)
2 Lisbon Antigua--Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra
3 The Great Pretender--The Platters
4 No, Not Much!--The Four Lads
5 Memories are Made of This--Dean Martin
6 The Poor People of Paris--Les Baxter, his Chorus and Orchestra
7 See You Later, Alligator--Bill Haley and his Comets
8 Band of Gold--Don Cherry
9 Moritat (A Theme from “The Three Penny Opera”)--Dick Hyman Trio
--Richard Hayman and Jan August
10 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--The Teenagers
--Gale Storm

Singles entering the chart were Missing by the McGuire Sisters (#41); Eddie My Love, with versions by the Teen Queens, the Fontane Sisters, and the Chordettes (#44); Cry Baby by the Bonnie Sisters (#47); and La Mer (Beyond the Sea) by Roger Williams (#48).

On television tonight
The Honeymooners, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Mama Loves Mambo



At the movies
On the Threshold of Space, starring Guy Madison, Virginia Leith, and John Hodiak, received its premiere screening at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was the final film for Mr. Hodiak, who had died of a heart attack at the age of 41 on October 19, 1955, before filming had been completed.



50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): These Boots are Made for Walkin'--Nancy Sinatra (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
William Frawley, 79. U.S. actor. Mr. Frawley was best known for playing Fred Mertz in the television comedy series I Love Lucy (1951-1957) and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960) and Uncle Bub in the television comedy series My Three Sons (1960-1965). He died of a heart attack, five days after his 79th birthday.

Joseph Fields, 71. U.S. playwright. Mr. Fields and his partner Jerome Chodorov were known for writing such musicals as My Sister Eileen (1940) and Wonderful Town (1953). Mr. Fields died 10 days after his 71st birthday.

Alice Pearce, 48. U.S. actress. Miss Pearce appeared in both the Broadway (1944) and movie (1949) versions of the musical On the Town, and played nosy neighbour Gladys Kravitz on the television comedy series Bewitched (1964-1966). She won a posthumous Emmy Award after dying of ovarian cancer.

Music
Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin, and Bruce Palmer formed the rock group Buffalo Springfield as a house band for the Whiskey A Go Go nightclub in Los Angeles.

Television
The British Broadcasting Corporation announced plans to begin broadcasting television programmes in colour beginning in 1967.

40 years ago
1976

Space
This blogger saw Comet West from his home in Yellowknife at 4:40 A.M.

Personal
This blogger found out through an article in the Yellowknife newspaper News of the North that he was one of several winners of Honourable Mention certificates in the 1975 Canada Permanent student writing contest. Other winners from Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife were Brad Crossley; Sterling Dietze; George Kavanna; Heather Watson; and Sandra Hrycan. Ruth Klee and Patricia Kingston from the Yukon also won. The winner of the $1,000 first prize was Keith Davies of Nanaimo, British Columbia. More than 2,000 students submitted works of at least 2,500 words each to the contest, which was in its ninth year. Today I'd almost have to be paid to read the story that I wrote.

Diplomacy
William Scranton was confirmed as chief U.S. Representative to the United Nations.

Curling
Mr. Capyk's Physical Education 10 class at Sir John Franklin High School, which included this blogger, went curling at the Yellowknife Curling Club. The rink that this blogger was about to lose on the last rock when one of our opponents accidentally slipped and kicked a rock while sweeping, giving us the win. On another sheet, two other boys, who shall remain unidentified, were on the same rink, and lost to another rink they should have beaten. Each blamed the other for the loss, and they started hitting each other on the shoulders in what may be the only broom-swinging duel in curling history. These were old-fashioned Canadian corn brooms, not the wimpy European push brooms that eventually replaced them.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): That’s What Friends are For--Dionne and Friends (with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Say You, Say Me--Lionel Richie (2nd week at #1)

Canadiana
Lisa Sawka, representing Winnipeg, was chosen Miss Teen Canada 1986; the pageant was telecast on CTV.

Crime
The U.S. President’s Commission on Organized Crime issued its first in a series of reports, this one dealing with drug trafficking said to be "the most serious problem presented by organized crime." The government estimated that 20 million Americans used marijuana at least once per month; 500,000 used heroin; and 5-6 million used cocaine at least once per month. The commission recommended prosecution for even small amounts of drugs; required courses in schools warning against drugs; and military participation in the defense against smugglers. Its most controversial proposal was that most working Americans be tested for drug use. Some organizations denounced that as an invasion of privacy, but U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese argued that an employee would consent to drug testing as a condition of employment. Advocates of testing said that even off-duty usage of drugs would reduce an employee’s efficiency; increase absenteeism; and add to the employer’s health program costs.

The Philippines government of President Corazon Aquino initiated legal action in Hawaii to recover assets illegally taken to Hawaii by departed former President Ferdinand Marcos and his entourage when they had fled the Philippines the previous week.

Disasters
Astronaut Harry Hartsfield, commander of two U.S. space shuttle missions, said he was angry that he had not known that the seals used in connecting the segments of the rocket "had been causing trouble for some time" before the January 28 Challenger explosion that had killed all 7 aboard.

Football
CFL
Norm Kimball resigned as executive manager of the Edmonton Eskimos to become president of the Montreal Alouettes. Mr. Kimball had joined the Eskimo organization as minor football coordinator in 1961 and had become assistant general manager before assuming the position of general manager in 1966, retitling the position as "executive manager" in 1977. Under Mr. Kimball's direction, the Eskimos had won nine Western Football Conference championships in ten years from 1973-1982, and six Grey Cups, including a record five straight from 1978-1982.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Unchained Melody--The Righteous Brothers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Unchained Melody--The Righteous Brothers (5th week at #1)
2 Hello Afrika--Dr. Alban featuring Leila K.
3 Sadeness Part I--Enigma
4 Keep on Running--Milli Vanilli
5 Fantasy--Black Box
6 Kränk di net--Jazz Gitti & her Disco Killers
7 To Love Somebody--Jimmy Somerville
8 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C & C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams
9 Don't Worry--Kim Appleby
10 A Better Love--Londonbeat

Singles entering the chart were Sucker DJ (A Witch for Love) by Dimples D (#16); 3 A.M. Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.) by the KLF (#17); Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You by Robert Palmer (#20); and Cry for Help by Rick Astley (#27).

Died on this date
Arthur Murray, 95. Austro-Hungarian-born U.S. dance instructor. Mr. Murray, born Moses Teichman, immigrated to the United States in 1897, and began teaching ballroom dancing while still a teenager. In the 1920s he began the business that eventually became the dance studio franchise that bears his name.

Music
The Juno Awards for 1990, recognizing the best in recorded music in Canada, were presented in Vancouver. The winners included: Céline Dion --Best Album and Best Female Vocalist; George Fox--Best Male Country Vocalist; Colin James--Best Single and Top Male Vocalist; Rita McNeil--Best Female Country Vocalist; Prairie Oyster--Best Country Group; Blue Rodeo--Best Group; and the Tragically Hip--Entertainer of the Year.

World events
74% of voters in Latvia and 83% in Estonia voted in favour of independence from the U.S.S.R. in non-binding plebiscites. The results were considered more significant than the February pro-independence vote in Lithuania because Estonia and Latvia had substantial minority populations--mainly ethnic Russians--who had been thought to be loyal to the Soviet central government.

War
Iraq agreed to "fulfill its obligations," while allied and Iraqi commanders met to arrange a cease-fire in the Gulf War. U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf said that allied forces, which controlled about 20% of Iraq, would pull back upon the signing of a cease-fire.

Crime
Los Angeles resident George Holliday videotaped the last two minutes of an incident from his window that showed police beating Rodney King, a Negro who had been stopped while driving his car and forced to lie on the pavement. The tape was shown on local, national, and international television, prompting outrage from civil rights groups. No charges were filed against Mr. King, but he remained hospitalized with skull fractures, a broken leg, an injured eye, and other injuries. Another man who was with Mr. King was arrested and placed in the police car without violence, but the videotape didn't show that, nor did the tape show Mr. King resisting arrest before the police began beating him.



Disasters
United Airlines Flight 585, a Boeing 737-200 jetliner en route from Denver to Colorado Springs, crashed on approach into Colorado Springs, killing all 25 passengers and crew.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Let's Groove--CDB (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Spaceman--Babylon Zoo (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Children--Robert Miles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Scotland (OCC): How Deep is Your Love--Take That

Died on this date
John Krol, 85. U.S. clergyman. Cardinal Krol was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1961-1988, and was named a cardinal in 1967. He held conservative views on church doctrine and sexual morality, but was liberal on such issues as nuclear disarmament. Cardinal Krol was criticized for helping to cover up the sexual assaults of priests against children.

10 years ago
2006

Abominations
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of Gurbaj Singh Multani, saying that the Sikh kirpan could be worn in Canadian schools.