February 14, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Liliya!

700 years ago
1317

Died on this date
Margaret of France, 37 or 38. Queen consort of England, 1299-1317. Margaret of France, a daughter of Philip III of France and Maria of Brabant, was Queen of England as the second wife of King Edward I.

220 years ago
1797

War
John Jervis (later 1st Earl of St Vincent) and Horatio Nelson (later 1st Viscount Nelson) led the British Royal Navy to victory over a Spanish fleet in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, near Gibraltar.

125 years ago
1892

Politics and government
Rev. Charles Parkhurst, pastor of Madison Square Presbyterian Church in New York City, denounced, from his pulpit, the Tammany Hall administration of Mayor Hugh J. Grant as a "lying, perjured, rum-soaked, and libidinous lot" of "polluted harpies," and offered additional comments, such as:

"While we fight iniquity, they shield and patronize it; while we try to convert criminals, they manufacture them..."

"Every step that we take looking to the moral betterment of this city has to be taken directly into the teeth of the damnable pack of administrative blood-hounds that are fattening themselves on the ethical flesh and blood of our citizenship."

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Herbert A. Hauptman. U.S. chemist and mathematician. Dr. Hauptman shared the 1985 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jerome Karl "for their outstanding achievements in developing direct methods for the determination of crystal structures." He died on October 23, 2011 at the age of 94.

90 years ago
1927

At the movies
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June Tripp, Malcolm Keen, and Ivor Novello, opened in theatres in the United Kingdom.



Hockey
NHL
Conn Smythe acquired the Toronto St. Patricks, and announced that the team would be known as the Maple Leafs.

70 years ago
1937

Died on this date
Erkki Melartin, 62. Finnish composer and conductor. Mr. Melartin, whose birthday is also said to have been on February 2, 1875, wrote chamber, piano, and vocal works, but was best known for his nine symphonies and the Juhlamarssi (Festive March) from his ballet Sleeping Beauty (1904/1911), which is the most popular wedding march in Finland. He conducted the Vyborg Orchestra from 1908-1911, touring as far as India and North Africa. Mr. Melartin suffered from chronic health problems, and died a week after his 62nd birthday.

75 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me)--Woody Herman and his Herd

Died on this date
Adnan Saidi, 27. Malayan soldier. Lieutenant Saidi was killed while leading a platoon from the Malay Regiment in defense of Singapore against invading Japanese forces in the Battle of Pasir Panjang.

50 years ago
1967

On television tonight
The Invaders, starring Roy Thinnes, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Vikor



Died on this date
Sig Ruman, 82. German-born U.S. actor. Mr. Ruman emigrated to the United States in 1924, and made a career of playing comic Teutonic villains in numerous movies and television programs.

Diplomacy
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and U.S. President Lyndon Johnson concluded two days of talks in Washington.

Defense
14 countries signed a treaty in Mexico City banning nuclear weapons in Latin America.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Way You Do It--Pussyfoot (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): S.O.S.--Pink Lady

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): The Best Disco in Town--The Ritchie Family

Diplomacy
Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo began a three-day visit to Washington, which included a meeting with U.S. President Jimmy Carter and an address to the United States Congress.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Si può dare di più--Gianni Morandi, Enrico Ruggeri, Umberto Tozzi

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): The Final Countdown--Europe (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Reet Petite--Jackie Wilson

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Reet Petite--Jackie Wilson

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)--George Michael and Aretha Franklin (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)--George Michael and Aretha Franklin (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)--George Michael and Aretha Franklin (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Livin' on a Prayer--Bon Jovi

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Livin' on a Prayer--Bon Jovi
2 Open Your Heart--Madonna
3 At this Moment--Billy Vera and the Beaters
4 Change of Heart--Cyndi Lauper
5 Will You Still Love Me?--Chicago
6 Keep Your Hands to Yourself--Georgia Satellites
7 Touch Me (I Want Your Body)--Samantha Fox
8 Shake You Down--Gregory Abbott
9 Jacob's Ladder--Huey Lewis and the News
10 Ballerina Girl--Lionel Richie

Singles entering the chart were Tonight, Tonight, Tonight by Genesis (#47); Lean on Me by Club Nouveau (#54); Walking Down Your Street by the Bangles (#80); Winner Takes it All by Sammy Hagar (#84); Stone Love by Kool & The Gang (#86); How Much Love by Survivor (#87); and Serious by Donna Allen (#89).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 At this Moment--Billy Vera and the Beaters
2 Shake You Down--Gregory Abbott
3 Touch Me (I Want Your Body)--Samantha Fox
4 C'est la Vie--Robbie Nevil
5 Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles
6 Can't Help Falling in Love--Corey Hart
7 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
8 Land of Confusion--Genesis
9 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
10 Open Your Heart--Madonna

Singles entering the chart were The Final Countdown by Europe (#80); What You Get is What You See by Tina Turner (#82); Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship (#86); Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order (#89); (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) by the Beastie Boys (#92); Can't Wait for the Night by Brighton Rock (#94); Nobody's Fool by Cinderella (#96); and I'll Be Alright Without You by Journey (#97).

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Das Boot--U96 (4th week at #1)

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Time to Say Goodbye--Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Barrel of a Gun--Depeche Mode

Abominations
Jurors at the Southwark Crown Court inquest into the death of Stephen Lawrence decided that the British Negro teenager had been unlawfully killed in April 1993 "in a completely unprovoked racist attack by five white youths".