February 21, 2017

580 years ago
1437

Died on this date
James I, 42. King of Scotland, 1406-1437. James I, the son of King Robert III, was sent to France in March 1406 in order to be safe from a possible plot by his uncle Robert, Duke of Albany. However, the ship was seized by English pirates on its way to France, and James was delivered to King Henry IV of England, and was in captivity when King Robert died on April 4, 1406. James I was educated at the English court and aided Henry IV's successor Henry V in his military campaign in France in 1420-1421. King James married Joan Beaufort, daughter of the Duke of Somerset, in February 1424, and was released two months later. He returned to Scotland and launched pre-emptive attacks against some of his nobles in order to solidify his position. King James I was assassinated by his uncle Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl in an unsuccessful coup attempt. Queen Joan was seriously wounded, but escaped with their 6-year-old son, who succeeded his father as King James II.

220 years ago
1797

War
A force of 1,400 French soldiers invaded Fishguard, Wales in support of the Society of United Irishmen, but were defeated by 500 British reservists.

175 years ago
1842

Technology
John Greenough was granted the first U.S. patent for the sewing machine.

150 years ago
1867

Born on this date
Otto Kahn. German-born U.S. banker. Mr. Kahn moved to London as a young man, and then to New York in 1893. He was an investment banker who was known for rescuing and reorganizing railroads that were in financial trouble. Mr. Kahn died on March 29, 1934 at the age of 67.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Harry Stack Sullivan. U.S. psychiatrist. Dr. Sullivan was a psychoanalyst who emphasized the importance of interpersonal relationships. His own most interpersonal relationship was with a man 20 years his junior, lasting until Dr. Sullivan's death in Paris on January 14, 1949 at the age of 56.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Tadd Dameron. U.S. musician. Mr. Dameron was a jazz pianist, and a prominent composer and arranger during the "bop era" of the 1940s and '50s. He became a drug addict and had several heart attacks before he died of cancer at the age of 48 on March 8, 1965.

Lucille Bremer. U.S. dancer and actress. Miss Bremer danced with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York City before embarking on a brief acting career in movies such as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944); Till the Clouds Roll By (1946); and Ruthless (1948). She died on April 16, 1996 at the age of 79.

80 years ago
1937

War
The League of Nations banned foreign national "volunteers" in the Spanish Civil War.

75 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): A String of Pearls--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Heinz Hitler, 21. German soldier. Unteroffizier Hitler, a nephew of Fuehrer Adolf Hitler, served with the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front during World War II, and participated in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. He was captured by Soviet forces on January 10, 1942, and died, reportedly after torture, in Butyrka military prison in Moscow, 22 days before his 22nd birthday.

70 years ago
1947

Died on this date
Fannie Charles Dillon, 65. U.S. composer and teacher. Miss Dillon was a pianist who taught at Pomona College (1910-1913) and with the Los Angeles high school system (1918-1941). She wrote orchestral, chamber, and vocal works, and incorporated bird calls into her compositions. Miss Dillon died 23 days before her 66th birthday.

Technology
Edwin Land demonstrated the first "instant camera"--the Polaroid Land Camera--to a meeting of the Optical Society of America, in New York City.

50 years ago
1967

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Ivy Maze, with guest stars William Windom and Geraldine Brooks

The Invaders, starring Roy Thinnes, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Nightmare

Died on this date
Charles Beaumont, 38. U.S. author. Mr. Beaumont, born Charles Nutt, was a speculative fiction writer who was best known for contributing numerous scripts to the television series The Twilight Zone (1959-1964). He was known for having many projects going on at once, and for suffering chronic headaches. In 1963, Mr. Beaumont began to show signs of fading mental ability; physicians diagnosed his affliction as either Alzheimer's disease or Pick's disease, and he was unable to work for the last three years of his life. His writer friends ghostwrote scripts and stories for Mr. Beaumont, allowing him to receive the credit, not only in order to help him pay medical bills, but because his name on a story guaranteed that it would sell, and usually without any changes being made.

Boxing
Joe Frazier (14-0) knocked out Doug Jones (29-9-1) at 2:28 of the 6th round of their heavyweight bout at Philadelphia Arena. The gate of $46,432 was reported to be the largest in the 47-year history of the arena.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Way You Do It--Pussyfoot (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Shitsuren Restaurant--Kentaro Shimizu

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Daddy Cool--Boney M.

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance concluded his six-day visit to Israel and five Arab nations in an effort to reconvene the Geneva peace talks.

Politics and government
British Prime Minister James Callaghan named David Owen as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Commonwealth, succeeding Anthony Crosland, who had died two days earlier.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Si può dare di più--Gianni Morandi, Enrico Ruggeri, Umberto Tozzi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): The Final Countdown--Europe (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Reet Petite--Jackie Wilson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Reet Petite--Jackie Wilson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)--George Michael and Aretha Franklin (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)--George Michael and Aretha Franklin (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Stand by Me--Ben E. King

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Livin' on a Prayer--Bon Jovi (2nd week at #1)

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

Singles entering the chart were I Knew You were Waiting (For Me) by Aretha Franklin and George Michael (#52); Dominoes by Robbie Nevil (#73); Smoking Gun by the Robert Cray Band (#80); Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You by Glenn Medeiros (#84); Boom Boom by Paul Lekakis (#85); Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room) by Paul Lekakis (#85); The Lady in Red by Chris DeBurgh (#87); Light of Day by the Barbusters (#88); I Got the Feelin' (It's Over) by Gregory Abbott (#89); and Dance by Ratt (#90). Light of Day was the title song from the movie; the Barbusters were actually Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 At this Moment--Billy Vera and the Beaters (2nd week at #1)
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 Keep Your Hands to Yourself--Georgia Satellites
7 Can't Help Falling in Love--Corey Hart
8 Open Your Heart--Madonna
9 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
10 Will You Still Love Me?--Chicago

Singles entering the chart were Fire by Bruce Springsteen (#90); Dirty Water by Rock and Hyde (#93); Skin Trade by Duran Duran (#95); Should I Know by Frozen Ghost (#96); American Singer by Bundock (#97); and Act of Mercy by Luba (#98).

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Card, starring Susan Blakely; The Junction, starring William Allen Young

Hockey
NHL
New York Islanders 6 @ Montreal 5

This was the national Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Das Boot--U96 (5th week at #1)

Olympics
Women's figure skating
Kristi Yamaguchi of the United States won the competition at Albertville, France, becoming the first American woman to win the gold medal since Dorothy Hamill in 1976. Despite hailing from California, Miss Yamaguchi trained at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton, Alberta.

Men's hockey
Canada 4 Czech Republic 2

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Time to Say Goodbye--Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (11th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Un-Break My Heart--Toni Braxton (5th week at #1)

Music
This blogger, with enjoyable female company, was in attendance as Don McLean performed at the Arden Theatre in St. Albert, Alberta.

Crime
Three Englishmen who had been jailed 18 years earlier for the murder in Staffordshire of 13-year-old paper boy Carl Bridgewater were released after the Court of Appeal ruled their convictions unsafe.