February 22, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Laura Pereverzoff Ong!

200 years ago
1817

Born on this date
Niels Gade. Danish musician, composer, and conductor. Mr. Gade began his career as a concert violinist with the Royal Danish Orchestra; he became assistant conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, and succeeded Felix Mendelssohn as chief conductor in 1847. Mr. Gade soon returned to Copenhagen after war broke out between Prussia and Denmark, and directed the Copenhagen Musical Society for the rest of his life, also performing as an organist. His compositions included eight symphonies, cantatas, chamber music, organ and piano pieces, and a violin concerto. Mr. Gade died on December 21, 1890 at the age of 73.

170 years ago
1847

War
5,000 American troops fought 15,000 Mexican troops in the first day of the Battle of Buena Vista, in the Mexican state of Coahuila.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Edna St. Vincent Millay. U.S. poet and playwright. Miss Millay won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923. She was known fo her sonnets, but also wrote five verse dramas. Miss Millay died of a heart attack and falling down stairs on October 19, 1950 at the age of 58.

110 years ago
1907

Britannica
Robert Baden-Powell made the first scouting camp in Brownsea, England.

75 years ago
1942

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Sussex Vampire

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Open the Door, Richard--Count Basie and His Orchestra

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Será, Será)--Doris Day (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Young Love--Tab Hunter

World events
South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm survived a Communist shooting assassination attempt in Buôn Ma Thuột.

Boxing
Carmen Basilio (50-12-7) retained his world welterweight title with a technical knockout of Johnny Saxton (54-6-2) in the 2nd round at Cleveland Arena.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Snoopy vs. the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen
2 Green, Green Grass of Home--Tom Jones
3 I'm a Believer--The Monkees
4 When Will I Be Loved?/Kiss Me Now--Johnny Young
5 Georgy Girl--The Seekers
6 Coalman--Ronnie Burns
7 Communication Breakdown--Roy Orbison
8 Happy Jack--The Who
9 Knight in Rusty Armour--Peter and Gordon
10 Words of Love/Dancing in the Street--The Mamas and the Papas

Singles entering the chart were The Beat Goes On by Sonny and Cher (#35) and Pamela Pamela by Wayne Fontana (#36).

Boxing
George Chuvalo (43-13-2) scored a technical knockout of Dick Wipperman (32-8-1) 59 seconds into the 3rd round of their heavyweight bout at the Armory in Akron, Ohio. Mr. Chuvalo had scored a 5-round TKO over Mr. Wipperman four months earlier.

40 years ago
1977

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Best Friends

Diplomacy
Pierre Trudeau became the first Canadian Prime Minister to address a joint session of the United States Congress.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Good Times--Jimmy Barnes featuring INXS (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Reality--Richard Sanderson

#1 single in France: T'en va pas--Elsa (8th week at #1)

Died on this date
David Susskind, 66. U.S. television producer and host. Mr. Susskind produced dramatizations of famous literature from the 1950s through the 1980s, but was perhaps best known as host of Open End (retitled The David Susskind Show in 1966), a talk show that ran from 1958-1986. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1988. Mr. Susskind died of a heart attack.

Andy Warhol, 58. U.S. artist. Mr. Warhol, born Andrew Warhola, was a leading figure in the New York-based “Pop Art” movement in the 1960s. He was best known for his painting of a Campbell’s soup can, and his comment (with variations thereof frequently repeated) that everyone should be famous for 15 minutes. He died of complications following gall bladder surgery.

Politics and government
Ethiopian dictator Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam announced that 96% of eligible voters had participated in the Feb. 1 vote on the country’s constitution, and that 81% had voted in favour of a new constitution establishing a civilian Communist government. The nation would now be called the People’s Republic of Ethiopia, with the 50,000-member Worker’s Party to be the “vanguard” of the one-party state.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Love You Right--Euphoria

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Garagara hebi ga yattekuru--Ton'neruzu (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--George Michael/Elton John (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Puta Madre--Terra Wan (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--George Michael/Elton John (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--George Michael/Elton John

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--George Michael/Elton John (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Stay--Shakespears Sister

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I'm Too Sexy--Right Said Fred (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 To Be with You--Mr. Big
2 I Love Your Smile--Shanice
3 The Way I Feel About You--Karyn White
4 I'm Too Sexy--Right Said Fred
5 Diamonds and Pearls--Prince and the New Power Generation
6 Remember the Time--Michael Jackson
7 Good for Me--Amy Grant
8 There Will Never Be Another Tonight--Bryan Adams
9 I'll Get By--Eddie Money
10 Missing You Now--Michael Bolton featuring Kenny G

Singles entering the chart were Romeo and Juliet by Stacy Earl (featuring Wild Pair) (#55); Everything Changes by Kathy Troccoli (#60); If You Go Away by New Kids on the Block (#69); Peace of Mind (Love Goes On) by One 2 One (#70); Church of Your Heart by Roxette (#73); Kissing the Wind by Nia Peeples (#76); Beauty and the Beast by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson (#77); I Need Money by Marky Mark and Funky Bunch (#79); and Do Not Pass Me By by Hammer (#80). Beauty and the Beast was the title song from the movie.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me-George Michael/Elton John
2 There Will Never Be Another Tonight--Bryan Adams
3 No Regrets--Tom Cochrane
4 I'm Too Sexy--Right Said Fred
5 Mysterious Ways--U2
6 Diamonds and Pearls--Prince and the New Power Generation
7 I Can't Dance--Genesis
8 To Be with You--Mr. Big
9 Smells Like Teen Spirit--Nirvana
10 Good for Me--Amy Grant

Singles entering the chart were Head Over Heals by Frozen Ghost (#81); Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man by Concrete Blonde (#82); Cry Myself to Sleep by Chrissy Steele (#84); The Time Alone with You by Bad English (#89); Be My Yoko Ono by Barenaked Ladies (#90); The Road by Honeymoon Suite (#91); Show Me the Way by West End Girls (#94); and Make it Happen by Mariah Carey (#97).

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Discothèque--U2

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Barrel of a Gun--Depeche Mode (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Let a Boy Cry--Gala

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Don't Speak--No Doubt (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Un-Break My Heart--Toni Braxton (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Don't Speak--No Doubt

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Don't Speak--No Doubt

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Wannabe--Spice Girls

Science
Scientists in Scotland announced the birth of the world's first first successfully cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, born July 5, 1996.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 5 Montreal 1

10 years ago
2007

George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, 88. U.K. politician. Lord Jellicoe, a Conservative, was a member of the House of Lords from 1939 until his death. His various offices over the years included First Lord of the Admiralty (1963-1964) and Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords (1970-1973). He resigned from the latter post after admitting to having casual affairs with call girls.

Dennis Johnson, 52. U.S. basketball player. Mr. Johnson was a guard with the Seattle SuperSonics (1976-80); Phoenix Suns (1980-83); and Boston Celtics (1983-90), scoring 15,535 points, grabbing 4,249 rebounds and giving 5,499 assists in 1,100 games, translating to career averages of 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1979 National Basketball Association finals after leading the SuperSonics to their only NBA championship, and helped the Celtics win the 1986 championship. Mr. Johnson is regarded as one of the best defensive players in history. He coached the Los Angeles Clippers for 24 games in the 2002-03 season, and was head coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League when he died of a heart attack. Mr. Johnson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.