March 13, 2017

450 years ago
1567

War
A Spanish professional army under General Beauvoir defeated an army of radical Calvinists rebels under Jan de Marnix in the Battle of Oosterweel north of Antwerp, traditionally seen as the beginning of the Eighty Years' War.

150 years ago
1867

World events
A military coup led by General Sylvain Salnave was successful in forcing the resignation of Haitian President Fabre Geffrard, who fled to Jamaica.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Janet Flanner. U.S. journalist. Miss Flanner, using the pseudonym Genêt, was the Paris correspondent for The New Yorker from 1925-1975. She died on November 7, 1978 at the age of 86.

120 years ago
1897

Academia
San Diego State University was founded.

70 years ago
1947

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1946 were presented at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The winners included: Picture--The Best Years of Our Lives; Director--William Wyler (The Best Years of Our Lives); Actor--Fredric March (The Best Years of Our Lives); Actress--Olivia de Havilland (To Each His Own); Supporting Actor--Harold Russell (The Best Years of Our Lives); Supporting Actress--Anne Baxter (The Razor's Edge).

60 years ago
1957

World events
Cuban student revolutionaries stormed the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.

Disasters
22 people were killed when a British European Airways Viscount 701 crashed at Manchester; four days later, BEA withdrew its fleet of Viscount 701s for an examination of the planes' flap operating system.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Reach Out I'll Be There--Four Tops (5th week at #1)

Protest
Hundreds of students at the London School of Economics took part in a sit-in over disciplinary action taken against two union officials.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: After the Lovin'--Engelbert Humperdinck (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Deadliest Season, starring Michael Moriarty, Kevin Conway, Meryl Streep, and Jill Eikenberry, on CBC

This made-for-television movie was first shown in the United States on CBS three days later; it was Miss Streep's first screen appearance.

Hockey
WHA
Edmonton 3 @ Winnipeg 9

CIAU
Men's championships @ Varsity Arena, Edmonton
Final
Toronto 4 Alberta 1

Basketball
NBA
Washington 115 @ Golden State 119

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Stay--Pierre Cosso & Bonnie Bianco

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that prices charged by producers for finished goods had risen 0.1% in February. The U.S. balance of payments on current account showed a deficit of $36.84 billion in the fourth quarter of 1986 and $140.57 billion for the entire year, both records.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Das Boot--U96 (8th week at #1)

Economics and finance
Commonwealth of Independent States delegates reached agreement on repaying the foreign debt of the former Soviet Union. The former Soviet Foreign Economic Bank was charged with administering the debt, and each member of the former Soviet state assumed a proportionate share of the debt.

The United States Labor Department reported that prices charged by producers for finished goods had risen 0.2% in February.

Disasters
The Mw 6.7 Erzincan earthquake struck eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). At least 498 were killed in this strike-slip event on the North Anatolian Fault.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Ring-A-Ling--Tiggy (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): C'mon baby yeah--Tehosekoitin

Oddities
The unidientified flying objects known as the Phoenix Lights were seen over Phoenix, Arizona by hundreds of people, and by millions on television.

Religion
The Missionaries of Charity chose Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as its leader.