March 15, 2017

870 years ago
1147

War
The forces of King Afonso I of Portugal captured the Moorish-controlled city of Santarém.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquest_of_Santar%C3%A9m

250 years ago
1767

Born on this date
Andrew Jackson. 7th President of the United States, 1829-1837. Major General Jackson, nicknamed "Old Hickory," came to public attention for leading his forces to victory over British troops in the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. As a Democratic-Republican, he represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives from 1796-1797 and in the Senate from 1797-1798 and 1823-1825, while serving as military Governor of Florida from March-December 1821. Mr. Jackson was the Democratic-Republican candidate for President of the United States in 1824; he won the popular vote and a plurality of electoral votes, but fewer than the majority required. The election was thus decided in the House of Representatives, who chose John Quincy Adams. Mr. Jackson denounced the result as a "corrupt bargain," but he was elected in 1828 and again in 1832 as the first candidate of the new Democratic Party. As President, Mr. Jackson vetoed the renewal of the charter of the Second Bank of the United States; pursued friendly relations with the United Kingdom and France; and opposed the right of a state to secede from the Union, leading to the resignation of Vice President John C. Calhoun in 1832 to return to South Carolina to represent the interests of his state. Mr. Jackson was an advocate of slavery and of the "spoils system" in government. He died on June 8, 1845 at the age of 78.

175 years ago
1842

Died on this date
Luigi Cherubini, 81. Italian composer. Mr. Cherubini was known for his operas and sacred music, and was reportedly regarded by Ludwig van Beethoven as the best of his contemporaries.

140 years ago
1877

Sport
In the first official cricket test match ever played, Australia defeated England by 45 runs at the MCG Stadium, in Melbourne, Australia.

125 years ago
1892

Soccer
Liverpool Football Club was founded.

100 years ago
1917

World events
Czar Nicholas II abdicates the Russian throne, ending the 304-year Romanov dynasty.

90 years ago
1927

Sport
The first Women's Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge took place on The Isis in Oxford, with Oxford winning by 15 seconds.

80 years ago
1937

Died on this date
H. P. Lovecraft, 46. U.S. author.Mr. Lovecraft was known for his horror stories, published in magazines such as Weird Tales. His stories often emphasized the irrelevance of man in the face of cosmic evils in the universe, including the deity created by Mr. Lovecraft, known as Cthulhu. Mr. Lovecraft, as is so often the case, didn't become famous until after his death from stomach cancer

Medicine
The first blood bank in the United States was established at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

75 years ago
1942

Died on this date
Alexander von Zemlinsky, 70. Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher. Mr. Zemlinsky was a pianist and organist, and brother-in-law of composer Arnold Schoenberg. Mr. Zemlinsky wrote two symphonies, as well as chamber and piano works, and numerous choral works. He's perhaps best known for his Lyric Symphony (1923), a seven-movement piece for soprano, baritone and orchestra, set to poems by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore (in German translation). Mr. Zemlinsky was conductor of the Deutsches Landestheater in Prague (1911-1927) and then worked in Berlin under Otto Klemperer, but fled Germany when the Nazis took power in 1933. He went to New York and then ended up teaching at two universities in California, dying after a series of strokes.

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Heartaches--Ted Weems and his Orchestra

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Será, Será)--Doris Day (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Young Love--Tab Hunter (4th week at #1)

At the movies
Hit and Run, written, produced, and directed by Hugo Haas, and starring Cleo Moore, Mr. Haas, and Vince Edwards, opened in theatres.



50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Snoopy vs. the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen (4th week at #1)
2 I'm a Believer--The Monkees
3 Georgy Girl--The Seekers
4 Ruby Tuesday/Let's Spend the Night Together--The Rolling Stones
5 Happy Jack--The Who
6 Green, Green Grass of Home--Tom Jones
7 Gimme Some Lovin'--The Spencer Davis Group
8 Words of Love/Dancing in the Street--The Mamas and the Papas
9 Kiss Me Now/When Will I Be Loved?--Johnny Young
10 In the Country--Cliff Richard

Singles entering the chart were I'm a Man by the Spencer Davis Group (#28); Nashville Cats by the Lovin' Spoonful (#29); and On a Carousel by the Hollies (#32).

At the movies
In Like Flint, directed by Gordon Douglas, and starring James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Jean Hale, and Andrew Duggan, opened in theatres.





Politics and government
Artur da Costa e Silva was inaugurated as President of Brazil, succeeding Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco as head of the military government that had taken power in 1964. Mr. Costa e Silva had served as Minister of War from 1964-1966 before being elected to a five-year term as President.

40 years ago
1977

On television tonight
M*A*S*H, on CBC and CBS
Tonight's episode: Margaret's Marriage

This was the final episode of the series' fifth season, and the final episode for Larry Linville, who had played Major Frank Burns since the series' inception.

Died on this date
Hubert Aquin, 47. Canadian author. Mr. Aquin worked for Radio-Canada and the National Film Board of Canada before becoming an activist for Quebec independence. He spent several months in a psychiatric hospital in 1964, which inspired his first and most famous novel, Prochain épisode (Next Episode) (1965). Mr. Aquin wrote several more novels before committing suicide by shooting himself.

Diplomacy
U.K. Prime Minister James Callaghan returned to London after meetings in North America with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Politics and government
Veselin Đuranović took office as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, succeeding Džemal Bijedić, who had been killed in a plane crash on January 18, 1977.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Funkytown--Pseudo Echo (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Reality--Richard Sanderson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: On se retrouvera--Francis Lalanne (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Douglas Abbott, 87. Canadian politician and judge. Mr. Abbott, a Liberal, represented the Montreal riding of Saint-Antoine - Westmount from 1940-1954. He served as Minister of National Defence from 1945-1946 and Minister of Finance and Receiver General from 1946-1954 in the governments of Prime Ministers Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent. Mr. Abbott was probably one of the best Ministers of Finance the country ever had, as Canada was able to avoid a widely-anticipated economic slump after the end of World War II in 1945. Mr. Abbott was appointed directly from the cabinet to the Supreme Court of Canada, where he served as a Puisne Justice until 1973. His appointment was one of the most controversial in history, as no one had been appointed to the Supreme Court directly from the cabinet since 1911, and no such appointment has been made since.

Curling
Brier
Final
Ontario 11 British Columbia 7

This was the first Canadian men’s championship for Ontario skip Russ Howard.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Justified & Ancient--The KLF (featuring Tammy Wynette)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Justified & Ancient--The KLF (featuring Tammy Wynette) (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Das Boot--U 96 (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
Wojeck: Out of the Fire, starring John Vernon and Patricia Collins, on CBC

The made-for-television movie was a revival of the crime drama series that had been broadcast on CBC in the fall of 1966 and early 1968.



Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Walker Morrow!

Curling
Brier
Final
Manitoba 4 Ontario 3 (11 ends)

Vic Peters was the skip who led Manitoba to the Canadian men’s championship.

Hockey
CIAU championship
Men’s Final
Alberta 5 Acadia 2

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Discothèque--U2 (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Barrel of a Gun--Depeche Mode (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Con te partirò--Andrea Bocelli (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Don't Speak--No Doubt (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Un-Break My Heart--Toni Braxton (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Mama/Who Do You Think You Are--Spice Girls

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Mama/Who Do You Think You Are--Spice Girls

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Wannabe--Spice Girls (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Gail Davis, 71. U.S. actress. Miss Davis, born Betty Jeanne Grayson, appeared in numerous Western movies and television programs in the late 1940s and early '50s, but was best known as the star of the television series Annie Oakley (1954-1956).

Basketball
NCAA
Playoffs
Colorado 56 @ North Carolina 73

The Tar Heels' win over the Buffalos was the 877th in the coaching career of Dean Smith, brreaking the record formerly held by Adolph Rupp of Kentucky.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/03.15.html

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Bowie Kuhn, 80. U.S. Commissioner of Baseball, 1969-1984. Mr. Kuhn was a lawyer who represented the National League in a lawsuit brought by the city of Milwaukee in an attempt to prevent the move of the Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta in 1965. When the owners decided to fire General William "Spike" Eckert in 1968, they chose Mr. Kuhn as his replacement. As Commissioner, Mr. Kuhn oversaw the introduction of divisional play and the American and National League Championship Series; night games during the World Series; the adoption of the designated hitter by the American League; and increasing attendance and television ratings. He also presided over several strikes, the most destructive of which wiped out the middle two months of the 1981 season. Mr. Kuhn took strong stands on what he regarded as the best interests of baseball, leading him to oppose free agency for players, the use of recreational and performance-enhancing drugs, and any association with gambling. His autobiography Hardball: The Education of a Baseball Commissioner (1987) is worth reading. Mr. Kuhn died of pneumonia; he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Stuart Rosenberg, 79. U.S. film and television director. Mr. Rosenberg directed episodes of television programs such as The Untouchables; Naked City; and The Twilight Zone in the early 1960s, and won an Emmy Award in 1963 for directing an episode of The Defenders. He directed more than a dozen movies, the best-known of which was Cool Hand Luke (1967), the first of four films directed by Mr. Rosenberg that starred Paul Newman.