March 18, 2017

180 years ago
1837

Born on this date
Grover Cleveland. 22nd President of the United States of America, 1885-1889; 24th President of the United States of America, 1893-1897. Mr. Cleveland, a Democrat, was Sheriff of Erie County, New York in the early 1870s, the only office he held prior to the 1880s. He had one of the fastest political rises in American history from 1881-1884; first being elected Mayor of Buffalo; then Governor of New York; and then being elected President of the United States in 1884. The 1884 presidential campaign was one of the nastiest in history; the Republican candidate, James G. Blaine, was accused of public dishonesty, while Mr. Cleveland, who had a reputation as an honest politician, was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock. Mr. Cleveland won an election that would have gone to Mr. Blaine if only 1,200 men in New York had voted the other way. Mr. Cleveland won the popular vote in that election and again in 1888, but Republican candidate Benjamin Harrison won the electoral vote to become President. The Democrats nominated Mr. Cleveland again in 1892, and he defeated Mr. Harrison in another close election, winning both the popular and electoral votes. Mr. Cleveland remains the only U.S. President to serve non-consecutive terms. He pursued policies that opposed public corruption and favoured business, but was unable to prevent or fix the Panic of 1893. Mr. Cleveland had a tumour removed from his mouth in 1893, resulting in the removal of part of his jaw and replacement with a rubber prosthesis; the details weren't revealed until 1917. Mr. Cleveland died of a heart attack on June 24, 1908 at the age of 71.

150 years ago
1867

Canadiana
The British Columbia legislative council unanimously approved Amor De Cosmos' resolution calling for "the admission of B.C. into Confederation on fair and equitable terms."

125 years ago
1892

Hockey
Lord Kilcoursie read a letter from Governor General Lord Stanley to a dinner of the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club at the Russell Hotel:

March 18, 1892
I have for some time just been thinking that it would be a good thing if there were a challenge cup which should be held from year to year by the champion hockey team in the Dominion.

There does not appear to be any such outward and visible sign of championship at present, and considering the general interest which the matches now elicit, and the importance of having the game played fairly and under rules generally recognized, I am willing to give a cup which shall be held from year to year by the winning team.

I am not quite certain that the present regulations governing the arrangement of matches are entirely of satisfaction, and it would be worth considering whether they could not be arranged so that each team would play once at home and once at the place where their opponents hail from.

Lord Kilcoursie told the gathering that "Captain Colville, who is at present in England, has been commissioned by the Governor to order the cup. It will be held here by trustees till the end of the next season, and then presented to the champions." The trophy became known as the Stanley Cup.

80 years ago
1937

War
Spanish Republican forces defeated Italian forces in the Battle of Guadalajara.

Disasters
About 300 or more people--mostly children--were killed, and at least 300 more injured in an explosion caused by a natural gas leak at London School in New London, Texas.

75 years ago
1942

War
Canadian forces established unified military commands in the Atlantic, Newfoundland, and Pacific areas.

Society
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing the War Relocation Authority, which was put in charge of interning Japanese-Americans.

Transportation
US Army Engineers started building the Alcan (Alaska) Highway to supply northwestern North America in case of Japanese invasion.

70 years ago
1947

Died on this date
William C. Durant, 85. U.S. businessman. Mr. Durant founded the Flint Road Cart Company in 1886, co-founded the automotive firms General Motors in 1908 and Chevrolet in 1911, and owned the refrigerator firm Frigidaire. He founded Durant Motors in 1921, but lost heavily in the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent depression. Durant Motors went out of business in 1933, and Mr. Durant was bankrupt by 1936. He suffered a stroke in 1942, and spent his later years managing a bowling alley in Flint, Michigan, the city where he had begun his career.

Politics and government
Georgia Lieutenant Governor Melvin Thompson took office as Governor, after the Supreme Court of Georgia had ruled in his favour in a dispute over who was to replace Governor-elect Eugene Talmadge, who had died on December 21, 1946. The state constitution didn't specify who was to take office as Governor in the event of the death of the Governor-elect, leading to the "Three Governors" controversy. On January 15, 1947, the Georgia General Assembly had elected Mr. Talmadge's son Herman; Lieutenant Governor-elect Thompson thought he was entitled to be Governor, while outgoing Governor Ellis Arnall thought he was entitled to stay in office until the issue was resolved. The court also ruled that a special election would take place in November 1948 to fill the unexpired term of Eugene Talmadge.

60 years ago
1957

Defense
The U.K., U.S.A., U.S.S.R., France, and Canada took part in a disarmament conference in London.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Snoopy vs. the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Hey Joe--Johnny Hallyday (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Cuore matto--Little Tony (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Dear Mrs. Applebee--David Garrick

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): This is My Song--Petula Clark (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)--Engelbert Humperdinck (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Penny Lane--The Beatles

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Penny Lane--The Beatles
2 Ruby Tuesday--The Rolling Stones
3 Happy Together--The Turtles
4 Sock it To Me--Baby!--Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels
5 Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye--The Casinos
6 Baby I Need Your Lovin'--Johnny Rivers
7 There's a Kind of Hush--Herman's Hermits
8 Love is Here and Now You're Gone--The Supremes
9 My Cup Runneth Over--Ed Ames
10 Dedicated to the One I Love--The Mamas and the Papas

Singles entering the chart were Walkin' in the Sunshine by Roger Miller (#83); Oh That's Good, No That's Bad by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (#86); Don't You Care by the Buckinghams (#87); Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got by Jimmy Ruffin (#89); Friday on My Mind by the Easybeats (#93); Make Love to Me by Johnny Thunder and Ruby Winters (#96); The Beginning of Loneliness by Dionne Warwick (#97); and Postcard from Jamaica by the Sopwith "Camel" (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Baby I Need Your Lovin'--Johnny Rivers
2 Love is Here and Now You're Gone--The Supremes
3 Penny Lane--The Beatles
4 Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye--The Casinos
5 Epistle to Dippy--Donovan
6 Ruby Tuesday--The Rolling Stones
7 I've Been Lonely Too Long--The Young Rascals
8 Sock it To Me--Baby!--Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels
9 For What it's Worth--Buffalo Springfield
10 The Beat Goes On--Sonny and Cher

Singles entering the chart were A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You by the Monkees (#49); Bernadette by the Four Tops (#74); The Loser (With a Broken Heart) by Gary Lewis and the Playboys (#75); Seventh Saint by Mel West (#81); Playground by Debi Lori Kaye (#82); Give Me a Reason to Stay by Bobby Curtola (#83); Wade in the Water by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (#90); Detroit City by Tom Jones (#91); Tell Me to My Face by Keith (#92); I Dig You Baby by Jerry Butler (#93); Yellow Balloon by the Yellow Balloon (#94); Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley (#95); On a Carousel by the Hollies (#96); Don't You Care by the Buckinghams (#97); Matthew and Son by Cat Stevens (#98); It's a Happening Thing by the Peanut Butter Conspiracy (#99); and Just Like a Man by Margaret Whiting (#100).

Politics and government
Sierra Leonian Governor General Henry Lightfoot-Boston appointed Siaka Stevens, leader of the opposition All-People's Congress, as Prime Minister. The appointment came the day after parliamentary elections, but before the results were announced. Brigadier General David Lansana, commander of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces, declared the appointment illegal, and arrested both Mr. Lightfoot Boston and Mr. Stevens. Gen. Lansana was an ethnic Mende, while Mr. Stevens was an ethnic Limba.

Environment
The Liberian-registered supertanker SS Torrey Canyon ran aground between Land's End and the Scilly Isles, leaking oil into the sea.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Shenandoah--Jan Lindblad (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Living Next Door to Alice--Smokie (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Do it for Me--Jennifer

On television tonight
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, on CBC
Tonight's episode: The Last Show

As the title indicates, this was the 168th and last episode of the series' seven-season run. This episode aired on March 19 in the United States on CBS. Despite the fact that this episode won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series," this blogger regarded it as one of the series' poorest episodes.

Died on this date
Marien Ngouabi, 38. President of the People's Republic of the Congo, 1969-1977. Mr. Ngouabi took office on January 1, 1969, the day after the National Revolutionary Council (CNR) took power. He changed the name of the country from Congo Republic to People's Republic of the Congo, as Africa's first Marxist-Leninist state. Mr. Ngouabi was assassinated by an alleged suicide commando. A Military Committee of the Party (CMP) was named to head an interim government, with conservative Colonel Joachim Yhombi-Opango to serve as Head of State.

Carlos Pace, 32. Brazilian auto racing driver. Mr. Pace participated in 73 races on the Formula One circuit from 1972-1977, winning the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1975. He was killed in a plane crash, 13 days after finishing 13th in the South African Grand Prix.

Diplomacy
The United States government lifted a ban on travel by American citizens to Cuba, Cambodia, North Korea, and Vietnam.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Caravan of Love--The Housemartins (6th week at #1)

Edmonton’s top 30 (CHED)
1 Livin’ on a Prayer—Bon Jovi
2 The Final Countdown—Europe
3 Big Time—Peter Gabriel
4 Mandolin Rain—Bruce Hornsby and the Range
5 Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now—Starship
6 Let’s Wait Awhile—Janet Jackson
7 Don’t Dream it’s Over—Crowded House
8 Jacob’s Ladder—Huey Lewis and the News
9 Respect Yourself—Bruce Willis
10 Brand New Lover—Dead or Alive
11 I Wanna Go Back—Eddie Money
12 Tonight, Tonight, Tonight—Genesis
13 Will You Still Love Me?—Chicago
14 Lean on Me—Club Nouveau
15 I Knew You were Waiting (For Me)—Aretha Franklin and George Michael
16 Somewhere Out There—Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
17 Fight for Your Right (To Party)—The Beastie Boys
18 C’est la Vie—Robbie Nevil
19 Let’s Go—Wang Chung
20 Ain’t No Cure for Love—Jennifer Warnes
21 Keep Your Hands to Yourself—Georgia Satellites
22 With or Without You—U2
23 Dancing with My Mirror—Corey Hart
24 In the Heat of the Night—Bryan Adams
25 I’ll Be All Right Without You—Journey
26 Come Go with Me—Expose
27 Sign ‘o’ the Times—Prince
28 You Got it All—The Jets
29 Wild Horses—Gino Vannelli
30 I Will Be There—Glass Tiger

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that corporate profits had risen 6.1% in the fourth quarter of 1986.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Stockholm--Orup

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Lunch Stories

World events
White South Africans voted 68.6% in favour of political reforms to end apartheid and create a multi-racial government.

Diplomacy
A majority of the Finnish parliament voted to apply for membership in the European Community.

Politics and government
Texas billionaire Ross Perot announced that he would be an independent candidate for President of the United States in 1992 if his supporters were successful in getting his name in the ballot on all 50 states.

20 years ago
1997

Disasters
The tail of a Russian Antonov An-24 charter plane broke off while en route from Stavropol, Russia to Trabzon, Turkey, causing the plane to crash, and killing all 50 people on board.