March 2, 2017

300 years ago
1717

Ballet
The Loves of Mars and Venus, by John Weaver, received its premiere performance at the Drury Theatre in London, becoming the first ballet to be performed in England.

220 years ago
1797

Economics and finance
The Bank of England issued the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes.

210 years ago
1807

Law
The U.S. Congress passed the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, disallowing the importation of new slaves into the country, effective the following year.

150 years ago
1867

Politics and government
The U.S. Congress passed the first Reconstruction Act, "An act to provide for the more efficient government of the Rebel States."

140 years ago
1877

Politics and government
Just two days before the inauguration, the U.S. Congress declared Republican Party candidate Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the November 7, 1876 presidential election, even though Democratic Party candidate Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote, 50.9%-47.9%. After the first count of votes, Mr. Tilden had 184 electoral votes to 165 for Mr. Hayes. The 19 electoral votes comprising Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, along with 1 electoral vote in Oregon, were in dispute. The Congressional commission of five Senators, five Representatives, and five members of the Supreme Court voted strictly along party lines--with the Republicans holding an 8-7 majority--and awarded the 20 disputed votes to Mr. Hayes, giving him a 185-184 victory.

125 years ago
1892

Boxing
Bob Fitzsimmons (22-2-2), fighting as a light heavyweight, defeated heavyweight Peter Maher (43-3) when Mr. Maher retired after the 12th round of their bout at the Olympic Club in New Orleans.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
David Goodis. U.S. author. Mr. Goodis wrote novels, short stories, and radio scripts in the noir crime genre; he was best known for the novel Dark Passage (1946), which was made into a movie in 1947. Mr. Goodis died of a stroke on January 7, 1967 at the age of 49, several days after being beaten while resisting a robbery attempt.

Jim Konstanty. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Konstanty was a relief pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds (1944); Boston Braves (1946); Philadelphia Phillies (1948-1954); New York Yankees (1954-1956); and St. Louis Cardinals (1956), compiling a record of 66-48 with 74 saves and an earned run average of 3.46 in 433 games. His best season was 1950, when he appeared in 74 games--a major league single-season record at the time--and posted a 16-7 record with a 2.66 ERA and a National League-leading 22 saves in helping the Phillies "Whiz Kids" win the NL pennant. He made his only start of the season in the first game of the World Series, allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run in 8 innings, but losing 1-0 to the New York Yankees. Mr. Konstanty was named the National League's Most Valuable Player for 1950, becoming the first major league relief pitcher to win the award, and the only one in the National League to date. He died on June 11, 1976 at the age of 59.

Desi Arnaz. Cuban-born U.S. musician and actor. Mr. Arnaz, born Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III, was a popular bandleader in Cuba and the United States in the 1940s, but was best known for his marriage to American comedienne Lucille Ball from 1940-1960. The two formed the production company Desilu Productions and co-starred as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo in the television comedy series I Love Lucy (1951-1957) and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960). Mr. Arnaz was a heavy smoker who died of lung cancer on December 2, 1986 at the age of 69.

Americana
The enactment of the Jones–Shafroth Act granted Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.

80 years ago
1937

Labour
The Steel Workers Organizing Committee signed a collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel, leading to unionization of the United States steel industry.

70 years ago
1947

At the movies
The Devil on Wheels, written and directed by Crane Wilbur, and starring Noreen Nash, Darryl Hickman, Jan Ford, and Lenita Lane, opened in theatres.



The Guilty, directed by John Reinhardt, and starring Bonita Granville and Don Castle, opened in theatres.



60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Hey There--Rosemary Clooney (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ich weiß was dir fehlt--Peter Alexander (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Young Love--Tab Hunter (2nd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Young Love--Tab Hunter (Best Seller--1st week at #1; Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1; Jukebox--1st week at #1; Top 100--3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Too Much--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)
2 Young Love--Tab Hunter
--Sonny James
3 Don't Forbid Me--Pat Boone
4 Banana Boat (Day-O)--Harry Belafonte
5 Marianne--Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders
--The Hilltoppers
6 The Banana Boat Song--The Tarriers
7 Butterfly--Charlie Gracie
--Andy Williams
8 Teen-Age Crush--Tommy Sands
9 Blue Monday--Fats Domino
10 Love is Strange--Mickey and Sylvia

Singles entering the chart were I'm Drowning My Sorrows (#40)/How Lonely Can One Be (#49) by Teresa Brewer; Calypso Melody by David Rose and his Orchestra (#45); 9 Lb. Hammer by Sanford Clark (#48); and The Wall, with versions by Patti Page, and Eileen Rodgers (#50).

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)--Engelbert Humperdinck

On television tonight
Dragnet 1967, starring Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Hammer



40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): When I Need You--Leo Sayer (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
Libya became the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, as the General People's Congress adopted the "Declaration on the Establishment of the Authority of the People."

The United States House of Representatives adopted a code of ethics that required financial disclosure for its members and limited their outside earnings.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): You Keep Me Hangin' On--Kim Wilde (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Randolph Scott, 89. U.S. actor. Mr. Scott was one of the most popular stars of western movies from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Perhaps his best-known film was his last, Ride the High Country (1962).

Personal
This blogger received a plaque from the Canadian Football League in recognition for submitting the best entry from Alberta in the CFL’s photo contest in 1986. The prize also included a gift certificate from Japan Camera Centre for $100.

Canadiana
Heather Morton, representing Toronto, was chosen Miss Teen Canada 1987. The pageant was televised on CTV.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Gigolo--Hausmylly

Died on this date
Sandy Dennis, 54. U.S. actress. Mainly known as a stage actress, Miss Dennis won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?> (1966). Her other movies included Up the Down Staircase (1967); Sweet November (1968); The Out of Towners (1970); and The Four Seasons (1981).

Diplomacy
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan joined the United Nations.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Don't Speak--No Doubt (4th week at #1)

#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Lovefool--The Cardigans

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): When I Die--No Mercy (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Don't Speak--No Doubt

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Thomas S. Kleppe, 87. U.S. politician. Mr. Kleppe, a Republican, was Mayor of Bismarck, North Dakota from 1950-1954, and represented that state's 2nd District in the United States House of Representatives from 1967-1971 before serving as Administrator of the Small Business Administration from 1971-1975 and U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the administration of President Gerald Ford from 1975-1977.

Clem Labine, 80. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Labine was a relief pitcher with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1950-1960); Detroit Tigers (1960); Pittsburgh Pirates (1960-1961); and New York Mets (1962), compiling a record of 77-56 with an earned run average of 3.63 and 96 saves in 513 games. He helped the Dodgers to World Series championships in 1955 and 1959, and was with the Pirates when they won the World Series in 1960. Mr. Labine's 96 saves were the National League career record at the time.