March 8, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Micky Dolenz and Linda Woodhams!

200 years ago
1817

Economics and finance
The New York Stock Exchange was founded.

120 years ago
1897

Born on this date
Josep Pla. Spanish journalist. Josep Pla i Casadevall, a native of Catalonia, was a member of the Catalan Parliament as a member of the Lliga Regionalista (Regionalist League) (1921-1924) before being expelled by Spanish dictator Primo Rivera and living in exile for several years. He returned to Madrid when the Republic of Spain was proclaimed in 1931, and wrote features about Parliament for the next five years. Mr. Pla abandoned Madrid several years before the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, and spent most of the rest of his life abroad in various countries, becoming known for his travel books. He eventually returned to Catalonia, where he died on April 23, 1981 at the age of 84.

100 years ago
1917

Died on this date
Ferdinand von Zeppelin, 78. German military officer and aviation executive. Generalleutnant Zeppelin served in several wars from the late 1850s until his retirement in 1890. After many years of resaerch and trials, he founded Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH (Airship Construction Zeppelin Ltd.), the world's leading manufacturer of airships.

Protest
International Women's Day protests in St. Petersburg marked the beginning of the February Revolution (February 23rd in the Julian calendar) in Russia.

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.

80 years ago
1937

Died on this date
Howie Morenz, 34. Canadian hockey player. Mr. Morenz, a native of Mitchell, Ontario, was regarded as the greatest player of his time, especially when he played centre for the Montreal Canadiens from 1923-34. A fast skater who had earned the nicknames “Clinton Comet” and “Stratford Streak” in his younger days, Mr. Morenz played for Stanley Cup championship teams with the Canadiens in 1924, 1930, and 1931. He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 1927-28, 1930-31, and 1931-32, leading the league in scoring in the first two of those seasons. Mr. Morenz was the First All-Star Team centre in 1930-31 and 1931-32, and made the Second All-Star Team in 1932-33; he undoubtedly would have earned more all-star selections, but the NHL didn’t have official All-Star teams until 1930-31. After an injury-plagued 1933-34 season, Mr. Morenz was traded to the New York Rangers. His play declined with the Rangers, and he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks midway through the 1935-36 season. A change in management with the Canadiens in 1936 led to the decision to reacquire Mr. Morenz in an attempt to improve the fortunes of both parties. The move worked, and Mr. Morenz scored 20 points in the first 30 games of the 1936-37 season. On January 28, 1937, he suffered a badly-broken leg early in a game at the Montreal Forum when the tip of his skate caught in the boards, and he was hit by Earl Siebert of the Black Hawks. It was expected that he would be out for the remainder of the season, and perhaps for good. In late February Mr. Morenz suffered a nervous breakdown, but appeared to be recovering when he got out of his hospital bed at 11:30 P.M. to go to the bathroom, and an embolism went to his heart and struck him down. His funeral was held three days later at the Montreal Forum; 10,000 people filled the arena, and 15,000 more stood outside. In 550 regular season NHL games, Mr. Morenz scored 273 goals, and held the career record for goals until early in his final season, when he was passed by Nels Stewart of the Montreal Maroons. The Canadiens retired Mr. Morenz’s uniform number 7, making him the first player so honoured. In 1945, Howie Morenz became a member of the first group of players to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

War
The Battle of Guadalajara began in the Spanish Civil War.

75 years ago
1942

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC

The title of the episode is unknown, but it was the last episode of the season, and the last broadcast for Messrs. Rathbone and Bruce on NBC. The didn't return to radio until May 7, 1943, when The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes began running on MBS.

War
Imperial Japanese Army forces captured Rangoon, Burma from British forces. Imperial Japanese Army forces gave an ultimatum to Dutch East Indies Governor General Jonkheer Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer and KNIL Commander in Chief Lieutenant General Hein Ter Poorten, to unconditionally surrender.

Transportation
U.S. Army Engineers started building the Alaska Highway to supply northwestern North America in case of Japanese invasion.

70 years ago
1947

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

World events
13,000 troops of the Republic of China Army arrived in Taiwan after the February 28 Incident and launched crackdowns which killed thousands of people, including many elites. This turned into a major root of the Taiwan independence movement.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Será, Será)--Doris Day (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Young Love--Tab Hunter (3rd week at #1)

Transportation
Egypt reopened the Suez Canal, four months after the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt during the Suez Crisis.

Politics and government
The 1957 Georgia Memorial to Congress, which petitioned the U.S. Congress to declare the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution null and void, was adopted by the state of Georgia.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Snoopy vs. the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen (3rd 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 In the Country--Cliff Richard
9 Words of Love/Dancing in the Street--The Mamas and the Papas
10 Kiss Me Now/When Will I Be Loved?--Johnny Young

Singles entering the chart were Mary Mary by Normie Rowe (#15, charting with It's Not Easy as its B-side); Matthew and Son by Cat Stevens (#27); 98.6 by Keith (#34); Kind of a Drag by the Buckinghams (#35); What's Wrong with the Way I Live? by the Twilights (#36); Peek-A-Boo by the New Vaudeville Band (#37); Music to Watch Girls By by the Bob Crewe Generation (#38); Same Old Song by Ray Brown (#39); and Love is Here and Now You're Gone by the Supremes (#40).

Space
The United States launched the satellite OSO (Orbiting Solar Observatory) 3 from Cape Kennedy, Florida.

40 years ago
1977

On the radio
CBS Radio Mystery Theater
Tonight's episode: The Sign of the Four, starring Kevin McCarthy and Court Benson

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Taking Chances: Part 2

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin concluded his two-day visit to Washington, where he and U.S. President Jimmy Carter discussed the possibility of reconvening the Geneva talks on peace in the Middle East.

Hockey
WHA
San Diego 0 @ Winnipeg 5

30 years ago
1987

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

#1 single in Switzerland: Reality--Richard Sanderson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: On se retrouvera--Francis Lalanne (2nd week at #1)

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Remember the Time--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Justified & Ancient--The KLF (featuring Tammy Wynette) (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Das Boot--U 96

Politics and government
Former California Governor Jerry Brown won the Nevada caucus vote for the 1992 Democratic party nomination for President of the United States.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Discothèque--U2 (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Barrel of a Gun--Depeche Mode (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Let a Boy Cry--Gala (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Don't Speak--No Doubt (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Un-Break My Heart--Toni Braxton (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Don't Speak--No Doubt (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Don't Speak--No Doubt (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Wannabe--Spice Girls (3rd week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
Hartford 1 @ Toronto 1

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
John Inman, 71. U.K. actor. Mr. Inman was best known for playing Mr. Humphries in the television comedy series Are You Being Served? (1972-1985).

John Vukovich, 59. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Vukovich was a utility infielder with the Philadelphia Phillies (1970-1971, 1976-1981); Milwaukee Brewers (1973-1974); and Cincinnati Reds (1975), batting .161 with 6 home runs and 44 runs batted in in 277 games. With just 90 hits in 559 at bats, Mr. Vukovich holds the major league career record for the lowest batting average of any non-pitcher with 500 or more at bats. Mr. Vukovich was the Reds' starting third baseman at the beginning of the 1975 season, and was batting .211--the highest average of his major league career--with no home runs and 2 runs batted in in 31 games when he was demoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the AAA American Association. Cincinnati manager Sparky Anderson then moved Pete Rose from left field to third base and installed George Foster as the regular left fielder, and the team then ran away with the National League West Division and went on to win the World Series. Mr. Vukovich, meanwhile, was traded to Philadelphia on August 3, 1975. He was on the Phillies' roster in 1980 when they won their first World Series championship, but he saw no post-season action. Mr. Vukovich coached in the major leagues after his playing career--including 1988-2004 with the Phillies--and served as an interim manager twice--compiling a 1-1 record with the Chicago Cubs in 1986, and a 5-4 record in the last 9 games of the 1988 season with the Phillies. He died after a long battle with a brain tumour.