April 3, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Evgeniya!

180 years ago
1837

Born on this date
John Burroughs. U.S. author. Mr. Burroughs was noted for his works on nature, including Birds and Poets (1877); Locusts and Wild Honey (1879); Signs and Seasons (1886); and Ways of Nature (1905). He died on March 29, 1921 at the age of 83.

150 years ago
1867

Died on this date
George W. Randolph, 49. C.S. politician. General Randolph was Secretary of War in the Confederate States administration of President Jefferson Davis from March 24-November 15, 1862. He died of tuberculosis 24 days after his 49th birthday.

110 years ago
1907

Academia
The Saskatchewan Legislature passed a bill establishing the University of Saskatchewan.

75 years ago
1942

War
German bombers raided Dover and Portland in southern England, while Royal Air Force planes bombed northern France. Japanese forces began an assault on American and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula. Approximately two-thirds of the city of Mandalay was destroyed by Japanese air assaults. U.S. Flying Fortresses struck Rangoon--starting several fires--and Port Blair in the Japanese-held Andaman Islands.

70 years ago
1947

Terrorism
A court in Jerusalem sentenced Irgun Zvai Leumi members Daniel Azulai and Meyer Feinstein to death for an attack on the Jerusalem railway station.

War
Despite Soviet objections, the United States authorized Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan General Douglas MacArthur to make advance reparations payments from Japan to China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other East Asian countries.

Defense
King Farouk raised the Egyptian flag over the Kasr el Nil barracks in Cairo to mark the evacuation of British troops.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to approve President Truman's aid program for Greece and Turkey, adopting a resolution giving the United Nations power to stop such aid or take over the program if it felt able to do so.

Following the example of France, the Italian government ordered a 5% cut in the prices of all unrationed goods.

Society
After a two-day meeting at the White House with U.S. President Harry Truman, the President's Committee on Civil Rights asked for a federal law against discrimination in employment.

Disasters
Following the deaths of 111 miners in a mine explosion in Centralia, Illinois on March 25, U.S. Interior Secretary Julius Krug ordered the indefinite closure of 518 of the 2,531 government-operated soft coal mines until safety hazards were removed. United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis called the measure inadequate, and demanded Mr. Krug's dismissal.

Football
NFL
Commissioner Bert Bell indefinitely suspended New York Giants' quarterback Frank Filchock and halfback Merle Hapes for failing to report an attempted bribe before the National Football League championship game against the Chicago Bears in December 1946. Neither player accepted the bribe; both players subsequently joined the Hamilton Tigers of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union.

60 years ago
1957

Music
Elvis Presley performed a concert at Ottawa Auditorium, after performing two concerts in Toronto the night before.



Politics and government
Iranian Prime Minister Hussein Ali resigned amidst controversy over the recent slaying by bandits of two American aid officials. Dr. Manouchehr Eghbal, a physician and court minister, replaced Mr. Ali as Prime Minister.

U.S. Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield warned a House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee that he would order drastic curtailment of postal service, including an end to Saturday mail deliveries, unless he was assured that Congress would give the Post Office a $47-million deficiency appropriation.

Defense
East German Premier Otto Grotewohl warned that the introduction of North Atlantic Treaty Organization atomic weapons into West Germany would "bring about counter-measures."

U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower accused North Korea of building up its military forces in violation of the 1953 Korean War armistice.

Protest
The Chilean Army put down disorders in Valparaiso and Santiago sparked by an increase in bus fares and continued increases in the cost of living.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Good Vibrations--The Beach Boys (2nd week at #1)

Disasters
15 men of a 32-man shift died and 10 were injured at 3:59 pm. in Crowsnest Industry Limited's Balmer North mine at Natal, British Columbia.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Don't Give Up on Us--David Soul (3rd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United Nations-sponsored Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva ended after a month, with delegates from 100 nations failing to agree on how to stabilize commodity prices.

Curling
Silver Broom @ Ishall, Karlstad, Sweden
Final
Sweden 8 Canada 5

The Ragnar Kamp rink scored 4 points in the 10th and final end to defeat the Canadian rink of Jim Ursel.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 4 @ Boston 7
Montreal 2 @ Washington 1

Boston centre Jean Ratelle scored his 1,000th career NHL point with an assist in the Bruins' win over the Maple Leafs at Boston Garden.

Steve Shutt scored his 60th goal of the season and Guy Lafleur scored his 56th as the Canadiens edged the Capitals at Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. Mr. Shutt's total was a National Hockey League record for goals by a left winger in a single season.

WHA
Winnipeg 6 @ Calgary 4

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Stay--Pierre Cosso & Bonnie Bianco (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Tom Sestak, 51. U.S. football player. Mr. Sestak was a defensive tackle with the Buffalo Bills from 1962-1968. He made the American Football League All-Star team in each of his first four seasons, and was a member of the Bills' AFL championship teams in 1964 and 1965. Knee injuries shortened his career; he died of a heart attack.

Diplomacy
On the third day of his visit to Santiago, Chile, Pope John Paul II met with 19 opposition leaders who pledged to use peaceful means to restore democracy in Chile. The pope had met with President Augusto Pinochet two days earlier. That night, the pope conducted an outdoor mass for one million people. Youths who opposed the government set bonfires and stoned police, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. Pope John Paul continued the service, while stating, “We will not tire of repeating everywhere that violence is not Christian.”

Popular culture
The late Duchess of Windsor's jewellery sold for £31 million (US$50 million) at an auction in Switzerland.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Das Boot--U96 (11th week at #1)

Abominations
The Congregation of Christian Brothers formally apologized to victims of physical and sexual abuse at 94-year-old Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John's, Newfoundland. The building was to be razed, and proceeds used to help victims.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that unemployment remained at 7.3% in March.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Don't Let Go (Love)--En Vogue

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Perseeseen--Klamydia

At the movies
This blogger attended a preview screening of The Saint, starring Val Kilmer and Elizabeth Shue, which opened in theatres the next day.

Abominations
Islamist guerrillas massacred 52 of 53 inhabitants of the Algerian village of Thalit.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 2 Detroit 2

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Eddie Robinson, 88. U.S. football and basketball coach. Mr. Robinson spent more than 50 years at Grambling State University as head coach of the football (1941-1997) and basketball (1943-1956) teams. He was best known for his football achievements, compiling a record of 408-165-15, leading the Tigers to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships, 9 Negro college national championships, and 10 victories in bowl games, posting the third-highest victory total in college football history. Mr. Robinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997; he died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Transportation
A French TGV train on the LGV Est high speed line set an official world speed record of 574.8 kilometres per hour (357.2 miles per hour).

Defense
Royal assent was given to the Canadian government's Veterans' Bill of Rights. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that the government would establish an ombudsman for veterans, so the government could respond quickly and fairly to any concerns of veterans.