February 28, 2018

380 years ago
1638

Britannica
The Scottish National Covenant was signed by a large gathering in the kirkyard of Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. The covenanters pledged to maintain Presbyterianism as it had existed in 1580 as Scotland's official religion, rejecting any innovations introduced since that time. They also pledged loyalty to the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

290 years ago
1728

War
Peshwa Bajirao I of the Maratha Empire defeated Asaf Jah I in the Battle of Palkhed near the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.

180 years ago
1838

Canadiana
Robert Nelson, leader of the insurrectionist Patriotes, proclaimed the independence of Lower Canada and distributed a declaration of independence while he was encamped with 300 men at Alburg, Vermont. They were soon arrested by the U.S. Army for violating the law of neutrality of the United States.

160 years ago
1858

Born on this date
Tore Svennberg. Swedish actor and director. Mr. Svennberg was best known in his native country for acting in and directing plays, and was known internationally for his co-starring role in the movie A Woman's Face (1938). He died on May 8, 1941 at the age of 83.

130 years ago
1888

Music
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso for Cello & Orchestra received its premiere performance.

125 years ago
1893

Defense
The USS Indiana, the first battleship of the United States Navy that was comparable to foreign battleships of the time, was launched at Philadelphia. A crowd of 10,000 people was in attendance, including Benjamin Harrison, who had just one week remaining in his term as President of the United States.

100 years ago
1918

Economics and finance
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Robert Borden enforced the War Tax Act, allowing the government to raise the tax rate of any person subject to regular tax. The federal government hoped to withdraw $15-$20 million.

90 years ago
1928

At the movies
The Crowd, directed and co-written by King Vidor, and starring James Murray and Eleanor Boardman, received its premiere screening in New York City.

80 years ago
1938

Academia
L'Université Laval opened its School of Social and Political Sciences under the direction of Father Georges-Henri Lévesque.

75 years ago
1943

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Don't Want to Walk Without You--Harry James and his Music Makers (1st month at #1)

War
German forces recaptured Lozovaya and Kramatorsk, south of Kharkov. U.K. forces repulsed Axis assaults in northern Tunisia and recaptured Fort McGregor and Tally-Ho Corner.

Politics and government
The New York Herald Tribune reported that 1940 Republican Party U.S. presidential candidate Wendell Willkie had decided to run for the nomination again in 1944.

Track and field
U.S. pole vaulter Cornelius Warmerdam was awarded the James E. Sullivan Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship.

70 years ago
1948

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover--Art Mooney and his Orchestra (2nd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (10th week at #1)
--Bing Crosby with the Rhythmaires
--Buddy Clark
2 I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover--Art Mooney and his Orchestra
--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Uptown String Band
--The Three Suns
3 Serenade of the Bells--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
4 Golden Earrings--Peggy Lee
5 Now is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song)--Bing Crosby
--Gracie Fields
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Margaret Whiting
6 How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Jack Owens
--Dinah Shore
7 I'll Dance at Your Wedding--Ray Noble and his Orchestra with Buddy Clark
--Peggy Lee
8 Beg Your Pardon--Francis Craig and his Orchestra
--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--Larry Green and his Orchestra
9 Manana (Is Soon Enough for Me)--Peggy Lee
10 Too Fat Polka (I Don’t Want Her) (You Can Have Her) (She’s Too Fat for Me)--Arthur Godfrey

Singles entering the chart were Because by Perry Como (#20); Matinee, with versions by Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra, and Buddy Clark (#24); Barnyard Boogie by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five (#31); If I Only Had a Match, with versions by Frank Sinatra, and Al Jolson (#38); and The Dickey-Bird Song by Freddy Martin and his Orchestra (#39). Mr. Sinatra's version of If I Only Had a Match was the other side of But Beautiful, charting at #16 with the version by Margaret Whiting.

Died on this date
Cornelius Frederick Adjetey; Odartey Lamptey; Mr. Attipoe. Gold Coast soldiers. Sergeant Adjetey, Private Lamptey, and Corporal Attipoe were among World War II veterans from the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force who had marched on the colonial government seat of Christianborg Castle to demand payment of gratuities they had been promised. They refused to disperse, and when government forces refused to fire on the unarmed men, Police Superintendent Colin Imray shot and killed the three. The leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention sent a cable to London, blaming Governor Sir Gerald Creasy for the killings, and demanding a change in the colonial government.

Music
Eight-year-old Ferruccio Burco made his American conducting debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Diplomacy
Argentina and Uruguay announced an agreement to submit all future disputes to arbitration.

Politics and government
Czechoslovakian Communist Party leader Rudolf Slansky was named head of a government committee authorized to purge all parties of "reactionaries."

Peruvian President Jose Bustamante Rivero appointed an all-military cabinet.

World events
Greek police arrested 800 suspected Communists and other "subversives" in Athens and Piraeus.

Academia
The American Association of University Professors, meeting in St. Louis, announced that it would defend college teachers accused of being Communists.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman signed a bill extending wartime export-import controls on scarce raw materials and increasing the pensions of 1.5 million federal employees.

Horse racing
Talon, with Eddie Arcaro up, won the Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia, California.

60 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Magic Moments--Perry Como

On television tonight
Harbor Command, starring Wendell Corey
Tonight's episode: Killer on My Doorstep

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko handed messages to Western diplomats in Moscow accepting Western conditions for a meeting of foreign ministers to prepare for an East-West summit conference.

World events
Former Iranian Army intelligence chief General Vali Gharani was arrested with 33 other suspects on charges of plotting with "a foreign power" against the Iranian government.

Crime
Convicted U.S. rapist and death-row inmate Caryl Chessman lost his appeal for a new trial when Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that the transcript of Mr. Chessman's 1948 trial were not in error.

Economics and finance
The European Coal and Steel Community met in Strasbourg for a final session prior to its absorption into the European Legislative Assembly, formed to control Euratom and the Common Market.

South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem announced the approval of private foreign investments in textile, sugar, glass, pharmaceutical, and fishing projects.

Disasters
A school bus driver and 26 children were killed near Prestonburg, Kentucky when the bus hit a wrecker truck and plunged down an embankment into the rain-swollen Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. 22 children survived.

50 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Cinderella Rockefella--Esther and Abi Ofarim

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)--Johnny Farnham (5th week at #1)
2 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
3 Tin Soldier/I Feel Much Better--Small Faces
4 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
5 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
6 Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus--The Beatles
7 The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde--Georgie Fame
8 You Only Live Twice/Oh Lonesome Me--Nancy Sinatra/Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
9 Monterey--Eric Burdon & the Animals
10 She (EP)--The Monkees

Singles entering the chart were Green Tambourine by the Lemon Pipers (#23); Words/Sinking Ships by the Bee Gees (#33); and Darlin' by the Beach Boys (#39).

Died on this date
Juanita Hall, 66. U.S. actress. Mrs. Hall was best known for playing Bloody Mary in the stage musical (1949) and movie (1958) South Pacific, winning both a Tony Award and a Donaldson Award for her supporting performance in the former. She played Madam Liang in the stage musical (1958) and movie (1961) Flower Drum Song. Mrs. Hall developed diabetes in later years, which resulted in blindness, and eventually caused her death.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson's Liberal government survived a non-confidence motion by a vote of 138-119, nine days after a major Liberal tax measure had been defeated in the House of Commons.

Michigan Governor George Romney, speaking in Washington, surprised observers by announcing he was withdrawing from the race for the Republican Party U.S. presidential nomination, just 12 days before the New Hampshire primary. Mr. Romney said that he'd failed to achieve the broad support that he needed. There was speculation that private polls indicated that he would do poorly in N.H., and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller's announcement four days earlier that he would be available for a draft was also thought to be a factor in Mr. Romney's decision.

U.S. President Lyndon Johnson presented the Medal of Freedom to outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in a White House ceremony. Mr. McNamara had been named to head the World Bank.

40 years ago
1978

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: A Friend of the Family's

Died on this date
Zara Cully, 86. U.S. actress. Miss Cully was best known as Mother Jefferson on the television situation comedy series The Jeffersons, a role she originated on All in the Family in 1974, and continued when the spinoff series was created in 1975. She played the role until a few months before her death from cancer. Miss Cully appeared in several movies, including The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970) and WUSA (1970).

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle

#1 single in Switzerland: Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle (5th week at #1)

Abominations
At least 32--Armenians claimed as many as 300--Armenians were killed during disorders in the city of Sumgait, Azerbaijan.

War
Iran bombed the city of Basra in southern Iraq.

Politics and government
In the contest for the U. S. presidential nominations, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis won the Democratic Party caucuses in Maine, while Vice President George Bush won the Republican caucuses.

Olympics
Closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics were held at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

25 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (11th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): No Limit--2 Unlimited

Died on this date
Ruby Keeler, 83. Canadian-born U.S. dancer and actress. A native of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Miss Keeler became a dancer on Broadway, married Al Jolson, and moved to Hollywood. Her most notable movies were her first three: 42nd Street (1933); Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933); and Footlight Parade (1933).

Ishiro Honda, 81. Japanese film director. Mr. Honda was known for directing Japanese monster movies, which achieved worldwide popularity in the 1950s and '60. His films included Godzilla (1954); Mosura (aka Mothra) (1961); Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964); Monster of Monsters: Ghidorah (aka Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster) (1964); Kingu Kongu no gyakushû (aka King Kong Escapes!) (1967).

Crime
Four agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were killed along with eight residents of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas when the BATF raided the cult's compound in an attempt to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh, who was suspected of illegally stockpiling weapons.

World events
Three U.S. C-130 transport planes, flying from a base in Germany, began airdrops of aid packages to Bosnia.

20 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Arkady Shevchenko, 67. U.S.S.R. diplomat. Mr. Shevchenko was a career diplomat who served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs from 1973-1978. He passed Soviet secrets to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, and defected to the United States in 1978, becoming the highest-ranking Soviet official to defect to the West. Mr. Shevchenko died of cirrhosis of the liver, presumably brought on by heavy drinking.

War
Serbian police began the offensive against the Kosovo Liberation Army in Kosovo.

Defense
The RQ-4 Global Hawk, the first unmanned aerial vehicle certified to file its own flight plans and fly regularly in U.S. civilian airspace, made its first flight.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 4 Montreal 0
Ottawa 4 @ Vancouver 6

Mark Messier of the Canucks became the 4th National Hockey League player to score 1,600 career points as his team scored 4 goals in the 3rd period to defeat the Senators at Pacific Coliseum. The others to reach the 1,600-point mark were Mr. Messier's former teammate Wayne Gretzky; Gordie Howe; and Marcel Dionne.