March 16, 2018

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Kathy Fisher Tanya!

775 years ago
1243

Abominations
Following their successful siege of Montségur, French royal forces burned about 210 Cathar Perfecti--monks who held to dualistic and gnostic doctrines--and unrepentant credentes (ordinary followers of the Cathar, or Albigensian movement).

175 years ago
1843

Canadiana
James Douglas began construction of Fort Camosun (Fort Victoria), the first Hudson's Bay Company post on Vancouver Island.

200 years ago
1818

War
Spanish forces defeated Chilean forces under José de San Martín in the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada in Chile.

100 years ago
1868

Died on this date
David Wilmot, 54. U.S. politician. Mr. Wilmot was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania's 12th District from 1845-1851. He sponsored the Wilmot Proviso (1946), intended to ban slavery from lands acquired in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The proviso passed in the House, but was defeated in the Senate, and never became law. By 1848 Mr. Wilmot was identified with the Free Soil Party, and later helped to found the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. He served as a judge in Pennsylvania from 1851-1861, and represented that state in the U.S. Senate from 1861-1863.

140 years ago
1878

Born on this date
José Carlos da Maia. Portuguese military officer. Mr. da Maia was a Navy officer who was elected to the National Constituent Assembly in 1911, and served as Governor of Macau (1914-1916), among other offices. He was no longer involved in active politics when he was assassinated at the age of 43 on October 19, 1921 as part of the military insurrection known as Bloody Night.

120 years ago
1898

Died on this date
Aubrey Beardsley, 25. U.K. artist. Mr. Beardsley was known for his grotesquely erotic illustrations for books and magazines, and was a leading figure in the Aesthetic movement. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1897 and requested that his erotic artwork be destroyed, but his wishes were ignored. Mr. Beardsley died in France of tuberculosis, which he had suffered from for years.

Politics and government
In Melbourne, the representatives of five colonies adopted a constitution, which became the basis of the Commonwealth of Australia.

100 years ago
1918

War
In the Finnish Civil War, White forces executed 70–100 capitulated Reds after winning the Battle of Länkipohja.

Canadiana
The government of Canada divided the Northwest Territories into the Districts of Keewatin, Mackenzie, and Franklin, effective January 1, 1920.

Religion
209 delegates from across Canada met at the Monument-National in Montreal from March 16-19 to found the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC).

90 years ago
1928

Montrealica
Construction began on the Bell building.

80 years ago
1938

Basketball
NCAA
National Invitational Tournament @ New York
Final
Temple 60 Colorado 36

This was the first year for the NIT, the first post-season tournament, played at Madison Square Garden. The NCAA championship playoffs began a year later.

75 years ago
1943

War
U.S. and Canadian naval officials met in Washington to discuss anti-U-boat warfare. Soviet forces drove to within 50 miles of Smolensk on the central Russian front. Chinese troops recaptured Shanghachang and Yanglingshih, south of the Yangtze River, reaching the outskirts of Hwajung.

Economics and finance
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King presented the House of Commons with a social security plan calling for $30 monthly pensions for single persons and $45 for married couples.

Politics and government
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Tom Clark to succeed Thurmond Arnold as an assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department.

70 years ago
1948

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis, on MBS

At the movies
The Miracle of the Bells, starring Frank Sinatra, Alida Valli, and Fred MacMurray, received its premiere screening, in New York City.

Politics and government
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation reported clearing 1,005,944 federal employees in the loyalty review program.

Economics and finance
The Committee on European Economic Cooperation concluded a two-day session in Paris by agreeing to admit Allied representatives of the three western German occupation zones to Marshall Plan discussions.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend rent control through March 31, 1949.

Labour
100,000 members of the Congress of Industrial Organizations United Packinghouse Workers struck throughout the United States, demanding a 29c hourly wage increase.

The number of striking coal miners in the U.S.A. increased to 360,000, reducing the nation's coal ouput by 90%.

60 years ago
1958

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Foghorn, starring Barbara Bel Geddes, Michael Rennie, and Bartlett Robinson

Died on this date
William J. Mixter, 77. U.S. physician. Dr. Mixter was chief of surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, and originated the ruptured spinal disk operation.

Leon Cadore, 66. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Cadore played with the Brooklyn Robins (1915-1923); Chicago White Sox (1923); and New York Giants (1924), compiling a record of 68-72 with an earned run average of 3.14 192 games. He's best known for his pitching duel with Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves at Braves Field on May 1, 1920; they each pitched complete games as the Robins and Braves played to a 1-1 tie that was called because of darkness after 26 innings in what remains the longest game in major league history. Mr. Cadore appeared in 2 games of the 1920 World Series, starting and taking the 5-1 loss in game 4 as the Robins lost to the Cleveland Indians 5 games to 2.

Diplomacy
South Vietnam rejected the North Vietnamese offer to discuss mutual troop reductions and trade.

Defense
U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Felix Stump announced that all U.S. military advisory units in Taiwan had been regrouped under a new headquarters: the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command and Military Assistance Advisory Group.

Politics and government
The Conservative Party, led by former President Laureano Gomez, gained a 2-1 majority in Colombian congressional elections.

The California Republican Assembly, meeting in San Jose, endorsed Governor Goodwin Kinght's candidacy for the U.S. Senate against San Francisco Mayor George Christopher in the November 1958 election.

Protest
A mass meeting near Johannesburg of the outlawed African National Congress demanded a minimum wage for Africans, representation in the South African government, and an end to the racial policies of apartheid.

Business
Ford Motor Company produced its 50 millionth automobile, a Thunderbird.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Division Semi-Finals
Syracuse 93 @ Philadelphia 95 (Best-of-three series tied 1-1)

Western Division Semi-Finals
Detroit 124 @ Cincinnati 104 (Detroit won best-of-three series 2-0)

50 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra

#1 single in France: Nights in White Satin--The Moody Blues (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La tramontana--Antoine (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Bleib bei mir--Roy Black

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Cinderella Rockefella--Esther and Abi Ofarim

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Words--The Bee Gees (3rd week at #1)
2 De Kat Van Ome Willem--Wim Sonneveld with Hetty Blok, Leen Jongewaard, De Jonkies, and the Orchestra of Harry Bannink
3 The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)--Manfred Mann
4 Pictures of Matchstick Men--The Status Quo
5 It's the End--The Buffoons
6 (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding
7 Mien Waar Is M'n Feestneus?--Toon
8 The Legend of Xanadu--Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
9 Nights in White Satin--The Moody Blues
10 The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde--Georgie Fame

Singles entering the chart were Kom Uit De Bedstee Mijn Liefste by Egbert Douwe (#15); Cinderella Rockefella by Esther and Abi Ofarim (#16); Storybook Children, with versions by Sandra & Andres; Billy Vera and Judy Clay; and Nancy & Lee (#36); Roosmarie, with versions by John Lamers; and Peter Orloff (#37); and Drinking on My Bed by the Rob Hoeke Rhythm & Blues Group (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)
2 Simon Says--1910 Fruitgum Company
3 (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding
4 (Theme From) Valley of the Dolls--Dionne Warwick
5 Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition was In)--The First Edition
6 Valleri--The Monkees
7 I Wish it Would Rain--The Temptations
8 I Thank You--Sam & Dave
9 (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone--Aretha Franklin
10 La-La - Means I Love You--The Delfonics

Singles entering the chart were Forever Came Today by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#54); I Got the Feelin' by James Brown and the Famous Flames (#58); Stay Away (#67)/U.S. Male (#78) by Elvis Presley; In Need of a Friend by the Cowsills (#72); Sit with the Guru by Strawberry Alarm Clock (#74); Funky Street by Arthur Conley (#75); I'll Say Forever My Love by Jimmy Ruffin (#76); Our Corner of the Night by Barbra Streisand (#80); Delilah by Tom Jones (#81); The Impossible Dream by the Hesitations (#82); Up on the Roof by the Cryan' Shames (#84); I Will Always Think About You by the New Colony Six (#87); Turn on Your Love Light by the Human Beinz (#94); Tin Soldier by Small Faces (#98); Master Jack by Four Jacks and a Jill (#99); The Unicorn by the Irish Rovers (#100); and Cinderella Rockefella by Esther and Abi Ofarim (also #100). Stay Away was from the movie Stay Away, Joe (1968). The B-side of Sit with the Guru was Pretty Song from Psych-Out, which was from the movie Psych-Out (1968).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Simon Says--1910 Fruitgum Company
2 Walk Away Renee--Four Tops
3 Words--The Bee Gees
4 (Theme From) Valley of the Dolls--Dionne Warwick
5 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
6 Everything that Touches You--The Association
7 (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding
8 The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde--Georgie Fame
9 Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra
10 Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition was In)--The First Edition

Singles entering the chart were Lady Madonna by the Beatles (#59); Cinderella Rockefella by Esther and Abi Ofarim (#66); The Legend of Xanadu by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich (#75); Fire Brigade by the Move (#76); Tin Soldier by Small Faces (#78); U.S. Male by Elvis Presley (#78); Take Time to Know Her by Percy Sledge (#84); Candy Rainbow by the Lords of London (#85); Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues (#87); Do What You Gotta Do by Al Wilson (#91); Just for Tonight by the Chiffons (#93); Me, the Peaceful Heart by Lulu (#95); Brown Eyed Handsome Man by Jerry Jaye (#96); If This World were Mine by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (#97); In Need of a Friend by the Cowsills (#98); It's Time to Say Goodbye by the Third Rail (#99); and Kitty by Cat Stevens (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Simon Says--1910 Fruitgum Company
2 The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde--Georgie Fame
3 (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding
4 Skip a Rope--Henson Cargill
5 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
6 (Theme From) Valley of the Dolls--Dionne Warwick
7 Tell Mama--Etta James
8 Kiss Me Goodbye--Petula Clark
9 Country Girl - City Man--Billy Vera and Judy Clay
10 Dear Delilah--Grapefruit

Singles entering the chart were Lady Madonna/The Inner Light by the Beatles (#27); The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) by Manfred Mann (#28); Suddenly You Love Me by the Tremeloes (#29); and Ain't Love Wonderful by Night Train (#30).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly--Hugo Montenegro, his Orchestra and Chorus
2 The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)--Manfred Mann
3 Itchycoo Park--Small Faces
4 Summertime Blues--Blue Cheer
5 Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition was In)--The First Edition
6 Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra
7 Too Much Talk--Paul Revere and the Raiders
8 My, What a Shame--Dino, Desi and Billy
9 (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding
10 Words--The Bee Gees
Pick hit of the week: Valleri--The Monkees

Died on this date
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, 72. Italian-born U.S. composer. Mr. Castelnuovo-Tedesco immigrated to the United States in 1939. He was best known for composing almost 100 works for guitar, but also wrote music for other instruments.

Abominations
Several hundred unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mainly women and children, were massacred by members of Charlie Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division (the Americal Division), United States Army, in the South Vietnamese hamlets of My Lai and My Khe, in what became known as the My Lai Massacre. The number of those killed was anywhere from 347 (official U.S. estimate) to 504 (number of names on the memorial at the site). The first reports claimed that "128 Vietcong and 22 civilians" were killed in the village during a "fierce fire fight". As related at the time by the Army's Stars and Stripes magazine, "U.S. infantrymen had killed 128 Communists in a bloody day-long battle." News of the massacre didn't start to get out until a former member of Charlie Company, Ron Ridenhour, wrote to President Richard Nixon, the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the State Department, and numerous members of Congress in March 1969, detailing the events at My Lai. Mr. Ridenhour learned about the massacre secondhand from other members of Charlie Company while he was still enlisted. Congressman Morris Udall of Utah was one of the few recipients of the letter who wanted to pursue the matter. Second Lieutenant William Calley, who had led a platoon, was charged in September 1969 with the murder of 109 civilians, and 25 others were charged with lesser offenses. Freelance reporter Seymour Hersh received a phone tip about the court martial on October 22, and after completing his investigation, he filed his story with the Dispatch News Service (after Life and Look magazines had passed on it), and the report was published on November 13 in 36 major newspapers, including the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and San Francisco Chronicle. Mr. Hersh's report earned him the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. Time, Life, and Newsweek then covered the story, and when the Cleveland Plain Dealer published graphic photos of the bodies taken by Army photographer Ronald Haeberle, further cover-up became impossible. On March 17, 1970, 14 officers, including Americal Division's commanding officer, Major General Samuel Koster, were charged with suppressing information relating to the massacre. Most of the charges were later dropped. The sordid details of the massacre, cover-up, and legal proceedings take up too much space to be included in this blog, so the reader is encouraged to look these up for himself. Lt. Calley, who stated that he was following the orders of Captain Ernest Medina, was the only one of the 26 men charged in the massacre to be convicted. The sentence, initially life imprisonment, was later reduced to 10 years. Lt. Calley served just 3 1/2 years before federal judge J. Robert Elliott ruled in in his favour and granted his immediate release on a habeus corpus motion.

Politics and government
Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York officially announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination for 1968, challenging President Lyndon Johnson. Mr. Kennedy's candidacy enraged Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy, who was already a candidate, and who appealed to the same demographics--Irish Catholics, the young, and liberals who were opposed to the war in Vietnam.

Crime
A woodsman went berserk and killed 7 people and injured 3 in Ironwood, Michigan.

Business
General Motors produced its 100 millionth automobile, an Oldsmobile Toronado.

Disasters
15 people were killed and 25 injured in a collision between a ship and an oil barge, and a subsequent fire near Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana.

19 people were killed and 12 injured when a bus and truck collided near Lagos, Nigeria.

Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston (39-3) scored a technical knockout of Bill McMurray (25-19-2) at 47 seconds of the 4th round at Centennial Coliseum in Reno, Nevada.



40 years ago
1978

Terrorism
In Rome, Red Brigade terrorists kidnapped Aldo Moro, former Italian Prime Minister and likely future President. The terrorists killed all five of Mr. Moro's bodyguards, and announced that Mr. Moro would be killed unless 15 guerrilla leaders on trial in Turin were freed. The Italian government deployed up to 50,000 policemen and troops to search for Mr. Moro.

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted 68-32 to approve the treaty guaranteeing the neutrality of the Panama Canal after 2000.

Labour
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 257-152 to approve the Humphrey-Hawkins bill, which attempted to reduce the U.S. unemployment rate to 4% and guarantee all Americans the opportunity of employment.

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Allt som jag känner--Tone Norum & Tommy Nilsson (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Mickey Thompson, 59. U.S. auto racing driver and designer. Mr. Thompson was a hot rod and drag race driver in the 1950s and '60s who set more speed and endurance records than any other driver in history. He was the first American to reach more than 400 miles per hour, setting a one-way record of 406.60 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1960. Mr. Thompson and his wife Trudy were gunned down outside their home in Bradbury, California by unidentified assailants. The gunmen have never been identified, but former business partner Michael Goodwin was convicted in January 2007 of orchestrating the murders.

War
The day after Iran claimed to have captured the Iraqi town of Halabja, a stronghold of Kurdish separatists, Iraq attacked the town with explosives and chemical weapons, killing 3,200-5,000 of its own citizens. The attack was seen as punishment to the Kurds for supporting the Iranians. Iranian doctors said that mustard gas and cyanide gas were used in the attack.

U.S. administration spokesman Marlin Fitzwater announced that up to 2,000 Nicaraguan Sandanista troops had crossed the border into Honduras to attack a Contra base camp. He said that U.S. President Ronald Reagan had ordered 3,200 U.S. troops to Honduras. Earlier that day, Mr. Reagan had received a letter from Honduran President Jose Azcoma requesting aid, while not specifying what kind of aid was wanted. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega denied that Nicaraguan troops had crossed the Honduran border.

World events
The Panamanian government reported that five officers had been arrested for attempting to seize military headquarters that morning.

Terrorism
At the funeral in Belfast for three Irish Republican Army members who had been shot and killed by British troops on March 6, a man later captured and identified as a Protestant attacked the crowd of 10,000 mourners with grenades and an automatic pistol, killing three and injuring at least 50.

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir met in Washington with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, but apparently made no concession on the issue of trading land for peace with the Palestinians.

Scandal
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter of the U.S. National Security Council were indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States for their role in the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages affair of 1986.

Protest
150,000 Armenians in Lebanon went on strike to show solidarity with Soviet Armenians.

Crime
Canadian soldiers tortured and killed Somali youth Shidane Arone, who was caught sneaking into the Canadian compound at Belet Huer, Somalia.

Police in Edmonton used pepper spray and batons to control over 100 youths who attacked passers-by in the Eaton Centre and Edmonton Centre malls, after a screening of the rap movie spoof CB4.

20 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Derek Barton, 79. U.K.-born U.S. chemist. Sir Derek shared the 1969 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Odd Hassel "for their contributions to the development of the concept of conformation and its application in chemistry."

Religion
The Vatican issued an "act of repentance," admitting the failure of the Roman Catholic Church to deter the mass killings of Jews during World War II.

Scandal
California businessman Johnny Chung pled guilty on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy in connection with $20,000 in illegal contributions to the Bill Clinton-Al Gore re-election campaign of 1996.

The White House released correspondence indicating that former White House assistant Kathleen Willey had maintained a cordial relationship with President Clinton in the four years since Mr. Clinton had allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward Ms. Willey.

10 years ago
2008

Died on this date
Ivan Dixon, 76. U.S. actor, director, and producer. Mr. Dixon was best known for playing Sergeant James Kinchloe in the television comedy series Hogan's Heroes (1965-1970). He starred in the movie Nothing But a Man (1964). Mr. Dixon directed numerous television programs from 1970-1993. He was a civil rights activist, and served as president of Negro Actors for Action. He later ran a radio station in Hawaii, but moved to Charlotte, North Carolina after his health began to decline, and died of complications from kidney failure.

Protest
Protests spread from Tibet into three neighbouring provinces; the Dalai Lama decried what he called the "cultural genocide" taking place in his homeland.