March 27, 2018

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Denise Best and Beth Nyambura!

180 years ago
1838

Politics and government
An act of the British Parliament, passed February 10, suspended the Constitution of 1791 in Lower Canada; the Governor was empowered to appoint a Special Council to make laws. A Special Council was proclaimed on March 29.

175 years ago
1843

Born on this date
George Frederick Leycester Marshall. U.K. entomologist. Colonel Marshall served in the Indian Army, and became an expert on the butterflies of India. He died on March 7, 1934, 20 days before his 91st birthday.

150 years ago
1868

Born on this date
Patty Hill. U.S. teacher and songwriter. Miss Hill was a leader in the progressive education movement in the late 19th-early 20th century, and developed Patty Hill blocks--large blocks with which children could make giant constructions. She was best known for writing, with her sister Mildred, the song that became Happy Birthday to You. Miss Hill died on May 25, 1946 at the age of 78.

125 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Karl Mannheim. Austro-Hungarian born U.K. sociologist. Dr. Mannheim began his career in his native Budapest before moving to Germany, and fleeing to England after the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933. He was one of the founding fathers of classical sociology as well as a founder of the sociology of knowledge, with his best-known book being Ideology and Utopia (1936). Dr. Mannheim died on January 9, 1947 at the age of 53.

George Beranger. Australian-born U.S. actor. Mr. Beranger, born George Beringer, emigrated to California in 1912 and began appearing in silent movies, including The Birth of a Nation (1915) and The Big Parade (1925). He worked as a draftsman in Los Angeles in later years, and died on March 8, 1973, 19 days before his 80th birthday.

G. Lloyd Spencer. U.S. politician. Mr. Spencer, a Democrat, was an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and a banker when he was appointed to fill the remainder of the term of U.S. Senator John E. Miller, who had resigned to take a judicial appointment. Mr. Spencer represented Arkansas in the Senate from 1941-1943; he declined to run for election in 1942, choosing instead to return to the Navy for service in World War II. Mr. Spencer died on January 14, 1981 at the age of 87.

Hockey
The Stanley Cup, a silver bowl that cost its owner 10 guineas ($50), was donated as an annual award for Canada's amateur hockey champions by Governor General Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston.

110 years ago
1908

Born on this date
Alberto Semprini. U.K. musician. Mr. Semprini was a pianist, cellist, composer, and conductor who led radio orchestras, and hosted the BBC radio program Semprini Serenade from 1957 until the early 1980s. He also made numerous recordings. Mr. Semprini died on January 19, 1990 at the age of 81.

100 years ago
1918

Died on this date
Henry Adams, 80. U.S. writer. Mr. Adams, the great-grandson of U.S. President John Adams and grandson of President John Quincy Adams, was best known for his nine-volume History of the United States During the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (1889-1891) and his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907).

Martin Sheridan, 36. Irish-born U.S. athlete. Mr. Sheridan, representing the United States, won the gold medal in the discus throw in the Summer Olympic Games in 1904 and 1908 and in the Intercalated Games in 1906. In the 1908 Olympics he also won the gold medal in Greek discus and the silver medal in the standing long jump. In the 1906 Intercalated Games he won the gold medal in the shot put and silver medals in standing high jump, standing long jump, and stone throw. Mr. Sheridan was an early casualty of the 1918 influenza epidemic, and died the day before his 37th birthday.

War
Canadian fighter pilot Alan McLeod of Stonewall, Manitoba became the youngest man ever to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

90 years ago
1928

Died on this date
Leslie Stuart, 65. U.K. composer. Mr. Stuart, born Thomas Barrett, was a music hall composer who was best known for the comedy Floradora (1899).

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals (First games of 2-game total goals series)
Montreal Maroons 1 @ Ottawa 0
Pittsburgh 0 @ New York Rangers 4

80 years ago
1938

Died on this date
William Stern, 66. German psychologist. Dr. Stern was a pioneer in the field of intelligence, and coined the term "intelligence quotient" (IQ).

War
The Battle of Taierzhuang began, resulting several weeks later in the war's first major Chinese victory over Japan.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-finals
New York Americans 3 New York Rangers 2 (4OT) (Americans won best-of-three series 2-1)

Lorne Carr scored 40 seconds into the 4th overtime period to give the Americans the win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

75 years ago
1943

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I've Heard that Song Before--Harry James and his Music Makers with Helen Forrest (4th week at #1)

At the movies
Hangmen Also Die!, directed by Fritz Lang, and starring Brian Donlevy, Gene Lockhart, Dennis O'Keefe, and Alexander Granach, received its premiere screening in Prague, Oklahoma.



Died on this date
George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway, 61. Governor-General of New Zealand, 1935-1941. Viscount Galway was a career British Army officer who served in World War I. He died in England three days after his 61st birthday.

War
U.S. Army Chief of Ordnance Major General Levin Campbell reported that the Army was now using a short-range anti-tank gun called a bazooka. Brazil announced that she would send 500 aviators to train in the United States. The Battle of the Komandorski Islands began in the Aleutian Islands when United States Navy forces intercepted Japanese forces attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska. Soviet forces wiped out a German wedge driven into their Donets River line. U.S. troops began a new assault toward Fondouk in central Tunisia. Chinese forces recaptured Chuchiachuan in the Icheng section of Hupeh Province.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and U.K. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden concluded two weeks of talks in Washington on war and postwar strategy.

Scandal
Boston Police Commissioner Joseph Timilty and six of his chief subordinates were indicted by a Suffolk County, Massachusetts grand jury on charges of conspiracy to permit the operation of gambling houses and the registration of bets.

Swimming
NCAA
Championships @ Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State University won the U.S. national title with 81 points.

70 years ago
1948

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)--Peggy Lee (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Now is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song)--Bing Crosby (2nd week at #1)
--Gracie Fields
--Margaret Whiting
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
2 Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)--Peggy Lee
3 Beg Your Pardon--Francis Craig and his Orchestra
--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--Larry Green and his Orchestra
4 I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover--Art Mooney and his Orchestra
--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--The Three Suns
--Uptown String Band
5 Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby with the Rhythmaires
--Buddy Clark
6 Serenade of the Bells--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
7 But Beautiful--Frank Sinatra
--Margaret Whiting
8 Golden Earrings--Peggy Lee
9 How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Jack Owens
--Dinah Shore
10 I'm My Own Grandpaw--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians

Singles entering the chart were St. Louis Blues March by Tex Beneke and his Orchestra (#23); Worry Worry Worry by Hal Derwin and his Orchestra (#26); and Humpty Dumpty Heart by Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys (#35).

At the movies
All My Sons, directed by Irving Reis and starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster, received its premiere screening in New York City.

Died on this date
Handi Pachachi, 65. Iraqi politician. Mr. Pachachi was Foreign Minister in the Iraqi cabinet of Prime Minister Sayyid Muhammad as-Sadr. Mr. Pachachi died of a heart attack.

Ernest Gunther, 60. U.S. military officer. Admiral Gunther was commander of the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet during World War II. He died of a heart attack.

War
Haganah used aircraft for the first time in Palestine, fighting against Arabs who were raiding a Jewish truck convoy near Bethlehem. A second Arab attack on a Jewish convoy resulted in 45 Jewish casualties at Kabiri in northern Palestine. The raids were part of an Arab effort to disrupt the movement of food and supplies between Jewish communities.

World events
General Lucius Clay of the U.S. military government in Germany approved the dismissal of denazification cases against 300,000 "lesser" Nazi Party members.

Politics and government
Chinese President Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek ordered 300 Kuomintang members who had been elected to the National Assembly as independents to give up their seats, which were promised to lesser parties. He also ordered the removal of 400 independents who had defeated regular Kuomintang nominees.

Scandal
A U.S. federal jury in Kansas City acquitted eight defendants on charges of vote fraud in the 1946 congressional election.

Labour
A U.S. presidential board recommended a 15 1/2c hourly raise for 125,000 locomotive engineers, firemen, and switchmen, retroactive to November 1, 1947.

Swimming
NCAA
Championships @ Ann Arbor, Michigan
The University of Michigan won the U.S. national title.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Boston 3 @ Toronto 5 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Basketball
BAA
Quarter-Finals
New York 81 @ Baltimore 85 (Baltimore led best-of-three series 1-0)

Semi-Finals
St. Louis 56 @ Philadelphia 84 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-1)

60 years ago
1958

Died on this date
Leon C. Phillips, 67. U.S. politician. Mr. Phillips, a Democrat, was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1933-1938 and was House Speaker from 1935 until he resigned after being elected Governor of Oklahoma in 1938. He served as Governor from 1939-1943; he was unsuccessful in attempts to balance the state's budget, but succeeded in being acquitted in a second trial on a charge of accepting a bribe. Mr. Phillips returned to the practice of law in later years, and died of a heart attack in the post office in Okmulgee, Oklahoma while waiting for a client.

Francisco Duran-Reynals, 58. U.S. biochemist. Dr. Duran-Reynals was a researcher at the Rockefeller Institute in New York and later at Yale University. He was the first researcher to propose that cancer was caused by a virus.

Politics and government
Nikita Khrushchev became Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (Premier) in addition to First Secretary of the Communist Party.

Law
The Israeli Knesset passed a law permitting the eviction of peasants, particularly Galilean Arabs, from lands unregistered and occupied after March 1, 1943.

Labour
500,000 Japanese transport and industrial workers staged a one-day strike in a wage dispute, stranding an estimated 11 million commuters.

The U.S. Labor Department reported that 149 major employment areas in the United States had a "substantial labor surplus," with 6% or more of the labour force unemployed.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Detroit 1 @ Montreal 5 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Boston 4 @ New York 3 (OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Rocket Richard scored 2 goals to lead the Canadiens over the Red Wings at the Montreal Forum.

Jerry Toppazzini scored at 4:46 of the 1st overtime period to give the Bruins their win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Don McKenney's second goal of the game tied the score for the Bruins with 8:47 remaining in the 3rd period.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Division Finals
Philadelphia 88 @ Boston 93 (Boston won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Western Division Finals
Detroit 96 @ St. Louis 120 (St. Louis won best-of-seven series 4-1)

50 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Lady Madonna--The Beatles

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Love is Blue (L'Amour est Bleu)--Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra
2 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
3 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
4 Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)--Johnny Farnham
5 The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde--Georgie Fame
6 Green Tambourine--The Lemon Pipers
7 Simon Says--1910 Fruitgum Company
8 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
9 Tin Soldier/I Feel Much Better--Small Faces
10 The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)--Manfred Mann

Singles entering the chart were Underneath the Arches/Friday Kind of Monday by Johnny Farnham (#24); Cinderella Rockefella by Johnny and Ann Hawker (#28); Everlasting Love by the Town Criers (#29); Walk Away Renee by the Four Tops (#31); Magical Mystery Tour (EP) by the Beatles (#34); and Born to Be Loved by You by Roy Orbison (#39).

Died on this date
Yuri Gagarin, 34. U.S.S.R. cosmonaut. Mr. Gagarin became famous as the first man in space when he made one orbit around the earth aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. An experienced Soviet Air Force pilot, Mr. Gagarin was one of 20 men chosen as cosmonauts in 1960. Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov were the best performers in training; the last-minute selection of Mr. Gagarin is believed by some to have been the result of his more modest upbringing, genial personality, and ability to handle media attention. Also, his height of 5’2" made it possible for him to fit into the Vostok spacecraft. Although Mr. Gagarin’s flight was cut short after one orbit because of technical difficulties (unreported at the time), it gave the Soviet system a major propaganda victory. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev claimed the success as a vindication of his program of building up the U.S.S.R.’s missile defense at the expense of conventional weapons. The emphasis on space spectaculars antagonized much of the Soviet military leadership, and contributed to Mr. Khrushchev’s downfall several years later. For years it was reported that Mr. Gagarin had denied seeing any evidence of God while he was in space, but this was refuted in 2006 by a close friend of his, Colonel Valentin Petrov. In an interview, Colonel Petrov claimed that it was actually Mr. Khrushchev who had commented in a speech soon after Vostok 1, "Gagarin flew into space, but didn’t see any God there." According to Colonel Petrov, Mr. Gagarin had been baptized into the Orthodox Church as a child. After his flight, Mr. Gagarin spent the next seven years in "Star City," the cosmonaut headquarters, working on designs for a reusable spacecraft. He then decided to requalify as a pilot, and was killed, along with his instructor, test pilot Vladimir Seryogin, 45, in a routine training flight in a MiG-15UTI near Kirzhach. The weather was poor, and another jet apparently came very close to the MiG, perhaps causing enough turbulence to send the MiG out of control. Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, in his memoirs, recounts that he was flying a helicopter in the vicinity and heard two loud booms in the distance. He concluded that a Sukhoi jet (which he identifies as a Su-15 'Flagon'), flying below its minimum allowed altitude, accidentally passed within 10 or 20 meters of the MiG while breaking the sound barrier. The resulting turbulence would have sent the MiG into an uncontrolled spin. Mr. Leonov believes the first boom he heard was that of the jet breaking the sound barrier, and the second was Mr. Gagarin's plane crashing.

Music
The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra performed the opening concert at the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Division Semi-Finals
New York 132 @ Philadelphia 138 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Detroit 109 @ Boston 98 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Western Division Semi-Finals
Los Angeles 98 @ Chicago 104 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 2-1)

ABA
Eastern Division Semi-Finals
Minnesota 116 @ Kentucky 107 (Minnesota led best-of-five series 2-1)
Pittsburgh 133 @ Indiana 114 (Pittsburgh won best-of-five series 3-0)

Western Division Semi-Finals
Denver 93 @ New Orleans 105 (New Orleans led best-of-five series 2-0)

40 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Isn't it Time--The Babys

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Hohoemi Gaeshi--The Candies (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Te Amo--Umberto Tozzi (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Nat Bailey, 76. U.S.-born Canadian businessman. Mr. Bailey, a native of St. Paul Minnesota, moved to Vancouver, British Columbia at the age of 11. He opened Canada's first drive-in restaurant, White Spot Barbecue Sandwiches, in Vancouver in 1928, and developed the first car-hop tray. Mr. Bailey was a part owner of the Vancouver Mounties baseball team in the Pacific Coast League, and their home park, Capilano Stadium, was renamed Nat Bailey Stadium shortly after his death.

Clemens Kapuo. Namibian tribal chief. Chief Kapuo, leader of the Herero tribe, was murdered by gunmen in Windhoek, the territory’s capital. Chief Kapuo was president of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, a multiracial party favouring cooperation with South Africa in working toward Namibian independence.

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department denounced the Rhodesian internal settlement to transfer power to the black majority. The State Department regarded the settlement as illegal because it regarded the Ian Smith government as illegal, and also regarded the settlement as ineffective, because it would not end fighting.

Basketball
NCAA
Men's Championship
Final @ Checkerdome, St. Louis
Kentucky 94 Duke 88

Forward Jack "Goose" Givens scored 41 points to lead the Wildcats over the Blue Devils for their fifth national title, but their first in 20 years, and the first for Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall.

Hockey
CHL
Dallas 4 @ Salt Lake City 6

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): One Tree Hill--U2

#1 single in Switzerland: Tell it to My Heart--Taylor Dayne (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Charles Willeford, 69. U.S. author. Mr. Willeford began writing novels in the 1950s, but was best known for crime novels in the 1980s featuring hard-boiled detective Hoke Moseley. He died of a heart attack.

War
The Sandanista government of Nicaragua freed 100 prisoners as part of a truce agreed to with the Contras four days earlier.

World events
Three days after being convicted of espionage, transmission of information, and aiding the nation's enemies, Mordechai Vanunu was sentenced by an Israeli court to 18 years in prison.

25 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Cat's in the Cradle--Ugly Kid Joe

#1 single in Italy: La Solitudine--Laura Pausini (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): I Feel You--Depeche Mode

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): No Limit--2 Unlimited (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Alison--Jordy

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): No Limit--2 Unlimited (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Oh Carolina--Shaggy (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Informer--Snow (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Informer--Snow
2 Nothin' But a "G" Thang--Dr. Dre
3 I'm Every Woman--Whitney Houston
4 Ordinary World--Duran Duran
5 Bed of Roses--Bon Jovi
6 Don't Walk Away--Jade
7 A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)--Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
8 I Have Nothing--Whitney Houston
9 That's What Love Can Do--Boy Krazy
10 Two Princes--Spin Doctors

Singles entering the chart were Looking Through Patient Eyes by PM Dawn (#67); Shoop Shoop (Never Stop Givin' You Love) by Michael Cooper (#71); Down with the King by Run-D.M.C. (#73); The Morning Papers by Prince and the New Power Generation (#82); and What You Won't Do for Love by Go West (#88).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Ordinary World--Duran Duran (4th week at #1)
2 Bed of Roses--Bon Jovi
3 I'm Every Woman--Whitney Houston
4 If I Ever Lose My Faith in You--Sting
5 Man on the Moon--R.E.M.
6 Hope of Deliverance--Paul McCartney
7 Two Princes--Spin Doctors
8 Angel--Jon Secada
9 That's What Love Can Do--Boy Krazy
10 Simple Life--Elton John

Singles entering the chart were The Crying Game by Boy George (#60); Living on a Memory by Alannah Myles (#70); Driven by You by Brian May (#85); You Bring on the Sun by Londonbeat (#88); Morning Papers by Poison (#96); Running on Faith by Eric Clapton (#97); Candy Everybody Wants by 10,000 Maniacs (#98); and Buddy X by Neneh Cherry (#99).

Died on this date
Kamal Hassan Aly, 71. Prime Minister of Egypt, 1984-1985. Colonel General Aly served with the British Army during World War II and in the Arab-Israeli War in 1948. He was head of the Egyptian Intelligence Service (1975-1978); Defense Minister (1978-1980); and head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (1986-1989).

Clifford Jordan, 61. U.S. musician and bandleader. Mr. Jordan was a jazz saxophonist who performed with a number of bands, including those of Max Roach and Sonny Stitt.

Politics and government
Jiang Zemin was appointed President of the People's Republic of China.

15 political parties in Somalia reached a fragile accord on a transitional national council pending formation of a national government within two years.

Scandal
Former Italian Prime Minister and Christian Democratic party leader Giulio Andreotti was accused by a tribunal in Palermo of allegiance to the Mafia.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 6 @ Edmonton 2

This game at Edmonton Coliseum was the last hockey game attended by this blogger to date.

20 years ago
1998

Died on this date
David McClelland, 80. U.S. psychologist. Dr. McClelland was credited with developing Achievement Motivation Theory, commonly referred to as "need for achievement" or n-achievement theory.

Medicine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the male impotence pill sildenafil citrate, better known as Viagra. It was the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.

Health
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien agreed to compensate Hepatitis C victims of tainted blood.