March 28, 2018

1,825 years ago
193

Died on this date
Pertinax, 66. Roman Emperor, January 1-March 28, 193. Publius Helvius Pertinax the first of five emperors in 193, was assassinated in his palace by a mob of 300 Praetorian Guards, who then sold the throne in an auction to Didius Julianus.

200 years ago
1818

Born on this date
Wade Hampton III. C.S. military officer and U.S. politician. Mr. Hampton, a Democrat, represented Richland District in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1852-1858 and in the S.C. Senate from 1858-1861. He served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, reaching the rank of lieutenant general. Mr. Hampton was Governor of South Carolina from 1876-1879 and represented the state in the United States Senate from 1879-1891. His gubernatorial campaign in 1876 was aided by the paramilitary group known as the Red Shirts, who used violence to suppress Negro Republican voters, and killed an estimated 150 Negroes during the campaign. Mr. Hampton died on April 11, 1902 at the age of 84.

Died on this date
Antonio Capuzzi, 62. Italian composer. Mr. Capuzzi wrote string quintets, but is mainly known today for his concerto for double bass.

175 years ago
1843

Politics and government
John A. Macdonald was elected as an alderman in Kingston, Canada West.

150 years ago
1868

Born on this date
Maxim Gorky. Russian author. Mr. Gorky, born Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, was a founder of the literary method known as socialist realism, which he used in various novels, short stories, and poems. He died on June 18, 1936 at the age of 68.

Died on this date
James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, 70. U.K. military officer and politician. Mr. Brudenell, a Tory, represented the pocket borough of Marlborough in the House of Commons from 1818 until he succeeded his father as Earl of Cardigan in 1837 and entered the House of Lords. As a British Army officer, Lieutenant General Cardigan was known for his gross incompetence, particularly during the Crimean War. He was most notorious for leading the Charge of the Light Brigade on October 25, 1854, which cost the lives of more than 100 of the 674 men under his command. The Earl of Cardigan died of injuries from a fall from his horse, possibly the result of a stroke.

125 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Spyros Skouras. Greek-born U.S. motion picture executive. Mr. Skouras emigrated to the United States with his brothers in 1910, and the brothers opened their first movie theatre in 1914. Mr. Skouras was general manager of the Warner Brothers Theater Circuit from 1929-1931, and the brothers took over management of the Fox West Coast Theater chain in 1932. Mr. Skouras initiated ther merger of Fox with Twentieth Century Pictures in 1935, and served as President of 20th Century Fox from 1942-1962, and as chairman of the company for several years thereafter. He died of a heart attack on August 16, 1971 at the age of 78.

Died on this date
Edmund Kirby Smith, 68. U.S. and C.S. military general. General Smith served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War, but resigned to join the Confederate States Army when Texas seceded from the Union in 1861. In the American Civil War, Gen. Smith commanded the Trans-Mississippi Department from 1863 until June 2, 1865, becoming the last Confederate general to surrender to Union forces. After the war, Mr. Smith ran a telegraph company before serving as a professor of mathematics and botany at the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, teaching there until his death from pneumonia.

100 years ago
1918

Born on this date
Robert J. Serling. U.S. writer. Mr. Serling, the older brother of famed television writer and personality Rod Serling, was a journalist with United Press International (1945-1966), specializing in aviation. He wrote eight novels and 16 non-fiction books on aviation; his second novel, The President's Plane is Missing (1967), was a bestseller, which enabled him to pursue a full-time career writing books. Mr. Serling received numerous awards before his death from pancreatic cancer on May 6, 2010 at the age of 92.

Edward Amy. Canadian military officer. Brigadier-General Amy, a native of Newcastle, New Brunswick, was one of Canada's most-decorated soldiers, winning the Distinguished Service Order; Officer of the Order of the British Empire; Military Cross; Canadian Forces Decoration; American Bronze Star; and French Légion d'honneur for his actions in battle in France during World War II in 1943 and 1944. He died in Halifax on February 2, 2011 at the age of 92.

Protest
Anti-conscription riots broke out in Québec City.

Politics and government
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Robert Borden abolished the offices of Yukon Commissioner and Administrator, with all powers vested in the Gold Commissioner.

Ottawana
Ottawa's first automatic street light system went into operation.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Finals
Vancouver 8 @ Toronto 1 (Best-of-five series tied 2-2)

75 years ago
1943

Died on this date
Sergei Rachmaninoff, 69. Russian composer and pianist. Mr. Rachmaninoff was one of the greatest composers of the late Romantic era and early 20th century. Works of his such as Prelude in C Sharp Minor (1892); Piano Concerto No. 2 (1901); Symphony No. 2 (1908); and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934) are among the most popular and most-performed in the classical repertoire. He died four days before his 70th birthday.

War
American troops in Tunisia captured Fopndouk, 52 miles from the Mediterranean coast at Sousse, while to the south, British forces smashed Axis defenses at El Hamma. In their 59th raid of World War II on Berlin, U.K. Royal Air Force planes dropped a record 900 tons of bombs.

Disasters
At least 400 people were killed and 2,000 injured when an ammunition depot exploded in the harbour area of Naples.

70 years ago
1948

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and Alfred Shirley, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

Theatre
The Tony Awards for 1947-48 were presented at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Winners included: Play--Mister Roberts; Director--Joshua Logan (Mister Roberts); Actor (Play)--Henry Fonda (Mister Roberts); Paul Kelly--Command Decision); Basil Rathbone (The Heiress); Actress (Play)--Judith Anderson (Medea); Katharine Cornell (Antony and Cleopatra); Jessica Tandy (A Streetcar Named Desire).

War
Fighting between Jews and Arabs curtailed Easter observances in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Rightist rebels in Costa Rica advanced against government forces, taking the San Isidro del General airfield near San Jose.

Politics and government
The Communist-dominated Popular Democratic Front (FDP), led by Petru Groza, won 405 of 414 seats in the National Assembly in the Romanian general election. It was the first election held under undisguised Communist rule, three months after the abdication of King Michael I.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Detroit 2 @ New York 3 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Basketball
NBA
Quarter-Finals
Baltimore 69 @ New York 79 (Best-of-three series tied 1-1)

Chicago 79 @ Boston 72 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 1-0)

60 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Magic Moments--Perry Como (5th week at #1)

On television tonight
Harbor Command, starring Wendell Corey
Tonight's episode: Right to Die

Died on this date
W.C. Handy, 84. U.S. musician and composer. William Christopher Handy was a cornetist who became known as the "Father of the Blues," leading his own bands and writing works such as Memphis Blues (1912); Saint Louis Blues (1914); and Beale Street Blues (1916).

Defense
Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi told the Diet that Japanese self-defense forces would regard any attack on U.S. bases in Japan as an attack on Japan itself.

Australian Ambassador to the United States Howard Beale disclosed that the U.K. and Australia had begun joint development of long-range "ballistic missiles" at the Woomera rocket range in central Australia.

World events
Muslim leaders of the French West African province of Mauritania pledged loyalty to King Mohammed V of Morocco at a public audience in Rabat.

Health
Former U.S. National Bureau of Standard chief Edward Condon predicted that continued atomic tests would cause thousands of cases of bone cancer.

50 years ago
1968

On television tonight
Dragnet 1968, starring Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Big Problem

This was the last episode of the season.



Died on this date
Edson Luís de Lima Souto, 18. Brazilian student. Mr. de Lima Souto, a high school student, was shot to death by Military Police officer Aloísio Raposo during a protest in Rio de Janeiro for cheaper meals at a restaurant for low-income students. He was one of the first students to be killed by Brazil's military government; his death marked the beginning of national turbulence, leading to decree AI-5 in December 1968, restricting most human rights guarantees. Another student, Benedito Frazão Dutra, was injured, and later died in hospital.

Disasters
60 were reported drowned when a boat capsized near Chapra, India.

Skiing
Rossland, British Columbia hosted the du Maurier International, the first World Cup event ever held in Canada. Hometown heroine Nancy Greene fell in the second run of the slalom (Marielle Goitschel of France won the event), but thrilled the 10,000 spectators when she won the giant slalom, finishing 1.56 seconds ahead of runner-up Florence Steurer of France. Miss Greene clinched the World Cup Giant Slalom title, and put her in position to win the overall championship. France’s Jean-Claude Killy clinched the men’s World Cup title by winning the slalom.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Division Semi-Finals
Boston 135 @ Detroit 110 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

40 years ago
1978

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter began a tour of South America with a visit to Venezuela, where he made a positive impression on his hosts by delivering two short speeches in Spanish. President Carter and Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez issued a joint statement emphasizing strong agreement on the importance of the Panama Canal treaties, the seriousness of human rights abuses in Nicaragua, and the problem of Cuban military involvement in Africa.

Terrorism
A letter in former Italian Prime Minister (and current kidnapping victim) Aldo Moro's handwriting was delivered to the government. Mr. Moro appealed to the interior minister to negotiate with the terrorists, or he might be forced to reveal state secrets. The government and Mr. Moro's ruling Christian Democratic party refused to negotiate.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5–3 in Stump v. Sparkman that "A judge will not be deprived of immunity because the action he took was in error, was done maliciously, or was in excess of his authority. He will be subject to liability only when he has acted in the clear absence of all jurisdiction." The case involved Linda Sparkman, who had been involuntarily sterilized in 1971 on the order of Judge Harold Stump of the DeKalb County Circuit Court in Indiana.

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): I Should Be So Lucky--Kylie Minogue (3rd week at #1)

World events
Panamanian troops and plainclothes police entered a hotel in Panama City and seized suspected opponents of the regime of President Manuel Noriega, as well as some foreign journalists. Most of those arrested were soon released.

The Israeli army said it would seal off the occupied territories for three days to frustrate Palestinian demonstrations planned for Land Day, the anniversary of the deaths of six Arabs killed in 1976 when they had protested the seizure of land by the Israeli government.

Diplomacy
The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega began negotiations with the opposition Contras, as the United States began withdrawing troops from neighbouring Honduras.

Defense
The United States Senate Armed Services Committee voted 18-2 to endorse a treaty with the Soviet Union on intermediate-range nuclear forces.

Politics and government
Representative Dick Gephardt of Missouri suspended active campaigning for the 1988 Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States.

25 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: In the Still of the Nite (I'll Remember)--Boyz II Men

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): All that She Wants--Ace of Base

#1 single in Switzerland: No Limit--2 Unlimited (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): No Limit--2 Unlimited (5th week at #1)

Terrorism
Five men were in custody and another was sought in connection with the February 26 bomb explosion at the World Trade Center in New York, which had injured hundreds of people. One major suspect, an Egyptian-born taxi driver, was returned to New York after capture in Cairo. A letter to The New York Times ascribed the bombing to deep resentment against U.S. policy in the Middle East.

World events
A food convoy reached the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, relieving the threat of starvation for thousands, virtually all of them Muslims.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 4 @ Calgary 0

20 years ago
1998

Hockey
NHL
New York Islanders 3 @ Toronto 4 (OT)