March 4, 2018

825 years ago
1193

Died on this date
Saladin, 55 or 56. Sultan of Egypt and Syria, 1174-1193. Saladin, whose full name was An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, founded the Ayyubid Sultanate and led the Muslim military campaign against the Crusader states in the Levant. His imperial conquests included Jerusalem in 1187. Saladin was regarded favourably by his enemies in his own time and in later centuries because of his magnanimity.

780 years ago
1238

War
Mongol hordes under Batu Khan defeated Rus forces commanded by Grand Prince Yuri Il in the Battle of the Sit River in what is now Yaroslavl Oblast in Russia.

340 years ago
1678

Born on this date
Antonio Vivaldi, 63. Italian composer. Mr. Vivaldi was one of the most prominent composers of the Baroque era. His best-known work was The Four Seasons (1725). Mr. Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741 at the age of 63.

225 years ago
1793

Politics and government
George Washington was inaugurated into his second term as the 1st President of the United States of America.

160 years ago
1858

Died on this date
Matthew Perry, 63. U.S. military officer. Commodore Perry served with the United States Navy in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), but was best known for his role as Commander of the East India Squadron (1852-1854), leading an expedition with the purpose of opening Japanese ports to American trade. Heavy drinking led to Commodore Perry's death from cirrhosis of the liver.

130 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Knute Rockne. Norwegian-born U.S. football coach. As head coach at University of Notre Dame from 1918-1930, Mr. Rockne led the Fighting Irish to a record of 105-12-5, popularizing the forward pass and turning the team into an American institution. Mr. Rockne's teams recorded five perfect seasons and won three national championships. He was killed in a plane crash on March 31, 1931 at the age of 43.

Jeff Pfeffer. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Pfeffer pitched 13 seasons in the major leagues with the St. Louis Browns (1911); Brooklyn Robins (1913-1921); St. Louis Cardinals (1921-1924); and Pittsburgh Pirates (1924), compiling a record of 158 wins and 112 losses. His best seasons were 1914 (23-12, 1.97 earned run average) and 1916 (25-11, 1.92 ERA). Mr. Pfeffer pitched for the Robins in the World Series of 1916 and 1920, both of which they lost. He died on August 15, 1972 at the age of 84.

Died on this date
Amos Bronson Alcott, 88. U.S. teacher and philosopher. Mr. Alcott was a friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson and was a major figure in the transcendentalist movement of the 19th century. Believing the myth that human nature is basically good, he eschewed traditional punishment and was an advocate of a vegan diet and women's rights. The authoress Louisa May Alcott was his daughter.

125 years ago
1893

Politics and government
Grover Cleveland was inaugurated as the 24th President of the United States of America. He had previously served as the 22nd President from 1885-1889, before being defeated by Benjamin Harrison in his bid for re-election.

110 years ago
1908

Disasters
Fire killed 174 at a school in Collinwood, Ohio.

100 years ago
1918

Born on this date
Margaret Osborne duPont. U.S. tennis player. Mrs. du Pont was one of the top players in the world from 1946-1957, and was ranked the number one female player in the world in 1947. She won six Grand Slam singles titles and 31 Grand Slam doubles titles from 1946-1960, despite never playing in Australia. Mrs. du Pont was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967, and died on October 24, 2012 at the age of 94.

Health
The first known case of the so-called Spanish flu was first observed at Fort Riley, Kansas.

80 years ago
1938

Died on this date
George Foster Peabody, 85. U.S. banker and philanthropist. Mr. Peabody is best known for his legacy, the George Foster Peabody Awards for excellence in radio, television, and world wide web content.

Jack Taylor, 64. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Taylor played with the Chicago Orphans and Cubs (1898-1903, 1906-1907) and St. Louis Cardinals (1904-1906), compiling a record of 152-139 with an earned run average of 2.66 in 311 games, and batted .222 with 2 home runs and 88 runs batted in in 339 games. His best season was 1902, when he was 23-11 and led the National League in ERA (1.29) and shutouts (8). Mr. Taylor set a record that still stands of pitching 187 consecutive complete starts from 1901-1906, while also relieving in 15 games without being relieved himself. He was with the Cubs when they won the National League pennant in 1906 and the World Series in 1907.

75 years ago
1943

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1942 were presented at the Cocoanut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The winners included: Picture--Mrs. Miniver; Director--William Wyler (Mrs. Miniver); Actor--James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy); Actress--Greer Garson (Mrs. Miniver); Supporting Actor--Van Heflin (Johnny Eager); and Supporting Actress--Teresa Wright (Mrs. Miniver). Miss Garson's acceptance speech, at nearly six minutes, became legendary as the longest acceptance speech in Oscar history.



War
On the northwestern front, Soviet forces captured the railroad towns of Olenino, Chertolino, and Manchalovo. The Battle of the Bismarck Sea in the South Pacific Ocean concluded, with U.S. and Australian forces winning a decisive victory over Japanese forces.

Diplomacy
Costa Rican President Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia arrived in Mexico City.

Politics and government
U.S. Representative John Taber (Republican--New York) assailed the Office of War Information comic book The Life of FDR as propaganda designed to promote a fourth term as President for Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Economics and finance
U.S. Lend-Lease Administrator Edward Stettinius announced that $295,501,494 worth of Lend-Lease goods had been sent to India since March 1941.

Labour
U.S. Maritime Commission Chairman Rear Admiral Emory Land told the House of Representatives Naval Affairs Committee that "illegitimate absenteeism" among shipyard workers was costing the construction program 100 Liberty ships per year. Texas Governor Coke Stevenson announced that state union leaders had signed a pact oulawing strikes, slowdowns, and lockouts for the duration of World War II.

70 years ago
1948

At the movies
The Naked City, produced by Mark Hellinger, directed by Jules Dassin, and starring Barry Fitzgerald and Howard Duff, opened in theatres.





Died on this date
Antonin Artaud, 51. French actor, writer, and director. Mr. Artaud was a major figure of European avant-garde theatre, who battled an addiction to opiates for most of his life, and was in and out of sanatoriums until his death from colorectal cancer.

Diplomacy
The International Maritime Conference in Geneva established the 35-nation Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization to advise on technical problems in international shipping.

Argentina and Chile agreed to act jointly in their dispute with the United Kingdom over territory in Antarctica.

World events
Former King Michael I of Romania issued a statement in London repudiating his abdication, which he claimed was "imposed on me by force" by Communist leaders.

Society
The U.S. Insterstate Commerce Commission dismissed a $15,000 suit brought by three Negroes against the Southern Railway Company for maintaining segregated passenger accommodations, stating that the cars reserved for Negroes were "not substantially different" from others.

Education
The Southern Regional Council on Education, meeting in Gainesville, Florida, approved the participation of Negroes in educational policy planning, and asked all Southern U.S. governors to assign a Negro educator to work with the Council.

60 years ago
1958

Diplomacy
Iranian Ambassador to the United States Ali Amini disclosed that he had been recalled for advocating the formation of a central fund for Middle East oil profits.

Politics and government
Cuban President Fulgencio Batista promised to hold elections on June 1 in spite of guerrilla leader Fidel Castro's threat of a general strike.

Former U.S. President Harry Truman said that he considered the agreement between U.S. President Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon--under which Mr. Nixon was to take over the President's duties temporarily as acting President should Mr. Eisenhower become disabled-- to be "illegal," adding that Congress would have to pass on it or a constitutional amendment would have to be adopted. The 25th Amendment to the Constitution, covering such circumstances, was ratified in 1967.

In a letter to the Monacan National Council, Prince Rainier declared that he would oppose any efforts to curtail his absolute power over Monaco.

Society
The Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East issued a survey warning that if current population trends continued, China and India together would have populations equal to the current world total of 2.734 billion by 2000.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Export-Import Bank and Development Loan Fund announced an agreement to provide $225 million in U.S. credits to India, bringing to $1.19 billion the amount of U.S. economic aid to India since 1950.

50 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Koi no Shizuku--Yukari Itō (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Cállate Niña--Pic-Nic (9th week at #1)

On television today
This Morning, hosted by Dick Cavett, on ABC

Buckminster Fuller, Gore Vidal, Muhammad Ali, Patricia Neal, and Angela Lansbury were the guests on the first broadcast of this show, which eventually became The Dick Cavett Show.

Space
The United States launched Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO) 5 from Cape Kennedy, Florida, the fifth in NASA's most complicated satellite series. The satellite was supposed to study a wide variety of characteristics of the space surrounding our world. All but one of its two dozen experiments were successful.

War
In an interview published in Look magazine, U.A.R. President Gamal Nasser admitted that U.S. planes had not aided Israel during the Six-Day War in June 1967, but that the approach of Israeli planes had been misinterpreted, since American aircraft carriers were known to be in the same general area.

Diplomacy
Canada suspended diplomatic relations with Gabon as a result of Gabonese President Albert Bongo declaring the country to be a one-party state, dissolving the Gabonese Democratic Bloc (BDG) and forming the Gabonese Democratic Party (Parti Démocratique Gabonais) (PDG).

Boxing
At Madison Square Garden in New York, Joe Frazier (20-0) scored a technical knockout of Buster Mathis (23-1) at 2:33 of the 11th round to win recognition as world heavyweight champion by the state athletic commissions of New York, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Texas, as well as Mexico and South America.



On the undercard, Nino Benvenuti (74-2) won a 15-round unanimous decision over Emile Griffith (54-9) to regain the world middleweight title that he'd lost to Mr. Griffith just over five months earlier.



40 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): E Dirsi Ciao--Matia Bazar (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Mull of Kintyre--Wings (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: The Rare Auld Times--Danny Doyle

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Take a Chance on Me--ABBA (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): (Love Is) Thicker than Water--Andy Gibb

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 If I Had Words--Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley with the St. Thomas More School Choir (6th week at #1)
2 She's Not There--Santana
3 Big City--Tol Hansse
4 Black Betty--Ram Jam
5 Denis--Blondie
6 I Can't Stand the Rain--Eruption featuring Precious Wilson
7 Daddy Cool - The Girl Can't Help It--The Darts
8 Take a Chance on Me--ABBA
9 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees
10 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll--Ian Dury

Singles entering the chart were Winter in America by Doug Ashdown (#25); A Piece of the Action by the Babys (#27); Spread Your Wings by Queen (#28); Figaro by the Brotherhood of Man (#31); (Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again by L.T.D. (#35); and Here You Come Again by Dolly Parton (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 (Love Is) Thicker than Water--Andy Gibb
2 Emotion--Samantha Sang
3 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees
4 Just the Way You Are--Billy Joel
5 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill
6 Night Fever--Bee Gees
7 What's Your Name--Lynyrd Skynyrd
8 Peg--Steely Dan
9 Lay Down Sally--Eric Clapton
10 Short People--Randy Newman

Singles entering the chart were Imaginary Lover by Atlanta Rhythm Section (#81); Rocket Ride by Kiss (#83); Honey Don't Leave L.A. by James Taylor (#84); Bootzilla by Bootsy’s Rubber Band (#92); Reaching for the Sky by Peabo Bryson (#93); You'll Love Again by Hotel (#94); That's Your Secret by Sea Level (#96); Your Love is So Good for Me by Diana Ross (#97); Let's Live Together by Cazz (#98); and A Lover's Question by Jacky Ward (#99).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees (3rd week at #1)
2 Just the Way You Are--Billy Joel
3 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill
4 (Love Is) Thicker than Water--Andy Gibb
5 Emotion--Samantha Sang
6 Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)--Chic
7 Short People--Randy Newman
8 What's Your Name--Styx
9 We are the Champions--Queen
10 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood--Santa Esmeralda

Singles entering the chart were Sweet Talkin' Woman by Electric Light Orchestra (#75); Little One by Chicago (#89); Honey Don't Leave L.A. by James Taylor (#90); Baby, Baby My Love's All for You by Deniece Williams (#91); Black Magic Woman by Santana (#94); Down the Road by Doucette (#95); Le Spank by Le Pamplemousse (#96); Playing Your Game by Barry White (#97); Never Had a Love by Pablo Cruise (#98); Dream Away by the Lavender Hill Mob (#99); and Starry Night by Bugatti and Musker (#100). Black Magic Woman was a live version of the song that had been a major hit for Santana in a studio version in late 1970-early 1971.

Died on this date
Joe Marsala, 71. U.S. musician and songwriter. Mr. Marsala was a jazz clarinetist from the 1920s through the 1940s. He eventually turned to music publishing, writing songs such as Don't Cry, Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go) and And So to Sleep Again. Mr. Marsala died of cancer.

Wesley Bolin, 68. U.S. politician. Mr. Bolin, a Democrat, was Arizona's Secretary of State from 1949 until he succeeded Raul Hector Castro as Governor on October 20, 1977. Mr. Bolin died after just five months in office, and was succeeded as Governor by Bruce Babbitt.

Hockey
NHL
Philadelphia 1 @ Montreal 7

CHL
Salt Lake City 2 @ Dallas 3
Kansas City 2 @ Fort Worth 4

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tell it to My Heart--Taylor Dayne

At the movies
The House on Carroll Street, produced and directed by Peter Yates and starring Kelly McGillis, Jeff Daniels, and Mandy Patinkin, opened in theatres.





Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, in an attempt to stimulate the Middle East peace process, met with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in Jerusalem; with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in Damascus; and with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. Mr. Shultz was unable to report any progress.

Economics and finance
Panama ordered the nation's banks to close "until the supply of dollar bills can be regularized." Although a general strike against the regime of Gen. Manuel Noriega had ended, the bank closing devastated the economy again.

25 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Sad But True--Metallica

War
Canadian peacekeeping soldiers from the Canadian Airborne Regiment shot two Somalis who were trying to infiltrate the Canadian compound at Belet Huer, Somalia; one died.

20 years ago
1998

Law
In Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also applied when both parties are the same sex.

10 years ago
2008

Died on this date
Leonard Rosenman, 83. U.S. composer. Mr. Rosenman wrote concert works, but was best known for film and television scores. He won Emmy Awards for the made-for-television movies Sybil (1976) and Friendly Fire (1979) and Academy Awards for adaptation for Barry Lyndon (1975) and Bound for Glory (1976). He was nominated for Oscars for Cross Creek (1983) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), but his best-known film scores were probably his earliest: The Cobweb (1955); East of Eden (1955); and Rebel Without a Cause (1955).

Gary Gygax, 69. U.S. game designer. Mr. Gygax was best known for co-creating the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which first appeared in 1974. He died of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.