March 12, 2009

1,040 years ago
969

Died on this date
Muzong, 37. Emperor of China, 951-969. Muzong, whose personal name was Yelü Jing, acceded to the throne of the Liao Dynasty upon the assassination of his cousin Emperor Shizong. Emperor Muzong had to deal with plots and rebellions against him, and forcibly suppressed all but the least, in which he was murdered by his servants while on a hunting trip. Muzong was succeeded by Jingzong.

720 years ago
1289

Died on this date
Demetrius II, 29 or 30. King of Georgia, 1270-1289. Demetrius II acceded to the throne at the age of 11 upon the death of his father David VII. He ruled under a regency for some time, but distinguished himself in battle. In 1288, Mongol Emperor Arghun Khan suspected King Demetrius of involvement in a plot against him, and summoned him to the capital of Mokavan, or else he would invade Georgia. King Demetrius ignored his advisers, and went to Mokavan, where he was imprisoned, and finally beheaded. Demetrius II was succeeded on the throne by his cousin Vakhtang II.

510 years ago
1499

Exploration
King Henry VII wrote a letter to his lord chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury John Morton, ordering him to suspend a lawsuit facing Bristol shipping merchant William Weston until after Mr. Weston's return from North America. Mr. Weston had apparently sailed, with the king's approval, for the "new founde land" reached by John Cabot two years earlier.

320 years ago
1689

War
The Williamite War in Ireland between Jacobites (supporters of King James II, a Roman Catholic) and Williamites (supporters of King William III, a Protestant) began.

140 years ago
1869

Born on this date
George Forbes. Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1930-1935. Mr. Forbes, nicknamed "Honest George," who began his career as a Liberal, represented the riding of Hurunui in Parliament from 1908-1943. He won the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1925, which was renamed the National Party. The NP allied with Reform party dissidents to form the United Party in 1927, and when the UP formed the government after the 1928 election, Mr. Forbes became a cabinet minister, succeeding Joseph Ward as Prime Minister in 1930. Mr. Forbes had the misfortune to be Prime Minister during the Depression, and his government was defeated in the 1935 election, leaving Mr. Forbes as Leader of the Opposition. He briefly led a new United Party in 1936. Mr. Forbes died on May 17, 1947 at the age of 78.

120 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Idris I. King of Libya, 1951-1969. Idris of Libya was elected King of Libya by the National Congress, and took the throne when the United Kingdom of Libya was proclaimed as a sovereign state on December 24, 1951. While he was in Turkey for medical treatment, King Idris was deposed on September 1, 1969 by a military coup led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Idris went into exile in Egypt, and died in Cairo on May 25, 1983 at the age of 94.

100 years ago
1909

Hockey
ECHA
Exhibition @ St. Nicholas Rink, New York
Ottawa 6 Montreal Wanderers 4

This was the first of two exhibition games played between the top two teams in the Eastern Canadian Hockey Association. Ottawa Hockey Club had finished first to win the Stanley Cup from the defending champion Wanderers.

80 years ago
1929

Died on this date
Asa Candler, 77. U.S. businessman and politician. Mr. Candler founded the Coca-Cola Company in 1892, and managed the company until 1917, when he took office as Mayor of Atlanta, serving until 1919. He died three years after suffering a stroke.

75 years ago
1934

World events
Using the authority of the Constitution of 1933, State Elder Konstantin Päts and General Johan Laidoner staged a coup in Estonia, and banned all political parties in an attempt to to neutralize the right-wing populist Vaps Movement. The coup was supported by the army and parliament.

70 years ago
1939

Religion
Pope Pius XII was crowned at the Vatican.

60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Buttons and Bows--Dinah Shore and the Happy Valley Boys; Gene Autry (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Cruising Down the River--Blue Barron and his Orchestra

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Far Away Places--Bing Crosby
--Perry Como
--Margaret Whiting and the Crew Chiefs
2 Powder Your Face with Sunshine (Smile! Smile! Smile!)--Evelyn Knight and the Stardusters
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
3 A Little Bird Told Me--Evelyn Knight and the Stardusters
4 I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm--Les Brown and his Orchestra
--The Mills Brothers
5 Cruising Down the River--Blue Barron and his Orchestra
--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
6 Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
7 Down by the Station--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
8 Galway Bay--Bing Crosby
9 Red Roses for a Blue Lady--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
10 So Tired--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were Blue Skirt Waltz by Frankie Yankovic and his Yanks with the Marlin Sisters (#22); Beautiful Eyes by Art Mooney and his Orchestra (#37); and Love Me! Love Me! Love Me! by Eddy Howard and his Orchestra (#39).

On the radio
Tales of Fatima, starring Basil Rathbone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: The Tower of Ice

World events
The Berlin airlift completed its highest one-week total to date, with 45,683 tons of supplies flown in seven days.

Politics and government
The French National Assembly approved a government plan to establish a territorial government in Cochin China.

U.S. Senate supporters of President Harry Truman conceded defeat in their efforts to restrict filibusters, following a successful three-week Southern filibuster.

Economics and finance
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan General Douglas MacArthur ordered the Japanese government to work for greater productivity in the nation's coal mines without permitting any cost increases.

Labour
U.S. railroad unions and employers, meeting in Chicago, agreed to accept the recommendations of a presidential commission for a 7c hourly wage increase and an eight-hour reduction in the work week of non-operating railroad workers.

Basketball
Hamline College defeated St. Regis 57-46 in Kansas City to win the U.S. National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball title.

50 years ago
1959

Americana
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to President Dwight D. Eisenhower a bill making Hawaii the 50th state.

Defense
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to President Eisenhower a bill continuing the peacetime draft for four more years.

Politics and government
The Catholic People's Party won a small margin over Socialists in general elections for the Dutch House of Representatives.

Northern Rhodesian Governor Sir Arthur Benson outlawed the Zambia African Nationan Congress, and held Kenneth Kaunda and other Congress leaders for deportation to tribal areas.

The Ceylonese Senate approved a new Public Security Act giving Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike sweeping powers to outlaw political strikes and suppress civil and racial disorders.

Labour
U.S. Labor Secretary James Mitchell, warning against "the risk of substantially curtailing employment and earning power in low-wage industries," told congressional leaders that the administration of President Eisenhower opposed any increase in the $1 hourly federal minimum wage.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?--Peter Sarstedt (3rd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
2 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da/While My Guitar Gently Weeps--The Beatles
3 Edge of Reality/If I Can Dream--Elvis Presley
4 Lily the Pink--The Scaffold
5 I Started a Joke/Kilburn Towers--The Bee Gees
6 Star Crossed Lovers--Neil Sedaka
7 Eloise--Barry Ryan
8 Son-of-a Preacher Man--Dusty Springfield
9 Fox on the Run--Manfred Mann
10 Going Up the Country--Canned Heat

Singles entering the chart were Games People Play by Joe South (#27); Monsieur Dupont by Sandie Shaw (#28); Crosstown Traffic by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (#38); and This Girl's in Love with You by Dionne Warwick (#40).

Married on this date
U.K. musician Paul McCartney of the rock group the Beatles and U.S. photographer Linda Eastman were married in a civil ceremony at Marylebone Register Office in London.

War
In a proposal sent to the foreign ministers of the six European Economic Community nations, Colonel Chuckwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, military leader of Biafra, asked a month's truce in Biafra's war to secede from Nigeria, asserting that the two belligerents could work out a permanent cease-fire in that period. The proposal, which asked the EEC countries to get the United Kingdom to stop arms shipments to Lagos, also urged a total arms embargo to both sides.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Le Freak-Chic (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Young Man (Y.M.C.A.)--Hideki Saijo

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart (2nd week at #1)

Protest
15,000 Iranian women marched through Tehran in continuing protests against the government's traditionalist Islamic policies toward women.

Defense
Resumption of a limited military draft was proposed in a Congressional debate over a solution to critical manpower shortages faced by the armed services.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker of Connecticut declared his candidacy for the 1980 Republican Party U.S. presidential nomination.

Hockey
NHL
Montreal 3 Detroit 3

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Love Is a Battlefield--Pat Benatar (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Thriller--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)

War
Reconciliation talks among various factions in Lebanon began. Lebanese President Amin Gemayel appealed to those present to end "nine years of insane and continuous war." Mohammed Ibrahim Massoud, one of Syria's new vice presidents and a key player in the reconciliation talks, came as an observer.

Diplomacy
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain arrived in Ottawa to begin a six-day state visit to Canada.

Labour
The British coal miners' strike that had begun a week earlier at Cortonwood Colliery in Yorkshire had now spread to Kent, Scotland, and South Wales, and included more than half of the United Kingdom's 187,000 coal miners.

Figure skating
The British ice dancing team of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean became the first skaters to receive nine perfect 6.0 scores in the world championships, in Ottawa.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Maurice Evans, 87. U.K. actor. Mr. Evans was known for his starring roles in plays by William Shakespeare on stage in the U.K. and U.S.A. from the 1930s through the 1950s, and on television in the United States in the 1950s.

Curling
The Alberta rink of Pat Ryan defeated British Columbia 3-2 to win the Brier.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles 6 Edmonton 3

CIAU
Canada West Finals
Calgary 1 @ Alberta 3 (Alberta won best-of-three series 2-1)

The Golden Bears scored 2 goals in a 5-second span as they defeated the Dinosaurs at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Yehudi Menuhin, 82. U.S.-born U.K. musician. Mr. Menuhin was one of the most renowned violinists of the 20th century, with a performing career of more than 75 years. He had the longest recording career on record, spanning 1929-1999, all with the British company EMI.

Marcus Lockman, 77. U.S. boxer. Mr. Lockman was a welterweight and middleweight who compiled a record of 31-12-3 in a professional career from 1941-1946. He lost a 10-round decision to future middleweight champion Jake LaMotta on March 29, 1946. Just over two months later, on June 5, Mr. Lockman was knocked down twice and out by Sam Baroudi in the 6th round, was hospitalized, and had his license revoked in Massachusetts. He had one more fight three months later, losing by technical knockout in the 6th round to Danny Williams.

Defense
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland--all former Iron Curtain countries--formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The foreign ministers of the three countries attended a ceremony with United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Independence, Missouri. NATO planned to commit considerable resources to upgrading the military forces of the three nations.

March 11, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Tim Sproule and Aurora B.G.!

360 years ago
1649

War
The Frondeurs and the French signed the Peace of Rueil, ending the opening episodes of France's civil war.

160 years ago
1849

Canadiana
Guelph, Canada West was incorporated as a city.

130 years ago
1879

Japanica
Under orders from the Meiji Japanese government, Shō Tai formally abdicated his position of King of Ryūkyū, ending the 450-year Ryukyu Kingdom.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Frederik IX. King of Denmark, 1947-1972. Frederik IX acceded to the throne upon the death of his father Christian X, after having acted as regent from 1942-1943 when King Christian was temporarily incapacitated. King Frederik's reign saw the modernization of Denmark from an agricultural to a welfare state. He died on January 14, 1972 at the age of 72, several days after taking ill with flu-like symptoms and then suffering cardiac arrest. Frederik IX was succeeded by his daughter Princess Margrethe, who became Queen Margrethe II.

60 years ago
1949

On television tonight
Your Show Time, hosted and narrated by Arthur Shields, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Real Thing, starring John Archer, Marjorie Lord, Selena Royle, and Dan Seymour

Died on this date
Anastasios Charalambis, 86. Prime Minister of Greece, 1922. Lieutenant General Charalambis served in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and the Balkan Wars. He was Prime Minister for one day--September 16, 1922--while interim Prime Minister Sotirios Krokidas had yet to be sworn in, and remained afterward as Minister for Military Affairs until the cabinet resigned on November 14, 1922.

Henri Giraud, 70. French military officer and politician. Général d'Armée Giraud served in both world wars and escaped from German prison camps in both wars. After escaping from Dresden during World War II, he returned to France, where he was loyal to the Vichy government but refused to cooperate with the Germans. Général Giraud secretly cooperated with the Allies, and assumed command of French troops in North Africa after the December 24, 1942 assassination of Admiral François Darlan. Général Giraud eventually had a falling-out with Free French leader Général Charles de Gaulle, and retired in 1944. As a member of the Republican Party of Liberty, Général Giraud was elected to the French Constituent Assembly in 1946, remained a member of the War Council, and helped to draft the constitution of the Fourth Republic.

Eric McNair, 39. U.S. baseball player. Mr. McNair was a utility infielder with the Philadelphia Athletics (1929-1935, 1942); Boston Red Sox (1936-1938); Chicago White Sox (1939-1940); and Detroit Tigers (1941-1942), batting .274 with 82 home runs and 633 runs batted in in 1,251 games. The Athletics won the American League pennant in each of his first three seasons and World Series championships in the first two; he played in the 1930 and 1931 World Series, batting 0 for 3 with a run in 3 games. Mr. McNair's wife died in childbirth in 1937, and he never recovered from the tragedy. He was managing the Savannah Indians of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1948 when he had to resign because of heart problems, and he died of a heart attack, 32 days before his 40th birthday.

Radio
CBS announced the acquisition of NBC's George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, beginning in the fall of 1949.

War
Israel and Transjordan signed a cease-fire agreement in Rhodes.

Defense
Representatives of Canada, U.S.A., U.K., France, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, and Luxembourg completed negotiations in Washington on a North Atlantic security pact. Italian Prime Minister Alcide de Gasperi announced that his cabinet favoured Italian participation in the alliance.

Politics and government
The Argentine Constituent Assembly, boycotted by the opposition Radical Party, unanimously passed a new constitution which permitted President Juan Peron to succeed himself and greatly enlarged his cabinet.

Crime
The California State Commission on Organized Crime charged that New York gambler Frank Costello headed a national "slot machine racket" that netted $2 billion per year and spent extensively to bribe public officials.

Oil
Financier James Menhall announced an agreement with the Syrian government on a $100-million concession in Syria.

Labour
United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis ordered 400,000 eastern coal miners to stop work for two weeks to protest the alleged incompetence of Director of Mines James Boyd.

50 years ago
1959

Theatre
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Lloyd Richards, and starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Ivan Dixon, opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway in New York. It was the first play produced on Broadway to have been written by a Negro woman or directed by Negro.

Died on this date
Lester Dent, 54. U.S. author. Mr. Dent wrote pulp fiction, and was the creator and main author of the Doc Savage series of novels, under the house name Kenneth Robeson. He died a month after suffering a heart attack.

Chester Lane, 53. U.S. lawyer and bureaucrat. Mr. Dent served as U.S. Lend-Lease Administrator, and represented former U.S. State Department official and convicted perjurer Alger Hiss in 1952.

Americana
The U.S. Senate approved and sent to the House of Representatives a bill admitting Hawaii to statehood.

Diplomacy
Soviet and East German leaders pledged joint action to conclude a German peace treaty and to liquidate the Berlin occupation "as soon as possible."

Defense
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, defending the goal of an 879,000-man Army against critics calling for greater U.S. troop commitments in Europe, said that a European buildup was unnecessary because "we are certainly not going to fight a ground war in Europe."

Politics and government
Southern Rhodesian Justice Minister Reginald Knight introduced an Unlawful Organizations Bill, designed to ban all leftist and African political activity.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells

War
Egypt and Israel resumed artillery fire at each other's forces across the Suez Canal. Israel reported that one of its soldiers had been killed, bringing the total to 5 since March 8.

Four American airmen who had been captured by the Viet Cong a month earlier and turned over to Cambodia were freed. Upon their arrival in Bangkok, Thailand, the men confirmed that they had been taken prisoner after their observation plane was shot down near the Cambodian-Vietnamese border.

Politics and government
Rafael Caldera was inaugurated as the 43rd President of Venezuela, marking the first peaceful transfer of power following an election.

Transportation
Royal Canadian Mounted Police constables Warren Townsend and Peter Benjamin set out on a final 500-mile, 26-day round trip by dog team from Old Crow, Yukon carrying mail and medical supplies across the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Snowmobiles and aircraft were rapidly replacing dog teams.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Fire--Pointer Sisters

#1 single in Switzerland: Y.M.C.A.--Village People (8th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The Israeli cabinet approved newly revised language in the U.S.-proposed Middle East peace treaty. United States Secretary of State Cyrus Vance arrived in Jerusalem to resume negotiations.

Terrorism
Colombia's military arrested 1,000 people in a crackdown against terrorists. Opponents protested that the government was violating human rights by illegal detentions and the use of torture in interrogating prisoners.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 4 @ Pittsburgh 0

Rocky Saganiuk scored his first NHL goal and added two assists as the Maple Leafs blanked the Penguins at Pittsburgh Civic Arena, with Mike Palmateer recording the shutout in goal for Toronto.

Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings scored his 50th goal of the season, in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Street Dance--Break Machine (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (2nd week at #1)

Personal
This blogger attended Tim Sproule's 22nd birthday party at Stefanie Railey's apartment. We played a game of Trivial Pursuit, the last time I ever played the game.

Protest
Seal hunters in Quebec's Magdalen Islands damaged a helicopter chartered by International Fund for Animal Welfare protesters.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Esatto--Francesco Salvi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): You Got It--Roy Orbison (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Belfast Child--Simple Minds

#1 single in France (SNEP): Pour toi Arménie--Charles Aznavour and various artists (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Too Many Broken Hearts--Jason Donovan

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Lost in Your Eyes--Debbie Gibson (2nd week at #1)
2 The Living Years--Mike + the Mechanics
3 You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block
4 Roni--Bobby Brown
5 Paradise City--Guns 'N' Roses
6 Surrender to Me--Ann Wilson and Robin Zander
7 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli
8 The Lover in Me--Sheena Easton
9 My Heart Can't Tell You No--Rod Stewart
10 Straight Up--Paula Abdul

Singles entering the chart were After All by Cher and Peter Cetera (#59); Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul (#68); Cult of Personality by Living Colour (#77); Run to Paradise by the Choirboys (#89); and Dear God by Midge Ure (#95). After All was from the movie Chances Are (1989).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Lost in Your Eyes--Debbie Gibson (3rd week at #1)
2 The Living Years--Mike + the Mechanics
3 Roni--Bobby Brown
4 You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block
5 Paradise City--Guns 'N' Roses
6 The Lover in Me--Sheena Easton
7 Eternal Flame--Bangles
8 Straight Up--Paula Abdul
9 My Heart Can't Tell You No--Rod Stewart
10 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli

Singles entering the chart were I'll Be There for You by Bon Jovi (#52); After All by Cher and Peter Cetera (#57); Cult of Personality by Living Colour (#63); Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul (#70); Where are You Now? by Jimmy Harnen with Synch (#75); Iko Iko by the Belle Stars (#78); Let the River Run by Carly Simon (#84); and Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler (#86).

Died on this date
John J. McCloy, 93. U.S. lawyer, banker, and political adviser. Mr. McCloy, a Wall Street lawyer in New York City, served as Assistant U.S. Secretary of War during World War II, and was largely responsible for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's decision to intern Japanese-Americans. He created the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. McCloy's postwar activities included serving as president of the World Bank from 1947-1949; serving as chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations from 1954-1970; and serving on the Warren Commission in 1963-1964, investigating the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with Special Distinction, by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson on December 6, 1963.

James Kee, 71. U.S. politician. Mr. Kee, a Democrat, represented West Virginia's 5th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1965-1973, becoming the third member of his family in succession to hold the seat. His father John Kee had represented the district from 1933-1951; he died in office, and his wife Elizabeth, the mother of John, then held the seat from 1951-1965, when she retired.

Politics and government
Syrian President Hafez al-Assad restructured his government, apparently, in part, as a result of disagreements with his brother, whom he had made a vice president.

Oil
Mobil Corporation, the U.S.A.'s second-largest oil company, announced that it had agreed to buy Superior Oil Company for $5.7 billion.

Skiing
Vreni Schneider of Switzerland ended the season by winning the women's slalom at Shigakogen, Japan, giving her 14 World Cup victories for the season, a record that still stands. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won 13 Cup races in 1977-78, the most ever by a man.

Hockey
CIAU
Canada West Finals
Calgary 4 @ Alberta 2 (Best-of-three series tied 1-1)

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Camille Laurin, 76. Canadian politician. Dr. Laurin, a native of Charlemagne, Quebec, was a psychiatrist who worked in Boston and Paris before returning to Quebec, where he was one of the major early figures of the Quebec sovereignty movement. He joined the Parti Québécois, and represented the riding of Bourget in the Quebec National Assembly from 1970-1973, 1976-1985, and 1994-1998. Dr. Laurin was the father of the province's outrageous and restrictive Bill 101, restricting the use of the English language. He died after a long battle with cancer.

Economics and finance
Infosys became the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

March 10, 2009

380 years ago
1629

Politics and government
King Charles I dissolved the English Parliament, beginning the 11-year period known as the Personal Rule.

170 years ago
1839

Born on this date
Dudley Buck. U.S. musician and composer. Mr. Buck was an organist whose best-known composition was Concert Variations on the Star-Spangled Banner, later orchestrated as Festival Overture on the American National Air, the Star-Spangled Banner (1887). He died on October 6, 1909 at the age of 70.

110 years ago
1899

Academia
Loyola College was incorporated in Montreal; it's now part of Concordia University.

Hockey
Exhibition
Montreal Shamrocks 5 @ Saint John Mohawks 0
Montreal Victorias 5 @ Brooklyn Skating Club 2

100 years ago
1909

Diplomacy
The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 was signed in Bangkok, by which Thailand relinquished her sovereignty over the Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu, which became British protectorates.

90 years ago
1919

Aviation
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Edward Orrick McDonnell became the first man to fly a plane off a battleship when he flew a Sopwith Camel from an overhauled gun turret on the USS Texas.

75 years ago
1934

Literature
The March 10, 1934 edition of Collier's included Medium Well Done, the first of the Mr. Wong stories by Hugh Wiley.

60 years ago
1949

Crime
A U.S. federal jury in Washington, D.C. convicted Mildred Gillars, popularly known as "Axis Sally," of treason for making pro-Axis radio propaganda broadcasts from Germany during World War II.

A U.S. federal grand jury in New York indicted Judith Coplon and Valentin Gubitchev on espionage charges.

Politics and government
The Hoover Commission on the Reorganization of the Executive Branch issued a report on government financial agencies, recommending that the U.S. Treasury Department take over operation of the largest federal lending and loan guarantee organizations, including the Export-Import Bank and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

U.S. President Harry Truman appointed John Nichols to succeed William Brophy as Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Economics and finance
U.S.S.R. Finance Minister Arseny Zverev presented the Supreme Soviet with a 1949 budget of 415.4 billion rubles, including a 79-billion-ruble military expenditure.

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Premonition, starring Pamela Lincoln, Paul Langton, and Beverly Washburn



Theatre
Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams, directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, and Sidney Blackmer, opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway in New York.

World events
Fearing an abduction attempt by the People's Republic of China, thousands of Tibetans surrounded the Dalai Lama's palace to prevent his removal, beginning the Tibetan Uprising.

11 war criminals were executed by firing squad in Havana, bringing the unofficial total executions to 427.

Defense
North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh ended a 10-day visit to Indonesia after issuing a joint pledge with Indonesian President Sukarno to work for a ban on nuclear weapons and the admission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations.

Politics and government
Labour Party candidates won 24 of 40 seats in the Legislative Council in the first Mauritian general election held under the new constitution. The Independent Forward Bloc was second with 6 seats, followed by the Muslim Committee of Action (5); Mauritian Social Democrat Party (3); and 2 independents.

The first Polish Communist Party Congress since the 1956 revolt against Soviet domination convened in Warsaw, with First Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka making clear that the party would neither restore Stalinism nor tolerate anti-socialist activities.

Oil
Accusing some members of the oil industry of failing to heed requests for voluntary curbs on petroleum imports, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued an order barring importation of crude oil and unfinished petroleum products except under license from the Interior Department.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Blue Light Yokohama--Ayumi Ishida (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Eloise--Barry Ryan (8th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans
2 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
3 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
4 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
5 You Showed Me--The Turtles
6 Heaven--The Rascals
7 These Eyes--The Guess Who?
8 Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone
9 Baby, Baby Don't Cry--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
10 This Girl's in Love with You--Dionne Warwick

Singles entering the chart were Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) by the 5th Dimension (#66); Hair by the Cowsills (#80); Move in a Little Closer, Baby by Mama Cass (#83); Time Was by Canned Heat (#86); No, Not Much by the Vogues (#88); The Way it Used to Be by Engelbert Humperdinck (#93); Nothing But a Heartache by the Flirtations (#95); I Can Hear Music by the Beach Boys (#96); Day After Day (It's Slippin' Away) by Shango (#97); God Knows I Love You by Nancy Sinatra (#98); Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime) by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#99); and Give it Away by the Chi-Lites (#100).

Crime
James Earl Ray pled guilty in a Memphis, Tennessee courtroom to the April 4, 1968 murder of Negro civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison. The possibility of a conspiracy was not dismissed by the guilty plea, although both prosecution and defense attorneys agreed that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. The United States Justice Department continued to investigate.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees

#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Mi scappa la pipì, papà--Pippo Franco (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Tragedy--Bee Gees (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Tragedy--Bee Gees (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Fire!--Pointer Sisters
2 Chiquitita--ABBA
3 Now that We Found Love--Third World
4 Lay Your Love on Me--Racey
5 Heart of Glass--Blondie
6 (You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back--Peter Tosh (support vocals: Mick Jagger)
7 Tragedy--Bee Gees
8 Every Time I Think of You--The Babys
9 The Runner--The Three Degrees
10 You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)--Meat Loaf

Singles entering the chart were The Wild Places by Duncan Browne (#20); Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches & Herb (#28); Ain't Love a Bitch by Rod Stewart (#32); Sharing the Night Together by Dr. Hook (#33); American Generation by the Ritchie Family (#34); and Cuba by the Gibson Brothers (#35).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor
2 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart
3 Tragedy--Bee Gees
4 Fire--Pointer Sisters
5 Heaven Knows--Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams
6 A Little More Love--Olivia Newton-John
7 Shake Your Groove Thing--Peaches & Herb
8 What a Fool Believes--The Doobie Brothers
9 Y.M.C.A.--Village People
10 Sultans of Swing--Dire Straits

Singles entering the chart were Love is the Answer by England Dan and John Ford Coley (#81); Dancin' by Grey and Hanks (#84); Take it Back by the J. Geils Band (#85); At Midnight by T-Connection (#88); One Way Love by Bandit (#89); and Love and Desire (Part 1) by Arpeggio (#90).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor
2 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart
3 Tragedy--Bee Gees
4 Heaven Knows--Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams
5 Fire--Pointer Sisters
6 Shake Your Groove Thing--Peaches & Herb
7 A Little More Love--Olivia Newton-John
8 What a Fool Believes--The Doobie Brothers
9 Y.M.C.A.--Village People
10 Don't Cry Out Loud--Melissa Manchester

Singles entering the chart were Love is the Answer by England Dan and John Ford Coley (#84); Happiness by the Pointer Sisters (#85); Elena by the Marc Tanner Band (#87); Such a Woman by Tycoon (#88); Hard Times for Lovers by Judy Collins (#90); and Unloved by Walter Egan (#96).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart (3rd week at #1)
2 A Little More Love--Olivia Newton-John
3 Fire--Pointer Sisters
4 Heaven Knows--Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams
5 Every 1's a Winner--Hot Chocolate
6 Shake It--Ian Matthews
7 I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor
8 Tragedy--Bee Gees
9 Don't Cry Out Loud--Melissa Manchester
10 Lotta Love--Nicolette Larson

Singles entering the chart were Bustin' Loose by Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers (#82); Heart of Glass by Blondie (#85); Superman by Herbie Mann (#87); I'll Supply the Love by Toto (#89); I Want Your Love by Chic (#91); Contact by Edwin Starr (#92); Four Strong Winds by Neil Young (#95); Survivor by Cindy Bullens (#97); Just One Look by Linda Ronstadt (#99); and He's the Greatest Dancer by Sister Sledge (#100).

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in Jerusalem, and told Israelis that he believed a peace treaty could be concluded soon, despite remaining differences with Egypt on the future status of the occupied Arab territories.

Hockey
NHL
New York Rangers 6 @ Montreal 3
Toronto 9 @ Los Angeles 4

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La Donna Cannone--Francesco De Gregori (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Radio Ga Ga--Queen

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): When the Lady Smiles--Golden Earring (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): 99 Red Balloons--Nena (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: 99 Red Balloons--Nena (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Jump--Van Halen (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 99 Luftballons--Nena
2 Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
3 Jump--Van Halen
4 Thriller--Michael Jackson
5 Somebody's Watching Me--Rockwell
6 Nobody Told Me--John Lennon
7 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
8 Let the Music Play--Shannon
9 I Want a New Drug--Huey Lewis and the News
10 Here Comes the Rain Again--Eurythmics

Singles entering the chart were Love Somebody by Rick Springfield (#50); Eat It by "Weird Al" Yankovic (#60); You Might Think by the Cars (#67); Hyperactive by Thomas Dolby (#84); Borderline by Madonna (#85); Club Michelle by Eddie Money (#86); Dancing in the Sheets by Shalamar (#89); and Do You Love Me by Andy Fraser (#90). Eat It was a spoof of Michael Jackson's 1983 hit Beat It.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 99 Red Balloons--Nena (2nd week at #1)
2 Jump--Van Halen
3 Thriller--Michael Jackson
4 Red Red Wine--UB40
5 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
6 Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
7 Talking in Your Sleep--The Romantics
8 Break My Stride--Matthew Wilder
9 Think of Laura--Christopher Cross
10 Here Comes the Rain Again--Eurythmics

Singles entering the chart were Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) by Phil Collins (#46); Livin' in Desperate Times by Olivia Newton-John (#49); and Scratching the Surface by Saga (#50).

Hockey
NHL
New York Rangers 3 Edmonton 2

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
New York Stories, an anthology directed by Martin Scorcese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen, and starring Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, Heather McComb, Talia Shire, Mr. Allen, and Mae Questel, opened in theatres.

Chances Are, directed by Emile Ardonlino, and starring Cybill Shepherd, Robert Downey, Jr., Ryan O'Neal, and Mary Stuart Masterson, opened in theatres.

Politics and government
The day after the United States Senate had rejected former Senator John Tower as President George Bush's nominee as Secretary of Defense, Mr. Bush nominated Representative Dick Cheney (Republican--Wyoming), a former chief of staff for President Gerald Ford, as Secretary of Defense.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate was 5.1% in February, a decline of 0.3% from January, and a level not seen since May 1974.

Disasters
An Air Ontario jet crashed after take off from Dryden, Ontario, killing 24 people and injuring 45. An inquiry later blamed wing icing for the crash.

10 years ago
1999

Diplomacy
Bill Clinton became the first U.S. President in 30 years to visit Guatemala, where he apologized for former governments that had committed human-rights abuses.

Politics and government
Elizabeth Dole, former head of the Red Cross and wife of U.S. Senator and 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole, said that she was creating an exploratory committee to consider a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000.

March 9, 2009

150 years ago
1859

Born on this date
Lloyd Wheaton Bowers. U.S. politician. Mr. Bowers was general counsel for the Chicago & North Western Railway Company from 1893 until he was appointed United States Solicitor General in the administration of President William Howard Taft in 1909. Mr. Bowers died on September 9, 1910, after just 17 months in office.

110 years ago
1899

Hockey
Exhibition
Montreal Shamrocks 4 @ Halifax Crescents 2

70 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Gladys Frazin, 38. U.S. actress. Miss Frazin appeared in plays and in nine movies from 1924-1931. She suffered from depression, and committed suicide by throwing herself out of her apartment window.

60 years ago
1949

Died on this date
Charles Bennett, 78. U.K. runner. Mr. Bennett, the "Shapwick Express," was the first British track athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, winning in the men's 1500-metre run and the 5000-metre team race at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, while taking a silver medal in the 4000-metre steeplechase.

Politics and government
Provincial council elections in South Africa resulted in a victory for the National Party, gaining 86 seats to 78 for the Unity Party.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mariquilla--José Luís y su Guitarra (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Venus--Frankie Avalon
2 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
3 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
4 Donna--Ritchie Valens
5 Alvin's Harmonica--David Seville and the Chipmunks
6 I've Had It--The Bell Notes
7 It's Just a Matter of Time--Brook Benton
8 Petite Fleur (Little Flower)--Chris Barber's Jazz Band
9 I Cried a Tear--LaVerne Baker
10 16 Candles--The Crests

Singles entering the chart were Come Softly to Me by the Fleetwoods (#55); Everybody Likes to Cha Cha Cha by Sam Cooke (#66); Guitar Boogie Shuffle by the Virtues (#81); Ballad of a Girl and Boy by the Graduates (#85); This Should Go On Forever by Rod Bernard (#86); I Go Ape by Neil Sedaka (#90); No Regrets by Jimmy Barnes (#91); I Kneel at Your Throne by Joe Medlin (#93); Because You're Young by Jimmie Rodgers (#94); Teardrops on Your Letter by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (#95); I Can't Sit Down by Marie and Rex (#96); Piove (Ciao, Ciao Bambina) by Domenico Modugno (#97); Chip Off the Old Block by Eddy Arnold (#99); and Oh Why by the Teddy Bears (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 The All American Boy--Bill Parsons (5th week at #1)
2 Peter Gunn--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
3 I've Had It--The Bell Notes
4 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
5 The Lonely One--Duane Eddy and the Rebels
6 Goodbye Baby--Jack Scott
7 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
8 Alvin's Harmonica--David Seville and the Chipmunks
9 Petite Fleur (Little Flower)--Chris Barber's Jazz Band
10 Venus--Frankie Avalon

Singles entering the chart were Guitar Boogie Shuffle by the Virtues (#44); Because You're Young by Jimmie Rodgers (#46, charting with its other side, I'm Never Gonna Tell); It Doesn't Matter Anymore by Buddy Holly (#45); This Should Go On Forever by Rod Bernard (#51); The Hanging Tree by Marty Robbins (#52); Moonlight Serenade by the Rivieras (#54); French Foreign Legion by Frank Sinatra (#55); I Go Ape by Neil Sedaka (#56); Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home) by the Impalas (#59); and Catch a Little Moonbeam, with version by the Rinky Dinks; and Doc Burch (#60).

Died on this date
William Denman, 86. U.S. judge. Judge Denman served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1935-1957, and was Chief Judge from 1948-1957. He was Senior Judge on the Court from 1957 until he committed suicide, reportedly out of despondency over the recent death of his wife.

Arthur Goetze, 57. U.S. businessman. Mr. Goetze was president of Western Electric Company.

World events
The Iraqi government announced in Baghdad that the "attempted mutiny" led by Colonel Abdel Wahab Shawaf had been suppressed and that loyal army forces were in control of the Mosul area.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev conferred in East Berlin with West German socialist leader Erich Ollenhauer. West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt, on orders of the West Berlin Parliament, declined an invitation to join the talks.

Popular Culture
The Barbie doll, created by Ruth Handler and named for her daughter Barbara, made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

Disasters
A U.S. district court in Houston ruled that the French Line and the French government were both liable in the April 16, 1947 Texas City, Texas explosion in which at least 581 people had been killed at at least 200 left missing. The incident had begun with a fire aboard the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp--docked in port--leading to a detonation of her cargo of ammonium nitrate, and subsequent fires and other explosions in other ships and oil storage facilities.

40 years ago
1969

Died on this date
Abel Munem Riad, 49. U.A.R. military officer. General Riad served with the Egyptian Army for 32 years, and was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces in 1967. He commanded Jordanian forces in the Six-Day War in 1967. Gen. Riad was killed while inspecting front-line positions near the city of Ismailia during fighting between Egyptian and Israeli forces along the Suez Canal.

Journalism
Virulent anti-Chinese propaganda rolled from the Soviet presses. Pravda said that the recent border clash marked "China's final transformation into a force hostile to the Socialist countries."

Golf
Ken Still took home $23,000 for winning the Florida Citrus Open in Orlando.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Y.M.C.A.--Village People (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Heart of Glass--Blondie (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (2nd week at #1)

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Too Many Broken Hearts--Jason Donovan

Died on this date
Robert Mapplethorpe, 42. U.S. photographer. Mr. Mapplethorpe was a sodomite whose most infamous work celebrated sodomy and sparked debate over public funding of the arts. He died of AIDS.

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted 53-47 to reject former Senator John Tower as President George Bush's nominee for U.S. Secretary of Defense. It was only the ninth time--and the first time in 30 years--that a cabinet nominee had been rejected. The main objection to Mr. Tower had been his history of drinking. All but three Democratic Senators voted against Mr. Tower, while Nancy Kassebaum (Kansas) was the only Republican Senator to vote against him.

World events
The U.S.S.R. officially submitted to the jurisdiction of the World Court.

Protest
The Chinese government ordered all tourists out of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, two days after imposing martial law to curb several days of protests led by Buddhist monks and nuns in support of Tibetan independence. Officially, 16 people were killed in the clashes, but Tibetans told Westerners that the death toll could be as high as 100.

Scandal
Charles Gardner, a former vice president of Unisys Corporation, a major contractor with the United States Defense Department, pled guilty in a U.S. federal court in Alexandria, Virginia to tax evasion, bribing a federal official, and making false statements.

Law
The California state Senate passed a bill barring the sale, possession, or manufacture of semiautomatic assault weapons. The bill was a reaction to the killing of five California schoolchildren in January.

Business
Eastern Airlines filed for bankruptcy, five days after the airline's machinists had gone on strike, supported by pilots and flight attendants.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Harry Somers, 73. Canadian composer. Mr. Somers, a native of Toronto, was a classical pianist who eventually turned to composing. He composed instrumental and vocal works in various styles and received numerous commissions. Mr. Somers' best-known work was probably the opera Louis Riel (1967), which was commissioned for Canada's centennial.

Politics and government
Former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander announced his candidacy for the 2000 Republican Party U.S. presidential nomination. Mr. Alexander had also been a candidate for the nomination in 1996.

March 8, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Linda and Diane Woodhams!

210 years ago
1799

Born on this date
Simon Cameron. U.S. politician. Mr. Cameron was a journalist, railroad executive, and banker before entering politics. As a Democrat, he represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1845-1849. Mr. Cameron was then a member of the American Party before joining the Republican Party in 1856. He represented Pennsylvania in the Senate again from 1857-1861, and served as U.S. Secretary of War in the administration of President Abraham Lincoln from 1861-1862, resigning amid accusations of corruption. Mr. Cameron served as U.S. Minister to Russia from June-September 1862, and returned to the Senate in 1867, representing Pennsylvania until 1877. He died on June 26, 1889 at the age of 90.

170 years ago
1839

Born on this date
Josephine Cochrane. U.S. inventor. Mrs. Cochrane designed, and built, with the assistance of mechanic George Butters, the first successful automatic dishwasher. She received the patent for her invention late in 1886, but it didn't become popular until it was exhibited at the Columbian World's Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Mrs. Cochrane died of a stroke or exhaustion on August 14, 1913 at the age of 74; she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006.

150 years ago
1859

Born on this date
Kenneth Grahame. U.K. author. Mr. Grahame was best known for the novel The Wind in the Willows (1908), a classic of children's literature. He died on July 6, 1932 at the age of 73.

140 years ago
1869

Died on this date
Hector Berlioz, 65. French composer. Mr. Berlioz wrote three operas and other works, but remains best known for Symphonie fantastique (1830). He died after a period of declining health.

130 years ago
1879

Born on this date
Otto Hahn. German chemist. Dr. Hahn was known as the "father of nuclear chemistry," and was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his discovery of the fission of heavy atomic nuclei." When element number 105 was first synthesized in 1970, it was originally called hahnium, but the name was never official, and the element was eventually named dubnium. Dr. Hahn died on July 28, 1968 at the age of 89.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Elmer Keith. U.S. gun designer and author. Mr. Keith was a rancher in Idaho who was instrumental in designing Magnum cartridges and the .357 Magnum and other Magnum pistols. He also designed bullets that are still used today, and was a regular columnist for Guns & Ammo and American Rifleman magazines. Mr. Keith died on February 14, 1984, 23 days before his 85th birthday.

90 years ago
1919

World events
During the Egyptian Revolution of 1919, British authorities arrested rebel leader Saad Zaghloul, exiling him to Malta.

75 years ago
1934

Space
In India, U.S. astronomer Edwin Hubble released a photograph showing the extent of the universe, with as many galaxies as the Milky Way has stars.

60 years ago
1949

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

World events
A court in Sofia convicted and sentenced four Bulgarian Protestant ministers to life imprisonment on charges of treason and black market dealings. 11 other defendants were given lesser prison sentences.

Defense
U.S. Republican Party foreign affairs adviser John Foster Dulles, addressing a meeting of the Federal Council of Churches in Cleveland, warned that Scandinavian participation in the North Atlantic security pact might unnecessarily alarm the U.S.S.R. and "carry an offensive threat that is disproportionate to [its] defensive value."

Politics and government
French President Vincent Auriol and former Annamese Emperor Bảo Đại signed the Élysée Accords in Paris, giving Vietnam greater independence from France and creating the State of Vietnam to oppose the Viet Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Chinese Nationalist Premier Sun Fo resigned in favour of General Ho Ying-chin, a strong peace advocate.

Japan's Democratic Party, the nation's second-largest political group, split into leftist and conservative factions.

Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced his first cabinet, a four-party coalition dominated by his Mapai Party. Mr. Ben-Gurion also presented his government's program to the Israeli Constituent Assembly, proposing a policy of neutrality in the Cold War and vigorous economic expansion.

U.S. Senators Karl Mundt (Republican--South Dakota) and Homer Ferguson (Republican--Michigan) and Representative Richard Nixon (Republican--California) introduced Communist-control measures requiring Communist and "front" organizations to register with the government and label their statements as propaganda. The measures also denied passports to Communists; barred them from federal jobs; and provided fines and prison sentences for conspiring to establish a totalitarian dictatorship in the United States. The New York State Assembly passed a bill barring Communists from civil service and teaching positions.

Americana
The U.S. House of Representatives Public Lands Committee approved bills granting statehood to Hawaii and Alaska.

Labour
Railway Express Agency employees in New York began a series of slowdowns and work stoppages in a dispute over wages and work hours.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Guitare et tambourin--Dalida (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Right Price, starring Eddie Foy, Jr., Allyn Joslyn, and Jane Dulo

Died on this date
Max Gerson, 77. German-born physician. Dr. Gerson began his career in his native Germany, specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis. He fled Germany when the Nazis came to power in 1933, and ended up in the United States in 1936, becoming an American citizen in 1942. Dr. Gerson developed the Gerson Therapy, a dietary-based alternative cancer treatment that he claimed could cure cancer and most chronic, degenerative diseases. He died of pneumonia. The National Cancer Institute has concluded that the data didn't support Dr. Gerson's claims, and may lead to significant health problems.

World events
Iraqi armed forces commanded by Colonel Abdel Wahab Shawaf rebelled against the leftist regime of Prime Minister Abdul Karim Kassem.

Defense
The Iranian Parliament overwhelmingly approved the U.S.-Iranian bilateral defense agreement.

The U.S. Panel on Seismic Improvement completed studies aimed at the development of an effective system for detection of underground nuclear tests.

Politics and government
The Somali Youth League won 83 of 90 seats in the Legislative Council in the Italian Somaliland general election. The Somali Independent Constitutional Party won 5 seats, despite boycotting the election, with the Liberal Party taking the remaining 2 seats. The Greater Somalia League also boycotted the election.

Irish Prime Minister Eamon de Valera called on the United Kingdom to apply principles used in settling the Cyprus dispute to end the partition of Ireland.

50 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da/While My Guitar Gently Weeps--The Beatles

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Eloise--Barry Ryan with the Majority (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Casatchok--Dimitri Dourakine and his Orchestra (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Ma che freddo fa--Nada

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Lonely Woods of Upton--Sean Dunphy (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?--Peter Sarstedt

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Atlantis--Donovan (2nd week at #1)
2 Spooky's Day Off--Swinging Soul Machine
3 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
4 Ring of Fire--Eric Burdon and the Animals
5 Ain't Got No--I Got Life--Nina Simone
6 Hair--Zen
7 Keep in Touch--The Free
8 Frank Mills--Bojoura
9 Albatross--Fleetwood Mac
10 Baby Won't You Leave Me Alone--The Web (with John L. Watson)

Singles entering the chart were To Love Somebody by Nina Simone (#32); Long and Lonesome Road by Shocking Blue (#35); Oma'tje Lief by Heintje (#37); Time of the Season by the Zombies (#38); Je N'aurai Pas le Temps (Thema Uit De T.V. Serie "Mens Durf Te Leven") by Franck Pourcel (#39); and Mary is My Sweetheart Again by Short'66 (#40).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone (4th week at #1)
2 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
3 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
4 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
5 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
6 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans
7 This Girl's in Love with You--Dionne Warwick
8 Baby, Baby Don't Cry--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
9 Touch Me--The Doors
10 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.

Singles entering the chart were Blessed is the Rain by the Brooklyn Bridge (#67); Shotgun by the Vanilla Fudge (#81); No, Not Much by the Vogues (#84); I Can Hear Music by the Beach Boys (#86); Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime) by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#88); Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) by the 5th Dimension (#89); Sing a Simple Song by Sly & the Family Stone (#90); Don't Touch Me by Bettye Swan (#91); Nothing But a Heartache by the Flirtations (#93); Playgirl by Thee Prophets (#96); Hallways of My Mind by the Dells (#97); The Wedding Cake by Connie Francis (#98); Only You (And You Alone) by Bobby Hatfield (#99); and Hawaii Five-O by the Ventures (#100). Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In was a medley of two songs originally from Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Sing a Simple Song was the B-side of Everyday People. Hawaii Five-O was a version of the theme from the television series.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations (2nd week at #1)
2 Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone
3 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
4 You Showed Me--The Turtles
5 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans
6 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
7 Touch Me--The Doors
8 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
9 Baby, Baby Don't Cry--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
10 Games People Play--Joe South

Singles entering the chart were Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) by the 5th Dimension (#64); Blessed is the Rain by the Brooklyn Bridge (#72); Time Was by Canned Heat (#78); Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime) by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#80); I Can Hear Music by the Beach Boys (#87); Give it Away by the Chi-Lites (#89); Nothing But a Heartache by the Flirtations (#98); God Knows I Love You by Nancy Sinatra (#99); and Playgirl by Thee Prophets (#100).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
2 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
3 Condition Red--The Goodees
4 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
5 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
6 Star Crossed Lovers--Neil Sedaka
7 Bears--Quicksilver Messenger Service
8 Johnny One Time--Brenda Lee
9 Touch Me--The Doors
10 Games People Play--Joe South
Pick hit of the week: Tear Drop City--The Monkees

War
After weeks of sporadic gunfire along the Suez Canal, the biggest Egyptian-Israeli duel across the canal in 4 1/2 months took place. Egyptian oil storage installations in the city of Suez were severely damaged.

Communist gunners increased their shelling in South Vietnam, concentrating on military targets.

Disasters
At least 600 were reported missing and believed dead following an earthquake on the west coast of Celebes Island, Indonesia.

Boxing
Lionel Rose (33-2) retained his world bantamweight title and won the Commonwealth title with a 15-round split decision over Alan Rudkin (36-5) at Kooyong Tennis Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

30 years ago
1979

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Competition

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter conferred with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Cairo, but the meeting failed to resolve issues blocking a peace accord with Israel.

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted to postpone until 1983 a rule limiting Senators' outside incomes over and above their annual $57,500 salary to $8,625, which had taken effect January 1.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
Edmonton's top 30 (CHED)
1 Thriller--Michael Jackson
2 Jump--Van Halen
3 Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
4 99 Red Ballons--Nena
5 Here Comes the Rain Again--Eurythmics
6 Footloose--Kenny Loggins
7 I Want a New Drug--Huey Lewis and the News
8 Got a Hold on Me--Christine McVie
9 Somebody's Watching Me--Rockwell
10 Nobody Told Me--John Lennon
11 Red Red Wine--UB40
12 Heaven--Bryan Adams
13 Runner--Manfred Mann's Earth Band
14 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
15 Dont Bite--Pretty Rough
16 Joanna--Kool & the Gang
17 Come Back and Stay--Paul Young
18 This Could Be the Right One--April Wine
19 Radio Ga Ga--Queen
20 Wrapped Around Your Finger--The Police
21 Hold Me Now--Thompson Twins
22 The Language of Love--Dan Fogelberg
23 Middle of the Road--The Pretenders
24 Adult Education--Daryl Hall and John Oates
25 Miss Me Blind--Culture Club
26 New Moon on Monday--Duran Duran
27 Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)--Phil Collins
28 Yah Mo B There--James Ingram and Michael McDonald
29 Rebel Yell--Billy Idol
30 Almost Over You--Sheena Easton

Defense
At Primrose Lake Alberta, the first U.S. cruise missile test over western Canada took place; the unarmed missile stayed attached to B-52 bomber.

Oil
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the government of Canada owned the oil resources of the Hibernia field, off Newfoundland.

Protest
The day after 400 students at Stanislaw Staszic Agricultural College in Poland had conducted a sit-in to protest the removal of crucifixes from their classrooms, parents of the students refused to sign statements approving the removal of the crucifixes. The protest spread to three other schools.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Bring Me Edelweiss--Edelweiss (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Did I Tell You--Jerry Williams (3rd week at #1)

Scandal
In the trial of former U.S. National Security Council member Oliver North, who was facing charges related to his involvement in the mid-1980s' Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal, former Contra fundraiser Carl Channell testified that he had heard Mr. North say that he was prepared to deceive Congress and go to jail, if he had to.

Disasters
Up to 130 Vietnamese refugees drowned when their fishing boat collided with a Japanese supertanker in the South China Sea off Malaysia

Hockey
NHL
Hartford 7 Edmonton 3

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Joe DiMaggio, 84. U.S. baseball player. The second of three brothers who were outstanding major league outfielders, "The Yankee Clipper" represented grace and glamour as he played center field for the New York Yankees from 1936-1942 and 1946-1951 (he played for service teams during the World War II years of 1943-1945). He led the American League in hitting in 1939 and 1940, and in home runs in 1937 and 1948. As late as 1950 Mr. DiMaggio led the league in slugging percentage. He appeared in 11 All-Star games and 10 World Series (9 of them won by the Yankees), and was Al Most Valuable Player in 1941, 1945, and 1948. In 1941 Mr. DiMaggio hit safely in 56 straight games, a major league record that still stands. He also holds the minor league record with a 61-game streak accomplished with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1933. Mr. DiMaggio finished his career with a .325 batting average, and 361 home runs. Yankee Stadium in those days had very deep outfield dimensions (461 feet to straightaway center, 415' to left center, 407' to right center), and Joe DiMaggio probably lost as many or more home runs to the dimensions of his ballpark as any player in history. In the New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (2001), Joe DiMaggio is rated the 5th best center fielder in major league history. According to Mr. James' Win Shares method, the top four defensive outfielders whose careers were centred in the 1940s were, in order: Dom DiMaggio; Terry Moore; Joe DiMaggio; and Vince DiMaggio. Non-baseball fans may remember Joe DiMaggio best for his 9-month marriage to actress Marilyn Monroe in 1954.

Peggy Cass, 74. U.S. actress. Miss Cass was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting performance in Auntie Mame (1958), but was perhaps better known as a panelist on various television game shows in the 1960s and '70s. She died of heart failure.

Scandal
In the midst of a burgeoning investigation of the possible theft of U.S. nuclear secrets by China, the United States Department of Energy fired Wen Ho Lee, a computer scientist who worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Mr. Lee was officially ousted for having failed to "properly guard classified material" and for not telling his employers of his contacts with a "sensitive country." The investigation, conducted by the Energy Department and the FBI, sought to determine if secrets obtained from the United States had permitted China to make smaller nuclear warheads that could be carried in a cluster on a single missile.

Disasters
U.S. President Bill Clinton began a tour of four Central American countries, two of which had suffered heavy damage when hit by Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. In Nicaragua, Mr. Clinton announced $120 million in hurricane-recovery aid for that country.

March 7, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Carolyn Jagger!

1,820 years ago
189

Born on this date
Geta. Roman Emperor, 209-211. Publius Septimius Geta was the younger son of Emperor Septimius Severus, who gave him the title of Augustus in 208. Geta and his older brother Caracalla became joint rulers upon their father's death in 209, but the brothers had a lifelong feud, and Caracalla had Geta murdered by centurions on December 26, 211 at the age of 22.

210 years ago
1799

War
Napoleon Bonaparte captured Jaffa in Palestine, and his troops proceeded to kill more than 2,000 Albanian captives.

200 years ago
1809

Died on this date
Jean-Pierre Blanchard, 55. French balloonist. Mr. Blanchard was a pioneer in balloon flight and the use of parachutes in the 1780s and '90s in France and other countries. He made the first balloon flight in the Americas on January 9, 1793, flying from Philadelphia to Deptford New Jersey. On February 20, 1808, Mr. Blanchard had a heart attack while aloft in The Hague, and fell from his balloon; he died in The Hague a year later from the effects of his severe injuries.

160 years ago
1849

Born on this date
Luther Burbank. U.S. botanist. Mr. Burbank developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career, and was one of the most respected men in America. He died on April 11, 1926 at the age of 77.

110 years ago
1899

Hockey
Exhibition
Montreal Shamrocks 1 @ Halifax Crescents 1

100 years ago
1909

Hockey
ECHA
Ottawa (10-2) 6 @ Quebec (3-9) 11

Ottawa Hockey Club had already clinched first place and taken the Stanley Cup from the defending champion Montreal Wanderers before losing to Quebec Hockey Club in what turned out to be the last game of the Eastern Canadian Hockey Association.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Rupert Atkinson, 22. Chinese-born U.K. military officer. Captain Atkinson served with the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force in World War I, recording five combat victories from May-October 1918, earing the Distinguished Flying Cross and Military Cross. He was home on leave when he fell victim to the influenza epidemic and died of pneumonia.

70 years ago
1939

Music
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians were in New York, where they recorded their signature tune, Auld Lang Syne, for the first time, on Decca Records.

60 years ago
1949

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and George Spelvin (Wendell Holmes), on MBS
Tonight's episode: Murder on a Wager

Died on this date
Sol Bloom, 78. U.S. businessman and politician. Mr. Bloom achieved success in developing the Midway Plaisance at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, inspiring the "midways" which have been part of fairs ever since. He moved to New York in 1903, opening a chain of department store music departments and selling Victor Talking Machines. A Democrat, Mr. Bloom represented New York's 19th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1923-1945 and the state's 20th District from 1945-1949. He served as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1939-1947 and from January 1949 until his death, two days before his 79th birthday. Mr. Bloom was an advocate for admission of Jewish refugees to the United States and for immediate recognition of the state of Israel.

Bradbury Robinson, 65. U.S. football player, physician, and politician. Dr. Robinson was a halfback, end, and punter at the University of Wisconsin (1903) and St. Louis University (1904-1907). He was a member of the St. Louis University team that played in the Olympic Games in St. Louis in 1904 as a demonstration sport, and won the championship. Dr. Robinson was invited to suggest reforms to football in order to reduce the high number of injuries, and suggested legalization of the forward pass. He threw the first legal forward passes in American football on September 5, 1906; his first pass to Jack Schneider fell incomplete and resulted in a turnover, but he later connected with Mr. Schneider for a 20-yard touchdown. Dr. Robinson served on the staff of U.S. Surgeon General Hugh Cumming in Europe in the 1920s, and screened immigrants for entry to the United States. He later settled in St. Louis, Michigan, where he practiced as a naturopath, served two terms as mayor, and became one of the first people to warn of the health hazards of refined sugar and DDT. Dr. Robinson died of complications following routine surgery.

World events
Romania suspended operations of the Joint Distribution Committee, a Jewish welfare agency.

Crime
Jury selection began in the New York trial of U.S. Communist leaders.

Health
A polio epidemic was reported to be raging in northern Canada.

Business
The Egyptian government signed an agreement with the Suez Canal Company giving Egypt control over the canal's administration and 7% of the canal's profits.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws imposing tighter restrictions on "union security" contracts than those provided by federal law. The specific case involved a Wisconsin measure banning maintenance-of-membership contract clauses.

Baseball
Boston Red Sox' left fielder Ted Williams signed his 1949 contract for $100,000. He had played 137 games in 1948, leading the American League in batting (.369); slugging (.615); runs batted in (126); and doubles (44).

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)--Domenico Modugno (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tom Dooley--Nilsen Brothers (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (2nd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Venus--Frankie Avalon
2 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
3 Alvin's Harmonica--David Seville and the Chipmunks
4 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
5 Donna--Ritchie Valens
6 It's Just a Matter of Time--Brook Benton
7 The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)--Andy Williams
8 Petite Fleur (Little Flower)--Chris Barber's Jazz Band
9 Peter Gunn--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
10 I've Had It--The Bell Notes

Singles entering the chart were It's Late by Ricky Nelson (#29); If I Didn't Care by Connie Francis (#49); Heavenly Lover by Teresa Brewer (#60); Come Softly to Me by the Fleetwoods (#66); Everybody Likes to Cha Cha Cha by Sam Cooke (#78); This Should Go on Forever by Rod Bernard (#79); Catch a Little Moonbeam by Doc Burch (#81, charting with the version by the Rinky Dinks); French Foreign Legion by Frank Sinatra (#86); I Go Ape by Neil Sedaka (#87); Sorry (I Ran All he Way Home) by the Impalas (#91); Bunny Hop by the Applejacks (#94); Who's That Knocking by the Genies (#98); 77 Sunset Strip by Don Ralke (#99); and Guitar Boogie Shuffle by the Virtues (#100). 77 Sunset Strip was a version of the theme from the television series.

Married on this date
NBC newscaster Chet Huntley married former television weather girl Tipton Stringer in Lake Bluff, Illinois.

Crime
Massachusetts state troopers stormed Walpole State Prison and rescued seven hostages before prisoners could make good on their threat to set the hostages afire unless the prisoners were released.

World events
Cuba's Supreme Military Tribunal reversed a lower tribunal's acquittal of 43 Air Force men accused of bombing and strafing Cuban towns in the final days of the guerrilla revolt led by Fidel Castro.

Independence activist Kanyama Chiume, one of the leaders of the Nyasaland African Congress, fled to London to avoid arrest. Central African Federation Prime Minister Sir Roy Welensky charged that the African National Congress had plotted "strikes, riots and assassinations of Europeans and Africans," but he said he would not ask for aid from British troops stationed in Kenya to end the unrest.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Only One Woman--The Marbles

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
2 To Susan on the West Coast Waiting/Atlantis--Donovan
3 Games People Play--Joe South
4 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
5 Hang 'em High--Booker T. & the M.G.'s
6 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
7 Time of the Season--The Zombies
8 I'm Livin' in Shame--Diana Ross and the Supremes
9 But You Know I Love You--The First Edition
10 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations

Singles entering the chart were Galveston by Glen Campbell (#22); You've Made Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat & Tears (#23); Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by Crazy Elephant (#26); Hot Smoke & Sasafrass by the Bubble Puppy (#27); The Letter by the Arbors (#28); The Weight by Aretha Franklin (#29); and Things I'd Like to Say by the New Colony Six (#30).

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells (5th week at #1)
2 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
3 Games People Play--Joe South
4 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
5 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
6 Try a Little Tenderness--Three Dog Night
7 Hooked on a Feeling--B.J. Thomas
8 Touch Me--The Doors
9 Can I Change My Mind--Tyrone Davis
10 This Magic Moment--Jay and the Americans

At the movies
The Brain (Le Cerveau), directed by Gérard Oury, and starring David Niven, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Eli Wallach, and Bourvil, opened in theatres in France.

Space
Apollo 9 Commander Jim McDivitt and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart went aboard the lunar module Spider for the third time, and detached Spider from the command module Gumdrop for a successful 6 1/2 hour independent flight. After docking, the two modules flew together for two hours. Messrs. McDivitt and Schweickart returned to Gumdrop, and Spider was jettisoned, destined to burn up on reentry into the earth's atmosphere. During the mission, the two vehicles had flown docked together a record total of 54 hours 47 minutes.

Politics and government
Golda Meir accepted the Labour Party's nomination to become Prime Minister of Israel, pledging to "continue in the same framework" as the late Levi Eshkol.

Protest
Tens of thousands marched to the Chinese embassy in Moscow and broke about 100 windows in protest against the deaths of Soviet soldiers in the recent border clash.

Terrorism
Pierre-Paul Geoffroy, an FLQ member connected to 31 Montréal-area bombings, pled guilty in Montréal to 129 charges of making and placing bombs, conspiracy, theft, and possession of dynamite.

Economics and Finance
The price of gold climbed to record levels in Europe's money markets, pushed by speculation that the French franc was about to topple, and fears of labour unrest in France.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Tragedy--Bee Gees

Movies
1,500 guests were in attendance at the Beverly Hilton Hotel's International Ballroom in Beverly Hills, California as the American Film Institute bestowed its seventh annual Lifetime Achievement Award on Alfred Hitchcock. Mistress of ceremonies Ingrid Bergman ignored the script and performed spontaneously. Mr. Hitchcock sat stone-faced through the entire evening. The event was televised five days later. For a detailed examination of this event, read chapter one of Donald Spoto's book The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock (1983).



Hockey
NHL
Toronto 2 @ Vancouver 0

Baseball
Major league spring training games began.

25 years ago
1984

War
The Red Cross announced that 160 Iranian soldiers examined by a Red Cross medical team in Tehran had been affected by "substances prohibited by international law." The announcement came two days after The New York Times had reported that a U.S. State Department official believed that Iraq was using mustard gas in its war against Iran.

Protest
400 students at Stanislaw Staszic Agricultural College in Poland conducted a sit-in to protest the removal of crucifixes from their classrooms. Ryszard Debrynski, the school's director, had ordered the action in response to a government directive barring the crucifixes from hospitals and schools, reflecting the constitutional separation of church and state. Police broke up the sit-in, and the college was closed.

20 years ago
1989

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Walk Out

Space
This blogger was one of many North Americans who saw a solar eclipse in the morning. The first solar eclipse witnessed by this blogger also occurred on March 7--in 1970.

Diplomacy
Iran and the United Kingdom severed diplomatic relations because of the fatwa (legal judgment) imposed by Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini upon British author Salman Rushdie, whose novel The Satanic Verses (1988) was regarded as disrespectful to the prophet Muhammad.

Protest
China imposed martial law in Tibet after three days of violent protests led by Buddhist monks and nuns against Chinese rule in Tibet.

Labour
U.S. President George Bush said that he had chosen not to use his authority to postpone the strike of Eastern Airlines machinists because he believed that the strike should be resolved through the free collective bargaining process.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Lowell Fulson, 77. U.S. musician. Mr. Fulson, aka Lowell Fulsom, was a guitarist and songwriter who was the most important figure in West Coast blues in the 1940s and '50s. He recorded seven songs which reached the top ten of the Billboard rhythm and blues singles chart, with Blue Shadows reaching #1 and its B-side, Low Society Blues, reaching #8 in 1950. Mr. Fulson died from complications of kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure, 24 days before his 78th birthday.

Movies
The Jutra Awards, honouring the previous year's best achievements in Quebec cinema, were presented for the first time. The Red Violin led with nine Jutras.


Politics and government
Francisco Flores of the ruling Arena Party received 52% of the vote to win the El Salvador presidential election. His closest opponent, Facundo Guardado of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), received 29% of the vote. Mr. Flores said that he would continue the policies of his predecessor, Armando Calderon Sol, who had pushed for privatization of the economy.