March 25, 2010

1,010 years ago
1000

Died on this date
Barjawan. Wāsiṭa (Prime Minister) of the Fatimid Caliph, 997-1000. Abū'l-Futūh Barjawān al-Ustādh was a eunuch palace official who allied himself with disaffected Berbre leaders and seized power for himself in 997. However, he alienated Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who ordered the assassination of Barjawan, and assumed control of the government.

390 years ago
1620

Died on this date
Johannes Nucius, 63 or 64 (?). German composer and theorist. Mr. Nucius composed two collections of motets, containing 102 pieces. He was best known for Musices poeticae, an influential guide to composition, focusing mainly on counterpoint.

190 years ago
1820

Economics and finance
The Bank of New Brunswick became the first bank to be incorporated in Atlantic Canada. It began operations on Prince William Street in Saint John, New Brunswick, with an initial capital of £50,000.

150 years ago
1860

Died on this date
James Braid, 64. U.K. physician. Dr. Braid, a native of Scotland, was a surgeon who was a significant innovator in the treatment of club foot and, beginning in the early 1840s, a pioneer in the use of hypnotherapy. He died of an apparent heart attack.

70 years ago
1940

War
The United Kingdom announced that she would use all legal means to harass German ships carrying iron ore from Narvik, Norway to Germany.

Politics and government
The New Zealand Labour Party ousted left-wing leader John Lee.

U.S. Vice President John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner instructed Oregon Secretary of State Earl Snell to place Mr. Garner's name on that state's ballot for the May 17 Democratic Party primary for the 1940 nomination for President of the United States.

Journalism
O'Estado de Sao Paulo, the leading morning newspaper in Brazil, was ordered closed by the Brazilian government because of its alleged opposition to President Getúlio Vargas.

Radio
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Communications Commission need not consider the impact on competition when it issued a new radio license.

Economics and finance
Mexico expropriated 1.5 million acres of American-owned land in the state of Chiapas.

Business
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a 1939 ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals awarding 20% of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's profits from the movie Letty Lynton (1932) to Edward Sheldon and Margaret Ayer Barnes. The Second Circuit Court had upheld a 1936 federal District Court ruling that the movie's script had followed too closely Mr. Sheldon and Miss Margaret Ayer Barnes' play Dishonored Lady (1930), without acquiring the rights to the play or giving credit. According to MGM records, the film earned $754,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $418,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $390,000. The movie has been unavailable except for bootleg copies since the 1936 District Court ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court found Ethyl Gasoline Corporation guilty of violating antitrust laws through its system of licensing jobbers.

60 years ago
1950

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Four Winds and the Seven Seas--Bing Crosby; Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Music! Music! Music!--Teresa Brewer with the Dixieland All Stars (Best Seller--2nd week at #1); If I Knew You Were Comin’ (I’d Have Baked a Cake)--Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers (Disc Jockey--1st week at #1); Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy--Red Foley (Jukebox--7th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Music! Music! Music!--Teresa Brewer
2 Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy--Red Foley
--Bing Crosby
3 Rag Mop--The Ames Brothers
--Ralph Flanagan and his Orchestra
--Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra
--Johnnie Lee Wills and his Boys
4 The Cry of the Wild Goose--Frankie Laine
5 I Said My Pajamas (And Put on My Pray’rs)--Tony Martin and Fran Warren
6 There’s No Tomorrow--Tony Martin
7 Daddy’s Little Girl--Dick Todd
--The Mills Brothers
8 It Isn’t Fair--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
9 Dearie--Ray Bolger and Ethel Merman
--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
10 If I Knew You Were Comin’ (I’d Have Baked a Cake)--Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers
--Georgia Gibbs

Singles entering the chart were We'll Build a Bungalow by Johnny Long and his Orchestra (#32) and Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep by Mary Martin and Arthur Godfrey #40).

Diplomacy
Colombia resumed full diplomatic relations with Spain.

Defense
Dr. Paul Larsen of the U.S. National Security Resources Board's Office for Civilian Mobilization said that it would take $300 billion and transformation of the U.S.A. into a "garrison state" to achieve absolute security against atomic attack.

Politics and government
Three cabinet ministers resigned from Bao Dai's Vietnamese government, charging that Prime Minister Nguyen Phan Long was too strongly influenced by ultra-nationalists.

Society
U.S. immigration officials admitted that 30,000 Mexicans crossed the border illegally into the United States every month, many ending up on agricultural unemployment rolls.

Popular culture
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis signed a contract to tour Canada with the Dailey Bros. circus.

Labour
French gas and electric workers ended a nationwide strike after obtaining a 5% wage increase and production bonuses.

Sport
Norwegian skiers, bringing their snow with them, staged a ski-jumping competition at Hampstead Heath in north London.

Figure skating
Dick Button won the U.S. men's championship for the fifth straight year, in Washington.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): My Old Man's a Dustman--Lonnie Donegan

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: People are Alike All Over, starring Roddy McDowall and Susan Oliver

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon & Garfunkel

On television tonight
Then Came Bronson, starring Michael Parks, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Mary R

Labour
A week after going on strike illegally, New York City postal workers began returning to their jobs by 4 P.M. on the advice of their leaders. U.S. Postmaster General Winston Blount announced that the military would no longer be needed to move the mail.

U.S. air traffic controllers caused huge tieups in air travel by calling in sick to press demands for higher pay and shorter hours. Among the cities hardest hit were New York; Boston; Kansas City; and Pittsburgh. Spokesmen for the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association said that an injunction obtained in Washington would not force the men back to work.

Hockey
CHL
Adams Cup
Semi-Finals
Omaha 1 @ Fort Worth 2 (2 OT) (Fort Worth led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Tulsa 2 @ Iowa 4 (Iowa led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Jim Shires scored at 13:39 of the 2nd overtime period to give the Wings their win over the Knights.

30 years ago
1980

On the radio
Richard Sanders, in character as Les Nessman, the newscaster on the CBS television comedy series WKRP in Cincinnati, was in Edmonton as a guest on Wes Montgomery’s morning show on CHED.

Died on this date
Milton H. Erickson, 78. U.S. psychiatrist and psychologist. Dr. Erickson specialized in medical hypnosis and family therapy, and was noted for his approach to the unconscious mind as creative and solution-generating, in contrast to the ideas of Sigmund Freud. He was the founding president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis and a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychopathological Association. Dr. Erickson promoted the use of hypnosis as a method of conacting the unconscious mind and its resources. He was influential in the fields of brief therapy, strategic family therapy, family systems therapy, solution focused brief therapy, and neuro-linguistic programming.

Walter Susskind, 66. Czech-born orchestra conductor. Mr. Susskind, a native of Prague, began his career in his native country, but fled to the United Kingdom two days before German forces invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939. He became a British subject, but spent much of his working life in other countries. Mr. Susskind conducted the Scottish Orchestra (1946-1952); Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (1953-1955); Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1956-1965); and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (1968-1975). He founded the National Youth Orchestra of Canada in 1960, and served as artistic adviser to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1978 until his death.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy won the Democratic Party presidential primaries in New York and Connecticut. In New York, Sen. Kennedy won 59% of the vote and 164 delegates to the Democratic National Convention to President Jimmy Carter’s 41% and 118 delegates. In Connecticut, Sen. Kennedy took 47% of the vote and 29 delegates to 41% and 25 delegates for President Carter. In the Republican Party primaries, former California Governor Ronald Reagan took 75% of the vote and 73 delegates to 6% and 6 delegates for George Bush, with 35 delegates remaining uncommitted. Mr. Bush won Connecticut with 39% and 15 delegates to 34% and 14 delegates for Mr. Reagan. Rep. John Anderson won 22% and 6 delegates.

Olympics
The British Olympic Association voted by a large majority to defy the government and send athletes to the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. The U.S.A. and many other countries had decided to boycott the games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 5 @ Atlanta 4

Edmonton goalie Ron Low made a spectacular save in the final seconds to preserve the Oilers’ victory as they continued their battle to claim the final playoff spot. Jim Craig, the goaltender for the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in February, took the loss for the Flames. It was the last game the Oilers played against the Flames in Atlanta.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Don't Make Me Over--Sybil (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (5th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (4th week at #1)
2 Get Up! (Before the Night is Over)--Technotronic
3 Bakerman--Laid Back
4 Sit and Wait--Sydney Youngblood
5 Got to Get--Rob 'n' Raz featuring Leila K.
6 Rich in Paradise "Going Back to My Roots"--F.P.I. Project
7 Easy--Ice MC
8 The Message is Love--Arthur Baker and the Backbeat Disciples featuring Al Green
9 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
10 Fandango--Boris Bukowski

Singles entering the chart were Got to Have Your Love by Mantronix featuring Wondress (#17) and Put Your Hands Together by D Mob (#22).

War
Soviet paratroopers seized the headquarters and other property of the rebellious Communist Party of Lithuania. Ethnic Lithuanians who had deserted the army were rounded up.

Diplomacy
Nicaraguan Contra leaders said that those who were gathered in United Nations-supervised security zones in Nicaragua would remain there for months, and would keep their arms.

Crime
87 people died in a fire at a social club in the Bronx borough of New York City. The fire, which police said was deliberately set, spread rapidly through the two-storey structure, and the victims died within minutes from burning or asphyxiation, with only a few escaping. The club, which had been ordered closed in 1988, had no sprinklers, fire exits, emergency lights, or exit signs at the time of the fire. The club was popular with immigrants from Central America, and the majority of those who died were from Honduras. Police arrested Julio Gonzalez and charged him with arson and murder. They said that Mr. Gonzalez had had an argument with a former girlfriend who worked at the club.

Hockey
NHL
Washington 4 Calgary 1

10 years ago
2000

Politics and government
Leaders of the Reform Party of Canada announced the formation of a new party, the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (popularly known as Canadian Alliance), in an attempt to broaden its support in order to defeat the Liberal government. The Reformers, whose main support came from western Canada, combined forces with members of the Progressive Conservatives, whom the Reformers had reduced to insignificance during the 1990s. The name change was significant and appropriate, as it was becoming apparent that the Reform Party was no longer interested in reforming anything.

David Trimble beat off a stiff challenge to his leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party from Rev. Martin Smyth, but the fact that he obtained just 57% of the vote from the party’s ruling council cast doubt on the future of the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Bill Clinton continued his Asian visit with a visit to Islamabad, where he met with Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf, the leader of a recent coup. Mr. Clinton urged Gen. Musharraf not to cross the Kashmir cease-fire line, to cut back on its nuclear weapons, and to restore full democracy to Pakistan.

Religion
Pope John Paul II conducted a mass in Nazareth and participated in an ecumenical meeting with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem.