Saturday 23 March 2013

March 23, 2013

230 years ago
1783


Died on this date
Charles Carroll, 60
. U.S. lawyer and politician . Mr. Carroll was a delegate to the U.S. Continental Congress from Maryland in 1776 and 1777 and served in the Maryland State Senate from 1777 until his death, which occurred the day after his 60th birthday.

175 years ago
1838


Politics and government
George Arthur arrived in Toronto to succeed Sir Francis Bond Head as Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.

125 years ago
1888


Soccer
In England, 10 clubs gathered to found the Football League, the world's oldest professional Association Football league.

120 years ago
1893


Canadiana
The Canadian Club met for the first time, in Hamilton.

100 years ago
1913


Disasters
Heavy rains that had begun two days earlier in Dayton, Ohio grew into the Great Dayton Flood.

19 tornadoes struck the Great Plains, Midwest, and southern United States on March 21 and 23, killing at least 241 people. Omaha, Nebraska and vicinity, with 103 people killed--94 in Omaha--and over 400 injured, experienced the greatest number of casualties.

80 years ago
1933


Law
The German Reichstag passed Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich (Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the State), popularly known as the Enabling Act, handing over its legislative powers, including the approval of treaties with foreign nations and the initiation of constitutional amendments, to Adolf Hitler's cabinet for four years. According to William L. Shirer in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960), "...the act stipulated that the laws enacted by the cabinet were to be drafted by the Chancellor and "might deviate from the constitution." No laws were to "affect the position of the Reichstag"--surely the cruelest joke of all--and the powers of the President remained "undisturbed."" Under the act's terms, Mr. Hitler and the Nazis could ignore the civil liberties provisions in the German constitution and issue decrees without having them passed by parliament. Only the Social Democratic delegates voted against the act, the Communists having been imprisoned. Centrist and moderate rightist parties voted in favour of the act as a "lesser of evils." Some people may notice a similarity between the Enabling Act and the Patriot Act in the United States--a terrorist act of dubious origin leads to legislative approval for dictatorial powers for the executive branch of government, and the abolition of civil liberties.

70 years ago
1943


Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Toronto 3 @ Detroit 2 (4OT)

Jack McLean scored at 10:18 of the 4th overtime period to give the Maple Leafs the win over the Red Wings at Olympia Stadium.

50 years ago
1963


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Hey Paula--Paul and Paula (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Tous les Garçons et les Filles--Françoise Hardy (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Come te non c'è nessuno--Rita Pavone (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Junge, komm bald wieder--Freddy Quinn (12th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Summer Holiday--Cliff Richard and the Shadows (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Our Day Will Come--Ruby and the Romantics

U.S. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Our Day Will Come--Ruby and the Romantics
2 The End of the World--Skeeter Davis
3 Walk Like a Man--The 4 Seasons
4 He's So Fine--The Chiffons
5 Rhythm of the Rain--The Cascades
6 Blame it on the Bossa Nova--Eydie Gorme
7 You're the Reason I'm Living--Bobby Darin
8 Ruby Baby--Dion
9 South Street--The Orlons
10 One Broken Heart for Sale--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were Days of Wine and Roses by Andy Williams (#33, charting with the version by Henry Mancini and his Orchestra); Marching Thru Madrid by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass (#90); Preacherman by Charlie Russo (#95); Funny Man by Ray Stevens (#97); Little Band of Gold by James Gilreath (#98); Don't Let Me Cross Over by Carl Butler (#99); Back at the Chicken Shack (Part 1) by Jimmy Smith (#100); Hello Wall No. 2 by Ben Colder (also #100); and If You Wanna Be Happy by Jimmy Soul (also #100). Ansdy Williams' version of Days of Wine and Roses was the B-side of Can't Get Used to Losing You, charting at #28.

Died on this date
Davey Moore, 29
. U.S. boxer. Mr. Moore won the world featherweight title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Kazuo Takayama in Tokyo on August 29, 1960. He held the title until March 21, 1963, when he was knocked out by Sugar Ramos at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Mr. Moore hit the back of his neck on the bottom rope when he was knocked down in the 10th round, suffering damage to his brain stem. He was able to get to his feet and take a standing eignt-count, but referee George Latka stopped the fight after the round. Mr. Moore gave an interview for television immediately after the fight, but lapsed into a coma in the dressing room, from which he never emerged. In a 10-year professional career from 1953-1963, Mr. Moore won 59 fights, with 7 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no contest. He was not related to the Davey Moore who held the World Boxing Association world light middleweight title from 1982-1983, and who died in a freak accident on June 1, 1988 at the age of 28.

40 years ago
1973


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Block Buster--The Sweet

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mama Loo--Les Humphries Singers (2nd week at #1)

Scandal
Defendants in the June 17, 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. were sentenced by Judge john Sirica, two months after being convicted of various charges. G. Gordon Liddy was given a sentence of not less than 6 years and 8 months in prison and not more than 20 years; five others were sentenced to "provisional" maximum terms of 40 years, while E. Howard Hunt's term was fixed at 35 years. One of the Watergate "plumbers," James McCord, wrote a letter to the court saying that he and others had been under "political pressure" to plead guilty and remain silent, and that others were involved who had escaped indictment and could have been named at the January trial. Mr. McCord asked for a private meeting with Judge Sirica to discuss the case. In light of the letter, Mr. McCord's sentence was postponed.

30 years ago
1983


Died on this date
Barney Clark, 62
. U.S. medical patient. A Utah dentist, Dr. Clark died 112 days after receiving the world’s first artificial heart at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Dr. Clark had been critically ill with a degenerative heart disorder at the time of the implantation, but had made a significant recovery. The artificial heart worked well until the end; death was attributed to "vascular collapse, resulting from a multitude of causes." The heart was shut off only after doctors determined that Dr. Clark was "essentially dead".

Defense
U.S. President Ronald Reagan, in an address to the American people, called for development of a new antiballistic missile system that would destroy Soviet missiles before they could hit U.S. targets. The new system would employ a great deal of new technology--much of it still on the drawing boards--possibly including lasers, microwave devices, particle beams, and projectile beams. Mr. Reagan’s proposal marked a shift in U.S. strategy, which had previously relied on the threat of massive nuclear retaliation to deter an attack. The program, titled Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), was quickly mischaracterized by the ignorant and anti-Reagan media as "Star Wars". Most of Mr. Reagan’s address had been devoted to an appeal for his proposed increases in defense spending, and he used declassified intelligence photographs to support his claims that the Soviets were "spreading their military influence in ways that can directly challenge our vital interests..."

The defense ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said that U.S. intermediate-range missiles would be deployed as scheduled in December unless the U.S. and U.S.S.R. reached an accord in the Geneva disarmament talks.

At a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Victor Hugo Tinoco, deputy foreign minister of Nicaragua, claimed that 2,000 rebels backed by the United States had invaded Nicaragua from Honduras, and that the Honduran army was massing near the border.

Economics and finance
The United States House of Representatives voted 229-196 in favour of the budget proposed by the Democrats, which would result in a deficit of $174 billion and would increase domestic spending and revenues and reduce defense spending.

French President Francois Mitterand addressed the nation and promised to bring down inflation.

25 years ago
1988


Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Allt som jag känner--Tone Norum and Tommy Nilsson (6th week at #1)

Weather
It was such a beautiful day in London, Ontario that this blogger was able to wear shorts outside for the first time in 1988.

World events
The Presidium (ruling council) of the Soviet parliament rejected demands from Armenians in the Armenian Republic and Armenians in Azerbaijan for reunification, saying in a resolution that it would be intolerable for groups to pressure authorities to redraw political boundaries.

Diplomacy
After three days of talks in the southern Nicaraguan town of Sapoa, representatives of the Sandanista government of Nicaragua and the anticommunist Contras announced a 60-day ceasefire. Defense Minister Humberto Ortega signed for the government, and Contra leader Adolfo Calero signed for his side. The Contras were to assemble in special zones but would be allowed to keep their weapons. The Sandanistas agreed to free 3,300 prisoners convicted of violating Nicaraguan security laws or of affiliating with the regime of the late dictator Gen. Anastasio Somoza. The parties agreed to resume negotiations.

War
Western journalists, brought to the Iraqi town of Halabja by Iran to view the bodies of those killed in an Iraqi attack on March 16, concluded their three-day visit. The U.S. State Department denounced the attack as a "particularly grave violation" of the Geneva convention on chemical warfare.

Economics and finance
The United States House of Representatives voted 319-102 in favour of a budget for 1989--to take effect on October 1, 1988--of $1.2 trillion. More spending was projected for fighting AIDS and drug abuse, for education, and for space exploration, with only slight spending increases for military and non-military spending.

The United States Labor Department reported that consumer prices had risen 0.2% in February. The Commerce Department reported that the gross national product had risen a revised 4.8% in the fourth quarter of 1987 and that the growth for the entire year, as revised, was 4.0%.

20 years ago
1993


Diplomacy
Pamela Harriman, 73, widow of former diplomat Averell Harriman, was named U.S. envoy to France.

Scandal
U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno demanded the resignations of all U.S. federal prosecutors. The U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia suggested that the order was linked to his investigation of Democratic Congressman Dan Rostenkowski, an ally of President Bill Clinton.

Medicine
An international team of researchers announced the discovery of the gene behind Huntington's disease, a hereditary neurodegenerative brain disease that eventually proves fatal.

10 years ago
2003


Movies
The Academy Awards for 2002 were presented. Chicago was named Best Picture. Other awards included: Best Director--Roman Polanski, The Pianist; Best Actor--Adrien Brody, The Pianist; Best Actress--Nicole Kidman, The Hours; Best Supporting Actor--Chris Cooper, Adaptation; Best Supporting Actress--Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago; Best Foreign Language Film--Nowhere in Africa; Best Documentary Feature--Bowling for Columbine; Best Original Song--Lose Yourself, 8 Mile.

War
A U.S. supply vehicle made a wrong turn in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. 11 Americans were killed, while 7, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, were captured.

A U.S. soldier was arrested after he allegedly threw grenades into three U.S. officers' tents in Kuwait; 14 soldiers were wounded, 2 fatally.

24 Hindu Brahmins were executed in an attack in Nandimarg, Kashmir. India blamed the attack on Pakistani militants.

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