Thursday 30 January 2014

January 31, 2014

1,700 years ago
314


Religion
Silvester I took office as Roman Catholic Pope, succeeding Pope Miltiades.

510 years ago
1504


Diplomacy
France ceded Naples to Aragon.

200 years ago
1814


Politics and government
Gervasio Antonio de Posadas became the first Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the highest official in what is now Argentina.

175 years ago
1839


Politics and government
John "Radical Jack" Lambton, Lord Durham, the outgoing Governor of Canada, handed his Report on the Affairs of British North America to British Prime Minister. Lord Durham blamed the power of the Family Compact and Chateau Clique ruling elites for the 1837 rebellions, and recommended uniting the Canadas under one responsible government, with English the only official language, so as to assimilate the French Canadians.

120 years ago
1894


Born on this date
Isham Jones
. U.S. musician. Mr. Jones, a saxophonist, wrote the music for such songs as We're in the Army Now, I'll See You in My Dreams, and It Had to Be You, but was best known for leading one of the most popular "sweet" bands of the 1920s and '30s. He died of cancer on October 19, 1956 at the age of 62.

Percy Helton. U.S. actor. A man who looked like a slightly smaller version of Nikita Khrushchev (or a slightly larger version of Porky Pig), Mr. Helton was a character actor who appeared in small roles in many movies and television programs, often playing shady characters. He had a hoarse voice and talked fast. Mr. Helton died at the age of 77 on September 11, 1971, the same day as the death of Mr. Khrushchev.

100 years ago
1914


Born on this date
Branch Rickey, Jr.
. U.S. baseball administrator. Mr. Rickey, the son of the legendary general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates, developed the Pirates' farm system in the 1950s, which was largely responsible for producing the World Series championship team of 1960. He was a diabetic who didn't take proper care of himself, leading to a premature and painful death on April 10, 1961 at the age of 47.

Jersey Joe Walcott. U.S. boxer. Mr. Walcott, born Arnold Cream, made several attempts to win the world heavyweight championship before finally succeeding. On July 18, 1951, in his fifth fight for the title, Mr. Walcott knocked out Ezzard Charles in the 7th round at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, becoming, at 37, the oldest man yet to win the title. After a successful defense against Mr. Charles, he lost the title when he was knocked out by Rocky Marciano on September 23, 1952. The two fought a rematch on May 15, 1953, and Mr. Walcott retired with a record of 51-18-2 after being knocked out in the 1st round. He died on February 25, 1994 at the age of 80.

80 years ago
1934


At the movies
The Ninth Guest, directed by Roy William Neill, and starring Donald Cook and Genevieve Tobin, opened in theatres.



70 years ago
1944


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Ev'ry Night About This Time--The Ink Spots (1st month at #1)

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Dog that Howled at the Night

Died on this date
Jean Giraudoux, 61
. French author and playwright. Mr. Giraudoux wrote more than 20 novels, but was better known for his plays, including Ondine (1939) and The Madwoman of Chaillot (1945).

War
U.S.S.R. troops fought their way into the suburbs of Kingisepp, an important communications point only eight miles east of the Estonian frontier. During the Anzio campaign in Italy, the U.S. Army 1st Ranger Battalion (Darby's Rangers) was destroyed behind enemy lines in a heavily outnumbered encounter at the Battle of Cisterna. American forces landed on Kwajalein Atoll and other islands in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull revealed that 89 specific protests against the mistreatment of U.S. prisoners of war and war internees had been made to Japan from January 13, 1942-January 27, 1944, without result.

Health
George Adams, secretary of the American Advisory Committee for Southeast China, arrived in Chungking from Kwangtung Province and said that one million people had died there of starvation and cholera, which had wiped out 80% of the population of some villages.

Education
The New Jersey Supreme Court upheld the right of two Negro children to attend a public school near their home instead of being forced to go 16 blocks to an all-Negro school.

Economics and finance
U.S. Federal Works Administrator Major General Philip B. Fleming announced that the Works Progress Administration, which had ended eight years of operation on June 30, 1943, had expended $10.1 billion in federal funds.

60 years ago
1954


Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Granada--Vico Torriani (1st month at #1)

Died on this date
Howard Armstrong, 63
. U.S. radio engineer. Mr. Armstrong was one of the greatest pioneers of radio; he held 42 patents and was best known as the inventor of frequency modulation (FM) radio. Years of litigation battles with his former employer, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), broke his spirit, and he committed suicide by jumping out the window of his 13th-floor New York apartment. His wife Marion eventually won all of his legal battles.

50 years ago
1964


Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Glad All Over--The Dave Clark Five

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)
2 Roll Over Beethoven--The Beatles
3 Don't Talk to Him--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
4 Puppy Love--Barbara Lewis
5 Surfin' Bird--The Trashmen
6 She Loves You--The Beatles
7 Daisy Petal Pickin'--Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs
8 Forget Him--Bobby Rydell
9 Shindig--The Shadows
10 Who Needs It--Gene Pitney
Pick hit of the week: Stop and Think it Over--Dale & Grace
New this week: My True Carrie, Love--Nat King Cole
The Harem--Mr. Acker Bilk
Worried Guy--Johnny Tillotson
White on White--Danny Williams
Hey Little Star--Ann-Margret
I'll Be a Fool--Buddy Greco

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Black Leather Jackets, starring Lee Kinsolving, Michael Forest, Tom Gilleran, Shelley Fabares, and Michael Conrad

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Night Caller, starring Felicia Farr, Bruce Dern, David White, and Leslie Barringer

40 years ago
1974


Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Tiger Feet--Mud

Died on this date
Samuel Goldwyn, 94
. Polish-born U.S. film producer. Mr. Goldwyn, born Szmuel Gelbfisz in Warsaw, was one of the founders of Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, and later, Goldwyn Pictures, which merged into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1924. As an independent producer, Mr. Goldwyn won the Academy Award for Best Picture for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). He was also given the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1947 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1958.

Glenn Morris, 61. U.S. decathlete. Mr. Morris won the gold medal in the decathlon at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, setting a world and Olympic record with 7,900 points.

Disasters
96 of 101 people aboard a Pan Am Boeing 707 jetliner were killed when it crashed in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

30 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): My Oh My--Slade (2nd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the Index of Leading Economic Indicators had risen 0.6% in December 1983, thus reversing the one-month decline in November.

25 years ago
1989


Died on this date
William Stephenson, 92
. Canadian-born U.K. soldier and spy. Sir William, a native of Winnipeg, fought for Canada in World War I, and moved to England in the early 1920s. He founded and led British Security Coordination, relaying secrets between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was known by his code name Intrepid, and is said to have been the real-life inspiration for Ian Fleming's fictional spy James Bond.

Music
The album Mystery Girl by Roy Orbison was released on Virgin Records. Shortly after recording the album, Mr. Orbison had died of a heart attack on December 6, 1988 at the age of 52.

Politics and government
Testifying before the United States Senate Armed Services Committee, conservative activist Paul Weyrich said that he had on several occasions observed former U.S. Senator (Republican--Texas) and Secretary of Defense nominee John Tower in a drunken condition and socializing with women who were not Mr. Tower's wife.

Scandal
The trial of former U.S. Marine Colonel and National Security Council member Oliver North on 12 charges related to the 1986 Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal began.

Hockey
NHL
Vancouver 6 Edmonton 2
Calgary 8 Los Angeles 5

20 years ago
1994


Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): The Sign--Ace of Base (2nd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (3rd week at #1)
2 The Power of Love--Celine Dion
3 Said I Loved You...But I Lied--Michael Bolton
4 Found Out About You--Gin Blossoms
5 Mary Jane's Last Dance--Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
6 Hero--Mariah Carey
7 Breathe Again--Toni Braxton
8 Amazing--Aerosmith
9 Linger--The Cranberries
10 I'll Always Be There--Roch Voisine

Singles entering the chart were Since I Don't Have You by Guns 'N' Roses (#73); A Matter of Moments by Moneyhouse (#75); I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing by Pet Shop Boys (#76); Creep by Stone Temple Pilots (#78); Day in the Sun by Peter Frampton (#81); Love, Love, Love by Hemingway Corner (#82); Cornflake Girl by Tori Amos (#85); and Under the Same Sun by the Scorpions (#86).

Diplomacy
The day after being issued a visa by the United States, Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein--the political arm of the Irish Republican Army--arrived in New York City, but was limited to meetings and interviews in the metropolitan area. He appeared on the television show Larry King Live on CNN.

Economics and finance
The Dow-Jones industrial average closed at a record high of 3,978.36.

10 years ago
2004


Died on this date
Eleanor Holm, 90
. U.S. swimmer. Miss Holm won the gold medal in the women's 100-metre backstroke at the 1932 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and was favoured to win the event at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, but she was suspended from the team after a drinking party aboard the ship transporting the team across the Atlantic Ocean.

January 30, 2014

225 years ago
1789


War
Tây Sơn forces emerged victorious against Qing armies and liberated the capital Thăng Long in the Battle of Ngọc Hồi-Đống Đa in Vietnam.

170 years ago
1844


Born on this date
Richard T. Greener
. U.S. lawyer, academic, and diplomat. Mr. Greener was the first Negro to graduate from Harvard College, obtaining a bachelor's degree in 1870. He obtained a law degree from the University of South Carolina and practiced law before serving as dean of Howard University Law School from 1878-1880. Mr. Greener returned to the practice of law before accepting diplomatic posts in Bombay (1898-1901) and Vladivostok (1901-1905). He died on May 2, 1922 at the age of 78.

125 years ago
1889


Died on this date
Archduke Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, 30; Baroness Mary Vetsera, 17
. Prince Rudolf, eldest son of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary and heir apparent th the throne, was separated from his wife, Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, when he met and began an affair with Baroness Vetsera. The emperor demanded that the couple end their relationship, but in a suicide pact, Prince Rudolf shot Baroness Vetsera and then himself in the Imperial hunting lodge at Mayerling in the Vienna Woods.

100 years ago
1914


Born on this date
John Ireland
. Canadian-born U.S. actor. Mr. Ireland, a native of Vancouver, appeared in such movies as A Walk in the Sun (1945); My Darling Clementine (1946); All the King’s Men (1949); The Basketball Fix (1951); Queen Bee (1955); Spartacus (1960); and 55 Days at Peking (1963). He died on March 21, 1992 at the age of 78.

David Wayne. U.S. actor. Born Wayne McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan, Mr. Wayne had a career in theatre, cinema, and television that spanned almost 50 years. He won Tony Awards for his performances in Finian's Rainbow (1947) and The Teahouse of the August Moon (1954). His movies included Adam's Rib (1949); With a Song in My Heart (1952); O. Henry's Full House (1952); The Three Faces of Eve (1957); The Last Angry Man (1959); and The Andromeda Strain (1971). Mr. Wayne died on February 9, 1995 at the age of 81.

80 years ago
1934


Died on this date
Frank Nelson Doubleday, 72
. U.S. publisher. Mr. Doubleday founded the publishing firm Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897.

70 years ago
1944


War
The Battle of Cisterna, part of Operation Shingle, began in central Italy. As Soviet troops made further advances into Estonia, German colonists were reported fleeing from the Baltic area. American troops landed on Majuro in the Marshall Islands. Chinese troops reportedly captured the Tanai River ferry station of Taro in northern Burma.

Diplomacy
The Polish government-in-exile in London asked the U.S.A. and U.K. to define the boundaries they though Poland should have after the end of World War II.

Society
U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Frank Murphy announced the formation of the National Committee Against Nazi Persecution and Extermination of the Jews.

60 years ago
1954


Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Pretend--Nat "King" Cole (5th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Oh, Mein Papa (Oh! My Pa-Pa)--Eddie Fisher; (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1; Jukebox--1st week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Oh, Mein Papa (Oh! My Pa-Pa)--Eddie Fisher (5th week at #1)
--Eddie Calvert
2 Stranger in Paradise--Tony Bennett
--The Four Aces
--Tony Martin
3 That's Amore--Dean Martin
4 Changing Partners--Patti Page
--[Kay Starr]
5 Rags to Riches--Tony Bennett
6 Secret Love--Doris Day
7 The Gang that Sang "Heart of My Heart"--The Four Aces
-- Don Cornell, Alan Dale, and Johnny Desmond
8 Ricochet (Rick-O-Shay)--Teresa Brewer
9 Woman--Johnny Desmond
10 The Creep--The Three Suns

Singles entering the chart were From the Vine Came the Grape by the Gaylords (#20); Make Love to Me! by Jo Stafford (#21); Harmony Brown by the Four Lads (#29); You're My Everything by Joni James (#33); Why by Nat "King" Cole (#34); Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell (#41)/Lovin' Spree (#42) by Eartha Kitt; Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell by Georgia Gibbs (#41, charting with the version by Eartha Kitt); You Made Me Love You by Bob Manning (#43); and Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries by Jaye P. Morgan (#45). Why was the B-side of Answer Me, My Love, which charted at #25.

50 years ago
1964


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: It's All Right--The Impressions (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Needles and Pins--The Searchers

Music
Sam Cooke was at RCA Studio in Los Angeles, where he recorded the songs A Change is Gonna Come and Falling in Love.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the satellites Elektron 1--whose mission was to study Earth's inner radiation region--and Elektron 2--whose mission was to study Earth's outer radiation region.

The United States launched the lunar probe Ranger 6, whose mission was to phtograph and impact the surface of the moon.



World events
In a bloodless coup, General Nguyễn Khánh overthrew General Dương Văn Minh's military junta in South Vietnam.

Terrorism
A group calling itself Comité révolutionnaire du Québec raided an armoury in Montreal for weapons and ammunition.

Olympics
The IX Winter Olympic games opened in Innsbruck, Austria.

40 years ago
1974


Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland: I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo (11th week at #1)

Politics and government
U.S. President Richard Nixon delivered his State of the Union address to Congress, presenting a 10-point program to check inflation, lessen the energy crisis, enhance world peace, and institute domestic reforms in the areas of health, welfare, and transportation. He also pledged that he would not resign, saying, "One year of Watergate is enough," referring to the growing scandal surrounding the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the subsequent cover-up. Recognizing the "special responsibility" of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and its impeachment investigation, Mr. Nixon promised that he would cooperate with the committee, but would be limited by the precedent set by every other president "by never doing anything that weakens the office of the Presidency or weakens the ability of Presidents in the future." Mr. Nixon's 10 goals included a continued policy of detente with the U.S.S.R.; a "lasting peace" in the Middle East; a check in inflation without recession; and new initiatives in world trade. He also promised a new system of comprehensive health insurance which would guarantee high quality care to every American; "a crucial breakthrough" in public transportation; federal aid to education reforms; and a "new road toward reform of the welfare system." Mr. Nixon also disclosed that the executive budget for fiscal 1975 would be set at $304.4 billion, an increase of $29.7 billion over the previous year.



30 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Original Sin--INXS

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Lee McCall, 33 (?)
. South African criminal. Mr. McCall, a member of the Stander Gang--three escaped convicts who had begun robbing banks on October 1983--was killed in a shootout with police at the gang's hangout in Houghton, Gauteng, South Africa.

25 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Kokomo--The Beach Boys (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Smooth Criminal--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

Weather
At 5 A.M. in Edmonton it was raining, but the rain had changed to snow by 7 A.M., and by noon the snow was knee-high. The city ended up being hit by its biggest one-day snowfall in 104 years, as the temperature dropped from above freezing to almost -30 F. in the worst single day of weather that this blogger has experienced. People who worked downtown but lived elsewhere were offered free hotel accommodation, as they were unable to get home.

War
The U.S. government criticized increased Soviet bombing of Afghanistan as a "scorched-earth policy," while the Soviet commander insisted the attacks were necessary because rebels had not allowed safe passage for Soviet troops withdrawing from Afghanistan.

Diplomacy
The foreign ministers of Syria and Iran, meeting in Damascus, signed a peace pact aimed at ending fighting between rival Shiite Muslim militias in Lebanon. Syria had supported Amal, the more moderate group, while Iran had supported the more radical group Hezbollah. More than 500 people had been killed since violence between them had begun in April 1988. Under the new truce, Amal would control security in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah could also remain in the area.

The United States closed its embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, four days after being ordered to do so by U.S. Secretary of State James Baker.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney shuffled his cabinet, appointing six new ministers and re-assigning the responsibilities of 19 others; Lucien Bouchard was sworn in as Minister of the Environment.

Crime
Former criminal lawyer Joel Steinberg was found guilty in New York City of first-degree manslaughter in the death by beating of his 6-year-old illegally-adopted daughter Lisa. Damaging testimony against Mr. Steinberg had been given by his lover, Hedda Nussbaum.

20 years ago
1994


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Can See Clearly Now--Jimmy Cliff (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (12th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: U Got 2 Let the Music--Cappella (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Things Can Only Get Better--D: Ream (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Pierre Boulle, 81
. French author. Mr. Boulle was best known for his novels Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï (The Bridge over the River Kwai) (1952) and La planète des singes (Planet of the Apes) (1963).

Chess
Yugoslavian-born Péter Lékó became, at age 14, the youngest grandmaster in history.

Football
NFL
Super Bowl XXVIII @ Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Dallas 30 Buffalo 13

James Washington returned a fumble 46 yards for a touchdown and Emmitt Smith followed with 17- and 1-yard touchdown rushed as the Cowboys outscored the Bills 24-0 before 72,817 fans to defeat Buffalo in the Super Bowl for the second straight year (see video). Thurman Thomas rushed 4 yards for the Bills' only touchdown in the 2nd quarter. In a duel of Canadian-born kickers, Eddie Murray of Dallas kicked 3 field goals and 3 converts, while Buffalo's Steve Christie kicked 2 field goals and a convert. Mr. Smith, who rushed 30 times for 132 yards and caught 4 passes for 26 yards, was named the game's most valuable player.

10 years ago
2004


Society
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld a century-old law that allowed parents, and in some cases, teachers and caregivers, to spank children, as long as "reasonable" force was used and guidelines were set.

Protest
A two-day general strike in the Dominican Republic ended with five people dead in clashes with police. The strike had been called to protest President Hipolito Mejia's decision to adopt the policies of the International Monetary Fund to help mend the country's economy.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

January 29, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Ken Dies!

200 years ago
1814


War
French forces commanded by Emperor Napoleon I defeated Russian and Prussian forces in the Battle of Brienne in France.

180 years ago
1834


Labour
U.S. President Andrew Jackson ordered the first use of U.S. federal soldiers to suppress a labour dispute.

80 years ago
1934


Died on this date
Fritz Haber, 75
. German chemist. Dr. Haber won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his development for synthesizing ammonia, important for fertilizers and explosives. While Dr. Haber's work in the production of fertilizer has helped in the feeding of much of the world's population, he's also been criticized as the "father of chemical warfare" for his work in the development of chlorine and other poisonous gases in World War I. Although Dr. Haber was Jewish, the Nazis offered him funding to continue his research in weapons, but he left the country, and died of heart failure in Basel, Switzerland, while on his way to live in what is now Israel.

70 years ago
1944


Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart?)--Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra with Eugenie Baird (Best Seller--1st week at #1); Shoo-Shoo Baby--The Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen and his Orchestra (Jukebox--3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
William Allen White, 75
. U.S. journalist and author. Mr. White bought the Emporia Gazette in Emporia, Kansas in 1895, and edited the paper until his death, 12 days before his 76th birthday. He became nationally known as a representative of the views of small-town middle America, and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1923 for an editorial in defense of free speech.

War
The last German hold on the Moscow-Leningrad railway was broken by the capture of Chudovo by Soviet forces. A 14-man British expedition departed the Falkland Islands aboard the minesweeper HMS William Scoresby and HMS Fitzroy for Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands as part of Operation Tabarin. U.S. troops in Italy fought their way to a point one mile north of Cassino. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities reported that Japan had been carrying out an organized and systematic espionage plan in the United States since World War I.

Abominations
Approximately 38 civilian men, women, and children died in the Koniuchy massacre in Poland at the hands of Soviet and Jewish partisans.

Defense
The world's most powerful battleship, the USS Missouri, was launched at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Oswaldo Aranha announced that air bases in Brazil built by the United States "are ours 100% and will always be ours."

Diplomacy
Mexico and Canada announced that they would establish diplomatic relations and exchange ministers in the near future.

Politics and government
Wayne Morse resigned his position with the U.S. National War Labor Board and announced his candidacy for the 1944 Republican Party nomination for the United States Senate in Oregon.

Society
American Legion commander Warren Atherton said in a speech in Boston that all Japanese nationals in the United States should be deported "as soon as possible" because "50 years of trial has proved that they can never be assimilated."

Labour
R.J. Thomas and George Meany, Congress of Industrial Organizations and American Federation of Labor members, respectively, of the Presidential Committee on the Cost of Living, issued a statement claiming that living costs had increased 43.5% since January 1, 1941 instead of the 23.4% increase reported by the government.

60 years ago
1954


Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Oh, Mein Papa (Oh! My Pa-Pa)--Eddie Calvert (4th week at #1)

50 years ago
1964


Died on this date
Alan Ladd, 50
. U.S. actor. Mr. Ladd was one of the most popular movie stars of the 1940s and early '50s, starring in such movies as This Gun for Hire (1942); The Glass Key (1942); The Blue Dahlia (1946); O.S.S. (1946); Whispering Smith (1948); The Great Gatsby (1949); Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950); Appointment with Danger (1951); Shane (1953); and The Badlanders (1958), as well as the syndicated radio series Box 13 (1947-1949). His last film, The Carpetbaggers (1964), was released five months after his death, which was ruled to be the result of an accidental combination of alcohol and pills.

Music
The Beatles recorded the song Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand, which was I Want to Hold Your Hand, sung in German. They used the instrumental track from the original version to back the new vocals.

Space
The U.S.A. launched Saturn SA-5, a Saturn I rocket, to test its engineering. The test was successful.

40 years ago
1974


Hit parade
#1 single in France: Les divorcés--Michel Delpech (5th week at #1)

Scandal
Herbert Porter, former scheduling director for the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP), pled guilty to a charge of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during an early investigation of the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.

Hockey
NHL
All-Star Game @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago
East 5 West 4

Garry Unger of the St. Louis Blues scored a shorthanded goal at 7:54 of the 3rd period, which proved to be the winner as the Western Division edged the Eastern Division before 16,986 fans. Mr. Unger, who also had an assist, was named the game's most valuable player. This was the last All-Star Game played while the NHL consisted of two divisions.



30 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in France: Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Jenseits von Eden--Nino de Angelo

On television tonight
The Four Seasons, based on the 1981 movie of the same name, debuted as a series on CBS. Alan Alda, who wrote and directed the film, introduced the first episode of the TV series.

Defense
A study released by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization showed that the rate of growth of Soviet military spending had slowed between 1976 and 1982. The U.S.S.R. accused the U.S.A. of violating arms control agreements.

Hockey
NHL
Montreal 7 @ Boston 2

25 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Angel of Harlem--U2

#1 single in Switzerland: Bring Me Edelweiss--Edelweiss (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Mandel Kramer, 72
. U.S. actor. Mr. Kramer appeared in numerous radio programs, but was perhaps best known as the lat actor to play the title character in Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (1961-1962). He played police chief Bill Marceau in the television soap opera The Edge of Night (1959-1979).

Diplomacy
Hungary became the first Eastern Bloc nation to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea.

Baseball
The game-winning run batted in was dropped as a statistic, after 9 seasons. The career leader in game-winning RBIs was Keith Hernandez, with 129.

20 years ago
1994


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Saturday Night--Whigfield (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Please Forgive Me--Bryan Adams (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Please Forgive Me--Bryan Adams (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Ik wil niet dat je liegt/Waarheen waarvoor--Paul de Leeuw (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Things Can Only Get Better--D: Ream (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (2nd week at #1)
2 Hero--Mariah Carey
3 Breathe Again--Toni Braxton
4 The Power of Love--Celine Dion
5 Again--Janet Jackson
6 Said I Loved You...But I Lied--Michael Bolton
7 All that She Wants--Ace of Base
8 Please Forgive Me--Bryan Adams
9 Shoop--Salt-n-Pepa
10 Can We Talk--Tevin Campbell

Singles entering the chart were Because of Love by Janet Jackson (#29); Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through by Meat Loaf (#48); Everyday by Phil Collins (#49); Without You/Never Forget You by Mariah Carey (#53); Loser by Beck (#75); Gin and Juice by Snoop Doggy Dogg (#77); Zunga Zeng by K7 (#86); Boom Shak A-Tack by Born Jamericans (#88); Come Clean by Jeru the Damaja (#89); Runaway Love by Johnny O (#90); and Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm by Crash Test Dummies (#91).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Ulrike Maier, 26
. Austrian skier. Miss Maier won the gold medal in the Super G event at the world championships in 1989 and 1991, and the silver medal in the giant slalom in 1991. She died after breaking her neck in a crash during the downhill race in the women's World Cup at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Politics and government
Both houses of the Japanese Diet overwhelmingly approved a political reform compromise devised by Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and the opposition Liberal Democrats. The proposal provided for a 500-member lower house in which 300 members would be elected from single-seat districts, with the rest of the seats allocated according to the share of the vote obtained by each party. Representation from urban areas would be increased. Corporate contributions to individual candidates would be limited to 500,000 yen (about $4,500) per year, with state subsidies making up for the reduction in private donations.

10 years ago
2004


Died on this date
Janet Frame, 79
. N.Z. author. Born Nene Janet Paterson Clutha, Miss Frame's works included 11 novels and three collections of short stories.

Tuesday 28 January 2014

January 28, 2014

1,200 years ago
814


Died on this date
Charlemagne, 65-71 (?)
. Carolingian Emperor, 800-814. Charlemagne became King of the Franks in 768, King of the Lombards in 774, and after uniting most of western Europe, was crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome on Christmas Day, 800. He was succeeded by Louis the Pious.

390 years ago
1624


Britannica
Sir Thomas Warner founded the first British colony in the Caribbean on the island of Saint Kitts.

290 years ago
1724


Science
The Russian Academy of Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg by Czar Peter the Great, and implemented by Senate decree. It was called the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences until 1917.

80 years ago
1934


Technology
The first ski tow in the United States began operation in Vermont.

75 years ago
1939


Died on this date
William Butler Yeats, 73
. Irish poet. Mr. Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923 for "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." His most frequently-quoted poem is probably The Second Coming (1920).

70 years ago
1944


War
Soviet troops extended their Estonian line by 36 miles, with a 13-mile advance south from Voloslovo to Repolka. U.S.S.R. troops were reported in control of all but 11 miles of the Moscow-Leningrad railway. The Allied beachhead south of Rome was again enlarged, this time to about 24 miles in length. Australian troops in New Guinea advanced up the coast beyond Sio to narrow the gap between them and the Americans in the Saidor area to 40 miles.

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department disclosed that it was reviewing U.S. policy toward Spain and that oil shipments to Spain had been stopped.

Labour
David Nederlander of Lafayette Dramatic Productions, Inc. in Detroit filed suit in the New York State Supreme Court for $500,000 in damages against American Federation of Musicians President James Petrillo, charging conspiracy to force the Lafayette Theatre to hire six musicians at $500 per week although its productions did not require music.

50 years ago
1964


On television tonight
The Fugitive, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Where the Action Is, with guest stars Telly Savalas, Joanna Frank, and Don Keefer

Joanna Frank also co-starred in The Outer Limits episode ZZZZZ, which had aired on ABC the previous night.

Music
Sam Cooke was at RCA Studio in Los Angeles, where he produced a recording session for the gospel group The Soul Stirrers--with whom he had sung from 1951-1957--and recorded several songs himself, including Rome (Wasn't Built in a Day), Meet Me at Mary's Place, and Tennessee Waltz.

World events
An unarmed USAF T-39 Sabreliner on a training mission was shot down over Erfurt, East Germany by a Soviet MiG-19.

40 years ago
1974


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Photograph--Ringo Starr

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Algo Más--Camilo Sesto (10th week at #1)

War
Israeli forces lifted their siege of the city of Suez and evacuated the surrounding area.

Boxing
In a battle of former world heavyweight champions, Muhammad Ali (44-2) won a 12-round unanimous decision over Joe Frazier (30-2) at Madison Square Garden in New York, avenging his 15-round loss to Mr. Frazier in the same building on March 8, 1971.

30 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La Donna Cannone--Francesco De Gregori (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Thriller--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Love of the Common People--Paul Young

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Pipes of Peace--Paul McCartney (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes (2nd week at #1)
2 Break My Stride--Matthew Wilder
3 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
4 Talking in Your Sleep--The Romantics
5 Twist of Fate--Olivia Newton-John
6 I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues--Elton John
7 Say Say Say--Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
8 Joanna--Kool & The Gang
9 The Curly Shuffle--Jump 'n The Saddle
10 Running with the Night--Lionel Richie

Singles entering the chart were Got a Hold on Me by Christine McVie (#49); Footloose by Kenny Loggins (#63); Here Comes the Rain Again by Eurythmics (#66); Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell (#77); Automatic by the Pointer Sisters (#83); Rebel Yell by Billy Idol (#85); Body Talk by Deele (#88); Vitamin L. by the B.E. Taylor Group (#90); and Looks That Kill by Motley Crue (#95). Footloose was the title song of the movie.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (2nd week at #1)
2 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes
3 Major Tom (Coming Home)--Peter Schilling
4 Talking in Your Sleep--The Romantics
5 Twist of Fate--Olivia Newton-John
6 Say Say Say--Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
7 Union of the Snake--Duran Duran
8 Red Red Wine--UB40
9 Cum On Feel the Noize--Quiet Riot
10 I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues--Elton John

Singles entering the chart were Send Me an Angel by Real Life (#42); New Moon on Monday by Duran Duran (#43); Here Comes the Rain Again by Eurythmics (#47); I Want a New Drug by Huey Lewis and the News (#48); and I Still Can't Get Over Loving You by Ray Parker, Jr. (#50).

Disasters
Tropical Storm Domoina made landfall in southern Mozambique, eventually causing 214 deaths and some of the most severe flooding so far recorded in the region.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles 4 @ Edmonton 2

In their win over the Oilers at Northlands Coliseum, the Kings held Edmonton centre Wayne Gretzky off the scoresheet, ending his record streak at 51 games with at least one point. During the scoring streak, which started October 5, 1983, Mr. Gretzky amassed 153 points on 61 goals and 92 assists.

25 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): C'è da spostare una macchina--Francesco Salvi (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): First Time--Robin Beck (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Tonight--Tina Turner and David Bowie

#1 single in France (SNEP): High--David Hallyday (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Two Hearts--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)
2 When I'm with You--Sheriff
3 Armageddon It--Def Leppard
4 Don't Rush Me--Taylor Dayne
5 When the Children Cry--White Lion
6 Straight Up--Paula Abdul
7 Born to Be My Baby--Bon Jovi
8 The Way You Love Me--Karyn White
9 Wild Thing--Tone Loc
10 All This Time--Tiffany

Singles entering the chart were She Won't Talk to Me by Luther Vandross (#73); Walk the Dinosaur by Was (Not Was) (#74); Feels So Good by Van Halen (#79); Bring Down the Moon by Boy Meets Girl (#82); Cryin' by Vixen (#86); Superwoman by Karyn White (#87); Left to My Own Devices by Pet Shop Boys (#92); Into You by Giant Steps (#96); and She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals (#97).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Don't Rush Me--Taylor Dayne
2 Armageddon It--Def Leppard
3 Two Hearts--Phil Collins
4 When I'm with You--Sheriff
5 Straight Up--Paula Abdul
6 Born to Be My Baby--Bon Jovi
7 The Way You Love Me--Karyn White
8 When the Children Cry--White Lion
9 I Remember Holding You--Boys Club
10 All This Time--Tiffany

Singles entering the chart were Cryin' by Vixen (#75); Dreamin' by Vanessa Williams (#77); Walk the Dinosaur by Was (Not Was) (#78); She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals (#80); Orinoco Flow by Enya (#82); Tell Her by Kenny Loggins (#85); Left to My Own Devices by Pet Shop Boys (#87); Heaven Knows by When in Rome (#89); and Got it Made by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (#92).

Died on this date
Choekyi Gyaltsen, 50
. Tibetan religious leader. Mr. Gyaltsen was the 10th Panchen Lama--the highest-ranking member of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism--after the Dalai Lama. Mr. Gyaltsen supported China's claim to Tibet, but later expressed criticism of China's treatment of Tibet, and was imprisoned from 1964-1977. He was visiting Tibet when he died, reportedly of a heart attack. Conspiracy theories abound.

20 years ago
1994


Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (2nd week at #1)

World events
The Mexican government of President Carlos Salinas de Gortari freed 38 prisoners accused of involvement in the Zapatista National Liberation Army in the state of Chiapas earlier in the month.

Politics and government
African National Congress President Nelson Mandela formally opened his campaign for President of South Africa.

Crime
A mistrial was declared in Los Angeles Superior Court in the murder trial of Lyle Menendez, 26, who, with his brother Erik, 23, had been accused of the August 20, 1989 murder of their parents in their Beverly Hills, California home in order to inherit their $14 million estate. The brothers had testified that they had endured years of sexual and emotional abuse from their parents. The brothers had been tried separately, and Erik's trial had also ended in a mistrial on January 13. The brothers had been tried separately, and both juries had been unable to reach verdicts. In one of the trials, the accused admitted killing his mother, but a typically stupid female juror stated afterward to a reporter that she didn't think he'd really done it, prompting conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh to say that women shouldn't be allowed to sit on a jury where the defendant is a hunk.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the initial figures for the gross domestic product had shown growth at an annual rate of 5.9% for the fourth quarter of 1993, the biggest quarterly surge in six years.

10 years ago
2004


Died on this date
Elroy Hirsch, 80
. U.S. football player. Mr. Hirsch, nicknamed "Crazylegs," was a flanker and offensive end with the Chicago Rockets (1946-1948) and Los Angeles Rams (1949-1957), catching 387 passes for 7,029 yards and 60 touchdowns. His best season was 1951, when he caught 66 passes for a then-record 1,495 yards and a record 17 touchdowns in just a 12-game season, as the Rams won the NFL championship. Mr. Hirsch teamed up with Tom Fears to give the Rams one of the best combinations of pass receivers in football history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974. Mr. Hirsch starred in the movies Crazylegs (1953), Unchained (1955), and Zero Hour! (1957); it's been said that he could have had a fine career as an actor if he chosen to pursue it as an occupation.

Lloyd "Pete" Bucher, 76. U.S. military officer. Commander Bucher was in charge of the U.S. Navy ship USS Pueblo off the coast of North Korea when the ship was boarded and everyone aboard taken prisoner on January 23, 1968. After months of physical and psychological torture, Commander Bucher wrote and signed a confession; he and the 82 surviving crewmen were released on December 23, 1968, upon which the confession was verbally withdrawn.

Crime
Investigators found the bodies of 10 more women at the Port Coquitlam, British Columbia pig farm owned by accused murderer Robert Pickton, bringing the total number of bodies found to 31.

Scandal
Canadian Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan called a public inquiry into the case of Canadian citizen Maher Arar, who had been seized by U.S. officials at a U.S. airport and deported to Syria in September 2002, and had allegedly been tortured while in detention. Justice Dennis O'Connor was appointed to head the inquiry and was given the power to see classified documents.

War
Lord Hutton released his report on British intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs, and said that Prime Minister Tony Blair had not intentionally exaggerated intelligence to justify the war in Iraq. Lord Hutton's report accused the British Broadcasting Corporation of sloppy reporting and editorial judgement, prompting the resignation of its chairman.

David Kay, who had resigned five days earlier as the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's chief weapons inspector, called for an independent investigation into the intelligence gathered before the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The 1,400-member Iraq Survey Group had failed to find any evidence of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons in Iraq.

Sunday 26 January 2014

January 27, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Irina!

160 years ago
1854


Transportation
The Great Western Railroad opened from London to Windsor, Ontario.

75 years ago
1939


Aviation
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane, piloted by Ben Kelsey, made its first flight.

70 years ago
1944


War
The 900-day Siege of Leningrad was lifted. Allied troops ontinued to advance south of Rome, capturing Velletri, while reinforcements were landed on the beachheads. Yugoslavian partisans claimed the liberation of 70% of central Bosnia from German forces. U.S. War Secretary Henry Stimson said that two-thirds of the U.S. Army would be overseas by the end of the year. The U.S. Army and Navy issued a joint report charging Japan with starving and murdering more than 5,200 American soldiers captured in Corregidor and the Bataan Peninsula.

Literature
The U.S. National Institute of Arts and Letters awarded its gold medal for "distinguished achievement" to Willa Cather for her "sustained contribution to American fiction."

The novel The Lost Weekend by Charles Jackson was published by Farrar & Rinehart.

Labour
The U.S. Congress of Industrial Organizations adopted a resolution opposing the Austin-Wadsworth bill for a national service act.

60 years ago
1954


At the movies
Highway Dragnet, directed by Nathan Juran, and starring Richard Conte, Joan Bennett, and Wanda Hendrix, opened in theatres.



World for Ransom, co-produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, and starring Dan Duryea, Gene Lockhart, Patric Knowles, Reginald Denny, Nigel Bruce, and Marian Carr, opened in theatres in Los Angeles. It was the final film for Mr. Bruce, who had died on October 8, 1953.



50 years ago
1964


Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Cuore--Rita Pavone (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Outer Limits, on ABC
Tonight's episode: ZZZZZ, starring Joanna Frank, Philip Abbott, and Marsha Hunt

40 years ago
1974


Disasters
63 of 73 people aboard a Turkish airliner were killed when it crashed and burst into flames on takeoff from the military airport at Izmir.

30 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Come Back and Stay--Paul Young

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Jenseits von Eden--Nino de Angelo (5th week at #1)

Popular culture
U.S. pop singer Michael Jackson suffered second-degree burns to his scalp during the filming of a Pepsi commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the U.S. merchandise trade deficit had totalled $69.4 billion in 1983, breaking the record of $42.7 billion reported in 1982.

Hockey
NHL
Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers registered an assist in the first period of a game against the New Jersey Devils at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, extending his point-scoring streak to a record 51 games.

25 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): First Time--Robin Beck (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Thomas Sopwith, 101
. U.K. aviator. Mr. Sopwith began flying in 1910 and in 1912 co-founded the Sopwith Aviation Company, which manufactured more than 18,000 aircraft for Allied forces in World War I, including the Sopwith Camel single-seat fighter plane.

Scandal
Two former executives of Unisys Corporation, a major U.S. defense contractor, pled guilty to making illegal campaign donations to members of Congress.

A civilian employee of the U.S. Marine Corps pled guilty to accepting $43,500 in bribes from a defense consultant to whom he had provided confidential information.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the gross national product had grown at an annual rate of 2% in the fourth quarter of 1988, reflecting the impact of the summer of 1988 drought on farm output. For the year as a whole, the economy grew 3.8%, its strongest showing in four years.

20 years ago
1994


Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Claude Akins, 67
. U.S. actor. Mr. Akins played character roles in numerous movies and television programs before starring in the television series Movin' On (1974-1976); B.J. and the Bear (1979-1981); and The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979-1981).

Politics and government
Former U.S. Marine Colonel and U.S. National Security Council member Oliver North announced his candidacy for the Republican party nomination for United States Senator from Virginia in the November 1994 election. Mr. North had been involved in the 1986 Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal, and in 1989 had been convicted on three charges arising from the scandal, but the conviction had been overturned on appeal because of violations of Mr. North's constitutional rights, and the charges had been subsequently dropped.

Toronto-area Member of Parliament Jag Bhaduria quit the Liberal caucus to sit as an independent in the Canadian House of Commons after it was revealed that he had falsified his academic background.

Diplomacy
Officials with the U.S. administration of President Bill Clinton announced that Gerry Adams, leader of the Sinn Fein faction of the Irish Republican Army, would be allowed to visit the United States if the IRA renounced violence.

Crime
U.S. figure skater Tonya Harding, who had won the national women's championship three weeks earlier after her chief rival, defending champion Nancy Kerrigan, had been clubbed on the leg after a practice, said in a statement that she had learned several days after the attack on Miss Kerrigan that "persons that were close to me" had been involved in the attack, and she acknowledged that she had not told authorities what she had learned until several days later. Ms. Harding's bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt, and her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, were two of the four men who were facing charges in the attack.

10 years ago
2004


Died on this date
Jack Paar, 85
. U.S. radio and television host. Mr. Paar hosted a number of radio programs and acted in several movies before moving into television in the 1950s. He became famous as host of the late-night talk show Tonight on NBC from 1957-1962. After leaving that show, he hosted The Jack Paar Program, a weekly interview show, from 1962-1965. His unpredictability and willingness to display his emotions made Mr. Paar one of the most watchable and influential television personalities of his era.

Salvador "Doy" Laurel, 75. 10th Vice-President of the Philippines, 1986-1992. Mr. Laurel, a leader of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), helped to topple President Ferdinand Marcos from power in 1986 and served as Vice-President under President Corazon Aquino. He briefly held the position of Prime Minister in 1986 before assuming the position of Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 1986-1987. Mr. Laurel was an unsuccessful candidate for President of the Philippines in 1992.

War
Canadian peacekeeper Corporal James Murphy and an Afghan civilian were killed and three other Canadian soldiers were injured in an attack by a suicide bomber in Kabul.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator John Kerry (Massachusetts) won the New Hampshire Democratic party primary for the nomination for President of the United States in the November 2004 election.

January 26, 2014

450 years ago
1564


Religion
The Roman Catholic Council of Trent issued its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

War
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with forces numbering 4,000-6,000 defeated the Tsardom of Russia, whose forces numbered 17,000-24,000 in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.

360 years ago
1654


World events
Portugal announced that under terms of the capitulation protocol, Jewish and Dutch settlers had three months in which to leave Brazil.

90 years ago
1924


World events
The Russian city of Petrograd--originally St. Petersburg--was renamed Leningrad in honour of revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, who had died three days earlier.

Canadiana
Parliament approved the Red Ensign as Canada's official flag for government buildings at home and abroad.

80 years ago
1934


Diplomacy
The German–Polish Non-Aggression Pact was signed.

75 years ago
1939


War
In the Spanish Civil War, troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy captured Barcelona as part of the Catalonia Offensive.

70 years ago
1944


Hit parade
Variety reported the most popular songs in the United States as:
1 Shoo Shoo Baby
2 People Will Say We're in Love
3 Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

Literature
An American Dilemma by Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal, was published. The book was an analysis of race relations in the United States.

War
The United Kingdom reported that Liberia had declared war on Japan and Germany. Allied forces made some progress in their assault below Rome; two infantry battalions supported by tanks attacked German Panzer forces, putting the Allies three miles from Cisterna. With the capture of Mednikovo, Soviet troops reached 42 miles inside the Estonian border. Chinese forces driving across the Hukawng Valley in Burma reportedly made new gains as Allied units in the upper Chindwin Valley inflicted heavy casualties on an ambushed Japanese force. Spanish Ambassador to the United Kingdom the Duke of Alba informed U.K. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden that Spain was taking stringent measures to prevent sabotage of shipments to England.

Diplomacy
Argentina severed diplomatic relations with Germany and Japan.

U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull stated that the U.S.S.R. had declined American good offices to settle Soviet-Polish differences.

Politics and government
Cuban President Fulgencio Batista resigned as leader of the Socialist-Republican coalition in a move to placate the opposition.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a message to Congress calling the "states rights" soldier-vote bill a fraud on servicemen, and endorsed the Green-Lucas federal ballot bill.

Aviation
The General William E. Mitchell Memorial Award for 1943 for "the outstanding individual contribution to aviation progress" was given to Igor Sikorsky for his work with helicopters.

Economics and finance
The U.S. War Production Board said that war need would absorb all of the estimated 593 million gallons of alcohol to be produced in 1944.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Sam Rayburn (Democrat--Texas) named a bipartisan committee of 18 chaired by William Colmer (Democrat--Massachusetts) to study postwar economic problems.

60 years ago
1954


On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: An Affair with a Ghost, starring Darren McGavin and Felicia Montealegre

40 years ago
1974


Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Dirty Ol' Man--The Three Degrees (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Tiger Feet--Mud

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy
2 The Ballroom Blitz--The Sweet
3 Photograph--Ringo Starr
4 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--Elton John
5 48 Crash--Suzi Quatro
6 Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer--Paul McCartney and Wings
7 Angie--Rolling Stones
8 Summer (The First Time)--Bobby Goldsboro
9 For the Good Times--Perry Como
10 The Most Beautiful Girl--Charlie Rich

Singles entering the chart were Mind Games by John Lennon (#14); Sorrow by David Bowie (#17); Farewell Auntie Jack by Grahame Bond (#19); My Coo Ca Choo by Alvin Stardust (#24); I Remember When I was Young by Matt Taylor (#28); Way Out West by the Dingoes (#29); Shake a Hand by Johnny Farnham (#30); Star of Mykonos by Katja Ebstein (#33); The Lord's Prayer by Sister Janet Mead (#34); Do You Wanna Dance? by Barry Blue (#37); Heartbeat--It's a Love Beat by the DeFranco Family (#38); and My Friend Stan by Slade (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Show and Tell--Al Wilson
2 Smokin' in the Boy's Room--Brownsville Station
3 You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr
4 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
5 Americans--Byron MacGregor
6 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
7 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
8 I've Got to Use My Imagination--Gladys Knight and the Pips
9 Living for the City--Stevie Wonder
10 Let Me Be There--Olivia Newton-John

Singles entering the chart were You Sure Love to Ball by Marvin Gaye (#78); Energy Crisis '74 by Dickie Goodman (#91); You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me by the New Seekers featuring Lyn Paul (#92); Apple of My Eye by Badfinger (#96); The Real Me by the Who (#97); Get That Gasoline Blues by NRBQ (#99); and Quick, Fast, In a Hurry by New York City (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
2 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
3 You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr
4 Smokin' in the Boy's Room--Brownsville Station
5 Big Time Operator--Keith Hampshire
6 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
7 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
8 Time in a Bottle--Jim Croce
9 Are You Lonesome Tonight--Donny Osmond
10 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford

Singles entering the chart were Eres Tu (Touch the Wind) by Mocedades (#84); Star by Stealers Wheel (#86); Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo by Rick Derringer (#87); Jolene by Dolly Parton (#88); Wang Dang Doodle by the Pointer Sisters (#90); Will You Love Me Tomorrow by Melanie (#92); Somewhere Between Love and Tomorrow by Roy Clark (#93); Guilty of Rock and Roll by Lorence Hud (#95); Going Home to Rock and Roll by Painter (#96); Meadows by Joe Walsh (#97); Jungle Boogie by Kool & The Gang (#98); Come and Get Your Love by Redbone (#99); and Stone to the Bone by James Brown (#100).

Calgary's top 10
1 Smokin' in the Boy's Room--Brownsville Station
2 Let Me Be There--Olivia Newton-John
3 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
4 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
5 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford
6 I Thought of You Again--Susan Jacks
7 The Most Beautiful Girl--Charlie Rich
8 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy
9 Goddess of Nature--Abraham's Children
10 Time in a Bottle--Jim Croce
Pick hit of the week: The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand

30 years ago
1984


Politics and government
The government of Canada announced a land claims settlement with Yukon first nations, who were to receive $620 million and title to 20,000 square kilometres.

25 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Back to the Stone Age--Stone (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Living Years--Mike + the Mechanics

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State James Baker ordered the closing of the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan.

20 years ago
1994


Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Back to the Stone Age--Stone (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting (6th week at #1)

Politics and government
Boris Fyodorov, who had resigned as Russian Finance Minister on January 20, declined an appeal from President Boris Yeltsin that he reconsider his resignation, saying that it was unacceptable "that people who have done immense economic and political harm to the state" were serving in the cabinet.

10 years ago
2004


Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Moscow to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials. In a newspaper article, Mr. Powell sharply criticized Russia for its lack of democracy, suppression of free media, and the war in Chechnya.

Law
President Hamid Karzai signed the new constitution of Afghanistan.

Technology
A computer worm called MyDoom or Novarg spread theorugh Internet servers worldwide, infecting about 1 in every 12 email messages.

Oddities
A whale exploded in the town of Tainan, Taiwan. A buildup of gas in the decomposing sperm whale was suspected of causing the explosion.

Friday 24 January 2014

January 25, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Zlata Antunovic!

460 years ago
1554


South Americana
The city of São Paulo, Brazil was founded.

310 years ago
1704


War
The Battle of Ayubale resulted in the destruction of most of the Spanish missions in Florida by a combined force of English soldiers and Creek Indian warriors.

270 years ago
1744


Died on this date
Domenico Sarro, 64
. Italian composer. Mr. Sarro wrote cantatas and more than 30 operas in a career spanning more than 35 years. His best-known work was the opera Achille in Sciro (1737).

170 years ago
1844


Britannica
The Glaciarium, the world's first mechanically frozen ice rink, opened in London.

120 years ago
1894


Boxing
James J. Corbett (10-0-2-3) retained his world heavyweight title with a knockout of Charlie Mitchell (27-3-11-7) in the 3rd round at Duvall Athletic Club in Jacksonville, Florida.

90 years ago
1924


Olympics
The first Winter Olympic Games opened at Chamonix, France.

75 years ago
1939


Boxing
Joe Louis (37-1) retained his world heavyweight title, knocking world light heavyweight champion John Henry Lewis (98-10-4) down three times and out at 2:29 of the 1st round at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was Mr. Louis's first fight since his 1-round knockout of former world champion Max Schmeling on June 22, 1938. It was the last fight for Mr. Lewis, who was forced to retire because of deteriorating eyesight.



70 years ago
1944


Died on this date
Frederick Van Nuys, 69
. U.S. politician. Mr. Van Nuys, a Democrat, represented Indiana in the United States Senate from 1933 until his death after a short illness. He was first elected in 1932 as an opponent of Prohibition, defeating incumbent and Senate Majority Leader James E. Watson. Sen. Van Nuys joined with Sen. Robert Wagner (Democrat)--New York) to introduce anti-lynching legislation in the Senate in 1937. Indiana Governor appointed Samuel D. Jackson to fill the Senate vacancy caused by Sen. Van Nuys' death.

War
American units in Italy reached the outskirts of Cassino, encountering light opposition. Soviet troops on the Leningrad front cut the railroad at Vladimir, leaving the German forces below Leningrad without a lateral railroad. Argentine Foreign Minister Alberto Gilbert said that Allied charges of German espionage there were correct, and that the government was determined to end such activities.

Diplomacy
U.K. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden announced that Britain would not recognize the revolutionary government of Bolivia.

Labour
A U.S. federal court ruled against local United Mine Workers of America unions, declaring that operators did not have to pay workers for travel time.

60 years ago
1954


Boxing
Sonny Liston (4-0) scored a 6-round technical knockout over Martin Lee (2-3) in a heavyweight bout at the Masonic Temple in St. Louis.

50 years ago
1964


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Si Je Chante--Sylvie Vartan (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): O mio signore--Edoardo Vianello (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Das kannst du mir nicht verbieten--Bernd Spier

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Glad All Over--The Dave Clark Five (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): There! I've Said it Again--Bobby Vinton (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Music Vendor): I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles
2 There! I've Said it Again--Bobby Vinton
3 Louie Louie--The Kingsmen
--[Paul Revere and the Raiders]
4 Popsicles and Icicles--The Murmaids
5 Surfin' Bird--The Trashmen
6 You Don't Own Me--Lesley Gore
7 Hey Little Cobra--The Rip Chords
8 Out of Limits--The Marketts
9 Forget Him--Bobby Rydell
10 Anyone Who Had a Heart--Dionne Warwick

Singles entering the chart were She Loves You by the Beatles (#51); Going Going Gone by Brook Benton (#71); Wow Wow Wee (He’s the Boy for Me) by the Angels (#76); Vaya Con Dios by the Drifters (#89); Comin' On by Bill Black's Combo (#91); Oh Baby Don't You Weep (Part 1) by James Brown and the Famous Flames (#94); Tribute by Anthony Newley (#96); Long Gone Lonesome Blues by Hank Williams, Jr. (#97); I'll Remember (In The Still Of The Night) by Santo and Johnny (#98); Navy Blue by Diane Renay (#99); and Little Boy by the Crystals (#100).

U.S.A. Top Ten (Music Reporter)
1 I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles
2 Surfin' Bird--The Trashmen
3 There! I've Said it Again--Bobby Vinton
4 Hey Little Cobra--The Rip Chords
5 The Nitty Gritty--Shirley Ellis
6 Popsicles and Icicles--The Murmaids
7 Whispering--Nino Tempo & April Stevens
8 As Usual--Brenda Lee
9 Forget Him--Bobby Rydell
10 You Don't Own Me--Lesley Gore

Singles entering the chart were Tous les Chemins by Soeur Sourire (#54); Dawn (Go Away) by the 4 Seasons (#56); Hi-Heel Sneakers by Tommy Tucker (#76); Navy Blue by Diane Renay (#82); Ole Father Time by Millie Foster (#89); Maybellene by Matt Lucas (#90); I Love You More and More by Al Martino (#94); Miller's Cave by Bobby Bare (#96); Tell Him by the Drew-Vels (#97); Our Love Affair by Wink Martindale (#98); Love's Not Worth It by Red Williams (#99); and Betty and Dupree by Billie Adams (#100).

Space
The U.S.A. launched the passive communications satellite Echo II.

40 years ago
1974


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Sorrow--David Bowie

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo (11th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top Ten (Radio & Records)
1 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand (2nd week at #1)
2 You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr
3 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
4 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
5 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford
6 Show and Tell--Al Wilson
7 Let Me Be There--Olivia Newton-John
8 Smokin' in the Boy's Room--Brownsville Station
9 The Americans--Byron MacGregor
10 Time in a Bottle--Jim Croce

Singles entering the chart were Jim Dandy by Black Oak Arkansas (#18); Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) by Aretha Franklin (#19); and My Sweet Love by Cliff De Young (#20).

Died on this date
Nora Holt, 88 or 89
. U.S. singer, composer, and critic. Mrs. Holt earned a master's degree in composition at Chicago Musical College, becoming the first Negro American to accomplish the feat. She wrote about 200 works, all but one (Negro Dance (1921)) of which were stolen from storage during a 12-year period when she was singing at nightclubs and private parties in Europe and Asia. Mrs. Holt was a music critic for the Chicago Defender and Amsterdam News, becoming an important part of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. She also taught music, and hosted music festivals and radio programs.

30 years ago
1984


Politics and government
U.S. President Ronald Reagan delivered his State of the Union address to Congress, saying there was "renewed energy and optimism throughout the land" and "America is back--standing tall, looking to the '80s with courage, confidence and hope." He called for a "down payment" on the deficit--budget cuts of $100 billion over three years--but he opposed tax increases, and proposed that he have the authority to veto individual items in money bills. Mr. Reagan also said:

Tonight, I am directing NASA to develop a permanently manned space station, and to do it within a decade...We want our friends to help us meet this challenge and share in the benefits. NASA will invite other countries to participate, so we can strengthen peace, build prosperity and expand freedom for all who share our goals.
25 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Good Life--Inner City

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Bring Me Edelweiss--Edelweiss

War
The Soviet foreign ministry announced that the final "withdrawal process" of departure of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was under way.

Politics and government
U.S. President George Bush appointed an eight-member commission to propose a code of ethics for government officials.

Hockey
NHL
Chicago 6 Edmonton 3

20 years ago
1994


Space
The U.S. lunar probe Clementine was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Politics and government
U.S. President Bill Clinton delivered his first State of the Union address to Congress. He said he would veto any health care reform bill that "does not guarantee every American private health insurance that can never be taken away." Mr. Clinton said he would introduce a bill to reform the federal welfare system that would give the poor "a second chance, not a way of life," saying that he would seek to limit to two years the time during which heads of households could get welfare benefits. Mr. Clinton called for a ban on assault weapons and federal aid to permit local hiring of 100,000 new police officers, and endorsed a "three strikes, you're out" provision of a Senate anti-crime bill that would put anyone convicted of three violent felonies in prison for life.



Scandal
U.S. pop singer Michael Jackson reached an out-of-court settlement with a boy, now 14, who had accused him of sexual molestation. The terms were not made public, but sources said Mr. Jackson had agreed to a payment of $10-20 million. Although the settlement ended the civil suit, Mr. Jackson was still the subject of a criminal investigation.

10 years ago
2004


Died on this date
Fanny Blankers-Koen, 85
. Dutch runner. Mrs. Blankers-Koen set or tied 12 world records in a career spanning 20 years, but was best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London: women's 100-metre run; women's 200-metre run; women's 80-metre hurdles; and women's 4 x 100-metres relay run. In 1999, the International Association of Athletics Federations chose her as the "Female Athlete of the Century."

Space
The NASA rover Opportunity landed on Mars, three weeks after the rover Spirit had landed on the opposite side of the planet.

January 24, 2014

275 years ago
1739


War
Peshva warrior Chimnaji Appa defeated Portuguese forces and captured Tarapur Fort, India.

75 years ago
1939


Died on this date
Maximilian Bircher-Benner, 71
. Swiss physician. Dr. Bircher-Benner ran a sanatorium in Zurich, where he encouraged people to eat raw foods. He was credited with popularizing muesli, a dish based on raw oats, fruits, and nuts.

Disasters
Approximately 28,000 people were killed when the deadliest earthquake in Chilean history struck Chillán, in the south-central part of the country.

70 years ago
1944


On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Amateur Mendicant Society

War
Soviet forces continued their advance on the Leningrad front and took Smolkovo, thus severing the rail line to Narva, Estonia. Allied forces in Italy captured Neturno, south of Rome, and nearby Anzio. Allied bombers and fighters attacked Japanese installations in the Admiralty Islands, 240 miles north of New Guinea.

Diplomacy
The United States announced that official recognition would not be given to the Bolivian revolutionary government, and recalled Ambassador Pierre de Lagarde Boal.

Labour
The U.S. District Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled that newspaper reporters were not "professional" workers and were covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

50 years ago
1964


Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): There's Always Me--Dickie Rock (4th week at #1)

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles
2 Roll Over Beethoven--The Beatles
3 Surfin' Bird--The Trashmen
4 Puppy Love--Barbara Lewis
5 Daisy Petal Pickin'--Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs
6 Don't Talk to Him--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
7 Judy Loves Me--Johnny Crawford
8 Shindig--The Shadows
9 Move Over--Bobby Curtola
10 Forget Him--Bobby Rydell
Pick hit of the week: Don't Talk to Him--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
New this week: Don't Think Twice--Dick & Dee Dee
Combination Coop--The Astronauts
Understand Your Man--Johnny Cash
Secret Love--Kathy Kirby
Stop and Think it Over--Dale & Grace
Glad All Over--The Dave Clark Five

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Number 12 Looks Just Like You, starring Collin Wilcox, Suzy Parker, Richard Long, and Pam Austin

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Beyond the Sea of Death, starring Mildred Dunnock, Diana Hyland, Jeremy Slate, and Abraham Sofaer

40 years ago
1974


Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me--The New Seekers featuring Lyn Paul

War
In keeping with the agreement signed with Egypt on January 18, Israeli forces began formal withdrawal from their bridgehead on the western bank of the Suez Canal which they had occupied since the October 24, 1973 cease-fire in the Yom Kippur War.

Scandal
U.S. District Court Judge Gerhard Gesell sentenced Egil Krogh, former head of the White House "plumbers," to six months in prison on a charge of conspiracy against the rights of citizens in the 1971 burglary of the office of the psychiatrist of former Defense Department employee Daniel Ellsberg, who had leaked the "Pentagon Papers," revealing secrets about U.S. involvement in Vietnam, to the media. Mr. Krogh maintained that he alone was responsible for his "terrible mistake" and "repulsive conduct," insisted he had received no specific instruction or authority regarding the burglary from President Richard Nixon, and said he would begin in-depth discussion the following week with Leon Jaworski, the special prosecutor investigating the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. and the subsequent cover-up. Mr. Krogh had refused to speak before because he did not want his statements to affect his sentencing.

Crime
Police in Oakland, California charged Russell Little, a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army underground terrorist group, with the 1973 murder of Oakland School Superintendent Marcus Foster. Another SLA member, Joseph Remiro, had been charged on January 11 with Mr. Foster's murder.

Oil
Mobil announced that profits in the fourth quarter of 1973 were up 68% over the same period in 1972, mainly because of the embargo imposed by Arab countries after the Yom Kippur War. Other companies reporting similar gains over the same period were Texaco (70%) and Ashland (52%). Only Shell showed a decline (1.5%) over the last quarter, although Shell showed a gain of 27% for the full year of 1973.

30 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): My Oh My--Slade

Television
ABC agreed to pay $386 million for U.S. rights to the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, a record sum to that date.

Technology
The first Apple Macintosh computer went on sale.

Defense
U.S. President Ronald Reagan went to Capitol Hill in Washington to lobby for keeping U.S. troops in Lebanon. After the meeting, Senator Howard Baker (Republican--Tennessee), the Minority Leader, said that Republican Senators would support the October 1983 resolution allowing Mr. Reagan to keep troops in Beirut for 18 months. House Speaker Tip O'Neill (Democrat--Massachusetts) said that Mr. Reagan had misled Congress about the likelihood of a political solution in Lebanon, and that he now favoured the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Lebanon.

Politics and government
Edmonton's city council gave final approval to replacing the commission board with an aldermanic executive committee. The result was to replace commissioners who knew their departments with politicians who didn't.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the consumer price index had increased 3.8% in 1983, the smallest annual increase since 1972.

25 years ago
1989


Died on this date
George Knudson, 51
. Canadian golfer. Mr. Knudson, a native of Winnipeg, was regarded by many as having the best natural swing in golf during the 1960s and 1970s. He won 8 PGA tournaments and at least 19 other tournaments in a career that lasted from 1958-1980, and tied for second place in the 1969 Masters. Mr. Knudson died of lung cancer.

Ted Bundy, 42. U.S. criminal. Mr. Bundy had been convicted of killing a 12-year-old girl from Lake City Florida and two female students from Florida State University, but had actually killed dozens of others. He had fought his death sentence for 10 years, insisting on his innocence. In the last days of his life, Mr. Bundy had confessed to at least 16 other murders, but Florida Governor Bob Martinez had refused to stay his execution in order to learn further details. The day before his death, Mr. Bundy granted an interview to Christian psychologist James Dobson, claiming that his life of crime had begun with an early attraction to pornography. Some questioned the sincerity of Mr. Bundy's statements in the interview. Mr. Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison in Starke.

Religion
As part of the University of Alberta's Christian Awareness Week, Campus Crusade for Christ speaker Michael Horner debated U of A professor David Wangler on the subject of humanism. The part I remember is where Mr. Horner argued that such values as love and compassion are Christian values, and that humanists took the values from Christianity, but didn't say "Thank you."

20 years ago
1994


Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): The Sign--Ace of Base

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (2nd week at #1)
2 The Power of Love--Celine Dion
3 Said I Loved You...But I Lied--Michael Bolton
4 5 Days in May--Blue Rodeo
5 I'll Always Be There--Roch Voisine
6 Hero--Mariah Carey
7 Found Out About You--Gin Blossoms
8 Mary Jane's Last Dance--Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
9 Breathe Again--Toni Braxton
10 Because the Night--10,000 Maniacs

Singles entering the chart were Queen of the Night by Whitney Houston (#73); Because of Love by Janet Jackson (#75); Shape of My Heart by Sting (#76); Rubberband Girl by Kate Bush (#79); Swimming in Your Ocean by Crash Test Dummies (#81); Rainbow's Cadillac by Bruce Hornsby (#83); Hey Girl by Michael McDonald (#85); The Wayward Wind by Anne Murray (#87); and Shakey Ground by Elton John and Don Henley (#88).

Scandal
U.S. Federal District Court Judge Thomas Jackson upheld a request from the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee for the diaries of Senator Bob Packwood (Republican--Oregon), who was facing accusations of sexual harassment and other possible misconduct. The subpoena sought access to all entries made from 1989 on. Judge Jackson had taken custody of the diaries in December 1993. after Sen. Packwood had sued to block the subpoena. Judge Jackson held that the subpoena did not unduly violate Sen. Packwood's privacy, since the ethics committee would allow a mediator to examine the diaries to make sure that only information relevant to the investigation would be seen by the investigators.

Politics and government
U.S. President Bill Clinton nominated Deputy Defense Secretary William Perry as his new Secretary of Defense to replace Les Aspin, who had recently resigned. Mr. Perry had served as undersecretary of defense undder President Jimmy Carter and had played a major role in the development of cruise missiles, laser-guided bombs, and stealth aircraft. Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Bobby Ray Inman had been Mr. Clinton's first choice for the position, but he had withdrawn his candidacy on January 14.

10 years ago
2004


Diplomacy
Israel agreed to free 436 prisoners--mostly Palestinians--in exchange for the release of a kidnapped Israeli businessman and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers.

Terrorism
Pakistan confirmed to the Canadian government that Egyptian-born "Canadian" Said Khadr, an aid worker accused of having ties to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, had been killed in a gun battle with security forces in 2003.