February 23, 2014

550 years ago
1464

Died on this date
Zhu Qizhen, 36. Zhengtong Emperor of China, 1435-1449; Tianshun Emperor of China, 1457-1464. Zhu Qizhen, an emperor of the Ming Dynasty, succeeded his father Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji on the throne at the age of 8, but was deposed by Mongols in 1449, and replaced as emperor by his brother Zhu Qiyu, the Jingtai Emperor. Zhu Qizhen deposed his brother in 1457, and reigned as the Tianshun Emperor of China until his death. He was succeeded by his son Zhu Jianshen, the Chenghua Emperor.

475 years ago
1539

Born on this date
Salima Sultan Begum. Empress of the Mughal Empire, 1561-1605. Salima was married to Mughal army commander-in-chief Bairam Khan from 1557-1561; shortly after his assassination she became the fourth wife of Emperor Akbar. She wielded considerable influence over him and his son Jahangir, and was known for her wisdom. Empress Salima died on January 2, 1613 at the age of 73.

460 years ago
1554

War
In the Arauco War between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people in Chile, Mapuche forces, under the leadership of Toqui Lautaro, scored a victory over Spanish forces led by Francisco de Villagra at the Battle of Marihueñu.

275 years ago
1739

Crime
Richard Palmer was identified at York Castle, by his former schoolteacher, as the English highwayman Dick Turpin.

160 years ago
1854

World events
The official independence of the Orange Free State was declared.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
John Gilbert Winant. U.S. politician and diplomat. Mr. Winant, a Republican, was Governor of New Hampshire from 1925-1927 and 1931-1935, and served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1941-1946. He committed suicide at the age of 58 on November 3, 1947, the day his book Letter from Grosvenor Square was published.

Victor Fleming. U.S. movie director. Mr. Fleming directed two of 1939's best movies, The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, winning the Academy Award for Best Director for the latter. He died of a heart attack on January 6, 1949 at the age of 59.

Cyril Delevanti. U.K.-born U.S. actor. Mr. Delevanti was a character actor in numerous films and television programs from 1931-1974. He died of lung cancer on December 13, 1975 at the age of 86.

120 years ago
1894

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Ottawa's hockey club refused to go to Toronto to play in the second annual Stanley Cup game, so the Cup was awarded to the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association for the second time.

110 years ago
1904

Americana
The U.S.A. acquired control of Panama Canal Zone for $10 million.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Toronto Marlboroughs 3 @ Ottawa Silver Seven 6 (First game of 2-game, total goals series)

The Silver Seven were the champions and the Marlboroughs the challengers.

100 years ago
1914

Disasters
The Fraser River rockslide in British Columbia nearly wiped out the area's salmon fishing industry.

80 years ago
1934

Died on this date
Edward Elgar, 76. U.K. composer. Mr. Elgar was one of the most popular English composers of the first half of the 20th century. His best-known compositions include Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches.

Europeana
Leopold III became King of the Belgians, succeeding his father Albert I, who had died in a mountaineering accident six days earlier.

75 years ago
1939

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1938 were presented at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The winners included Picture--You Can't Take it with You; Director--Frank Capra (You Can't Take it with You); Actor--Spencer Tracy (Boys Town); Actress--Bette Davis (Jezebel); Supporting Actor--Walter Brennan (Kentucky); and Supporting Actress--Fay Bainter (Jezebel).

70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Leo Baekeland, 80. Belgian-born U.S. chemist. Dr. Baekeland, who moved to the United States in 1889, has been called the "father of the plastics industry" for his 1907 invention of Bakelite, an inexpensive, nonflammable and versatile plastic. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in a sanatorium in Beacon, New York, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1978.

War
Reports from the front in Italy indicated that German forces were regrouping for another assault aimed at wiping out the Allied beachhead near Anzio. U.S.S.R. troops driving westward on Pskov fought their way into Dno. Greek guerrillas led by a British officer killed 400 German soldiers, blowing up a troop train in the vicinity of Mount Olympus. Under the pressure of several days of air and ground assaults by the Allies, Japanese forces retreated in northern Burma and on the Arakan front.

World events
Soviet dictator Josef Stalin dissolved the Republic of Chechnya, accusing the country of collaborating with Nazis. He began the forced deportation of the Chechen and Ingush people from the North Caucasus to Central Asia.

Politics and government
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Alben Barkley (Democrat--Kentucky) resigned his leadership in protest against President Franklin D. Roosevelt's veto of the tax bill.

New York Governor Thomas Dewey announced that he had asked his supporters not to enter his name in the Wisconsin Republican Party U.S. presidential primary.

Society
The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a bill under which past expression of disloyalty to the United States would be grounds for withdrawal of citizenship of Japanese-Americans, and then passed a bill providing for expatriation of native-born citizens of foreign ancestry who refused to pledge allegiance to the United States.

Labour
The U.S. Army took over operation of the Los Angeles water and power system to end a strike of 3,000 employees over wage demands.

60 years ago
1954

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Death on the Screen, starring Don Hanmer and Paul Langton

Medicine
The first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine began in Pittsburgh.

50 years ago
1964

On television tonight
The Ed Sullivan Show, on CBS

A performance by The Beatles that they had taped on February 9 but not shown was broadcast, marking the third straight Sunday night on which they had appeared on the program.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Dynamite--Mud

#1 single in the U.K.: Devil Gate Drive--Suzi Quatro

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Sorrow--David Bowie
2 Photograph--Ringo Starr
3 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--Elton John
4 The Most Beautiful Girl--Charlie Rich
5 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy
6 48 Crash--Suzi Quatro
7 The Ballroom Blitz--The Sweet
8 My Coo Ca Choo--Alvin Stardust
9 Farewell Aunty Jack--Grahame Bond
10 I Love You Love Me Love--Gary Glitter

Singles entering the chart were Who's in the Strawberry Patch with Sally by Tony Orlando and Dawn (#29); Just You 'N' Me by Chicago (#31); The Joker by the Steve Miller Band (#32); Spiders & Snakes by Jim Stafford (#33); Skydiver by Daniel Boone (#34); Are You Lonesome Tonight? by Donny Osmond (#35); and We May Never Pass This Way Again by Seals and Crofts (#37).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
2 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
3 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
4 Boogie Down--Eddie Kendricks
5 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford
6 Americans--Byron MacGregor
7 Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)--Aretha Franklin
8 Rock On--David Essex
9 Let Me Be There--Olivia Newton-John
10 Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)--Rolling Stones

Singles entering the chart were On a Night Like This by Bob Dylan (#74); Watching the River Run by Loggins and Messina (#81); Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash by the Steve Miller Band (#83); Unborn Child by Seals and Crofts (#85); Touch a Hand, Make a Friend by the Staple Singers (#87); Us and Them by Pink Floyd (88); Beyond the Blue Horizon by Lou Christie (#93); It's Been a Long Time by New Birth (#99); and Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield (#100). Tubular Bells was featured in the movie The Exorcist (1973).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
2 Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra
3 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
4 Spiders & Snakes--Jim Stafford
5 Let Me Be There--Olivia Newton-John
6 Love Song--Anne Murray
7 I Thought of You Again--Susan Jacks
8 Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)--Rolling Stones
9 Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)--Aretha Franklin
10 Rock On--David Essex

Singles entering the chart were Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver (#66); The Lord's Prayer by Sister Janet Mead (#82); Bennie and the Jets by Elton John (#83); A Very Special Love Song by Charlie Rich (#90); Energy Crisis '74 by Dickie Goodman (#93); Can This Be Real by the Natural Four (#95); Honey Please, Can't Ya See by Barry White (#96); When I am So in Love by Peter Foldy (#97); Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#98); Sexy Mama by the Moments (#99); and I Miss You by the Dells (#100).

#1 single in Calgary: The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Harry Ruby, 89. U.S. songwriter and screenwriter. Mr. Ruby and his partner Bert Kalmar wrote such songs as Who's Sorry Now; I Wanna Be Loved By You; Three Little Words; I'm Against It; and A Kiss to Build a Dream On. Mr. Ruby contributed to the screenplays of the Marx Brothers' movies Horse Feathers (1932) and Duck Soup (1933), in addition to co-writing the songs from those movies.

William F. Knowland, 65. U.S. politician. Mr. Knowland, a Republican, represented California in the United States Senate from 1945-1959 and was known as "Mr. Integrity," serving as Senate Majority Leader from 1953-1955 and Minority Leader from 1955-1959. He left federal politics to run for Governor of California in 1958, but was defeated by Democratic candidate Pat Brown. Mr. Knowland took over from his father as publisher of the Oakland Tribune in 1966. He began incurring heavy gambling debts, while divorcing his wife and marrying a woman who proved to be a public and private embarrassment to him. Two days after ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the first edition of the Tribune, Mr. Knowland committed suicide by shooting himself. The biography One Step from the White House (1998) by Gayle B. Montgomery and James W. Johnson is available here as an ebook.

Crime
The Symbionese Liberation Army demanded $4 million more to release newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, whom they had kidnapped from her Berkeley, California apartment on February 4.

Police in Atlanta recovered most of the $700,000 ransom paid the previous day for the release of Atlanta Constitution editorial page editor Reg Murphy, who had been kidnapped from his Atlanta home on February 20. The recovery of the money came after the arrest of William A.H. Williams, 33, a construction contractor and ex-convict, and his wife. Mr. Murphy's kidnappers had claimed to be the "American Revolutionary Army."

Diplomacy
A three-day conference of 24 Latin American and Caribbean foreign ministers and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger concluded with a rejection of Mr. Kissinger's appeal for the creation of a new "Western Hemisphere Community." The members charted a "new relationship," setting up an informal framework for continuing high-level discussions, or, if necessary, negotiations on troublesome issues.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Edmonton's top 22 (CHED)
1 Thriller--Michael Jackson
2 99 Red Balloons--Nena
3 Red Red Wine--UB40
4 Nobody Told Me--John Lennon
5 Jump--Van Halen
6 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
7 Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
8 Here Comes the Rain Again--Eurythmics
9 Heaven--Bryan Adams
10 Middle of the Road--The Pretenders
11 New Moon on Monday--Duran Duran
12 Rebel Yell--Billy Idol
13 An Innocent Man--Billy Joel
14 Wrapped Around Your Finger--The Police
15 Got a Hold on Me--Christine McVie
16 Scratchin' the Surface--Saga
17 Yah Mo B There--James Ingram and Michael McDonald
18 So Bad--Paul McCartney
19 Footloose--Kenny Loggins
20 Don't Bite--Pretty Rough
21 Runner--Manfred Mann's Earth Band
22 I Want a New Drug--Huey Lewis and the News

Died on this date
Jessamyn West, 81. U.S. author. Miss West, a second cousin of U.S. President Richard Nixon, was best known for her novel The Friendly Persuasion (1945).

War
Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on a cease-fire that brought a brief lull in the fighting between Israeli and Syrian forces in Beirut.

Politics and government
Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov, chief of the Soviet general staff, reported that Konstantin Chernenko, who had recently replaced the late Yuri Andropov as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, had assumed the position of chairman of the Defense Council, another position that had been held by Mr. Andropov. The Defense Council was believed to be in charge of Soviet military policy.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Like a Yo-Yo--Sabrina (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Belfast Child--Simple Minds (2nd week at #1)

Music
John O'Conor began recording the album Nocturnes of John Field at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Politics and government
The United States Senate Armed Services Committee voted 11-9 to reject former U.S. Senator John Tower (Republican--Texas), nominated by President George Bush, as U.S. Secretary of Defense. The voting took place strictly along party lines, with all the Democrats voting against Mr. Tower and all the Republicans in favour. Mr. Tower's opponents focused on reports of his history of drinking.

Representatives of seven Afghan rebel groups based in Pakistan elected an interim government-in-exile.

Scandal
Rep. Lee Hamilton (Democrat--Indiana) concluded two days of testimony as the first witness for the prosecution in the trial of former U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel and National Security Council member Oliver North on charges arising from the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal of the mid-1980s. Mr. Hamilton testified that officials in President Ronald Reagan's administration, including Mr. North, had told him in 1985 and 1986 that the Boland Amendment barring U.S. intelligence agencies from helping opposition Contras in Nicaragua had not been violated in any way. Adolfo Calero, a leader of the Contras, testified that Mr. North had given him $32 million in 1984 and 1985 while U.S. aid to the Contras was forbidden by law.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (10th week at #1)

War
Croats and Muslims in Bosnia signed a cease-fire, and the Croats agreed to pull back from Mostar, a Muslim city that they had brought under siege. Almost all Serb gun positions had been abandoned or been brought under control of United Nations monitors.

Politics and government
The lower house of the Russian Duma voted 253-67, with 28 abstentions, to grant amnesties to leaders of 1991 and 1993 plots against the government. President Boris Yeltsin had no authority to prevent the release of the plotters from prison. The amnesty was heavily supported by Communists and ultranationalists in parliament who opposed the President. One of the freed rebels, former Vice-President Aleksandr Rutskoi, said that he planned to run for President in 1996.

Business
Bell Atlantic Corporation and Tele-Communications Inc. abandoned their effort to complete one of the biggest corporate mergers in history, the purchase by Bell of TCI and Liberty Media Corporation. The proposed merger, announced in October 1993 and valued then at $33 billion, could have prompted a revolution in technologies related to home entertainment. Since October, however, the value of the stock of both Bell and TCI had declined sharply, and the U.S. government's rollback of cable television rates threatened the profitability of TCI.

Olympics
Myriam Bédard became the first Canadian woman to win two Winter Olympic gold medals as she won her second gold medal of the Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer, Norway, in the 7.5-kilometre sprint biathlon; she had won the 15-kilometre individual event on February 18. They were the first Olympic biathlon golds won by a non-European. Bonnie Blair of the United States, who had already won the gold medal in the women's 500-metre speed skating competition, won the gold medal in the 1,500-metre final. The two gold medals gave her a career total of five, the greatest number for any U.S. female Olympic athlete ever.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Carl Liscombe, 88. Canadian hockey player. Mr. Liscombe played with the Detroit Red Wings from 1937-46, scoring 137 goals and 140 assists for 277 points in 383 games. He was a member of the 1942-43 Stanley Cup championship team, scoring 6 goals and 8 assists in 10 playoff games. Mr. Liscombe's best season was 1943-44, when he scored 36 goals and 37 assists. After World War II, Mr. Liscombe played in the minors, and helped the Providence Reds win the Calder Cup, emblematic of the American Hockey League championship, in 1948-49. He won the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL's most valuable player in 1947-48 and 1948-49 and he John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the league's leading scorer in 1947-48 when he amassed 118 points on 50 goals and 68 assists.

Don Cornell, 84. U.S. singer. Born Luigi Varlaro, Mr. Cornell was with the band of Sammy Kaye in the 1940s before embarking on a successful solo career. His hit solo singles included I'll Walk Alone (1950); I'm Yours (1950); I (1952); Hold My Hand (1954); and The Bible Tells Me So (1955).

Carl Anderson, 58. U.S. singer and actor. Mr. Anderson was best known for portraying Judas Iscariot in the stage and movie versions of Jesus Christ Superstar. He died of leukemia four days before his 59th birthday.

Education
U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige compared the National Education Association to a terrorist organization. He later apologized for the remark.