February 7, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sherri Pierce and Nikita Quitazol!

230 years ago
1779

Died on this date
William Boyce, 67. U.K. composer. Mr. Boyce was an organist who was known for his church music, as well as eight symphonies, anthems, and odes. He gave up performing and teaching because of deafness, and died from an attack of gout.

210 years ago
1799

Died on this date
Qianlong, 87. Emperor of China, 1735-1796. Qianlong, born Hongli, succeeded his father Yongzheng, and reigned during an era characterized by prosperity and military success. The society and the imperial court began to deteriorate in Emperor Qianlong's later years, and he abdicated in favour of his son Jiaqing in order not to break the record set by his grandfather Kangxi as the Qing dynasty's longest-serving ruler.

190 years ago
1819

Economics and finance
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles left Singapore the day after establishing it as a British East India Company trading post, leaving it in the hands of William Farquhar.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Hélder Câmara. Brazilian clergyman. Dom Hélder Câmara was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Olinda and Recife from 1964-1985. He promoted "liberation theology," which is Marxism in Christian dress, although he denied being a Marxist. Dom Hélder Câmara also claimed to believe in non-violence, while supporting violent tactics. He died on August 27, 1999 at the age of 90.

Amedeo Guillet. Italian military officer and diplomat. Major Guillet, nicknamed "Devil Commander," was one of the last men to command cavalry forces in war, known for his bravery while serving in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1937) and the Italian guerrilla war in Ethiopia (1941-1943). He held diplomatic posts in various countries after World War II, retiring in 1975. Maj. Guillet died on June 16, 2010 at the age of 101.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
William Halford, 77. U.K.-born U.S. military officer. Lieutenant Halford, a native of Gloucestershire, joined the United States Navy in 1869. He was serving aboard the USS Saginaw when she ran aground near Kure Atoll in 1870. Lt. Halford and three other officers took the ship's boat and sailed 1,500 miles to Honolulu, braving difficult conditions through 31 days. The others were drowned in the heavy surf, but Lt. Halford reached land, and was able to obtain help for the Saginaw,earning the Medal of Honor. Lt. Halford served in the Navy until retiring in 1903, and returned to service during World War I in 1917, and was still active at the time of his death.

75 years ago
1934

Crime
Edward Bremer, 37, was released 21 days after being kidnapped in St. Paul, Minnesota. His two kidnappers ended up being sentenced to life in prison.

60 years ago
1949

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

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate confirmed President Harry Truman's appointments of Dean Rusk as Assistant Secretary of State; William McChesney Martin, Jr. as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury; and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Karl Compton as chairman of the Defense Department's Research and Development Board.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a bill giving the President permanent power to reorganize government agencies.

Economics and finance
The greatest influx of livestock to U.S. markets in a year caused a drastic decline in meat prices on livestock exchanges.

Baseball
New York Yankees' center fielder Joe DiMaggio became the first $100,000-a-year athlete when he signed his 1949 contract with the Yankees. The next highest on the team's payroll at the time were Tommy Henrich and Phil Rizzuto at $40,000 each.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tom Dooley--Nilsen Brothers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): One Night/I Got Stung--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (4th week at #1)
2 Stagger Lee--Lloyd Price
3 Donna--Ritchie Valens
4 16 Candles--The Crests
5 My Happiness--Connie Francis
6 The Children's Marching Song (Nick Nack Paddy Whack)--Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra
--Mitch Miller and his Orchestra
7 Lonely Teardrops--Jackie Wilson
8 Gotta Travel On--Billy Grammer
9 The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)--Andy Williams
10 Goodbye Baby--Jack Scott

Singles entering the chart were Charlie Brown by the Coasters (#62); Miss You by Jaye P. Morgan (#79, charting with the version by the Keymen); Raw-Hide by Link Wray and the Wraymen (#81); Anthony Boy by Chuck Berry (#85); Midnight Oil by Charlie Blackwell (#90); Sea Cruise by Frankie Ford (#93); Madrid by Nat "King" Cole (#96); When You're Smiling by Bobby Freeman (#97); Tragedy by Thomas Wayne with the DeLons (#99); and Teardrops Will Fall by Dicky Doo and the Don'ts (#100).

Died on this date
D.F. Malan, 84. Prime Minister of South Africa, 1948-1954. Daniel François Malan was a Dutch Reformed Church minister who joined the National Party in 1914 and was first elected to Parliament in 1918, serving as South Africa's Minister of the Interior from 1924-1933. Mr. Malan led the National Party to victory in the 1948 general election, implementing and laying the foundations of the racial segregation policy of apartheid until his retirement in 1954.

Nap Lajoie, 84. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Lajoie played second base with the Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900); Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1902, 1915-1916); and Cleveland Bronchos/Naps (1902-1914), batting .339 with 3,242 hits, 82 home runs and 1,599 runs batted in in 2,480 games. He won five American League batting titles, including the triple crown in 1901; his .426 batting average from that season remains the AL record. Mr. Lajoie was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1911 and 1913. He managed Cleveland from 1905-1909, compiling a record of 377-309, and the team was renamed the Naps in his honour. Mr. Lajoie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.

Guitar Slim, 32. U.S. musician. Guitar Slim, whose real name was Eddie Jones, was a blues guitarist and singer in the 1950s who was known for his flamboyant stage act and his use of distortion in playing his electric guitar, more than a decade before rock guitarists employed the technique. His best-known recording was the single The Things that I Used to Do (1953), which spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart in 1954. Mr. Jones turned to drink in later years, and died of pneumonia.

War
Nationalist Party rebels occupied the garrison town of Santa Barbara, Honduras, near the Guatemalan border.

Politics and government
Anti-Communist members of Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Karim el-Kassem's cabinet resigned and were replaced by a predominantly socialist group of civilians and Army officers. The shift was seen as a defeat for those who were supportive of United Arab Republic President Gamal Nasser and favoured an early merger of Iraq with the U.A.R.

500 anti-Gaullist rightists in France announced the formation of a Nationalist Party dedicated to the creation of a totalitarian, anti-Semitic regime which would integrate Algeria within France.

Aviation
The world's longest flight ended when Robert Timm and John Cook landed at McCarran Airfield, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2 months and 3 days after leaving from the same airport. Their flight, in a Cessna 172 Hacienda, lasted 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, 5 seconds. Continual airborne refuelling enabled Messrs. Timm and Cook to fly the equivalent of 6 times around the world.

Economics and finance
U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Communist Chinese Premier Chou En-lai signed a Soviet-Chinese technical aid agreement in Moscow providing for $1.25 billion worth of Soviet assistance for the construction of 78 heavy industrial installations in China by 1967.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I'm a Tiger--Lulu

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells (3rd week at #1)
2 Touch Me--The Doors
3 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees
4 Mendocino--Sir Douglas Quintet
5 Sweet Cream Ladies--The Box Tops
6 These Eyes/Lightfoot--The Guess Who?
7 Stand by Your Man--Tammy Wynette
8 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
9 Long Line Rider--Bobby Darin
10 Worst that Could Happen--Brooklyn Bridge

Singles entering the chart were You Showed Me by the Turtles (#19); Purple Haze by Dion (#24); Ramblin' Gamblin' Man by the Bob Seger System (#25); Twilight Woman by the 49th Parallel (#27); Can I Change My Mind by Tyrone Davis (#28); I Got a Line on You by Spirit (#29); and Time of the Season by the Zombies (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
2 Magic Carpet Ride--Steppenwolf
3 Electric Stories--The 4 Seasons
4 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees
5 Sweet Cream Ladies--The Box Tops
6 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell
7 Hooked on a Feeling--B.J. Thomas
8 Touch Me--The Doors
9 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
10 Can I Change My Mind--Tyrone Davis

Died on this date
Anson Weeks, 72. U.S. musician. Mr. Weeks was a pianist who formed his first jazz band in 1924 in his native Oakland, California. He led a dance band through the 1960s, mainly performing in San Francisco, and issued occasional singles and albums that became regional hits. Mr. Weeks died a week before his 73rd birthday.

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary General U Thant said that the Big 4 talks were a promising step toward a permanent peace in the Middle East.

Politics and government
The West German government accused the Soviet Union of "increasing tension in the international political scene" by attempting to thwart the entry of the West German Federal Assembly into West Berlin for slated presidential elections.

Terrorism
A crowded market in the Biafran village of Umuohiagu was bombed and strafed at noon, killing between 200 and 300 and wounding hundreds, according to officials. Villagers said that the bombs were dropped by a Nigerian jet fighter-bomber.

Protest
Riots began in Bombay, India during a demonstration over the border dispute between the states of Maharashtra and Mysore. The riots continued for several days, leaving 43 dead, 200 injured, and more than 1,000 jailed.

Oil
United States officials acknowledged Peru’s right to expropriate the oil fields at La Brea y Parenas and the Talara refinery, but criticized the demand for $690.5 million in compensation.

Disasters
10 were killed and 100 injured in a head-on crash of a passenger express and a freight train northeast of Melbourne, Australia.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Heart of Glass--Blondie

Died on this date
Josef Mengele, 67. German physician and war criminal. Dr. Mengele had doctorates in anthropology and medicine, and joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and the SS in 1938, achieving the rank of Hauptsturmführer (captain). Dr. Mengele became known for his brutal experiments on prisoners during World War II, but was able to evade capture and prosecution as a war criminal, fleeing to South America and eventually settling in Brazil. He suffered a stroke while swimming and drowned; his death wasn't publicly revealed until 1985.

Space
Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was discovered.

World events
A U.S. State department report to Congress claimed that Israel had suspended some human rights guarantees in the occupied Arab territories, with some political detainees being mistreated. Israel denied the allegations.

Oil
U.S. Energy Secretary James Schlesinger, testifying before a Senate committee, warned that the loss of Iran's oil supply was "prospectively more serious" than the Middle east embargo of 1973-74, and that he was uncertain as to when Iran's exports might resume on a regular basis. Iran had stopped her oil exports on December 26, 1978.

Disasters
It was reported that a month of heavy rains in east central Brazil had killed 204 people and left 200,000 homeless.

25 years ago
1984

Space
As part of the STS-41-B mission aboard the U.S. space shuttle Challenger, astronauts Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart made the first untethered space walks using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). They got as far away as 320 feet from the spacecraft and travelled at 17,500 miles per hour.





War
U.S. President Ronald Reagan ordered the beginning of the withdrawal of the 1,400-man contingent of U.S. Marines from Lebanon, and authorized U.S. military commanders to launch bombardments and air strikes against Syrian positions that fired on Beirut. Mr. Reagan said he was "concentrating our forces," but that after Lebanon reorganized and broadened its government, the U.S. would again train and supply the Lebanese army. The withdrawal was to proceed "shortly" and in stages.

Economics and finance
U.S. Federal Reserve Board chairman Paul Volcker warned the House of Representatives Banking Committee that federal budget deficits "pose a clear and present danger" to economic growth. His comments helped trigger a sharp drop in the Dow-Jones industrial average.

Business
General Motors reported profits of $3.73 billion for 1983 and total sales of almost $75 billion, leading all U.S, auto manufacturers. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, reported profits totalling $6.3 billion.

Olympics
Men's hockey
Group A
Sweden (1-0) 11 Italy (0-1) 3
U.S.S.R. (1-0) 12 Poland (0-1) 1
West Germany (1-0) 8 Yugoslavia (0-1) 1

Group B
U.S.A. (0-1) 2 Canada (1-0) 4
Austria (0-1) 3 Finland (1-0) 4
C.S.S.R. (1-0) 10 Norway (0-1) 4

At the Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, Carey Wilson scored 27 seconds into the game and added 2 more goals as Canada upset the United States 4-2 in the opening game of men's hockey competition for both teams. The result was a disaster for not only head coach Lou Vairo and the U.S. team, but for the American Broadcasting Company, which had paid a hefty fee for U.S. television broadcasting rights for the games, hoping for a repeat of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" gold medal in men's hockey.



20 years ago
1989

Music
Roy Orbison's album Mystery Girl was released on Virgin Records, two months after Mr. Orbison's death. The album included the Big O's current single, You Got It, as well as two songs that were subsequently issued as singles: She's a Mystery to Me (written by Bono and The Edge) and California Blue. Roy's son Wesley co-wrote one song (The Only One), and Mr. Orbison reunited with his old songwriting partner Bill Dees on Windsurfer. Another highlight was his cover of Elvis Costello's The Comedians, which he had performed in his "Black and White Night" concert with is friends in 1987.

World events
The U.S. State Department's annual review of human rights problems around the world criticized the conduct of the Israeli army in the occupied territories, noting that 366 Palestinians had been killed and more than 20,000 injured in 1988. The report found that the Israelis often used excessive force, "causing many avoidable deaths and injuries," and also criticized mass detentions without trial, arbitrary arrests, and deportations. Israeli officials rejected the conclusions of the report. The Palestinian intifada (uprising) against Israeli rule had begun in 1987.

Oil
Mobil Oil Canada and the federal Department of Industry, Science and Technology participated in a seminar in Montreal on a $5-billion drilling project in the Hibernia Basin off Newfoundland.

Hockey
NHL
All-Star Game @ Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton
Clarence S. Campbell Conference 9 Prince of Wales Conference 5

Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings, playing his second game in Edmonton since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers, scored a goal and 2 assists and was named the game's most valuable player before 17,503 fans, including this blogger. Walt Poddubny of the Quebec Nordiques scored 2 goals for the Prince of Wales Conference. This blogger managed to obtain a standing room ticket from a scalper for just $2 more than the legal price, and watched the first two periods from there. I spotted an empty seat in the golds and went down there for the third period, and ended up sitting next to Pat Quinn. A very attractive young brunette in a short skirt sat down in front of us, and I said, "Oh, I like that!" Mr. Quinn said, "That just happens to be my daughter." And very lovely she was.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Bobby Troup, 80. U.S. musician and actor. Mr. Troup was a jazz pianist who wrote songs such as Daddy; Route 66; and Their Hearts were Full of Spring. He played Dr. Joe Early in the television series Emergency! (1972-1979), co-starring with his wife Julie London. Mr. Troup died of a heart attack.

Hussein, 63. King of Jordan, 1952-1999. Hussein was the son of King Talal, who was forced to abdicate after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. He sat on the Hashemite throne for 46 years, ruling as a constitutional monarch, surviving numerous assassination attempts while overseeing the country's evolution into a democratic state. King Hussein acted as a mediator between competing Middle East interests, and in 1994 became the second Arab head of state, after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, to sign a peace treaty with Israel. He died of cancer in Amman and was succeeded by his eldest son Abdullah II.

Asiatica
Immediately upon succeeding to the throne of Jordan, King Abdullah II named his 18-year-old half-brother Hamzah, the son of Queen Noor, as his crown prince and successor.

Football
NFL
Pro Bowl @ Aloha Stadium, Honolulu
AFC 23 NFC 10

February 6, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Bob Powless!

190 years ago
1819

Economics and finance
British official Stamford Raffles signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor, establishing Singapore as a trading post for the British East India Company.

130 years ago
1879

Born on this date
Magnús Guðmundsson. Prime Minister of Iceland, 1926. Mr. Guðmundsson sat in the Althing as a member of the Conservative Party, and then as a founding member of the Independence Party, from 1916 until his death on November 28, 1937 at the age of 58. He was Minister of Finance (1920-1922); Minister of Industrial Affairs (1924-1927); Minister of Justice (1932-1934); and interim Prime Minister from June 23-July 8, 1926.

Pedro Aguirre Cerda. President of Chile, 1938-1941. Mr. Cerda, a member of the Radical Party, held several cabinet posts before being elected President in 1938. He initiated economic and industrial reforms, but died from tuberculosis at the age of 62 on November 25, 1941, shortly after announcing that Interior Minister Jerَnimo Méndez would assume the duties of acting President.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Ramon Novarro. Mexican-born U.S. actor. Mr. Novarro, born Jose Ramón Gil Samaniego, began his movie career in Hollywood in 1917, and became a star in the 1920s in films such as Scaramouche (1923) and Ben-Hur (1925). He was a drunkard and sodomite, and was murdered on October 30,1968 at the age of 69 by homosexual prostitute brothers Paul Ferguson, 22, and Tom Ferguson, 17, who called him and offered their sexual services. Mr. Novarro invited them to his home; the brothers believed that he had a large amount of money hidden in his house, and beat and tortured him in an effort to make him say where it was. They had to settle for taking $20 from Mr. Novarro's bathrobe pocket, and he died of asphyxiation from choking on his vomit after being beaten.

Died on this date
Leo von Caprivi, 67. Chancellor of Germany, 1890-1894. General Caprivi served as Chief of the Imperial Admiralty from 1883-1888 despite being an Army officer, and was an effective administrator. He succeeded Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor, also serving as Minister President of Prussia (1890-1892. Gen. Caprivi pursued a "new course" in both domestic and foreign policy, achieving some social and economic reforms at home while pursuing friendly relations with the United Kingdom. He increasingly clashed with Kaiser Wilhelm II as well as Conservatives, National Liberals, and Progressives, and was eventually forced to resign. Gen. Caprivi died 18 days before his 68th birthday.

Alfred, 24. Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Prince Alfred was the son of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and grandson of Queen Victoria, as well as the first cousin of King George V of Great Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and Czar Nicholas II of Russia. He died under circumstances that have not been made clear: some accounts say that he died of a health breakdown or consumption, while other accounts claim that he died several days after shooting himself.

War
The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, was ratified by the United States Senate.

80 years ago
1929

Died on this date
Maria Christina of Austria, 70. Queen consort of Spain, 1879-1885. Maria Christina, a daughter of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, was the second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain, serving as queen consort until his death in 1885. She was pregnant with his first child at the time of King Alfonso's death, and the throne was vacant until it was known whether the unborn baby was male or female. Queen Maria Christina gave birth to a son, who acceded to the throne as King Alfonso XIII, with his mother acting as regent from 1885-1902, until he attained his majority. Queen Maria Christina died of heart disease.

75 years ago
1934

Protest
Far-right leagues rallied in front of the Palais Bourbon in Paris, culminating in a riot on the Place de la Concorde, in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France.

70 years ago
1939

Exploration
The German Antarctic Expedition departed an area they had called New Swabia (after their ship, MS Schwabenland), and which Norway had recently claimed as Dronning Maud Land. The secret expedition, composed of 33 members and 24 crewmen, had established a temporary base upon their arrival on January 19 and had then explored and surveyed the area.

60 years ago
1949

Died on this date
Francis Snow, 72. U.S. journalist. Mr. Snow once served as managing editor of Current History.

Protest
Francis Cardinal Spellman led nationwide U.S. protests against the Hungarian government's conviction of Josef Cardinal Mindszenty of treason. Cardinal Spellman preached a sermon on Cardinal Mindszenty's "martyrdom," and denounced Communists as "men of slaughter."

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Got Stung/One Night--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)

Defense
The first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile was accomplished, at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Politics and government
Italian President Giovanni Gronchi designated Christian Democrat Antonio Segni as the country's new Prime Minister.

Argentine Labour Minister Alfredo Allende resigned in protest against the use of government troops against striking workers.

Technology
Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed the first patent for an integrated circuit.

40 years ago
1969

On television tonight
Dragnet 1969, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Administrative Vice: DR-29

War
Peace talks in Paris between the United States and North Vietnam were deadlocked as Allied and Communist negotiators failed to make any progress at the third plenary session.

Diplomacy
U.S. Ambassador Charles Yost held separate talks with U.S.S.R. chief delegate Yakob Malik and Sir Leslie Glass, Great Britain’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations, at the U.N.’s Big Four talks to prepare the way for a Middle East peace settlement.

Defense
The United States Defense Department announced that deployment of the Sentinel anti-ballistic-missile (ABM) system was being held up pending review of the Johnson Administration’s decision to buy 14 of the 15 planned sites and the construction of a "thin" protective net against "unsophisticated" missiles, such as could be used by the People’s Republic of China. The only site acquired so far was near Boston, where critics voiced fear of total disaster within five miles of the area if a Spartan missile, one used in the ABM defense, should go off accidentally. President Richard Nixon said that the system, like those deployed by the U.S.S.R., "adds to our overall defense capability," and that he did not see it as "simply for the purpose of protecting ourselves against attack from Communist China."

Politics and government
U.S. President Richard Nixon said at his news conference that he knew that he was "not considered as a friend by many of our black citizens," but he said he wanted to be "a friend of all the people." Mr. Nixon indicated that he was reluctant to cut off funds to school districts that refused to integrate.

Oil
Peru’s junta seized all remaining assets of International Petroleum Company (IPC), a subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey, climaxing a four-month conflict between the junta and the firm, based on Peruvian claims that IPC’s title to the oil fields at La Brea y Parenas was invalid, and that the firm owed Peru $690,500,000 for oil taken out over a period of 45 years. The junta had seized the oil fields at La Brea and Talara refinery after its coup in October 1968.

Business
Five major drug manufacturers offered $120 million U.S. to settle claims by states, cities, and others growing out of alleged price-fixing and overcharging on tetracycline and other antibiotics, the so-called "wonder drugs." It was the largest settlement offer in antitrust history to date.

Disasters
Only 52 of more than 100 passengers on a Philippine ferry survived after it capsized in Illana Bay of Lanao del Norte.

40 years ago
1979

On television tonight
The Paper Chase, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Man in the Chair



World events
Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of former Premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, convicted of complicity in a 1974 political murder.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Original Sin--INXS (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Say, Say, Say--Paul McCartney

Space
The launch of Indonesia's Palapa-B satellite from the U.S. space shuttle Challenger as part of mission STS-41-B failed.

War
U.S. warships fired at Muslim positions above Beirut, while U.S. jets launched air strikes. Shiite and Druze militiamen began attacking Lebanese army outposts in western Beirut, the Muslim sector of the city.

Economics and finance
Testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee, Martin Feldstein, chairman of President Ronald Reagan's council of economic advisers, said that U.S. budget deficits could reach $300 billion per year if the economy did not expand.

30 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Kokomo--The Beach Boys (7th week at #1)

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

On the radio
Wes Montgomery did his first show as morning man on Edmonton radio station CFRN.

Died on this date
Barbara Tuchman, 76. U.S. historian. Mrs. Tuchman won Pulitzer Prizes for her books The Guns of August (1962) and Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911–45 (1971). Her other books included The Zimmermann Telegram (1958); The Proud Tower (1966); A Distant Mirror (1978); and The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam (1984).

Chris Gueffroy, 20. German murder victim. Mr. Gueffroy was the last person to be shot while attempting to escape from East Berlin to West Berlin across the Berlin Wall. He was making the attempt with his friend Christian Gaudian, who was also shot, but survived and was arrested, convicted in May, and transferred to West Berlin in October.

Politics and government
The Round Table Talks started in Warsaw, as Poland's Communist government initiated discussion with the Solidarity trade union movement and other groups in an attempt to defuse growing social unrest.

General Andres Rodriguez, who had seized power and assumed the position of President of Paraguay on February 3 in a coup that had overthrown dictator Alfredo Stroessner, announced that presidential and congressional elections would be held on May 1. He also denied that he was involved in drug trafficking.

Scandal
C. Boyden Gray, chief ethics adviser to U.S. President George Bush, said that he would resign as chairman of Summit Communications, which had paid him $225,000 in fees while he had worked as counsel to Mr. Bush from 1981-1988 during Mr. Bush's time as Vice-President of the United States. Mr. Gray also said he would put his assets in a blind trust.

Economics and finance
U.S. President George Bush proposed to close or sell off 350 savings and loan institutions that were in financial trouble. The projected cost of $50 billion would be covered by the issuance of government bonds, with the thrift industry paying the principal on the bonds, and the industry and taxpayers paying the interest on the bonds.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Don Dunstan, 72. Fijian-born Australian politician. Mr. Dunstan moved with his family to Australia at the age of 7. He experimented with various parties before settling on the South Australian Labour Party, representing Norwood in the S.A. Parliament from 1953-1979. He led the party from 1967-1979, serving as Premier from 1967-1968 and 1970-1979. Mr. Dunstan advocated typical socially liberal policies such as opposition to the death penalty and white-only immigration, and support for the decriminalization of sodomy. He resigned on February 15, 1979 because of ill health, dying of cancer nine days short of the 20th anniversary of his resignation.

War
A dispute over a contested border area in the Badme region led to the resumption of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Peace talks opened near Paris between Serbians and ethnic Albanians from the province of Kosovo.

Politics and government
The Jordanian cabinet officially declared that King Hussein, seriously ill with cancer, was unable to govern, and, in accordance with his wishes, named his eldest son, Prince Abdullah, regent.

Scandal
At the impeachment trial of U.S. President Bill Clinton, House of Representatives impeachment managers played excerpts from all three witnesses (former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, and White House advisers Vernon Jordan and Sidney Blumenthal) to the Senate, and Mr. Clinton’s lawyers played excerpts from what Miss Lewinsky and Mr. Jordan had said.

February 5, 2009

1,220 years ago
789

Africana
Idris I reached Volubilis and founded the Idrisid dynasty, ceding Morocco from the Abbasid caliphate and founding the first Moroccan state.

360 years ago
1649

Britannica
11 days after the execution of King Charles I, Charles II was proclaimed King of England in Edinburgh.

160 years ago
1849

Academia
The University of Wisconsin at Madison's first class met at Madison Female Academy.

150 years ago
1859

Europeana
Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Prince of Moldavia, was also elected as prince of Wallachia, joining the two principalities as a personal union called the United Principalities, an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, which ushered the birth of the modern Romanian state.

140 years ago
1869

Economics and finance
The largest alluvial gold nugget in history, called the "Welcome Stranger", was found in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia.

120 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Recep Peker. Prime Minister of Turkey, 1946-1947. Mr. Peker, a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP), held various cabinet posts in a parliamentary career of almost 30 years. Despite being Prime Minister during a period of multi-party rule, he opposed a multi-party system, and supported an authoritarian one-party state. Mr. Peker died on April 1, 1950 at the age of 61.

Academia
Catholic Oblate College of Ottawa became Ottawa College.

100 years ago
1909

Technology
Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announced the creation of Bakelite, the world's first synthetic plastic.

90 years ago
1919

Business
Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith launched United Artists.

75 years ago
1934

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Hank Aaron and Don Cherry!

Mr. Aaron, major league baseball's career home run king (I refuse to recognize Barry Bonds) played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves from 1954-1974, and the Milwaukee Brewers in 1975-1976. His career achievements are too numerous to mention, but here's a statistical oddity: Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth each scored exactly 2,174 career runs in the major leagues.

Don Cherry played professional hockey in the minor leagues for many years, ending in 1972. His only game in the NHL was a Stanley Cup semi-final playoff game with the Boston Bruins in 1955. Mr. Cherry became head coach of the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League during the 1971-72 season, and coached them through the 1973-74 season, when he moved up to take over as head coach of the Boston Bruins. He coached the Bruins from 1974-1979 (losing in the Stanley Cup finals in 1977 and 1978), and the Colorado Rockies in 1979-80. After one year as a colour commentator on Hockey Night in Canada, he began his Coach's Corner intermission feature, which continues to this day.

Economics and finance
The Standard Exchange refused to comply with a new Ontario provincial Act forcing them to amalgamate with the Toronto Stock Exchange. The two remained in separate buildings until the new TSE Ticker Palace opened in 1937.

70 years ago
1939

Politics and government
Generalísimo Francisco Franco became the 68th "Caudillo de España," or Leader of Spain.

60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Buttons and Bows--Dinah Shore and the Happy Valley Boys; Gene Autry (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): A Little Bird Told Me--Evelyn Knight and the Stardusters (3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 A Little Bird Told Me--Evelyn Knight and the Stardusters
--Blue Lu Barker
--Paula Watson
2 Buttons and Bows--Dinah Shore and the Happy Valley Boys
--The Dinning Sisters
3 On a Slow Boat to China--Kay Kyser Orchestra
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Benny Goodman and his Orchestra
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Art Lund
4 My Darling, My Darling--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae with the Starlighters
--Doris Day and Buddy Clark
5 Far Away Places--Bing Crosby
--Margaret Whiting and the Crew Chiefs
--Perry Como
6 Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
7 You were Only Fooling (While I was Falling in Love)--Blue Barron and his Orchestra
--The Ink Spots
--Kay Starr
8 I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm--Les Brown and his Orchestra
9 Powder Your Face with Sunshine (Smile! Smile! Smile!)--Evelyn Knight and the Stardusters
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
10 The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! Nyot Nyow!)--Patty Andrews and Bob Crosby
--Perry Como with the Fontane Sisters

Singles entering the chart were More Beer! by the Andrews Sisters #23); So in Love by Patti Page (#32); and Once in Love with Amy by Frank Sinatra (#33).

On the radio
Tales of Fatima, starring Basil Rathbone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Cairo Curse

War
Lebanon and Syria agreed to enter the Rhodes peace conference on condition that Israeli troops leave Lebanese soil.

World events
The three-day treason trial of Josef Cardinal Mindszenty ended in Budapest as he expressed regret for acting against the government and declared that he was not an enemy of the Hungarian people.

Politics and government
The day after the attempted assassination of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi by reporter Fakhr Raiee and student demonstrations against foreign oil concessions in Iran, the Iranian government outlawed the leftist Tudeh Party.

Weather
A four-day blizzard centred in Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming ended after disrupting Chicago-California rail traffic.

Labour
The American Federation of Labor Executive Council concluded a seven-day meeting in Miami after unanimously approving U.S. President Harry Truman's proposed revision of the Taft-Hartley Act.

50 years ago
1959

Died on this date
Don Law, 38. U.S. actor. Mr. Law reportedly played "Fats" in the Our Gang series of comedy short films.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev invited U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to visit the Soviet Union and to being with him any American leaders he desired.

World events
Congolese sources reported that an estimated 1,000 unemployed Africans were being arrested in Leopoldville each day and removed to transit camps for return to tribal areas of the Belgian Congo.

Defense
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a bill extending the draft for four years.

Society
U.S. President Eisenhower asked Congress to enact a seven-point program of civil rights legislation.

Economics and finance
The 21st Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union adjourned after adopting a new seven-year economic plan advanced by Premier Khrushchev.

The U.S. Senate passed and sent to the House of Representatives a $2.675-billion omnibus housing bill.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Blackberry Way--The Move

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Eloise--Barry Ryan (2nd week at #1)
2 Going Up the Country--Canned Heat
3 Lily the Pink--The Scaffold
4 I Started a Joke/Kilburn Towers--The Bee Gees
5 Hey Jude/Revolution--The Beatles
6 Son-of-a Preacher Man--Dusty Springfield
7 Chewy Chewy--Ohio Express
8 White Room--Cream
9 Love Child--Diana Ross and the Supremes
10 Scarborough Fair--Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66

Singles entering the chart were Edge of Reality/If I Can Dream by Elvis Presley (#24); Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da by the Marmalade (#36); and Such a Lovely Way by the Groop (#40).

Died on this date
Thelma Ritter, 66. U.S. actress. Miss Ritter was nominated for Academy Awards for her supporting performances in All About Eve (1950); The Mating Season (1951); With a Song in My Heart (1952); Pickup on South Street (1953); Pillow Talk (1959); and Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). She won the Tony Award (shared with her co-star, Gwen Verdon) for Best Actress in a Musical for New Girl in Town (1957). Miss Ritter died of a heart attack, nine days before her 67th birthday.

Space
The communications satellite Intelsat III F-1 was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Operated by the multi-nation International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium, the synchronous (fixed-position) satellite carried 1,200 circuits for voice, television, teletype, and data communications.

Diplomacy
United States Ambassador Charles Yost met with French Ambassador Armand Berard in the first of the United Nations' Big Four talks to prepare the way for a Middle East peace settlement.

Politics and government
Kai-Uwe von Hassel was elected President of the West German Bundestag, succeeding Eugen Gerstenmaier.

Weather
It was -39 F. in Yellowknife, the date that "Kiskay Piskum" was supposed to occur.

Labour
Three major unions in Italy, demanding higher pensions, joined a general strike which shut down top industries, ports, and air, rail, and bus transportation for 24 hours.

Disasters
An air taxi service plane crashed and burned after takeoff from Port Angeles, Washington, killing all 10 aboard.

Boxing
Denny Moyer (59-19-3) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Frankie Niblett (15-34-11) in a light heavyweight bout at the Silver Slipper in Las Vegas.

Football
NFL
The Green Bay Packers' board of directors held a three-hour meeting, after which it was announced that they had decided to let general manager Vince Lombardi out of the final five years of his contract in order to become head coach and executive vice president of the Washington Redskins.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Champion--Alice (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): It's Downtown--New Trolls

Politics and government
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini named Mehdi Bazargan as head of a "provisional government" in Iran; Mr. Bazargan, a member of the opposition National Front, had been imprisoned for five years in the early 1960s for his opposition to Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. Shahpur Bakhtiar was still the official Prime Minister of Iran.

Diplomacy
Chinese Deputy Premier Deng Xiaoping concluded his nine-day visit to the United States, having followed his visit to Washington, D.C. with visits to Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle. He displayed his interest in American technology by visiting a Ford Motor Company plant near Atlanta, the Johnson Space Center and the Hughes Tool Company in Houston, and a Boeing Aircraft Company plant near Seattle.

Protest
3,000 farmers, in a demonstration organized by the American Agriculture Movement, drove their tractors, trucks, and campers into Washington, D.C., tying up traffic, as they demanded higher farm price supports. More than 20 farmers were arrested by the end of the day, and police contained the protest by blocking off the exits from the Washington Mall, where the tractors had congregated. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Bob Bergland said that the farmers were motivated by "just old fashioned greed," and that the administration of President Jimmy Carter would not change the support levels. The Agriculture Department had recently estimated 1978 net farm income at $28.1 billion, nearly 30% above the 1977 net.

Crime
Sara Jane Moore, who was serving a life sentence for attempting to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975, scaled a 12-foot fence with a fellow prisoner at the minimum-security Federal Reformatory for Women in Anderson, West Virginia, and the two escaped. They were caught 4 hours later and 30 miles away, attempting to hitchhike.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Thriller--Michael Jackson

#1 single in Switzerland: Jenseits von Eden--Nino de Angelo (2nd week at #1)

Space
A target balloon released from the U.S. space shuttle Challenger as part of mission STS-41-B exploded when inflated.

Politics and government
Lebanese Prime Minister Shafig al-Wazzan, a Muslim, and his nine-member cabinet resigned.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 2 @ Washington 9

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Angel of Harlem--U2 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Bring Me Edelweiss--Edelweiss (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Joe Raposo, 51. U.S. composer. Mr. Raposo was best known for writing scores and songs for children's television programs, especially Sesame Street and The Electric Company. He died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, three days before his 52nd birthday.

War
The last Soviet troops departed the Afghan capital of Kabul, ending the U.S.S.R.'s nine-year military involvement in Afghanistan.

World events
Two days after being deposed in a military coup, former Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner, 76, fled into exile in Brazil.

Skiing
Karen Percy of Canada won a silver medal in the Women's World Alpine Championship; at Vail, Colorado.

Hockey
NHL
New Jersey 4 Edmonton 2

10 years ago
1999

Scandal
At the impeachment trial of U.S. President Bill Clinton, a transcript of the testimony of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky was released, showing that she still denied that anyone had asked her to lie or submit a false affidavit in Paula Jones's sexual harassment case against Mr. Clinton. Miss Lewinsky said that she now had "mixed feelings" toward Mr. Clinton.

February 4, 2009

840 years ago
1169

Disasters
A strong earthquake struck the Ionian coast of Sicily, causing tens of thousands of injuries and deaths, especially in Catania.

220 years ago
1789

Politics and government
George Washington and John Adams were elected President and Vice President, respectively, of the United States of America. Mr. Washington was unopposed for the presidential nomination and received a unanimous vote from the 69 electors.

150 years ago
1859

Literature
The Codex Sinaiticus, one of the four great ancient handwritten copies of the Greek Bible, was shown to German scholar Constantin von Tischendorf on a visit to Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula.

130 years ago
1879

Politics and government
The Conservative Party, led by Premier William Sullivan, won a third consecutive majority in the Prince Edward Island provincial election, taking 24 of 30 seats in the House of Assembly, with the remaining 6 seats going to the Liberals, led by L.H. Davies. In the most recent election, in 1876, the Conservatives had won 15 seats, with the Liberals taking 7.

110 years ago
1899

War
The Philippine–American War began with the Battle of Manila.

Hockey
CAHL
Quebec (0-5) 4 @ Montreal Shamrocks (3-1) 13
Montreal Victorias (3-1) 7 @ Ottawa (2-2) 5

Harry Trihey scored 10 goals for the Shamrocks as they routed Quebec.

70 years ago
1939

Transportation
Toronto Island Airport opened.

60 years ago
1949

On television tonight
Your Show Time, hosted and narrated by Arthur Shields, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Mademoiselle Fifi, starring Jay Adler, Roman Bohnen, Tanis Chandler, and Hurd Hatfield

War
Greek Communist radio announced the replacement of General Markos Vafiades as guerrilla leader by Party General Secretary Nicholas Zachariades.

World events
Iranian Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi was shot and wounded by reporter Fakhr Raiee, who was beaten to death by the crowd and the Shah's guards.

Testifying at his treason trial in Budapest, Josef Cardinal Mindszenty denied that his confession had been forced by torture or drugs, and retracted a pre-trial statement repudiating any confession he might make. The U.K. and U.S.A. protested the exclusion of their observers from the trial, claiming that this violated the Hungarian peace treaty.

Crime
The third week of the trial of 11 accused Communists in a U.S. federal court in New York ended without a jury being chosen, as Judge Harold Medina charged defense lawyers with "stalling" and attempting to wear him down.

Aviation
The U.S. Civil Aeronautics Administration authorized commercial planes to use ground-controlled approach radar as a "primary aid" for landings in bad weather.

50 years ago
1959

Died on this date
Una O'Connor, 78. U.K.-born U.S. actress. Miss O'Connor, born Agnes Teresa McGlade in Belfast, began her career on stage in Ireland before moving to England before moving to the United States in the 1930s. She was a character actress best known for her comic portrayals of servants in plays, television programs, and movies such as The Invisible Man (1933); Bride of Frankenstein (1935); and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Miss O'Connor died after suffering from a congenital heart condition.

War
General E.L.M. Burns of Canada resigned as United Nations Emergency Force commander and was replaced by General Prem Singh Gyani of India. The force had been in place in the Middle East since the Suez Crisis of 1956.

World events
The Iraqi Military Supreme Court sentenced three leading officials of the overthrown regime of King Faisal to death for murder, torture, and election fraud.

Politics and government
Spanish dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco indicated that he would not permit restoration of the Spanish monarchy during his lifetime.

Protest
The Federation of Havana University Students, led by Major Jose Puente Blanco, seized Havana University and announced that all professors who had collaborated with the overthrown regime of President Fulgencio Batista would be fired.

Business
The U.S. Justice Department served a subpoena on General Motors officials in New York, disclosing that it had ordered a far-reaching grand jury investigation of the firm on possible charges of anti-trust violations.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

Terrorism
Yasser Arafat took over as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Defense
U.S. Representative L. Mendel Rivers (Democrat--South Carolina) told Defense Secretary Melvin Laird that Congress would not authorize the Sentinel anti-ballistic missile system without a "definitive statement" of approval by the administration of President Richard Nixon.

Academia
The faculty of Harvard University voted to drop academic standing for Reserve Officers Training Corps, to strip its instructors of the title of professor, and to relegate ROTC to an extra-curricular activity.

Economics and finance
French President Charles de Gaulle and U.K. Ambassador to France Christopher Soames held a secret meeting to discuss possible British membership in the European Economic Community.

Disasters
At least 28 travelling atop a train were killed when swept off Coleron River bridge girders in Tamil Nadu, India.

Baseball
Three months after firing former U.S. Air Force General William Eckert as Commissioner, major league owners settled on Bowie Kuhn, their chief legal counsel, to replace him.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Le Freak--Chic (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Y.M.C.A.--Village People (3rd week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
Minnesota 6 Toronto 4

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La Donna Cannone--Francesco De Gregori (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Love of the Common People--Paul Young

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Love of the Common People--Paul Young (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): A Rockin' Good Way--Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler

#1 single in the U.K.: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Karma Chameleon--Culture Club

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
2 Break My Stride--Matthew Wilder
3 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes
4 Talking in Your Sleep--The Romantics
5 I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues--Elton John
6 Joanna--Kool & The Gang
7 Jump--Van Halen
8 Think of Laura--Christopher Cross
9 Running with the Night--Lionel Richie
10 That's All--Genesis

Singles entering the chart were Thriller by Michael Jackson (#24); The Language of Love by Dan Fogelberg (#69); Back Where You Belong by 38 Special (#75); Red Red Wine by UB40 (#78); Tender Years by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (#84); You Make My Heart Beat Faster (And That’s All That Matters) by Kim Carnes (#86); Come Back and Stay by Paul Young (#87); She was Hot by the Rolling Stones (#89); Breaking Up is Hard on You (Don’t Take Ma Bell Away From Me) by American Comedy Network (#96); and Electric Kingdom by Twilight 22 (#98).

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

Singles entering the chart were Freak-A-Zoid by Midnight Star (#44); Let the Music Play by Shannon (#46); Joanna by Kool & The Gang (#48); Got a Hold on Me by Christine McVie (#49); and Just One More Time by the Headpins (#50).

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): C'è da spostare una macchina--Francesco Salvi (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Can't Stay Away from You--Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Tonight--Tina Turner and David Bowie (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): High--David Hallyday (5th week at #1)

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

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

Singles entering the chart were Eternal Flame by the Bangles (#56); Thinking of You by SaFire (#80); Tell Her by Kenny Loggins (#85); 24/7 by Dino (#86); Fading Away by Will to Power (#90); We've Saved the Best for Last by Kenny G (vocal by Smokey Robinson) (#92); Sincerely Yours by Sweet Sensation (with Romeo J.D.) (#93); and Got it Made by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (#96).

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

Singles entering the chart were Feels So Good by Van Halen (#60); Eternal Flame by the Bangles (#63); She Won't Talk to Me by Luther Vandross (#66); Superwoman by Karyn White (#71); Bring Down the Moon by Boy Meets Girl (#75); End of the Line by the Traveling Wilburys (#78); We've Saved the Best for Last by Kenny G (vocal by Smokey Robinson) (#80); Sing by Mickey Thomas (#85); Into You by Giant Steps (#88); and Second Chance by Thirty Eight Special (#92). Sing was the title song from the movie, which didn't open in theatres until March 31.

Died on this date
Kenneth "Jethro" Burns, 68. U.S. comedian and musician. Mr. Burns, a country and jazz mandolinist, performed with Henry "Homer" Haynes as the country music comedy duo Homer and Jethro from 1936 until Mr. Haynes' death from a heart attack on August 8, 1971, 11 days after his 51st birthday. The duo recorded more than 50 albums, and won a Grammy Award in 1959 for Best Comedy Performance – Musical for The Battle of Kookamonga, a spoof of Johnny Horton's hit The Battle of New Orleans. They were inducted as a duo into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Mr. Burns performed with guitarist Ken Eidson as Homer for some time after Mr. Haynes' death, and also toured and performed with folk musician Steve Goodman. Mr. Burns died of prostate cancer.

Health
Canadian Transport Minister Benoît Bouchard announced a smoking ban on commercial flights between Canadian cities as part of the Non-Smokers' Health Act; the ban was expanded to include international flights in 1990.

Hockey
NHL
New York Rangers 5 @ Montreal 7

Guy Lafleur, who had starred with the Canadiens from 1971-1984 before retiring, played his first game at the Montreal Forum since coming out of retirement to join the Rangers for the 1988-89 season. He scored 2 goals and received more than one standing ovation from the Montreal fans, but the Canadiens came back from a 5-2 deficit to win in Hockey Night in Canada's national telecast.





10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Amadou Diallo, 22. African-born crime victim. Mr. Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant with no criminal record, was killed when he was struck by 19 of 41 shots fired by four New York City police officers. The police had been looking for a rape suspect when they encountered Mr. Diallo in the vestibule of his Bronx apartment building. Lawyers for the officers said that they had fired at Mr. Diallo because they thought he was reaching for a gun.

Scandal
In the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, the United States Senate voted 70-30 to reject a proposal by House of Representatives impeachment managers to have former White House intern Monica Lewinsky testify in person before the Senate itself. The managers did not seek to have White House advisors Vernon Jordan or Sidney Blumenthal called to testify directly, but the Senate voted 62-38 to let the managers show the videotaped depositions of Mr. Jordan and Mr. Blumenthal to the Senate.

February 3, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Louise Taylor!

500 years ago
1509

War
The Portuguese Navy defeated a joint fleet of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Calicut, and the Republic of Ragusa in the Battle of Diu in India.

200 years ago
1809

Born on this date
Felix Mendelssohn. German composer. Mr. Mendelssohn was a pianist and one of the most popular composers of the Romantic era, with several symphonies, Songs Without Words, and music for A Midsummer Night's Dream among his best-known works. He was born into a Jewish family, but was baptized as a Christian at the age of 7. Mr. Mendelssohn died on November 4, 1847 at the age of 38 after a series of strokes, which seemed to run in his family.

Americana
The Territory of Illinois was created by the 10th United States Congress.

150 years ago
1859

Born on this date
Hugo Junkers. German aircraft designer and engineer. Mr. Junkers pioneered the design of all-metal airplanes and flying wings. He founded the company that became Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG, and was Germany's leading aircraft manufacturer between the two world wars. He died on February 3, 1935, his 76th birthday.

120 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Carl Theodor Dreyer. Danish film director. Mr. Dreyer was best known for his films The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928); Vampyr (1932); and Day of Wrath (1943). He died on March 20, 1968 at the age of 79.

Died on this date
Belle Starr, 40. U.S. outlaw. Mrs. Starr, a veteran horse thief who had been associated with the James Gang and the Younger brothers, was killed two days before her 41st birthday in a shotgun ambush near King Creek, Indian Territory by person or persons unknown.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Café Filho. 18th President of Brazil, 1954-1955; Vice President of Brazil, 1951-1954. Mr. Filho was a journalist before helping to found the Social Nationalist Party of Rio Grande do Norte (PSN) in 1933. He represented Rio Grande de Norte in the Chamber of Deputies from 1935-1937, but fled the country briefly when threatened with arrest, returning in 1938. Mr. Filho co-founded the Progressive Republican Party (PRP), representing Rio Grande de Norte again from 1946-1951, until he was elected Vice President. He acceded to the presidency upon the suicide of President Getúlio Vargas. Mr. Filho instituted economic reforms, but a cardiovascular ailment led to his temporary removal from office on November 8, 1955, replaced by Chamber of Deputies President Carlos Luz. Mr. Filho attempted to resume his powers, but his removal was approved by Congress on November 22 and approved by the Supreme Court in December. Mr. Filho died on February 20, 1970, 17 days after his 71st birthday.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, 69. Queen consort of Bavaria, 1913-1918. Maria Theresa, the only child of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este and Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, married the future King Ludwig III of Bavaria on February 20, 1868. He succeeded his insane cousin Otto on the throne in 1913, but King Ludwig III was forced to abdicate on November 7, 1918, four days before the World War I armistice.

Mary Moore, 28 or 29. U.K.-born U.S. actress. Miss Moore, a native of Ireland, emigrated to the United States with her brothers Matt, Tom, Joe, and Owen in 1896, and all achieved success in movies. She appeared in at least 17 films from 1913-1917, including Under Southern Skies (1915) and Ignorance (1916). Miss Moore went to France during World War I to serve with the Red Cross, and was doing so when she died of influenza.

60 years ago
1949

War
Burmese government forces reported defeating Karen nationalists at Insein near Rangoon, removing the rebel threat to the capital.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Harry Truman told a White House press conference that he would not meet alone with U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin unless Mr. Stalin came to Washington as his personal guest.

World events
The treason trial of Hungarian Roman Catholic Primate Josef Cardinal Mindszenty and six co-defendants opened in Budapest. Cardinal Mindszenty read a statement admitting to most of the prosecution's charges that he had engaged in illegal currency dealings and plotted with Western agents to overthrow the government and restore the Hungarian monarchy.

The Western Allies imposed a blockade on truck traffic between Western Europe and the Soviet zone of Germany.

Law
In Heidelberg, enlisted men sat on a U.S. Army court martial for the first time, convicting two privates of manslaughter and sentencing each to seven years in prison.

Soviet authorities in Berlin forced a division of the city's court system between eastern and western sectors.

Journalism
An Editor and Publisher survey reported that U.S. newspaper circulation in 1948 had hit a record high for the eighth straight year: 52,285,297 daily, and 46,308,081 for Sunday.

Americana
Independence, Missouri Mayor Roger Sermon announced plans for a $3.5-million library and museum to honour President Truman.

Football
NFL
Assistant coaches Buddy Parker and Phil Handler were named co-head coaches of the Chicago Cardinals, succeeding Jimmy Conzelman, who had resigned and taken a job with a local advertising agency.

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Emergency Only, starring Lin McCarthy, Paula Raymond, and Jocelyn Brando



Died on this date
Vincent Astor, 67. U.S. businessman and philanthropist. Mr. Astor, the son of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV, donated much of his family's fortune to social betterment projects such as housing complexes that included playgrounds for children. He served with the U.S. Navy during both world wars, and was chairman of the board of directors of Newsweek magazine from 1937 until his death from a heart attack.

J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, 28; Buddy Holly, 22; Ritchie Valens, 17. U.S. musicians. Mr. Richardson, Mr. Holly, and Mr. Valens, all currently popular rock and roll artists, were killed along with their pilot, Roger Peterson, 21, when the Beechcraft Bonanza they were travelling in crashed shortly after takeoff near Mason City, Iowa, at approximately 1:05 A.M. CST. Go here for a detailed account of the crash.

Music
The musicians who hadn't been killed in the plane crash in Iowa arrived in Fargo, North Dakota as part of the Winter Dance Party tour. The performers included Dion and the Belmonts; Frankie Sardo; and Buddy Holly's backing musicians, Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings. The tragic deaths of Mr. Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper created an opening for a local Fargo lad named Bobby Vee, who performed that night with his brothers. It was Mr. Vee's first big break in the music business.

Politics and government
The British Colonial Office announced that 6 of 18 Aden Protectorate states had agreed on a constitution for a proposed western Aden federation.

South Korea's governing Liberal Party ended a boycott of the National Assembly begun during a dispute over the controversial National Security Law.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower accepted the resignation of Thomas Gates as Secretary of the Navy, and announced that Undersecretary William Franke would succeed him.

Protest
Maltese workers struck in a "national day of mourning" to protest the suspension of the Maltese constitution and imposition of a U.K.-nominated cabinet.

Economics and finance
Gold bullion was traded on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange for the first time.

Disasters
65 people were killed when American Airlines Flight 320, a Lockheed Electra bound from Midway International Airport, Chicago to LaGuardia Airport, New York crashed in the East River near New York. Eight people survived the crash (a ninth survivor was pulled from the water, but died later that day in hospital).

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Namida no Kisetsu--Pinky & the Killers (15th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Eloise--Barry Ryan (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
2 I Started a Joke--The Bee Gees
3 Touch Me--The Doors
4 Worst that Could Happen--Brooklyn Bridge
5 I'm Gonna Make You Love Me--Diana Ross and the Supremes & the Temptations
6 If I Can Dream--Elvis Presley
7 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
8 Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone
9 You Showed Me--The Turtles
10 Hooked on a Feeling--B.J. Thomas

Singles entering the chart were Give it Up or Turnit a Loose by James Brown (#74); This Girl's in Love with You by Dionne Warwick (#78); To Susan on the West Coast Waiting by Donovan (#80); Purple Haze by Dion (#86); The Greatest Love by Dorsey Burnette (#87); Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (#88); Traces by Classics IV (#90); Great Balls of Fire by Tiny Tim (#91); Only the Lonely by Sonny James (#93); She's Not There by the Road (#94); Johnny One Time by Brenda Lee (#95); If by Al Hirt (#96); Fox on the Run by Manfred Mann (#97); Let it Be Me by Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry (#98); Soul Shake by Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson (#99); and The Carroll County Accident by Porter Wagoner (#100).

Died on this date
C. N. Annadurai, 59. Indian politician. Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, a member of the Justice Party, sat in the Madras General Assembly from 1957-1962 and the Indian Rajya Sabha from 1962-1967. He was Chief Minister of Madras from 1967-1969, when the state's name was changed to Tamil Nadu. Mr. Annadurai was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for just 20 days before his death in office, from cancer.

Eduardo Mondlane, 48. Mozambican guerrilla leader. Mr. Mondlane was an anthropologist who became a United Nations official and in 1962 was elected president of the anti-Portuguese Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). He supported not only Mozambican independence from Portugal, but the creation of a socialist society. Mr. Mondane was assassinated in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania when a bomb was planted in a book that was sent to him, and exploded when he opened the package. The assassination remains unsolved.

Defense
The United States Army reported that the number of Reserve Officer Training Corps commissions it had granted rose from 10,727 in 1967 to 14,176 in 1968, despite several colleges limiting or ending academic credit for ROTC on their campuses. The schools with compulsory ROTC had dropped from 132 to 95 in 5 years. 343 campuses now had ROTC units, with 270,000 students enrolled.

Boxing
At Madison Square Garden in New York, former world middleweight and welterweight champion Emile Griffith (57-10) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Andy Heilman (38-5-3) in a middleweight bout, while Clyde Gray (10-0) won a 6-round unanimous decision over Lorenzo Harris (4-2) in a welterweight bout. In the main event, Buster Mathis (29-1) won a 12-round unanimous decision over George Chuvalo (53-15-2) in a heavyweight bout.



30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): I Can't Stop Loving You (Though I Try)--Leo Sayer (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Y.M.C.A.--Village People (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Heart of Glass--Blondie

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Y.M.C.A.--Village People (3rd week at #1)
2 Le Freak--Chic
3 Stumblin' In--Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman
4 (You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back--Peter Tosh (support vocals: Mick Jagger)
5 Paradise by the Dashboard Light--Meat Loaf
6 Song for Guy--Elton John
7 Chiquitita--ABBA
8 A Little More Love--Olivia
9 You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)--Meat Loaf
10 I Love the Night Life (Disco Round)--Alicia Bridges

Singles entering the chart were Now that We Found Love by Third World (#21); Nee Darr Trappen We Niet In by Vader Abraham met De Ruimtesmurfen m.m.v. 5 P.K. (#27); Some Kind of Wonderful by Grand Funk (#30); Maak Van Uw Scheet Een Donderslag! by De Breedbekkikkers (#32); Linda-Linda by the Tee Set (#33); and Toppers Van Toen by Robert Paul (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Le Freak--Chic (6th week at #1)
2 Y.M.C.A.--Village People
3 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart
4 A Little More Love--Olivia Newton-John
5 Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees
6 My Life--Billy Joel
7 Every 1's a Winner--Hot Chocolate
8 Fire--Pointer Sisters
9 September--Earth, Wind & Fire
10 I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor

Singles entering the chart were Dog + Butterfly by Heart (#82); All the Time in the World by Dr. Hook (#84); Four Strong Winds by Neil Young (#86); For You and I by 10cc (#87); Bustin' Loose (Part 1) by Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers (#88); Oh Honey by Delegation (#89); and Survivor by Cindy Bullens (#90).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart
2 Le Freak--Chic
3 Y.M.C.A.--Village People
4 Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees
5 Fire--Pointer Sisters
6 A Little More Love--Olivia Newton-John
7 Every 1's a Winner--Hot Chocolate
8 September--Earth, Wind & Fire
9 Lotta Love--Nicolette Larson
10 Got to Be Real--Cheryl Lynn

Singles entering the chart were Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits (#61); All the Time in the World by Dr. Hook (#84); Dog + Butterfly by Heart (#85); Contact by Edwin Starr (#86); Bustin' Loose (Part 1) by Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers (#87); Survivor by Cindy Bullens (#88); He's the Greatest Dancer by Sister Sledge (#89); Now that We Found Love by Third World (#97); and Run Home Girl by Sad Cafe (#98).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Y.M.C.A.--Village People (2nd week at #1)
2 Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees
3 My Life--Billy Joel
4 Le Freak--Chic
5 Hold the Line--Toto
6 Sharing the Night Together--Dr. Hook
7 Ooh Baby Baby--Linda Ronstadt
8 Promises--Eric Clapton and his Band
9 We've Got Tonite--Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
10 A Little More Love--Olivia Newton-John

Singles entering the chart were I Just Fall in Love Again by Anne Murray (#77); I Go to Rio by Pablo Cruise (#80); Lonely Wind by Kansas (#88); Every Which Way But Loose by Eddie Rabbitt (#91); You're Like the Wind by Prism (#98); Pops, We Love You (A Tribute to Father) by Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder (#99); and Tell Me You are Listening by Hellfield (#100).

Scandal
The trial of U.S. Representative Daniel Flood (Democrat--Pennsylvania), former chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health, Education and Welfare, was declared a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict after 12 hours of deliberation on 11 charges of bribery, conspiracy, and perjury. The case against Rep. Flood was based on the testimony of five government witnesses who said they had given him bribes totalling $49,500 in cash and $4,000 in bank stock. Mr. Flood was beginning his 16th term in Congress. On February 9, the U.S. Justice Department began an investigation into possible jury tampering in the case, two days after The New York Times reported that a juror who had held out for acquittal on eight of the counts, while the other 11 had voted for conviction, had disclosed information in the deliberations that had not been presented in the trial, but which was similar to a statement given by a witness to the Federal Bureau of Investigation a year earlier.

Hockey
NHL
Montreal 6 Toronto 3

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Waterfront--Simple Minds

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Challenger mission STS-41-B launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a five-man crew commanded by Vance Brand. Trouble began eight hours after launch when Western Union Corporation's Westar 6 communications satellite was released, but apparently exploded, trailing debris in its wake and failing to reach its intended orbit.



Medicine
John Buster and the research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center announced history's first embryo transfer from one woman to another resulting in a live birth. The baby had been born in Los Angeles in January. Sperm used in the artificial insemination had come from the husband of the infertile woman. The transfer of the embryo, which had begun to develop, involved no surgery and could be performed in a doctor's office.

Religion
Campus Crusade for Christ speaker Michael Horner delivered the last of three noon hour lectures at SUB Theatre, as Christian Awareness Week at the University of Alberta wound down. The title of his talk was Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?

Environment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prohibited the use of ethylene dibromide (EDB) on grain products. The pesticide, identified as a cause of cancer in animals, had been detected in many products, especially in cake, muffin, and pancake mixes. The EPA also set guidelines for maximum safe levels on EDB in grain and foods already contaminated. Several states had also begun to move independently against products linked to EDB.

Economics and finance
Testifying before the United States Senate Budget Committee, U.S. Treasury Secretary Donald Regan said that the senators could throw away the report by Martin Feldstein, chairman of President Ronald Reagan's council of economic advisers, who had expressed concern about budget deficits in recent years. Messrs. Reagan and Regan held that the U.S. economic recovery would generate enough tax revenues to cut the annual deficits to manageable levels.

The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate in January had fallen to 7.9%.

Hockey
NHL
Calgary 5 @ Edmonton 10

The Oilers were playing the first of six straight games without centre Wayne Gretzky, who was out with an injury, but Pat Hughes had the biggest game of his career, scoring 5 goals to lead the Oilers over the Flames at Northlands Coliseum.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): First Time--Robin Beck (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Lionel Newman, 73. U.S. composer and conductor. Mr. Newman, the brother of composers Alfred and Emil Newman and uncle of composer and performer Randy Newman, spent 46 years with 20th Century Fox, eventually becoming the studio's musical director for films and television. He was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, finally sharing the award with Lennie Hayton for the score of Hello Dolly! (1969). He wrote themes for television series such as Adventures in Paradise (1959-1962) and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-1963).

John Cassavetes, 59. U.S. actor and director. Mr. Cassavetes acted in movies such as Edge of the City (1957), The Killers (1964), The Dirty Dozen (1967), and Rosemary's Baby (1968), and became one of Hollywood's most respected independent directors with such films as Shadows (1959); Faces (1968); and A Woman Under the Influence (1974). Heavy drinking eventually led to his death from cirrhosis of the liver.

World events
Two days of violence in Asuncion concluded with the overthrow of Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner in a military coup led by his longtime associate, General Andres Rodriguez, who assumed the presidency. A nine-member cabinet was also sworn in. Western diplomats estimated that as many as 300 people died in the fighting. Gen. Stroessner had taken power in a military coup in 1954.

Diplomacy
U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle visited El Salvador and warned that U.S. aid to El Salvador might be lost if that nation's human rights record did not improve.

Politics and government
Two weeks after suffering a stroke, South African President P. W. Botha resigned as leader of the National Party; he stayed on as President for six more months.

Baseball
Former major league first baseman and broadcaster Bill White was named president of the National League, becoming the highest-ranking Negro in professional sports history.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Jack Service, 89. Chinese-born U.S. diplomat. Mr. Service, the son of American missionaries, spent his childhood in the Chinese province of Sichuan, moving to California as a teenager. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1933, and became one of the State Department's "China hands." Mr. Service was the political analyst with the "Dixie Mission" (1944-1947), the first U.S. attempt to establish relations with the Communist Party of China. He praised the Communists, while criticizing the Nationalist Chinese regime of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Mr. Service passed loyalty reviews in the late 1940s, but in March 1950, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin) accused him of being a Communist, and Mr. Service was soon fired by Secretary of State Dean Acheson. Mr. Service took his dismissal to court, and in 1957, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Mr. Service reinstated, ruling that Mr. Acheson had violated State Dept. regulations in firing him. Mr. Service resumed work with the State Dept., but was never promoted until his retirement in 1962. He worked as a librarian with the University of California's Center for Chinese Studies in later years.

Gwen Guthrie, 48. U.S. musician. Miss Guthrie was a singer-songwriter and pianist who sang backup vocals for artist such as Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, and Stevie Wonder, and wrote songs for various artists. She achieved some success as an artist in her own right, most notably with the single Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent (1986), which reached #1 on the Billboard rhythm and blues and dance charts, and #42 on the Hot 100 pop chart. Miss Guthrie died of uterine cancer.