February 11, 2011

70 years ago
1941

Defense
1940 Republican Party U.S. presidential candidate Wendell Willkie, who had just returned from a visit to the United Kingdom, testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in favour of the Lend-Lease bill, predicting war if Britain fell.

Politics and government
The Vichy French regime published a constitutional act announcing the appointment of Admiral Darlan as next in line of succession to Marshal Philippe Petain as chief of state.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend the Committee on Un-American Activities' probing for 15 months.

The United States Secret Service began fingerprinting and photographing reporters and other people who regularly visited the White House.

Economics and finance
The Paraguayan government took control of the foreign exchange held in the Bank of the Republic.

Labour
The American Federation of Labor executive council denounced all anti-strike legislation now before the United States Congress.

60 years ago
1951

War
South Korean troops pushed north of the 38th Parallel for the first time since the previous fall's withdrawal in the face of Chinese intervention.

World events
More than 200 refugees from 10 Soviet-bloc countries met at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and endorsed a "Declaration of the Aims and Principles of Liberation of the Central and Eastern European Peoples." The group also advocated a European federation modelled after the United States.

Sport
Hjalmar Andersen of Norway won the men's world speed skating championship in Davos, Switzerland, clinching his triumph by winning the 10,000-metre race, the last event on the two-day program.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Wonderland by Night--Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: 24.000 baci--Adriano Celentano

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ramona--Blue Diamonds (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): Save the Last Dance for Me--The Drifters (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Are You Lonesome To-night?--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Calcutta--Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra
2 Will You Love Me Tomorrow--The Shirelles
3 Shop Around--The Miracles
4 Exodus--Ferrante and Teicher
--[Mantovani & his Orchestra]
5 Calendar Girl--Neil Sedaka
6 Emotions--Brenda Lee
7 There's a Moon Out Tonight--The Capris
8 Wonderland By Night--Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra
--[Louis Prima]
--[Anita Bryant]
9 Angel Baby--Rosie and the Originals
10 Wheels--The String-A-Longs
--[Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra]

Singles entering the chart were Think Twice by Brook Benton (#68); Lazy River by Bobby Darin (#71); I Don't Want to Cry by Chuck Jackson (#85); A Texan and a Girl from Mexico by Anita Bryant (#90); Please Love Me Forever by Cathy Jean and the Roommates (#94); The Touchables by Dickie Goodman (#95); I Pity the Fool by Bobby Bland (#96); Asia Minor by Kokomo (#98); Charlena by the Sevilles (#99); Cerveza by Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra (#100); and The Misfits by Don Costa, his Orchestra & Chorus (also #100). The Misfits was a version of the theme from the movie.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Where the Boys Are--Connie Francis
2 Ebony Eyes--The Everly Brothers
3 Baby Sittin' Boogie--Buzz Clifford
4 Apache--Jorgen Ingmann and his Guitar
5 Oh Joan--The Beau-Marks
6 Valley of Love--Johnny Ferguson
7 Wheels--The String-A-Longs
8 Shop Around--The Miracles
9 Good Time Baby--Bobby Rydell
10 There's a Moon Out Tonight--The Capris

Singles entering the chart were Three Wheels on My Wagon by Dick Van Dyke (#31); Happy Birthday Blues by Kathy Young with the Innocents (#34); Surrender by Elvis Presley (#36); I'm Tired by Ray Peterson (#37); Top Forty, News, Weather and Sports by Mark Dinning (#41); Little Miss Stuck-Up by the Playmates (#42); Stormy (Came to Town) by Donnie Owens (#44); Asia Minor by Kokomo (#45); Ram-Bunk-Shush by the Ventures (#47); Utopia by Frank Gari (#48); Think Twice by Brook Benton (#49); and Lazy River by Bobby Darin (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Ebony Eyes--The Everly Brothers
2 Baby Sittin' Boogie--Buzz Clifford
3 Where the Boys Are--Connie Francis
4 Calendar Girl--Neil Sedaka
5 Wheels--The String-A-Longs
6 Shop Around--The Miracles
7 Oh Joan--The Beau-Marks
8 Apache--Jorgen Ingmann and his Guitar
9 The Exodus Song--Pat Boone
10 A Scottish Soldier (Green Hills of Tyrol)--Andy Stewart

Singles entering the chart were Surrender by Elvis Presley (#24); Battle of Gettysburg by Fred Darian (#33); Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson (#36); A Texan and a Girl from Mexico by Anita Bryant (#37); Lazy River by Bobby Darin (#38); Don't Worry by Marty Robbins (#39); and You Can Have Her by Roy Hamilton (#40).

On television tonight
The Roaring 20's, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Black Saturday

Space
The mission of the Discoverer 5 capsule that had been launched by the United States on August 13, 1959 ended.

World events
Officials in the rebel Congolese province of Katanga said that the car from which deposed Congolese Premier Patrice Lumumba and two fellow prisoners had escaped two days earlier had been found overturned in a ditch about 45 miles north of the farmhouse where the men had been kept prisoner, but that there was no trace of the fugitives. The official story from Katanga was that the men had escaped police custody while being transported from one place of confinement to another, and that this account of events was not a cover-up for an assassination.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (5th week at #1)

Defense
At ceremonies in Washington, London, and Moscow, representatives of 63 nations signed a treaty prohibiting installation of nuclear weapons on the seabed beyond any nation’s 12-mile coastal zone.

Hockey
NHL
Minnesota 2 @ Montreal 6

Jean Beliveau scored 3 goals, including the 500th of his NHL career, to help the Canadiens defeat the North Stars at the Montreal Forum. Phil Roberto and Frank Mahovlich assisted on Mr. Beliveau's 500th goal.



30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 9 to 5--Dolly Parton
2 The Tide is High--Blondie
3 (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon
4 The Winner Takes it All--ABBA
5 Celebration--Kool & The Gang
6 I Love a Rainy Night--Eddie Rabbitt
7 Keep on Loving You--REO Speedwagon
8 Looking for Clues--Robert Palmer
9 Turn Me Loose--Loverboy
10 Woman--John Lennon

The only single entering the chart was Giving it Up for Your Love by Delbert McClinton (#18).

Diplomacy
In response to a U.S. charge that Nicaragua was permitting Cuba to use its territory for shipment of arms to El Salvador, the Sandanista government of Nicaragua urged the Salvadoran rebels to seek a political settlement with the Salvadoran government of President Jose Napoleon Duarte.

American freelance journalist Cynthia Dwyer was on her way home to Buffalo after being freed by Iran after 10 months in captivity. She had gone to Iran in April 1980 to write articles about the situation there, but had been arrested on May 5 and charged with spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

War
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Robert Mugabe vowed to take action against warring Negro guerrilla troops in his country.

Edmontonia
Beatrix Bohm was chosen Miss Teen Edmonton 1981. This blogger picked her at the beginning of the show, which was televised on CFRN.

25 years ago
1986

Diplomacy
Anatoli Shcharansky, who had been in prison for eight years after being convicted of espionage, was one of four Soviet dissidents released by the U.S.S.R. and East Germany in exchange for five convicted of espionage who were released by the U.S.A. and West Germany. Mr. Shcharansky flew to Israel to be reunited with is wife Avital, from whom he had been separated for 12 years.

War
Iran captured Fao, once the site of Iraq’s biggest oil export terminal. Although it was no longer being used for this purpose, Fao lay within sight of Kuwait.

Disasters
Former NASA budget analyst Richard Cook, testifying before U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s commission into the January 28 space shuttle Challenger explosion, talked about a memo he had written in July 1985 warning that "the charring of seals" from recent shuttle flights presented "a potentially major problem." Lawrence Mulloy, NASA’s project manager for the booster rockets, testified that in no previous instance had both the primary and the backup seals failed.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Ai wa Katsu--(愛は勝つ)--Kan (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter--Iron Maiden (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Beinhart--Torfrock (3rd week at #1)

Defense
U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev notified the Warsaw Pact that the military side of the alliance would disband on April 1. Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria had already indicated that they would withdraw from the alliance if it did not disband.

War
Allied officials reported that 39 Iraqi planes had been shot down and that 142 had now flown to Iran.

10 years ago
2001

Americana
Three Rivers Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers since 1970, was imploded, with thousands of people watching from several locations.

February 10, 2011

170 years ago
1841

Politics and government
The Act of Union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada, passed at Westminster on July 23, 1840, came into effect, uniting Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada, a legislative union with 84 members divided equally between Canada East and Canada West. Kingston was to be the capital, and Charles Poulett Thomson, Lord Sydenham was appointed the first Governor-General of the United Province of Canada.

130 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Pauline Brunius. Swedish actress and director. Mrs. Brunius, the wife of actor John W. Brunius, worked mainly in theatre, appearing in plays for more than 30 years, and directing plays at the Oscar Theatre (1926-1932). She was managing director of the Dramaten (Royal Dramatic Theatre) (1938-1948), and became known as the "Queen of Swedish Theatre." Mrs. Brunius appeared in 11 movies, directed 7, and wrote 4 (1920-1934). She died on March 30, 1954 at the age of 73.

120 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Adolphus Busch III. U.S. brewer. Mr. Busch succeeded his father Augustus A. Busch as president of Anheuser-Busch Company upon Augustus Busch's death in 1934. Adolphus Busch III ran the company until his death from a cerebral hemorrhage on August 29, 1946 at the age of 55, and was succeeded in turn by his brother August A. "Gussie" Busch, Jr.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Stella Adler. U.S. actress and teacher. Miss Adler, the sister of actors Luther and Jay Adler, performed in Yiddish theatre and with the Group Theatre in New York before going to Hollywood, appearing in movies such as Shadow of the Thin Man (1941). She returned to New York, where she became one of America's best known teachers of acting. Miss Adler died on December 21, 1992 at the age of 91.

70 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Walter Krivitsky, 41. U.S.S.R. spy. General Krivitsky, born Samuel Ginsburg, spied for the Soviet Union for about 20 years before defecting to the West in 1937 after Soviet dictator Josef Stalin began a purge of the General Staff of the Red Army. Gen. Krivitsky revealed information about Soviet espionage to the British and American governments, and became convinced that he was being targeted for assassination by the Soviet secret police force NKVD. Gen. Krivitsky was found dead in his room at the Bellevue Hotel in Washington, with a bullet in his head, and three suicide notes next to his body. The official verdict was suicide.

Movies
Paramount Pictures purchased the screen rights to the Broadway play Lady in the Dark for the record price of $283,000.

War
British colonial forces crossed the Kenyan border into Italian Somaliland, while Royal Air Force bombers left Singapore for bases in northern Malaya.

The United Kingdom announced that it had broken diplomatic relations with Romania because Romania's territory was being used by Germany as a military base.

Diplomacy
The United States Senate confirmed John G. Winant as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Scandal
U.S. Senator Harry Truman (Democrat--Missouri) demanded a Senate probe of irregularities in the awarding of defense contracts.

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives passed by voice vote and sent to the Senate the Public Debt Act of 1941, raising the national debt to $65 billion.

The U.S. Treasury Department revealed that about $4.369 billion worth of foreign assets had been frozen in the United States since April 1940.

60 years ago
1951

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Bewitched--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra; Doris Day (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Tennessee Waltz--Patti Page (Best Seller--7th week at #1; Disc Jockey--6th week at #1; Jukebox--6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 My Heart Cries for You--Guy Mitchell
--Dinah Shore
--Vic Damone
--Jimmy Wakely
2 The Tennessee Waltz--Patti Page
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Les Paul and Mary Ford
--Jo Stafford
3 Be My Love--Mario Lanza
4 If--Perry Como
5 The Thing--Phil Harris
6 Harbor Lights--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby
7 You’re Just in Love--Perry Como
8 Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You)--Paul Weston and his Orchestra
--The Mills Brothers
--Ralph Flanagan and his Orchestra
--Ray Anthony and his Orchestra
9 A Bushel and a Peck--Perry Como and Betty Hutton
--Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely
10 So Long (It’s Been Good to Know You)--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra and the Weavers

Singles entering the chart were Little Rock Getaway by Les Paul (#23); One Finger Melody by Frank Sinatra (#24); Tell Me You Love Me by Vic Damone (#27); Bring Back the Thrill by Eddie Fisher (#30); May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You, with versions by Frankie Laine; Bing Crosby; and Jan Peerce (#33); The Night is Young and You're So Beautiful by Ray Anthony and his Orchestra (#34); Wait for Me by Dinah Shore (#36); The Chicken Song (I Ain’t Gonna Take it Settin’ Down) by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (#37); and Aba Daba Honeymoon by Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter (#38). Aba Daba Honeymoon was from the movie Two Weeks With Love (1950).

War
U.S. and U.K. forces, advancing behind strong tank columns, reoccupied Kimpo Airfield and the port of Inchon, while South Korean patrols crossed the Han River into Seoul.

Diplomacy
West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer declared that there could be no unity talks between the two German states until 25,000 political prisoners were released from East German concentration camps.

Economics and finance
The U.S.S.R. announced the transfer of a number of Manchurian industrial plants to Chinese ownership.

Business
Howard Hughes sued the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for $2 million, charging that it had failed to pay all the money it promised to help build the 200-ton, eight-engine flying boat Hercules. Mr. Hughes said that he had already spent more than $17 million of his own money on the plane.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Are You Lonesome To-night?--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: , starring Barbara Nichols, Jonathan Harris, Fredd Wayne, and Arline Sax

Music
Ferde Grofe was at Niagara Falls, New York to conduct the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in the first performance of his Niagara Falls Suite, which he had composed as a commission from the New York State Power Authority to commemorate the opening of the Robert Moses Generating Plant.



Energy
The $720-million power project on the Niagara River was officially opened when New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller threw a switch during ceremonies at Niagara University, near Niagara Falls, New York, putting into service a 150,000-kilowatt generator at the Robert Moses Generating Plant, the largest power plant at Niagara Falls, and the first of 13 scheduled to be operating by 1963. Total capacity was expected to be 2,190,000 kilowatts.

World events
The government of the Congolese rebel province of Katanga announced that deposed Congolese Premier Patrice Lumumba, former Congolese Youth Minister Maurice Mpolo, and Congolese Senate Vice-President Joseph Okito had escaped the previous day while being moved from one place of confinement to another in Katanga. Because the 11-nation United Nations Conciliation Commission had failed in several attempts to get permission to interview Mr. Lumumba, there had been recurring reports that the three had died in prison. Katanagan officials denied that the escape story had been invented as a cover-up for an assassination, insisting that the prisoners had overpowered the sentries guarding them and had escaped in a police car. The Katanga government announced a widespread search for the missing men and offered rewards for information leading to their capture.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Larry Burrows, 44. U.K. photojournalist; Henri Huet, 43. French photojournalist; Kent Potter; Keisaburo Shimamoto. U.S. photojournalists; Tu Vu. Vietnamese photographer. Mr. Burrows (Life magazine), Mr. Huet (Associated Press), Mr. Potter (United Press International), Mr. Shimamoto (Newsweek magazine), and Mr. Vu were on a Vietnamese helicopter that crashed in Laos while they were covering Operation Lam Son 719 in the Vietnam War. There was no immediate word of their fate, but it was announced on March 2 that they were presumed dead.

Society
The United States Census Bureau reported that the Negro population of inner cities had increased sharply during the 1960s, while more whites had fled to the suburbs. The report, based on the 1970 national census, showed that three of the 50 largest cities in the U.S.A.--Washington, Atlanta, and Newark--were now more than half Negro, while only Washington had held that status in 1960.

Environment
The government of Canada limited the seal catch in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off Newfoundland and Labrador. The government also set maximum fines of up to $200,000 for air pollution.

Disasters
A Munich-to-Zurich express train derailed and crashed near Kaufbeuren, West Germany, killing 30 and injuring 34.

Two Thai buses collided head-on near Bangkok, killing 34 and injuring 80.

30 years ago
1981

War
After a visit by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to the battlefront in the hills of Ilam in Iran, Iraqi forces began a local offensive against the Iranians. The Iraqis reported that 163 Iranians had been killed, and another report numbered the Iraqi dead at 45.

Crime
The United States Justice Department announced that it was developing a package of proposals to increase the federal government’s ability to combat violent crime, and that the White House was studying a proposal to create a presidential commission on victims of crime. The Justice Department was studying five measures, including making murder for hire a federal offense, and allowing judges to consider the safety of a community when setting bail. The other measures called for Congress to establish a victim compensation fund so that victims or their survivors could get up to $50,000 for loss of earnings; for federal law to provide new protections for crime victims and witnesses; and also for federal law to provide an increased or mandatory sentence for crimes involving the use of a weapon or unusual violence.

Hockey
NHL
All-Star Game @ The Forum, Inglewood, California
Clarence S. Campbell Conference 4 Prince of Wales Conference 1

Bill Barber of the Philadelphia Flyers assisted on Calgary Flames' Kent Nilsson's opening goal 34 seconds into the game and then scored shorthanded at 8:02 of the 1st period to lead the Campbell Conference All-Stars before 15,761 fans. Wayne Babych of the St. Louis Blues scored at 16:12 of the 2nd period to make the score 3-0 for the Campbells. John Ogrodnick of the Detroit Red Wings scored at 6:13 of the 3rd period to get the Wales Conference on the scoreboard, but Behn Wilson of the Flyers scored at 10:18 to make the score 4-1. Mike Liut of the Blues and Pete Peeters of the Flyers combined to stop 42 of 43 shots.



25 years ago
1986

War
Iran launched a new offensive against Iraq.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Do the Bartman--The Simpsons (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Sadeness Part I--Enigma (9th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Unchained Melody--The Righteous Brothers (2nd week at #1)
2 Sadeness Part I--Enigma
3 Keep on Running--Milli Vanilli
4 Hello Afrika--Dr. Alban featuring Leila K.
5 Fantasy--Black Box
6 Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice
7 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight--Robert Palmer and UB40
8 To Love Somebody--Jimmy Somerville
9 Don't Worry--Kim Appleby
10 Kränk di net--Jazz Gitti & her Disco Killers

Singles entering the chart were Innuendo by Queen (#18); Play That Funky Music by Vanilla Ice (#25); Crazy by Seal (#27); All this Time by Sting (#28); and Megamix by Black Box (#29).

War
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein mad his first public broadcast in two weeks, calling on Iraqis to show patience and steadfastness. Iraqis faced severe water shortages, and most were without electricity.

World events
Results from the previous day’s non-binding referendum in Lithuania showed a vote of 90% in favour of independence from the Soviet Union. Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis declared the vote "a victory against lying and intimidation," referring to the Kremlin’s attempts to stop the Baltic republics’ drive for independence.

Labour
A Manitoba Nurses' Union strike ended.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Abraham Beame, 94. U.K.-born U.S. politician. Mr. Beame, born Abraham Birnbaum in London, moved to New York City with his parents as an infant. He was an accountant and a Democrat, and was New York City Comptroller (1962-1965, 1970-1973) before winning the New York City mayoral election in 1973, serving as Mayor from 1974-1977. Mr. Beame was in office during the worst financial crisis in the city's history, but the situation had improved considerably by the end of his term. He sought a second term in 1977, but finished third in the Democratic Party primary. Mr. Beame died after open-heart surgery.

February 9, 2011

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Heather Blacklock!

390 years ago
1621

Religion
Alessandro Cardinal Ludovisi was acclaimed as Pope Gregory XV, succeeding Paul V. The shortest conclave in Roman Catholic Church history concluded the day after it opened. Gregory XV was the last Pope elected by acclamation.

270 years ago
1741

Born on this date
Henri-Joseph Rigel. German-born composer. Mr. Rigel moved to Paris in 1767, and spent the rest of his life there. He wrote 14 operas, plus oratorios, harpsichord pieces, string quartets, symphonies and concertos. Mr. Rigel died on May 2, 1799 at the age of 58.

230 years ago
1781

Born on this date
Johann Baptist von Spix. German zoologist and explorer. Dr. Spix was a physician before becoming a zoologist. He and botanist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius went with Austrian naturalists to Brazil in 1817, and returned to Munich in 1820 with specimens of thousands of plants and animals, ethnographic objects, and two native children. Dr. Spix died on May 13, 1826 at the age of 45, possibly from a tropical disease.

150 years ago
1861

Politics and government
Jefferson Davis was elected the Provisional President of the Confederate States of America by the Confederate convention at Montgomery, Alabama.

130 years ago
1881

Died on this date
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 59. Russian author. Mr. Dostoyevsky (or Dostoevsky) wrote 12 novels, four novellas, 16 short stories, and numerous other works, and is regarded as one of the world's greatest psychological novelists, exploring philosophical and religious themes in novels such as Crime and Punishment (1866); The Idiot (1869); The Devils (1872); and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). He died 15 days after suffering a pulmonary hemorrhage.

120 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Ronald Colman. U.K.-born U.S. actor. Mr. Colman was a popular leading man in films such as Bulldog Drummond (1929); A Tale of Two Cities (1935); Lost Horizon (1937); The Prisoner of Zenda (1937); and Random Harvest (1942). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for A Double Life (1947). Mr. Colman died on May 19, 1958 at the age of 67.

Opera
The Canadian Pacific Railway opened its $200,000 Vancouver Opera House on Granville Street with the Emma Juch English Opera's performance of Lohengrin by Richard Wagner.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
James Murray. U.S. actor. Mr. Murray appeared more than 30 films--often in bit parts or as an extra--but was best known for his starring performance in The Crowd (1928). Heavy drinking destroyed his career and life, and probably contributed to his death by drowning after falling from the North River pier in New York City on July 11, 1936 at the age of 35.

Brian Donlevy. U.S. actor. Mr. Donlevy achieved success on stage in the 1920s and '30s before moving to Hollywood, where he appeared in movies, radio, and television programs through the 1960s, often in "tough guy" roles. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting performance in Beau Geste (1939), and starred as the title character in The Great McGinty (1940). Mr. Donlevy appeared in films noir such as Impact (1949) and The Big Combo (1955), and played Professor Bernard Quatermass in The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) and Quatermass 2 (1957). He starred in the radio (1949, 1950-1953) and television (1951-1952) series Dangerous Assignment. Mr. Donlevy died of throat cancer on April 6, 1972 at the age of 71.

Canadiana
Mrs. Nicholas Flood Davin organized the Regina chapter of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, for the purpose of erecting a monument of the late Queen Victoria.

100 years ago
1911

William O. Darby. U.S. military officer. Brigadier General Darby joined the United States Army in 1933, and commanded the 1st Ranger Battalion in World War II, most notably in Italy. The battalion became famous as "Darby's Rangers," conspicuous for their heroism. Brig. Gen. Darby, whose ultimate rank was conferred posthumously, was 34 when he was killed with one of his sergeants on April 30, 1945, when an artillery shell burst in the middle of the assembled officers and NCOs as he was giving orders for the attack on Trento to cut off a German retreat.

80 years ago
1931

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Mazarin Stone

Politics and government
Vere Brabazan Ponsonby, Earl of Bessborough was appointed Governor General of Canada, succeeding the Earl of Willingdon. He took office on April 4, 1931.

70 years ago
1941

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Hound of the Baskervilles, Part 5

Literature
The Book of the Month Club critics' poll selected the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway as the outstanding book of 1940.

War
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said in a broadcast from London that the United Kingdom didn't need American armies: "Give us the tools, and we will finish the job." The Canadian Army converted the Vancouver-based Fifth Canadian Motorcycle Regiment, CASF, redesignating it as the British Columbia Dragoons. The American Youth Congress denounced the European war as an "imperialist exploitation of the masses."

Politics and government
The Vichy French regime appointed Admiral Jean Darian as Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister.

60 years ago
1951

On the radio
Hear it Now, hosted by Edward R. Murrow, on CBS

Tonight's program included news about the recent fatal wreck of the commuter train The Broker in New Jersey.

Died on this date
Eddy Duchin, 41. U.S. musician. Mr. Duchin was a jazz pianist who performed with Leo Reisman's band before leading a band of his own, achieving commercial success in the 1930s and '40s as a "sweet" band. He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, but was unable to regain his musical popularity after the war. Mr. Duchin died of leukemia.

Abominations
Two days after massacring 705 unarmed civilians in the counties of Sancheong and Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, the South Korean Army's 11th Division, commanded by General Choe Deok-sin, began the three-day massacre of 719 unarmed civilians--including 385 children--in the county of Geochang, South Gyeongsang.

War
Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover criticized the "hurry, rush [and] anxiety" in U.S. preparations for full-scale war, claiming that air and sea power could protect the United States from Soviet attack without commitment of U.S. troops abroad.

Defense
The U.S. State Department reported that Cuban industrial and labour leaders had offered to give the United States direct use of Cuban industry and manpower for defense production.

Diplomacy
In protests to the United States, Czechoslovakia charged that Air Force planes from Germany had made 60 unauthorized flights over Czech territory.

Economics and finance
U.S. Price Stabilization Office Director Michael DiSalle put livestock slaughtering under license and quota controls in order to avert development of black markets in meat.

Boxing
Rex Layne (28-1-2) won a 10-round split decision over Cesar Brion (29-5) in a heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York.



50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade): Are You Lonesome To-night?--Elvis Presley

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Are You Lonesome To-night?--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Augie "The Banker" Ciamino

World events
A French jet fighter plane patrolling the Algerian coast fired warning shots across the path of a Soviet jet airliner carrying Soviet Chief of State Leonid Brezhnev on a state visit to Guinea via Morocco. The Soviet plane, a four-engine Ilyushin propeller jet, was unharmed, but the Soviet government accused the French of "international banditry." France expressed "sincere regrets" over the incident, but said the Soviet plane had drifted off the course specified in its original flight plan into "the zone of French responsibility." France promised a further investigation.

Society
U.S. President John F. Kennedy, in a special message to Congress, proposed a federal health insurance program, to be financed by increased Social Security contributions, to provide medical care for old people.

Academia
The Université de Sherbrooke's faculty of medicine was founded, with Dr. Gérard-Ludger Larouche as its first dean.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Kvällstoppen): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison

#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (4th week at #1)

Space
Nine days after liftoff, the command module Kitty Hawk, carrying the Apollo 14 crew of Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell splashed down on target in the South Pacific Ocean to conclude the first successful lunar landing mission in more than a year. The astronauts brought back 96 pounds of rocks believed to date back to the birth of the solar system.





War
U.S. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird and Secretary of State William Rogers told Congressional committees that Operation Dewey Canyon II--the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese offensive into Laos that had begun the previous day--would be limited in time and area, and that the attack was aimed at shortening the war, not widening it.

Diplomacy
Israel rejected Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s proposal of a one-way pullout by Israel from the Suez Canal, but left the door open for further discussion.

Protest
Six days of riots in Northern Ireland concluded with 11 deaths as Irish Republican Army factions fought each other, and Roman Catholics clashed with Protestants. The riots had been precipitated by a search for weapons by British troops in the Catholic district of Clonard. The district, never previously entered by British troops, was described as a refuge for leaders of the IRA "provisionals" faction, which had split with the IRA’s "leftist officials," and sought forceful unification of Ulster and Eyre.

Disasters
An earthquake centred in the San Gabriel Mountains smashed parts of Los Angeles. At least 64 people were killed--most of them residents of a veterans’ hospital--and more than 1,000 injured.

Baseball
Satchel Paige was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first player to inhabit a section devoted to those whose careers took place mainly or entirely in the Negro Leagues.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Cherry Blossom--Seiko Matsuda

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Angel of Mine--Frank Duval & Orchestra (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Bill Haley, 55. U.S. musician. Often thought of as a one-hit wonder, Mr. Haley was a key figure in the early years of rock and roll. Based in Chester, Pennsylvania, he began his recording career in 1948 as the leader of a country band called Bill Haley and the Four Aces of Western Swing, changing their name to Bill Haley and the Saddlemen in 1949. In 1951 they recorded a version of Rocket 88--often called the first rock and roll song--which had recently been a major hit on the rhythm and blues chart for Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (a band assembled by Ike Turner). The recording by Mr. Haley and the Saddlemen became a regional hit in the northeastern United States. Their 1952 cover of Jimmy Preston’s 1949 R&B hit Rock the Joint was a hit in Chicago. Later in 1952, the band changed its name yet again, becoming Bill Haley and his Comets.
In 1953, Mr. Haley and Comets’ bassist Marshall Lytle wrote Crazy Man, Crazy, which became the first rock and roll single to achieve widespread commercial success, reaching #12 on the Billboard singles chart and #11 on the Cash Box chart. (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock, which Mr. Haley and his Comets had been performing live to enthusiastic response for almost a year, was recorded and released in 1954 as the B-side of Thirteen Women (And Only One Man in Town), and reached #30 on the Billboard chart. A cover of Joe Turner’s Shake, Rattle and Roll (with bowdlerized lyrics) reached #10 on the Billboard pop chart in the summer of 1954--becoming the first rock and roll single to reach the top 10--and #1 on the rhythm and blues chart. Dim, Dim the Lights reached #11 on the Billboard charts in late 1954-early 1955, followed by Mambo Rock (#17), backed with Birth of the Boogie (#26). When (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock was included in the movie Blackboard Jungle as the song over the opening titles, the record was re-released, spending 8 weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts and 5 weeks at #1 in the U.K.
The next single, Razzle-Dazzle, peaked at #15, and Burn That Candle hit #9 near the end of 1955. Several personnel changes had taken place with the Comets by that time, most notably the addition of saxophonist Rudy Pompilli, who added greatly to the band’s sound and stage performance. A cover of Bobby Charles’ R&B hit See You Later, Alligator reached #6 on the Billboard charts in early 1956, but that turned out to be the band’s last top 10 hit in the U.S.A., as they were swept aside by the sudden success of Elvis Presley. Mr. Haley and the Comets were busy touring in 1956 as well as starring in Rock Around the Clock and Don’t Knock the Rock, two of the earliest rock and roll movies. In February 1957 the band became the first American rock and roll act to visit the U.K.; they were given a huge and enthusiastic welcome, and remained popular in Britain thereafter. Upon returning to the United States, Mr. Haley and his Comets recorded material of variable quality, and major chart success eluded them. Their last top 40 hit in their homeland was Skinny Minnie, which hit #22 on the Billboard charts in the spring of 1958. The instrumental Joey’s Song just failed to reach the top 40 in Billboard in 1959, but was a top 30 hit in Canada, and was #1 in Australia for several weeks at the end of the year. His last single to make the Billboard Hot 100 was the instrumental Skokiaan in early 1960; another instrumental, Tamiami, made the Cash Box chart shortly after.
Mr. Haley and his Comets moved to Mexico to perform and record in the early 1960s; in 1961 Florida Twist became the biggest-selling single in Mexican history to that time.
The Comets broke up soon after, and several years of relative inactivity followed for Mr. Haley. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mr. Haley and a new band of Comets (often including Mr. Pompilli) achieved success on the rock and roll revival performance circuit, an example of which can be seen in the 1973 concert film Let the Good Times Roll. Domestic problems and drinking plagued Mr. Haley’s later years, and his later recordings, made for the Sweden-based Sonet label, sold poorly--in fact, few people were aware that he was still occasionally making new records. Mr. Haley’s last highlight occurred in November 1979, when he returned to England and performed (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock in front of Queen Elizabeth II. He eventually settled in Harlingen, Texas, where he lived a lonely and troubled life before dying of a heart attack at his home. A strong case can be made that Bill Haley’s pioneering contribution has seldom or never been properly acknowledged. The reader can hear and see many performances by Mr. Haley and his various bands by searching YouTube.

War
Pakistani Foreign Minister Agha Shahi said that he had received a favourable reaction from Iran to a proposal to a visit to both Iran and Iraq by the leaders of eight Islamic nations and organizations in an attempt to end the war between Iran and Iraq.

25 years ago
1986

Politics and government
Haiti’s new governing council dissolved the National Assembly, which had supported dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, who had fled the country two days earlier.

Two days after the Philippines presidential election, 30 employees of the government’s Commission on Elections walked out, charging that the tally was being falsified.

Hockey
NHL
Buffalo 4 Edmonton 2

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): I Touch Myself--Divinyls (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Alle Børnene--2 X Kaj (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): 3 A.M. Eternal--The KLF featuring the Children of the Revolution (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Knockin' Boots--Candyman
2 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C&C Music Factory
3 Crazy--Seal
4 Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice
5 Innuendo--Queen
6 Go for It! (Heart and Fire)--Joey B. Ellis and Tynetta Hare
7 All Together Now--The Farm
8 Wicked Game--Chris Isaak
9 To Love Somebody--Jimmy Somerville
10 Maar Vanavond Heb Ik Hoofdpijn--Hanny

Singles entering the chart were 3 A.M. Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.) by the KLF (#28); Because I Love You (The Postman Song) by Stevie B. (#30); Moneytalks by AC/DC (#32); Bring Your Daughter...to the Slaughter by Iron Maiden (#33); Can I Kick It? by A Tribe Called Quest (#34); All True Man by Alexander O'Neal (#35); and Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You by Robert Palmer (#37).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams
2 The First Time--Surface
3 All the Man that I Need--Whitney Houston
4 Play That Funky Music--Vanilla Ice
5 Love Will Never Do (Without You)--Janet Jackson
6 After the Rain--Nelson
7 Sensitivity--Ralph Tresvant
8 I'm Not in Love--Will to Power
9 One More Try--Timmy -T-
10 I'll Give All My Love to You--Keith Sweat

Singles entering the chart were I’ve Been Thinking About You by Londonbeat (#52); You're in Love by Wilson Phillips (#64); Easy Come Easy Go by Winger (#84); Just the Way it is, Baby by the Rembrandts (#89); Give it Up by ZZ Top (#90); What's it Gonna Be by Jellybean featuring Niki Haris (#91); Sadeness Part 1 by Enigma (#93); and Funk Boutique by the Cover Girls (#98).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams
2 The First Time--Surface
3 Sensitivity--Ralph Tresvant
4 All the Man that I Need--Whitney Houston
5 Play That Funky Music--Vanilla Ice
6 Love Will Never Do (Without You)--Janet Jackson
7 Where Does My Heart Beat Now--Celine Dion
8 Disappear--INXS
9 After the Rain--Nelson
10 Just Another Dream--Cathy Dennis

Singles entering the chart were I’ve Been Thinking About You by Londonbeat (#76); Just the Way it is, Baby by the Rembrandts (#78); Easy Come Easy Go by Winger (#79); You're in Love by Wilson Phillips (#80); and Iesha by Another Bad Creation (#83).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Love Will Never Do (Without You)--Janet Jackson
2 Disappear--INXS
3 Til I Am Myself Again--Blue Rodeo
4 You Gotta Love Someone--Elton John
5 Justify My Love--Madonna
6 After the Rain--Nelson
7 I’m Not in Love--Will to Power
8 Wicked Game--Chris Isaak
9 Show Me the Way--Styx
10 All the Man that I Need--Whitney Houston

Singles entering the chart were Who Said I Would by Phil Collins (#68); Inside Out by the Traveling Wilburys (#69); My Side of the Bed by Susanna Hoffs (#77); Willy by Astley Cleveland (#78); Never Gonna Change My Mind by Acosta Russell (#84); Rocket O’Love by the Knack (#88); Tomorrow Wendy by Concrete Blonde (#93); Fallen Angel by Zahalan (#94); Give Peace a Chance by Sean Lennon (#95); Night and Day by Bette Midler (#97); and Let Go by Andy Curran (#98).

Died on this date
James Cleveland, 59. U.S. singer. Rev. Cleveland was known as the "King of Gospel Music" during a career in which he won four Grammy Awards.

World events
In a non-binding referendum, Lithuanians voted overwhelmingly in favour of secession from the Soviet Union. Lithuania was the first of the Baltic republics to hold such a vote. In an attempt to avoid antagonizing the Kremlin, Lithuania’s leaders called the vote an unofficial "public opinion poll" on Lithuania’s March 1990 declaration of independence. Nearly 85% of eligible voters to answer the only question on the ballot: "Do you want a democratic, independent Lithuania?" The results, released the next day, showed approximately 90% of the votes in favour of independence.

Politics and government
Donald Cameron defeated Roland Thornhill by 143 votes on the third ballot to become leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia. He took office as Premier of Nova Scotia on February 26, 1991, replacing interim Premier Roger Bacon, who had replaced the retired John Buchanan.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Herbert A. Simon, 84. U.S. political scientist and economist. Dr. Simon was a pioneer in the fields of artificial intelligence, information processing, decision-making, problem-solving, organization theory, complex systems, and computer simulation of scientific discovery. He was awarded the 1978 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences "for his pioneering research into the decision-making process within economic organizations."

Politics and government
Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in an effort to form a coalition government, asked his defeated rival, Ehud Barak, to become Defense Minister, and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres to serve as Foreign Minister.

Disasters
Nine people were killed when the U.S. nuclear submarine USS Greeneville collided with a Japanese fishing boat nine miles from Pearl Harbor. The sub was on routine patrol when it surfaced rapidly under the Ehime Maru, which sank within minutes. Two teachers and 13 high school students from a fisheries school, as well as 20 crew members, were on the boat. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 26 people, but the two teachers, four students, and three crew members were killed.

February 8, 2011

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Maria Nastas!

1,590 years ago
421

Politics and government
Constantius III was appointed co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire by Emperor Honorius.

720 years ago
1291

Born on this date
Afonso IV. King of Portugal, 1325-1357. Afonso IV "the Brave" was the only legitimate son of King Denis and Elizabeth of Aragon, and acceded to the throne upon the death of his father. His reign was mostly peaceful, with the exception of a four-year war against Castile. The latter part of King Afonso's reign was characterized by political intrigue, much of it resulting from his son and heir Pedro's affair with Inês de Castro, his wife's lady-in-waiting. King Afonso IV died on May 28, 1357 at the age of 66, and was succeeded by his son Pedro I.

420 years ago
1591

Born on this date
Guercino. Italian artist. Guercino, whose real name was Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, was a Baroque painter and draftsman who produced over 140 paintings and numerous drawings. He painted and drew landscapes, genre subjects, and caricatures. Guercino died on December 22, 1666 at the age of 75.

410 years ago
1601

World events
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, led a rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I and the court faction led by Sir Robert Cecil in order to gain further influence at court. Lord Essex, the Earl of Southampton, and other followers surrendered that night.

380 years ago
1631

Britannica
King Charles I granted Cape Breton Island to Robert Gordon of Lochinvar and his son Robert.

Politics and government
King Louis XIII of France named Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour as Lieutenant General and Governor of Acadia.

270 years ago
1741

Born on this date
André Grétry. Belgian-born French composer. Mr. Grétry moved to France in 1767 after years of study in Rome. He wrote 50 operas, and was known for his opéras comiques, many of them influenced by the great events he witnessed. Mr. Grétry died on September 24, 1813 at the age of 72.

150 years ago
1861

Politics and government
42 delegates from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida concluded their convention in Montgomery, Alabama by creating the Confederate States of America. A provisional constitution was adopted, similar to that of the United States of America, the Union from which they were attempting to secede. Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was elected provisional President of the C.S.A., with Alexander Stephens of Georgia as provisional Vice President.

90 years ago
1921

Died on this date
George Formby Sr., 45. U.K. entertainer. Mr. Formby, born James Lawler Booth, was one of Britain's most popular music hall and revue singers and comedians in the first two decades of the 20th century. He created numerous characters, one of which influenced Charlie Chaplin's character The Little Tramp. Mr. Formby long suffered from poor health, and he died from pulmonary tuberculosis. His son George Hoy Booth also performed under the name George Formby, and became more famous than his father.

Economics and finance
Quebec's caisses populaires (credit unions) set up a Propaganda Committee to promote their interests.

80 years ago
1931

Politics and government
Three days of voting in the Guatemalan general election concluded as General Jorge Ubico Castañeda, the candidate of the Progressive Liberal Party and the only candidate on the ballot, was elected President. The PLP took all 69 seats in the Congress.

Disasters
All three people aboard a Dominion Airlines Desoutter died when it crashed near Wairoa in northern Hawke’s Bay in the first fatal accident involving a scheduled passenger air service in New Zealand.

Hockey
IIHF World Championships @ Krynica-Zdrój, Poland
Final round
Austria (2-3) 1 Sweden (1-3-1) 0
Poland (1-3-1) 0 Czechoslovakia (1-3-1) 0
Canada (4-0-1) 2 U.S.A. (4-1) 0

The University of Manitoba Grads, representing Canada, shut out the Americans to win Canada's fifth world championship. Austria edged Sweden to become European champions.

75 years ago
1936

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Harry West, on MBS
Tonight’s episode: The Red Headed League

Died on this date
Charles Curtis, 76. 31st Vice President of the United States, 1929-1933. Mr. Curtis, a Republican, was partly of Kaw Indian ancestry, and grew up on a reservation in Kansas. He represented his state in the United States House of Representatives from 1893-1907 and in the Senate from 1907-1913 and 1915-1929, when he took office as Vice President under President Herbert Hoover. Mr. Curtis was Mr. Hoover's running mate again in 1932, but the administration was unpopular because of its perceived inability to deal with the Depression, and the ticket was soundly defeated. Mr. Curtis then retired from politics and practiced law until his death from a heart attack, two weeks after his 76th birthday.

Football
NFL
The National Football League held its first draft of college players. Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago, winner of the 1935 Downtown Athletic Trophy--soon to be renamed the Heisman Trophy--as the nation’s outstanding college player, was the first player selected, by the Philadelphia Eagles. The other Pennsylvania team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, took as their first selection a back named William Shakespeare.

70 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Frenesi--Artie Shaw and his Orchestra (8th week at #1)

War
German and Bulgarian general staffs reached a secret agreement for permitting passage of German troops to attack Greece. The Greek government asked for British aid in the case of attack by German forces.

Defense
The United States House of Representatives passed the Lend-Lease bill by a vote of 260-165 after rejecting 13 additional amendments. A Gallup Poll reported that 54% of American voters questioned in a recent survey supported the Lend-Lease bill, with 22% opposed.

U.S. National Education Association President Dr. Donald DuShane proposed formation of a teachers' defense commission to prevent threatened attacks on public schools.

Diplomacy
Malcolm MacDonald was appointed British High Commissioner to Canada.

Harry Hopkins, personal representative of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, had his last meeting with Mr. Churchill at Chequers, the private prime ministerial retreat.

Politics and government
The French government reported that former Prime Minister Pierre Laval had rejected Prime Minister Marshal Philippe Petain's offer to be readmitted to the Vichy cabinet as a minister of state; Mr. Laval reportedly demanded the prime ministership with a cabinet of his own choosing.

Economics and finance
Brazilian President Getulio Vargas decreed that export permits would be required for Brazilian raw materials, chemical products, machinery, and tools to all countries outside the Americas.

Labour
The U.S. National Labor Relations Board ordered International Harvester Company to abolish company-dominated unions in its six Midwestern plants.

60 years ago
1951

Died on this date
Fritz Thyssen, 77. German industrialist. Mr. Thyssen took over his father's mining and steel companies in 1926, forming United Steelworks (Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG) and becoming one of the most influential businessmen in Germany. He began supporting the Nazi Party in 1923, but didn't join the party in 1933, when he was elected to the Reichstag. Mr. Thyssen, a Roman Catholic, began criticizing Nazi persecution of Catholics in the late 1930s, and increasingly opposed the party. He opposed the German cause at the beginning of World War II, resulting in his expulsion from the Nazi Party and the Reichstag. Mr. Thyssen fled to France, but was caught up in the German invasion, and ended up spending most of the war in German custody, first in a sanatorium and then in two concentration camps. He was declared a lesser offender by a denazification tribunal in 1948, and paid 500,000 Deutschmarks in compensation to those who had been harmed by his actions. In 1950, Mr. Thyssen and his wife moved to Argentina, where he died.

War
U.S. tanks and artillery shelled Seoul in the U.S. "kill Communists" offensive.

Politics and government
The Convention People's Party, led by Kwame Nkrumah, won 34 of 38 elected seats in the Assembly in the Gold Coast general election. Mr. Nkrumah was elected in Accra Central despite being in prison at the time; he was soon released. Most seats in the Assembly were held by appointed members.



Crime
In New York City, U.S. Federal Judge Gregory Noonan sentenced former U.S. Commerce Department economist William Remington to five years in prison and a $2,000 fine, the day after being convicted of perjury for telling a grand jury in May 1950 that he had never been a member of the Communist Party.

Medicine
Mrs. Dorothy Stevens, 23, recovered in a Chicago hospital after being found frozen in an alley with a body temperature of 64 F., the lowest for any recorded recovery.

Economics and finance
The British government raised the pay and allowances of the royal family by 10%, assuming about £40,000 in household expenses.

Labour
On the orders of U.S. President Harry Truman, the U.S. Army directed 120,000 striking railroad workers to return to work by February 10 or lose their jobs. President Truman's order also granted a temporary, immediate pay raise of 12½c for yard men and 5c per hour for road men.

Baseball
Boston Red Sox' left fielder Ted Williams signed his 1951 contract with the team for about $125,000, making him the sport's highest-paid player. He batted .317 with 28 home runs and 97 runs batted in in 89 games in a 1950 season that was interrupted by a broken elbow suffered in the major league All-Star Game.

50 years ago
1961

Defense
At a press conference, U.S. President John F. Kennedy, addressing the issue of a "missile gap" in favour of the U.S.S.R., said that administration "studies are not complete and therefore it would be premature to reach a judgement as to whether there is a gap or not a gap."



40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Bōkyō--Shinichi Mori (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Te Quiero, Te Quiero--Nino Bravo (8th week at #1)

War
Operation Dewey Canyon II, an invasion of Laos by 21,000 South Vietnamese troops supported by heavy U.S. airpower and artillery fire, began. It was the first day of a 44-day assault on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong’s 300-mile infiltration network from Hanoi into South Vietnam and Cambodia.

World events
Cambodian Premier Lon Nol suffered a paralyzing stroke.

Protest
600 U.S. National Guardsmen were ordered into Wilmington, North Carolina to restore order after four days of racial violence in which two people had been shot to death.

Economics and finance
NASDAQ, the world's first electronic stock exchange, held its first trading day.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Shaddap You Face--Joe Dolce Music Theatre (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon (4th week at #1)

Health
A report from the Overseas Development Council announced that death rates in backward nations had been increasing. The chief factors cited were a slowdown in economic development and the advances in controlling diseases, which meant that the people were being attacked by diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, and malnutrition.

Disasters
A fire in a circus tent in Bangalore, India killed 66 people and injured 500.

21 people were crushed to death in a stampede after a soccer match at Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens.

Figure Skating
Scott Hamilton of Bowling Green, Ohio received two perfect 6.0 marks in winning his first U.S. men’s championship.

Hockey
NHL
Calgary 10 @ Edmonton 4

25 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Diamond--Via Verdi

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Nikita--Elton John (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): A Good Heart--Feargal Sharkey (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Only Love--Nana Mouskouri

#1 single in the U.K.: The Sun Always Shines on T.V.--A-Ha (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): That’s What Friends are For--Dionne and Friends (with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 That’s What Friends are For--Dionne and Friends (with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) (3rd week at #1)
2 Burning Heart--Survivor
3 I’m Your Man--Wham!
4 Talk to Me--Stevie Nicks
5 When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going--Billy Ocean
6 Say You, Say Me--Lionel Richie
7 My Hometown--Bruce Springsteen
8 How Will I Know--Whitney Houston
9 Kyrie--Mr. Mister
10 Spies Like Us--Paul McCartney

Singles entering the chart were Rock Me Amadeus by Falcon (#76); Tender Love by Force M.D.’s (#79); Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer (#83); Life's What You Make It by Talk Talk (#88); Lying by Peter Frampton (#89); and Jimmy Mack by Sheena Easton (#90). Tender Love was from the movie Krush Groove (1985).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Miss You--Klymaxx
2 That’s What Friends are For--Dionne and Friends (with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder)
3 Rock Me Amadeus--Falco
4 Party All the Time--Eddie Murphy
5 When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going--Billy Ocean
6 Say You, Say Me--Lionel Richie
7 I’m Your Man--Wham!
8 Conga--Miami Sound Machine
9 Tarzan Boy--Baltimora
10 Talk to Me--Stevie Nicks

Singles entering the chart were Eurasian Eyes by Corey Hart (#78); Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone by Glass Tiger (#82); Another Night by Aretha Franklin (#90); Night Moves by Marilyn Martin (#94); A Good Heart by Feargal Sharkey (#95); Vienna Calling by Falco (#97); and The Power of Love by Jennifer Rush (#98).

Died on this date
Diane Elsroth. U.S. crime victim. Ms. Elsroth, a resident of Peekskill, New York, died after taking a Tylenol capsule that contained potassium cyanide. The bottle containing the deadly capsule had been purchased at an A&P supermarket in Bronxville, New York. Ms. Elsroth's death was reminiscent of the deaths of seven people in 1982 from the same cause; those murders have never been solved. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration seized thousands of packages of Tylenol capsules in the Bronxville area.

Disasters
In Alberta’s worst train crash, 23 people were killed and 95 injured in a collision between a Via Rail Supercontinental passenger train and a Canadian National Railways freight train near Hinton. The freight train passed warning lights and a stop light before jumping a closed switch into the path of the oncoming passenger train.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 4 @ Washington 5 (OT)
St. Louis 2 @ Toronto 3 (OT)

20 years ago
1991

War
U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney and General Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Saudi Arabia to review the progress of the war against Iraq.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Ivo Caprino, 80. Norwegian director and screenwriter. Mr. Caprino was known for his stop-motion puppet films, especially Flåklypa Grand Prix (Pinchcliffe Grand Prix) (1975). He died of cancer, nine days before his 81st birthday.

Diplomacy
Colombian President Andres Pastrana began two days of talks with Manuel Marulanda, leader of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a rebel group that had been fighting the Colombian government since the 1960s.

Politics and government
Lorne Calvert was sworn in as Premier of Saskatchewan, replacing Roy Romanow as head of the province's New Democratic Party government.

Economics and finance
U.S. President George W. Bush submitted a proposal to Congress to lower federal taxes.

February 7, 2011

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sherri Pierce and Meisy!

710 years ago
1301

Britannica
Prince Edward--the future King Edward II--was declared Prince of Wales by his father King Edward I.

140 years ago
1871

Born on this date
Wilhelm Stenhammar. Swedish composer and conductor. Mr. Stenhammar was a pianist whose compositions included two symphonies and numerous works for piano. He died on November 20, 1927 at the age of 56.

Died on this date
Henry E. Steinway, 73. German-born American businessman. Mr. Steinway, born Henirich Steinweg, was a carpenter who became a church organist and then began building musical instruments, specializing in pianos. He and five of his sons moved to New York in 1850 and founded Steinway & Sons in 1853, which remains the world's leading manufacturer of pianos. Mr. Steinway died eight days before his 74th birthday.

120 years ago
1891

Died on this date
Marie Louise Andrews, 41. U.S. writer. Mrs. Andrews, a native and resident of Indiana, wrote poems, essays, and sketches for various periodicals. She was an editor at the Indianapolis Herald in the 1880s, and was one of the founders of the Western Association of Writers, serving as its first secretary from 1886-1888.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald declared "A British subject I was born, a British subject I will die" during his final speech in the House of Commons, before entering his last federal election campaign.

90 years ago
1921

Died on this date
John J. Gardner, 75. U.S. politician. Mr. Gardner, a Republican, served two terms as Mayor of Atlantic City (1868-1872, 1874-1875); was a member of the New Jersey Senate (1878-1893); and represented New Jersey's 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1893-1913). He died of heart disease.

70 years ago
1941

War
French Army General Maxime Weygand announced that he would not allow German troops to land in Bizerte, Tunisia.

A peace conference between Thailand and French Indochina opened in Tokyo.

Defense
Chile and Peru signed a pact in Lima providing for joint defense of their Pacific coastline.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted down six amendments to the Lend-Lease bill that would preclude the U.S.S.R. from receiving any aid from the United States.

Society
Helen Keller announced her resignation as honourary national chairman of the American Rescue Ship Mission for Spanish refugees, which had been denounced as Communist-dominated.

Journalism
Brazilian President Getulio Vargas suppressed all foreign-language publications, granting them six months to change to the Portuguese language.

60 years ago
1951

On television tonight
The Storm, on WKRC
Tonight's episode: The Last Waltz

The Storm was an anthology series that aired on WKRC in Cincinnati. The station's studios, from which The Storm aired on Tuesdays at 10 P.M., were in the Cincinnati Times-Star building. The Last Waltz was one of many episodes of the series written by Cincinnati resident Rod Serling.

Abominations
The South Korean Army's 11th Division, commanded by General Choe Deok-sin, massacred 705 unarmed civilians in the counties of Sancheong and Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province. The victims were civilians, and 85% of them were women, children and elderly people.

Crime
A U.S. federal grand jury in New York convicted former U.S. Commerce Department economist William Remington of perjury for telling a grand jury in May 1950 that he had never been a member of the Communist Party.

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a three-year extension of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act after incorporatiing four Republican-supported restrictions, including a ban on trade concessions to Soviet bloc states.

Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Joe Louis (63-2) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Cuban heavyweight champion Omelio Agramonte (42-12) at Olympia Stadium in Detroit.

50 years ago
1961

On television tonight
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, hosted by John Newland, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Person Unknown, starring David J. Stewart, Rodolfo Acosta, and Jay Novello



Thriller, hosted by Boris Karloff, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Hay-Fork and Bill-Hook, starring Kenneth Haigh, Audrey Dalton, and Alan Napier



Boxing
Harold Johnson (63-8) knocked down Jesse Bowdry (29-6) 4 times before referee Cy Gottfried stopped the fight 45 seconds into the 9th round of a scheduled 15 rounds at Convention Hall in Miami Beach, Florida, giving Mr. Johnson a technical knockout and the National Boxing Association light heavyweight championship. The NBA had stripped Archie Moore of the title on October 25, 1960, presumably because he had gained weight; 29 of his last 33 fights he had fought as a heavyweight. On the undercard, Cassius Clay (4-0) knocked out Jimmy Robinson (1-3) just 1:34 into the 1st round of a heavyweight bout. Mr. Robinson was a last-minute substitute for Mr. Clay’s scheduled opponent, Willie Gulatt, who failed to appear. The fight had been scheduled for a maximum of 8 rounds.

40 years ago
1971

Abominations
A constitutional amendment was approved by male voters in Switzerland giving women for the first time the right to vote in federal elections and to hold federal office.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Anna Dai Capelli Rossi--I Ragazzi Dai Capelli Rossi (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Lola (Live)--The Kinks

#1 single in Ireland: (Just Like) Imagine--John Lennon (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): In the Air Tonight--Phil Collins

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Woman--John Lennon

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Shine Up--Doris D and the Pins
2 Lola (Live)--The Kinks
3 Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)--Tom Browne
4 Stars on 45--Stars on 45
5 If You Could Read My Mind - Special U.S. Disco-Mix--Viola Wills
6 Runaway Boys--Stray Cats
7 Celebration--Kool & The Gang
8 My Feet Won't Move--Fruitcake
9 Amoureux Solitaires/Dis Moi que Tu M'aimes--Lio
10 Een barg die hé un krul in de steert--De Aal

Singles entering the chart were While You See a Chance by Steve Winwood (#29); Ik Ben Tamboer by Corrie Van Gorp (#34); Shine On by L-T-D (#36); Get Up by Maria Verano (#37); and Gotta Have More Love by Climax Blues Band (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Celebration--Kool & The Gang
2 The Tide is High--Blondie
3 I Love a Rainy Night--Eddie Rabbitt
4 9 to 5--Dolly Parton
5 Passion--Rod Stewart
6 (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon
7 Every Woman in the World--Air Supply
8 Woman--John Lennon
9 It's My Turn--Diana Ross
10 Giving it Up for Your Love--Delbert McClinton

Singles entering the chart were Fade Away by Bruce Springsteen (#65); Don't Stand So Close to Me by the Police (#78); While You See a Chance by Steve Winwood (#80); Fireflies by Fleetwood Mac (#82); Just Between You and Me by April Wine (#85); Don't Stop the Music by Yarbrough & Peoples (#86); And Love Goes On by Earth, Wind & Fire (#87); Cafe Amore by Spyro Gyra (#89); and 8th Wonder by Sugarhill Gang (#98).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Tide is High--Blondie (2nd week at #1)
2 Celebration--Kool & The Gang
3 (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon
4 Passion--Rod Stewart
5 9 to 5--Dolly Parton
6 I Love a Rainy Night--Eddie Rabbitt
7 Love on the Rocks--Neil Diamond
8 Same Old Lang Syne--Dan Fogelberg
9 Keep on Loving You--REO Speedwago
10 Hey Nineteen--Steely Dan

Singles entering the chart were Fade Away by Bruce Springsteen (#61); While You See a Chance by Steve Winwood (#69); Don't Stand So Close to Me by the Police (#71); Fireflies by Fleetwood Mac (#82); And Love Goes On by Earth, Wind & Fire (#85); Just the Two of Us by Grover Washington, Jr. (#86); Just Between You and Me by April Wine (#88); Turn Me Loose by Loverboy (#90); and Proud by the Joe Chemay Band (#96). The [uncredited] vocal on Just the Two of Us was by Bill Withers.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 The Tide is High--Blondie (2nd week at #1)
2 (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon
3 9 to 5--Dolly Parton
4 Celebration--Kool & The Gang
5 I Love a Rainy Night--Eddie Rabbitt
6 Passion--Rod Stewart
7 Keep on Loving You--REO Speedwagon
8 Every Woman in the World--Air Supply
9 Hit Me with Your Best Shot--Pat Benatar
10 Hey Nineteen--Steely Dan

Singles entering the chart were Fade Away by Bruce Springsteen (#56); Don't Stand So Close to Me by the Police (#72); While You See a Chance by Steve Winwood (#74); Fireflies by Fleetwood Mac (#84); I Don't Want to Know Your Name by Glen Campbell (#85); How 'Bout Us by Champaign (#88); and It's a Love Thing by the Whispers (#89).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 The Tide is High--Blondie
2 (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon
3 Wasn't That a Party--The Rovers
4 Passion--Rod Stewart
5 Hungry Heart--Bruce Springsteen
6 De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da--The Police
7 Lady--Kenny Rogers
8 Tell it Like it Is--Heart
9 Hey Nineteen--Steely Dan
10 More Than I Can Say--Leo Sayer

Singles entering the chart were Woman by John Lennon (#41); In My Room by Billy Thorpe (#42); Celebration by Kool & The Gang (#45); 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton (#46); and A Little in Love by Cliff Richard (#48).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 The Tide is High--Blondie (2nd week at #1)
2 De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da--The Police
3 Looking for Clues--Robert Palmer
4 Guilty--Barbra Streisand (Duet with Barry Gibb)
5 Hey Nineteen--Steely Dan
6 I Ain't Gonna Stand for It--Stevie Wonder
7 I Love a Rainy Night--Eddie Rabbitt
8 (Just Like) Starting Over--John Lennon
9 Teacher Teacher--Rockpile
10 Turn Me Loose--Loverboy

Singles entering the chart were Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon (#28); Treat Me Right by Pat Benatar (#29); and A Little in Love by Cliff Richard (#30).

Hockey
NHL
Boston 2 @ Montreal 6

25 years ago
1986

World events
Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier fled the country for exile in France aboard a U.S. transport plane. He was accompanied by his wife, children, and 20 other relatives. Haiti’s armed forces chief of staff, Lieutenant General Henri Namphy, then formed a six-man National Council of Government, five of whose members had been associated with the Duvaliers. Opponents of the old regime tracked down and killed many members of Mr. Duvalier’s personal security force, the Volunteers for National Security, better known as the Tontons Macoute ("Bogeymen"), who were known for their human rights abuses.

Presidential election day in the Philippines was marred by at least 30 violent deaths and by reports of widespread vote fraud on the part of supporters of incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos. U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (Republican--Indiana) and Representative John Murtha (Democrat--Pennsylvania) led a delegation of 20 Americans who observed the election; many were critical of the conduct of the Marcos campaign.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the nation's unemployment rate had fallen to 6.6% in January, the lowest level since March 1980.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Do the Bartman--The Simpsons (3rd week at #1)

Terrorism
The provisional Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for an apparent assassination attempt on British Prime Minister John Major and senior cabinet ministers. Three mortar shells were fired at Mr. Major’s official residence at 10 Downing Street in London as he was meeting with several cabinet members. The shells, fired from a van parked 200 metres from the building, all missed their target, with two overshooting without exploding, and the third exploding about 15 metres behind the residence. Though the glass in the bulletproof windows of the Cabinet Room was broken, no one was hurt. The meeting adjourned to an underground room.

War
In a televised speech, King Hussein of Jordan backed Iraq in the Gulf War, saying that the war was directed against all Arabs and Muslims.

Politics and government
Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti’s first democratically-elected President.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 94. U.S. authoress and aviatrix. Mrs. Lindbergh, the daughter of politician and diplomat Dwight Morrow, met famed aviator Charles Lindbergh late in 1927, and the couple married in 1929. She flew solo for the first time that year, and in 1930 became the first American woman to earn a first-class glider pilot's license. Charles Lindbergh, Jr. was born on June 22, 1930--his mother's 24th birthday--but was kidnapped and murdered in March 1932 in one of the most infamous crimes of the 20th century. The unwelcome press attention led the Lindberghs to flee to England, whence they advocated an isolationist foreign policy for the United States. The couple returned to America n 1939, and in 1940 Mrs. Lindbergh published The Wave of the Future, a booklet in support of Fascism. Her other books included Gift from the Sea (1955), which influenced the environmental movement. Mrs. Lindbergh's diaries and letters from 1922-1944 were published in five volumes (1971-1980) to critical acclaim. She was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1979, and received various other honours. Mrs. Lindbergh suffered a series of strokes in the early 1990s, and died after another stroke.

Football
CFL
For the second straight year, Charlie Taaffe of the Montreal Alouettes was named the winner of the Annis Stukus Trophy as Coach of the Year for 2000. Mr. Taaffe, who was departing for U.S. university football, had led the Alouettes to a first-place finish in the East Division with a 12-6 record. They had defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Eastern Final before suffering a close 28-26 loss to the British Columbia Lions in the Grey Cup. Mr. Stukus was on hand for the presentation at the Westin Hotel in Edmonton.

CIS
Jerry Friesen was introduced as the new head coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears, replacing the departed Tom Wilkinson. Mr. Friesen had been serving as an assistant coach to Brian Towriss with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies when he was offered the chance to be a head coach. Mr. Friesen was a linebacker with the Huskies in the 1970s before playing several years in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders. In 10 years under Mr. Wilkinson (1991-2000), the Golden Bears had recorded only one winning record (5-3 in 1993) and had made the playoffs just once (1993).