Thursday 30 April 2009

April 30, 2009

220 years ago
1789


Politics and government
George Washington was inaugurated as the 1st President of the United States under the Constitution. The ceremony took place on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City., and President Washington delivered his inaugural address to a joint session of Congress.

Canadiana
Parrtown and Carleton became Saint John, New Brunswick the first incorporated city in what is now Canada.

150 years ago
1859


Literature
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens began running in serial form in Mr. Dickens' new literary magazine All the Year Round.

100 years ago
1909


Born on this date
Juliana
. Queen of the Netherlands, 1948-1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry. As a princess, she lived in exile in Canada from 1940-1945 during the Nazi occupation of her homeland during World War II, and helped to forge bonds of friendship between the Netherlands and Canada that continue to this day. Princess Juliana returned to the Netherlands in 1945, and succeeded to the throne upon her mother's abdication. Queen Juliana herself abdicated on her 71st birthday in 1980 in favour of her daughter Beatrix, and became known once again as Princess Juliana. She died of Alzheimer's disease on March 20, 2004, the 70th anniversary of the death of her grandmother, Queen Emma.

90 years ago
1919

Baseball

Joe Oeschger of the Philadelphia Phillies and Burleigh Grimes of the Brooklyn Robins both pitched complete games in a 9-9 20-inning tie before 1,300 fans at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. Mr. Oeschger gave up 22 hits and 5 bases on balls, while Mr. Grimes gave up 15 hits and 5 walks. Brooklyn center fielder Hy Myers batted 5 for 8 with a home run, double, 3 runs, and 4 runs batted in; his 3-run homer gave the Robins a 9-6 lead in the 19th, but the Phillies rallied with 3 in the bottom of the 19th.

The New York Giants scored a run in the top of the 9th inning to tie the score and 3 in the top of the 10th to break a 2-2 tie and defeat the Boston Braves 5-2 before 1,500 fans at Braves Field.

Phil Douglas pitched a 4-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Lee Meadows as the Chicago Cubs shut out the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 at Weeghman Park in Chicago. Chicago left fielder Turner Barber had a double and 2 triples, scoring 3 runs, while center fielder Dode Paskert drove in 3 runs with a home run and a double.

Sammy Vick led off the bottom of the 1st inning with his first major league home run, helping the New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Athletics 5-3 before 6,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York.

The Boston Red Sox scored 4 runs in the first 2 innings en route to a 6-1 win over the Washington Nationals at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Boston leadoff hitter Harry Hooper batted 4 for 5 with a double and a run. Ray Caldwell pitched a 7-hit complete game victory, and batted 1 for 3 with a sacrifice.

The Chicago White Sox took an 8-2 lead after 5 1/2 innings and withstood a 3-run 9th-inning rally to defeat the Detroit Tigers 9-7 at Navin Field in Detroit. Dickie Kerr allowed 12 hits and 7 earned runs in pitching a complete game victory.

The Cleveland Indians scored all their runs in the first 2 innings as they beat the St. Louis Browns 4-2 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. George Uhle started on the mound for Cleveland in his first major league game, allowing 8 hits and 2 earned runs, walking 5 batters and striking out 3 in 6 1/3 innings to get the win, with Fritz Coumbe allowing 1 hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief to get the save.

70 years ago
1939


Died on this date
Frank Haller, 56
. U.S. boxer. Mr. Haller won the silver medal in the featherweight division at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games in St. Louis.

On television today
U.S. commercial television made its official debut as NBC broadcast U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's ceremonial address at the opening of the World’s Fair in New York City. The signal was transmitted from the Empire State Building. It was the first major public event to be televised, as the National Broadcasting Company inaugurated its regularly scheduled service over station W2XBS; an estimated 1,000 people saw the event on about 200 television sets scattered throughout the New York area.

Americana
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was on hand in New York to officially open the World's Fair; 206,000 people visited the fair on opening day.



Baseball
The Washington Nationals scored 3 runs in the top of the 8th inning, 2 on a single by Buddy Lewis, as they edged the New York Yankees 3-2 before 23,712 fans at Yankee Stadium. Joe Krakauskas started on the mound for Washington and allowed just 4 hits and 1 run, earned, in 7 innings. He was removed for a pinch hitter with the Nationals trailing 1-0, but became the winning pitcher as a result of the 8th-inning rally. Oral Hildebrand started on the mound for New York and allowed 11 hits and 3 runs--all earned--in 8 innings in taking the loss. New York first baseman Lou Gehrig played his 2,130th consecutive game, batting 0 for 4 and making 7 putouts and 2 assists. For the Iron Horse, it turned out to be the 2,164th and last game of his 17-year major league career.

The Detroit Tigers scored 4 runs in each of the 3rd, 5th, and 6th innings as they routed the Cleveland Indians 14-1 before 24,507 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Detroit second baseman Charlie Gehringer batted 4 for 5 with a grand slam, double, 3 runs, and 5 runs batted in, while Tommy Bridges pitched a 6-hitter and batted 2 for 4 with 2 runs to improve his 1939 record to 3-0.

The Chicago White Sox scored 5 runs in the first 3 innings and withstood a 3-run 9th-inning rally to defeat the St. Louis Browns 6-5 before 10,044 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Chicago first baseman Joe Kuhel batted 3 for 3 with a home run, double, sacrifice, 3 runs, and 2 runs batted in; his 2-run homer opened the scoring in the 1st inning. Eddie Silber struck out as a pinch hitter for the Browns in the 7th in the 23rd and last game of his 2-year major league career.

60 years ago
1949


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Rambling Rose--Perry Como; Tony Pastor (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Cruising Down the River--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Ttop 10 (Cash Box)
1 Cruising Down the River--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)
--Blue Barron and his Orchestra
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
2 Forever and Ever--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Perry Como
3 Far Away Places--Bing Crosby
--Perry Como
4 "A" You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song)--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
--Perry Como with the Fontane Sisters
5 Sunflower--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Jack Fulton
6 Red Roses for a Blue Lady--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
7 Galway Bay--Bing Crosby
8 Careless Hands--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Mel Torme
9 So Tired--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
10 So in Love--Gordon MacRae
--Dinah Shore

Singles entering the chart were Some Enchanted Evening (#22)/Bali Ha'i (#23) by Perry Como; Bali Ha'i by Peggy Lee (#23, charting with the version by Perry Como); The Streets of Laredo (A New Original Song), with versions by Dick Haymes; and Ray Noble and his Orchestra (#32); Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend), with versions by Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra; and Burl Ives (#36); Similau (See-Me-Lo) by Peggy Lee (#37); and No Orchids for My Lady by Frank Sinatra (#38). Some Enchanted Evening and Bali Ha'i were originally from the musical South Pacific (1949).

On the radio
Tales of Fatima, starring Basil Rathbone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: The Cautious Corpse

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent obtained a dissolution of Parliament and called a federal election for June 27.

Protest
Anti-Communist leftist intellectuals staged an International Day of Resistance to Dictatorship and War in Prague to counter the recently-concluded World Congress of Fighters for Peace. Participants included American physicist Karl Compton and philosopher Sidney Hook of New York University.

Horse racing
Coaltown, with Steve Brooks up, won the Gallant Fox Handicap in Jamaica, New York.

Soccer
English FA Cup
Final @ Wembley Stadium, London
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 Leicester City 1



Baseball
Johnny Sain pitched a 4-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Larry Jansen as the Boston Braves shut out the New York Giants 4-0 before 12,413 fans at Braves Field.

In the top of the 9th inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the St. Louis Cardinals were trailing the Chicago Cubs 3-2 before 30,775 fans when Rocky Nelson of the Cardinals hit a sinking line drive to center field. Center fielder Andy Pafko's catch was ruled a "trap" by umpire Al Barlick, and while Mr. Pafko argued the call, Mr. Nelson rounded the bases and scored with a runner ahead of him to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead, which they held. It may have been the only "inside-the-glove" home run in major league history.

The Philadelphia Phillies scored 6 runs in the 4th inning, 2 in the 5th, and 4 in the 6th as they beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 12-4 before 19,572 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

Gene Woodling led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a single and Tommy Henrich followed with a home run off Tex Hughson to give the New York Yankees a 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox before 49,205 fans at Yankee Stadium.

Buddy Lewis hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 9th to give the Washington Nationals a 4-1 lead, and they withstood a 2-run 9th inning rally to defeat the Philadelphia Athletics 4-3 before 5,868 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

The Detroit Tigers scored 3 runs in each of the 4th and 5th innings to overcome a 3-0 deficit as they defeated the Cleveland Indians 7-5 before 56,340 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Virgil Trucks pitched a 9-hit complete game victory to improve his 1949 record to 3-0, while Satchel Paige allowed 6 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.

50 years ago
1959


On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Jane Cooper Story



Diplomacy
Western foreign ministers, concluding two days of talks in Paris, announced that they had reached "complete agreement" on Western strategy in forthcoming East-West talks in Geneva on Germany and Berlin.

U.S. officials in Washington reported that the State and Defense Departments had ordered a suspension of high-altitude flights in the Berlin air corridors in order to prevent any future Soviet-American incidents.

Defense
Dispatches from Seoul reported that six South Korean generals had resigned and 200 other officers had been retired under Chief of Staff General Song Yo Chun's anti-corruption campaign.

Politics and government
The Belgian Chamber of Deputies approved government pledges of gradual independence for the Belgian Congo.

The U.S. House of Representatives failed by four votes to override President Eisenhower's veto of a bill depriving the Agriculture Secretary of control over Rural Electrification Administration loans.

Oil
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower exempted Canada from U.S. curbs on oil imports.

40 years ago
1969


Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Colonel Snover, 73
. U.S. baseball pitcher. "Bosco" Snover played 2 games with the New York Giants in 1919, posting a 0-1 record with an earned run average of 1.00 in 9 innings. He spent at least 6 seasons in the Class A Eastern League from 1920-1925, compiling a record of 75-72, with his best season being 1921, when he was 25-9 with the Pittsfield Hillies. Mr. Snover died 16 days before his 74th birthday.

War
Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir said that Israel's raid the day before on the Nag Hammadi dam and bridge, Idfu bridge and the high-voltage power station at Isna was in retaliation for recent Egyptian attacks across the Suez Canal. Egypt denied that any damage had been done, but Israeli radio claimed that the raid had been "a severe blow to Egyptian morale" more severe than the material and economic hurt that had been inflicted. The countries exchanged tank and artillery fire across the canal along a 60-mile front from Qantara to Port Taufiq. The Israelis claimed that Egypt started the firing in which six Israelis were killed, including three civilians working on the fortifications.

Politics and government
Capt. Terence O'Neill resigned as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, two days after resigning as leader of the ruling Unionist party.

Society
It was reported that the United States administration of President Richard Nixon had indefinitely postponed plans for an all-out attack on hunger in America, turning instead to a series of stopgap measures. The main reason for the decision was fiscal, although part of the White House staff said that recent reports of starvation were exaggerated.

Basketball
ABA
Finals
Indiana 114 @ Oakland 123 (Oakland led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Gary Bradds scored 40 points for the Oaks as they beat the Pacers before 3,290 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena. Bob Netolicky led Indiana with 33 points.



Baseball
Jim Maloney pitched his first no-hitter since 1965 as the Cincinnati Reds routed the Houston Astros 10-0 before 2,898 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Mr. Maloney batted 1 for 3 with a double and a base on balls, scoring 2 runs and driving in another. Cincinnati right fielder Bobby Tolan batted 3 for 4 with a triple and 4 runs batted in. The Reds scored 7 runs in the 4th inning.

Tom Seaver pitched a 5-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Mike Wegener, who also pitched a 5-hit complete game, as the New York Mets edged the Montreal Expos 2-1 before 19,024 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal.

Juan Marichal pitched a 2-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Bill Singer as the San Francisco Giants shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 before 14,129 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Paul Popovich and Mr. Singer hit consecutive singles to lead off the 6th inning, but Mr. Marichal retired the next three batters to end the threat.

Frank Howard's home run leading off the 4th inning provided the scoring as the Washington Senators edged the Boston Red Sox 1-0 before 9,574 fans at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. Jim Hannan allowed 4 hits in 7 innings to win the pitchers' duel over Lee Stange, who allowed 5 hits in 7+ innings.

Sam McDowell pitched a 3-hitter, walking 7 batters and striking out 12, to get his first win of the season after three straight losses as the Cleveland Indians shut out the New York Yankees 3-0 before 7,860 fans at Yankee Stadium. Losing pitcher Bill Burbach allowed 5 hits and 6 bases on balls in 7 innings.

Frank Robinson hit a 2-run home run in the 5th inning and Boog Powell homered to lead off the 8th to help the Baltimore Orioles defeat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 before 15,340 fans at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th, but were unable to tie the game. Dave McNally allowed 6 hits and 2 runs--1 earned--in 7 1/3 innings to improve his 1969 record to 4-0, while Pat Dobson allowed 8 hits and 2 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings in taking the loss.

Jim Campanis scored from third base on a passed ball with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox before 9,036 fans at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. The Royals loaded the bases with none out in the 9th against Wilbur Wood, but pinch hitter Carl Taylor grounded into a 5-2-3 double play just before Chicago catcher Duane Josephson allowed the passed ball to score the winning run.

Rick Monday's grand slam with 2 out climaxed a 6-run 3rd inning as the Oakland Athletics beat the California Angels 9-4 before 6,282 fans at Anaheim Stadium. Winning pitcher Blue Moon Odom allowed 7 hits and 3 earned runs in pitching a complete game, while batting 3 for 5 with a run.

30 years ago
1979


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Heart of Glass--Blondie (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Miserarete--Judy Ongg (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sólo Pienso en Tí--Víctor Manuel (2nd week at #1)

Defense
U.S. President Jimmy Carter defended the proposed strategic arms limitation treaty SALT II, saying that the U.S.S.R. would not violate the treaty for fear of U.S. rejection of the entire pact, and the resultant threat to U.S.-Soviet relations.

Politics and government
The United States Senate approved a bill creating a federal department of education, but the bill faced stiff opposition in the House of Representatives.

Scandal
United States Senator Herman Talmadge (Democrat--Georgia) professed his innocence in Senate hearings to five charges of mishandling his financial affairs and thus breaching the Senate's code of ethics.

25 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): 99 Luftballons--Nena (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Thriller--Michael Jackson (11th week at #1)

Diplomacy
Diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Libya officially ended, 13 days after British police officer Yvonne Fletcher had been killed by gunfire from the Libyan embassy in London, and three says after personnel from the nations' respective embassies had returned home.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan continued his visit to China, and he or his aides signed agreements with Chinese representatives that would guarantee against double taxation for American corporations operating in China; provide for new exchanges of cultural programs; and enable American companies to help build Chinese nuclear reactors. Mr. and Mrs. Reagan visited the ancient capital of Xian, where archaeologists in recent years had unearthed thousands of terra-cotta figures of soldiers at the tomb of China's first emperor.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the Index of Leading Economic Indicators had declined 1.1% in March.

20 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Wild Thing--Tone Lōc (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Looking for Freedom--David Hasselhoff

Died on this date
Sergio Leone, 60
. Italian film director. Mr. Leone became known for his "Spaghetti Westerns," notably the trilogy of Fistful of Dollars (1964); For a Few Dollars More (1965); and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). He followed these movies with Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) and Once Upon a Time in America (1984).

Defense
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl met in West Germany for talks, with Mr. Kohl urging talks with the U.S.S.R. aimed at producing cuts in the number of short-range missiles, and Mrs. Thatcher reiterating her opposition to such talks. Mrs. Thatcher and U.S. President George Bush supported modernization of the arsenal of U.S. short-range missiles based in West Germany.

10 years ago
1999


Terrorism
Three people were killed and at least 30 injured in the third nail-bomb attack in London in two weeks. The attack, at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, was perpetrated by David Copeland, 23, an engineer who described himself as a Nazi.

Society
At the National Rifle Association convention in Denver, leaders of the NRA reaffirmed their support for Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. The convention took place just 10 days after the Columbine High School massacre in suburban Littleton, and thousands of protesters demonstrated against the NRA outside the convention hall.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Philadelphia 1 @ Toronto 2 (OT) (Toronto led best-of-seven series 3-2)
St. Louis 2 Phoenix 1 (OT)

Wednesday 29 April 2009

April 29, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, April Stevens and Irina Zabelina!

130 years ago
1879


Born on this date
Thomas Beecham
. U.K. orchestra conductor. Sir Thomas may have been the first British conductor to achieve international success. He co-founded the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, conducting the latter from 1946 until his death. Sir Thomas conducted the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in the early 1940s, and was also associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé Orchestras. Sir Thomas was known for promoting the music of Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Sibelius, and others such as Berlioz and Delius, who were otherwise ignored in Britain. Sir Thomas died of a heart attack on March 8, 1961 at the age of 81.

110 years ago
1899


Born on this date
Duke Ellington
. U.S. musician. Edward Kennedy Ellington was a jazz pianist and bandleader who became one of the most influential figures in the history of American popular music, with a career spanning 50 years. His notable recordings included the singles Mood Indigo (1931); It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (1932); and Take the "A" Train (1941). Mr. Ellington composed scores for movies such as Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and Paris Blues (1961), and won 14 Grammy Awards--three posthumously. He died of lung cancer and pneumonia on May 24, 1974, 25 days after his 75th birthday.

100 years ago
1909


Born on this date
Tom Ewell
. U.S. actor. Mr. Ewell, born Samuel Yewell Tompkins, was best known for his starring role in the play (1952) and film (1955) The Seven Year Itch. He died on September 12, 1994 at the age of 85.

70 years ago
1939


Soccer
English FA Cup
Final @ Wembley Stadium, London
Portsmouth 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1



Baseball
The Washington Nationals scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning and held on to defeat the New York Yankees 3-1 before 11,473 fans at Yankee Stadium. Ken Chase pitched a complete game for the victory, allowing 9 hits and striking out 7. Lefty Gomez started on the mound for the Yankees, allowing 9 hits in 8 innings in taking the loss. New York first baseman Lou Gehrig batted 1 for 3 with a base on balls and made 13 putouts. His single in the 4th inning was the 2,721st and last hit of his major league career.

60 years ago
1949


On television tonight
Your Show Time, hosted and narrated by Arthur Shields, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Mysterious Picture, starring Marc Daniels, Hugo Haas, and Mark Stevens

World events
Maier Bobrovsky, the first Soviet Jew to be granted an emigration visa to Israel, arrived in Prague on his way to the Middle East.

Transportation
The U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board issued the nation's first four charters for regular air freight service.

Economics and finance
Italy established formal trade relations with West Germany by signing a 1-year, $60-million commercial agreement.

50 years ago
1959


Died on this date
Kenneth Anderson, 67
. Indian-born U.K. military officer and politician. General Sir Kenneth served in both world wars, and was best known for commanding the British First Army during Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa and the subsequent Tunisian Campaign. He served as Governor of Gibraltar from 1947-1952. General Sir Kenneth died of pneumonia.

Charles Mergendahl, 40. U.S. author. Mr. Mergendahl wrote about a dozen novels, but was best known for The Bramble Bush (1958), which was an expose in the vein of the recently-published Peyton Place (1956). Mr. Mergendahl died of a reported fall at his New York home, although it has been speculated that he may have committed suicide; his death occurred just a month after the beginning of filming of The Bramble Bush.

Diplomacy
Western foreign ministers, beginning two days of talks in Paris, reached a tentative agreement on a "package" German settlement plan based on continuation of the four-power Berlin occupation; a non-aggression pact between East and West Germany; and the creation of an East-West commission to examine proposals for ensuring European security.

Politics and government
The Iraqi Communist Party issued a manifesto demanding the inclusion of Communists in Prime Minister Abdul Karim el-Kassem's cabinet along with other "loyal democratic parties and forces."

Environment
The University of California Radiation Laboratory released a detailed report of U.S. high-altitude nuclear tests carried out the previous summer under Project Argus.

Disasters
A Spanish airliner crashed near Cuenca, Spain, killing 28 passengers and crewmen.

40 years ago
1969


Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Sorry Suzanne--The Hollies (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
John Foti, 41
. Canadian wrestler. Mr. Foti, born John Fotie in Regina, moved to Hamilton as a teenager, and began his professional career in Ontario and New York in the mid-1950s before going back to western Canada, working with Stampede Wrestling through the 1960s. When he wasn't wrestling, Mr. Foti was a skilled oil painter, mainly of landscapes and nature scenes. Mr. Foti fought such notable wrestlers as Whipper Billy Watson and Lou Thesz, but he became a heavy drinker, and by the late 1960s was regarded as unreliable. He committed suicide in Calgary with an overdose of sleeping pills on a night he was scheduled to wrestle in Regina.

War
Israeli helicopter-borne commandos attacked the Nag Hammadi dam and bridge, Idfu bridge, and the high-voltage power station near Luxor, Egypt.

Politics and government
Former French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou announced his candidacy for President to succeed the departed Charles de Gaulle, and was immediately endorsed by the Union for the Defense of the Republic, the Gaullist party.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
St. Louis 1 @ Montreal 3 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Dick Duff's powerplay goal at 9:07 of the 2nd period proved to be the winner as the Canadiens beat the Blues at the Montreal Forum. Larry Keenan scored on a powerplay with 10:40 remaining in regulation time to break up Rogie Vachon's bid for a shutout.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles 88 @ Boston 89 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

With 7 seconds remaining in regulation time and the Lakers leading by 1 point, Elgin Baylor was ruled to have stepped out of bounds with the ball, turning the ball over to the Celtics. Sam Jones then scored a field goal at the final buzzer to give Boston the win. Jerry West of the Lakers led all scorers with 40 points, while teammate Wilt Chamberlain scored just 8 points, missing 9 of 11 free throws, although he grabbed 31 rebounds. John Havlicek led the Celtics with 21 points, with Larry Siegfried adding 20.

30 years ago
1979


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Heart of Glass--Blondie

#1 single in Switzerland: One Way Ticket--Eruption (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
Concentration of People's Forces candidate Jaime Roldós Aguilera was elected President of Ecuador in that country's first free elections since imposition of military rule in 1972. The second round of voting gave him 68.5% of the vote to 31.5% for Social Christian Party candidate Sixto Durán Ballén. After the first round of voting on July 16, 1978, Mr. Aguilera was leading with 27.7% of the vote.

Health
A U.S. National Academy of Sciences study predicted 2,000 fatalities linked to atomic energy in the United States by 2000, with one in every 1,000 Americans likely to develop cancer from combined radiation sources.

20 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Like a Prayer--Madonna (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Like a Prayer--Madonna (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Eternal Flame--Bangles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Megamix--Boney M. (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Eternal Flame--Bangles (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Like a Prayer--Madonna (2nd week at #1)
2 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
3 Funky Cold Medina--Tone Loc
4 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
5 Heaven Help Me--Deon Estus (with George Michael)
6 The Look--Roxette
7 Second Chance--Thirty Eight Special
8 Real Love--Jody Watley
9 After All--Cher and Peter Cetera
10 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul

Singles entering the chart were Pop Singer by John Mellencamp (#54); Baby Don't Forget My Number by Milli Vanilli (#62); I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty (#75); For the Love of Money by BulletBoys (#87); Who Do You Give Your Love To? by Michael Morales (#88); Down Boys by Warrant (#90); and The Mayor of Simpleton by XTC (#92).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Like a Prayer--Madonna (2nd week at #1)
2 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
3 Funky Cold Medina--Tone Loc
4 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
5 Heaven Help Me--Deon Estus (with George Michael)
6 The Look--Roxette
7 Second Chance--Thirty Eight Special
8 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli
9 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
10 Real Love--Jody Watley

Singles entering the chart were Pop Singer by John Cougar Mellencamp (#60); Baby Don't Forget My Number by Milli Vanilli (#65); This Time I Know it's for Real by Donna Summer (#70); I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty (#75); Now You're in Heaven by Julian Lennon (#80); The Mayor of Simpleton by XTC (#85); Anything Can Happen by Was (Not Was) (#88); and Down Boys by Warrant (#95).

Society
U.S. pro-life advocate and former abortionist Dr. Bernard Nathanson spoke at Universiade Pavilion in Edmonton and screened the documentary film The Silent Scream. The following day's edition of the Edmonton Journal didn't give the event the coverage it deserved, despite the large crowd in attendance. The Journal put its article on Dr. Nathanson's presentation deep inside the paper--appropriately, on the page where the birth and death announcements appeared.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Philadelphia 4 @ Pittsburgh 1 (Philadelphia won best-of-seven series 4-2)

10 years ago
1999


World events
At the urging of Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leaders abandoned the plan to declare statehood on May 4, in advance of Israeli elections.

War
NATO forces bombed the Yugoslavian army headquarters and Defense Ministry in Belgrade.

Crime
The 18-year-old girlfriend of Columbine High School killer Dylan Kliebold admitted that she had bought the rifle and two shotguns used in the April 20 attack at gun shows.

Baseball
The Anaheim Angels scored 7 runs in the first inning en route to a 17-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Andy Sheets drove in 5 of the Angels' runs.

Sunday 26 April 2009

April 28, 2009

220 years ago
1789


World events
Mutineers aboard the U.K. Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty mutinied and set her captain, Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift, 1,300 miles west of Tahiti. The rebels returned to Tahiti briefly before setting sail for Pitcairn Island.

140 years ago
1869


Labour
Chinese and Irish labourers for the Central Pacific Railroad, working on the First Transcontinental Railroad, laid ten miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched.

120 years ago
1889


Born on this date
António de Oliveira Salazar
. Prime Minister of Portugal, 1932-1968. Dr. Salazar was an economist who entered politics as Portugal's Finance Minister, serving briefly in 1926 and then again, with greater powers, from 1928-1940. He created the National Union in 1930, and was appointed Prime Minister by President Óscar Carmona in 1932. Although Mr. Carmona constitutionally outranked Dr. Salazar, he allowed the Prime Minister a free hand, and Dr. Salazar wielded the effective power. He instituted the Estado Novo ("New State"), an authoritarian corporatist regime by which he governed the country. Dr. Salazar eschewed Fasicsm, Nazism, and Communism, basing his views on Roman Catholic social doctrine, while not having the church as part of the mechanism of the state. He used oppressive methods to suppress dissent, partly as a reaction to the political chaos that had gripped the country before his coming to power. Under Dr. Salazar, Portugal was officially neutral during World War II, while secretly aiding the Allies. Dr. Salazar maintained his authoritarian regime after World War II, conducting colonial wars while presiding over an era of prosperity. He suffered a brain hemorrhage in 1968 and was replaced by Marcelo Caetano as Prime Minister. Dr. Salazar recovered his lucidity, but was never told that he had been removed from power, and was allowed to "rule" in privacy until his death on July 27, 1970 at the age of 81. The Estado Novo was overthrown by the Carnation Revolution in 1974.

110 years ago
1899


Movies
The short film Stealing a Dinner was filmed on the rooftop of the Biograph Studio in New York City.

70 years ago
1939


Aviation
A twin-engine Russian monoplane attempting a non-stop flight from Moscow to New York ran out of fuel and crash-landed on Miscou Island, New Brunswick.

60 years ago
1949


At the movies
Medianoche (Midnight), directed by Tito Davison, and starring Arturo de Córdova, Elsa Aguirre, and Marga López, opened in theatres in Mexico.



Died on this date
Aurora Quezon, 61
. First Lady of the Philippines, 1935-1944; Ponciano Bernardo, 43; Rafael Jalandoni. Philippine military officer. Philippine politician. Mrs. Quezon was the wife of President Manuel Quezon from 1918 until his death in 1944. While en route to Baler to dedicate the Quezon Memorial Hospital, her car was ambushed by guerrillas, likely associated with the Hukbalahap, the Communist Party of the Philippines. Mrs. Quezon, her daughter, and ten others, including Quezon City Mayor Bernardo, and retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major Jalandoni were also killed.

Music
Leonard Bernstein was awarded the $1,000 Boston Symphony Orchestra merit award for his symphony The Age of Innocence.

Diplomacy
A conference of British Commonwealth Prime Ministers meeting in London reached an agreement allowing India to remain in the Commonwealth after it became a republic.

Defense
The Canadian Parliament completed ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty.

U.S. Defense Secretary Louis Johnson appointed James Evans as his civilian assistant for racial problems.

Politics and government
Former Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai arrived in Dalat to head a new French-sponsored Vietnam Union.

U.S. Senator Howard McGrath (Democrat--Rhode Island) presented President Harry Truman's civil rights program to Congress in a four-bill package, including an omnibus Civil Rights Act of 1949. President Truman stirred heated controversy in Congress when he threatened to deprive Democrats opposing his administration's labour bill of their ability to distribute federal jobs.

Economics and finance
The Western Allies established a Western Ruhr authority to allocate the Ruhr's industrial production and prevent revival of the German war industry.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board continued its anti-deflationary moves by reducing reserve requirements of 7,000 member banks by $1.2 billion.

50 years ago
1959


On television tonight
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Aerialist, starring Mike Connors and Yvette Vickers



World events
Turkish officials reported that 700 Kurdish tribesmen had crossed into Turkey from northern Iraq and had been granted political asylum.

Defense
The Organization of American States voted unanimously to send an investigating commission to Panama, consider favourably any Panamanian request for arms, and ask member nations to prevent preparatory activities by rebel elements.

Politics and government
The Southern Rhodesian Parliament passed a Preventive Detention Bill, authorizing detention of political suspects without trial for up to five years.

Communist China's People's Congress adopted a resolution proclaiming China's intention to "build a new Tibet" and condemning "extremely unfriendly" acts toward China by "certain people in Indian political circles."

The U.S. Senate overrode President Dwight D. Eisenhower's veto of a bill ending the Agriculture Secretary's control over Rural Electrification Administration loans.

Environment
U.K. sources confirmed that the strontium-90 content of British rainfall had approximately doubled within the past year.

40 years ago
1969


Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Yoake no Scat--Saori Yuki (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Casatschock--Georgie Dann

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 You've Made Me So Very Happy--Blood, Sweat & Tears
2 Hair--The Cowsills
3 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension
4 Only the Strong Survive--Jerry Butler
5 Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'--Crazy Elephant
6 Don't Give in to Him--Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
7 It's Your Thing--The Isley Brothers
8 Twenty-Five Miles--Edwin Starr
9 Hawaii-Five-O--The Ventures
10 The Boxer--Simon & Garfunkel

Singles entering the chart were Marley Purt Drive by Jose Feliciano (#71); Get Back by the Beatles with Billy Preston (#74); Black Pearl by Sonny Charles & the Checkmates, Ltd. (#80); Cissy Strut by the Meters (#87); Sorry Suzanne by the Hollies (#91); Medicine Man (Part I) by the Buchanan Brothers (#94); I Want to Love You Baby by Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson (#95); I was a Boy (When You Needed a Man) by Billy Shields (#96); Seven Years by the Impressions (#97); Pretty World by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (#98); Love is Just a Four-Letter Word by Joan Baez (#99); and Faster than the Speed of Life by Mars Bonfire (#100).

Politics and government
Charles de Gaulle resigned as President of France effective immediately, and went into seclusion at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises. Mr. de Gaulle's resignation came the day after a national referendum resulted in the defeat of his proposals for decentralization of government. Mr. de Gaulle had made the vote into a test of confidence in his leadership. Alain Poher, 60, President of the Senate, became interim President of France, while Prime Minister Maurice Couve de Murville and his cabinet stayed on as a caretaker government pending elections slated to replace Mr. de Gaulle, whose third seven-year term wasn't due to expire until 1972.

Captain Terence O'Neill announced his resignation as leader of the Unionist party, and his intention to resign as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. He had steadily lost support of the Protestant-dominated Unionist party as he sought to bridge the gap between Northern Ireland's Protestant majority and Roman Catholic minority.

The first meeting of the new central committee of the Chinese Communist party elected a 21-man politburo and a standing committee of five headed by Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) and Lin Piao, and including Premier Chou En-lai (Zhou Enlai) and two other men who were leaders of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.

Science
U.S. President Richard Nixon conceded that he was wrong in denying the National Science Foundation directorship to Dr. Franklin Long because of Dr. Long's opposition to the Sentinel anti-ballistic missile.

Academia
Harvard University students voted in a referendum not to renew their strike against the university.

City College of New York president Buell Gallagher vowed that the college would stay shut as long as negotiations with Negro and Puerto Rican occupiers continued.

Disasters
Five American climbers and two Sherpa guides were killed in an avalanche while they prepared to ascend Mount Dhaulagiri in Nepal.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Le Freak--Chic (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Tragedy--Bee Gees (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Bright Eyes--Art Garfunkel (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Bright Eyes--Art Garfunkel (3rd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday--Boney M.
2 In the Navy--Village People
3 Stir it Up--Bob Marley & the Wailers
4 I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor
5 Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez
6 One Way Ticket--Eruption
7 Lucky Number--Lene Lovich
8 Lay Your Love on Me--Racey
9 Hallelujah--Milk & Honey
10 Greenpeace--Teach In

Singles entering the chart were Casanova by Luv' (#17); Oh Me Oh My by BZN (#24); Turn the Music Up! by the Players Association (#29); Kingston, Kingston by Lou and the Hollywood Bananas (#33); and Happiness by the Pointer Sisters (#35).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Heart of Glass--Blondie
2 Reunited--Peaches & Herb
3 Knock on Wood--Amii Stewart
4 Music Box Dancer--Frank Mills
5 I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor
6 Stumblin' In--Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman
7 What a Fool Believes--The Doobie Brothers
8 I Want Your Love--Chic
9 Goodnight Tonight--Wings
10 In the Navy--Village People

Singles entering the chart were She Believes in Me by Kenny Rogers (#61); We are Family by Sister Sledge (#63); Chuck E.'s in Love by Rickie Lee Jones (#65); Dance the Night Away by Van Halen (#68); Good Timin' by the Beach Boys (#76); I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick (#78); Georgy Porgy by Toto (#79); Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now by McFadden & Whitehead (#80); (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman by the Kinks (#85); You Can't Change That by Raydio (#86); Easy to Be Hard by Cheryl Barnes (#87); How Could This Go Wrong by Exile (#78); Dance Away by Roxy Music (#89); Mirror Star by the Fabulous Poodles (#91); Bang a Gong by Witch Queen (#94); My Baby's Baby by Liquid Gold (#95); and My Love is Music by Space (#96). Easy to Be Hard was from the movie Hair (1979).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Heart of Glass--Blondie
2 Reunited--Peaches & Herb
3 Knock on Wood--Amii Stewart
4 What a Fool Believes--The Doobie Brothers
5 Music Box Dancer--Frank Mills
6 Stumblin' In--Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman
7 In the Navy--Village People
8 Goodnight Tonight--Wings
9 He's the Greatest Dancer--Sister Sledge
10 I Want Your Love--Chic

Singles entering the chart were Ain't Love a Bitch by Rod Stewart (#53); Chuck E.'s in Love by Rickie Lee Jones (#64); We are Family by Sister Sledge (#71); Good Timin' by the Beach Boys (#83); Dance the Night Away by Van Halen (#84); Georgy Porgy by Toto (#85); Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now by McFadden & Whitehead (#87); Night Dancin' by Taka Boom (#88); My Love is Music by Space (#89); One More Minute by Saint Tropez (#90); Good, Good Feelin' by War (#97); and Theme from Ice Castles (Through the Eyes of Love) by Melissa Manchester (#98). Theme from Ice Castles (Through the Eyes of Love) was, as the title indicates, from the movie.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 What a Fool Believes--The Doobie Brothers
2 I Just Fall in Love Again--Anne Murray
3 Knock on Wood--Amii Stewart
4 Sultans of Swing--Dire Straits
5 Heart of Glass--Blondie
6 Shake Your Groove Thing--Peaches & Herb
7 Tragedy--Bee Gees
8 Lady--Little River Band
9 In the Navy--Village People
10 Rasputin--Boney M.

Singles entering the chart were Crazy Love by the Allman Brothers (#86); Running Start by Crowcuss (#88); Deeper than the Night by Olivia Newton-John (#89); Meanin' So Much by Burton Cummings (#91); I (Who Have Nothing) by Sylvester (#96); Body Heat by Alicia Bridges (#97); When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman by Dr. Hook (#98); It Must Be Love by Alton McClain and Destiny (#99); and Oh Honey by the Delegation (#100).

Scandal
The United States administration of President Jimmy Carter disclosed that two Americans convicted in 1976 of selling government secrets to the U.S.S.R. had given the Soviets information on the satellite systems the U.S.A. expected to use in monitoring Soviet compliance with the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT-II) agreement.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Boston 2 @ Montreal 5 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)
New York Rangers 3 @ New York Islanders 4 (OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Denis Potvin scored at 8:02 of the 1st overtime period to give the Islanders their win over the Rangers at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.

25 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Love of the Common People--Paul Young (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Hello--Lionel Richie (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Hello--Lionel Richie (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)--Phil Collins

#1 single in the U.K.: Hello--Lionel Richie (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)
2 Hello--Lionel Richie
3 Footloose--Kenny Loggins
4 Hold Me Now--Thompson Twins
5 Miss Me Blind--Culture Club
6 Eat It--"Weird Al" Yankovic
7 To All the Girls I've Loved Before--Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
8 You Might Think--The Cars
9 Love Somebody--Rick Springfield
10 They Don't Know--Tracey Ullman

Singles entering the chart were Love Will Show Us How by Christine McVie (#67); Jump (For My Love) by the Pointer Sisters (#76); Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) by Icicle Works (#82); Believe in Me by Dan Fogelberg (#84); I Want to Break Free by Queen (#86); There's No Easy Way by James Ingram (#87); Dance Hall Days by Wang Chung (#88); What is Love? by Howard Jones (#89); and Theme from "Terms of Endearment" by Michael Gore (#100). Theme from "Terms of Endearment" was, as the title indicates, from the movie.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)
2 Footloose--Kenny Loggins
3 Hold Me Now--Thompson Twins
4 Girls Just Want to Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
5 Somebody's Watching Me--Rockwell
6 Miss Me Blind--Culture Club
7 Hello--Lionel Richie
8 To All the Girls I've Loved Before--Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
9 Eat It--"Weird Al" Yankovic
10 99 Red Balloons--Nena

Singles entering the chart were Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper (#44); The Reflex by Duran Duran (#46); and Standing in the Dark by Platinum Blonde (#50).

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan continued his visit to China. An interview that he did for Chinese television was partially censored, with his implied criticism of the U.S.S.R. being omitted from the broadcast.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference Finals
New York Islanders 5 @ Montreal 2 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Clarence S. Campbell Conference Finals
Edmonton 8 @ Minnesota 5 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 3-0)

20 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Looking for Freedom--David Hasselhoff (5th week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the Index of Leading Economic Indicators had declined 0.7% in March.

10 years ago
1999


Died on this date
Alf Ramsey, 79
. U.K. soccer player and manager. Sir Alf played right-back with Southampton (1943-1949) and Totthenham Hotspur (1949-1955); he was with the English national team, and played in the 1950 World Cup. Sir Alf was manager of Ipswich Town (1955-1963) and Birmingham City (1977-1978), but was best known for his tenure as manager of the English national team (1963-1974), which included the World Cup championship in 1966. He died of a heart attack, and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame as a manager in 2002, and again as a player in 2010.

Arthur Schawlow, 77. U.S. physicist. Dr. Schawlow, who was raised in Toronto, co-invented the laser with Charles Townes, and was awarded a share of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics with Nicolaas Bloembergen "for their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy." Dr. Schawlow died of leukemia, a week befoere his 78th birthday.

Rory Calhoun, 76. U.S. actor. Mr. Calhoun, born Francis McCown, was a criminal as a teenager, and worked at various jobs before becoming an actor in the 1940s. He appeared in numerous Western movies in the 1950s and '60, virtually all now forgotten. Mr. Calhoun's other movies included With a Song in My Heart (1952) and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). He died of emphysema and diabetes.

Jason Lang, 17. Canadian crime victim. Mr. Lang, a student at W.R. Myers High School in Taber, Alberta, was shot and killed, in an apparent copycat of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado eight days earlier, by Todd Smith, 14, who had recently withdrawn from public school to escape bullying. Another student was wounded in the shooting.

War
The United States House of representatives, on a 213-213 tie vote, failed to pass a resolution supporting NATO air attacks on Yugoslavia.

Scandal
U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson confirmed that Wen Ho Lee, a scientist dismissed in March from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, had transferred large quantities of data from high-security computers to an accessible network.

Business
The British department store chain Marks and Spencer announced that it would close its 38 Canadian stores.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Philadelphia 5 @ Toronto 2 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Saturday 25 April 2009

April 27, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Rod Crossley!

500 years ago
1509


Religion
As he entered the War of the League of Cambrai, aiming to recover papal control of the Romagna, where Venice had seized several cities in 1503, Pope Julius II placed the Italian state of Venice under interdict.

470 years ago
1539


South Americana
Nikolaus Federmann and Sebastián de Belalcázar re-founded the city of Bogotá, New Granada (now Colombia).

100 years ago
1909


World events
Both houses of parliament of the Ottoman Empire convened and deposed Sultan Abdul Hamid II, replacing him with his younger brother Mehmed V.

80 years ago
1929


At the movies
The Hole in the Wall, directed by Robert Florey, and starring Claudette Colbert, Edward G. Robinson, and David Newell, opened in theatres.



Soccer
English FA Cup
Final @ Wembley Stadium, London
Bolton Wanderers 2 Portsmouth 0



60 years ago
1949


At the movies
We Were Strangers, directed by John Huston, and starring Jennifer Jones, John Garfield, Pedro Armendáriz, and Gilbert Roland, opened in theatres.

Died on this date
Frederic Walcott, 80
. U.S. politician. Mr. Walcott, a Republican, was a member of the Connecticut State Senate from 1925-1929 and represented Connecticut in the United States Senate from 1929-1935, where he was the principal author of the bill creating the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

Literature
George Howe received the largest literary award in the United States--the $15,000 Christophers Prize--for his forthcoming novel Call it Treason.

War
The United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission opened a general peace settlement conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, attended by Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Diplomacy
In response to the treatment of Lorenzo Gamboa under the White Australia policy, the Philippine House of Representatives passed legislation banning Australians from the country.

Politics and government
U.S. Attorney General Tom Clark added 37 organizations to the Justice Department's subversive list, including the Association of Georgia Klans and the Industrial Workers of the World.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mariquilla--José Luís y su Guitarra (11th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods (3rd week at #1)
2 (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I--Elvis Presley
3 Venus--Frankie Avalon
4 Pink Shoe Laces--Dodie Stevens
5 Guitar Boogie Shuffle--The Virtues
6 The Happy Organ--Dave "Baby" Cortez
7 I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley
8 Tell Him No--Travis and Bob
9 Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)--The Impalas
10 Turn Me Loose--Fabian

Singles entering the chart were Personality by Lloyd Price and his Orchestra (#65); There's No Fool Like a Young Fool by Tab Hunter (#76); Frankie's Man, Johnny by Johnny Cash (#77); Castin' My Spell by the Johnny Otis Show (#80); Robbin' the Cradle by Tony Bellus (#87); Crossfire by Johnny and the Hurricanes (#88); Gidget by Jimmy Darren (#89); The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton (#93); Your Cheatin' Heart by Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (#95); A String of Trumpets by the Trumpeteers (#96); and Summer Dreams by the McGuire Sisters (#99). Gidget was the title song of the movie, in which Mr. Darren co-starred.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I/I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley (4th week at #1)
2 Guitar Boogie Shuffle--The Virtues
3 Three Stars--Tommy Dee with Carol Kay and the Teen-Aires
4 The Tijuana Jail--The Kingston Trio
5 Tell Him No--Travis and Bob
6 It's Late/Never Be Anyone Else But You--Ricky Nelson
7 The Happy Organ--Dave "Baby" Cortez
6 Venus--Frankie Avalon
8 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
9 Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)--The Impalas
10 Pink Shoe Laces--Dodie Stevens

Singles entering the chart were So Fine by the Fiestas (#29); I've Come of Age by Billy Storm (#43); Lonely for You by Gary Stites (#47); I Waited Too Long by LaVern Baker (#50); I Need Your Lovin' by Roy Hamilton (#57); The Beat by the Rockin' R's (#58); and Only Love Me by Steve Lawrence (#60).

War
The French cabinet issued a declaration claiming substantial progress toward the pacification of Algeria within the past year.

The U.S. State Department said that small arms from stocks maintained in the Canal Zone would be given to Panama to repel guerrilla invaders.

Diplomacy
U.K. Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery flew to Moscow for private talks with U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev.

Politics and government
The National People's Congress in Peking (Beijing) elected Liu Shao-chi, a leading Communist theoretician and organizer, to succeed Mao Tse-tung (Meo Zedong) as President of the People's Republic of China.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower vetoed a bill ending the Agriculture Secretary's control of Rural Electrification Administrtion loans.

Law
The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the state law under which Governor Orval Faubus had closed public schools to prevent racial integration.

40 years ago
1969


Died on this date
Rene Barrientos Ortuno, 49
. President of Bolivia, 1964-1969. General Barrientos, who took power in a military coup in 1964 and won an election two years later, was killed in a helicopter crash near Arque, Bolivia; he was succeeded by Vice President Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas.

Politics and government
Voters in France, in a referendum, rejected President Charles de Gaulle's proposals for constitutional changes by a margin of 52.40% to 47.69%. The referendum, the fifth in the Fifth Republic, had started as a simple device to vote on the constitutional changes needed to carry out Mr. de Gaulle's plans for decentralizing the country's administration, and redistricting France's 95 departments into 21 economic regions. Mr. de Gaulle added proposals to downgrade the power of the Senate, and to make his Prime Minister, rather than the Senate President, his interim successor. Mr. de Gaulle decided to make the referendum a test of confidence in his leadership, and had threatened to resign if his proposals were defeated.

Labour
Safety critic Ralph Nader attacked the leadership of the United Mine Workers of America and the union's $180 million welfare and retirement fund for what he called corruption, nepotism, and "conspiracy" with the coal industry. The leadership called Mr. Nader a "fink."

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
St. Louis 1 @ Montreal 3 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Dick Duff scored a powerplay goal 3:39 into the game and Bobby Rousseau scored shorthanded just 48 seconds later to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead as they held on to defeat the Blues at the Montreal Forum.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles 105 @ Boston 111 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 2-1)

John Havlicek scored 34 points to help the Celtics defeat the Lakers at Boston Garden.

30 years ago
1979


Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Y.M.C.A.--Village People (12th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Dschinghis Khan--Dschinghis Khan (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (9th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. freed five prominent dissidents in exchange for two spies held by the United States. Aleksandr Ginsburg, Valentin Moroz, Eduard Kuznetsov, Mark Dymshits, and Georgi Vins were then flown to New York.

Energy
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered the temporary closing of all operating reactors designed by Babcock & Wilcox, manufacturers of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. The ruling allowed two plants in the southeast to remain in operation to forestall widespread power shortages.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Semi-Finals
Quebec 5 @ Winnipeg 9 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 3-0)
New England 5 @ Edmonton 9 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 2-0)

IIHF Men's World Championships
Canada 6 Sweden 3

25 years ago
1984


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Reggae Nights--Jimmy Cliff (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): People are People--Depeche Mode

On television today
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation daytime public affairs show Take 30 made its final broadcast, ending a 22-year run. The program was, unfortunately, a victim of changing times and dumbing-down of audiences: 1980s viewers preferred soap operas to public affairs and news shows, and an increase in the number of available stations (especially from the United States) helped to drive ratings down. By the end, Take 30 was attracting only about 2% of the viewing audience for its timeslot. Among those who appeared as host on the show was Adrienne Clarkson, who later served as Canada's Governor General. Take 30 also had the distinction of being (I think) the last CBC network program to be broadcast in black and white; it didn't begin broadcasting in colour until the fall of 1973.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan met in Beijing with Chinese Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang and Communist Party general secretary Hu Yaobang. Mr. Reagan had heard of China's concern about the deployment of U.S. missiles in Europe, and about the interventionist U.S. policy in Central America. Mr. Reagan's address on Chinese television was censored to remove his implied criticism of the Soviet Union.

The 11-day siege of the Libyan embassy in London ended when 30 diplomats and other occupants left the building and returned to Libya, while most of the remaining British officials in Tripoli returned to Britain.

20 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Like a Prayer--Madonna (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Eternal Flame--Bangles (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Kōnosuke Matsushita, 94
. Japanese industrialist. Mr. Matsushita, nicknamed the "god of management" in Japan, founded the company that became the electronics firm Panasonic in 1918.

Protest
The April 27 demonstrations, student-led protests responding to the April 26 Editorial, took place in major cities throughout China.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Philadelphia 6 Pittsburgh 3

10 years ago
1999


Died on this date
Al Hirt, 76
. U.S. musician. Mr. Hirt, a New Orleans Dixieland trumpeter, was known for his 1964 hit singles Java and Cotton Candy. This blogger saw him perform on one of the stages at the Klondike Days Sunday promenade in Edmonton many years later.

Dale C. Thomson, 75. Canadian political scientist and historian. Dr. Thomson, who was born on a farm near Westlock, Alberta, taught at the Université de Montréal (1960-1969); Johns Hopkins University (1969-1973); and McGill University (1973-1994), specializing in international relations and Canadian politics. He was associate private secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent in the 950s, and was an unsuccessful Liberal Party candidate for the Alberta riding of Jasper-Edson in the 1958 federal election. Dr. Thomson's books included Alexander Mackenzie: Clear Grit (1960) and Louis St. Laurent, Canadian (1967).

War
U.S. General Wesley Clark, commander of NATO forces in Yugoslavia, estimated that Serbia had driven 700,000 refugees out of Kosovo since the beginning of bombing on April 3. U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered the call-up of 33,102 reservists to assist the mission in Yugoslavia.

Crime
U.S. President Bill Clinton submitted several gun-control bills to Congress, one week after the murderous shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The bills mandated background checks for those wanting to buy explosives or to buy weapons at gun shows. Mr. Clinton also proposed raising from 18 to 21 the minimum age at which someone could own a handgun.

Authorities put the total number of bombs found around the school and at Columbine killer Eric Harris's home at 51.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Dallas 3 @ Edmonton 2 (3 OT) (Dallas led best-of-seven series 3-0)

April 26, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Lynn Weiss!

1,510 years ago
499


Died on this date
Xiaowen, 31
. Emperor of Northern Wei, 471-499. Xiaowen, born Tuoba Hong, was only 13 years younger than his father Emperor Xianwen, who abdicated in 471 and handed the throne to his 4-year-old son, while the actual power was wielded by Grand Empress Dowager Feng, who died in 490. Emperor Xiaowen pursued a policy of sinicization that caused problems and led to plots against him, which he succeeded in suppressing. Emperor Xiaowen died after two years of declining health, and was succeeded on the throne by his son Xuanwu.

690 years ago
1319


Born on this date
Jean II
. King of France, 1350-1364. Jean II, nicknamed "John the Good," was a monarch of the House of Valois, who was captured by the English during the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and was held prisoner in London until 1360, when he was freed in an exchange of hostages, who included his son Louis. When Louis escaped in 1363, Jean thought the action dishonourable, and voluntarily returned to England, where he soon took ill and died on April 8, 1364, 18 days before his 45th birthday.

190 years ago
1819


Canadiana
Upper Canada established the Negro settlement of Oro Township, northeast of Barrie, for Negro loyalists, former slaves, and War of 1812 veterans of Captain Runchey's Company for Coloured Men, which had fought at Stoney Creek, Queenston Heights, Lundy's Lane and St. Davids.

Americana
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which later became one of the worlds largest fraternal orders, was founded in Baltimore by Thomas Wildey and four other men.

140 years ago
1869


Economics and finance
William Mulock and three partners decided to apply for a charter for the Dominion Bank; it was issued later that year, and provided for an authorized capital of $1 million, with $400,000 to be paid up. Business began on February 1, 1871, in temporary premises above a paint store, at 40 King Street East in Toronto.

120 years ago
1889


Born on this date
Ludwig Wittgenstein
. Austro-Hungarian-born U.K. philosopher. Dr. Wittgenstein worked primarily in logic, and the philosophies of mathematics, mind, and language. He was a a contemporary of Bertrand Russell and Karl Popper, and taught at the University of Cambridge from 1939-1947. Dr. Wittgenstein died on April 29, 1951, three days after his 62nd birthday. His book Philosophical Investigations, considered a classic in the field, was published in 1953.

110 years ago
1899


Born on this date
Oscar Rabin
. Latvian-born U.K. musician. Mr. Rabin moved to England with his family when he was a child. He was a jazz bass saxophonist who in the 1920s formed and led the Oscar Rabin Band, a British dance band that continued after Mr. Rabin's death on June 20, 1958 at the age of 59.

100 years ago
1909


Born on this date
Marianne Hoppe
. German actress. Miss Hoppe was a leading lady in plays and films in Germany in a career spanning more than 60 years from the 1920s through the 1980s. She died on October 23, 2002 at the age of 93.

Died on this date
Mike "Doc" Powers, 38 or 39
. U.S. baseball player. Dr. Powers, a licensed physician, was a catcher with the Louisville Colonels (1898-1899); Washington Senators (1899); Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1905, 1905-1909); and New York Highlanders (1905), batting .216 with 4 home runs and 199 runs batted in in 647 games. He was injured on April 12, 1909 during the first major league game ever played in Philadelphia's Shibe Park, when he ran into a wall chasing a popup, and suffered an intestinal injury. He was operated on the next day, but failed to recover, and became the first major league player to die from the results of an on-field injury.

Law
Saint John, New Brunswick Magistrate Ritchie ruled that electricity was indeed a commodity. Charles Kerr of the Bijou Moving Picture Theatre was found guilty of stealing electricity by tapping into the Saint John Railway Company.

60 years ago
1949

On television tonight

Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: A Night at an Inn, starring Boris Karloff, Anthony Ross, and Jack Manning



War
Chinese Communist forces occupied the rail junction of Soochow in their drive on Shanghai. U.S. and U.K. ships based in the city's harbour left their berths to avoid entrapment by the Communists.

Defense
U.S. Navy Secretary John Sullivan resigned in protest against Defense Secretary Louis Johnson's cancellation of plans to complete the proposed "supercarrier" USS United States.

Asiatica
Transjordan's name was officially changed to Jordan, reflecting incorporation of the Arab areas of central Palestine.

World events
The Council of States in the U.S. zone of Germany passed a law compensating Nazi victims for losses suffered through confiscation of property or expulsion from professions.

Crime
A U.S. federal grand jury in New York investigating subversive activities issued a report charging that current public inquiries were alerting offenders, and recommending secret inquiries and elimination of the statute of limitations for espionage.

Aviation
William Barris and Richard Reidel landed their twin-engine Sunkist Lady in Fullerton, California after setting a world flight endurance record of 1,008 hours, 1 minute, 50 seconds.

Science
Merle Tuve of the Carnegie Institution was awarded the U.S. National Academy of Sciences $3,500 Constock Prize in Washington for the development of the proximity fuse and work in nuclear physics.

60 years ago
1959


Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): L'Eau vive--Guy Béart

Space
The U.S.S.R. disclosed plans for development of an Earth observation satellite equipped with optical and television cameras.

World events
The Panamanian government reported the suppression of an attempted guerrilla invasion from Cuba.

Politics and government
Moderates and conservatives, many of them Fourth Republic political leaders, outpolled Gaullist candidates to win control of the first Senate of the French Fifth Republic.

Economics and finance
African National Congress leader Albert Luthuli said in Cape Town that South African blacks would begin a boycott of Afrikaans Nationalist businesses in June.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade

#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)--Peter Sarstedt (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Le métèque--Georges Moustaki

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Eloise--Barry Ryan (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Liebesleid--Peter Alexander (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Boom Bang-a-Bang--Lulu (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Israelites--Desmond Dekker and the Aces

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Goodbye--Mary Hopkin
2 Why--The Cats
3 5th Symphony Beethoven--Ekseption
4 The Walls Fell Down--The Marbles
5 The Last Seven Days--Gloria
6 Don Juan--Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
7 Ensemble--Mireille Mathieu
8 Seasons in the Sun--The Fortunes
9 Get Back--The Beatles featuring Billy Preston
10 River Deep - Mountain High--Ike & Tina Turner

Singles entering the chart were Get Back; Man of the World by Fleetwood Mac (#35); Have My Love by Pepper and Soul (#36); Sweet Cherry Wine by Tommy James and the Shondells (#37); Suzanne by Herman Van Veen (#39); and Dizzy by Tommy Roe (#40).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension (3rd week at #1)
2 You've Made Me So Very Happy--Blood, Sweat & Tears
3 It's Your Thing--The Isley Brothers
4 Hair--The Cowsills
5 Only the Strong Survive--Jerry Butler
6 Twenty-Five Miles--Edwin Starr
7 Galveston--Glen Campbell
8 Time is Tight--Booker T. & the M.G.'s
9 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
10 Sweet Cherry Wine--Tommy James and the Shondells

Singles entering the chart were Too Busy Thinking About My Baby by Marvin Gaye (#67); Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkins Singers featuring Dorothy Morrison (#72); Day is Done by Peter, Paul and Mary (#83); Heather Honey by Tommy Roe (#87); Love is Just a Four-Letter Word by Joan Baez (#88); Mr. Walker, It's All Over by Billie Jo Spears (#89); I Shall Be Released by the Box Tops (#90); From Both Sides Now by Dion (#91); Greensleeves by Mason Williams (#93); Seven Years by the Impressions (#94); I Can't Say No to You by Betty Everett (#95); I've Been Loving You Too Long by Ike & Tina Turner (#96); Home to You by Earth Opera (#97); and Never Gonna Let Him Know by Debbie Taylor (#98).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension (4th week at #1)
2 Hair--The Cowsills
3 It's Your Thing--The Isley Brothers
4 You've Made Me So Very Happy--Blood, Sweat & Tears
5 Only the Strong Survive--Jerry Butler
6 Twenty-Five Miles--Edwin Starr
7 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
8 The Boxer--Simon & Garfunkel
9 Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'--Crazy Elephant
10 Hawaii Five-O--The Ventures

Singles entering the chart were Heather Honey by Tommy Roe (#64); Marley Purt Drive by Jose Feliciano (#77); Black Pearl by Sonny Charles & the Checkmates, Ltd. (#82); One by Three Dog Night (#84); I Shall Be Released by the Box Tops (#86); I Don't Want to Hear it Anymore by Dusty Springfield (#87); I Want to Love You Baby by Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson (#88); Seven Years by the Impressions (#92); I was a Boy (When You Needed a Man) by Billy Shields (#96); Pretty World by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (#98); Love is Just a Four-Letter Word by Joan Baez (#99); and We Can't Go on This Way by Unchained Mynds (#100).

Calgary's top 10
1 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In--The 5th Dimension
2 Hair--The Cowsills
3 Sweet Cherry Wine--Tommy James and the Shondells
4 Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'--Crazy Elephant
5 Tricia Tell Your Daddy--Andy Kim
6 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
7 Things I'd Like to Say--The New Colony Six
8 Wishful Sinful--The Doors
9 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
10 Mendocino--Sir Douglas Quintet
Pick hit of the week: The Boxer--Simon and Garfunkel

Died on this date
Morihei Ueshiba, 85
. Japanese martial artist. Mr. Ueshiba founded and developed the martial art known as aikido.

War
The United States Defense Department announced that the battleship New Jersey, which had been diverted to eastern waters after an American reconnaissance plane had been shot down by North Korea over the Sea of Japan on April 15, would be returned to the United States. It was disclosed that the task force had been reduced from 20 ships to one carrier and seven destroyers, and that the other 21 vessels were returning to ports in Japan and the Philippines.

Protest
100 Negro students were jailed in Charleston, South Carolina after they attempted to march down the city's main thoroughfare in support of striking hospital workers. The arrests brought to 200 the total arrested in Charleston, whose streets were patrolled by National Guardsmen and state troopers.

Soccer
English FA Cup
Final @ Wembley Stadium, London
Manchester City 1 Leicester City 0



30 years ago
1979


War
United Nations peace forces arranged a cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinian guerrillas in southern Lebanon, ending four days of intense fighting.

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim arrived in Hanoi to aid negotiations for Vietnam-China disengagement.

Personal
This blogger visited the University of Alberta campus for the first time, and spent several hours in the company of old friends from Yellowknife who were still in residence.

Hockey
The Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 4-2 in the opening game of their Stanley Cup semi-final playoff series at the Montreal Forum.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the New England Whalers 6-2 at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton in the opening game of their Avco World Trophy semi-final series. This blogger had the pleasure of meeting Johnny McKenzie of the Whalers in an elevator at the Chateau Lacombe. Mr. McKenzie's long career, which included Stanley Cup wins with the Boston Bruins in 1970 and 1972, ended with this series.

25 years ago
1984


Hockey
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 4-2 at Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York to take a 2 games to 0 lead in their third-round (Prince of Wales Conference final) Stanley Cup series.

20 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Like a Prayer--Madonna (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Like a Prayer--Madonna (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Lucille Ball, 77
. U.S. actress and producer. Miss Ball appeared in a number of movies in the 1930s and '40s before achieving stardom in the radio comedy series My Favorite Husband (1948-1951). She then became one of television's biggest stars with the series I Love Lucy (1951-1957); The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960); The Lucy Show (1962-1968); and Here's Lucy (1968-1974). With her first husband, Desi Arnaz, Miss Ball founded Desilu studios, which she began running in 1962, with great success.

Ihei Aoki. Japanese bureaucrat. Mr. Aoki was the secretary to Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita, who had announced the previous day that he would resign over allegations of improper dealings with Recruit Company. Mr. Aoki believed to be a middleman in financial dealings between Mr. Takeshita and Recruit Company, committed suicide.

Journalism
The Chinese People's Daily published the April 26 Editorial, which inflamed the nascent Tiananmen Square protests.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the gross national product had grown at an annual rate of 5.5% in the first quarter of 1989.

Disasters
The deadliest tornado in world history struck central Bangladesh, killing upwards of 1,300, injuring 12,000, and leaving as many as 80,000 homeless.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Chicago 4 St. Louis 2

10 years ago
1999


Died on this date
Faye Throneberry, 67
. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Throneberry, the older brother of legendary first baseman Marv Throneberry, was an outfielder with the Boston Red Sox (1952, 1955-1957); Washington Senators (1957-1960); and Los Angeles Angels (1961), batting .236 with 29 home runs and 137 runs batted in in 521 games. He played in 466 games in 7 seasons in the minor leagues from 1950-1963. Mr. Throneberry died of heart disease.

Diplomacy
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat received a letter from U.S. President Bill Clinton urging him not to act unilaterally on Palestinian statehood, but also giving a signal of support for eventual statehood.

Politics and government
India's President, Kocheril Narayanan, dissolved parliament and called for a general election within six months.

Hockey
The Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in Philadelphia to take a 2 games to 0 lead in their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.