April 19, 2008

100 years ago
1908

Born on this date
Babe Phelps. U.S. baseball catcher. Mr. Phelps played in the major leagues from 1931-1942, mostly with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He had a lifetime batting average of .310 in 726 games; in 1936 he hit .367 in 115 games. In 1941 the Dodgers held spring training in Cuba; Mr. Phelps was terrified of drowning, refused to board the ship, and missed the entire spring training. He died in 1992.

90 years ago
1918

Born on this date
Whitey Kurowski. U.S. baseball infielder. Mr. Kurowski played third base for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1941-1949, and was the starting third baseman for the World Series championship teams of 1942, 1944, and 1946. His 2-run home run in the 9th inning of the fifth game of the 1942 World Series provided the winning margin as the Cardinals won the series 4 games to 1. Mr. Kurowski played in 916 career games, batting .286. His best seasons were 1945 (.323, 21 home runs, 102 runs batted in) and 1947 (.310, 27 homers, 104 RBI, 108 runs). He died in 1999.

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
Charles Birger. U.S. criminal. Mr. Birger was hanged at Benton, Illinois for the murder of Joe Adams, mayor of West City, Illinois. It was the last legal hanging in the state, as the electric chair was to succeed the noose.

World events
The Knights of Malta girded in armour, marched back into their fortress City of Rhodes which they had surrendered to the Turks 406 years earlier.

Baseball
The New York Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox in the morning Patriots Day game at Fenway Park to drop out of first place in the American League for the first time since May 1926.

75 years ago
1933

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Priory School

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that the United States would be going off the gold standard.

70 years ago
1938

Baseball
Emmett Mueller of the Philadelphia Phillies and Ernie Koy of the Brooklyn Dodgers each hit a home run in their first major league at-bats as Brooklyn defeated Philadelphia, 12-5, at Baker Bowl.

60 years ago
1948

Baseball
Stan Spence, Vern Stephens and Bobby Doerr hit consecutive home runs as the Boston Red Sox set a team record on Opening Day, but the long ball wasn't enough as the Philadelphia Athletics beat Boston 5-4 in 11 innings.

60 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Catch a Falling Star--Perry Como (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): March from the River Kwai and Colonel Bogey--Mitch Miller and his Orchestra (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Hello, le soleil brille--Annie Cordy (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Whole Lotta Woman--Marvin Rainwater

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 He's Got the Whole World (In His Hands)--Laurie London
2 Tequila--The Champs
3 Twilight Time--The Platters
4 Lollipop--The Chordettes
--Ronald and Ruby
5 Who's Sorry Now--Connie Francis
6 A Wonderful Time Up There--Pat Boone
7 Book of Love--The Monotones
8 Witch Doctor--David Seville
9 Are You Sincere--Andy Williams
10 Return to Me--Dean Martin

Singles entering the chart were Wear My Ring Around Your Neck by Elvis Presley (#24); Teacher, Teacher (#39)/All the Time (#56) by Johnny Mathis; All I Have to Do is Dream (#42)/Claudette (#51) by the Everly Brothers; Let the Bells Keep Ringing by Paul Anka (#48); Kathleen by Wally Lewis (#55); Groovy by Joe Dodo and the Groovers (#59); Down on My Knees by the Heartbeats (#60); and Stairway of Love by Marty Robbins (also #60).

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
Edmonton’s top 10 (CJCA)
1 Love is All Around--The Troggs
2 Summertime Blues--Blue Cheer
3 Lady Madonna--The Beatles
4 The Mighty Quinn--Manfred Mann
5 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly--Hugo Montenegro, his Orchestra, and Chorus
6 Honey--Bobby Goldsboro
7 Jennifer Eccles--The Hollies
8 Young Girl--The Union Gap
9 Cry Like a Baby--The Box Tops
10 Playboy--Gene and Debbe
Pick of the Week: Look to Your Soul--Johnny Rivers
New this week: If You Were a Baby--Doug Hutton
Like to Get to Know You--Spanky & Our Gang
Follow Me--Jack Jones
Ain’t Nothin’ Like the Real Thing--Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Mony Mony--Tommy James and the Shondells

Look to Your Soul was written by Jim Hendricks (not to be confused with Jimi Hendrix), who along with Zal Yanovsky, Denny Doherty and Cass Elliott, comprised the Mugwumps, a short-lived group who recorded nine songs in 1964, and then went on to bigger things. The B-Side, Something Strange, was written by Johnny Rivers and Jim Hendricks, and is a great ballad with a similar sound to Look to Your Soul. Johnny Rivers had some of the best picture sleeves for his 45s of anyone, and Look to Your Soul is no exception. The sleeve has a photo of Mr. Rivers wearing a poncho with a peace sign pendant--definitely an artifact of its time.

Died on this date
Allan Travers, 75. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Travers had a brief, but memorable, major league career. On May 18, 1912, the Detroit Tigers fielded a team of collegians and other amateurs to play the Philadelphia Athletics at then-new Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Ty Cobb had been suspended for going into the stands to attack a fan who was taunting him, and the other Tiger players had walked out in support of Mr. Cobb. The Tigers chose to fill in with amateurs rather than forfeit. The Athletics won 24-2; Mr. Travers went the distance (8 innings), giving up 26 hits, 7 bases on balls, and 14 earned runs. He did manage to strike out one batter. Mr. Travers also went 0 for 3 at bat.

Tommy Bridges, 61. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Bridges pitched for the Detroit Tigers from 1930-1946, winning 194 games and losing 138. He won 20 or more games for three straight seasons (1934-1936), leading the American League with 23 wins in 1936. Mr. Bridges also led the league in strikeouts in 1935 and 1936, and in shutouts in 1933. He pitched in four World Series with the Tigers (1934; 1935; 1940; 1945); he won two games in the 1935 Series, including the deciding sixth game. Drink got the better of Mr. Bridges in his later years, undoing his career and his life.

Music
The album Odessey and Oracle by the Zombies was released on CBS Records.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 215, the first optical astronomical observatory to be operated successfully in space. It carried nine telescopes and stayed aloft for six weeks.

War
United States forces began Operation Delaware in the Ashau Valley, described as one of the Viet Cong’s "top logistical support bases" by Maj. Gen. John Tolson, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Ten U.S. helicopters were reported shot down by enemy antiaircraft, while 20 Americans and 50 North Vietnamese were reported killed the first day.

Politics and government
Colonel John Bangura, in exile since a 1967 coup had removed Sierra Leone’s civilian government, returned to head a seven-man junta.

Adventure
An expedition on Bombardier Ski-Doo snowmobiles led by Ralph Plaisted, an insurance agent from Minnesota, arrived at the North Pole after a 7-week trek across the Canadian Arctic.

Disasters
A tornado hit Greenwood, Arkansas, killing 12 and injuring 48.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Division Finals
Boston 100 @ Philadelphia 96 (Boston won best-of-seven series 4-3)

Sam Jones scored 22 points and John Havlicek added 21 as the Celtics defeated the 76ers at the Spectrum, ending Philadelphia's reign as champions after one season. Hal Greer led the 76ers with 22 points, while Wilt Chamberlain was held to 14 points.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Night Fever--Bee Gees

Economics and finance
The United States Treasury announced a plan to sell some of the nation’s gold reserve.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Detroit 4 @ Montreal 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
Chicago 3 @ Boston 4 (OT) (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Toronto 2 @ New York Islanders 3 (OT) (New York led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Buffalo 2 @ Philadelphia 3 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Nick Libett scored on a breakaway in the last minute of regulation time with Ken Dryden still in goal to clinch the Red Wings' upset win over the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum.

Terry O'Reilly scored at 1:50 of the 1st overtime period to give the Bruins their win over the Black Hawks at Boston Garden.

Mike Bossy scored at 2:50 of the 1st overtime period to give the Islanders their win over the Maple Leafs at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale in the national Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.

WHA
Avco World Trophy
Quarter-Finals
New England 0 @ Edmonton 2 (New England led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Winnipeg 2 @ Birmingham 3 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 2-1)

25 years ago
1983

Edmontonia
The annual Law Day debate at the Edmonton Public Library was on the subject of Sunday store openings. Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Keith Alexander spoke against Sunday openings.

Politics and government
A committee of the United States House of Representatives approved a bill providing more economic and military aid to Lebanon, as requested by President Ronald Reagan, but requiring that the president obtain congressional approval for any expanded U.S. military role in Lebanon.

A House committee rejected President Reagan’s request for an additional $50 million in aid to El Salvador.

Defense
U.S. President Ronald Reagan endorsed the recommendations of a commission to build and deploy 100 MX missiles in existing silos in Nebraska and Wyoming. The president said that the Soviet Union would have no motivation to negotiate arms reduction agreements unless the United States modernized its land-based missile systems.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was not obliged to consider a psychological stress factor before allowing the restart of the undamaged reactor at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. A serious accident had forced the shutdown of another reactor at the site in 1979. A U.S. court of appeals had held that the NRC had to consider the mental health of those living near the plant.

Hockey
IIHF World Men's Championship
U.S.S.R. 8 Canada 2

20 years ago
1988

On television tonight
Tonight's episode: Dance With Me

This was the last episode of the season, and the first I ever saw.

Politics and government
Michael Dukakis won the New York Democratic party primary for the 1988 nomination for President of the United States with 51% of the vote to 37% for Jesse Jackson and 10% for Al Gore. Rev. Jackson took 90% of the black vote, and a narrow margin in New York City, but took only a small fraction of the Jewish vote.

War
Iran admitted that 15 of its sailors had been killed in a U.S. attack on its Sassan oil platform the day before. Iran jets responded by unsuccessfully attacking one of the U.S. ships, the Wainwright. Iranian boats also attacked several commercial vessels and an offshore oil field owned by United Arab Emirates. American A-6 attack planes struck back, sinking one boat and damaging two others. An Iranian frigate attacked two U.S. warships, but in turn was struck and presumed sunk; a second attacking frigate was struck and damaged. U.S. Congressional leaders backed the American military initiative.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Edmonton 3 @ Calgary 1 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 1-0)

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Octavio Paz, 84. Mexican writer and poet. Mr. Paz wrote more than 40 volumes of poems and essays; his book The Labyrinth of Solitude is considered by many to be the seminal book on the Mexican mindset. Mr. Paz was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1990.

World events
The People’s Republic of China released Wang Dan, a leader in the Tiananmen Square democracy movement, who entered exile in the United States. The move by China was viewed as an attempt to win favour with the administration of President Bill Clinton.