April 22, 2008

1,770 years ago
238

Politics and government
The Roman Senate outlawed Emperor Maximinus Thrax for his bloodthirsty proscriptions in Rome and nominated two of its members, Pupienus and Balbinus, to the throne.

110 years ago
1898

War
USS Nashville took an enemy ship in the first action of the Spanish-American war. U.S. President William McKinley ordered a blockade of Cuban harbours, while Congress passed the Volunteer Army Act, which called for a volunteer cavalry.

Baseball
Ted Breitenstein of the Cincinnati Reds and Jay Hughes of the Baltimore Orioles each pitched no-hitters. Mr. Breitenstein and the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 at League Park in Cincinnati, while Hughes and the Orioles blanked the Boston Beaneaters 8-0 at Union Park in Baltimore.

100 years ago
1908

Died on this date
Henry Campbell-Bannerman, 71. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1905-1908. Sir Henry, a Liberal, represented Stirling Burghs in the House of Commons from 1868 until his death after failing health. He became Liberal Party leader in 1899 and held several cabinet posts before serving as Prime Minister. Sir Henry resigned as Prime Minister on April 3, 1908, but was allowed to continue living at 10 Downing Street in London until new arrangements could be made; however, his health took a sudden turn for the worse, and he died at the official residence.

Baseball
In the New York Giants' home opener, 25,000 fans at the Polo Grounds watched the Brooklyn Dodgers take a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning against Christy Mathewson. But in the bottom, with Fred Tenney on first base, Mike Donlin hit a home run off Harry McIntire to give the Giants a 3-2 win. Mr. Mathewson pitched a 7-hit complete game to improve to 3-0 for the season, while Mr. McIntire, who also went the distance, dropped to 1-1.

Eddie Plank pitched an 8-hit complete game to win the pitchers' duel over Jack Chesbro, who also went the distance, as the Philadelphia Athletics edged the New York Highlanders 3-2 before 17,000 fans in their last home opener at Columbia Park in Philadelphia.

80 years ago
1928

Disasters
Earthquakes at and near Corinth, Greece killed 300, destroyed most buildings, and left 15,000 homeless.

60 years ago
1948

Television
WTVR TV channel 6 (CBS) in Richmond, Virginia began broadcasting.

War
The Jewish paramilitary group Haganah captured Haifa from the Arab Liberation Army as British troops withdrew to the harbour area.

A U.S. court in Nuremberg cleared 23 I.G. Farben officials of crimes against humanity during World War II, but continued to try them on charges of plundering occupied countries.

Diplomacy
The International Conference of American States in Bogota passed a resolution urging participating countries to exchange information on subversive activities and work against "agents in the service of international Communism."

Indianica
22 Indian princely states merged to form Madhya Bharat (Malwa Union), which went into effect on May 28, 1948.

Politics and government
U.S. President Harry Truman named Cincinnati lawyer Charles Sawyer to succeed Averell Harriman, newly-appointed U.S. envoy to Marshall Plan nations, as Secretary of Commerce.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution demanding that the Commerce Department surrender the full text of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's loyalty report on Bureau of Standards Director Edward Condon, who was accused of being a potential security risk by the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

Labour
130,000 French coal miners ended a three-day strike for better safety regulations, following a mine explosion in Sallaumines that caused 13 deaths.

U.S. Steel Corporation rejected a United Steel Workers of America demand for increased wages and promised to reduce prices in an effort to start a trend toward lower living costs.

50 years ago
1958

Diplomacy
The week-long conference of independent African states concluded in Accra after adopting resolutions pledging support for Algerian nationalists and common foreign policies based on "nonentanglement" between East and West.

Politics and government
Britain's Princess Margaret formally opened the new West Indies Parliament in Port-of-Spain Trinidad.

In an address to the opening session of the Yugoslavian Communist League's seventh congress in Ljublijana, President Marshal Josip Broz Tito urged the U.S.S.R. to "abandon" its "absurd" efforts to remold Yugoslavia into a docile member of the Soviet bloc.

Americana
The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee approved a bill granting permanent U.S. residence to refugees of the 1956 Hungarian revolt who had entered the United States on temporary visas.

Environment
The U.S.S.R. and Japan signed an accord setting northwest Pacific Japanese salmon quotas at 110,000 tons for 1958 and providing for an eight-year suspension of fishing in the Sea of Okhotsk, beginning in 1959.

Economics and finance
The U.S.S.R. and People's Republic of China signed an agreement in Peking providing for an increase in the exchange of Chinese raw materials and farm products for Soviet industrial machines, transport, and finished goods.

Business
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a plan to help financially-pressed railroads with up to $700 million in federally-guaranteed loans.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Hana no Kubikazari/Ginga no Romance--The Tigers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La, la, la--Massiel

Music
The album The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees was released on Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor Records in Canada.

Space
The Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space, also referred to as the Rescue Agreement, was signed at ceremonies in Washington, London, and Moscow. It went into force on December 3, 1968.

Diplomacy
The International Conference on Human Rights convened in Tehran as part of the United Nations observance of the 20th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Labour
11,000 Ford Motor Company of Canada workers ended a six-day strike in Oakville, Ontario.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
St. Louis 2 @ Minnesota 3 (OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Parker MacDonald scored at 3:41 of the 1st overtime period to give the North Stars their win over the Blues at Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Un'emozione da poco--Anna Oxa (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Rivers of Babylon--Boney M. (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry's Song)--Brian and Michael (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry's Song)--Brian and Michael (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Night Fever--Bee Gees (6th week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees (3rd week at #1)
2 Only a Fool--The Mighty Sparrow with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
3 U.O. Me (You Owe Me)--Luv'
4 Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring--Boney M.
5 Argentina--Conquistador
6 With a Little Luck--Wings
7 Come Back My Love--Darts
8 Wuthering Heights--Kate Bush
9 Starship 109--Mistral
10 Fantasy--Earth, Wind & Fire

Singles entering the chart were Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty (#19); Every 1's a Winner by Hot Chocolate (#26); Oh, Heideroosje by De Havenzangers (#30); One One and One by Highlight (#31); The Battle of Sally Ann by Saskia & Serge (#35); and Emotion by Samantha Sang (#36).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Night Fever--Bee Gees (6th week at #1)
2 Can't Smile Without You--Barry Manilow
3 Dust in the Wind--Kansas
4 If I Can't Have You--Yvonne Elliman
5 The Closer I Get to You--Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
6 Jack and Jill--Raydio
7 Running on Empty--Jackson Browne
8 Lay Down Sally--Eric Clapton
9 Goodbye Girl--David Gates
10 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees

Singles entering the chart were Take a Chance on Me by ABBA (#78); Tumbling Dice by Linda Ronstadt (#84); Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett (#85); Stay by Rufus/Chaka Khan (#86); I Want to Live by John Denver (#87); Bluer than Blue by Michael Johnson (#88); Oh What a Night for Dancing by Barry White (#89); and Follow You Follow Me by Genesis (#98).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Night Fever--Bee Gees (4th week at #1)
2 Can't Smile Without You--Barry Manilow
3 Lay Down Sally--Eric Clapton
4 Dust in the Wind--Kansas
5 If I Can't Have You--Yvonne Elliman
6 Jack and Jill--Raydio
7 The Circle is Small--Gordon Lightfoot
8 Ebony Eyes--Bob Welch
9 Goodbye Girl--David Gates
10 Always and Forever--Heatwave

Singles entering the chart were Dance with Me by Peter Brown (#78); (I Will Be Your) Shadow in the Street by Allan Clarke (#91); Yank Me, Crank Me by Ted Nugent (#92); Mama Let Him Play by Doucette (#94); You Got that Right by Lynyrd Skynyrd (#95); Am I Losing You by the Manhattans (#96); Heartless by Heart (#97); Down the Road by B.T.O. (#98); It's a Heartache by Juice Newton (#99); and Les Bleus au Coeur by Patrick Juvet (#100).

Died on this date
Will Geer, 76. U.S. actor. Mr. Geer obtained a Master’s degree in botany from Columbia University, and developed the hobby of raising all the plants mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare. His desire to act got the better of him, and he made his movie debut in Misleading Lady in 1932. Mr. Geer had small roles in movies, many of them westerns, into the 1970s. The movies that he appeared in included Union Pacific (1939); Winchester ‘73 (1950); Broken Arrow (1950); Advise and Consent (1962); Seconds (1966); and The Reivers (1969). Perhaps the most remarkable movie that Mr. Geer was involved with was Salt of the Earth (1954), the only film in Hollywood history to be blacklisted. Many of the people involved in the making of the movie had been subjected to the anti-Communist Hollywood blacklist in the early 1950s. Mr. Geer had toured work camps in the 1930s, singing with Woody Guthrie and Burl Ives; he was blacklisted in 1951 after refusing to testify before the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities. During this period, Mr. Geer established the Theatrical Botanicum in Topanga Canyon, California, an acting and singing haven for his blacklisted friends. Mr. Geer had a lengthy career as a stage actor, making his Broadway debut as Pistol in The Merry Wives of Windsor in 1928. In 1937 he was cast as Slim in Of Mice and Men when the author, John Steinbeck, saw Mr. Geer arriving for his audition wearing blue jeans; Mr. Steinbeck chose him on the spot. In 1938 Mr. Geer appeared in the Broadway production of The Cradle Will Rock, the notorious Mercury Theatre play which had originally appeared off-Broadway the year before, directed by Orson Welles. Mr. Geer was nominated for a Tony award in 1964 as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in 110 In The Shade, a musical version of the 1956 film The Rainmaker. His last Broadway appearance was in Scratch, which ran for only a few days in May 1971. Mr. Geer’s first television appearance took place in an episode of the Chevrolet Tele-Theatre in 1948, but it wasn’t until the mid-’60s that he began making frequent TV appearances. In 1972 he landed the role that made him famous when he was cast as Zebulon Walton, the grandfather in the CBS series The Waltons. He was still playing this role at the time of his death.

War
The government of South Korea praised the decision of U.S. President Jimmy Carter to slow down the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea. The Soviet Union criticized President Carter’s decision, demanding the total withdrawal of American forces from Korea.

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance concluded three days of talks with U.S.S.R. leaders in Moscow. After meeting with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, Mr. Vance reported "some progress" in Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT).

Bowling
Earl Anthony won the Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Philadelphia 1 @ Buffalo 4 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-1)

25 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Earl "Fatha" Hines, 79. U.S. jazz pianist. Mr. Hines was one of the giants in the history of jazz; Count Basie called him "the greatest piano player in the world." "Fatha" began to play piano in the area around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a teenager; he made his first recordings in 1923, and in 1925 settled in Chicago, where he met Louis Armstrong. They played together in Carroll Dickerson’s band, which by 1927 had become Mr. Armstrong’s band, under the direction of Mr. Hines. The band soon became known as the Hot Five; their most famous recording was Weatherbird, a duet between Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Hines. In 1928 (on his 25th birthday) Earl Hines began leading his own band; for more than 10 years Mr. Hines’ band was "The Band" at Al Capone’s Grand Terrace Cafe. From the Grand Terrace, Mr. Hines’ band broadcast on "open mikes," and became the most widely broadcast band in America. Mr. Hines continued to record, and led his band until it broke up in 1947. Mr. Hines rejoined Louis Armstrong’s band in 1949, but left in 1951. "Fatha’s" popularity gradually declined through the 1950s, and he retired in the early 1960s. Mr. Hines was rediscovered as an artist in 1964 after a series of recitals in New York, leading to a busy recording and performing schedule that occupied the rest of his life. In 1966 he topped Downbeat magazine’s international critics’ poll for the magazine’s Hall of Fame, and was also chosen as Downbeat’s "#1 Jazz Pianist" (an honour he went on to win five more times). During a 6-week U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of the U.S.S.R. in 1968, Mr. Hines played to sellout crowds at the Kiev Sports Palace; Soviet authorities subsequently cancelled his Moscow and Leningrad appearances on the grounds of being "culturally dangerous." Earl Hines gave his last performance in Oakland just a few days before his death.

Journalism
The West German magazine Stern announced that it had obtained 60 volumes of diaries written by Adolf Hitler between 1932 and 1945. It was said that the diaries had been flown out of Berlin in the last days of World War II, and that the plane had crashed near Bornersdorf, in present East Germany. The diaries had reportedly been recovered from the crash and come into the hands of a Stern reporter, who bought them with up to $4 million U.S. of the magazine’s money. Stern began publishing the diaries, which consisted mostly of banalities, even while historians argued over their authenticity.

Politics and government
The Italian Socialist Party decided to withdraw from the nation's ruling coalition.

World events
Great Britain performed a nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
New York Islanders 5 @ New York Rangers 2 (Islanders won best-of-seven series 4-2)
Bostonn 3 @ Buffalo 5 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Heart--Pet Shop Boys

Died on this date
Irene Rich, 96. U.S. actress. Mrs. Rich was a leading lady in movies in the 1920s and ‘30s; her forte was "women’s pictures," usually tearjerkers. Her films included Beau Brummel (1924); Lady Windermere’s Fan (1925); So This is London (1930); Manhattan Tower (1932); The Mortal Storm (1940); Fort Apache (1948); and her last picture, Joan of Arc (1948). Miss Rich achieved success on radio as star of Dear John (a.k.a. The Irene Rich Show), an anthology series that began in 1933 and lasted for more than a decade. Her leading man was Gale Gordon. Miss Rich made one television appearance, in an episode of the Chevrolet Tele-Theatre in 1949.

Personal
It was the last day of the winter term at the University of Western Ontario’s School of Library and Information Science, and for some of us (including this blogger), their last day of classes after 42 weeks--a very enjoyable day indeed. Lunch at J.J. McGinnis’ with two lovely female classmates added to the occasion. Festivities continued that evening at the Elephant & Castle in downtown London.

Law
Justice Willard Estey retired from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Finals
Montreal 1 @ Boston 3 (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Washington 4 @ New Jersey 10 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Patrik Sundstrom tied the playoff record of 8 points in a playoff game (3 goals and 5 assists) as the Devils routed the Capitals at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford. Mark Johnson scored 4 goals for New Jersey.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Edward Brongersma, 86. Dutch politician and activist. Dr. Brongersma was a member of the Dutch Labour Party who sat in the Dutch Senate (1946-1950, 1963-1977). He was a sodomite who served 11 months in prison for having sex with a then-underage 17-year-old youth; his main interest as a legislator was in trying to lower the age of consent for sex. Dr. Brongersma died by voluntary euthanasia. The doctor who aided in his death, Flip Sutorius, was prosecuted but not punished.

World events
The Irish parliament gave nearly unanimous approval to the peace accord for Northern Ireland reached by Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Defense
The United States banned arms exports to Britain and revoked all pending licenses in a first step to halt sales of weapons to all 15 nations of the European Union.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference
Quarter-Finals
Ottawa 2 @ New Jersey 1 (OT) (Ottawa led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Buffalo 3 @ Philadelphia 2 (Buffalo led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Boston 1 @ Washington 3 (Washington led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Western Conference
Quarter-Finals
San Jose 1 @ Dallas 4 (Dallas led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Edmonton 3 @ Colorado 2 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Phoenix 3 @ Detroit 6 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Bruce Gardiner scored at 5:58 of the 1st overtime period to give the Senators their win over the Devils at Continental Airlines Arena.

Baseball
Chicago White Sox' second baseman Ray Durham tied a major league record by reaching base on an error 3 times in Chicago's 14-7 victory over the Cleveland Indians before 42,840 fans at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Mr. Durham added 3 hits with 4 runs and 2 runs batted in. Durham was also involved in two other plays in which he advanced on errors: He stole second base and went to third base on a throwing error, and tripled and scored on another error. The White Sox scored 9 runs in the 5th inning.

The Boston Red Sox scored 3 runs in the top of the 8th and 4 in the 9th to defeat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 before 10,102 fans at Tiger Stadium.

Darin Erstad's 2 run home run climaxed a 3-run 8th inning as the Anaheim Angels held on to edge the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 befrore 22,739 fans at Edison International Field of Anaheim.

Pinch hitter Jim Tatum hit a 3-run home run with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the New York Mets a 10-7 win over the Houston Astros before 12,772 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Mr. Tatum's homer was his first of the season, and the second of three in his major league career.

F.P. Santangelo led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a walk and came around to score on a 1-out, bases-loaded single by Rondell White to give the Montreal Expos a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 7,680 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, trailing 6-0 after 3 innings, scored a run in the 4th, 5 in the 5th, and 3 in the 9th to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-6 before 14,083 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Los Angeles catcher Mike Piazza got the Dodgers on the scoreboard with a solo home run, and hit a 3-run homer to break a 6-6 tie.

Ken Caminiti singled home Quilvio Veras with 1 out in the top of the 14th inning to enable the San Diego Padres to edge the Chicago Cubs 3-2 before 15,852 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.