May 19, 2008

1,020 years ago
988

Died on this date
Dunstan, 79 (?). Archbishop of Canterbury, 959-988. Dunstan encouraged the revival of monasticism in England, and forbade the practices of simony and clerics appointing relatives to offices under their jurisdiction. He served as a minister of state under Kings Edmund the Elder (940-946); Eadred (946-955); Edgar the Peaceful (959-975); and Edward the Martyr (975-978). Dunstan came into conflict with King Eadwig (955-959) and fled from England to Flanders for several years, and retired to Canterbury shortly after the accession to the throne of King Ethelred the Unready in 978. Dunstan was made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in 1029, and was he most popular English saint for several centuries.


180 years ago
1828

Economics and finance
The Tariff of 1828, also known as the Tariff of Abominations, was enacted by the U.S. Congress. It was labelled the "Tariff of Abominations" by its Southern detractors because of the effects it had on the Antebellum Southern economy. The goal of the tariff was to protect industry in the northern United States from competing European goods by increasing the prices of European products. One of the results was that the British reduced their imports of cotton from the United States, which hurt the South. The tariff forced the South to buy manufactured goods from U.S. manufacturers, mainly in the North, at a higher price, while Southern states also faced a reduced income from sales of raw materials. The reaction in the South, particularly in South Carolina, led to the Nullification Crisis that began in late 1832, and tariff policy continued to be a national political issue between the Democratic Party and the newly emerged Whig Party for the next twenty years.

160 years ago
1848

War
The Mexican legislature voted 51-34, and the Senate voted 33-4 to ratify the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War, which began in 1846. The treaty was largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico. It provided for the cession of 525,000 square miles (55% of its pre-war territory) to the United States in exchange for US$15 million, and the ensured safety of pre-existing property rights of Mexican citizens in the transferred territories. The United States also agreed to take over $3.25 million ($68 million in 2006 dollars) in debts Mexico owed to American citizens. The treaty also provided for the recognition of the Rio Grande as the boundary between the State of Texas and Mexico.

Business
America’s first department store opened: Alexander Turney Stewart’s Marble Palace at Broadway and Chambers Street in New York City, a much larger version of his dry goods store at 283 Broadway that he had started in 1823. The Marble Palace sold imported European merchandise to women, offered the first "fashion shows" on the second floor in the "Ladies' parlor" with full-length mirrors.

120 years ago
1888

Baseball
During the Chicago White Stockings’ 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Quakers‚ Chicago second baseman Fred Pfeffer went from first base to second on a fly to left field. According to the Chicago Tribune‚ "Pfeffer has introduced a new slide. He throws his body away from the base-line and reaches one foot for the bag." After the catch‚ Quakers’ left fielder George Wood made a perfect throw to Arthur Irwin‚ who was surprised to find Mr. Pfeffer's foot on the bag.

110 years ago
1898

Died on this date
William Gladstone, 88. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1868-1874; 1880-1885; 1886; 1892-1894. Mr. Gladstone had a long and memorable rivalry with Benjamin Disraeli. Mr. Gladstone regarded foreign affairs as a sphere for moral exercises, while Mr. Disraeli took a more practical political view. Perhaps the low point of Mr. Gladstone’s career as Prime Minister occurred in January 1885, when he delayed sending a party to relieve Gen. Charles Gordon at Khartoum, and the British forces were massacred. Mr. Gladstone was popularly regarded as Gen. Gordon’s murderer, and Queen Victoria agreed with that view. In addition to his political activities, Mr. Gladstone wrote a couple of best-selling pamphlets. One was a polemic against papal infallibility; his other notable pamphlet was a denunciation of Turkish massacres in Bulgaria. Mr. Gladstone’s moralism led him to conduct missionary activity among London prostitutes, while he literally scourged himself in an attempt to tame his sexual desires.

Baseball
Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman Jake Beckley hit 3 consecutive triples off Kid Nichols in a 5-4 win over the Boston Beaneaters.

Pitcher Frank Kitson made his debut with the Baltimore Orioles and blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0‚ on 4 hits.

100 years ago
1908

Born on this date
Percy Williams. Canadian runner. Mr. Williams, a native of Vancouver, won gold medals in the men's 100-metre and 200-metre runs at the 1928 Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam and a gold medal in the men's 100-yard run at the British Empire Games in Hamilton. He fell on hard times in his later years, turned to drink, and fatally shot himself on November 29, 1982 at the age of 74.

90 years ago
1918

Baseball
The Washington Nationals beat the Cleveland Indians 1-0 in 18 innings at Griffith Stadium in the first game to be played in Washington on a Sunday.

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
Henry Franklin Belknap Gilbert, 59. U.S. composer. Mr. Gilbert was known for his interest in American folk music, and particularly Negro music. His greatest success was The Dance in Place Congo, a programmatic work based upon Creole themes. Mr. Gilbert also wrote music based upon the music of American Indians.

Max Scheler, 53. German philosopher. Mr. Scheler was known for his work in phenomenology, ethics, and philosophical anthropology. The heart of Mr. Scheler's thought was his theory of value. According to Mr. Scheler, the value-being of an object preceded perception. Those who are interested in his theories are invited to do their own research.

Frank R. Loomis. U.S. physician. Dr. Loomis gassed himself to death in Detroit. In June 1927 he had been acquitted of the murder of his wife, who had been found beaten to death on February 22, 1927.

Diplomacy
The British government, through Foreign Secretary Austen Chamberlain, announced acceptance of the American proposal to outlaw war as an instrument of national policy.

Academia
U.S. President Calvin Coolidge spoke at the Phillips Academy sesquicentennial at Andover, Massachusetts.

Religion
The convention of the Southern Baptist Church at Chattanooga, Tennessee adopted a resolution pledging its members not to vote for any wet presidential candidate.

Journalism
The New Era, a weekly newspaper in Parker, South Dakota, completed printing the Bible in installments after 22 years and 8 months. Charles Hackett, pioneer editor, began the installments, and his successors continued the custom.

Americana
51 frogs entered the first annual "Frog Jumping Jubilee" at Angel's Camp, California.

Disasters
"Firedamp" exploded in the Pickens coal mine at Mather, Pennsylvania, killing 198 of 273 miners.

Earthquakes killed over 30 at and near Pimpincos, Peru.

Six ocean-going steamers collided in and near New York Bay. The Clyde liner Mohawk was beached off Normandie, New Jersey, and her passengers were taken off in surf boats by Coast Guards. The Pennland and the Veendam were sent to dry docks.

Horse racing
Reigh Count, with Charles Lang up, won the 54th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:10 2/5, 3 lengths ahead of Misstep, with Toro finishing third. The field consisted of a then-record 22 horses.



Baseball
The Chicago Cubs won their 13th straight game, edging the Boston Braves 3-2. Pitcher Charlie Root broke a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly. Hack Wilson hit a home run for Chicago. The Cubs were in first place‚ but went on to lose the next day‚ and in 3 days‚ the Cincinnati Reds regained the lead with a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

75 years ago
1933

Died on this date
Wes Curry, 73. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Curry pitched in two games for the Richmond Virginians of the American Association in 1884, losing them both, with an estimated earned run average of 5.06. Mr. Curry didn’t help his cause with his play in the field: along with 4 assists, he made 4 errors in his 2 games.

Baseball
For the first time in major league history, brothers on opposite teams hit home runs in the same game. Boston Red Sox’ catcher Rick Ferrell homered off his brother Wes Ferrell in the second inning, but the Cleveland Indians’ pitcher returned the favour as he homered in the third on a pitch called by his sibling. It was the only time that the Ferrell brothers homered in the same game.

70 years ago
1938

Baseball
Chicago Cubs’ pitcher Bill Lee shut out the New York Giants on 5 hits to win 1-0 in 10 innings. Mr. Lee scored the winning run to beat Giants’ starter Harry Gumbert.

60 years ago
1948

Baseball
The first-place St. Louis Cardinals blasted Brooklyn Dodgers’ pitchers for a 14-7 victory. Stan Musial led the way with 5 hits, including a triple and double, and scored 5 runs. The teams combined to set a since-tied National League record (for night games) of 28 runners left on base--14 each.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): All I Have to Do is Dream/Claudette--The Everly Brothers (Best Seller--2nd week at #1); All I Have to Do is Dream--The Everly Brothers (Disc Jockey--1st week at #1; Top 100--1st week at #1)

The South Pacific motion picture soundtrack album hit #1 on the Billboard album chart; it stayed at #1 for 31 weeks.

Died on this date
Ronald Colman, 67. U.K. actor. Mr. Colman won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1947 for A Double Life. Other movies of his included Lady Windermere’s Fan (1925); Bulldog Drummond (1929); Clive of India (1935); A Tale of Two Cities (1935); Lost Horizon (1937); The Prisoner of Zenda (1937); If I Were King (1938); The Light that Failed (1939); and Random Harvest (1942). Mr. Colman’s distinctive English voice and mannerisms were often the target of impressionists; for example, Don Adams did a Ronald Colman impression in at least one or two episodes of Get Smart. Mr. Colman was also a fine radio actor; his performance in the Suspense episode August Heat (originally broadcast on CBS on May 31, 1945) is frequently played on stations that carry old radio shows.

Bruno Sturmer, 65. German composer and conductor. Mr. Sturmer composed mainly choral music, and supplied many compositions for the Nazi regime.

40 years ago
1968

Television
The 20th annual Emmy Awards were presented. Among the winning actors were: Bill Cosby (I Spy); Don Adams (Get Smart); Milburn Stone (Gunsmoke); Werner Klemperer (Hogan’s Heroes); Barbara Bain (Mission: Impossible); Lucille Ball (The Lucy Show); Barbara Anderson (Ironside); and Marion Lorne (Bewitched). Miss Lorne’s award was presented posthumously. Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In won for Best Musical or Variety Program, and ten different writers for that show shared the Emmy for musical or variety writing--quite an achievement for a program that had only begun broadcasting as a series (on NBC) on January 22. The Emmy for comedy writing went to Allan Burns and Chris Hayward for The Coming-Out Party, an episode of He and She, a CBS series starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss (husband and wife in real life), that ran for just one season.

Politics and government
Americans for Democratic Action in Washington endorsed Senator Eugene McCarthy for the Democratic presidential nomination, upholding the previous approval of ADA’s national board. The group praised "his courage in New Hampshire and Wisconsin," adding that his campaign "forced a change in the administration’s Vietnam policy, and induced President Johnson’s renunciation of further political activity."

Golf
Billy Casper won the Colonial National Invitational Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas with a score of 275. First prize money was $25,000.

Baseball
After hitting 10 home runs in 6 consecutive games, establishing a major league record, Frank Howard of the Washington Senators was stopped by Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Earl Wilson, who defeated the Senators 5-4.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Rivers of Babylon--Boney M. (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): How Deep is Your Love--Bee Gees (5th week at #1)

At the movies
Thank God it's Friday, starring Donna Summer, opened in theatres.

World events
The government of Peru responded to riots over government-imposed price increases by postponing legislative elections scheduled for June 4. 12 left-wing politician who were scheduled to run in the elections called for a general strike for May 22-23 to protest the price increases. The 12 were arrested.

In Italy, two days of police searches concluded with the discovery of three Red Brigade hideouts and the arrest of 10 people.

French and Belgian paratroopers began dropping into the copper mining town of Kolwezi in the Zairian province of Shaba (formerly Katanga). The paratroopers were sent in to rescue more than 2,500 Europeans trapped there in fighting between Zairian troops and secessionist rebels. The United States Air Force provided 18 transport planes for the operation. The French Foreign Ministry reported that Cuban and Soviet advisers had been spotted with the rebels.

Politics and government
U.S. President Jimmy Carter criticized the "very tight constraints" that Congress had placed on aid to friendly African nations, blaming this for limiting the American role in the Zaire airlift.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Finals
Winnipeg 10 @ New England 2 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Baseball
The New York Mets traded outfielder Ken Henderson to the Cincinnati Reds for relief pitcher Dale Murray. Mr. Henderson was batting .227 with 1 home run and 4 runs batted in in 7 games with New York in 1978. Mr. Murray was 1-1 with 2 saves and an earned run average of 4.09 in 15 games with Cincinnati in 1978.

Bob Sykes of the Detroit Tigers was finally scored upon after two straight shutouts, giving up 2 runs against the Boston Red Sox in 8 innings. John Hiller relieved Mr. Sykes in the 9th inning in a 7-5 Detroit win at Tiger Stadium.

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Canada’s top 30
1 Beat It--Michael Jackson
2 Let’s Dance--David Bowie
3 Midnight Blue--Louise Tucker
4 I Won’t Hold You Back--Toto
5 Overkill--Men at Work
6 Little Red Corvette--Prince
7 Some Kind of Friend--Barry Manilow
8 Time (Clock of the Heart)--Culture Club
9 Always Something There to Remind Me--Naked Eyes
10 Rio--Duran Duran
11 Jeopardy--Greg Kihn Band
12 Affair of the Heart--Rick Springfield
13 Even Now--Bob Seger
14 It Might Be You--Stephen Bishop
15 Safety Dance--Men Without Hats
16 Too Shy--Kajagoogoo
17 Mornin’--Al Jarreau
18 She Blinded Me with Science--Thomas Dolby
19 Don’t Let it End--Styx
20 Solitaire--Laura Branigan
21 Electric Avenue--Eddy Grant
22 Flashdance (What a Feeling)--Irene Cara
23 Straight from the Heart--Bryan Adams
24 White Wedding--Billy Idol
25 My Love--Lionel Richie
26 Lean on Me--Chilliwack
27 Total Eclipse of the Heart--Bonnie Tyler
28 She’s a Beauty--The Tubes
29 Faithfully--Journey
30 Making it Work--Doug and the Slugs

Edmontonia
In honour of their first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals, the Edmonton Oilers received a late-afternoon parade downtown.

World events
Col. Abu Masa, a top Palestine Liberation Organization commander, said that his troops were joining a dissident PLO faction opposed to Yasser Arafat, longtime leader of the PLO. Col. Masa, overall leader of the rebel group. was based in Lebanon, and believed that Mr. Arafat was too moderate in his efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the strife in the Middle East.

Diplomacy
The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Panama--the so-called Contadora Group--in their efforts to negotiate a peace in Central America. The United States supported the resolution after an implied condemnation of U.S. policy was deleted.

Politics and government
United States House of Representatives Democratic leader Jim Wright warned President Ronald Reagan to stop criticizing Congress on the budget if he expected to have its cooperation on foreign policy issues.

20 years ago
1988

Died on this date
Virginia Farmer, 90. U.S. actress. Among Miss Farmer’s films were To Each His Own (1946); Another Part of the Forest (1948); A Woman’s Secret (1949); Captain Carey, USA (1950); and Cyrano de Bergerac (1950).

Crime
A Missouri couple were indicted in connection with a plot to kill Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Jesse Jackson.

Carlos Lehder, a Colombian who was linked to the Medellin drug cartel, was convicted in federal court in Jacksonville, Florida of conspiracy to smuggle 3.3 tons of cocaine from 1978 to 1980. Jack Reed, an American co-defendant, was also convicted.

Basketball
NBA
Western Conference
Semi-Finals
Denver 95 @ Dallas 108 (Dallas won best-of-seven series 4-2)
Los Angeles Lakers 80 @ Utah 108 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Baseball
The Boston Red Sox retired Bobby Doerr's #1.

Greg Swindell of the Cleveland Indians tossed a 2-hitter against the Chicago White Sox, and won 1-0 when Cory Snyder hit a game-ending home run in the 9th inning off Bobby Thigpen.

10 years ago
1998

Crime
A 15-year-old high school student was charged with the fatal shooting of two students in the school cafeteria, and his parents at their home in Springfield, Oregon.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference
Semi-Finals
Detroit 6 @ St. Louis 1 (Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Conference
Finals
Indiana 98 @ Chicago 104 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Baseball
The Montreal Expos defeated the Houston Astros 4-2 in the first outdoor game played in Montreal's Olympic Stadium since 1991. The retractable roof‚ which had been prone to tearing in high winds‚ was removed on May 10. A new permanent roof was to be installed after the season.

Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit three 2-run home runs and drove in 6 runs in a 10-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies before 16,541 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. It was the second time this season and fourth time in his career that Mr. McGwire had hit 3 home runs in a game. He also became the 10th player in major league history to have two 3-home run games in a season, and reached the 20-homer mark faster than other player in history.

The New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 9-5 at Yankee Stadium in a game marked by a brawl which resulted in 5 ejections. Players involved were suspended for a total of 18 games. The melee began when Baltimore relief pitcher Armando Benitez hit Tino Martinez in the back with a pitch following an 8th-inning home run by Bernie Williams.