May 25, 2008

270 years ago
1738

War
King George II negotiated a cease-fire between Pennsylvania and Maryland, ending the Conojocular War with settlement of a boundary dispute and exchange of prisoners. Hostilities between the two British colonies had begun in 1730.

150 years ago
1858

Born on this date
Tip O'Neill. Canadian baseball player. Mr. O’Neill, a native of Woodstock, Ontario, played for four major league teams in three leagues from 1883-1892, batting .326 in 1,054 career games. His best season was 1887 with the St. Louis Browns of the American Association, when he led the league in batting (.435); slugging (.691); hits (225); runs (167); doubles (52); and tied with five others for the lead in triples (19). The Browns won four straight AA pennants from 1885-1888 with Mr. O’Neill as their left fielder. As a pitcher, he had a career record of 16 wins and 16 losses. Tip O’Neill died in Montreal on December 31, 1915 at the age of 57.

140 years ago
1878

Born on this date
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. U.S. dancer and actor. Mr. Robinson was the best-known and highest-paid Negro entertainer in the first half of the 20th century, with a career spanning almost 50 years, beginning in minstrel shows and ending on television. He revolutionized tap dancing by dancing on his toes rather than his heels. Mr. Robinson is perhaps best known for appearing in four movies with Shirley Temple in the 1930s and starring in the movie Stormy Weather (1943). He died on November 25, 1949 at the age of 71.

Canadiana
Albert James Smith of Dorchester became the first native-born New Brunswicker to be knighted by a British monarch.

120 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Miles Malleson. U.K. actor and screenwriter. Mr. Malleson was a character actor in movies for more than 30 years, appearing in supporting roles in films such as The Sign of Four (1932); Stage Fright (1950); and Scrooge (1951). He also wrote screenplays for movies such as The Thief of Bagdad (1940). Mr. Malleson died on March 15, 1969 at the age of 80, after surgery for cataracts.

110 years ago
1898

Born on this date
Bennett Cerf. U.S. publisher and television personality. Mr. Cerf co-founded the Random House publishing firm in 1927. He compiled books of jokes and puns, and became a celebrity as a regular panelist on the television quiz show What's My Line? from 1951 until his death, from natural causes, on August 27, 1971 at the age of 73.

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
H.C. Doyle, 35. U.S. aviator and radio manufacturer. Mr. Doyle was killed in a plane crash near Mineola, New York.

Aviation
Captain Emilio Carranza completed the third-longest nonstop solo flight to date, from San Diego, California to Mexico City, covering the 1,575 miles in 18 1/2 hours.

Law
The United States House of Representatives passed the bill to build Boulder Dam.

The House sustained President Calvin Coolidge’s veto of the bill providing for post roads through Indian lands in 11 states.

Scandal
Graft disclosures in the New York City Street Cleaning Department led mayor J.J. Walker to summon all department and bureau heads to City Hall and tell them to root out grafters or quit.

It was reported that the United States had collected over $2 million to date in back revenue taxes revealed by Teapot Dome and Continental Trading testimony.

Disasters
The Italian dirigible Italia, on its way back to Kings Bay, Spitzbergen, Norway from a visit to the North Pole, fell 1,500 feet in fog and crashed on an ice pack which tore away and crushed the cabin, killing the chief mechanic, Pommela, and injuring the engineer, Ceccioni, meteorologist Malmgren, and commander General Umberto Nobile. The balloon then reascended, carrying away six men, who were never heard from again. Mr. Malmgren died from exposure.

Eight men died in a gas explosion in a hard coal mine in North Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

75 years ago
1933

At the movies
La Llorona (The Crying Woman), directed by Ramón Peón, and starring Ramón Pereda, Virginia Zurí, Carlos Orellana, Adriana Lamar, and Alberto Martí, opened in theatres in Mexico.



70 years ago
1938

War
In the Spanish Civil War, the Italian Aviazione Legionaria bombed the city of Alicante, killing 313 civilians.

60 years ago
1948

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis, on MBS
Tonight's episode: Aunt Bessie

50 years ago
1958

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents on CBS
Tonight’s episode: The Crocodile Case, starring Pat Hitchcock, Hazel Court, and Denholm Elliott

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Honey--Bobby Goldsboro (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: My Year is a Day--Les Irrésistibles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La bambola--Patty Pravo (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Delilah--Tom Jones (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): A Man Without Love (Quando M’innamoro)--Engelbert Humperdinck (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): What a Wonderful World--Louis Armstrong (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Tighten Up--Archie Bell & the Drells (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Lazy Sunday--Small Faces
2 Congratulations--Cliff Richard
3 Jumbo/The Singer Sang His Song--The Bee Gees
4 Il Est Cinq Heures, Paris S'éveille--Jacques Dutronc
5 If I Only Had Time--John Rowles
6 Delilah--Tom Jones
7 Wonder Boy--The Kinks
8 A Man Without Love (Quando M'innamora)--Engelbert Humperdinck
9 La Felicidad/Pa Wil Niet in Bad (La Felicidad)/Felicidad, de Roddel Van de Stad--Digno Garcia
--Johnny & Rijk
--Eddie Becker
10 Take Time to Know Her--Percy Sledge

Singles entering the chart were Man's Life by the Shoes (#28); I Can't Let Maggie Go by the Honeybus (#32); Ich Bau' dir ein Schloss by Heintje (#34); and Young Girl by the Union Gap (#36).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel
2 Tighten Up--Archie Bell & the Drells
3 A Beautiful Morning--The Rascals
4 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly--Hugo Montenegro, his Orchestra and Chorus
5 Cowboys to Girls--The Intruders
6 Mony Mony--Tommy James and the Shondells
7 Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day--Stevie Wonder
8 Honey--Bobby Goldsboro
9 The Unicorn--The Irish Rovers
10 Do You Know the Way to San Jose--Dionne Warwick

Singles entering the chart were Choo Choo Train by the Box Tops (#65); You Don't Know What You Mean to Me by Sam & Dave (#70); Indian Lake by the Cowsills (#76); Tip-Toe Thru' the Tulips with Me by Tiny Tim (#78); Here I Am Baby by the Marvelettes (#89); Anyone for Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme) by Cream (#93); Climb Every Mountain by the Hesitations (#97); Please Stay by the Dave Clark Five (#99); and Lover's Holiday by Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson (#100). Anyone for Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme) was a version of the theme from the movie; the song was written by Cream, but performed by the American Revolution in the film.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel (2nd week at #1)
2 A Beautiful Morning--The Rascals
3 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly--Hugo Montenegro, his Orchestra and Chorus
4 Tighten Up--Archie Bell & the Drells
5 Honey--Bobby Goldsboro
6 Love is All Around--The Troggs
7 Cowboys to Girls--The Intruders
8 Master Jack--Four Jacks and a Jill
9 Do You Know the Way to San Jose--Dionne Warwick
10 U.S. Male--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were United by Peaches and Herb (#77); Choo Choo Train by the Box Tops (#81); Sky Pilot (Part One) by Eric Burdon and the Animals (#82); Indian Lake by the Cowsills (#83); It's Over by Eddy Arnold (#85); I Got You Babe by Etta James (#87); I'll Never Do You Wrong by Joe Tex (#88); Licking Stick - Licking Stick (Part 1) by James Brown and the Famous Flames (#90); My Shy Violet by the Mills Brothers (#94); Helule Helule by the Tremeloes (#98); The Look of Love by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (#99); and Anyone for Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme) by Cream (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Louisiana Man--Bobbie Gentry
2 Angel of the Morning--Merrilee Rush
3 Master Jack--Four Jacks and a Jill
4 Delilah--Tom Jones
5 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel
6 If I were a Carpenter--Four Tops
7 Do You Know the Way to San Jose--Dionne Warwick
8 This Guy's in Love with You--Herb Alpert
9 Here's to You--Hamilton Camp
10 Red Red Wine--Neil Diamond

Singles entering the chart were MacArthur Park by Richard Harris (#24); I Wanna Live by Glen Campbell (#26); Think by Aretha Franklin (#28); and Jelly Jungle (Of Orange Marmalade) by the Lemon Pipers (#30).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Yummy, Yummy, Yummy--Ohio Express
2 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel
3 Blue Bonnie Blue--The 49th Parallel
4 Goin' Away--The Fireballs
5 I Love You--People
6 Harlem Lady--The Witness, Inc.
7 Hey Girl/My Girl--Bobby Vee
8 Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)--Johnny Farnham
9 A Question of Temperature--Balloon Farm
10 Master Jack--Four Jacks and a Jill
Pick hit of the week: Delilah--Tom Jones

Died on this date
Georg von Küchler, 86. German military officer. Generalfeldmarschall Küchler was from a noble family and joined the Imperial German Army in 1900, serving on the Western Front. He commanded troops in the invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War II, but was removed from command for refusing to use his forces to kill Polish or Jewish civilians. Generalfeldmarschall Küchler did support Nazi racial policy and the war against the Soviet Union. He commanded forces during the invasion of Russia, maintaining the siege of Leningrad from December 1941 until he was relieved of command at the end of January 1944. Generalfeldmarschall Küchler was directly involved in the murder of 240 mental patients in the U.S.S.R. in December 1941. He was arrested by American authorities after the war, and was sentenced in 1948 to 20 years in a Soviet prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity because of his treatment of Soviet prisoners of war. The sentence was reduced to 12 years in 1951, and Generalfeldmarschall Küchler was released in February 1953. He returned to West Germany, and died five days before his 87th birthday.

Protest
Three days of clashes between students and police in France concluded.

30 years ago
1978

World events
12 leftist politicians in Peru, who had called for a general strike after elections were postponed, were expelled to Argentina. Other leftist leaders went underground to avoid arrest.

French paratroopers began to withdraw from the Zairian town of Kolwezi, five days after completing the rescue of 2,500 Europeans who had been trapped there when fighting broke out between government troops and secessionist rebels. The French left only a token force in place.

War
Iraq was reported to have threatened to break diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union if the Soviets helped the Ethiopians against the Eritreans, who were being supported by Iraq in their attempt to secede from Ethiopia. It was also reported that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro was reluctant to commit Cuban troops to fight in Eritrea.

Diplomacy
French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing hinted to the United Nations General Assembly that France might not join the Geneva disarmament talks if those talks were not controlled by the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.

U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski returned to Washington from a 5-day tour of China, Japan, and South Korea. In South Korea that day, his visit did not calm Korean fears of U.S. troop withdrawals, despite his assurances of continued U.S. support.

Scandal
Sanjay Gandhi, son of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was ordered to face trial for refusing to testify before the commission of inquiry investigating acts committed by him and his mother during Mrs. Gandhi’s emergency rule government in 1975.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal 4 @ Boston 1 (Montreal won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Mario Tremblay scored goals in the 1st and 2nd periods, with his first goal, at 9:20 of the 1st period, proving to be the winner as the Canadiens overcame an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the Bruins at Boston Garden for their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship. The Bruins mustered just 16 shots on Montreal goalie Ken Dryden. It was the last game for Sam Pollock as general manager of the Canadiens, and his ninth Stanley Cup championship in that position.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Seattle 98 @ Washington 106 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

25 years ago
1983

Diplomacy
The United States Senate approved former Senator Richard Stone as the Reagan administration’s special envoy to Central America. That evening, Lt. Cdr. Albert Schaufelberger, deputy commander of the U.S. Military Group, became the first U.S. military adviser to die in El Salvador when he was shot and killed by gunmen who fired into his car while it was parked outside the University of Central America in San Salvador. The United States and El Salvador both began investigations.

Defense
The United States Senate voted 59-39 to free $625 million for development of the MX missile.

Disasters
A steamboat on the Nile River, near the Egyptian-Sudanese border, caught fire when a cooking gas cylinder exploded. 200 or more died.

Baseball
In a 6-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves‚ Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitchers Jim Bibby and Jim Winn combined to walk 7 consecutive batters in the 3rd inning‚ tying the major league record set by the Washington Nationals’ Dolly Gray in 1909.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Only One Woman--Alien

On television tonight
St. Elsewhere, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Last One

As the title suggests, this was the last episode of the series, which was in its sixth season.

Died on this date
Ernst Ruska, 81. German physicist. Dr. Ruska won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 for his work in electron optics, including the design of the first electron microscope.

Diplomacy
Panamanian dictator General Manuel Noriega rejected an American proposal to drop indictments against him in the United States on drug charges if he would leave Panama. U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz was the chief advocate of dropping the indictments, arguing that the indictments were less important than getting Gen. Noriega out of Panama. The proposal drew criticism from ousted Panamanian President Eric Delvalle, as well as from people within the U.S. administration of President Ronald Reagan.

Basketball
NBA
Western Conference
Finals
Dallas 101 @ Los Angeles Lakers 123 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 2-0)

10 years ago
1998

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference
Finals
Buffalo 2 @ Washington 3 (OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Todd Krygier scored at 3:01 of the 1st overtime period to give the Capitals their win over the Sabres at Verizon Center. Matthew Barnaby had tied the score for the Sabres with a powerplay goal with 57 seconds remaining in regulation time.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Conference
Finals
Chicago 94 @ Indiana 96 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)