June 9, 2008

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sandie Topechka!

1,940 years ago
68

Died on this date
Nero, 30. Emperor of the Roman Empire, 54-68. Nero, the last Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasy, succeeded his uncle Claudius on the throne. Much of Nero's life and reputation seems to be in dispute; he was known for lavish expenditures on public works, sports, and the arts. He also had a reputation for cruelty, which included ordering the murder of his mother Agrippina the Younger, who dominated the first 25 years of his life. Fearing a revolt by Galba, Nero couldn't bring himself to commit suicide, but forced his private secretary, Epaphroditos, to fatally stab him. Galba took power as Emperor, beginning the civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors.

110 years ago
1898

Golf
Harry Vardon shot 76 in the final round for a total of 307 to win the British Open at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland, 1 stroke ahead of Willie Park, Jr. First prize money was £30. Mr. Vardon had previously won the Open Championship in 1896.

80 years ago
1928

Aviation
Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew landed the Fokker Trimotor monoplane Southern Cross at Brisbane, Australia from Fiji, completing the first ever trans-Pacific flight from the United States mainland to Australia.

60 years ago
1948

Died on this date
Joshua Liebman, 41. U.S. clergyman and author. Rabbi Liebman was know for his book Peace of Mind (1946), attempting to reconcile religion and psychiatry. The book was still on best-seller lists when Rabbi Liebman died of a heart attack.

War
Israel and the Arab League announced unconditional acceptance of the truce terms of United Nations mediator Folke Bernadotte.

Education
The International Council on Archives was founded under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Politics and government
The U.K. House of Lords rejected a government bill halving the time period during which the Lords could veto legislation.

Speaking in Spokane, Washington, U.S. President Harry Truman set off a barrage of criticism of Republicans by referring to the Republican-dominated 80th Congress as "the worst...we have had."

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Purple People Eater--Sheb Wooley (Best Seller--1st week at #1; Top 100--1st week at #1); All I Have to Do is Dream--The Everly Brothers (Disc Jockey--4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Robert Donat, 53. U.K. actor. Mr. Donat had a successful stage career before going into movies, where he won an Academy Award for his starring performance in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939); his other notable films included The 39 Steps (1935) and The Citadel (1938). He suffered from asthma for many years, but it was a brain tumour that apparently killed him, shortly after completing his last film, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958).

World events
The East German government said that it would not release U.S. soldiers seized in the previous day's forced landing of a helicopter in East German territory until the U.S. opened direct negotiations for their release.

Transportation
Queen Elizabeth II opened an extended airport at Gatwick, south of London, modernized at a cost of £7 million.

40 years ago
1968

On television tonight
Canada's first televised federal election debate took place. The participants were Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (Liberal); Opposition leader Robert Stanfield (Progressive Conservative); New Democratic Party leader Tommy Douglas; and Social Credit Party leader Réal Caouette. The debate occupied 2 hours, the last 40 minutes in French only. Mr. Caouette participated only in the French part of the debate.





Golf
Billy Casper won the Indianapolis Open with a score of 280. First prize money was $20,000. It was Mr. Casper's fourth win of the year.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Rivers of Babylon--Boney M. (8th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): It's a Heartache--Bonnie Tyler (2nd week at #1)

Religion
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as the Mormon Church, opened its priesthood--normally entered by all white Mormon males at age 12--to "all worthy men," ending a 148-year-old policy of excluding Negro men. Spencer W. Kimball, the church's "Prophet, Seer and Revelator," announced in Salt Lake City that the decision had been based on a revelation that had come to church leaders. He said, "The long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood." The change was expected to facilitate the church's active missionary program. Women were still not considered worthy for the priesthood.

Crime
Joan Little, a female Negro prisoner who had attracted international attention in 1975 when she was acquitted of murdering a white prison guard who was attempting to rape her, was extradited from New York to North Carolina to complete her prison sentence for breaking and entering. She had escaped from prison in October 1977, and pled guilty on June 12, 1978, receiving an additional sentence of 6 months-2 years.

Business
In the largest recall in automotive history to this date, Ford Motor Company recalled 1.5 million Ford Pintos and Mercury Bobcats in order to "end public concern that has resulted from criticism of the fuel systems in these vehicles."

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Canada's top 30
1 Flashdance (What a Feeling)--Irene Cara
2 Straight From the Heart--Bryan Adams
3 Overkill--Men at Work
4 Time (Clock of the Heart)--Culture Club
5 Too Shy--Kajagoogoo
6 Puttin' on the Ritz--Taco
7 Total Eclipse of the Heart--Bonnie Tyler
8 Electric Avenue--Eddy Grant
9 Affair of the Heart--Rick Springfield
10 Don't Let it End--Styx
11 Always Something There to Remind Me--Naked Eyes
12 I Won't Hold You Back--Toto
13 Solitaire--Laura Branigan
14 Little Red Corvette--Prince
15 White Wedding--Billy Idol
16 Beat It--Michael Jackson
17 My Love--Lionel Richie
18 Let's Dance--David Bowie
19 I'm Still Standing--Elton John
20 Every Breath You Take--The Police
21 She's a Beauty--The Tubes
22 Faithfully--Journey
23 Making it Work--Doug and the Slugs
24 Our House--Madness
25 Never Gonna Let You Go--Sergio Mendes
26 We Two--Little River Band
27 Come Dancing--The Kinks
28 The Woman in You--The Bee Gees
29 Italian Girls--Daryl Hall and John Oates
30 Stand Back--Stevie Nicks

Italian Girls was, I think, the only Hall & Oates hit to be entirely written by John Oates, with John singing lead. In Canada, Italian Girls was the hit side of the single, while in the United States, Family Man was the hit side. Mike Oldfield's original version of Family Man had been a hit in Britain and Canada the year before, which may explain why the Hall & Oates version wasn't plugged on Canadian radio.

Politics and government
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher led her Conservative Party to a landslide win in the British general election, the second straight win for the Conservatives.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gimme Hope Jo'anna--Eddy Grant (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Got to Be Certain--Kylie Minogue (3rd week at #1)

Energy
The Supreme Court of Canada denied Newfoundland's 12-year quest for a better contract with Quebec for power from the Churchill Falls Hydro project.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Detroit 96 @ Los Angeles Lakers 108 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)



10 years ago
1998

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Washington 1 @ Detroit 2 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 1-0)