June 21, 2008

220 years ago
1788

Americana
New Hampshire entered the union as the 9th state, and thus put the United States Constitution into effect.

210 years ago
1798

War
The British Army defeated Irish rebels in the Battle of Vinegar Hill.

160 years ago
1848

Europeana
In the Wallachian Revolution in Romania, Ion Heliade Rădulescu and Christian Tell issued the Proclamation of Islaz and created a new republican government.

120 years ago
1888

Baseball
George Van Haltren pitched a no-hitter as the Pittsburg Alleghenys edged the Chicago White Stockings 1-0 at West Side Park in Chicago in a game that was called after 6 innings.

110 years ago
1898

War
U.S. forces captured Guam from Spain.

100 years ago
1908

Died on this date
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, 64. Russian composer. Mr. Rimsky-Korsakov was a military officer and Russian nationalist who wrote 15 operas, and is known for orchestral compositions such as Scheherazade (1888).

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
W.L. Wagner. U.S. criminal. Mr. Wagner was executed at Sing Sing Prison in New York for the September 7, 1927 murders of New York state troopers Robert Ray and A.T. Rasmussen in Cananea, New York.

Divorced on this date
A court in Bucharest granted Princess Helen of Greece an absolute divorce from Carol, ex-Crown Prince of Romania.

Chinatica
The Chinese Nationalist Government Political Council decided to change the name of the Manchu capital from Peking to Peiping, meaning "Northern Peace."

60 years ago
1948

Literature
The Gathering Storm, the first volume of Sir Winston Churchill's history of the Second World War, was published in New York by Houghton Mifflin.

War
The Philippine government granted an unconditional amnesty to Hukbalahap guerrillas and admitted Huk leader Luis Taruc to Congress in an effort to end unrest in central Luzon.

Politics and government
Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari took office in New Delhi as Governor General of India, succeeding Lord Louis Mountbatten.

The U.S. Republican National Convention opened at Convention Hall in Philadelphia; it was the first American political convention to be televised.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court completed its term after ruling that the Taft-Hartley Act did not prevent unions from endorsing political candidates, and upholding the provision of the Act that required union officials to submit affidavits certifying that they were not Communists.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): He's Got the Whole World (In His Hands)--Laurie London (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): March from the River Kwai and Colonel Bogey--Mitch Miller and his Orchestra (11th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Hello, le soleil brille--Annie Cordy (15th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Who's Sorry Now--Connie Francis (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Purple People Eater--Sheb Wooley (2nd week at #1)
2 All I Have to Do is Dream--The Everly Brothers
3 Jennie Lee--Jan & Arnie
4 Secretly--Jimmie Rodgers
5 Do You Want to Dance--Bobby Freeman
6 Return to Me--Dean Martin
7 Yakety-Yak--The Coasters
8 Big Man--The Four Preps
9 Witch Doctor--David Seville
10 Twilight Time--The Platters

Singles entering the chart were Got a Match?, with versions by the Daddy-O's; Frank Gallop; and Lou Stein (#37); For Your Precious Love by Jerry Butler and the Impressions (#40); Splish Splash by Bobby Darin (#47); Woodchoppers' Ball by Hutch Davie and the Honky Tonkers (#53); Singing Hills by Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (#60); Rebel Rouser by Duane Eddy and the Rebels (#63); The Bird on My Head by David Seville (#66); A Certain Smile by Johnny Mathis (#68); I Love You So by the Chantels (#72); Left Right Out of Your Heart (Hi Lee Hi Lo Hi Lup Up Up) by Patti Page (#73); Cuddly Baby by the Deb-Tones (#74); and Poor Little Fool (EP) by Ricky Nelson (#75). Poor Little Fool was a track from the EP Unchained Melody.

Defense
Tunisia lifted its blockade of French military posts and airbases.

Politics and government
Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Averoff rejected the new British plan for Cyprus, announcing that Greece would seek United Nations actio to win Cypriot self-determination.

Education
U.S. District Court Judge Harry Lemley ordered a 2 1/2-year suspension of racial integration at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, granting an appeal by the Little Rock school board, which argued that education had been disrupted by integration orders.

Track and field
AAU championships @ Bakersfield, California
Herb Elliot of Australia ran the mile outdoors in 3 minutes 57.9 seconds.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Honey--Bobby Goldsboro

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Tiptoe Thru the Tulips with Me--Tiny Tim
2 I Love You--People
3 Yummy Yummy Yummy--Ohio Express
4 Sky Pilot (Parts One and Two)--Eric Burdon and the Animals
5 Angel of the Morning--Merrilee Rush
6 Delilah--Tom Jones
7 Mony Mony--Tommy James and the Shondells
8 Master Jack--Four Jacks and a Jill
9 Sleepy Joe--Herman's Hermits
10 Bring a Little Lovin'--Los Bravos
Pick hit of the Week: D.W. Washburn--The Monkees
New this week: It Should Have Been Me--Gladys Knight and the Pips
In-Laws Really Outlaws--Sir Douglas Quintet
Eleanor Rigby--Ray Charles
Tell Someone You Love Them--Dino, Desi and Billy
Hang 'Em High--Hugo Montenegro and his Orchestra

Hang 'Em High was the title theme from a Western starring Clint Eastwood. The original version from the movie, by Dominic Frontiere, was released as a single at around the same time as the Montenegro version, but failed to chart. The B-side of Frontiere's version was Rachel, the love theme from the movie, and a lovely tune indeed.

Bring a Little Lovin', according to the record label, was from a Spanish movie called Bravos II, but I've been unable to find out anything about this film.

Another movie song from this time was Nothing to Lose, from The Party. This is the song that Claudine Longet was singing while Peter Sellers (as Hrundi V. Bakshi) was in serious need of a bathroom. The version that was released on record was slightly different from the movie version, and was released as the B-side of Miss Longet's single White Horses. The record failed to chart.

Politics and government
Thailand proclaimed a new constitution after nearly 10 years of military rule.

Law
Earl Warren submitted his resignation, effective June 26, after 15 years as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Chief Justice Warren, 77, was resigning "solely because of age."

Disasters
23 people were killed and 25 injured when a bus carrying students from a girls' school collided with a truck and plunged into a river near Cucuta, Colombia.

40 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): You're the One that I Want--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (2nd week at #1)

Theatre
The original production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Evita opened at the Prince Edward Theatre in London.

Personal
This blogger finished high school, with his last day of Grade 12 at Henry Wise Wood High School in Calgary.

War
An outbreak of shooting between Provisional Irish Republican Army members and the British Army left one civilian and three IRA men dead.

Albertana
Residents of Bellevue, Blairmore, Frank, and Improvement District No. 5 (which included the Hamlet of Hillcrest) voted to amalgamate as the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, effective January 1, 1979.

Abominations
Vladimir Slepak, 50, an engineer, and his wife Ida Nudel, 47, an economist, were sentenced by a Soviet court to exile in Siberia for "mailicious hooliganism" for having hung banners from their apartments on June 1 pleading for permission to emigrate to Israel. Mr. Slepak had been trying to emigrate since 1970, and had been unable to work since then. The United States condemned the sentences.

Disasters
At least 14 people were killed and 150 injured when an earthquake registering 6.5 on the Richter scale struck Thessalonika, Greece. Tremors were also felt in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
British Columbia (2-0) 21 @ Ottawa (1-1) 20

Baseball
Steve Rogers allowed 8 hits in 6 1/3 innings and had 2 singles, the first of which drove in the winning run in the 5th inning, as the Montreal Expos edged the New York Mets 2-1 before 6,691 fans at Shea Stadium in New York in a game that was called because of rain with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, and runners on first and second bases for the Mets. It was the Wednesday Expos Baseball telecast on CBC.

Frank Taveras singled home Phil Garner with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs before 11,064 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. John Candelaria pitched a 6-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Ray Burris, who allowed 10 hits in pitching a complete game.

Ed Halicki pitched a 3-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Tom Seaver as the San Francisco Giants shut out the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 before 37,334 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Roger Metzger doubled home the first 2 runs as the Giants scored all their runs in the 4th inning.

Adrian Devine and Gene Garber combined for an 8-hit shutout and Jerry Royster had a single, double, and triple, scoring both runs, as the Atlanta Braves blanked the San Diego Padres 2-0 before 12,016 fans at San Diego Stadium.

Pinch hitter Steve Yeager singled home Billy North with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros before 34,975 fans at Dodger Stadium.

The Detroit Tigers scored 5 runs in the top of the 6th inning as they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-8 before 29,439 fans at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.

Butch Hobson's 2-run home run climaxed a 6-run 3rd inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 9-2 before 32,459 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Dennis Eckersley pitched a 6-hit complete game victory to improve his 1978 record to 7-2.

25 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Doris Sands Johnson, 62. Bahamian politician. Dame Doris achieved many firsts for female politicians in the Bahamas: she was the first to contest an election (1961); the first appointed to the Senate (1967); the first to serve in the cabinet (1968-1973, as Minister of Transportation); the first to be elected President of the Senate (1974); and the first to serve as acting Governor General (1979). Dame Doris died two days after her 62nd birthday.

World events
Palestinian rebels, apparently aided by Syria, surrounded Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's main supply base in Lebanon's Bekka Valley.

Two American journalists died in Honduras near the border with Nicaragua.

20 years ago
1988

Died on this date
Bobby Dodd, 79. U.S. football player and coach. Mr. Dodd was a quarterback, tailback, and punter with the University of Tennessee Volunteers from 1928-1930, leading the team to undefeated seasons in his first two years. He was an assistant coach with the Georgia Tech University Yellow Jackets from 1931-1944 and head coach at Georgia Tech from 1945-1966, compiling a 165-64-8 record and leading them to the national championship in 1952. Mr. Dodd was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993 as both player and coach.

Diplomacy
The summit of the leaders of the world's seven leading industrialized nations concluded in Toronto with an agreement to set up a ministerial-level task force to fight international trafficking in drugs. Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, as host, and the other leaders paid tribute to U.S. President Ronald Reagan on the occasion of his last scheduled trip outside the United States as president.

The Canadian government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced the expulsion of eight Soviet diplomats for industrial espionage.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Detroit 105 @ Los Angeles Lakers 108 (Los Angeles won best-of-seven series 4-3)

James Worthy scored 36 points and added 16 rebounds and 10 assists before 17,505 fans at The Forum in Inglewood, California to lead the Lakers to their second straight NBA championship. It was the only triple-double in Mr. Worthy's career, and he was named the finals' Most Valuable Player.



10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Al Campanis, 81. U.S. baseball player and executive. Mr. Campanis played 7 games at second base with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943, batting .100 with no home runs or runs batted in. He played 7 years in the minor leagues from 1940-1948, batting .252 with 15 home runs in 706 games. Mr. Campanis was the Los Angeles Dodgers' general manager from 1968-1987, presiding over four National League pennants and a World Series championship in 1981. He was forced to resign on April 8, 1987, two days after an interview with Ted Koppel on the ABC News television program Nightline, in which he said that blacks may not have some of the "necessities" to be field managers or general managers.

Golf
Lee Janzen came from 7 strokes off the lead in the final round and shot a 2-under-par 68 to finish with an even par total of 270 to win the U.S. Open at the Lake Course of the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Payne Stewart, who led by 4 strokes after 3 rounds, shot a 4-over-par 74 to finish second, a stroke behind Mr. Janzen, who had also won the U.S. Open in 1993. First prize money was $535,000.