April 16, 2009

220 years ago
1789

Politics and government
U.S. President-elect George Washington left his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia for his inauguration in New York.

170 years ago
1839

Born on this date
Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì. The Marchese di Rudinì, a Liberal, was Prime Minister of Italy from 1891-1892 and 1896-1898. He died on August 6, 1908 at the age of 69.

120 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Charlie Chaplin. U.K.-born film actor and director. Sir Charles was one of the most important figures in the history of cinema. His character "The Little Tramp" in short comedy films was perhaps the most famous character of the silent film era. He later made feature films, including The Kid (1921); The Gold Rush (1925); The Circus (1928); City Lights (1931); Modern Times (1936); The Great Dictator (1940); Monsieur Verdoux (1947); and Limelight (1952). Mr. Chaplin ran afoul of the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s because of alleged Communist sympathies, left the U.S. in 1952, and didn't return to the United States until 1972, when he was awarded an honourary Academy Award for lifetime achievement. Sir Charles composed the music for many of his films, and his score for Limelight won an Academy Award, although it was for the year 1972, since the film hadn't been commercially screened in Los Angeles until that year. Sir Charles, who was knighted in 1975, died on December 25, 1977 at the age of 88.

80 years ago
1929

Born on this date
Roy Hamilton. U.S. singer. Mr. Hamilton achieved popularity with his version of You'll Never Walk Alone in 1954, and achieved his biggest hit with Unchained Melody in 1955. Other notable hits included Don't Let Go in 1958 and You Can Have Her in 1961. Mr. Hamilton was one of the first artists to record in stereo; his albums With All My Love (1958) and Soft 'n' Warm (1960) are great examples of early stereo. Mr. Hamilton suffered a stroke shortly after turning 40, and died on July 20, 1969. He's one of this blogger's favourite singers.

70 years ago
1939

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Toronto 1 @ Boston 3 (Boston won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Roy Conacher scored with 2:06 remaining in the 2nd period to break a 1-1 tie, and Flash Hollett scored with 37 seconds remaining in regulation time as the Brunis defeated the Maple Leafs at Boston Garden to win their second Stanley Cup championship, and their first in 10 years. Boston goalie Frank Brimsek allowed just 6 goals in 5 games in the finals.

Baseball
PCL
The Hollywood Stars swept a doubleheader from the Portland Beavers at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles to extend their winning streak to 15 games. The second game was a 16-7 slugfest that was called after 5 innings so that Wrigley Field could be set up to accommodate the next day's world heavyweight championship bout between champion Joe Louis and challenger Jack Roper.

60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Rambling Rose--Perry Como; Tony Pastor (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Cruising Down the River--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Cruising Down the River--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra (4th week at #1)
--Blue Barron and his Orchestra
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
2 Far Away Places--Bing Crosby
--Perry Como
--Margaret Whiting and the Crew Chiefs
3 Forever and Ever--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Perry Como
4 So in Love--Gordon MacRae
--Dinah Shore
5 Galway Bay--Bing Crosby
6 Sunflower--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Jack Fulton
7 Red Roses for a Blue Lady--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
8 Down by the Station--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
9 Powder Your Face with Sunshine (Smile! Smile! Smile!)--Evelyn Knight and the Stardusters
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
10 "A" You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song)--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
--Perry Como with the Fontane Sisters

Singles entering the chart were Again, with versions by Vic Damone; Mel Torme; and Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra (#31). Again was originally from the movie Road House (1948).

On the radio
Pat Novak For Hire, starring Jack Webb, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Go Away, Dixie Gillian

Tales of Fatima, starring Basil Rathbone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: Duet and Death

Diplomacy
Czechoslovakia and Hungary signed a friendship and mutual security treaty in Budapest.

World events
U.S. and U.K. crews established a Berlin airlift record by flying 12,941 tons of supplies into the city.

Politics and government
General Husni Zayim formed a new Syrian cabinet, appointing himself as Prime Minister, Interior Minister, and Defense Minister.

Journalism
The U.S. Women's National Press Club named former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as the winner of the Woman of the Year Award for her work on the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Labour
A five-week Railway Express Agency strike in New York ended after the company agreed to restore 10,000 abolished jobs in return for acceptance of the terms that prevailed before the strike by the American Federation of Labor Brotherhood of Railway Clerks.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 1 @ Toronto 3 (Toronto won best-of-seven series 4-0)

Cal Gardner's goal with 15 seconds remaining in the 2nd period broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the winner as the Maple Leafs defeated the Red Wings at Maple Leaf Gardens to win their third straight Stanley Cup championship. Max Bentley scored with 4:50 remaining in regulation time to give Toronto a 2-goal lead. Ted Lindsay scored the Production Line's first goal of the series to give Detroit a 1-0 lead, but Toronto goalie Turk Broda held the fort until Ray Timgren, Mr. Gardner, and Mr. Bentley scored for the Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs became the first team to win three straight Stanley Cups since the Ottawa Silver Seven in 1903-04-05.

Basketball
NBL
Finals
Oshkosh 70 @ Anderson 74 (Anderson led best-of-five series 1-0)

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Nick Joseph Story

This was the pilot and first episode of the series.



Terrorism
Four Cubans opposed to the regime of Prime Minister Fidel Castro seized a domestic Cuban airliner in flight and forced the pilot to fly them to Miami.

Defense
U.S. Defense Secretary Neil McElroy, rejecting Soviet efforts to impose a 10,000-foot ceiling on Western military flights to Berlin, said that the United States would exercise its right to fly aircraft in Berlin air corridors "at whatever altitude we choose."

Politics and government
An interim Maltese constitution placing all authority in an appointed Executive Council head by Governor Sir Robert Laycock went into effect.

A U.S. Federal Court in Macon, Georgia ruled unconstitutional a provision of the 1957 Civil Rights Act giving the federal government the right to sue for injunctions against violations of Negro voting rights.

Economics and finance
The Soviet news agency Tass reported that U.S.S.R. economic aid to Iraq had begun with a $55-million loan.

Labour
14,000 B.F. Goodrich Company and 18,000 Firestone Tire & Rubber Company workers, all members of the United Rubber Workers union, went on strike in the United States.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal 3 @ Toronto 2 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion's goal with 4:04 rermaining in regulation time proved to be the winner as the Canadiens held on to edge the Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens, with all the scoring coming in the 3rd period. Billy Harris opened the scoring at 3:45, but Ab McDonald, Ralph Backstrom, and Mr. Geoffrion scored in a span of 6 minutes 2 seconds to give Montreal a 3-1 lead. Mr. Geoffrion assisted on the first 2 Montreal goals. Frank Mahovlich scored with 1:24 remaining to close the scoring.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Israelites--Desmond Dekker and the Aces

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da/While My Guitar Gently Weeps--The Beatles (5th week at #1)
2 Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)--Peter Sarstedt
3 Edge of Reality/If I Can Dream--Elvis Presley
4 Build Me Up Buttercup--The Foundations
5 Adios Amor--Jose Feliciano
6 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
7 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
8 Indian Giver--1910 Fruitgum Co.
9 Stand by Your Man--Tammy Wynette
10 Fox on the Run--Manfred Mann

Singles entering the chart were I Can Hear Music by the Beach Boys (#18); Sorry Suzanne by the Hollies (#30); Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da by the Marmalade (#32); Mendocino by Sir Douglas Quintet (#38); and Boom Bang-a-Bang by Lulu (#40).

War
The United States Defense Department said that the plane shot down the previous day by North Korea, a propeller-driven U.S. Navy 4-engine EC-121 electronic craft with 31 men aboard, had been on a routine reconnaissance track over international waters and "at all times during its mission was far outside any claimed territorial air space of North Korea." There were cries of outrage in the United States, and Rep. L. Mendel Rivers (Democrat--South Carolina) called for a reprisal. Secretary of State William Rogers urged caution, asserting: "The weak can be rash; the powerful must be more restrained."

Environment
The Michigan state agriculture commission voted to ban the sale of the pesticide DDT, which was said to have imperilled life in Lake Michigan.

Science
The possible appointment of Franklin Long as the new director of the National Science Foundation was reported to be blocked by the White House, largely because of his opposition to anti-ballistic missiles. Dr. Long wrote that ABM would generate "strong pressure toward acceleration of the arms race."

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Heart of Glass--Blondie (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Miserarete--Judy Ongg

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees

Defense
Central Intelligence Agency director Admiral Stansfield Turner said in testimony before the United States Senate that the loss of two listening posts in Iran would set the U.S. back five years in her ability to monitor Soviet missile tests and development.

Politics and government
Karim Sanjabi, Iran's foreign minister, resigned amid mounting "trials" and executions of former pro-Shah officials.

Terrorism
Palestinian terrorists attempting to hijack an El Al airliner at Brussels airport were thwarted by police.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Chicago 2 @ New York Islanders 6 (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Toronto 2 @ Montreal 5 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Pittsburgh 2 @ Boston 6 (Boston led best-of-seven series 1-0)
New York Rangers 2 @ Philadelphia 3 (OT) (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Mike Bossy scored 3 goals to lead the Islanders over the Black Hawks at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.

The Canadiens overcame an early 2-0 deficit to defeat the Maple Leafs at the Montreal Forum.

Bill Barber scored the tying goal with 4:58 remaining in regulation time and Ken Linseman scored the winning goal 44 seconds into the 1st overtime period as the Flyers edged the Rangers at the Spectrum.

WHL
The Calgary Wranglers defeated the Lethbridge Broncos 7-3 to take a 3 games to 2 lead in their Western Hockey League junior playoff series.

25 years ago
1984

Hockey
In second-round Stanley Cup playoff action, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames 5-3 at Olympic Saddledome in Calgary to take a 3 games to 1 lead, while the Quebec Nordiques defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in overtime at the Montreal Forum to even their series at 2 games each.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Like a Prayer--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Like a Prayer--Madonna (3rd week at #1)

Crime
The last of 15 mutilated bodies were found buried near Matamoros, Mexico, near the U.S. border. The bodies had been discovered over a period of five days. Five suspects were arrested who said that the victims had been sacrificed to ensure that their killers, who were drug traffickers, would be protected from police.

Baseball
Kelly Gruber of the Toronto Blue Jays became the first Toronto professional player to hit for the cycle in a 15-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.

The Montreal Expos edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 in 11 innings.

10 years ago
1999

Diplomacy
In Ottawa, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced that China would cut tariffs on some Canadian imports.

Hockey
NHL
Wayne Gretzky of the New York Rangers announced that the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins two days hence would be his last.