April 27, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Rod Crossley!

500 years ago
1509

Religion
As he entered the War of the League of Cambrai, aiming to recover papal control of the Romagna, where Venice had seized several cities in 1503, Pope Julius II placed the Italian state of Venice under interdict.

470 years ago
1539

South Americana
Nikolaus Federmann and Sebastián de Belalcázar re-founded the city of Bogotá, New Granada (now Colombia).

100 years ago
1909

World events
Both houses of parliament of the Ottoman Empire convened and deposed Sultan Abdul Hamid II, replacing him with his younger brother Mehmed V.

80 years ago
1929

At the movies
The Hole in the Wall, directed by Robert Florey, and starring Claudette Colbert, Edward G. Robinson, and David Newell, opened in theatres.



Soccer
English FA Cup
Final @ Wembley Stadium, London
Bolton Wanderers 2 Portsmouth 0



60 years ago
1949

At the movies
We Were Strangers, directed by John Huston, and starring Jennifer Jones, John Garfield, Pedro Armendáriz, and Gilbert Roland, opened in theatres.

Died on this date
Frederic Walcott, 80. U.S. politician. Mr. Walcott, a Republican, was a member of the Connecticut State Senate from 1925-1929 and represented Connecticut in the United States Senate from 1929-1935, where he was the principal author of the bill creating the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

Literature
George Howe received the largest literary award in the United States--the $15,000 Christophers Prize--for his forthcoming novel Call it Treason.

War
The United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission opened a general peace settlement conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, attended by Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Diplomacy
In response to the treatment of Lorenzo Gamboa under the White Australia policy, the Philippine House of Representatives passed legislation banning Australians from the country.

Politics and government
U.S. Attorney General Tom Clark added 37 organizations to the Justice Department's subversive list, including the Association of Georgia Klans and the Industrial Workers of the World.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mariquilla--José Luís y su Guitarra (11th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods (3rd week at #1)
2 (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I--Elvis Presley
3 Venus--Frankie Avalon
4 Pink Shoe Laces--Dodie Stevens
5 Guitar Boogie Shuffle--The Virtues
6 The Happy Organ--Dave "Baby" Cortez
7 I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley
8 Tell Him No--Travis and Bob
9 Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)--The Impalas
10 Turn Me Loose--Fabian

Singles entering the chart were Personality by Lloyd Price and his Orchestra (#65); There's No Fool Like a Young Fool by Tab Hunter (#76); Frankie's Man, Johnny by Johnny Cash (#77); Castin' My Spell by the Johnny Otis Show (#80); Robbin' the Cradle by Tony Bellus (#87); Crossfire by Johnny and the Hurricanes (#88); Gidget by Jimmy Darren (#89); The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton (#93); Your Cheatin' Heart by Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (#95); A String of Trumpets by the Trumpeteers (#96); and Summer Dreams by the McGuire Sisters (#99). Gidget was the title song of the movie, in which Mr. Darren co-starred.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I/I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley (4th week at #1)
2 Guitar Boogie Shuffle--The Virtues
3 Three Stars--Tommy Dee with Carol Kay and the Teen-Aires
4 The Tijuana Jail--The Kingston Trio
5 Tell Him No--Travis and Bob
6 It's Late/Never Be Anyone Else But You--Ricky Nelson
7 The Happy Organ--Dave "Baby" Cortez
6 Venus--Frankie Avalon
8 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
9 Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)--The Impalas
10 Pink Shoe Laces--Dodie Stevens

Singles entering the chart were So Fine by the Fiestas (#29); I've Come of Age by Billy Storm (#43); Lonely for You by Gary Stites (#47); I Waited Too Long by LaVern Baker (#50); I Need Your Lovin' by Roy Hamilton (#57); The Beat by the Rockin' R's (#58); and Only Love Me by Steve Lawrence (#60).

War
The French cabinet issued a declaration claiming substantial progress toward the pacification of Algeria within the past year.

The U.S. State Department said that small arms from stocks maintained in the Canal Zone would be given to Panama to repel guerrilla invaders.

Diplomacy
U.K. Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery flew to Moscow for private talks with U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev.

Politics and government
The National People's Congress in Peking (Beijing) elected Liu Shao-chi, a leading Communist theoretician and organizer, to succeed Mao Tse-tung (Meo Zedong) as President of the People's Republic of China.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower vetoed a bill ending the Agriculture Secretary's control of Rural Electrification Administrtion loans.

Law
The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the state law under which Governor Orval Faubus had closed public schools to prevent racial integration.

40 years ago
1969

Died on this date
Rene Barrientos Ortuno, 49. President of Bolivia, 1964-1969. General Barrientos, who took power in a military coup in 1964 and won an election two years later, was killed in a helicopter crash near Arque, Bolivia; he was succeeded by Vice President Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas.

Politics and government
Voters in France, in a referendum, rejected President Charles de Gaulle's proposals for constitutional changes by a margin of 52.40% to 47.69%. The referendum, the fifth in the Fifth Republic, had started as a simple device to vote on the constitutional changes needed to carry out Mr. de Gaulle's plans for decentralizing the country's administration, and redistricting France's 95 departments into 21 economic regions. Mr. de Gaulle added proposals to downgrade the power of the Senate, and to make his Prime Minister, rather than the Senate President, his interim successor. Mr. de Gaulle decided to make the referendum a test of confidence in his leadership, and had threatened to resign if his proposals were defeated.

Labour
Safety critic Ralph Nader attacked the leadership of the United Mine Workers of America and the union's $180 million welfare and retirement fund for what he called corruption, nepotism, and "conspiracy" with the coal industry. The leadership called Mr. Nader a "fink."

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
St. Louis 1 @ Montreal 3 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Dick Duff scored a powerplay goal 3:39 into the game and Bobby Rousseau scored shorthanded just 48 seconds later to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead as they held on to defeat the Blues at the Montreal Forum.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles 105 @ Boston 111 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 2-1)

John Havlicek scored 34 points to help the Celtics defeat the Lakers at Boston Garden.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Y.M.C.A.--Village People (12th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Dschinghis Khan--Dschinghis Khan (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (9th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. freed five prominent dissidents in exchange for two spies held by the United States. Aleksandr Ginsburg, Valentin Moroz, Eduard Kuznetsov, Mark Dymshits, and Georgi Vins were then flown to New York.

Energy
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered the temporary closing of all operating reactors designed by Babcock & Wilcox, manufacturers of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. The ruling allowed two plants in the southeast to remain in operation to forestall widespread power shortages.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Semi-Finals
Quebec 5 @ Winnipeg 9 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 3-0)
New England 5 @ Edmonton 9 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 2-0)

IIHF Men's World Championships
Canada 6 Sweden 3

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Reggae Nights--Jimmy Cliff (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): People are People--Depeche Mode

On television today
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation daytime public affairs show Take 30 made its final broadcast, ending a 22-year run. The program was, unfortunately, a victim of changing times and dumbing-down of audiences: 1980s viewers preferred soap operas to public affairs and news shows, and an increase in the number of available stations (especially from the United States) helped to drive ratings down. By the end, Take 30 was attracting only about 2% of the viewing audience for its timeslot. Among those who appeared as host on the show was Adrienne Clarkson, who later served as Canada's Governor General. Take 30 also had the distinction of being (I think) the last CBC network program to be broadcast in black and white; it didn't begin broadcasting in colour until the fall of 1973.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan met in Beijing with Chinese Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang and Communist Party general secretary Hu Yaobang. Mr. Reagan had heard of China's concern about the deployment of U.S. missiles in Europe, and about the interventionist U.S. policy in Central America. Mr. Reagan's address on Chinese television was censored to remove his implied criticism of the Soviet Union.

The 11-day siege of the Libyan embassy in London ended when 30 diplomats and other occupants left the building and returned to Libya, while most of the remaining British officials in Tripoli returned to Britain.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Like a Prayer--Madonna (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Eternal Flame--Bangles (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Kōnosuke Matsushita, 94. Japanese industrialist. Mr. Matsushita, nicknamed the "god of management" in Japan, founded the company that became the electronics firm Panasonic in 1918.

Protest
The April 27 demonstrations, student-led protests responding to the April 26 Editorial, took place in major cities throughout China.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Philadelphia 6 Pittsburgh 3

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Al Hirt, 76. U.S. musician. Mr. Hirt, a New Orleans Dixieland trumpeter, was known for his 1964 hit singles Java and Cotton Candy. This blogger saw him perform on one of the stages at the Klondike Days Sunday promenade in Edmonton many years later.

Dale C. Thomson, 75. Canadian political scientist and historian. Dr. Thomson, who was born on a farm near Westlock, Alberta, taught at the Université de Montréal (1960-1969); Johns Hopkins University (1969-1973); and McGill University (1973-1994), specializing in international relations and Canadian politics. He was associate private secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent in the 950s, and was an unsuccessful Liberal Party candidate for the Alberta riding of Jasper-Edson in the 1958 federal election. Dr. Thomson's books included Alexander Mackenzie: Clear Grit (1960) and Louis St. Laurent, Canadian (1967).

War
U.S. General Wesley Clark, commander of NATO forces in Yugoslavia, estimated that Serbia had driven 700,000 refugees out of Kosovo since the beginning of bombing on April 3. U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered the call-up of 33,102 reservists to assist the mission in Yugoslavia.

Crime
U.S. President Bill Clinton submitted several gun-control bills to Congress, one week after the murderous shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The bills mandated background checks for those wanting to buy explosives or to buy weapons at gun shows. Mr. Clinton also proposed raising from 18 to 21 the minimum age at which someone could own a handgun.

Authorities put the total number of bombs found around the school and at Columbine killer Eric Harris's home at 51.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Dallas 3 @ Edmonton 2 (3 OT) (Dallas led best-of-seven series 3-0)