April 3, 2009

450 years ago
1559

War
The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis treaty was signed, ending the Italian Wars.

160 years ago
1849

Academia
The University Bill secularized higher education in Canada West and led to the renaming of King's College, founded by Anglican Bishop Rev. John Strachan in 1827, as the University of Toronto. Bishop Strachan, anticipating the act, founded a new Anglican institution, Trinity College, now a federated college of the U of T.

125 years ago
1884

Born on this date
Rikichi Andō. Japanese military officer and politician. General Andō commanded forces in China in 1939, and led an unauthorized invasion of French Indochina in September 1940, leading to his forced retirement in February 1941. He was soon recalled and put in charge of Japanese forces in Taiwan, and served as the final Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan from December 30, 1944 until formally surrendering to Chinese General Chen Yi on October 25, 1945. Gen. Andō was formally charged with war crimes from his tenure in China, but committed suicide in prison in Shanghai on April 19, 1946, 16 days after his 62nd birthday, by taking poison before he could go to trial.

120 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Grigoraș Dinicu. Romanian musician and composer. Mr. Dinicu was a violin virtuoso of Roma ancestry, whose career spanned more than 40 years. He wrote mainly for violin and piano, with his violin piece Hora Staccato (1906) being his most popular work. Mr. Dinicu died of laryngeal cancer on March 28, 1949, six days before his 60th birthday.

80 years ago
1929

Transportation
The Hudson Bay Railway was completed to Churchill, Manitoba on Hudson Bay.

75 years ago
1934

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Chicago 2 @ Detroit 1 (2 OT) (Chicago led best-of-five series 1-0)

Paul Thompson scored at 1:05 of the 2nd overtime period as the Black Hawks edged the Red Wings at Olympia Stadium.

70 years ago
1949

War
Israel and Transjordan signed an armistice in Rhodes covering Jerusalem and most of Palestine. The agreement allowed continued division of Jerusalem between Jews and Arabs, and Transjordanian occupation of central Palestine.

World events
Costa Rican Defense Minister Edgar Cardaona Quiros surrendered to government forces following an unsuccessful attempt to seize power.

Business
Ford Motor Company reduced prices on its new model cars by $12-$120.

60 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Side Saddle--Russ Conway (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
The Italian Monarchist and Popular Monarchist Parties agreed to reunify the Italian monarchist movement, split since 1954.

The U.S. administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower created a special study committee of government officials to determine whether the Atomic Energy Commission or the Public Health Service should be responsible for the U.S. atomic radiation and fallout protection programs.

Crime
A U.S. federal court in New York convicted Vito Genovese, alleged head of a multi-million dollar narcotics ring, of conspiracy to violate federal narcotics laws.

Society
Nightclub entertainer Christine Jorgensen, who had been known as George Jorgensen before undergoing a sex change operation in 1952, was refused a marriage license in New York.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Fox on the Run--Manfred Mann

On television tonight
Dragnet 1969, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Juvenile: DR-35



War
United States Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced that the United States would start to "Vietnamize" the war effort. 312 Americans had been killed in Vietnam in the previous week, bringing the total to 33,641--12 more than in the Korean War. The Vietnam War had now become the third costliest war ever fought by the United States.

Defense
Canadian prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said that his government would begin a "planned and phased reduction" of its North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces at the end of the year.

Politics and government
Alexander Dubcek, the liberalizing Czechoslovak Communist party leader, went on nationwide television to warn that new demonstrations could provoke Soviet repression. Mr. Dubcek said that this week's tightening of press censorship was necessary to "prevent a return of the August crisis"--the previous year's Soviet invasion.

Economics and finance
The Federal Reserve Board in the United States, in "a further move against inflation," raised both its discount rate and the reserves required of the nation's banks. The discount rate was raised from 5.5% to 6% (the highest rate in 40 years) and reserve requirements from 16.5% to 17% on net demand deposits of less than $5 million. On checking account-type deposits of more than $5 billion, the reserve requirement was raised from 17% to 17.5%.

Crime
7,000 Illinois National Guardsmen were patrolling the streets of Chicago after violence erupted in Negro neighbourhoods on the eve of the first anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King. Mayor Richard Daley imposed a curfew for anyone under 21 years of age.

Religion
Pope Paul VI said in a Maundy Thursday sermon that the Roman Catholic Church was the victim of "a practically schismatic ferment."

Disasters
53 were killed when a Polish airliner crashed on a mountain peak near the Czech border.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
New York 2 @ Montreal 5 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Toronto 0 @ Boston 7 (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Philadelphia 0 @ St. Louis 5 (St. Louis led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Los Angeles 2 @ Oakland 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Johnny Bucyk scored the first 2 goals of the game and Gerry Cheevers made 22 saves for his second straight shutout as the Bruins routed the Maple Leafs for the second straight night, outscoring Toronto 17-0 in the first 2 games.

Bill McCreary scored the winning goal on a powerplay just 41 seconds into the game and Jacques Plante stopped 21 shots for the shutout in goal as the Blues blanked the Flyers at St. Louis Arena.

30 years ago
1979

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin announced in Cairo that the Egypt-Israel border would be reopened after the Sinai capital of El Arish was returned to Egyptian control on May 26.

Politics and government
Jane Byrne received 82% of the vote to become the first woman to be elected Mayor of Chicago.

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): 99 Luftballons--Nena

Politics and government
Former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale won the New York primary in the contest for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States in the November 1984 election, taking 45% of the vote to 27% for U.S. Senator Gary Hart (Colorado) and 26% for Rev. Jesse Jackson, who captured more than 80% of the Negro vote.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Like a Prayer--Madonna (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President George Bush and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met in Washington, and Mr. Bush declared that the two countries "share the goals of security for Israel, the end of the occupation, and achievement of Palestinian political rights."

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev flew from Ireland to Cuba, where he met with dictator Fidel Castro. Mr. Castro had publicly opposed Mr. Gorbachev's economic and social reforms in the U.S.S.R., but had scaled back his criticisms, since Cuba depended heavily on economic aid from the Soviet Union.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court, in Mississippi Choctaw Band v. Holyfield, upheld the jurisdictional rights of tribal courts under the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

Basketball
NCAA
Men's Championship
Final @ Kingdome, Seattle
Michigan 80 Seton Hall 79 (OT)

Rumeal Robinson's 2 free throws with 3 seconds remaining in overtime provided the winning margin for the Wolverines as they edged the Pirates, but teammate Glen Rice was the star, with 31 points and 11 rebounds. John Morton of Seton Hall led all scorers in the game with 35 points.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Geoffrey Walsh, 89. Canadian military officer. Lieutenant General Walsh served with the Canadian Army in World War II, and rose up the ranks to become Chief of the General Staff (1961-1964). He was the last person to hold the position, as it was eliminated in 1964 as part of the reorganization of Canada's military which culminated in the unification of the various branches into the Canadian Armed Forces in 1968.

Lionel Bart, 68. U.K. songwriter and composer. Mr. Bart, born Lionel Begleiter, who has been called "the father of the modern British musical," was best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for Oliver! (1960). He also wrote the theme for the James Bond movie From Russia with Love (1963), and some of Britain's early rock and roll songs, including Living Doll (1959), a major hit for Cliff Richard. Heavy drinking and drug use contributed to a physical and musical decline in Mr. Bart's later years, and he died of liver cancer.

War
In their first attack on the Yugoslav capital of Belgrade, NATO forces struck the Yugoslav and Serbian interior ministry buildings.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 5 Calgary 1