May 16, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Polly Pratt!

220 years ago
1739

War
The Battle of Vasai in India concluded as the Marathas defeated the Portuguese army.

190 years ago
1819

Died on this date
Micaela Villegas aka La Perricholi, 70. Peruvian actress and singer. La Perricholi was a star in musical comedy and romance on stage from 1763-1788. She was the mistress of Manuel de Amat y Junyent, Viceroy of Peru (1761-1776); their son Manuel de Amat y Villegas was one of the signers of Peru's declaration of independence from Spain in 1821.

130 years ago
1879

Baseball
After losing their first 7 games, the Troy Trojans defeated the Buffalo Bisons 1-0 for their first National League win. George Bradley pitched the shutout, while two errors by Buffalo second baseman Bill Crowley allowed the winning run to score.

120 years ago
1889

Baseball
The Philadelphia Quakers outlasted the Chicago White Stockings 16-12 in a National League game. Four of the Philadelphia runs came on a grand slam by Sam Thompson off Ad Gumbert, who had been brought in from the outfield just to face Mr. Thompson. After the blast, Will Hutchison returned to the mound for Chicago.

In the American Association, the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 at League Park in Cincinnati. Mike Griffin led off the game with a home run for the Orioles, while Bug Griffin matched the feat for the Reds.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Margaret Sullavan. U.S. actress. Miss Sullavan was mainly a stage actress, but was nominated for an Academy Award for her starring performance in Three Comrades (1938), and was known for starring with James Stewart in four films, including The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and The Mortal Storm (1940). She suffered from depression and hearing loss in later years, and died at the age of 50 on January 1, 1960 of what was ruled to be an accidental overdose of barbiturates in a hotel room in New Haven, Connecticut, where she was starring in a tryout of the play Sweet Love Remembered.

Luigi Villoresi. Italian auto racing driver. Mr. Villoresi participated in 34 Formula One races from 1950-1956, with his best finishes being second in the Argentine and Belgian Grand Prix in 1953. He died on August 24, 1997 at the age of 88.

Baseball
National League President John Heydler called a meeting with the league's umpires to discuss ways that the new two-umpire system could prevent fighting by the players. A serious incident had occurred several days earlier in Boston when Reds’ catcher Frank Roth attacked umpire Steve Cusack after a play at home, and several other Reds players threatened the umpire with bats.

With two outs in the 9th inning‚ George Moriarty of the Detroit Tigers tried to steal home, but was tagged out by Boston catcher Bill Carrigan to end the game‚ a 3-2 Red Sox win before 13,974 fans at Bennett Park in Detroit. Mr. Carrigan then spat tobacco on Mr. Moriarty‚ saying‚ "Don't try that and pull that on a smart guy." Mr. Moriarty then flattened Mr. Carrigan, and the two were suspended by the American League for fighting.

Ira Thomas doubled home Harry Davis in the top of the 13th inning for the only run as the Philadelphia Athletics edged the Chicago White Sox 1-0 at South Side Park in Chicago. Jack Coombs pitched a 5-hit complete game to win the pitchers' duel over Ed Walsh, who also pitched a complete game, allowing 6 hits.

90 years ago
1919

Aviation
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander A. C. Read, in his Curtiss NC-4 flying boat, left Trepassey Harbour in Newfoundland en route for Plymouth, England. He completed the first successful transatlantic flight two weeks later, reaching Plymouth via the Azores and Lisbon.

80 years ago
1929

At the movies
A Dangerous Woman, directed by Gerald Grove and Rowland B. Lee, and starring Baclanova, Clive Brook, and Neil Hamilton, opened in theatres.



Movies
The first Academy Awards ceremony, honouring movies released from 1927-1928, was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles; it was a 15-minute ceremony that took place as part of a banquet. The winners included: Outstanding Picture--Wings; Best Unique and Artistic Picture--Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans; Director, Comedy Picture--Lewis Milestone (Two Arabian Knights); Director, Dramatic Picture--Frank Borzage (7th Heaven); Actor--Emil Jannings (The Last Command, The Way of All Flesh); Actress--Janet Gaynor (7th Heaven, Street Angel, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans).

Baseball
Mel Ott hit for the cycle for the New York Giants in their 5-4 10-inning loss to the Boston Braves in the second game of a doubleheader before 12,000 fans at Braves Field. Mr. Ott's home run in the 7th landed halfway up in the right field bleachers‚ the longest homer to that section since 1915. Joe Dugan matched Mr. Ott's 4 hits and scored the winning run. The Braves also won the first game‚ 4-3.

Jim Bottomley batted 4 for 5 with 2 home runs, a double, 2 runs, and 6 runs batted in for the St. Louis Cardinals, but it was Jimmie Wilson who doubled home Watty Holm in the top of the 10th inning to break a 9-9 tie as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Pittsburgh Pirtes 10-9 before 3,000 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

Cleveland Indians' pitcher Jake Miller allowed his first run in 27 innings‚ giving up a pair of singles for a run in the 9th inning against the St. Louis Browns, with Ski Melillo driving home Red Kress. And that was the game‚ a 1-0 loss at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis‚ as General Crowder pitched the shutout‚ allowing 2 hits.

70 years ago
1939

Baseball
The Boston Red Sox scored 3 runs in the 2nd inning, 5 in the 3rd, and 7 in the 5th as they routed the Chicago White Sox 18-4 before 5,800 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Joe Vosmik and Jim Tabor each drove in 5 runs for the Red Sox, and every man in the Boston lineup had at least 1 hit.

The Cleveland Indians scored 5 runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie and beat the Philadelphia Athletics 8-3 in 10 innings before a crowd of 15,109 in the first night game at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Johnny Humphries was the winning pitcher over Roy Parmalee.

The Brooklyn Dodgers scored 7 runs in the 1st inning and 2 in the 2nd en route to a 12-2 win over the Chicago Cubs before 7,491 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Brooklyn third baseman Cookie Lavagetto batted 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 runs, and 4 runs batted in. Whit Wyatt pitched a 4-hitter to improve his 1939 record to 4-0.

60 years ago
1949

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and George Spelvin (Wendell Holmes), on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Adventure of the Grey Pasha

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly defeated a resolution permitting UN member states to resume diplomatic relations with Spain.

Accused Soviet spy Gerhart Eisler was taken from Southampton to London and held without bail for a hearing on American demands for his extradition.

Politics and government
Two days of voting in the East German Constitutional Assembly election resulted in the "Unity List" from the "Bloc of the Anti-Fascist Democratic Parties"--dominated by the Communist-leaning Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)--winning all 1,400 seats in the Third German People's Congress. The Unity List received the approval of 66.1% of those who voted, with 33.9% opposed.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court voided a Chicago ordinance used to convict an anti-Semitic speaker of disorderly conduct, ruling that constitutional guarantees of free speech protected ideas that "invite dispute...or create a disturbance."

The U.S. Supreme Court authorized the federal government to file suit against Texas and Louisiana to settle the ownership of oil-rich tidelands.

Journalism
The Daily Compass, a morning tabloid published and edited by Ted Thackrey, published its first edition in New York.

Medicine
Johns Hopkins University physicians reported that the seasickness drug dramamine relieved morning sickness in many pregnant mothers.

Oil
Syria signed an agreement with the U.S.-owned Trans-Arabian Pipeline Company permitting construction of the last link of a pipeline linking the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.

Economics and finance
Both houses of the United States Congress passed a compromise $524.7-million deficiency appropriation, including $2.5 million to begin construction of a controversial Tennessee Valley Authority steam plant in Johnsonville, Tennessee.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): (Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I--Elvis Presley

#1 single in Italy: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters (8th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Die Gitarre und das Meer--Freddy Quinn (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): (Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I/I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Happy Organ--Dave "Baby" Cortez (2nd week at #1)
2 Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)--The Impalas
3 Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison
4 Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)--Edward Byrnes & Connie Stevens
5 Pink Shoe Laces--Dodie Stevens
6 (Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I--Elvis Presley
7 A Teenager in Love--Dion and the Belmonts
8 Turn Me Loose--Fabian
9 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
10 Quiet Village--Martin Denny

Singles entering the chart were Margie by Fats Domino (#50); Frankie (#53)/Lipstick on Your Collar (#88) by Connie Francis; My Melancholy Baby by Tommy Edwards (#70); Why by Garry Lee (#81); Tall Cool One by the Wailers (#89); Dedicated to the One I Love by the Shirelles (#94); Hallelujah, I Love Him So by Peggy Lee (#96); Everybody Out'ta the Pool by the Lifeguards (#99); Bongo Rock by Preston Epps (#100); and There's No Fool Like a Young Fool by Tab Hunter (also #100).

On the radio
The Sign of Four: Part 1, starring Richard Hurndall as Sherlock Holmes and Bryan Coleman as Dr. Watson, on BBC

Died on this date
William Hammond Wright, 87. U.S. astronomer. Mr. Wright directed the University of California's Lick Observatory from 1935-1942. He was a pioneer in the use of colour photography in astronomy, and was most famous for his work on radial velocity of stars in our galaxy, and his work with his own version of the spectrograph that he designed himself.

Agriculture
Hong Kong sources reported that Communist China had relaxed work discipline and crop controls on agricultural communes.

Economics and finance
The U.S.S.R.-controlled Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon) concluded a four-day meeting in Tirana after discussing plans to increase trade among Soviet bloc nations by 170% during the next six years.

Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro threatened to impose wage and price controls to halt an unauthorized rise in the cost of essential goods.

Horse racing
Royal Orbit, with William Harmatz up, won the 84th running of the Preakness Stakes before 31,506 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a time of 1:57, 4 lengths ahead of Sword Dancer, who had also placed second in the Kentucky Derby. Dunce finished third in the 11-horse field.



40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Get Back/Don't Let Me Down--The Beatles with Billy Preston (2nd week at #1)
2 Badge--Cream
3 Goodbye--Mary Hopkin
4 Hawaii Five-O--The Ventures
5 Hair--The Cowsills
6 Sweet Cherry Wine--Tommy James and the Shondells
7 In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley
8 Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show--Neil Diamond
9 Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus
10 Morning Girl--Neon Philharmonic

Singles entering the chart were More Today than Yesterday by the Spiral Starecase (#24); I Threw it All Away by Bob Dylan (#25); The Windmills of Your Mind by Dusty Springfield (#28); Everyday with You Girl by Classics IV (#29); and Proud Mary by Solomon Burke (#30).

Edmonton's top 9 (CJCA)
1 Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston
2 Hair--The Cowsills
3 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension
4 Gitarzan--Ray Stevens
5 The Boxer--Simon & Garfunkel
6 These Eyes--The Guess Who?
7 Long Green--The Fireballs
8 Pinball Wizard--The Who
9 Goodbye--Mary Hopkin

Goodbye was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon-McCartney).

Died on this date
Abraham Vereide, 82. Norwegian-born U.S. clergyman. Mr. Vereide moved to the United States in 1905, and became an itinerant minister at the age of 20, eventually becoming a Methodist minister. He founded the prayer breakfast movement in the United States in 1935, and founded International Christian Leadership in Washington, D.C. in 1944, serving as its executive director until his death. ICL grew into the extremely secretive organization commonly referred to as "The Family."

Space
The U.S.S.R. probe Venera 5, launched on January 5, 1969, landed on Venus.

War
A two-paragraph statement by the National Liberation Front of Vietnam, issued in Paris, termed U.S. President Richard Nixon's proposals for mutual troop withdrawals "unjust and unreasonable," but did not reject the program as a whole.

Health
U.S. Secretary of Labor George Shultz said that he had ordered less stringent federal standards for noise levels and coal dust inhalation in mines than had been proposed by his predecessor, Willard Wirtz, and postponed for reconsideration by Mr. Shultz. The United States Public Health Service said that the less stringent coal dust standard would mean a 50% increase in pneumoconiosis--"black lung"--among miners exposed to the dust.

Disasters
U.S.S. Guitarro, a $50 million nuclear attack submarine undergoing fitting in San Francisco bay, sank to the bottom as water poured into a forward compartment and crew members and workmen scrambled ashore.

Baseball
In the highest-scoring 11th inning in major league history, the Seattle Pilots scored 6 runs, and gave up 5, holding on for a 10-9 win over the Boston Red Sox before 33,709 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Jim Bouton pitched 3 scoreless and hitless innings and was credited with the win. Wayne Comer hit 2 home runs for the Pilots, including one in the 11th.

Bobby Murcer doubled home Bill Robinson and Tom Tresh with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the New York Yankees a 2-1 over the California Angels before 11,324 fans at Yankee Stadium. Fritz Peterson pitched a 3-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Rudy May, who allowed only 4 hits in a complete game.

Frank Robinson singled home Mark Belanger and Paul Blair with 2 out in the top of the 11th inning to break a 3-3 tie as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 before 15,487 fans at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City.

Carlos May's 10th home run of the season, leading off the top of the 7th inning, broke a 6-6 tie to give the Chicago White Sox a 7-6 win over the Washington Senators before 10,200 fans at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. Mike Epstein hit 3 home runs for the Senators and Frank Howard and Brant Alyea also homered for Washington, but all but one of the Washington homers came with nobody on base.

Tito Francona's 2-run home run with 2 out in the top of the 12th inning broke a 5-5 tie and gave the Atlanta Braves a 7-5 win over the Montreal Expos before 20,892 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal. Rico Carty hit a 3-run homer as a pinch hitter for the Braves in the 6th.

Pinch hitter Rod Gaspar singled home 2 runs and Tommie Agee followed with a 2-run triple to climax a 6-run 7th inning for the New York Mets as they held on to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 10-9 before 11,736 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The Reds had runners on first and second bases with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, but Johnny Bench grounded into a force play at third base to end the game. Pinch hitter Jimmy Stewart hit a 3-run home run for the Reds in the 6th.

The Chicago Cubs scored a run in the 6th inning and 10 in the 7th to rout the Houston Astros 11-0 before 17,053 fans at the Astrodome. Ken Holtzman pitched a 3-hitter and singled in a run as he improved his 1969 record to 6-1.

Willie Crawford hit a 2-run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 19,016 fans at Dodger Stadium. The Pirates scored all their runs in the top of the 9th to take a 3-2 lead.

Ivan Murrell singled home Ed Spiezio with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the San Diego Padres a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 16,314 fans at San Diego Stadium.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Pop Muzik--M

Died on this date
A. Philip Randolph, 90. U.S. civil rights activist. Mr. Randolph, a socialist, organized and served as president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, which was the first labour union in the U.S.A. whose membership was predominantly Negro. He was successful in pressuring U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to ban racial discrimination in defense industries during World War II, and President Harry Truman to desegregate the armed services after the war. Mr. Randolph led the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, culminating in Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Mr. Randolph died 31 days after his 90th birthday.

World events
The Vietnamese government admitted that 400,000-600,000 Vietnamese, most of them ethnic Chinese from the South, were seeking to emigrate, but warned that no refugees would be allowed to leave until accepted by other nations.

Energy
The West German government postponed indefinitely construction of a planned nuclear re-processing plant, in the face of growing resistance to nuclear power.

Environment
The United States House of Representatives voted 268-157 to approve a bill to preserve over 125 million acres of federal land in Alaska from commercial development.

Business
National League baseball owners approved the sale of the Houston Astros from Ford Motor Company to John McMullen for a reported $19 million.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Finals
Edmonton 2 @ Winnipeg 3 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 3-1)

25 years ago
1984

Baseball
The Baltimore Orioles released veteran pitcher Jim Palmer‚ who was 0-3 with a 9.17 earned run average in 1984. Mr. Palmer was asked to retire and accept a job with the organization‚ but he declined‚ hoping to find a roster spot on another major league team. He was unsuccessful.

Pitcher Steve Carlton helped his cause with a grand slam off Fernando Valenzuela to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Catcher Carlton Fisk hit for the cycle in a losing effort the Chicago White Sox lost 7-6 to the Kansas City Royals.

The Minnesota Twins sold 51‚863 tickets, but only 6‚346 fans showed up at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis to see them lose 8-7 to the Toronto Blue Jays. The skewed numbers were the result of a large ticket buyout plan organized by Minneapolis businessman Harvey Mackay to keep the Twins in Minnesota; if the club did not sell 2.41 million tickets this season it could break its lease with the Metrodome. Taking advantage of reduced prices on the Family Day promotion‚ Mr. Mackay paid $218‚718 for 44‚166 tickets.

20 years ago
1989

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: How I'm Spending My Summer Vacation

This was the last episode of the season.

10 years ago
1999

Baseball
Ray Lankford's second home run of the game, a 2-run blast with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning, gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 46,097 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

Carlos Delgado hit a 3-run home run with none out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 9-6 win over the Boston Red Sox before 21,094 fans at SkyDome in Toronto.

The Baltimore Orioles amassed 24 hits in a 16-5 win over the Texas Rangers before 39,508 fans at the Ballpark in Arlington. Mike Bordick led the way with 4 hits, and Albert Belle helped the Orioles' cause with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in.