May 20, 2009

560 years ago
1449

Died on this date
Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, 56. Pedro, the son of King João I, served as regent of Portugal from 1439-1448, during the minority of his nephew King Afonso V. Pedro was killed commanding rebellious forces against those of his nephew in the Battle of Alfarrobeira.

War
Portuguese forces commanded by King Afonso V defeated rebel forces of Pedro, Duke of Coimbra in the the Battle of Alfarrobeira, establishing the House of Braganza as a principal royal family of Portugal.

400 years ago
1609

Literature
Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of William Shakespeare's sonnets, possibly without Mr. Shakespeare's consent.

210 years ago
1799

Born on this date
Honoré de Balzac. French author. Mr. Balzac wrote numerous novels, novellas, short stories, and plays, but was best known for the multi-volume series of novels titled La Comédie humaine (The Human Comedy), which was unfinished at the time of his death, after a period of failing health, on August 18, 1850 at the age of 51.

150 years ago
1859

Politics and government
George Barstow was elected Mayor of Nanaimo, British Columbia, with only one vote cast.

130 years ago
1879

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald appointed Charles Tupper first head of the new Department of Railways and Canals, previously under the Department of Public Works; a Minister would now have jurisdiction over all railways pertaining to the Dominion Government. Mr. Macdonald also appointed Hector-Louis Langevin as Minister of Public Works, and Alexander Campbell as Postmaster-General.

Horse racing
Lord Murphy, with C. Schauer up, won the 5th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:37. Falsetto placed second and Strathmore finished third in the nine-horse field.

125 years ago
1884

Born on this date
Leon Schlesinger. U.S. film producer. Mr. Schlesinger founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, and produced the Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons from 1933-1944, when his company was purchased by Warner Brothers and became Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. Mr. Schlesinger died of a viral infection on December 25, 1949 at the age of 65.

120 years ago
1889

Baseball
The Kansas City Cowboys became the second team in American Association history to score in every inning of a game as they beat the Brooklyn Bridegrooms 18-12. Losing pitcher Mickey Hughes went the distance for the Bridegrooms.

100 years ago
1909

Died on this date
Ernest Hogan, 43. U.S. entertainer. Mr. Hogan, born Ernest Crowdus, performed in minstrel shows, and contributed to the development of ragtime music, writing songs such as All Coons Look Alike to Me. He later regretted helping to start the genre of "coon songs." Mr. Hogan became the first Negro to produce and star in a Broadway show in New York: The Oyster Man (1907). He collapsed on stage in January 1908 while performing in the show, and died of tuberculosis.

Baseball
Walter Johnson struck out 10 and drove in the winning run as the Washington Nationals edged the Cleveland Naps 3-2 in 10 innings at League Park in Cleveland. It was the Big Train’s first win of the season after 5 losses. Addie Joss took the loss for the Naps, pitching a 7-hitter.

The New York Giants edged the Pittsburg Pirates 2-1 at the Polo Grounds in New York, as Howie Camnitz pitched a 5-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Bugs Raymond. Pittsburg shortstop Honus Wagner was presented with a trophy for winning the National League batting title in 1908.

90 years ago
1919

Politics and government
Newfoundland Minister of Finance Sir Michael Cashin, leader of the Newfoundland People's Party, introduced a motion of non-confidence in the government of Prime Minister Sir William Lloyd, leader of the Liberal Party. The motion passed, and Sir Michael became Prime Minister. It was the first time in the British Empire that a government had defeated itself.

Abominations
A Yukon ordinance respecting elections gave women the right to vote and hold office.

Baseball
Babe Ruth hit his first major league grand slam in the 2nd inning and pitched the Boston Red Sox to a 6-4 win over the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's park in St. Louis, improving his 1919 record to 3-0. Dave Davenport was the losing pitcher.

The Philadelphia Phillies scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.

75 years ago
1934

Baseball
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the New York Giants 9-5 as Dizzy Dean outduelled Carl Hubbell for the second time in the 1934 season.

San Francisco Seals’ center fielder Joe DiMaggio tore cartilage in his left knee while getting out of a taxi, putting him out of action for six weeks.

70 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Joe Carr, 59. U.S. sports executive. Mr. Carr co-founded and served as president of the American Basketball League (1925-1927), and served as the director of the promotional body for minor league baseball (1933-1939) and president of the Columbus Senators of the American Association (1926-1931), but was best known for his football activities. He was coach of the Columbus Panhandles of the Ohio League from 1901-1904. The team disbanded after the 1904 season, but Mr. Carr revived it in 1907, serving as coach through 1918 and as administrator until 1922. He took the team into the American Professional Football Association in 1920, taking office in 1921 as president of the APFA in 1921, which became the National Football League in 1922. Mr. Carr oversaw the expansion of the league; he was--and remains--heavily criticized for his handling of a dispute over the 1925 NFL championship, but oversaw the introduction of a championship game in 1933. He died several hours after suffering a heart attack, and was succeeded as NFL president by Carl Storck. Mr. Carr was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1963.

Ballet
Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally founded the Winnipeg Ballet; Canada's first ballet was designated "Royal" in 1953.

Transportation
Regular trans-Atlantic air service began, as a Pan American Airways plane took off from Port Washington, New York, bound for Europe.

Horse racing
Challedon, with George Seabo aboard, won the 65th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in 1:59 4/5, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Gilded Knight.

60 years ago
1949

On television tonight
Your Show Time, hosted and narrated by Arthur Shields, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Million Pound Bank Note, starring Ross Ford and Paula Raymond

Died on this date
Damaskinos, 58. Greek clergyman and politician. Damaskinos Papandreou was appointed Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Athens and All Greece in 1941. He served as regent of Greece from the withdrawal of German occupation forces in 1944 until the return of King George II in 1946, and was Prime Minister of Greece for 15 days from October 17-November 1, 1945. Damaksinos was succeeded as Archbishop of Athens and All Greece by Spyridon.

Pensive, 8. U.S. racehorse. Pensive won the 1944 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and placed second in the Belmont Stakes, less than 1/2 length behind Bounding Home. He died shortly after his son Ponder won the 1949 Kentucky Derby.

War
The U.S.A. and U.K. rejected a U.S.S.R. offer to negotiate an end to the Greek civil war, claiming that any settlement must come through the United Nations with the concurrence of the Greek government.

Asiatica
Burmese Karen nationalists proclaimed a separate state in central Burma between Daiku and Toungoo.

Diplomacy
France formally recognized Israel.

Defense
The U.S. Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, was established.

Politics and government
The Bavarian parliament refused to ratify the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, but agreed to join the new state if other state legislatures approved the constitution.

Bolivian acting President Mamerto Urriolagoitia named a new cabinet dominated by the Republican Socialist Union Party.

Academia
Illinois' Seditious Activities Investigation Committee cleared the University of Chicago and Roosevelt College of charges that they harboured subversive activities.

Responding to congressional criticism of the granting of a U.S. government fellowship to a Communist Party member, Atomic Energy Commission head David Lilienthal agreed that fellowship applicants shoud be required to take an oath of allegiance to the U.S. government.

The Regional Council for Education, charged with carrying through the Southern plan for a segregated higher education system, began signing contracts with universities in Virginia, Louisiana, Georgia, and Tennessee for medical and dental training.

Economics and finance
Poland concluded a trade agreement with Israel.

Labour
The American Federation of Labor International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes announced the signing of a contract with the 10 major Hollywood film studios, ending conflicts with the AFL Conference of Studio Unions.

50 years ago
1959

Died on this date
Irakli Tsereteli, 77. Georgian-born politician. Mr. Tsereteli was a Social Democrat and a Menshevik who was elected to the Duma in 1907, but exiled to Siberia after being charged with trying to overthrow the Czarist government. After the February Revolution in 1917, he returned to Russia and held the posts of Minister of Post and Telegraph and Minister of the Interior in the provisional government. Mr. Tsereteli returned to Georgia after the Bolsheviks seized power in the October Revolution; he spent the rest of his life in exile, mainly in France, writing on socialism and working with socialist organizations. He died in New York City.

War
The Algerian Provisional Government announced that Communist China had agreed to supply the Algerian nationalists with "satisfactory" amounts of military aid.

Americana
U.S. Attorney General William Rogers announced the completion of a program of restoring American citizenship to 4,978 of the 5,766 Japanese-Americans who had renounced it in 1945 after three years of confinement in relocation camps during World War II.

Law
The American Bar Association Board of Governors conferred with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, reiterating its stand that the association's committee on federal judgeships should screen all potential federal judiciary appointees.

Boxing
Eddie Machen (27-1-1) won a 10-round unanimous decision over California state heavyweight champion Reuben Vargas (18-7) at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, to the displeasure of the fans of Mr. Vargas.

Baseball
Frank Lary improved his career record against the New York Yankees to 18-5 as the Detroit Tigers beat the Yankees 13-6 before 12,775 fans at Yankee Stadium, dropping the Yankees into the American League basement for the first time in 19 years. Leadoff hitter Eddie Yost led the Detroit attack, batting 3 for 4 with a grand slam, 2 bases on balls, 3 runs, and 6 runs batted in.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Get Back/Don't Let Me Down--The Beatles with Billy Preston (3rd week at #1)

War
United States and South Vietnamese troops took Apbia mountain (dubbed "Hamburger Hill" by the Americans), near the Laotian border, after 10 days of fighting. The allies lost 55 lives in 11 attempts to capture the 3,074-foot summit before taking it. Enemy losses were put at 544 killed. Senator Edward Kennedy termed the Hamburger Hill assault "senseless and irresponsible" but the U.S. Army called it a "gallant victory," designed to prevent the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces from massing for an offensive on Hue.

Religion
Queen Elizabeth II made a historic visit to the opening session of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The session was interrupted by Rev. Ian Paisley and his followers, protesting the presence of a Roman Catholic observer.

Protest
A national Guard helicopter dropped a white, skin-stinging chemical powder on several hundred students, faculty members, and other "People’s Park" demonstrators at the Berkeley campus of the University of California, where a new escalation of violence came on the fifth day of turmoil.

Boxing
Al Jones knocked out Cleveland Williams in 8 rounds in a heavyweight bout in Miami Beach, Florida.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Heart of Glass--Blondie (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Music Box Dancer--Frank Mills

Diplomacy
The Islamic regime of Iran asked the United States to delay the replacement of their ambassador in Tehran, after the Ayatollah Khomeini denounced a U.S. Senate resolution condemning recent executions as "interference" in Iran’s internal affairs.

Energy
Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum on nuclear power that tightened controls on existing nuclear plants and mandated stricter construction requirements.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Finals
Edmonton 3 @ Winnipeg 7 (Winnipeg won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Willy Lindstrom and Barry Long each scored 2 goals for the Jets before 10,195 fans at Winnipeg Arena as they won their third Avco World Trophy championship in the last four years, in the last game in the seven-year history of the World Hockey Association. Paul MacKinnon, Lyle Moffat, and Kent Nilsson scored the other Winnipeg goals. Ron Chipperfield, Bill Flett, and Dave Semenko scored the Edmonton goals. Mr. Semenko's goal, wiith 12 seconds remaining in the game, was the last goal scored in the WHA.



Basketball
NBA
Finals
Seattle 97 @ Washington 99 (Washington led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Larry Wright made 2 of 3 free throws with 1 second remaining to give the Bullets their win over the SuperSonics before 19,035 fans at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. The Bullets had led by as much as 18 points in he 4th quarter. Mr. Wright came off the bench to lead Washington with 26 points, while Gus Williams of Seattle led all scorers with 32 points.





Baseball
Frank Taveras singled home Joel Youngblood with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the New York Mets an 8-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 8,180 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. The Cardinals broke a 4-4 tie with 3 runs in the top of the 10th, but Richie Hebner hit a 3-run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th to tie the score 7-7.

The Houston Astros defeated the San Diego Padres 1-0 and 6-3 before 15,039 fans at the Astrodome to move to within 1½ games of the National League West Division-leading Cincinnati Reds. The only run of the first game came on a home run by Terry Puhl, leading off the game against Gaylord Perry.

Tommy John pitched a 2-hitter to improve his 1979 record to 9-0 as the New York Yankees shut out the Boston Red Sox 2-0 before 33,932 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Losing pitcher Dennis Eckersley allowed just 6 hits in a complete game, but allowed solo home runs by Graig Nettles in the 4th inning and Reggie Jackson in the 9th.

Nolan Ryan pitched a 2-hitter and struck out 11 batters, winning the pitchers' duel over Ross Baumgarten, as the California Angels shut out the Chicago White Sox 4-0 before 27,189 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

25 years ago
1984

Defense
Soviet Defense Minister Dmitri Ustinov announced that the U.S.S.R. had increased the number of submarines carrying nuclear missiles off the coasts of the United States. He said that the missiles could hit U.S. targets within 8-10 minutes. Mr. Ustinov said the subs were one of the countermeasures taken in response to the deployment of U.S. intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe. He added that the Soviet Union would also increase its European arsenal of nuclear weapons in response to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization buildup.

World events
The Soviet government newspaper Izvestia hinted that Yelena Bonner, wife of dissident Andrei Sakharov, might be facing criminal charges for anti-Soviet activities.

War
The Arab League condemned Iran for its recent attacks on ships from various nations in the Persian Gulf.

Politics
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos claimed that the May 14 elections had given his government a "new mandate," despite gains by opponents of his regime.

Baseball
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-4 as Roger Clemens struck out 7 in 7 innings to pick up his first major league victory.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Like a Prayer--Madonna (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Eternal Flame--Bangles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Eternal Flame--Bangles (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Megamix--Boney M. (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Ferry 'Cross the Mersey--The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
2 Real Love--Jody Watley
3 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
4 Soldier of Love--Donny Osmond
5 Rock On--Michael Damian
6 Patience--Guns n' Roses
7 Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler
8 After All--Cher and Peter Cetera
9 Every Little Step--Bobby Brown
10 Like a Prayer--Madonna

Singles entering the chart were What You Don't Know by Expose (#59); The Doctor by the Doobie Brothers (#62); Toy Soldiers by Martika (#69); Hey Baby by Henry Lee Summer (#83); Moonlight on Water by Kevin Raleigh (#85); Yo No Se by Pajama Party (#91); and So Alive by Love and Rockets (#94).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Real Love--Jody Watley
2 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
3 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
4 Like a Prayer--Madonna
5 Rock On--Michael Damian
6 Soldier of Love--Donny Osmond
7 After All--Cher and Peter Cetera
8 Cult of Personality--Living Colour
9 Electric Youth--Debbie Gibson
10 Patience--Guns n' Roses

Singles entering the chart were The Doctor by the Doobie Brothers (#60); What You Don't Know by Expose (#65); Toy Soldiers by Martika (#73); Fire Woman by the Cult (#75); So Alive by Love and Rockets (#83); Once Bitten Twice Shy by Great White (#87); and Hey Baby by Henry Lee Summer (#90).

Died on this date
John Hicks, 85. U.K. economist. Sir John shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences with Kenneth Arrow "for their pioneering contributions to general economic equilibrium theory and welfare theory." His best-known book was Value and Capital (1939).

Gilda Radner, 42. U.S. comedienne. Miss Radner, anative of Detroit, joined the Second City troupe in Toronto in 1973 and was a member of the cast of the awful CBC children's comedy television program Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins (1974-1975) before returning to the United States, where she achieved stardom as a member of the cast of the NBC sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live from 1975-1980, winning an Emmy Award in 1978. She died of ovarian cancer.

World events
In response to the presence of at least one million protesters in Beijing and other cities in recent days, the government of China imposed martial law.

Horse racing
Sunday Silence, with Pat Valenzuela, won the 114th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a time of 1:53 4/5, edging Easy Goer by a nose in the closest Preakness in history.



Soccer
English FA Cup Final @ Wembley Stadium, London
Arsenal 3 Manchester United 2 (ET)

Ian Rush scored 2 goals in extra time for Arsenal as they broke a 1-1 tie and defeated Liverpool before 82,800 fans. Mr. Rush's second goal came 2 minutes after Stuart McCall scored his second goal to tie the score. Mr. McCall's first goal had tied the score in the last minute of regulation time.



10 years ago
1999

Law
U.S. Vice President Al Gore cast the deciding vote to enable a Democrat-sponsored amendment to a crime bill to pass in the Senate by a vote of 51-50. The amendment closed some loopholes to a previous amendment requiring mandatory background checks for firearms purchased at gun shows. The Senate then voted on the bill, passing it 73-25. Other provisions banned the sale of semiautomatic weapons to people under 18; allowed youths as young as 14 to be charged as adults; forbade anyone convicted of a violent crime as a juvenile to own firearms; and authorized $5 billion to deal with juvenile crime problems. President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary met with students, teachers, and victims’ families in Littleton, Colorado, site of the massacre at Columbine High School a month earlier.

Abominations
The Supreme Court of Canada expanded sodomite/lesbian "spousal rights," striking down the definition of term "spouse" in Ontario law under which sodomites and lesbians were denied the right to sue for spousal support.

Politics and government
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled unanimously to open aboriginal band elections to off-reserve natives, stating that excluding them violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Baseball
New York Mets’ third baseman Robin Ventura became the first major league player to hit a grand slam in each game of a doubleheader, as the Mets swept the Milwaukee Brewers 11-10 and 10-1 before 19,542 fans at Shea Stadium in New York.

Derrek Lee singled home Cliff Floyd with 1 out in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Florida Marlins a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 11,473 fans at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Brent Billingsley, the second of five Florida pitchers, made his major league debut, pitching 2/3 inning with a base on balls, but no runs.

The Houston Astros scored 2 runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 2-2 tie as they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 before 40,780 fans at Dodger Stadium. Pinch hitter Tripp Cromer hit a solo home run with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game into extra innings, and Raul Mondesi hit a solo homer with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th.