May 21, 2009

1,130 years ago
879

Diplomacy
Pope John VIII gave his blessings to Duke Branimir of Croatia and to the Croatian people, considered to be international recognition of the Croatian state.

660 years ago
1349

Politics and government
Dušan's Code, the constitution of the Serbian Empire, was enacted by Dušan the Mighty.

350 years ago
1659

War
In the Concert of The Hague, the Dutch Republic, the Commonwealth of England, and the Kingdom of France set out their views on how the Second Northern War should end.

200 years ago
1809

War
The first day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling between the Austrian army led by Archduke Charles and the French army led by Napoleon I of France saw the French attack across the Danube held.

130 years ago
1879

War
Two Chilean ships blocking the harbour of Iquique (then belonging to Peru) battled two Peruvian vessels in the Battle of Iquique. The Peruvian ironclad Huáscar sank the Chilean corvette Esmeralda, giving Peru the victory in the four-hour battle.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Dick Ward. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Ward played in 3 games with the Chicago Cubs and 1 game with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1935, posting a 0-0 record with an earned run average of 3.00 in 6 innings. He played at least 8 seasons in the minor leagues from 1932-1939, with his best season being 1933, when he was 25-9 with the Los Angeles Angels of the AA Pacific Coast League. Mr. Brown died on May 30, 1966, nine days after his 57th birthday.

Mace Brown. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Brown was one of the first relief specialists in the major leagues, playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1935-1941); Brooklyn Dodgers (1941); and Boston Red Sox (1942-1943, 1946), compiling a record of 76-57 with an earned run average of 3.46 and 48 saves in 387 games. He's best remembered for surrendering the "homer in the gloamin'," a game-winning blast by Gabby Hartnett of the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the 9th inning on September 28, 1938, which cost the Pirates their lead over the Cubs in the pennant race, and helped to decide the race in favour of the Cubs. Mr. Brown was a scout with the Red Sox from 1947-1989. He died on March 24, 2002 at the age of 92.

Baseball
Orval Overall allowed just 2 hits and struck out 8 in improving his 1909 record to 8-2 as the Chicago Cubs blanked the Boston Doves 7-0 at South End Grounds in Boston. Catcher Pat Moran hit a home run and triple off losing pitcher Al Mattern.

90 years ago
1919

Baseball
The New York Giants traded outfielder Jim Thorpe to the Boston Braves for a player to be named later; the Braves sent pitcher Pat Ragan to the Giants nine days later to complete the deal. Mr. Thorpe was batting .333 (1 for 3) with 1 run batted in in 2 games with New York in 1919.

Urban Shocker pitched a 6-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Jim Shaw as the St. Louis Browns edged the Washington Nationals 1-0 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Mr. Shaw allowed 5 hits in 8 innings in pitching a complete game. George Sisler doubled home Jim Gedeon with the game's only run in the bottom of the 8th inning.

80 years ago
1929

Died on this date
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 82. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1894-1895. Lord Rosebery, a Liberal, was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from February-August 1886 and from 1894-1895, and succeeded William Gladstone as leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister. He resigned as Prime Minister after losing a vote in committee on arms supply. Lord Rosebery supported British imperialism, opposed socialism, and turned against the Liberals in his later years. He died after years of declining health.

70 years ago
1939

Canadiana
The Canadian National War Memorial was unveiled in Ottawa by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.



60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Put 'em in a Box, Tie 'em with a Ribbon--Danny Kaye and the Andrews Sisters; Ray McKinley (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
(2nd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Forever and Ever--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra (3rd week at #1)
--Perry Como
2 "A" You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song)--Perry Como with the Fontane Sisters
--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
3 Cruising Down the River--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Blue Barron and his Orchestra
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
4 Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby
--Burl Ives
5 Again--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
--Mel Torme
--Vic Damone
--Doris Day
6 Careless Hands--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Mel Torme
7 Once in Love with Amy--Ray Bolger
8 Sunflower--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Jack Fulton
9 Far Away Places--Bing Crosby
--Perry Como
10 Red Roses for a Blue Lady--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians

Singles entering the chart were the version of Again by Doris Day; Baby, It's Cold Outside, with versions by Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer; and Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark (#26); Open the Door Polka by Blue Barron and his Orchestra (#32); and Kiss Me Sweet, with versions by Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra; and Kitty Kallen (#33). Baby, It's Cold Outside was originally from the movie Neptune's Daughter (1949), and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

On the radio
Tales of Fatima, starring Basil Rathbone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: A Much Expected Murder

Died on this date
Klaus Mann, 42. German-born U.S. writer. Mr. Mann, the son of author Thomas Mann, wrote novels and essays. He fled Germany after the Nazis took power in 1933, and lived in several countries before settling in the United States, becoming an American citizen in 1943. Mr. Mann was perhaps best known for his novel Mephisto (1936). He was a sodomite and drug addict, and committed suicide in Cannes with an overdose of sleeping pills.

War
Communist Chinese forces reported the occupation of Sian, the largest city in northwestern China.

Diplomacy
The U.S. administration announced an agreement between U.S. President Harry Truman and Brazilian President Eurico Dutra for U.S. economic aid to Brazil and negotiation of a cultural treaty.

Politics and government
The French National Assembly approved a measure changing the status of Cochin China from a French colony to an autonomous member of the Indochinese group within the French Commonwealth.

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat McCarran (Democrat--Nevada) subpoenaed Justice Department files on subversive activities, threatening to publish "alarming information" gathered in committee hearings if Attorney General Tom Clark refused to comply.

Baseball
The Brooklyn Dodgers broke open a close game with 8 runs in the 9th inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 15-6 before 13,320 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Pee Wee Reese scored 5 runs for the Dodgers, and Jackie Robinson drove in 6.

With 2 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th inning, Yogi Berra reached second base on an error by first baseman Gordon Goldsberry, Billy Johnson was intentionally walked, and Johnny Lindell singled home Mr. Berra to give the New York Yankees a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox before 25,918 fans at Yankee Stadium. Fred Sanford allowed just 1 hit and 1 unearned run in 6 1/3 innings in relief of Frank Shea to get his first win in a New York uniform.

The Detroit Tigers scored 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning, 1 in the 2nd, and 1 in the 4th to take a 7-0 lead, but the Philadelphia Athletics responded with 4 in the 4th, 6 in the 5th, and 4 in the 6th as they won 15-7 before 9,766 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Leadoff hitter Eddie Joost led the Philadelphia attack, batting 4 for 5 with a home run, base on balls, 2 runs, and 6 runs batted in.

The Washington Nationals scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the St. Louis Browns 7-6 before 6,884 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington. The Browns scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th to take a 6-5 lead, but Bud Stewart led off the bottom of the 9th with an inside-the-park home run to tie the score. Sherry Robertson then bunted for a single and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Clyde Vollmer. Eddie Robinson was intentionally walked, and the runners stole second and third bases. Eddie Yost drew a base on balls to load the bases, and Sam Dente was credited with a single and a run batted in when he hit a ground ball to St. Louis first baseman Jack Graham, and Mr. Robertson beat Mr. Graham's throw to home plate and scored the winning run.

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Lion and the Mouse



Theatre
Gypsy: A Musical Fable by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, directed by Jerome Robbins, and starring Ethel Merman and Jack Klugman, opened at the Broadway Theatre on Broadway in New York.

Space
U.K. cosmologists Herman Bondi and R.A. Lyttleton advanced theories explaining the outward movement of stars and planets by the existence of minute galactic electrical charges, which produce repellant forces among the great star groups.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, charging that West Germany was 'covered" with missile sites, said that if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization continued its aggressive preparations, there would be no need for a German peace treaty "because such a situation means the danger of war."

Defense
United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold rejected proposals for a UN military role in Berlin.

Society
John Hanes, head of the U.S. State Department Security and Consular Affairs Bureau, told the White House Conference on Refugees that the U.S.A. had spent more than $1 billion on refugees in 15 years and had admitted one million refugees.

Crime
In an effort to smash a branch of the Mafia, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation began a nationwide roundup of participants in the 1957 Apalachin, New York racketeers' meeting.

Baseball
Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick said that he foresaw the formation of a third major league within five years.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Dennis Burns, 70. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Burns played with the Philadelphia Athletics (1923-1924), compiling a record of 8-9 with an earned run average of 4.62 in 41 games. He played at least 17 years in the minor leagues from 1920-1941. Mr. Burns died three days before his 71st birthday.

Space
Apollo 10 went into lunar orbit.





The United States launched the communications satellite Intelsat III F-4.

Environment
The governments of Canada and Québec jointly created Forillon Park in the Gaspé region, the first national park in Québec.

Law
President Richard Nixon named Warren Burger, 61, a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, to succeed the retiring Earl Warren as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Burger was recognized in the legal profession as a strong advocate of "law and order," and a vigorous opponent of liberal tendencies in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The supreme court of West Germany acquitted a former Nazi SS official of wartime murder charges, setting a precedent expected to free hundreds of pending cases by affirming a 15-year statute of limitations on killings without "base motives."

Protest
Rosariazo--student protests in Rosario, Argentina--began in earnest, following the death of 15-year-old student Luis Blanco at the hands of police sent to put down the protest.

Baseball
The New York Mets evened their record at 18-18 with a 5-0 win over the Atlanta Braves before 14,669 fans at Atlanta Stadium, as Tom Seaver pitched a 3-hit shutout, winning the matchup against Phil Niekro.

Pinch hitter Ted Savage drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Lee May with the winning run as the Cincinnati Reds rallied for 2 runs with none out in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 before 4,811 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The Phillies had scored a run in the top of the 9th to take a 5-4 lead.

Horace Clarke reached first base on a fielder's choice with 2 out in the bottom of the 11th inning, stole second base, and scored on a single by Jerry Kenney to give the New York Yankees a 6-5 win over the Oakland Athletics before 10,463 fans at Yankee Stadium. Bill Robinson led off the inning with a triple, but was thrown out at home plate on Mr. Clarke's 1-out grounder to first baseman Danny Cater. Mr. Clarke batted 4 for 6 with a double and 3 runs, while Mr. Robinson, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning, tripled in 2 consecutive at bats, and drove in a run. Reggie Jackson drove in 3 runs for the Athletics with a pair of home runs.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Lay Your Love on Me--Racey (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Miserarete--Judy Ongg (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sólo Pienso en Tí--Víctor Manuel (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
The Israeli government approved a plan for limited Arab self-rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Crime
Former San Francisco supervisor Dan White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the November 1978 assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The prosecutor asked for the death penalty for a first-degree murder charge, but the defense presented psychiatric evidence that Mr. White was incapable of premeditation. The manslaughter verdict carried a maximum prison sentence of 7 years and 8 months. About 5,000 sodomites and sympathizers protested the verdict at City Hall that night, setting fire to at least 12 police cars. More than 140 people were injured in the riot.

Labour
Statistics revealed that agri-food ranked first among the 31 industrial sectors in Québec regarding job creation. In 1975, the agri-food industry provided 230,000 jobs, with the meat industry generating the greatest number.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
New York Rangers 1 @ Montreal 4 (Montreal won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Jacques Lemaire scored 2 goals, with his first, a powerplay goal at 1:02 of the 2nd period, breaking a 1-1 tie, as the Canadiens defeated the Rangers at the Montreal Forum to win their fourth straight Stanley Cup championship. Rick Chartraw and Bob Gainey scored the other Montreal goals, with Carole Vadnais scoring for the Rangers. It was the last game as a player for Mr. Lemaire. Montreal goalie Ken Dryden faced just 15 shots in the last game of his 8-year Hall of Fame NHL career, earning his sixth Stanley Cup ring. It was also the last game for Scotty Bowman after 8 seasons and five Stanley Cup championships as coach of the Canadiens; he left after the season to become coach and general manager of the Buffalo Sabres.



25 years ago
1984

Weather
It was a dreary and rainy Victoria Day in the Edmonton area.

World events
Amnesty International accused the government of El Salvador of "blatant failure" to investigate the deaths of thousands of people in that country at the hands of death squads.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan wrote to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia affirming United States support in the event of a war with Iran.

Hockey
CHL
The Central Hockey League ceased operations after 21 years. The minor professional league, known as the Central Professional Hockey League for its first five seasons, finished the 1983-84 season with just five teams. The Tulsa Oilers, who had played all their games on the road after the club had gone into receivership in February, won the Adams Cup on April 27 in the CHL's final game. Along with the Oilers, the Montana Magic and Colorado Flames folded, while the Indianapolis Checkers and Salt Lake Golden Eagles joined the International Hockey League after the CHL ceased operations.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Fire Woman--The Cult

#1 single in Switzerland: Looking for Freedom--David Hasselhoff (4th week at #1)

Protest
In Hong Kong, approximately one million people took to the streets to show their support for students protesting for democratic reforms in China.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Calgary 4 @ Montreal 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

10 years ago
1999

Television
Susan Lucci, star of the ABC soap opera All My Children, won her first Daytime Emmy Award for best actress, in the 19th straight year in which she was nominated.

Scandal
Charlie Trie, a friend of U.S. President Bill Clinton, pled guilty to a felony charge of causing false statements to be made to the Federal Election Commission and to a misdemeanor count in the ongoing investigation of political fund-raising abuses. After doubts about its legality, Democrats returned $600,000 that Mr. Trie had raised for them.

Politics and government
U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a so-called emergency spending bill that covered many of the costs associated with the bombing campaign in Yugoslavia. Because most of the $14.5 billion allocated by the measure was designated as emergency spending, the sums were not subject to budget caps imposed by Congress on federal outlays. $10.9 billion was approved for the United States' share of NATO's air war in defense of the Yugoslav province of Kosovo. More than $1 billion went for the assistance of Kosovar refugees. The bill also authorized $687 million for hurricane relief in Central America; $900 million for tornado victims in Kansas and Oklahoma; and $574 million in aid for American farmers.

Baseball
Rafael Belliard doubled home 2 runs with 1 out in the top of the 11th inning to break a 3-3 tie as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Montreal Expos 5-3 before 8,819 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Larry Walker's third hit of the game, a solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning, gave the Colorado Rockies an 8-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks before 44,205 fans at Coors Field in Denver. The hits extended Mr. Walker's hitting streak to 21 games; his average during that period of .506 (41 for 81) was the highest during a streak of that length in 72 years. Todd Helton added 4 hits of his own to aid the Colorado cause.

Todd Walker led off the bottom of the 15th with a double and scored on a 1-out single by Doug Mientkiewicz to give the Minnesota Twins a 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics before 14,433 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.