May 28, 2009

160 years ago
1849

Died on this date
Anne Brontë, 29. U.K. authoress and poetess. Miss Brontë, the younger sister of authoresses Charlotte and Emily Brontë, was known for her novels Agnes Grey (1847) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). Anne Brontë died of what is now suspected to have been pulmonary tuberculosis.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Red Horner. Canadian hockey player. George Reginald Horner was a defenceman with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1928-1940, and was the team's captain in his last two seasons. He scored 42 goals and 110 assists in 490 regular season NHL games and 7 goals and 17 assists in 71 playoff games. His 1,264 minutes in penalties was the NHL career record at the time of Mr. Horner's retirement. Mr. Horner was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965; he was the last surviving member of the Maple Leafs' 1932 Stanley Cup championship team, and died on April 27, 2005 at the age of 95.

75 years ago
1934

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Annette and Cecile Dionne!

Canadiana
The Dionne quintuplets--Annette, Cecile, Emilie, Marie, and Yvonne--were born to Elzire and Olivo Dionne in the family farmhouse near Corbeil, Ontario. They were the first quintuplets known to survive their infancy, and the only female identical set ever recorded.

Baseball
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hit back-to-back home runs in the 7th inning off Jack Knott as the New York Yankees defeated the St. Louis Browns 13-9 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. It was the last time the two hit consecutive home runs; Mr. Gehrig had hit an earlier home run in the 6th inning off Paul Andrews. Third baseman Jack Saltzgaver and second baseman Tony Lazzeri also homered for the Yankees.

70 years ago
1939

Baseball
George Selkirk hit 2 home runs off relief pitcher Robert Joyce as the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 9-5 before 14,670 fans at Yankee Stadium. Mr. Selkirk had also hit 2 home runs against Mr. Joyce the previous day, so he had 4 home runs in as many at bats against the same pitcher in 2 games. Atley Donald pitched a 10-hit complete game vctory, improving his 1939 record to 4-0.

Cookie Lavagetto hit a 2-run home run and a grand slam, driving in 7 runs to help the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Boston Bees 16-12 before 16,921 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Boston third baseman Debs Garms hit a single, double, and triple with a run and 4 runs batted in. The teams combined for 28 hits and 13 bases on balls, but the game took only 1 hour 50 minutes to complete.

60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): (I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Forever and Ever--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra (4th week at #1)
--Perry Como
2 Again--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
--Mel Torme
--Vic Damone
--Doris Day and the Mellomen
3 "A" You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song)--Perry Como with the Fontane Sisters
--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
4 Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby
--Burl Ives
5 Cruising Down the River--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Blue Barron and his Orchestra
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
6 Careless Hands--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Mel Torme
7 Once in Love with Amy--Ray Bolger
8 Some Enchanted Evening--Perry Como
--Bing Crosby
8 Sunflower--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Jack Fulton
9 Bali Ha'i--Perry Como
--Peggy Lee
10 So in Love--Gordon MacRae
--Dinah Shore

The only single entering the chart was Merry-Go-Round Waltz by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (#18).

On the radio
Tales of Fatima, starring Basil Rathbone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: Time to Kill

Politics and government
General Chan Yi, commander of victorious Communist forces in Shanghai, was appointed head of a military control commission established to govern the city.

Diplomacy
At the Paris Foreign Ministers Conference, the Western Allies responded to Soviet proposals by urging extension of the West German Basic Law and the Western occupation statute to all of Germany and the creation of a four-power supervisory high commission which would make its decisions by majority vote. U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Andrei Vishinsky rejected the Western plan as "one-sided."

Brazilian President Eurico Dutra concluded his visit to the United States and returned home.

Protest
Striking tin miners in Catavi, Bolivia rioted when army troops moved in to operate the mines. The violence caused 52 deaths, including those of two U.S. mining engineers taken hostage by the strikers.

Education
Czechoslovakian Archbishop Josef Beran broke off negotiations for a state-church agreement on Catholic schools as "vain and hopeless."

Academia
The Oklahoma legislature passed a bill allowing Negroes to attend state uniersities on a segregated basis for courses not given in the state's Negro colleges.

Baseball
In his first home start, Don Newcombe staked the Brooklyn Dodgers to a 6-0 lead over the Boston Braves, only to see the Braves come back for a 7-6 win before 23,497 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. The big blow for the Braves was a grand slam in the 8th inning by former Dodger Pete Reiser.

Ken Raffensberger pitched a 7-hit complete game and began a 2-run game-winning rally with a single as the Cincinnati Red shut out the Chicago Cubs 2-0 before 15,779 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Losing pitcher Dutch Leonard pitched an 8-hit complete game.

Yogi Berra drove in the tying run in the 9th inning with a double, then scored the winning run from first base on a double by Billy Johnson with 1 out in the bottom of the 14th inning as the New York Yankees edged the Philadelphia Athletics 2-1 before 25,683 fans at Yankee Stadium. Joe Page pitched 6 scoreless innings in relief of Vic Raschi to get the win over Lou Brissie, who pitched a 6-hit complete game.

Early Wynn held the Chicago White Sox to 4 hits to win the pitchers' duel over Howie Judson as the Cleveland Indians defeated the White Sox 3-2 in 11 innings before 10,929 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Joe Gordon led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a single and came around to score on a single by Mickey Vernon. Chicago left fielder Gus Zernial broke his collarbone making a diving catch in the 10th inning, and was out for the next 2 months.

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: No Fare



Space
Two female monkeys, Abel and Baker, became the first living creatures to survive a space flight when they endured 9 minutes of weightlessness after being fired 300 miles above the earth in the nose cone of a Jupiter missile from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Diplomacy
A Communist Chinese mission headed by Defense Minister Peng Ten-huai arrived in Tirana, Albania for discussions with U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev and his Defense Minister Rodion Malinovsky.

Defense
U.S.S.R. Premier Khrushchev called for Greece's withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the creation of a "zone of peace" that would embrace the Balkans and the Mediterranean.

Scandal
A grand jury in Nassau County, New York indicted John J. O'Rourke, president of the New York Teamsters union Joint Council and 14 others on charges of conspiracy, coercion, and extortion in the juke box industry.

Disasters
85 passengers were killed and 47 others were injured when a train plunged into a ravine in the East Priangan region of West Java.

Olympics
The International Olympic Committee voted in Munich to expel Nationalist China as a step toward admitting Communist China to the Olympic Games.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Gus Getz, 79. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Getz was a third baseman with five major league clubs from 1909-1918, batting .238 with 2 home runs and 93 runs batted in in 339 games. He played at least 1,297 games in at least 11 seasons in the minor leagues from 1908-1927.

Aviation
For the first time, Canada participated in the Paris Air and Space Show, running until June 8, with 28 exhibitors.

Transportation
Alberta Premier Harry Strom opened the Alberta Resources Railway, a 235-mile line north from Hinton, through Grande Cache to Grande Prairie; the Canadian National Railway completed the line from near Peace River to Hay River, Northwest Territories.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Richard Nixon asked Congress for a $2.8 billion foreign aid program for fiscal 1970. His bid was $138 million less than the amount asked by outgoing President Lyndon Johnson in January, and the smallest request in the program's history.

Baseball
Randy Hundley's grand slam off Ray Sadecki climaxed a 7-run 3rd inning for the Chicago Cubs as they held on to defeat the San Francisco Giants 7-6 before 4,447 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Mr. Sadecki hit his fifth and last career major league home run in the 4th inning.

Cleon Jones reached first base on an error by shortstop Tommy Dean to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning and scored on a 1-out single by Bud Harrelson to give the New York Mets a 1-0 win over the San Diego Padres before 11,860 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Jerry Koosman started on the mound for New York and allowed 4 hits in 10 innings, while San Diego starter Clay Kirby allowed 7 hits in 9 innings.

Tony Perez stole home plate and Johnny Bench stole second on the same play in the bottom of the 8th inning, breaking a 6-6 tie as the Cincinnati Reds edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 before 7,458 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Cincinnati first baseman Lee May hit 2 home runs for the third straight game; his 6 home runs in 3 straight games tied a major league record.

Joe Morgan led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a base on balls, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt, stole third, and scored on a single by Doug Rader to give the Houston Astros a 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 17,928 fans at the Astrodome.

Frank Howard singled home pinch runner Ed Stroud with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Washington Senators a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins before 4,372 fans at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. Mr. Stroud was running for Mike Epstein, who had drawn a base on balls with 1 out.

Aurelio Rodriguez led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a single, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt, stole third base on the front end of a double steal, and scored on a 2-out single by Jay Johnstone to give the California Angels a 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians before 10,238 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Lay Your Love on Me--Racey (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Miserarete--Judy Ongg (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sólo Pienso en Tí--Víctor Manuel (5th week at #1)

Music
Elton John performed his first concert in Moscow, after a four-day stay in Leningrad. Mr. John said, "We wanted to try and come somewhere where we had not been before instead of just going again and again to North America and Europe...I think people here are not used to the sort of concert we give them." The audience of 3,000 never got carried away and sat politely in their seats throughout the performance.

Diplomacy
Israel released 16 Arab prisoners who would not endanger Israel's national security.

Economics and finance
Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis signed an agreement with representatives of the member nations of the European Economic Community that would make Greece the tenth member of the EEC on January 1, 1981. Mr. Caramanlis first applied for associate membership in the EEC for Greece in 1961, and lobbied to accelerate teh integration when he returned to power in 1974.

Baseball
George Brett hit for the cycle and led off the bottom of the 16th inning with his second home run of the game to give the Kansas City Royals a 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles before 34,677 fans at Royals Stadium. Larry Gura pitched 4 innings of 1-hit scoreless relief to get the win.

Mickey Rivers hit a solo home run with 2 out in the top of the 10th inning to break a 1-1 tie as the New York Yankees edged the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 before 39,291 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Losing pitcher Bill Travers allowed 9 hits and 2 earned runs in a complete game.

Ray Knight singled home 2 runs in the top of the 13th inning to break a 1-1 tie as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 before 49,114 fans at Dodger Stadium. With 1 out in the bottom of the 13th, Derrel Thomas doubled and Dave Lopes singled him home, but Bill Russell flied out to center field and Reggie Smith struck out to end the game.

25 years ago
1984

War
U.S. President Ronald Reagan observed Memorial Day with a tribute to the only unidentified U.S. serviceman to be killed in the Vietnam War. The unknown soldier was buried in a state funeral at Arlington National Cemetery alongside fallen soldiers from World Wars I and II and Korea. Mr. Reagan awarded the soldier the Medal of Honor. Advances in forensic medicine had resulted in the identification of almost all casualties of the war, and the Pentagon destroyed all records that might have provided clues to the identity of the man buried at Arlington.

Defense
The administration of United States President Ronald Reagan said that 400 Stinger antiaircraft missiles had been sent to Saudi Arabia as a result of attacks upon that country's shipping by Iran and Iraq.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): The Look--Roxette (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: The Look--Roxette

Scandal
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged Global Television reporter Doug Small and four others with possession of stolen goods, and two others with theft, after they accepted a leaked federal budget before the budget lock-up.

Auto racing
Emerson Fittipaldi won the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, at an average speed of 167.581 miles per hour. Mr. Fittipaldi had been passed by teammate Al Unser, Jr. on lap 196 of the 200-lap race. Two laps later, Mr. Unser slowed as he approached traffic, and Mr. Fittipaldi came up beside him. The cars touched wheels, and Mr. Unser spun out, handing the win to Mr. Fittipaldi.





Baseball
George Bell hit a 2-run home run off Bobby Thigpen with nobody out in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 7-5 win over the Chicago White Sox before 46,120 fans in the last game ever played at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. The White Sox had been the Blue Jays' first opponent at Exhibition Stadium on April 7, 1977.

The Cleveland Indians scored the game's only run with two out in the 9th inning and Greg Swindell pitched a 4-hitter as the Indians edged the Baltimore Orioles 1-0. Kirk McCaskill pitched a shutout as the California Angels blanked the Boston Red Sox 3-0.

The Montreal Expos defeated the San Diego Padres 10-2 at San Diego Stadium in a game that was followed by a Beach Boys' concert.

10 years ago
1999

Art
Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece The Last Supper was put back on display in Milan, after 22 years of restoration work,.

Crime
New York Yankees' outfielder Darryl Strawberry pled no contest to cocaine possession and solicitation charges and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.

Baseball
Boston Red Sox' catcher Jason Varitek had difficulty handling Tim Wakefield's knuckleball, and allowed 5 passed balls, 3 in the first inning. Mr. Varitek was more successful at bat, making 3 hits, including a home run, as the Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians 12-5 before 43,287 fans at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Mr. Wakefield allowed 9 hits, 3 bases on balls, and 5 runs--all earned--in 5 innings, and was still credited with the win, while Derek Lowe pitched 4 hitless innings to get the save.