May 31, 2009

540 years ago
1469

Born on this date
Manuel I. King of Portugal, 1495-1521. Manuel I, the grandson of King Duarte and nephew of King Afonso V, succeeded his first cousin João II on the throne. King Manuel I oversaw an era of prosperity and Portuguese imperial expansion. He died on December 13, 1521 at the age of 52, and was succeeded by his son João III.

340 years ago
1669

Literature
Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys recorded the last event in his diary.

200 years ago
1809

Died on this date
Joseph Haydn, 77. Austrian composer. Mr. Haydn was a major composer of the Classical Era , and has been nicknamed the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet." He wrote over 100 symphonies, as well as numerous chamber works, masses, and operas. Mr. Haydn died after years of declining health.

190 years ago
1819

Died on this date
Walt Whitman, 72. U.S. poet. Mr. Whitman was one of the most influential poets in American history, and has been called the "father of free verse." He was best known for the collection Leaves of Grass, which was published in several editions from 1855-1891. Mr. Whitman died of bronchial pneumonia on March 26, 1892 at the age of 72.

150 years ago
1859

Britannica
The clock in London whose bell is popularly known as Big Ben began ticking.

130 years ago
1879

Americana
Gilmore's Garden in New York City was renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt, and was opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.

125 years ago
1884

Baseball
The Altoona Mountain Citys of the Union Association, with a record of 6-19, disbanded.

In the American Association, center fielder Oscar Walker went 6 for 6 at bat to lead the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers to a 16-1 rout of the St. Louis Browns.

In another AA game, umpire Tom Connell needed a police escort to leave Athletic Park in Washington after calling a forfeit against the home team. With the Cincinnati Reds leading the Washington Nationals 6-0 in the 6th inning, Washington manager Holly Hollingshead, angry at Mr. Connell's calls, pulled his team off the field. Mr. Connell then forfeited the game in favour of the Reds. In the resulting discontent, the umpire was escorted to the Reds' team carriage parked behind the outfield fence.

120 years ago
1889

Disasters
An estimated 2,200 people died in a terrible flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania when the South Fork Dam failed as a result of heavy rains. A 30-foot-high wall of water rushed through Conemaugh Valley, destroying everything in its path.



100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Art Coulter. Canadian-born U.S. hockey player. Mr. Coulter, a native of Winnipeg, was a defenceman with the Chicago Black Hawks (1931-36) and New York Rangers (1936-42), scoring 112 points on 30 goals and 82 assists in 465 regular season games and 4 goals and 5 assists in 49 playoff games. He played on Stanley Cup championship teams in 1934 and 1940, and made the National Hockey League's second All-Star team four times. Mr. Coulter played with the United States Coast Guard Cutters from 1942-44, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974. He died on October 14, 2000 at the age of 91.

Died on this date
Tom Price, 57. Australian politician. Mr. Price, a member of the United Labour Party, was first elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1893, and became party leader in 1899. He served as Premier of South Australia from 1905 until his death from tuberculosis and diabetes, and was succeeded as Premier by Archibald Peake.

Society
The U.S. National Negro Committee, forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), convened for the first time.

Baseball
The New York Giants swept a morning-afternoon pair of games from the Philadelphia Phillies at the Polo Grounds in New York. Hooks Wiltse won the opener 3-2, and 35,000 fans saw Christy Mathewson outduel Lew Moren 5-4 in the afternoon game. Mr. Mathewson won the game with a home run into the left field stands in the 8th inning.

In the Three I League, pitchers Otto Burns of Decatur and Ed Clarke of Bloomington both went the distance in a 26-inning game won by Decatur 2-1.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Arthur Thurman, 39. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. Thurman was killed in a crash on the 45th lap of the Indianapolis 500; his riding mechanic, Nicholas Molinaro, survived critical injuries.

Louis LeCocq, 27. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. LeCocq and his riding mechanic, Robert Bandini, were killed in a crash on lap 97 of the Indianapolis 500 when the car's fuel tank exploded.

Auto racing
Howdy Wilcox won the Indianapolis 500, at an average speed of 88.050 miles per hour. It was the first time the race had been held since 1916.







60 years ago
1949

On the radio
Philo Vance, starring Jackson Beck
Tonight's episode: Red Duck Murder

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Doors on the Thirteenth Floor, starring Louisa Horton, Anthony Ross, and Russell Collins



Diplomacy
The U.S.A. closed its Mukden consulate, but kept its missions open in other Communist-occupied Chinese cities, including Peking (Beijing) and Nanking.

Defense
The Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies ratified the North Atlantic Defense treaty.

In ceremonies a Fort Meyer, Virginia, General Lucius Clay retired from the United States Army after 31 years of service.

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate passed and sent to the House of Representatives a measure granting home rule to the District of Columbia.

Crime
The perjury trial of former U.S. State Department employee Alger Hiss began in a U.S. federal court in New York, with Judge Samuel Kaufman presiding.

Oddities
Cleveland druggist Charley Lupica boldly climbed to a 20-foot platform atop a flagpole after announcing that he was staying there until the Indians repeated as pennant winners. The seventh-place Indians moved up to fourth by the time Lupica descended on September 25‚ but the disappointed druggist was rewarded for his loyalty with a new car by Indians' owner Bill Veeck.

Economics and finance
The Japanese Diet completed action on a 700-billion yen balanced budget, calling for the dismissal of 400,000 government employees during the next year.

Argentina and the United Kingdom signed a five-year commercial treaty calling for at least $640 million in mutual trade each year.

Prices on the New York Stock Exchange took their sharpest drop so far in 1949, falling 1-3 points.

Golf
Sam Snead won the PGA Championship at Belmont Golf Course in Henrico, Virginia, defeating Johnny Palmer 3 and 2 in the final round. First prize money was $3,500.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Oui, oui, oui, oui--Jean Philippe (3rd week at #1)

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Dusty Drawer, starring Dick York and Philip Coolidge

War
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru asked the U.K. and U.S.S.R. to reconvene the International Control Commission, charged with supervision of the Indochinese armistice in Laos.

Politics and government
20 Muslims and 12 Europeans were elected to fill 32 seats for Algeria in the French Senate.

The United Democratic Reform Front, formed by former Greek Cypriot guerrilla leaders, held in first Congress in Nicosia.

Baseball
Smoky Burgess and Don Hoak each hit 2 home runs in the first game and a homer in the second game as they helped the Pittsburgh Pirates sweep a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds 6-2 and 14-11 before 17,847 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Pittsburgh left fielder Bob Skinner drove in 7 runs in the second game with a grand slam and a 3-run homer. Al Jackson started on the mound for the Pirates in the second game, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs--all earned--in 3 innings, with 1 base on balls and 1 strikeout in his first major league game.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Braves split a doubleheader before 28,590 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Robin Roberts pitched a 6-0 shutout for the Phillies in the opener, and Warren Spahn came back with a 4-hitter to win the second game for the Braves 2-1. The Phillies' run in the second game came on a pinch-hit home run by Gene Freese, his 5th pinch-hit home run of the season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 before 24,829 fans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the seven pitchers used by the two teams combined for a total of 23 strikeouts, tying the National League single-game record. Winning pitcher Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers led with 9 strikeouts.

With 2 out and nobody on base in the top of the 9th inning, Mickey Mantle doubled, Yogi Berra was intentionally walked, and Bill Skowron followed with a 3-run home run to break a 0-0 tie as the New York Yankees shut out the Washington Senators 3-0 before 8,721 fans at Griffith Stadium, with Bob Turley pitched a 2-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Camilo Pascual, who allowed just 4 hits.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Get Back/Don't Let Me Down--The Beatles with Billy Preston

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston

#1 single in France: Le métèque--Georges Moustaki (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Tutta mia la città--Equipe 84 (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (4th week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 The Real Thing--Russell Morris
2 Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)--Peter Sarstedt
3 Goodbye--Mary Hopkin
4 Get Back/Don't Let Me Down--The Beatles with Billy Preston
5 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension
6 Gitarzan--Ray Stevens
7 Galveston--Glen Campbell
8 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 Sorry Suzanne--The Hollies
10 Dizzy--Tommy Roe

Singles entering the chart were Happy Heart by Andy Williams (#35); Funny Man by Ross D. Wylie (#36); Hooked on a Feeling by B.J. Thomas (#37); and Picture Book by the Kinks (#40).

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Israelites--Desmond Dekker and the Aces (2nd week at #1)
2 Get Back--The Beatles featuring Billy Preston
3 The Boxer--Simon & Garfunkel
4 Suzanne--Herman Van Veen
5 Oh Happy Day--The Edwin Hawkins Singers
6 Let the Sun Shine In--Marva Hodge & the Moody Sec
7 Big Bamboo--The Merrymen
8 Harlem Shuffle--Bob and Earl
9 5th Symphony Beethoven--Ekseption
10 Goodbye--Mary Hopkin

Singles entering the chart were Stop the Machine by Swinging Soul Machine (#30); Freedom by the Motions (#35); Le Responsable by Jacques Dutronc (#37); and Good Times Bad Times by Led Zeppelin (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (2nd week at #1)
2 Love (Can Make You Happy)--Mercy
3 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension
4 Oh Happy Day--The Edwin Hawkins Singers
5 Hair--The Cowsills
6 These Eyes--The Guess Who?
7 Atlantis--Donovan
8 Gitarzan--Ray Stevens
9 In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley
10 Grazing in the Grass--The Friends of Distinction

Singles entering the chart were Tomorrow Tomorrow by the Bee Gees (#60); No Matter What Sign You Are by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#61); I Turned You On by the Isley Brothers (#63); My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder (#70); Without Her by Herb Alpert (#71); Moody Woman by Jerry Butler (#72); Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat & Tears (#78); The Minotaur by Dick Hyman and his Electric Eclectics (#79); I Can't Quit Her by the Arbors (#80); The Popcorn by James Brown (#81); Sincerely by Paul Anka (#82); Hushabye by Jay and the Americans (#90); Brown Arms in Houston by Orpheus (#92); I Need You Now by Ronnie Dove (#94); Running Bear by Sonny James (#95); Hurt So Bad by the Lettermen (#96); and Son of a Travelin' Man by Ed Ames (#100). My Cherie Amour was the B-side of I Don't Know Why, which had peaked at #39 on March 22, 1969.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (2nd week at #1)
2 Love (Can Make You Happy)--Mercy
3 Oh Happy Day--The Edwin Hawkins Singers
4 These Eyes--The Guess Who?
5 Hair--The Cowsills
6 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension
7 Gitarzan--Ray Stevens
8 Grazing in the Grass--The Friends of Distinction
9 Atlantis--Donovan
10 More Today than Yesterday--The Spiral Starecase

Singles entering the chart were I Turned You On by the Isley Brothers (#69); The Popcorn by James Brown (#74); So I Can Love You by the Emotions (#75); Moody Woman by Jerry Butler (#79); My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder (#80); Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat & Tears (#84); My Pledge of Love by the Joe Jeffrey Group (#87); It's My Thing (You Can’t Tell Me Who to Sock it To) by Marva Whitney (#88); Let's Dance by Ola and the Janglers (#92); Yesterday, When I was Young (Hier Encore) by Roy Clark (#95); and Funny Feeling by the Delfonics (#100). It's My Thing (You Can’t Tell Me Who to Sock it To) was an "answer" to It's Your Thing by the Isley Brothers, charting at #21.

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (2nd week at #1)
2 Gitarzan--Ray Stevens
3 The Boxer--Simon and Garfunkel
4 Hair--The Cowsills
5 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In--The 5th Dimension
6 Medicine Man (Part I)--Buchanan Brothers
7 Love (Can Make You Happy)--Mercy
8 Hawaii 5-0--The Ventures
9 I’m a Drifter--Bobby Goldsboro
10 In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley
Pick hit of the week: Someday Man--The Monkees

Someday Man, written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, didn’t appear on a Monkees’ album until the 1980s. The B-side, Listen to the Band, was a Michael Nesmith composition, and ended up as the bigger hit.

Diplomacy
New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller drastically shortened his visit to Bolivia to avoid a violent political crisis as thousands of student demonstrators marched in La Paz to protest his presence.

Politics and government
Dr. Gustav Husak, the Czechoslovak Communist party leader, announced a purge of "opportunist elements." The victims included Professor Ota Sik, a former deputy premier and chief planner of the previous year’s tentative economic reform, and Dr. Frantisek Kriegel, former chairman of the National Front, who was also ousted from the party.

Baseball
Al Ferrara drove in 4 runs with a pair of 2-run home runs to help the San Diego Padres defeat the Montreal Expos 6-2 before 20,667 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal, handing the Expos their 15tjh straight loss. Coco Laboy hit a 2-run homer in the 7th inning for the Expos against winning pitcher Joe Niekro, who pitched a 5-hitter. Steve Shea, the third of four Montreal pitchers, allowed 1 hit and 3 bases on balls, but no runs in 1 2/3 innings in the 40th and last game of his 2-year major league career.

The Detroit Tigers edged the Seattle Pilots 3-2 before 15,395 fans at Sick's Stadium in Seattle, as Detroit pitcher Joe Sparma came within 2 outs of a ho-hitter. Seattle first baseman Don Mincher doubled with one out in the 9th inning for the Pilots' only hit.

30 years ago
1979

At the movies
The Muppet Movie, produced by Jim Henson and directed by James Frawley, opened in theatres in the United Kingdom.

War
Two days of fighting in the Iranian port city of Khurramshahr between ethnic Arabs seeking autonomy and government forces concluded with about 100-200 killed and 600 wounded.

World events
Former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary called for a coalition with former foes to roll back the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia.

Aviation
An inspection of 37 DC-10s found "problems" in engine mounts similar to that thought responsible for the May 25 crash near Chicago that killed more than 270 people.

Baseball
Andre Dawson led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a double, advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Rodney Scott, and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Warren Cromartie for the game's only run as the Montreal Expos completed a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, all by shutouts, with a 1-0 win before 22,388 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Scott Sanderson pitched a 6-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Larry Christenson, who allowed 2 hits in 7 innings.

The Los Angeles Dodgers outslugged the San Francisco Giants 12-10 before 36,288 fans at Dodger Stadium, with the teams combining for 33 hits and 5 errors.

Pat Underwood, making his major league debut, pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing just 3 hits in outduelling his older brother Tom, as the Detroit Tigers edged the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 before 12,423 fans at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. The only run of the game came on a home run by Detroit right fielder Jerry Morales leading off the 8th inning.

25 years ago
1984

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the Index of Leading Economic Indicators had risen only 0.5% in April, evidence that the economic recovery was slowing.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Minä olen muistanut--Kim Lönnholm (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Eternal Flame--Bangles

Died on this date
Owen Lattimore, 88. U.S. scholar. Mr. Lattimore was a specialist on China and central Asia, with his best-known book being The Inner Asian Frontiers of China (1940). He edited the journal Pacific Affairs from 1934-1942, and served during World War II as an adviser to the U.S. State Department and Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. In 1950, Mr. Lattimore was accused by U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin) of being a Soviet spy, but investigators failed to prove the allegation, although Mr. Lattimore did express sympathy for the U.S.S.R. and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. Charges of perjury against Mr. Lattimore were eventually dismissed, but his academic career in the United States was ended; he established the Department of Chinese Studies at the University of Leeds, heading the department from 1963-1970.

Diplomacy
U.S. President George Bush met with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Bonn. The main objective of the visit was to ease tensions between the allies that had been exacerbated by the dispute over short-range U.S. missiles based in West Germany.

Politics and government
United States House of Representatives speaker Jim Wright announced his resignation as speaker and from the House. In a long, impassioned speech to the House, Mr. Wright defended himself against 69 charges brought against him in April by the House Ethics Committee, and urged an end to the "period of mindless cannibalism" that prevailed in the House.

Medicine
United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop called for a major effort against alcohol and drunk driving. He urged the alcoholic beverage industry to stop sponsoring entertainment events and using celebrities in advertising, and he asked restaurants and bars to end "happy hours" and other similar promotions. Dr. Koop proposed an increase in excise taxes on alcoholic beverages and tougher enforcement of laws suspending licenses of drivers who had been drinking.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the Index of Leading Economic Indicators had risen 0.8% in April.

Baseball
Cito Gaston was named manager of the Toronto Blue Jays on a permanent basis.

Deion Sanders threw out a baserunner, drove in a run, and ignited a 5-run 7th-inning rally with a single in his major league debut as the New York Yankees defeated the Seattle Mariners 9-5 before 22,946 fans at Yankee Stadium. Don Mattingly had 4 hits for the Yankees, and his 2-run home run in the 8th inning finished the Yankees' scoring.

Rick Cerone singled home Ellis Burks with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to climax a 2-run rally as the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 before 33,510 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Dave Parker had led off the top of the 10th to give Oakland a 3-2 lead.

10 years ago
1999

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference Finals
Buffalo 4 Toronto 2

Basketball
NBA
Western Conference Finals
San Antonio 86 Portland 85

Baseball
Juan Gonzalez singled home Tom Goodwin with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Texas Rangers a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals before 28,962 fans at the Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers had tied the game on a 3-run home run by Lee Stevens with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th.

The Seattle Mariners hit 4 home runs as they defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-6 before 23,100 fans at the Kingdome in Seattle. The home runs gave the Mariners a total of 58 for May, tying the major league record for homers in a month.

Matt Stairs hit a 3-run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Oakland Athletics a 10-7 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before 10,444 fans at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland.

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Florida Marlins 5-2 before 21,943 fans at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. With St. Louis leading 4-1 in the 5th inning‚ Florida left fielder Cliff Floyd doubled off the scoreboard. When Florida argued that the ball cleared the wall‚ the umpires changed the call and ruled the hit a home run. The Cardinals then protested and the game was delayed for 5 minutes while umpires Frank Pulli and Greg Bonin studied replays of the hit on videotape. The call was eventually reversed and ruled a double. The Marlins played the game under protest‚ as there was no mention of replay in the rule books.

Kelly Stinnett hit a 2-run home run and pinch hitter Greg Colbrunn added a solo homer as the Arizona Diamondbacks scored 3 runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 5-5 tie and defeat the Montreal Expos 8-5 before 5,048 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The Expos had tied the game on a 3-run homer by Orlando Cabrera with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th.