June 1, 2009

360 years ago
1649

World events
Filipinos in Northern Samar led by Agustin Sumuroy began a revolt against Spanish colonial authorities.

330 years ago
1679

War
The Scottish Covenanters defeated John Graham of Claverhouse in the Battle of Drumclog.

170 years ago
1839

Politics and government
The Governor's Special Council in Lower Canada was replaced by an Executive Council.

Economics and finance
Lower Canada banks resumed payment after two years of rebellion.

160 years ago
1849

Americana
Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey declared the Territory of Minnesota officially established.

130 years ago
1879

Died on this date
Napoléon, 23. French royal family member. Prince Napoléon, the only child of Emperor Napoléon III and the last dynastic Bonaparte, was proclaimed by the Bonapartist faction as Emperor Napoléon IV in 1873, three years after settling in England. With the rank of lieutenant, he joined the British Army in the Zulu War in South Africa, and died from numerous spear wounds. Prince Napoléon was succeeded as pretender to the French throne by Napoléon V.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Jo-Jo White. U.S. baseball player. Joyner White played center field with the Detroit Tigers (1932-1938); Philadelphia Athletics (1943-1944); and Cincinnati Reds (1944), batting .256 with 8 home runs and 232 runs batted in in 878 games. His best season was 1934, when he hit .313 in helping the Tigers win the American League pennant. Mr. White's batting average dropped to .240 in 1935, but he was still a regular as the Tigers won the World Series. Mr. White played in the Pacific Coast League from 1939-1942 and again after his major league career ended, leading the league with a .355 batting average while playing with the Sacramento Solons in 1945. He died on October 9, 1986 at the age of 77.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier created the Department of External Affairs.

Football
CRU
It was publicly announced that His Excellency Earl Grey, Governor General of Canada, was donating a trophy for the championship of amateur rugby football in Canada. The trophy became known as the Grey Cup.

Baseball
The second-place Philadelphia Athletics and fourth-place Boston Red Sox split two games before 6,163 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Harry Krause won the opener 1-0 in 11 innings for the Athletics over Jack Ryan, and the Red Sox won the second game 1-0, with Fred Burchell outduelling Eddie Plank.

The Chicago Cubs scored 6 runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie and defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-3 at Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati. Three Finger Brown pitched a 7-hit complete game victory to improve his 1909 record to 8-2, and batted 2 for 5 with 2 runs and a run batted in.

90 years ago
1919

Baseball
Jeff Pfeffer pitched all 18 innings for the Brooklyn Robins in a 10-9 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies before 18,000 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, giving up 23 hits and 7 earned runs.

Hippo Vaughn pitched a 6-hitter and batted 3 for 3, singling in the winning run in the 7th inning, to lead the Chicago Cubs over the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 at Robison Field in St. Louis.

80 years ago
1929

At the movies
The Studio Murder Mystery, directed by Frank Tuttle, and starring Neil Hamilton, Doris Hill, Warner Oland, Fredric March, and Chester Conklin, opened in theatres.



Politics and government
The First Conference of the Communist Parties of Latin America was held in Buenos Aires.

70 years ago
1939

Defense
The German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter aircraft made its first flight.

Boxing
In the first heavyweight bout to be televised, Lou Nova (22-1-4) scored a technical knockout over former world heavyweight champion Max Baer (62-12) at 1:21 of the 11th round before 16,778 fans at Yankee Stadium in New York. The fight was broadcast by the New York station WNBT, with Sam Taub calling the blow-by-blow.



Baseball
Willard Hershberger singled home 2 runs and Harry Craft followed with a 3-run home run as the Cincinnati Reds scored 5 runs in the top of the 13th inning to break a 4-4 tie and defeat the Boston Bees 9-4 before 2,175 fans at National League Park in Boston.

Gene Moore stole home plate in the bottom of the 14th inning, giving the Brooklyn Dodgers a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs before 32,574 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Vito Tamulis took the win over Charlie Root.

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 in the Phillies' first night game to be played at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Rip Sewell won the pitching duel over Kirby Higbe. Bill Brubaker hit a home run for the Pirates, while Gib Brack hit one for the Phillies.

60 years ago
1949

Opera
Rudolf Bing, director of England's Glyndebourne Opera Company, was appointed to succeed Edward Johnson as general director of New York's Metropolitan Opera Association.

Diplomacy
The Allied foreign ministers in Paris began discussions on the Berlin question, but failed to reach agreement on voting in the Allied Berlin command, or the right of the Western Allies to share in the occupation of Berlin.

Defense
The United Kingdom permitted the United States to build radar tracking stations in the Bahamas to check guided missiles fired from Florida.

Politics and government
Native Arab leaders and British administrators agreed on the formation of an independent government in Cyrenaica, part of the former Italian colony of Libya.

At the direction of U.S. President Harry Truman, Attorney General Tom Clark and Assistant Secretary of State John Peurifoy refused to give the Senate Judiciary Committee files on foreign officials suspected of subversive activity.

The joint U.S. Congressional Atomic Energy Committee began public hearings on operations of the Atomic Energy Commission. Citing high personnel turnover in the AEC, Senator Bourke Hickenlooper (Republican--Iowa) demanded AEC head David Lilienthal's resignation.

Labour
Striking Bolivian miners agreed to return to work, after the government promised to withdraw Army forces from Catavi and indemnify the families of miners killed in the disturbances.

The International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union convention in San Francisco re-elected President Harry Bridges, who was under indictment on fraud and perjury charges.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Diana--Paul Anka (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 The Battle of New Orleans--Johnny Horton
2 Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison
3 Dream Lover--Bobby Darin
4 Quiet Village--Martin Denny
5 Personality--Lloyd Price
6 A Teenager in Love--Dion and the Belmonts
7 Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)--Edward Byrnes & Connie Stevens
8 Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)--The Impalas
9 Only You--Franck Pourcel's French Fiddles
10 The Happy Organ--Dave "Baby" Cortez

Singles entering the chart were Lonely Boy by Paul Anka (#52); I Only Have Eyes for You by the Flamingos (#60); Ring-a-Ling-a-Lario by Jimmie Rodgers (#68); Danny Boy by Sil Austin (#73); Velvet Waters by the Megatrons (#74); Mona Lisa by Carl Mann (#82); It's Only the Good Times by Tommy Edwards (#86); This I Swear by the Skyliners (#87); Sweet Chile by Sheb Wooley (#90); Mary Ann Thomas by Bobby Freeman (#93); Yes-Sir-ee by Dodie Stevens (#95); Like Young by Andre Previn with David Rose (#96); Pointed Toe Shoes by Carl Perkins (#97); There Goes My Baby by the Drifters (#98); Cherrystone by the Addrisi Brothers (#99); and Jack o' Diamonds by Ruth Brown (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 The Battle of New Orleans--Johnny Horton (3rd week at #1)
2 Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison
3 Personality--Lloyd Price
4 Dream Lover--Bobby Darin
5 Enchanted--The Platters
6 Three Stars--Tommy Dee with Carol Kay and the Teen-Aires
7 Guitar Boogie Shuffle--The Virtues
8 (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I/I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley
9 Endlessly/So Close--Brook Benton
10 A Teenager in Love--Dion and the Belmonts

Singles entering the chart were What a Diff'rence a Day Makes by Dinah Washington (#44); Ring-a-Ling-a-Lario by Jimmie Rodgers (#45); Velvet Waters by the Megatrons (#49); Jack o' Diamonds by Ruth Brown (#51); Robbin' the Cradle by Tony Bellus (#52); One Love, One Heart by the Four Coins (#53); Yes Sir-ee by Dodie Stevens (#54, charting with its other side, The Five Pennies); La Strada Del' Amore (The Street of Love) by Caterina Valente (#55); Someone to Come Home To by The Ames Brothers (#56); Judy by David Seville (#57); Separate Ways by Sarah Vaughan (#58); I'm Confessin' by Terri Dean (#59); and Sing Along by Jimmy Dean (#60).

Died on this date
Sax Rohmer, 76. U.K. author. Mr. Rohmer, whose real name was Arthur Henry Ward, was best known for creating the fictional criminal Dr. Fu Manchu in a series of 13 novels and several short stories published from 1913 until his death from the "Asian" flu.

War
A force of more than 400 Nicaraguan guerrillas opposed to President Luis Somoza landed in the southwestern province of Chontales, and battled Nicaraguan National Guardsmen.

Diplomacy
The West German advisory delegation to the Geneva talks expressed its opposition to any temporary Berlin settlement not specifically linked to a German reunification accord.

Politics and government
Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba signed a new constitution, making the President the country's chief executive and commander of the armed forces.

Agriculture
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ezra Taft Benson set the 1960 wheat marketing quota at the 55 million acre minimum.

40 years ago
1969

Died on this date
Ivar Ballangrud, 65. Norwegian speed skater. Mr. Ballangrud, born Ivar Eriksen, won four World Allround Championships from 1926-1938; a gold medal in the men's 5,000-metre event at the 1928 Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz; three gold medals at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen; and numerous other medals and titles.

Music
John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band recorded the song Give Peace a Chance in room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. The recording took place during the "Bed-In" for Peace staged by Mr. Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. Among the participants was Montreal disc jockey Chuck Chandler.



Diplomacy
At the request of President Rafael Caldera, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller called off his scheduled visit to Venezuela because of the threat of student violence.

Defense
9 United States Senators and 36 members of the House of Representatives joined in a statement demanding a delay in testing multiple warhead missiles (MIRV) or the deployment of an antiballistic missile (ABM) system for fear that they would hinder any arms control talks or self-policing weapons pact. They also deplored "the burgeoning" U.S. defense spending and cited the danger of becoming a "national security state."

Politics and government
No candidate won a majority in the French presidential election, which forced a runoff election for June 15. Union of Democrats for the Republic candidate Georges Pompidou took 44.47% of the vote; interim President and Democratic Centre candidate Alain Poher was second with 23.31%.

Transportation
A report to a United States Senate investigating subcommittee showing a high rate of safety defects in new as well as old automobiles was made public. The Automobile Club of Missouri’s diagnostic clinic examined 10,000 vehicles, finding defects in 45% of the cars driven no more than 500 miles, and in 90% of those five years old.

Health
A tobacco advertising ban on Canadian radio and television went into effect.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Hallelujah--Milk & Honey (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): In the Navy--Village People (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Werner Forssmann, 74. German physician. Dr. Forssmann shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with André Frédéric Cournand and Dickinson Richards "for their discoveries concerning heart catheterization and pathological changes in the circulatory system." He died of heart failure.

Hasham Hussendair, 72. Middle East Islamic leader. Sheik Hussendair, from the Israeli-occupied Gaza strip, supported the recently-signed Egypt-Israel peace treaty. In 1977, shortly after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit to Israel, Sheik Hussendair headed an 82-member Gaza delegation to Cairo that was well received by Egypt but denounced by the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine announced that it had assassinated Sheik Mussendair; he was stabbed to death.

World events
The new Negro majority government of Prime Minister Bishop Abel Muzorewa took power in Rhodesia at midnight, and promptly changed the country’s name to Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. Provisions in the new constitution guaranteed white property rights; a 28-seat white bloc in the 100-member parliament; and white control over appointments in several bureaucracies for at least 10 years.

War
Heavy fighting erupted in Nicaragua as guerrillas of the Sandanista National Liberation Front (FSLN) opened a new offensive against the regime of President Anastasio Somoza Debayle.

Labour
The United States Labor Department reported no rise in the unemployment rate for May, indicating that the slowdown in the nation’s economy may not have been adversely affecting employment.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Seattle 97 @ Washington 93 (Seattle won best-of-seven series 4-1)

The SuperSonics outscored the Bullets 54-42 in the 2nd half before 19,035 fans at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland to win their only National Basketbal Association championship. Gus Williams led Seattle scorers with 23 points, while Dennis Johnson added 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, and was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player. Washington's Elvin Hayes led all scorers with 29 points, with Bobby Dandridge adding 20 points.





25 years ago
1984

Politics
Jose Napoleon Duarte was sworn in as President of El Salvador, and declared his support for human rights and his opposition to abuses of authority and death squad activity. He said his nation was a "focal point in the struggle between the big world power blocs."

Diplomacy
United States Secretary of State George Shultz attended the inauguration of Jose Napoleon Duarte as President of El Salvador and then flew to Managua for a surprise meeting with Daniel Ortega, leader of the Sandanista regime in Nicaragua.

The United Nations Security Council voted 13-0 to adopt an Arab-sponsored resolution condemning Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf.

Terrorism
11 people died in a gun battle between police and Sikh militants at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India, the holiest Sikh shrine. The Sikh extremists believed that Punjab was being exploited economically by the rest of the country, and threatened to blockade all water, power, and grain supplies from Punjab to the rest of India.

Defense
The Dutch cabinet voted to postpone until November 1, 1985 a decision on whether to deploy U.S. cruise missiles. The Dutch had made a commitment to allow deployment of 48 missiles on their soil.

Labour
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had continued to fall in May, to 7.4%.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Minä olen muistanut--Kim Lönnholm

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Heart & Soul--No Sweat

Austria's top 10 (Ö3)
1 Nur ein Lied--Thomas Forstner
2 Looking for Freedom--David Hasselhoff
3 The Look--Roxette
4 Like a Prayer--Madonna
5 Eternal Flame--Bangles
6 The Way to Your Heart--Soulsister
7 You Got It--Roy Orbison
8 Straight Up--Paul Abdul
9 I Don't Want a Lover--Texas
10 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals

Singles entering the chart were Slow Down by Andy Baum & the Trix (#12); Zimbabwae by Toni Childs (#14); Americanos by Holly Johnson (#15); Flieger by Nino de Angelo (#20); Save Up All Your Tears by Robin Beck (#27); Halleluiah Man by Love and Money (#28); and Around My Heart by Sandra (#30).

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Christopher Cockerell, 88. U.K. engineer and inventor. Sir Christopher is best known for inventing the Hovercraft in 1959. He died 10 days before the 40th anniversary of the Hovercraft's launching, and three days before his 89th birthday.

Health
Dow Corning settled a lawsuit in the United States over silicone breast implants for $3.2 billion.

Labour
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate for May had fallen from 4.3% to 4.2%.

Disasters
American Airlines Flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from Dallas to Little Rock, slid and crashed while landing at Little Rock National Airport, killing 11 people and injuring 110; there were 134 survivors.