June 15, 2009

790 years ago
1219

War
Danish forces defeated the forces of the Estonian counties of Revala and Harjumaa in the Battle of Lyndanisse in Estonia, leading to the establishment of Danish Estonia.

620 years ago
1389

Died on this date
Murad I, 62. Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1362-1389; Lazar of Serbia, 60 (?). Serbian ruler, 1373-1389. Sultan Murad and Prince Lazar were killed during the Battle of Kosovo, in which Ottoman forces defeated Serb and Bosnian forces.

220 years ago
1789

Born on this date
Josiah Henson. U.S.-born Canadian clergyman. Mr. Henson, born into slavery in Maryland, fled to Upper Canada in 1830, becoming a leader in Dawn Settlement, home of Negro refugees in Kent County. He died in Dresden, Ontario on May 5, 1883 at the age of 93.

200 years ago
1809

Born on this date
François-Xavier Garneau. Canadian historian. Mr. Garneau, a native of Quebec City, was known for Histoire du Canada (1845-1848), a three-volume history of French Canada, in which he argued that French Canadians would continue to struggle as long as they were under British rule. He died on February 2 or 3, 1866 at the age of 56.

160 years ago
1849

Died on this date
James K. Polk, 53. 11th President of the United States of America, 1845-1849. Mr. Polk served just one term as president, but he fulfilled all of his campaign promises, something which no president has done since. The major accomplishments of the United States during Mr. Polk's administration included winning the war with Mexico and acquiring the state of California. He did not seek reelection, and died just three months after leaving office. The cause of death was officially listed as "diarrhea."

150 years ago
1859

World events
Lyman Cutlar, an American farmer living on San Juan Island in northwestern Washington, shot a pig owned by Hudson's Bay Company employee Charles Griffin, leading to an international incident between the U.S.A. and U.K. known as the Pig War.

90 years ago
1919

Aviation
British Army Captain John Alcock and Lieutanant Arthur Brown concluded the first nonstop transatlantic flight when their Vickers Vimy bomber, a two-motor biplane, made a nose-down landing in a Clifden, County Galway, Ireland peat bog, 16 hours and 1,890 miles away from takeoff at St. John's, Newfoundland. They won the £10,000 prize offered by the London Daily Mail, and were both awarded knighthoods.

80 years ago
1929

Died on this date
Tim Flood, 52. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Flood was a second baseman with the St. Louis Perfectos (1899) and Brooklyn Superbas (1902-1903), batting .233 with 3 home runs and 86 runs batted in in 231 games. He played 16 seasons in the minor leagues from 1894-1913. While playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Class A Eastern League in 1907, Mr. Flood served a week in jail for assaulting an umpire, and was suspended from the league.

Ray Keech, 29. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. Keech set a land speed record of 207.55 mph (334.02 km/h) on April 22, 1928 at Daytona Beach Road Course in Florida, finished fourth in the 1928 Indianapolis 500, and finished second in points in the American Automobile Association series in 1928. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1929, but was killed 16 days later in a crash at the Altoona 200 in Tipton, Pennsylvania.



Baseball
The New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates combined for 52 hits as the Giants won 20-15 in 14 innings at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Giants scored 8 runs in the top of the 14th inning, and the Pirates were able to score only 3 in the bottom of the inning. New York shortstop Travis Jackson batted 4 for 7 with 2 home runs, a double, triple, base on balls, 4 runs, and 7 runs batted in, while center fielder Edd Roush was 5 for 9 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, and an RBI. Pittsburgh center fielder Lloyd Waner was 6 for 8 with a double, triple, base on balls, 2 runs, and an RBI. Cobe Jones singled as a pinch hitter for the Pirates in the 6th inning, in the 26th and last game of his 2-year major league career.

Norm McMillan scored from third base on a foul popup by pinch hitter Riggs Stephenson in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Chicago Cubs an 8-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 15,000 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. First baseman Don Hurst and catcher Spud Davis went after the ball and Mr. Hurst caught it, but no one was covvering home plate, enabling Mr. McMillan to score the winning run. Mr. Davis hit a grand slam in the 6th, while Chicago second baseman Rogers Hornsby responded with a grand slam in the 7th.

Ernie Orsatti singled home Jimmie Wilson with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 5-4 win over the Boston Braves before 2,500 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The Cardinals trailed 4-1 going into the bottom of the 9th, but Frankie Frisch led off with a triple, Jim Bottomley singled him home, and Chick Hafey hit a 2-run home run to tie the score.

Heinie Manush hit a 2-run triple and Frank O'Rourke added a 2-run double as the St. Louis Browns scored 4 runs in the top of the 12th inning to break an 8-8 tie and defeat the Boston Red Sox 12-8 before 4,000 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. The Browns trailed 8-3 after 7 inning, but rallied for 2 runs in the 8th and 3 in the 9th. Mr. Manush and Red Kress each had 4 hits for the Browns.

Roy Johnson hit a single, triple, and home run to help the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 9-2 at Yankee Stadium. Detroit shortstop Yats Wuestling batted 0 for 4, while making 3 putouts, 4 assists, and participating in a double play in his first major league game.

Joe Boley singled home Bing Miller with 1 out in the bottom of the 4th inning for the game's only run as the Philadelphia Athletics edged the Cleveland Indians 1-0 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia in a game that was called because of rain with 1 out in the bottom of the 5th. George Earnshaw pitched a 4-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Willis Hudlin.

70 years ago
1939

Canadiana
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth said good-bye to the people of Canada via an Empire radio connection in Halifax.

60 years ago
1949

Died on this date
Jim Buchanan, 72. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Buchanan played 22 games with the St. Louis Browns in 1905, posting a record of 5-9 with an earned run average of 3.50. He played 324 games in the minor leagues from 1902-1911, and died 16 days before his 73rd birthday.

Nig Clarke, 66. Canadian-born U.S. baseball player. Jay Justin Clarke, a native of Anderdon Township (now Amherstburg), Ontario, was a catcher with the Detroit Tigers (1905); Cleveland Naps (1905-1910); St. Louis Browns (1911); Philadelphia Phillies (1919); and Pittsburgh Pirates (1920), batting .254 with 6 home runs and 127 runs batted in in 506 games. He played 894 games in 11 seasons in the minor leagues from 1902-1925, and was best known for hitting 8 home runs for the Corsicana Oil Citys in a Texas League game against the Texarkana Casketmakers in Ennis, Texas on June 15, 1902. The right field fence at the ballpark in Ennis was reportedly not very far from home plate, helping to account for Mr. Clarke's record total and the 51-3 score in favour of Corsicana.

Literature
Behind the Curtain by John Gunther, a report on Eastern Europe, was published in New York by Harper.

Diplomacy
Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett rejected general admission of Palestinian Arab refugees and territorial concessions to Arab states before the conclusion of a Palestine peace settlement.

Politics and government
A Liberal-Progressive Conservative coalition led by Liberal leader and Premier Byron "Boss" Johnson won its second consecutive majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly in the British Columbia provincial election, taking 39 of 48 seats. The coalition had been formed in 1945 in order to prevent the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from taking power. The coalition's 1949 total was an increase of 2 from the 1945 election. The CCF, led by Harold Winch, dropped from 10 seats to 7. Labour Party leader Tom Uphill was re-elected in Fernie, while independent candidate James Mowat was elected in Alberni.

Baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Boston Braves 8-7 before 15,048 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh behind the heroics of rookie outfielder Dino Restelli. Playing his first major league game after joining the team from the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, Mr. Restelli singled in a run in the 5th inning, hit his first major league home run in the 7th off Warren Spahn, and hit a 2-run homer off reliever Bobby Hogue, beginning a 4-run comeback to win the game in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Ken Heintzelman and Hank Borowy were the respective winning pitchers as the Philadelphia Phillies swept a doubleheader from the Chicago Cubs 4-1 and 3-0 before 18,809 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Ray Boone hit a solo home run in the 8th inning and a 2-run homer in the 9th as the Cleveland Indians scored 5 runs in the last 2 innings to defeat the Boston Red Sox 8-5 before 15,255 fans at Fenway Park in Boston.

Ray Scarborough pitched a 2-hitter and the Washington Nationals scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning and shut out the St. Louis Browns 9-0 before 7,877 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Diana--Paul Anka (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 The Battle of New Orleans--Johnny Horton (3rd week at #1)
2 Personality--Lloyd Price
3 Dream Lover--Bobby Darin
4 Quiet Village--Martin Denny
5 Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison
6 A Teenager in Love--Dion and the Belmonts
7 Tallahassee Lassie--Freddy Cannon
8 Lonely Boy--Paul Anka
9 Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)--Edward Byrnes & Connie Stevens
10 Only You--Franck Pourcel's French Fiddles

Singles entering the chart were Tiger by Fabian (#55); Twixt Twelve and Twenty by Pat Boone (#61); Since You've Been Gone by Clyde McPhatter (#62); M.T.A. by the Kingston Trio (#74); Wonderful You by Jimmie Rodgers (#80); With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming by Patti Page (#81); Little Boy Blue by Huelynn Duvall (#85); Taboo by the Arthur Lyman Group (#92); A Prayer and a Juke Box by Little Anthony and the Imperials (#93); Forty Miles of Bad Road by Duane Eddy and the Rebels (#96); Small World by Johnny Mathis (#97); High Hopes by Frank Sinatra (#98); With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming by Enoch Light and the Light Brigade (#99); and Cap and Gown by Marty Robbins (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (The Music Reporter)
1 Personality--Lloyd Price
2 The Battle of New Orleans--Johnny Horton
3 Along Came Jones--The Coasters
4 Tallahassee Lassie--Freddy Cannon
5 Endlessly--Brook Benton
6 Just Keep it Up--Dee Clark
7 Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison
8 Bongo Rock--Preston Epps
9 Frankie--Connie Francis
10 Lonely Boy--Paul Anka

Singles entering the chart were Tiger by Fabian (#39); High Hopes by Frank Sinatra (#61); Remember When by the Platters (#63); It's Only the Good Times by Tommy Edwards (#64); Sweet Chile by Sheb Wooley (#73); Small World by Johnny Mathis (#74); Bie Mir Mist Du Schön by Louis Prima & Keely Smith (#80); Ten Thousand Drums by Carl Smith (#82); Summer Dreams by the McGuire Sisters (#83); Taboo by the Arthur Lyman Group (#84); I'm Coming Home by Marv Johnson (#85); A Lovers Hymn by the Fontane Sisters (#86); The Whistling Organ by Dave "Baby" Cortez (#87); Till There was You by Anita Bryant (#89); Three Thousand Miles by Narvel Felts (#92); Mary Ann Thomas by Bobby Freeman (#93); Beach Time by Roger Smith (#94); I'll Be Satisfied by Jackie Wilson (#95); Ciao, Ciao Bambina (Chiow, Chiow, Bambeena) by Jacky Noguez and his Musette Orchestra (#96); Guitar Boogie Shuffle by the Virtues (#97); and Sea of Love by Phil Phillips with the Twilights (#98).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 The Battle of New Orleans--Johnny Horton (5th week at #1)
2 Kansas City--Wilbert Harrison
3 Personality--Lloyd Price
4 Dream Lover--Bobby Darin
5 A Teenager in Love--Dion and the Belmonts
6 Tallahassee Lassie--Freddy Cannon
7 Frankie/Lipstick on Your Collar--Connie Francis
8 I'm Ready/Margie--Fats Domino
9 Crossfire--Johnny and the Hurricanes
10 Enchanted--The Platters

Singles entering the chart were It's Only the Good Times by Tommy Edwards (#25, charting with its other side, My Melancholy Baby); Hushabye by the Mystics (#31); This I Swear by the Skyliners (#33); Forty Miles of Bad Road by Duane Eddy and the Rebels (#38); Taboo by the Arthur Lyman Group (#45); Twixt Twelve and Twenty by Pat Boone (#47); M.T.A. by the Kingston Trio (#49); Remember When by the Platters (#50); I'm Gonna Change Him by Cathy Carr (#55); and Beach Time by Roger Smith (#60).

War
Two North Korean MiG fighters attacked and seriously damaged a U.S. Navy patrol plane over the Sea of Japan, 85 miles east of Wonsan.

World events
Dispatches from Aden reported that rebellious army troops had seized control of the Yemeni port of Hodeida and of Taiz, residence of the Imam Ahmed.

Politics and government
The Christian Democratic Union nominated Agriculture Minister Heinrich Luebke as a candidate for the presidency of West Germany.

Economics and finance
The South Korean government ordered the suspension of all trade with Japan.

Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro rejected a U.S. request for prompt payment for expropriated American property.

Labour
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen announced in Cleveland that it would ask the U.S.A.'s railroads for a 14% pay raise.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston
2 Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival
3 Liebesleid--Peter Alexander
4 Atlantis--Donovan
5 Hinter den Kulissen von Paris--Mireille Mathieu
6 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
7 Games People Play--Joe South
8 Dizzy--Tommy Roe
9 Ich sing' ein Lied für dich--Heintje
10 Don Juan--Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich

Singles entering the chart were Dizzy; Ragamuffin Man by Manfred Mann (#11); Sorry Suzanne by the Hollies (#12); Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by Crazy Elephant (#13); Badge by Cream (#18); and Das hat die Welt noch nicht gesehn by Ricky Shayne (#20).

On television tonight
Hee Haw, hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark, on CBS

This was the first broadcast of the long-running comedy and country music program.

Politics and government
Union of Democrats for the Republic candidate Georges Pompidou won the runoff French presidential election over interim President and Democratic Centre candidate Alain Poher. Mr. Pompidou won 58.2% of the vote to Mr. Poher’s 41.8%.

Disasters
The roof of a recently completed restaurant near the Spanish resort village of San Rafael collapsed on 500 opening-day patrons. At least 51 were reported killed and more than 175 injured.

A racing car plowed into spectators at Nanters, Switzerland, killing 5 and injuring 13.

Golf
Orville Moody shot a 2-over-par 72 to win the U.S. Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas with a 1-over-par total score of 281, a stroke ahead of Deane Beman, Al Geiberger, and Bob Rosburg. Miller Barber led by 3 strokes after the third round, but shot an 8-over-par 78 and finished in a tie for sixth place. It was Mr. Moody's only win on the PGA tour. First prize money was $30,000.



Baseball
The Montreal Expos traded first baseman Donn Clendenon to the New York Mets for pitcher Steve Renko, infielder Kevin Collins, minor league pitchers Bill Carden and Dave Colon, and a player to be named later. The Expos also purchased veteran relief pitcher Dick "The Monster" Radatz from the Detroit Tigers. Mr. Clendenon was batting .240 with 4 home runs and 14 runs batted in in 38 games with the Expos. Mr. Collins was batting .150 with 1 homer and 2 RBIs in 16 games with the Mets. Mr. Renko was 3-6 with an earned run average of 5.45 in 12 games with the Tidewater Tides of the AAA International League in 1969. Mr. Carden was 2-3 with a 5.46 ERA in 9 games with the Visalia Mets of the Class A California League. Mr. Colon had pitched with the Marion Mets of the rookie Appalachian League in 1968, but was no longer in professional baseball in 1969. Minor league third baseman-outfielder Terry Dailey was assigned to Montreal on May 16, 1970 to complete the deal. Mr. Radatz was 2-2 with an ERA of 3.38 in 11 games in relief with the Tigers in 1969.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Hallelujah--Milk & Honey (7th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Pop Muzik--M

#1 single in France (IFOP): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (12th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez
2 One Way Ticket--Eruption
3 Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday--Boney M.
4 Tragedy--Bee Gees
5 Und manchmal weinst du sicher ein paar Tränen--Peter Alexander
6 Knock on Wood--Amii Stewart
7 Heart of Glass--Blondie
8 Dschinghis Khan--Dschinghis Khan
9 Can I Reach You--Jack Goldbird
10 Casanova--Luv'

Singles entering the chart were Casanova; Hot Stuff by Donna Summer (#11); Rasta Man by Saragossa Band (#14); Some Girls by Racey (#16); Bambino by Bino (#18); Does Your Mother Know by ABBA (#19); Save Me by Clout (#21); Anche un muratore ... by Raddato (#22); Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills (#24); and Lucky Number by Lene Lovich (#25).

At the movies
The In-Laws, directed and co-produced by Arthur Hiller, and starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin, opened in theatres.

Diplomacy
United States President Jimmy Carter arrived in Vienna for a summit on the proposed Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT-II) with U.S.S.R. leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Abominations
The United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs panel voted 26-0 to allow President Jimmy Carter to maintain economic sanctions against Zimbabwe-Rhodesia if he determined that to do so would be in the national interest.

Journalism
A United States federal judge in Milwaukee denied The Progressive magazine’s bid to vacate an injunction prohibiting its publication of a controversial article about the hydrogen bomb.

Baseball
Willie Wilson hit home runs from both sides of the plate, including a 3-run inside-the-park homer in the 9th inning, as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 14-11 before 32,812 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Mr. Wilson led off the 9th with a single, scored, and hit his second homer of the game to climax an 8-run inning.

Dan Ford hit a solo home run with 2 out in the top of the 9th inning to break a 7-7 tie as the California Angels edged the Detroit Tigers 8-7 before 41,151 fans at Tiger Stadium. California second baseman Bobby Grich drove in 3 runs with a pair of homers.

Frank Taveras led off the bottom of the 8th inning with a single and Lee Mazzilli followed with a single to drive him home with the winning run as the New York Mets edged the Atlanta Braves 2-1 before 9,808 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Craig Swan pitched a 2-hit complete game victory.

Willie McCovey hit a solo home run in the 4th inning and a 3-run homer with 2 out in the bottom of the 13th to end the game as the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-6 before 12,770 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 5 runs in the top of the 9th inning and withstood a 2-run rally in the bottom of the 9th as they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 before 50,299 fans at Dodger Stadium.

25 years ago
1984

Politics and government
The various candidates to replace Pierre Trudeau as Canada’s federal Liberal party leader delivered their speeches at the leadership convention in Ottawa.

Economics and finance
The United States Federal Reserve Board reported that industrial production advanced 0.4% in May.

Football
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-0) defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 25-11 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, dropping the Eskimos’ pre-season record to 0-3. It was a dismal offensive performance by the home team, with their only touchdown being scored on a short run by Milson Jones in the fourth quarter.

Boxing
Tommy Hearns of Detroit knocked out Roberto Duran of Panama at 2:07 of the second round at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and unified the world super welterweight title.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Minä olen muistanut--Kim Lönnholm (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Sealed with a Kiss--Jason Donovan

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Nur ein Lied--Thomas Forstner (3rd week at #1)
2 The Look--Roxette
3 Looking for Freedom--David Hasselhoff
4 Americanos--Holly Johnson
5 Like a Prayer--Madonna
6 Eternal Flame--Bangles
7 Zimbabwe--Toni Childs
8 The Way to Your Heart--Soulsister
9 I Don't Want a Lover--Texas
10 Ready for Radetzky--Vienna Lusthouse

Singles entering the chart were Ready for Radetzky; I Want it All by Queen (#11); Good Thing by Fine Young Cannibals (#12); If You Don't Know Me by Now by Simply Red (#13); and Funky Cold Medina by Tone Loc (#28).

Died on this date
Judy Johnson, 89. U.S. baseball player. William Julius Johnson was a third baseman in the Negro Leagues with the Hilldale Daisiies (1921-1929, 1931-1932); Homestead Grays (1929-1930, 1937); and Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-1936). He was known as an excellent contact hitter and the greatest defensive third baseman in the history of the Negro Leagues, helping the Daisies win the 1925 Colored World Series, and helping the 1935 Crawfords earn the reputation as perhaps the greatest team in Negro League history. Mr. Johnson worked as a scout with major league teams in later years, and was hired as a coach by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954. He served on the Baseball Hall of Fame's Negro Leagues Committee until 1975, when he stepped down upon his own election to the Hall of Fame. Mr. Johnson died a year after suffering a stroke.

Maurice Bellemare, 77. Canadian politician. Mr. Bellemare, a native of Grand-Mère, Quebec and a member of the Union Nationale, represented Champlain (1944-1970) and Johnson (1974-1979) in the Quebec Legislative/National Assembly. He died a week after his 77th birthday.

Ray McAnally, 63. U.K. actor. Mr. McAnally won BAFTA Awards for his starring performances in the television miniseries A Perfect Spy (1987) and A Very British Coup (1988), and for his supporting performances in the movies The Mission (1986) and My Left Foot (1989). He died of a heart attack.

Victor French, 54. U.S. actor. Mr. French played Agent 44 in the first season (1965-1966) of the television comedy series Get Smart, but was best known for playing supporting roles in the series Little House on the Prairie (1974-1977; 1981-1984) and Highway to Heaven (1984-1989). A heavy smoker, Mr. French died of lung cancer.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the merchandise trade deficit had narrowed in April to $8.26 billion.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Omer Côté, 93. Canadian politician. Mr. Côté, a native of Montreal and a member of the Union Nationale, represented Montréal–Saint-Jacques in the Quebec Legislative Assembly from 1944-1956, and then left politics to sit as a judge from 1956-1976.

War
A series of confrontations in disputed waters led to the sinking of a North Korean torpedo boat by fire from South Korean ships. 20 North Koreans were killed, including the 17 crew members. North Korean military and fishing boats had been crossing a United Nations-drawn demarcation line in the Yellow Sea which North Korea did not recognize.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Dallas 1 @ Buffalo 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

Dixon Ward's goal at 7:37 of the 2nd period broke a 1-1 tie as the Sabres edged the Stars before 18,595 fans at Marine Midland Arena. Dominik Hasek made 30 saves to win the goaltending duel over Ed Belfour, who made 30 saves.