April 29, 2010

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, April Stevens and Ira Zabelina!

340 years ago
1670

Religion
Cardinal Emilio Bonaventura Altieri was installed as Pope Clement X, succeeding Clement IX as head of the Roman Catholic Church.

240 years ago
1770

Australiana
U.K. Royal Navy Lieutenant James Cook and the crew of HMS Endeavour made landfall at the Kurnell Peninsula; he named the area Stingray Bay, and later renamed it Botany Bay. It was the first recorded European contact with the coast of eastern Australia.

200 years ago
1810

Born on this date
Thomas Adolphus Trollope. U.K.-born author. Mr. Trollope, a member of a literary family, wrote more than 60 books, including his three-volume memoir What I Remember (1887-1889). He spent most of his life in Italy, but retired to Devon, England, where he died on November 11,, 1892 at the age of 82.

130 years ago
1880

Business
Melville Bell, Alexander Graham Bell's brother, incorporated The Bell Telephone Company of Canada with Hugh Baker of Hamilton, Ontario. Royal Assent was given to the act chartering the firm, originally called called The Hamilton Telephone Company. The Bell stock was soon listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

100 years ago
1910

Economics and finance
The Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the "People's Budget," the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.

90 years ago
1920

Died on this date
William H. Seward Jr., 80. U.S. military officer and banker. Brigadier General Seward, the youngest son of U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, Sr., opened a bank in Auburn, New York in 1861, and then served with the Union Army in the American Civil War (1862-1865). He resigned his commission shortly after the end of the war, and returned to his banking business.

80 years ago
1930

Baseball
The Brooklyn Robins scored 11 runs in the 2nd inning to take a 13-0 lead, and withstood a 9-run 3rd inning rally as they defeated the New York Giants 19-15 before 15,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. The Robins outhit the Giants 22-19. Brooklyn right fielder Babe Herman batted 3 for 5 with a home run, triple, base on balls, 3 runs, and 7 runs batted in.

The Washington Nationals came back from a 7-0 deficit with 7 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning, and went on to defeat the New York Yankees 11-8 before 4,500 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Lefty Gomez (0-1), the third of five New York pitchers, allowed 4 hits and 2 runs--earned--in 4 innings, walking 2 batters, hitting 1, and striking out none, while striking out in his only plate appearance in his major league debut.

70 years ago
1940

War
German troops in Norway advanced up the Gudbrands and Oester valleys in their drive against the Dombas-Saoeren rail lines. The Chinese government reported that its troops had stopped a new Japanese offensive in the Chinese province of Shansi.

Diplomacy
Former Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland said in Washington that the United States must play the decisive role in the social and economic reorganization of the world after the European war.

S.H. Church of the Carnegie Institute announced a $1-million reward for the delivery of German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler, alive, to the League of Nations.

Politics and government
In a joint telegram to the Texas State Democratic Committee, Congressmen Sam Rayburn and Lyndon Johnson asked that the delegates sent to the Democratic National Convention endorse U.S. Vice President John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner only as a favourite son. Mr. Garner was challenging President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the 1940 Democratic Party presidential nomination.

The Florida Republican Party committee was split when a rump group elected 12 delegates to the Republican National Convention who were understood to be opposed to the nomination of New York City District Attorney Thomas Dewey as the party's nominee for President of the United States, thus challenging the full state committee's choice.

Labour
The United States Supreme Court upheld U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins' determination of wages in steel companies holding government contracts under the Walsh-Henley Law.

60 years ago
1950

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra; Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): "The Third Man" Theme--Anton Karas (Best Seller--1st week at #1); If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake--Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers (Disc Jockey--6th week at #1; Jukebox--3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 "The Third Man" Theme--Anton Karas (2nd week at #1)
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
2 If I Knew You Were Comin’ (I’d’ve Baked a Cake)--Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers
--Georgia Gibbs
3 Music! Music! Music!--Teresa Brewer
4 Daddy’s Little Girl--The Mills Brothers
--Dick Todd
5 It Isn’t Fair--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
6 Dearie--Ray Bolger and Ethel Merman
--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
7 My Foolish Heart--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
--Billy Eckstine
--Mindy Carson
8 Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later than You Think)--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
9 I Said My Pajamas (And Put on My Pray’rs)--Tony Martin and Fran Warren
10 Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy--Red Foley
--Bing Crosby

Singles entering the chart were Count Every Star by Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra (#30); Put on an Old Pair of Shoes, with versions by Bradford and Romano; and Eddy Howard and his Orchestra (#34); Chinese Mule Train by Spike Jones and his City Slickers (#36); Joshua by Ralph Flanagan and his Orchestra (#37); The Horse Told Me, with versions by Dennis Day; and Bing Crosby (#39); and Little Darlin', Little Angel by Mindy Carson (#40). Chinese Mule Train was a politically-incorrect spoof of the recent hit Mule Train. Bing Crosby's version of The Horse Told Me was the other side of the version of Sunshine Cake by Mr. Crosby and Carol Richards, charting at #24.

World events
A military court in Bucharest sentenced five Romanians to prison terms of 15 years to life on charges of spying for the United States.

The U.S. freighter General Gordon evacuated 735 foreigners, including 154 Americans, from Tientsin, China.

Politics and government
The Belgian government dissolved Parliament for a new election over the issue of the return to the country of King Leopold III.

The Committee for Freedom of North Africa, headed by Emir Abd El Kim, announced that it would ask the United Nations General Assembly to end France's Tunisia protectorate this year.

Former U.S. State Secretaries George Marshall, Cordell Hull, and James F. Byrnes joined current Secretary of State Dean Acheson in denying that Far Eastern Affairs Adviser Owen Lattimore had ever influenced U.S. Far Eastern policy, as charged by Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin).

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Tom Connally established eight subcommittees to hold monthly talks with the State Department on international problems.

Communications
The Communist Chinese government announced the opening of direct radiotelephone service between Shanghai and Moscow.

Medicine
The American Cancer Society reported that a group of Washington physicians had broken up large human cancers by injecting nitrogen mustard chemicals into arteries leading to the cancers.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Cathy's Clown--The Everly Brothers

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: Nightmre as a Child, starring Janice Rule and Terry Burnham

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Spirit in the Sky--Norman Greenbaum (2nd week at #1)

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Something's Burning--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
2 American Woman/No Sugar Tonight--The Guess Who
3 Vehicle--The Ides of March
4 Little Green Bag--George Baker Selection
5 Come Running--Van Morrison
6 Let it Be--The Beatles
7 Everything is Beautiful--Ray Stevens
8 Love or Let Me Be Lonely--The Friends of Distinction
9 Woodstock--Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
10 Up the Ladder to the Roof--The Supremes

Singles entering the chart were Sometimes We're Up by the Collectors (#28); A Song of Joy (Himno a la Alegria) by Miguel Rios (#29); and Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) by Diana Ross (#30).

War
South Vietnamese forces, accompanied by American advisers and backed by American planes and heavy artillery, launched a large offensive into Cambodia.

Defense
The Israeli government formally confirmed official reports that Soviet pilots were flying operational missions in support of the United Arab Republic's Air Force.

Politics and government
The Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, won the Quebec provincial election, taking 72 of 108 seats in the National Assembly. The governing Union Nationale under Premier Jean-Jacques Bertrand were reduced to 17 seats, with the Ralliement creditiste, led by Camil Samson, winning 12 seats. This was the first election in which the separatist Parti Quebecois took part, and under the leadership of Rene Levesque the PQ won 7 seats.

New York Mayor John Lindsay, speaking at the University of Pennsylvania, criticized the "intemperate language" used the day before by U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew in his criticism of Yale University President Kingman Brewster. Mr. Lindsay said that Mr. Agnew had "heightened tensions" at Yale, and went on to say that he had "unending admiration" for those "heroic" enough to refuse to serve in the Vietnam War.

Protest
Ohio Governor James Rhodes ordered National Guard troops onto the campus of Ohio State University to attempt to quell student disorder.

Crime
The testimony of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy at the inquest into the July 1969 death of Mary Jo Kopechne was made public. Presiding District Court Judge James Doyle appended to its opinion that there were contradictions in Sen. Kennedy’s testimony.

Society
Riot police patrolled the streets of River Rouge, Michigan with fixed bayonets in order to quell rioting by rampaging bands of white and Negro youths that had threatened to spill into Detroit.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
New York 111 @ Los Angeles 108 (OT) (New York led best-of-seven series 2-1)

The Knickerbockers outscored the Lakers 9-6 in overtime before 17,500 fans at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Dave DeBusschere scored a field goal with 3 seconds remaining in regulation time to give New York a 102-100 lead, but Jerry West sank a 63-foot shot with less than 1 second left to tie the score.



Baseball
Paul Blair hit 3 home runs and had 6 runs batted in as the Baltimore Orioles routed the Chicago White Sox 18-2 before 5,188 fans at White Sox Park. Elrod Hendricks and Boog Powell each hit a 3-run homer to support the pitching of Jim Palmer (3-1), who allowed 8 hits and 2 runs, while batting 2 for 6 with a run and 2 RBIs. Gene Rounsaville, the second of five Chicago pitchers, allowed 4 hits and 5 runs--4 earned--in 0.1 innings in his 8th and last major league game.

The San Diego Padres took advantage of the wildness of Joe Sparma to score 3 runs in the 1st inning and go on to a 10-0 win over the Montreal Expos before 1,753 fans at San Diego Stadium. Mr. Sparma, starting on the mound for Montreal, threw a wild pitch while attempting to intentionally walk Ollie Brown in the 1st inning, allowing Al Ferrara to score the third run. To begin the bottom of the 2nd, Mr. Sparma hit San Diego catcher Bob Barton with a pitch, breaking Mr. Barton's jaw; Mr. Sparma then hit San Diego pitcher Pat Dobson with a pitch, and and was then relieved by Howie Reed. It was the last major league start for Mr. Sparma (0-4), who allowed 3 hits and 4 runs--all earned--in 1+ innings, walking 2 batters, striking out 1, hitting 2, and throwing 3 wild pitches. Mr. Dobson (2-2) pitched a 3-hitter, walking 6 batters and striking out 11. John Strohmayer, the third of 4 Montreal pitchers, allowed 1 hit and 1 run--earned--in 2 innings, striking out 3 batters and walking none in his first major league game.

30 years ago
1980

Died on this date
Alfred Hitchcock, 80. U.K.-born movie director, producer, and television host. Sir Alfred, "The Master of Suspense," directed 51 feature films and 2 short films in a directing career that covered 50 years. My favourite Hitchcock movies include Strangers on a Train (1951); Rope (1948); Rear Window (1954); Notorious (1946); and North By Northwest (1959). He directed 20 television programs, 18 of them for the anthology series that he hosted: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962); and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962-1965). Despite being the most famous director in movie history, Sir Alfred never won an Academy Award for Best Director, although he was nominated five times. He did receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1968 "for the most consistent high level of production achievement by an individual producer."

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie (Democrat--Maine) was named to succeed Cyrus Vance as U.S. Secretary of State. Mr. Vance had resigned the day before because of his inability to support the attempted military rescue of the hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, which had ended in failure and tragedy on April 24. U.S. President Jimmy Carter defended the botched raid by insisting that it had a good chance of success and would have ended the crisis: "There is a deeper failure than that of incomplete success. That is the failure to attempt a worthy effort--a failure to try."

Track and field
Jacqueline Gareau of Canada was officially declared the top female finisher in the Boston Marathon, eight days after the race, following the disqualification of apparent winner Rosie Ruiz after Miss Ruiz was ruled to have cheated.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Minnesota 6 @ Philadelphia 5 (Minnesota led best-of-seven series 1-0)
New York Islanders 4 @ Buffalo 1 (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)

25 years ago
1985

Baseball
Larry Parrish hit 3 home runs to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-5 win over the New York Yankees in Billy Martin’s first game back as manager of the Yankees.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (10th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Ding Dong--Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung
2 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor
3 Das erste Mal tat's noch weh--Stefan Waggershausen & Viktor Lazlo
4 Black Velvet--Alannah Myles
5 The Power--Snap!
6 Dub Be Good to Me--Beats International
7 Pump ab das Bier--Werner
8 Hier kommt Kurt--Frank Zander
9 Vogue--Madonna
10 Dangerous--Roxette

Singles entering the chart were Vogue; and Your Own Sweet Way by the Notting Hillbillies (#30).

Baseball
Pitcher Dan Quisenberry of the San Francisco Giants announced his retirement, ending his 12-year major league career. He played with the Kansas City Royals (1979-1988); St. Louis Cardinals (1988-1989); and the Giants (1990), compiling a record of 56-46 with an earned run average of 2.76 and 244 saves in 674 games, all in relief. Mr. Quisenberry retired with the American League career record for saves with 238. In 5 games with the Giants he as 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA.

Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs pitched a 6-hit 4-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers before 41,893 fans at Dodger Stadium and set a major league record for pitchers by recording 7 putouts in a single game.

10 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Phạm Văn Đồng, 94. Prime Minister of North Vietnam, 1955-1976; Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of Vietnam, 1976-1987. Phạm Văn Đồng became involved with Communism in the late 1920s, joined the Communist Party in 1940, and became a close lieutenant of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh. He held various positions in the North Vietnamese government, including Deputy Prime Minister (1947-1955), before succeeding Ho as Prime Minister. Phạm retired from public life in 1976, and served as an adviser to the Communist Party's Central Committee (1986-1997). He was blind for the last 10 years of his life, and died after several months of illness.

Buck Varner, 69. U.S. baseball player. Glen Gann Varner was an outfielder who batted 0 for 4 in 2 games with the Washington Nationals in 1952. He played 6 seasons in the minor leagues from 1948-1954, batting .277 with 31 home runs in 469 games.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Semi-Finals
New Jersey 1 @ Toronto 0 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
Pittsburgh 4 @ Philadelphia 1 (Pittsburgh led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Detroit 1 @ Colorado 3 (Colorado led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Baseball
The San Francisco Giants defeated the Montreal Expos 2-1 for their first win at Pacific Bell Park, after opening the new facility with 6 straight losses.