May 19, 2010

230 years ago
1780

Environment
Complete darkness fell on Eastern Canada and the New England states at 2 P.M., likely caused by large wildfires in present-day Algonquin Park and the Ottawa Valley.

120 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Ho Chi Minh. 1st President of Vietnam, 1945-1969; Prime Minister of Vietnam, 1945-1955. Mr. Ho, born Nguyễn Sinh Cung, was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader and the key figure in the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945, as well as the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Việt Cộng (NLF or VC) during the Vietnam War. When Vietnam was divided as a result of the Geneva Accords in 1954, Mr. Ho continued as President of North Vietnam. He died on September 2, 1969 at the age of 79, and was succeeded as President of North Vietnam by Tôn Đức Thắng.

75 years ago
1935

Died on this date
T.E. Lawrence, 46. U.K. adventurer, diplomat, soldier, and author. The man popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia settled in the Middle East after going there on an archaeological expedition. During World War I, he was attached to the intelligence section of the British army in Egypt, unified Arab forces, and led successful efforts to tie down Turkish forces. Mr. Lawrence was a delegate to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, where he tried and failed to win independence for the Arabs. In a search for anonymity he joined the Royal Air Force under the name of Ross, and eventually changed his name to T.E. Shaw. His account of his Arabian adventures, titled The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, was privately circulated beginning in 1926, but wasn’t published commercially until 1935. Mr. Lawrence was killed in a motorcycle crash.

70 years ago
1940

War
General Maxim Weygand was appointed chief of the French general staff and commander-in-chief of all theatres of operation. German Wehrmacht Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Panzer units reached Cambrai. French General Charles de Gaulle's tank units attempted a counterattack on the German flank, but were repulsed with heavy losses. In northern France, British forces fell back to the Escaut line. French General Henri Giraud surrendered to German troops after being cut off. German forces in Belgium pushed west of Antwerp and Brussels toward the channel ports. Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek announced that his government would not reduce its war effort against Japan because of lessened foreign aid due to the European war.

Diplomacy
The American republics published a collective protest against German aggression.

Brazilian President Getulio Vargas extended his country's neutrality laws to Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Defense
New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser announced acceleration of military training.

Famed aviator Colonel Charles Lindbergh said that the American people had nothing to fear concerning possible invasion of the North American continent.

Politics and government
In the French cabinet, Eduard Daladier was moved from the war office to the foreign ministry.

Sources in Washington indicated that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt planned to bring several Republicans into his cabinet for the purpose of defense unity in case of war.

Chess
Samuel Reshevsky defeated Reuben Fine to retain the United States Chess Federation championship.

60 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Daniel Ciugureanu, 64. Prime Minister of Moldova, 1918. Dr. Ciugureanu, a surgeon by trade, was one of the founders and leaders of the National Moldavian Party, and was Prime Minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic from January 29-April 21, 1918. The Union of Bessarabia with Romania took effect shortly thereafter, and Dr. Ciugureanu served as Minister for Bessarabia in four Romanian governments from April 22, 1918-December 30, 1919. He was arrested on the "Night of the Dignitaries," when the Communist regime in Romania arrested various officials of former Romanian governments. Dr. Ciugureanu reportedly died two weeks after suffering a stroke in the van that was taking him to Sighet Prison, but one account said that he died in the van.

Wattie Holm, 48. U.S. baseball player. Roscoe Albert Holm was an outfielder with the St. Louis Cardinals (1924-1929, 1932), batting .275 with 6 home runs and 174 runs batted in in 436 games. He was with the Cardinals when they won the World Series in 1926 and the National League pennant in 1928, batting .136 with no homers and 2 RBIs in 8 World Series games. Mr. Holm played 446 games in 5 seasons in the minor leagues (1923-1932) with 10 homers. He experienced business failures in later years and had a family history of mental problems, including a brother who committed suicide. Mr. Holm was reportedly preparing to move his family from Everly to Linn Grove, Iowa when he fatally shot his wife Ella and wounded his daughter Margaret before fatally shooting himself.

World events
U.S. Navy Electrician's Mate William Smith and Marine Sergeant Elmer Bender, freed after 18 months as prisoners of the Chinese Communists, arrived in Long Beach, California.

Diplomacy
Egypt announced that the Suez Canal was closed to Israeli ships and commerce.

The U.S.S.R. and C.S.S.R. joined a Universal Postal Union conference in Montreux, Switzerland, following the admission of Communist China.

Defense
The U.S. Economic Cooperation Administration told Congress that South Korea had 100,000 U.S.-trained troops but was threatened with invasion by a Soviet-trained North Korean army of 200,000.

Politics and government
The U.S.A., U.K., and France announced plans to install civilian commissioners in Austria and end military government in their occupation zones.

U.S. Senator Wayne Morse defeated conservative Dave Hooper to win renomination in Oregon's Republican Party Senate primary.

Economics and finance
The United Kingdom ended rationing of all foods except meats, butter, margarine, and cooking fat.

Labour
The attempt of U.S. President Harry Truman's administration to pass a fair employment practices bill in the current congressional session were defeated when the Senate failed to stop a filibuster on a motion to bring the Fair Employment Practices Commission up for consideration.

Disasters
36 people were killed and over 350 injured in South Amboy, New Jersey when a train carrying munitions destined for Pakistan exploded at 7:26 P.M. 31 of the dead were employees of the James Healing Company, an explosives-handling firm.

Baseball
George Kell and Vic Wertz each had 2 hits in the 5th inning as the Detroit Tigers scored 10 runs in the inning on the way to a 14-8 win over the Philadelphia Athletics before 3,855 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Tigers’ ace pitcher Virgil Trucks injured his arm in the 3rd inning and was lost for the rest of the season. Fred Hutchinson (3-2) relieved him and was the winning pitcher, allowing 11 hits and 5 runs--4 earned--in 6.1 innings, while batting 2 for 4 with 2 doubles, a run, and 2 runs batted in.

Tommy Byrne (3-1) pitched a 3-hitter and scored the winning run as the New York Yankees shut out the Chicago White Sox 2-0 before 23,691 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Mr. Byrne led off the 3rd inning with a base on balls, advanced to third base on a 1-out double by Joe Collins, and scored ahead of Mr. Collins on a 2-out double by Joe DiMaggio. Losing pitcher Bob Cain (1-2) also pitched a 3-hitter.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Marina--Rocco Granata and the International Quintet (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Cathy's Clown--The Everly Brothers (3rd week at #1)

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Mademoiselle Ninette--The Soulful Dynamics (4th week at #1)

Protest
Rev. Ralph Abernathy, successor to Martin Luther King as leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led 300 Negroes in a four-day "march against repression" across Georgia, beginning at Perry and moving across the countryside toward Atlanta, where the marchers were among 10,000 people at a rally.

Academia
The University of Iowa Board of Athletics fired athletic director Forest Evashevski and head football coach Ray Nagel, ostensibly because of disharmony within the athletic department, and after an investigation into padded expense accounts. Mr. Evashevski served as head football coach from 1952-1960, leading the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten championships and the national championship in 1958. He became athletic director in 1960, and his time in the position was characterized by conflicts with three succeeding head football coaches, including Mr. Nagel. Mr. Evashevski was stated to have resigned, while Mr. Nagel was fired. However, Mr. Nagel received widespread public support, and was rehired a few days later.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Richard Nixon disclosed that his anticipated small budget surpluses for both the current and next fiscal year had turned into small deficits. To keep the deficits small, he asked Congress for a new tax on leaded gasoline to raise revenue and combat pollution.

Basketball
ABA
Finals
Indiana 142 @ Los Angeles 120 (Indiana led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Roger Brown scored 53 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and added 6 assists to lead the Pacers over the Stars before 7,027 fans at the Anaheim Convention Center. Andrew Anderson scored 20 points for Los Angeles, while George Stone and Craig Raymond each added 19.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Got You--Split Enz (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Runaway--Chanels (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Quiero a Morir--Francis Cabrel

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Weekend--Earth and Fire (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Joseph Schull, 74. U.S.-born Canadian playwright and historian. Mr. Schull, a native of Watertown, South Dakota, moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan at the age of 7. He was an intelligence and information officer with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, and then concentrated on writing. He wrote more than 200 plays for radio and television, while his books included biographies of Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier and Liberal Party leader Edward Blake. Mr. Schull died in Montreal.

Protest
U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti arrived in Miami in an effort to calm the outrage of the city’s Negroes over the acquittal of four Miami police officers in the beating death of insurance executive Arthur McDuffie, a Negro whom the police had chased down after a traffic violation. Two days of rioting had left 18 people dead, more than 300 injured, and had caused an estimated $100 million in property damage, making it the costliest urban disorder in American history. More than 50 fires had left sections of the city gutted and smoldering.

Diplomacy
The U.K. broke with the other member nations of the European Economic Community over the issue of banning trade with Iran, and limited their ban on new contracts. The day before, the other eight EEC countries had cancelled all trade contracts with Iran that had been signed since November 4, 1979, the day that Iranian militants had seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Philadelphia 2 @ New York Islanders 5 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-1)



20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Vogue/Keep It Together--Madonna (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Vogue--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Vogue--Madonna (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Vogue--Madonna

#1 single in France (SNEP): Words--The Christians (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Killer--Adamski featuring Seal (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Kingston Town--UB40 (2nd week at #)
2 Paint it Black--The Rolling Stones
3 Black Velvet--Alannah Myles
4 The Power--Snap!
5 Vogue--Madonna
6 Something Happened on the Way to Heaven--Phil Collins
7 Se Bastasse Una Canzone--Eros Ramazzotti
8 Oranje Bovenaan--André Hazes
9 Dub Be Good to Me--Beats International
10 Save Me--Fleetwood Mac

Singles entering the chart were Caruso by Luciano Pavarotti (#29); I Promised Myself by Nick Kamen (#30); Almost Hear You Sigh by the Rolling Stones (#31); Gangster Boogie by Tony Scott (#32); Hold On by Wilson Phillips (#35); Hang on to Your Love by Jason Donovan (#36); and Ik Wil Alles Met Je Delen by Maywood (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Vogue--Madonna
2 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor
3 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart
4 Hold On--Wilson Phillips
5 Sending All My Love--Linear
6 Alright--Janet Jackson
7 I Wanna Be Rich--Calloway
8 Poison--Bell Biv DeVoe
9 It Must Have Been Love--Roxette
10 What it Takes--Aerosmith

Singles entering the chart were She Ain't Worth It by Glenn Medeiros featuring Bobby Brown (#50); Kiss This Thing Goodbye by Del Amitri (#79); Doubleback by ZZ Top (#86); Pure by Lightning Seeds (#87); Got to Tell Me Something by Ana (#93); Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt (#94); and King of Wishful Thinking by Go West (#96). Doubleback was from the movie Back to the Future Part III (1990). King of Wishful Thinking was from the movie Pretty Woman (1990).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Vogue--Madonna
2 Nothing Compares to U--Sinead O’Connor
3 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart
4 Alright--Janet Jackson
5 I Wanna Be Rich--Calloway
6 Hold On--Wilson Phillips
7 Sending All My Love--Linear
8 Poison--Bell Biv DeVoe
9 How Can We Be Lovers--Michael Bolton
10 What it Takes--Aerosmith

Singles entering the chart were She Ain't Worth It by Glenn Medeiros featuring Bobby Brown (#56); Doubleback by ZZ Top (#61); Kiss This Thing Goodbye by Del Amitri (#69); Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt (#75); The Power by Snap! (#78); Bad of the Heart by George LaMond (#81); Mentirosa by Mellow Man Ace (#86); Jealous Again by the Black Crowes (#93); and When Something is Wrong with My Baby by Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville) (#94).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Nothing Compares to U--Sinead O’Connor (3rd week at #1)
2 This Old Heart of Mine--Rod Stewart with Ronald Isley
3 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart
4 How Can We Be Lovers--Michael Bolton
5 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
6 Vogue--Madonna
7 Don’t Wanna Fall in Love--Jane Child
8 Hold On--Wilson Phillips
9 The Heart of the Matter--Don Henley
10 Alright--Janet Jackson

Singles entering the chart were Spin That Wheel by Hi Tek 3 (#67); Forgotten Years by Midnight Oil (#68); Put it There by Paul McCartney (#72); Sky by Crash Vegas (#81); When Something is Wrong with My Baby by Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville) (#86); Burning Down the Amazon by Marc Jordan (#87); and Kiss This Thing Goodbye by Del Amitri (#95). Spin That Wheel was from the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).

Died on this date
Hector Dyer, 79. U.S. runner. Mr. Dyer ran the third leg in the American 4 × 100-metres relay team that won the gold medal at the 1932 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He died two weeks before his 80th birthday.

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State James Baker reported progress on several issues after visiting the U.S.S.R. Mr. Baker said that all major obstacles had been cleared away on strategic arms, opening the way to a treaty that would reduce nuclear missile arsenals by 30%. The agreement included limitations on both air- and sea-launched cruise missiles. The two superpowers also agreed to begin eliminating their arsenals of chemical weapons in 1992. However, no breakthrough was reported on reducing conventional arms in Europe.

Horse racing
Summer Squall, with Pat Day up, won the 115th running of the Preakness Stakes before 96,106 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a time of 1:53 3/5. Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled placed second, with Mister Frisky third in the 9-horse field.



Baseball
Tom Brunansky batted 5 for 5 with 2 home runs and 7 runs batted in as the Boston Red Sox, behind the pitching of Roger Clemens, beat the Minnesota Twins 13-1 before 34,145 fans at Fenway Park in Boston.

10 years ago
2000

World events
Seven armed men attacked the Fijian parliament in an attempted coup, taking bout 85 hostages. The leader of the gunmen, Fijian businessman George Speight, claimed to be acting for all native Fijians in attempting to overthrow the government after ethnic Indians won the 1999 elections.

Politics and government
Citing his battle with cancer, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced that he would not seek the Republican Party nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Pat Moynihan (Democrat--New York), who was retiring. U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton was the Democratic nominee.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Finals
Dallas 0 @ Colorado 2 (Colorado led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Colorado goalie Patrick Roy earned his second shutout of the series and third of the 2000 playoffs.

Baseball
Jason Kendall became the first member of the Pittsburgh Pirates to hit for the cycle at Three Rivers Stadium, driving in 5 runs as the Pirates whipped the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 13-1 before 24,281 fans. Kris Benson (4-4) pitched a 3-hit complete game victory and batted 1 for 1 with a base on balls, sacrifice, was hit by a pitch, and scored 2 runs.

Pinch hitter Wilton Guerrero led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single and scored from second base on a 1-out single by Jose Vidro to give the Montreal Expos a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros before 12,679 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

James Mouton scored on a sacrifice fly by Ronnie Belliard in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers an 11-10 win over the San Francisco Giants before 12,842 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. The Brewers scored 8 runs in the 7th inning.