May 31, 2010

600 years ago
1410

Died on this date
Martin, 53. King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia and Corsica, 1396-1410; King of Sicily, 1409-1410. Martin, the second son of King Peter IV of Aragon and Eleanor of Sicily, was appointed lord and regent of Sicily by his father in 1380. He succeeded his older brother John I on the throne of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia and Corsica, and had to deal with internal strife against the nobility, while launching crusades against the Moors in North Africa in 1398 and 1399. King Martin's son Martin the Younger became the king of Sicily through marriage, but died in 1609, and Martin the elder succeeded him. King Martin died in the monastery of Valldonzella, outside the city walls of Barcelona; his death has been attributed to various causes, including plague, uremic coma, and laughter at a joke while suffering from indigestion. King Martin died without successors, leading to a two-year interregnum.

370 years ago
1640

Born on this date
Michał I. King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1669-1673. Michał I was the son of powerful border magnate and prince Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, and was elected king after the abdication of Jan II. He had to deal with internal strife, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth lost territory in a war against the Ottoman Empire in 1672. King Michał was preparing for another campaign against the Ottomans when he died, ostensibly from a severe case of food poisoning, on November 10, 1673 at the age of 33.

270 years ago
1740

Died on this date
Friedrich Wilhelm I, 51. King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg, 1713-1740. Friedrich Wilhelm (Frederick William) was preceded by his father Friedrich I. He was succeeded by his son Friedrich II, better known as Frederick the Great.

220 years ago
1790

Exploration
Alferez Manuel Quimper explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca; he claimed the area for Spain on August 1, 1790.

Law
The first U.S. copyright law was enacted, protecting books, maps, and other original materials.

150 years ago
1860

Born on this date
Henry Wise Wood. U.S.-born Canadian agrarian theorist. Mr. Wood, a native of Missouri, moved to Carstairs, Alberta in 1905. He was President of the United Farmers of Alberta from 1916-1931, and served as an adviser to the UFA when they formed the provincial government from 1921-1934. Mr. Wood died on June 10, 1941, 10 days after his 81st birthday. Henry Wise Wood Senior High School in Calgary, of which this blogger is an alumnus, is named in his honour.

Walter Sickert. German-born U.K. artist. Mr. Sickert, a native of Munich, moved to England with his family in 1868. He was a painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London, and an influence on distinctively British styles of avant-garde art in the mid- and late 20th century. Mr. Sickert painted ordinary people and urban scenes, as well as nude females. He took an interest in the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888, and believed that he had lodged in a room that had been used by the killer. Mystery writer Patricia Cornwell has accused Mr. Sickert of being Jack the Ripper, but she seems to be alone in that belief. Mr. Sickert died on January 22, 1842 at the age of 81.

120 years ago
1890

Baseball
George Gore, Buck Ewing, and Roger Connor hit consecutive home runs in the 8th inning as the New York Giants whipped the Pittsburgh Burghers 23-3 in a Players League game.

110 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Lucile Godbold. U.S. athlete. Miss Godbold won a gold medal in shot put and a bronze medal in javelin at the 1922 Women's World Games in Paris. She died on April 5, 1981 at the age of 80.

100 years ago
1910

Died on this date
Elizabeth Blackwell, 89. U.K.-born physician. Dr. Blackwell moved with her family to New York at the age of 11, and was a schoolteacher before deciding to pursue a medical career. She was accepted by Geneve Medical College in New York state, and in 1849 became the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. Dr. Blackwell practiced in Europe and the United States, organizing nurses during the American Civil War, and moving back to England in 1869. She retired from medicine in 1877, and spent the rest of her life promoting various social reforms. Dr. Blackwell was seriously incapacitated by a bad fall in 1907, and suffered a serious stroke three years later, which caused her death.

90 years ago
1920

Auto racing
Gaston Chevrolet won the Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of 88.16 miles per hour.

Baseball
The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds split two games at Cubs Park. In the first game, Cubs’ pitcher Grover "Pete" Alexander (11-2) ended the game with a home run with 2 out in the 10th inning as the Cubs won 3-2; it was Mr. Alexander’s 11th straight win. The Reds won the second game 4-2 behind the pitching of Jimmy Ring (6-4), who pitched a 6-hitter and singled in a run.

Bob Meusel led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a single and came around to score when third baseman Frank Ellerbe made a throwing error on Wally Pipp's sacrifice bunt, giving the New York Yankees a 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader before 36,688 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. Leon Carlson, the second of three Washington pitchers, allowed 1 hit and no runs in 2.1 innings, striking out 1 batter and walking none in his first major league game. Babe Ruth hit a tremendous 2-run home run off Walter Johnson (4-6) as the Yankees scored 3 runs in the 8th inning to break a 7-7 tie and win the second game 10-7 to complete the sweep. Rip Collins (1-0) pitched 5.1 innings of scoreless relief to get the win, while shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh helped the New York cause by batting 4 for 4 with a base on balls, 2 doubles, a triple, 2 runs, and a run batted in.

80 years ago
1930

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Clint Eastwood!

Baseball
The St. Louis Browns scored the tying run against the Chicago White Sox and ace pitcher Red Faber with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis, and then Oscar Melillo stole home plate to give the Browns a 3-2 win at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. General Crowder (2-6) pitched a 5-hit complete game to get the win, while Mr. Faber (1-7) also pitched a 5-hitter.

70 years ago
1940

War
A record total of 68,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk, France. The French were critical of the failure to evacuate more of their troops from Dunkirk. Japan announced near-agreement on peace terms with the government in central China led by Wang Ching-wei.

Diplomacy
U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud met again in Paris.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress for $1 billion in supplemental defense funds and authority to call the National Guard and Army reserves to active duty.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau told the House and Representatives Ways and Means Committee that it was essential to raise the national debt limit to $45 billion to help finance the defense effort.

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate approved the transfer of the Bureau of Naturalization and Immigration from the Labor Department to the Justice Department.

A Gallup Poll reported that 56% of Republican voters favoured New York City District Attorney Thomas Dewey over U.S. Senators Robert Taft (Ohio) and Arthur Vandenberg (Michigan) as the party's candidate for President of the United States in the November 1940 election.

Economics and finance
The U.S. liner Exeter docked at Jersey City, New Jersey with $4 million in gold bullion assigned to the New York Federal Reserve Bank by the Bank of International Settlements.

60 years ago
1950

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Ben Wright and Eric Snowden, on ABC
Tonight’s episode: Command Performance

The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Martin Gabel, on ABC

This was the last episode of the season.

World events
A new trial began as Prague as former conservative politician Milada Horakova confessed to collaborating with 12 other Czechs in treason, espionage, and sabotage.

Politics and government
Panamanian acting Attorney General Carlos Popez overruled a cabinet resolution outlawing the Communist Party as unconstitutional.

U.S. President Harry Truman submitted to Congress two new plans to reorganize the Treasury Department and the Federal Security Administration.

U.S. Navy Captain John Crommelin, an opponent of armed forces unification, resigned from the Navy in order to run as an independent in the Florida senatorial contest.

Crime
Accused spy Harry Gold told a court in Philadelphia that he would plead guilty of acting as a courier for a Soviet atomic bomb spy ring when his case came to trial.

Labour
A week-long wildcat strike of 4,500 construction workers employed on Oak Ridge atomic installations ended when an arbitrration board promised to consider their wage demands.

50 years ago
1960

On television tonight
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, hosted by John Newland, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Lonely Room, starring Carl Esmond, Maurice Marsac, Fabrizio Mioni, and Lisa Montell



Died on this date
Walther Funk, 69. German journalist and politician. Mr. Funk edited the newspaper Berliner Börsenzeitung from 1924-1931. He joined the Nazi Party in 1931, and was elected a Reichstag deputy in 1932. Shortly after the Nazis came to power in 1933, Mr. Funk left his position in the Reichstag to serve as State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (1933-1937). He was Reichsminister of Economics (1938-1945) and President of the Reichsbank (1939-1945). Mr. Funk was convicted of crimes against humanity by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1946, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released in 1957 on grounds of ill health, and died of diabetes.

40 years ago
1970

Died on this date
George "Zip" Zabel, 79. U.S. baseball pitcher. George Washington Zabel played with the Chicago Cubs (1913-1915), compiling a record of 12-14 with an earned run average of 2.71 in 66 games. He won at least 47 games and lost at least 27 in 4 seasons in the minor leagues from 1912-1917. Mr. Zabel was best known for his performance on June 17, 1915, when he relieved injured starter Bert Humphries with 2 out in the 1st inning and pitched 18.1 innings of relief, coming out as the winning pitcher when the Cubs defeated the Brooklyn Robins 4-3 in 19 innings in what remains the longest relief performance in major league history. Mr. Zabel allowed just 9 hits and 2 runs, but the outing hurt his arm, and he was never the same afterward. Mr. Zabel worked as a metallurgist for the manufacturing firm Fairbanks Morse in Beloit, Wisconsin for 32 years.

Terry Sawchuk, 40. Canadian hockey goaltender. Mr. Sawchuk, a native of Winnipeg, played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League, with the Detroit Red Wings (1949-55, 1957-64, 1969); Boston Bruins (1955-57); Toronto Maple Leafs (1964-67); Los Angeles Kings (1967-68); and New York Rangers (1969-70). He won 447 regular season games and 54 playoff games. Mr. Sawchuk recorded 103 regular season shutouts--the first on January 15, 1950, and the last on February 1, 1970-and 12 playoff shutouts. His shutout total stood as a league record until it was broken by Martin Brodeur in 2009. Mr. Sawchuk played on Stanley Cup championship teams (not counting his brief time with the Red Wings in 1950) with Detroit in 1952, 1954, and 1955, and with Toronto in 1967. His best season was probably 1951-52, when he played in every game, posting a 1.90 goals against average with 12 shutouts during the regular season. He followed that with 4 shutouts in the playoffs, giving up just 5 goals as the Red Wings swept to the Stanley Cup in the minimum 8 games. Mr. Sawchuk struggled with untreated depression over the years, and was a heavy drinker and womanizer. Shortly after the Rangers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round, Mr. Sawchuk and teammate Ron Stewart, who had both been drinking, got into a fight over expenses on the house they shared on Long Island. Mr. Sawchuk fell on top of Mr. Stewart’s bent knee and suffered severe internal injuries. While in hospital, Mr. Sawchuk told police that he accepted full responsibility for the incident. Several operations on his liver were unsuccessful, and he died of a blood embolism.

Labour
2,500 employees in 54 private hospitals in Quebec went on strike for higher wages.

Disasters
An earthquake hit Peru’s northern Andes and coastline; more than 50,000 were killed, 150,000-200,000 were injured, and 20,000 were missing. The quake destroyed 80% of all structures in the area. With dams weakened by the tremor, Llanganuca Lake in the Andes burst its dams and swept away the towns of Yungay and Caras, with a combined population of 80,000.

Baseball
Luis Aparicio and Walt Williams each had 5 hits and Mr. Williams scored 5 runs for the Chicago White Sox as they outlasted the Boston Red Sox 22-13 before 21,952 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. For Gary Peters, the former White Sox' ace starting on the mound for Boston, it was his second straight game in which he failed to make it through the 1st inning.

Ken McMullen and Jim Fregosi hit home runs for the California Angels as they beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 before 15,183 fans at Anaheim Stadium. Clyde Wright (7-3) and Ken Tatum combined to defeat Dave McNally (8-3), but Mr. Tatum hit Baltimore center fielder Paul Blair in the face with a pitch in the 8th inning. Mr. Blair was taken off the field with a broken nose and other fractures, and required plastic surgery. He remained an excellent center fielder, but was never as good a hitter again.

The Milwaukee Brewers rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning and 2 in the 9th to defeat the Detroit Tigers 7-6 before 10,132 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Ted Savage doubled home Mike Hegan and Hank Allen with 1 out in the 9th to end the game.

Harmon Killebrew led off the bottom of the 10th inning with his second home run of the game to give the Minnesota Twins a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees, completing a comeback from an early 4-0 deficit before 15,752 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.

Rico Carty batted 4 for 4 with a base on balls, 3 home runs, 4 runs, and 6 runs batted in to lead the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies 9-1 before 18,482 fans at Atlanta Stadium. Jim Nash (7-1) pitched a 5-hit complete game victory.

Ron Swoboda drove in 5 runs with a pair of 2-run home runs and a bases-loaded walk to help the New York Mets rout the Houston Astros 14-4 in the first game of a doubleheader before 47,193 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Ken Boswell reached first base on an error by second baseman Joe Morgan to lead off the bottom of the 14th inning and scored from second base on a 2-out single by pinch hitter Duffy Dyer to give the Mets a 4-3 win in the second game to complete the sweep. Houston center fielder Jim Wynn homered in both games.

Wes Parker led off the top of the 11th inning with an infield single and Billy Grabarkewitz followed with a home run to break a 6-6 tie as the Los Angeles Dodgers came back from a 6-1 deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 before 17,166 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Video Killed the Radio Star--The Buggles (12th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): What's Another Year--Johnny Logan

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): What's Another Year--Johnny Logan (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide is Painless)--The Mash

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Funkytown--Lipps Inc.
2 Sun of Jamaica--Goombay Dance Band
3 Working My Way Back to You--Spinners
4 I'm in the Mood for Dancing--Nolan Sisters
5 What's Another Year--Johnny Logan
6 Buzz Buzz a Diddle It--Matchbox
7 I See a Boat on the River--Boney M.
8 Crazy Guitar--Hank the Knife & the Crazy Cats
9 Call Me--Blondie
10 Dance Yourself Dizzy--Liquid Gold

Singles entering the chart were Relight My Fire by Dan Hartman (#28); So Long by Fischer-Z (#32); Girls and Cadillacs by Albert West (#34); Zondag by Rob De Nijs (#38); and You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties by Jona Lewie (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Funkytown--Lipps Inc.
2 Call Me--Blondie
3 Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)--Paul McCartney & Wings
4 Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer--Kenny Rogers with Kim Carnes
5 Sexy Eyes--Dr. Hook
6 Biggest Part of Me--Ambrosia
7 Stomp!--The Brothers Johnson
8 Hurt So Bad--Linda Ronstadt
9 Against the Wind--Bob Seger
10 Cars--Gary Numan

Singles entering the chart were More Love by Kim Carnes (#75); Gimme Some Lovin' by the Blues Brothers (#77); In America by the Charlie Daniels Band (#82); Shotgun Rider by Joe Sun (#87); and Take Your Time (Do it Right) by the S.O.S. Band (#88). Gimme Some Lovin' was from the movie The Blues Brothers (1980).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Funkytown--Lipps Inc.
2 Call Me--Blondie
3 Biggest Part of Me--Ambrosia
4 Don’t Fall in Love With a Dreamer--Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes
5 Lost in Love--Air Supply
6 Cars--Gary Numan
7 Sexy Eyes--Dr. Hook
8 Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)--Paul McCartney & Wings
9 Hurt So Bad--Linda Ronstadt
10 The Rose--Bette Midler

Singles entering the chart were Gimme Some Lovin' by the Blues Brothers (#64); More Love by Kim Carnes (#66); In America by the Charlie Daniels Band (#80); Take Your Time (Do it Right) by the S.O.S. Band (#86); A Lover's Holiday by Change (#88); The Very Last Time by Utopia (#89); and Back Together Again by Roberta Flack with Donny Hathaway (#96).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Funkytown--Lipps Inc.
2 Biggest Part of Me--Ambrosia
3 Call Me--Blondie
4 Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer--Kenny Rogers with Kim Carnes
5 The Rose--Bette Midler
6 Sexy Eyes--Dr. Hook
7 Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd
8 Cars--Gary Numan
9 Hurt So Bad--Linda Ronstadt
10 Lost in Love--Air Supply

Singles entering the chart were Gimme Some Lovin' by the Blues Brothers (#53); More Love by Kim Carnes (#66); In America by the Charlie Daniels Band (#74); Everything Works if You Let It by Cheap Trick (#83); Back Together Again by Roberta Flack with Donny Hathaway (#89); and Clouds by Chaka Khan (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Call Me--Blondie
2 Rock Lobster--The B-52's
3 Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd
4 Ride Like the Wind--Christopher Cross
5 Cars--Gary Numan
6 Working My Way to You/Forgive Me, Girl--Spinners
7 You May Be Right--Billy Joel
8 Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer--Kenny Rogers with Kim Carnes
9 Pilot of the Airwaves-Charlie Dore
10 Fire Lake--Bob Seger

Singles entering the chart were Misunderstanding by Genesis (#85); The Seduction (Love Theme) by the James Last Band (#90); I'm Alive by Electric Light Orchestra (#93); Clones (We're All) by Alice Cooper (#95); New Romance by Spider (#97); Good Clean Fun by Trooper (#99); and Young and Restless by Prism (#100).

Funkytown was an obnoxious last gasp of disco. Coming Up was from Mr. McCartney’s album McCartney II, which, like his McCartney album from 1970, had Mr. McCartney playing all the instruments. The Rose was the title song of a movie starring Ms. Midler.

Died on this date
Henry Viney, 69. Canadian sportscaster. Mr. Viney was an amateur basketball referee for many years, and officiated major competitions of the Edmonton Grads. He spent 35 years with CFCN radio and television in Calgary, appearing for many years on broadcasts of Calgary Stampeders’ football games, and doing television editorials under the title As I See It on the late news every weeknight ("That’s the way I see it; I’m Henry Viney."). Mr. Viney regularly contributed articles to the programs for Stampeders’ home games from the 1950s through 1979. He was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. An arena in northeast Calgary is named in his honour.

Sonny Burke, 66. U.S. musician. Mr. Burke worked as an arranger with big bands, including those of Charlie Spivak and Jimmy Dorsey. He wrote music for popular songs, including those from the movie Lady and the Tramp (1955). Mr. Burke became musical director of Warner Brothers Records/Reprise Records, and produced some of Frank Sinatra's later albums, including the three-record Trilogy: Past Present Future, which was released two months before Mr. Burke's death from cancer.

Diplomacy
Pope John Paul II continued his visit to France as he met with French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing in Paris to discuss world problems. The pontiff later met with 15,000 Polish immigrants and their descendants at the Eiffel Tower and said mass for 2,500 workers at the Basilica of St. Denis in a working-class suburb of Paris.

Baseball
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Boston Red Sox 19-8 before 30,381 fans at Fenway Park in Boston despite giving up 6 home runs. The Brewers scored 8 runs in the 3rd inning, 6 in the 7th, and 4 in the 8th. 4 of the Boston home runs came in the 4th inning, including consecutive homers by Tony Perez, Carlton Fisk, and Butch Hobson.

Lou Piniella single with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning and Reggie Jackson followed with a home run to give the New York Yankees an 8-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays before 25,158 fans at Yankee Stadium.

J.R. Richard (6-3) pitched a 3-hitter and singled in a run to lead the Houston Astros over the San Francisco Giants 5-0 before 11,649 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

An unearned run in the top of the 9th inning provided the winning margin for the Atlanta Braves as they edged the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 before 40,161 fans at Dodger Stadium. Gary Matthews reached first base on an error by second baseman Dave Lopes to lead off the inning, and advanced to second base on a single by Jeff Burroughs. Bill Nahorodny was hit by a pitch, and Luis Gomez drew a base on balls to score Mr. Matthews, giving the Braves a 6-3 lead. After the first two batters were retired in the bottom of the 9th, pinch hitter Pedro Guerrero singled and advanced to second on a single by Mr. Lopes, Garry Thomasson walked to load the bases, and Reggie Smith singled home Messrs. Guerrero and Lopes, with Mr. Thomasson stopping at second. Gene Garber then relieved Larry Bradford on the mound, and Steve Garvey flied out to left field to end the game.

25 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): You Can Win If You Want--Modern Talking

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Live is Life--Opus

Disasters
41 tornadoes struck Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, leaving 76 dead. They hit the central Ontario communities of Barrie, Grand Valley, Orangeville, and Tottenham, killing 12, injuring hundreds, and damaging or destroying at least 1,000 buildings.

Soccer
Three days after a riot instigated by English fans at Heysel Stadium in Brussels that resulted in 39 deaths, the British government announced a ban on travel to continental Europe for English soccer teams and their fans for the foreseeable future.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Vogue--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Put 'em Under Pressure--The Republic of Ireland Football Squad

On television tonight
Seinfeld, premiered on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Stake Out

This was the first regular episode of the series.

Died on this date
Charlie Shoemaker, 50. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Shoemaker was a second baseman who played at the University of Arizona (1959-1961), earning All-America honours in all three seasons. He played with the Kansas City Athletics (1961-1962, 1964), batting .258 with no home runs and 4 runs batted in in 28 games. Mr. Shoemaker played 1,146 games in 11 seasons in the minor leagues (1961-1971), with 7 homers and 275 RBIs. He committed suicide by shooting himself.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev and his entourage, which included his wife Raisa, were welcomed at the White House by U.S. President George Bush and his wife Barbara. The leaders and their aides met twice, focusing on the issue of German reunification, but failed to resolve the question of a united Germany’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which Mr. Gorbachev opposed. Mrs. Gorbachev helped to open an exhibit of Russian religious texts at the Library of Congress, and a number of leaders in the arts, entertainment, and politics attended a reception hosted by the Gorbachevs at the Soviet embassy.

Terrorism
Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat denied that the PLO had any official connection with the previous day's raid on the coast of Israel by guerrillas in speedboats, which resulted in the capture of both boats and the deaths of four guerrillas. A radical faction of the PLO had claimed responsibility. Israeli leaders called on the United States to end its diplomatic contacts with the PLO.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney invited provincial premiers to Ottawa for a meeting on June 3 to try and save the Meech Lake constitutional accord, but refused a full First Ministers Conference. Mr. Mulroney said that Senate reform was the main obstacle.

Law
Assembly of First Nations Chief George Erasmus said that First Nations were pleased with the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling requiring governments to bargain on native rights and land claims, and not ignore treaty obligations.

Crime
Two Colombians and a New Yorker were convicted by the Quebec Superior Court of attempting to smuggle and traffic $200 million worth of cocaine through New Brunswick in April 1988; they were given sentences of 10-25 years.

Business
Alberta Premier Don Getty announced that Alberta would privatize 50% of the $3-billion giant, Alberta Government Telephones (AGT); Albertans were given the first right to buy shares.

10 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Tito Puente, 77. U.S. musician. Mr. Puente was a jazz percussionist and vibraphonist, composer, and bandleader who was known as "The King of Latin Music" in a career spanning more than 50 years. He promoted Latin American musical genres such as mambo, son, and cha-cha-chá, with his most famous composition being Oye Como Va (1962). Mr. Puente died of a heart attack after a performance in Puerto Rico.

Petar Mladenov, 63. 1st President of Bulgaria, 1990. Mr. Mladenov joined the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1964, and served as Bulgaria's Foreign Minister from 1971 until his abrupt resignation on October 24, 1989 after a sharp disagreement with dictator Todor Zhivkov. Mr. Mladenov supported the coup that toppled Mr. Zhivkov shortly thereafter, and succeeded him as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party on November 10, 1989. Mr. Mladenov announced several weeks later that the Communist Party was surrendering its guaranteed right to rule, and he resigned as General Secretary on February 2, 1990. As Bulgaria transitioned to democracy, Mr. Mladenov served as its first President from April 3-July 6, 1990, resigning after it became known that he had advocated the use of tanks against anti-government protesters in 1989. He dropped out of public life thereafter, and died after several years of failing health.

War
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi declared that Ethiopia had recovered all the territory it had lost in earlier fighting with Eritrea, and that the war was over. Eritrea said that the war would continue.

Health
Ontario government ordered a public inquiry into the E. coli drinking water contamination that had killed 7 people and sickened 2,300 in Walkerton.