May 4, 2010

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, John Dea!

220 years ago
1790

Died on this date
Matthew Tilghman, 72. American politician. Mr. Tilghman was a planter in Maryland who was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates (1751-1776), serving as Speaker of the House (1773-1775). He headed Maryland's delegation to the Continental Congress, and effectively led the American Revolution in Maryland. When Maryland's state government went into effect in 1776, Mr. Tilghman was elected to the state Senate. He served in the Maryland Senate until 1783, and was its President (1780-1783).

190 years ago
1820

Born on this date
Julia Gardiner Tyler. U.S. First Lady, 1844-1845. Mrs. Tyler, the daughter of U.S. Senator David Gardiner, was courted by President Tyler while he was in office, following the death of his first wife Letitia. Julia, her sister Margaret, and their father joined the President for an excursion aboard the U.S. Navy frigate USS Princeton on February 28, 1844. A naval gun exploded and killed several officials, including Sen. Gardiner. President Tyler comforted Julia after the loss of her father, and she eventually accepted his proposal of marriage; the couple were wed in New York City on June 26, 1844. Mr. Tyler's presidency ended on March 4, 1845, and the couple moved to his Sherwood Forest plantation in Virginia, where they lived until his death on January 18, 1862. They had seven children together. Mrs. Tyler had financial problems in later years, and died on July 10, 1889 at the age of 69, after a stroke.

140 years ago
1870

Baseball
The Cincinnati Red Stockings defeated the Memphis Orientals 100-2 at Memphis in a game stopped after 6 innings.

130 years ago
1880

Died on this date
Edward Clark, 65. U.S. politician. Mr. Clark, a Democrat, was Lieutenant Governor of Texas from 1859-1861. When Texas seceded from the Union and Governor Sam Houston refused to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy, Mr. Clark succeeded him as Governor on March 18, 1861. He left office on November 7, 1861 after losing the gubernatorial election to Francis Lubbock by 124 votes.

Politics and government
Edward Blake was chosen as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, succeeding former Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie.

120 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Franklin Carmichael. Canadian artist. Mr. Carmichael, a native of Orillia, Ontario, painted Ontario landscapes, and was especially known for his use of watercolours. He was the youngest member of the Group of Seven, and also worked as an illustrator of books, magazines, and promotional brochures. Mr. Carmichael died in Toronto on October 24, 1945 at the age of 55.

100 years ago
1910

Defense
The Naval Service Act received royal assent, creating the Royal Canadian Navy.

Transportation
MacKenzie and Mann received a federal charter for the Canadian Northern Alberta Railway, acquiring the assets of the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway (EY&PR) and the Edmonton and Calgary Railway. The line was to run from St. Albert, Alberta to the British Columbia border at the Yellowhead Pass or the Peace River Pass.

Economics and finance
The Canadian Currency Act of 1910 received royal assent.

70 years ago
1940

On the radio



War
The Japanese news agency Domei announced the launching of a Japanese drive against an estimated 500,000 Chinese troops in the Chinese province of Hupeh.

Law
U.S. Attorney General Robert Jackson absolved Federal Bureau of Investigation agents of using "third degree" methods in the arrest of 12 people recruiting for the Spanish Loyalist Army.

Politics and government
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Robert H. Hinkley as assistant Secretary of Commerce in a move designed to placate opponents of his plan to merge the Civil Aviation Administration and Air Safety Board.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed a bill extending the provisions of the Federal Crop Insurance Act to cotton and tobacco.

New York lawyer and potential 1940 Republican Party U.S. presidential candidate Wendell Willkie said that the deficit spending of President Roosevelt's New Deal policies would lead the United States to bankruptcy and political chaos.

Horse racing
Gallahadion, a 35-1 longshot with Carroll Bierman up, won the 66th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:05, 1½ lengths ahead of Bimelech, with Dit third.



Track and field
Greg Rice set a U.S. record of 8:19.9 in the men's 3,000-metre run.

60 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Paul Federn, 78. Austrian-born U.S. psychologist. Dr. Federn, a native of Vienna, was a follower of the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, and was vice president of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society before emigrating to New York City in 1938. He believed that the ego was experience coinciding with "ego feeling." Dr. Federn was reportedly suffering from incurable cancer when he committed suicide.

Vince Molyneaux, 61. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Molyneaux played with the St. Louis Browns (1917) and Boston Red Sox (1918), compiling a record of 1-0 with an earned run average of 4.41 in 13 games. He played at least 3 years in the minor leagues (1914-1915, 1919).

Radio
George Foster Peabody Awards for outstanding achievement in 1949 included a Personal Award to Jack Benny; Eric Sevareid of CBS for Reporting and Interpretation of the News; ABC Radio for Author Meets the Critics; and NBC Radio for United Nations Project.

Television
George Foster Peabody Award winners for outstanding achievment in 1949 included CBS Television for The Ed Wynn Show; ABC Television for Crusade in Europe; and NBC Television for the children's program Kukla, Fran and Ollie.

War
The U.S.S.R. announced that all German World War II prisoners, a total of 1,939,163, had been returned from the Soviet Union. West German Social Democratic Party leader Kurt Schumacher contradicted the report, claiming that there were "hundreds of thousands of German prisoners still in Russia."

Defense
U.S. President Harry Truman told a news conference that he saw no reason to fear the Cold War turning into a shooting war soon. He promised to reduce the U.S. defense budget in the next year, and said that the Marshall Plan would remain the main U.S. weapon in the Cold War. President Truman rejected Herbert Hoover's proposal for a United Nations without Communist states.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Millard Tydings (Democrat--Maryland) announced that President Truman had agreed to let Senate investigators look at State Department loyalty files on 81 employees accused by Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin) of being security risks. The U.S. Federal Civil Service Loyalty Board reported that 202 fedeal employees had been discharged on loyalty grounds over the past three years.

Economics and finance
The U.S. State Department disclosed a Chinese Nationalist request for $50 million in U.S. economic aid.

Labour
A strike of 89,000 Chrysler Corporation workers ended after 100 days when the United Auto Workers of America accepted an agreement providing for company-financed $100 monthly pensions.

Horse racing
In London, Gordon Richards rode the 4,000th winner of his career, more than any jockey in history to date.

Baseball
Bob Cain (1-0) pitched a 5-hit shutout as the Chicago White Sox whipped the New York Yankees 15-0 before 8,764 fans at Yankee Stadium. Gus Zernial had 2 singles, a double, and a triple for the White Sox, while Jim Busby hit 4 singles.

Dick Sisler hit a home run and 4 singles, driving in 5 runs, to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 9,871 fans at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis.

50 years ago
1960

Baseball
The Chicago Cubs, with a record of 6-11, brought Lou Boudreau out of the broadcast booth to replace Charlie Grimm as manager, while Mr. Grimm took Mr. Boudreau’s place with WGN. The Cubs won their first game under Mr. Boudreau, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 before 4,631 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago, as Dick Ellsworth earned his first major league victory, pitching a 5-hit complete game to outduel Bob Friend (3-1).

Jim Lemon singled home 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning and added a 2-run home run in the 7th as the Washington Senators came back from a 6-3 deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians 7-6 before 7,130 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Cleveland center fielder Walt Bond batted 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 4 runs batted in.

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Let it Be--The Beatles (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Onna no Blues--Keiko Fuji (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gwendolyne--Julio Iglesias (5th week at #1)

On the radio
The Challenge of Space, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: Ultimatum

Died on this date
Allison Krause, 19; Jeff Miller, 20; Sandra Scheuer, 20; Bill Schroeder, 19. U.S. university students. The four were killed when 100 Ohio National Guard officers opened fire on 500-600 student protesters at Kent State University. The protests had begun two days earlier against U.S. President Richard Nixon’s expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. There were reports of sniper fire from a rooftop, but these were disputed by officials. 11 other students were wounded in the incident. Mr. Schroeder was not a participant in the protest, but was just walking across the campus when he was shot.





War
The United States Defense Department announced the termination of large-scale air strikes against North Vietnam. Soviet premier Aleksei Kosygin criticized U.S. President Richard Nixon’s decision to send American forces into Cambodia, and charged the United States with using scorched-earth tactics. Communist China condemned the combined U.S. and South Vietnamese offensive into Cambodia.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles 100 @ New York 107 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-2)

The Knickerbockers outscored the Lakers 32-18 in the 4th quarter as they came back from a 53-40 halftime deficit before 19,500 fans at Madison Square Garden. Walt Frazier led New York with 21 points, while grabbing 7 rebounds and adding 12 assists. Wilt Chamberlain led Los Angeles with 22 points, 19 rebounds, and 3 assists. New York center Willis Reed suffered a torn thigh muscle.



Baseball
Jim Bouton (2-2) pitched his first National League complete game as the Houston Astros defeated the Chicago Cubs 7-2 before 16,142 fans at the Astrodome. Mr. Bouton, who gave up 6 hits, batted 1 for 2, was hit by a pitch, and scored 2 runs.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Cruisin'--Smokey Robinson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Boat on the River--Styx (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Josip Broz Tito, 87. President of Yugoslavia, 1953-1980. Marshal Tito joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in 1918, and became General Secretary of the party in 1939. He led the Yugoslavian partisan guerrilla movement during World War II; after the war, he held the offices of Prime Minister (1944-1963) and President. Marshal Tito split with the U.S.S.R. in 1948, saying that there could be "different roads to socialism." He served as the first Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1961-1964). Marshal Tito ran an authoritarian system but enacted some liberalizing reforms, beginning in the early 1960s. He achieved economic growth, but at the cost of increased deficits in international balance of payments. In 1974, Marshal Tito created two collective leadership bodies to take over after his death: the State Presidency and the Presidium of the Communist Party. A rotating system of succession for the leadership of those bodies was put into operation upon Marshal Tito’s death, three days before his 88th birthday, after months of illness.

Terrorism
Arab Iranian terrorists who had seized the Iranian embassy in London four days earlier released one hostage.

Religion
Pope John Paul II, addressing Roman Catholic priests in Kinshasa Zaire, said, "Leave political responsibility to those who are entrusted with it. The role that is expected of you is another one, a magnificent one. You are leaders in another jurisdiction as priests of Christ."

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Philadelphia 102 @ Los Angeles 109 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 33 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked 6 shots, and added 5 assists to lead the Lakers over the 76ers before 17,505 fans at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Norm Nixon added 23 points and Jamaal Wilkes 20 for the Lakers. Julius Erving led the 76ers with 20 points. Los Angeles outscored Philadelphia 31-17 in the 3rd quarter.



Baseball
The Toronto Blue Jays swept a doubleheader from the Cleveland Indians before 26,114 fans at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto by scores of 9-8 and 7-2. Otto Velez of the Blue Jays hit 3 home runs in the first game, including a grand slam in the 1st inning and a game-winning home run in the 10th. He added another home run in the second game and finished the day with 10 runs batted in.

Junior Kennedy's grand slam off Bill Caudill with 2 out in the bottom of the 6th inning climaxed a 5-run inning as the Cincinnati Reds overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 and complete the sweep of a doubleheader before 32,041 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Mr. Kennedy's grand slam was his second career major league home run. The Reds won the first game 3-2.

25 years ago
1985

Hit parade
U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 We are the World--USA for Africa (4th week at #1)
2 Crazy For You--Madonna
3 Rhythm of the Night--DeaBarge
4 Don't You (Forget About Me)--The Simple Minds
5 One Night in Bangkok--Murray Head
6 Obsession--Animotion
7 Nightshift--Commodores
8 Some Like it Hot--Power Station
9 All She Wants to Do is Dance--Don Henley
10 That was Yesterday--Foreigner

Horse racing
Spend a Buck, with Angel Cordero, Jr. up, won the 111th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:00 1/5; Stephan's Odyssey placed second, and Chief's Crown finished third.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference Finals
Chicago 2 @ Edmonton 11 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 1-0)

20 years ago
1990

Politics and government
The parliament of Latvia voted 138-0 to declare its independence from the U.S.S.R. An unspecified period of transition was approved.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had edged upward in April to 5.4%, the highest level in more than a year.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Finals
Chicago 4 @ Edmonton 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

10 years ago
2000

War
Israelis and their allies, the South Lebanon Army, concluded two days of attacks on Hizbollah guerrilla bases, killing five people. Hezbollah guerrillas fired rockets into Israel.

Politics and government
Former Labour Party Member of Parliament Ken Livingstone became the first elected Mayor of London.

Protest
300 armed U.S. marshals and FBI agents moved onto the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, where 200 protesters had been occupying a U.S. Navy bombing range for a year. The protesters charged that the bombing was doing permanent damage to the island. The protesters surrendered peacefully; they were taken to the main island of Puerto Rico and released.

Disasters
The U.S. National Park Service began a "prescribed" burn in the Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico to eliminate dense, highly combustible brush that could cause a devastating wildfire during dry summer months. However, the NPS lost control of the blaze, which spread over 50,000 acres and destroyed more than 400 homes. 25,000 people had to be evacuated. The flames came within 300 yards of a facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory that stored plutonium.

Hockey
NHL
The expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild signed their first players. Columbus signed Niagara University goaltender Greg Gardner, while Minnesota signed forward Johnathan Gagnon.

Stanley Cup
Conference Semi-Finals
Philadelphia 2 @ Pittsburgh 1 (5 OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

Keith Primeau scored at 12:01 of the 5th overtime period to end the third-longest game in NHL history.



Baseball
Doug Glanville batted 5 for 5 with a double, 3 runs, and a run batted in to help the Philadelphia Phillies rout the Cincinnati Reds 14-1 before 27,564 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.