June 11, 2010

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Vivian Koshman!

1,170 years ago
840

Died on this date
Junna, 54 or 55. Emperor of Japan, 823-833. Junna, born Ōtomo, acceded to the throne upon the abdication of his older brother Saga. Junna abdicated and was succeeded by his adopted son Ninmyō.

320 years ago
1690

Born on this date
Giovanni Antonio Giay. Italian composer. Mr. Giay wrote 15 operas, 5 symphonies, and sacred music. He died on September 10, 1764 at the age of 74.

240 years ago
1770

Exploration
Captain James Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef off Australia.

130 years ago
1880

Born on this date
Jeannette Rankin. U.S. activist and politician. Miss Rankin, a Republican, represented Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives (1917-1919, 1941-1943). She was a lifelong pacifist who voted against U.S. entry into World War I, and was the only member of Congress to vote against U.S. entry into World War II. Miss Rankin advocated women's suffrage before it went into effect, and spent most of her life advocating pacifism and various social welfare causes. She died on May 18, 1973, 24 days before her 93rd birthday.

Politics and government
The U.S. Greenback National Convention concluded at the Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago with the nomination of James B. Weaver of Iowa as the party's 1880 U.S. presidential candidate and Barzillai J. Chambers of Texas as vice presidential candidate.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Carmine Coppola. U.S. composer and conductor. Mr. Coppola was the father of movie director Francis Ford Coppola, and contributed music to several of his son's films. Carmine Coppola and Nino Rota shared the 1974 Academy Award for the score for The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Mr. Coppola died on April 26, 1991 at the age of 80.

Jacques Cousteau. French oceanographer. Mr. Cousteau was a naval officer who turned to oceanography after injuries in a car accident ended his naval career. He pioneered the use of the aqua-lung--greatly aiding underwater exploration--and became known for the book (1953) and subsequent documentary film (1956) The Silent World. Using the ship Calypso as a field laboratory, Mr. Cousteau explored the world's oceans for the next several decades, advocating for the preservation of ocean life. His work was the subject of the television documentary series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau (1968-1975) and The Cousteau Odyssey (1977-1982). Mr. Cousteau died of a heart attack on June 25, 1997, two weeks after his 87th birthday.

90 years ago
1920

Died on this date
William F. Halsey, Sr., 67. U.S. military officer. Captain Halsey entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1869 and served in the Navy until his retirement in 1907. He served on several ships, and participated in the Spanish-American War (1898). Capt. Halsey's son William, Jr., nicknamed "Bull," became a Fleet Admiral and one of the best-known U.S. Navy officers of World War II.

Politics and government
During the U.S. Republican National Convention in Chicago, party leaders gathered in a room at the Blackstone Hotel to come to a consensus on their candidate for the 1920 U.S. presidential election, leading the Associated Press to coin the political phrase "smoke-filled room."

70 years ago
1940

War
French Army General Weygand declared Paris an open city as German troops reached the suburbs. Italian planes bombed British bases at Malta and Aden. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the Mediterranean Sea a combat zone from which U.S. ships, planes, and civilians were barred. The Australian government began arresting 7,000 Italian nationals in that country. The government of Hong Kong interned resident Italians.

Diplomacy
Princess Juliana of the Netherlands arrived in Ottawa to seek refuge during the Second World War.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud in Tours to urge that Paris be defended.

Brazilian President Getulio Vargas reaffirmed Brazil's neutrality, but also denounced "the sterile demagogy of political democracy." His speech was widely interpreted as a rebuke to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's address in Charlottesville, Virginia the previous day, in which Mr. Roosevelt had accused Italy, in entering the European war, of "stabbing the back" of its neighbour.

Mexico's interior minister stated that his country's foreign policy was pro-Allied and one seeking cooperation with the United States.

Japan and Thailand signed a pact in Tokyo to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Defense
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a $1.004-billion defense tax bill, which also authorized an increase in the national debt to $49 billion.

U.S. Attorney General Robert Jackson opposed formation of volunteer counter-espionage groups in the United States.

American Civil Liberties Union Chairman Justin Haynes Holmes told an audience in Newark, New Jersey that universal conscription was a violation of civil liberties.

Americana
The United States Congress approved the establishment of Cumberland Gap Historical Park in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia.

Religion
A day-long interfaith conference on the world's current religious crisis was held in Washington, D.C.

Baseball
Ted Williams had a home run and a triple, Joe Cronin had a home run, and Lou Finney had 2 doubles and 2 singles as the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 9-2 at Fenway Park in Boston to move into first place in the American League, 1 game ahead of the Indians and Detroit Tigers. Cleveland manager Ossie Vitt openly criticized losing pitcher Bob Feller, saying, "Look at him. He's supposed to be my ace. How am I supposed to win a pennant with that kind of pitching?"

60 years ago
1950

Defense
Albert Einstein, Louis Bromfield, and 14 other prominent Americans issued a statement charging that U.S. officials "discourage disarmament" outside United Nations meetings because "there are vested economic interests with a stake in a large military budget."

Golf
Ben Hogan, who had returned to competitive play in January after a near-fatal car accident in 1949, defeated Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Mr. Hogan shot a 1-under-par 69, while Mr. Mangrum shot 73 and Mr. Fazio 75. It was Mr. Hogan’s second U.S. Open title. First prize money was $4,000.





Auto racing
AAA
Championship Car Series
Tony Bettenhausen led from start to finish and won the 100-mile Rex Mays Classic on the dirt track at the Milwaukee Mile. Paul Russo finished second and Jimmy Davies third in the 18-car field.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport--Rolf Harris

#1 single in Italy: Scandalo al sole (The Theme from "A Summer Place")--Percy Faith and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Wir wollen niemals auseinandergehn--Heidi Brühl (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Cathy's Clown--The Everly Brothers (7th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Cathy’s Clown--The Everly Brothers (4th week at #1)
2 Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool--Connie Francis
3 Good Timin’--Jimmy Jones
4 Stuck on You--Elvis Presley
5 He’ll Have to Stay--Jeanne Black
6 Burning Bridges--Jack Scott
7 Paper Roses--Anita Bryant
8 Swingin’ School--Bobby Rydell
9 Night--Jackie Wilson
10 Love You So--Ron Holden with the Thunderbirds

Singles entering the chart were Found Love by Jimmy Reed (#76); I'm Sorry by Brenda Lee (#77); Mule Skinner Blues by Rusty Draper (#80, charting with the version by the Fendermen (#80); You've Got the Power by James Brown and the Famous Flames (#86); When Will I be Loved by the Everly Brothers (#87); One of Us (Will Weep Tonight) by Patti Page (#91); I'm with You by the "5" Royales (#97); Hey Little One by Dorsey Burnette (#98); I Can't Help It by Adam Wade (#99); Got a Right to Love My Baby by B.B. King (#100); and Two Long Years by Dick Caruso (also #100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Alley-Oop--The Hollywood Argyles
2 Biology--Danny Valentino
3 Cathy's Clown--The Everly Brothers
4 Because They're Young--Duane Eddy and the Rebels
5 Three Steps to Heaven--Eddie Cochran
6 Swingin' School--Bobby Rydell
7 Jump Over--Freddy Cannon
8 Burning Bridges--Jack Scott
9 Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool--Connie Francis
10 Happy-Go-Lucky-Me--Paul Evans

Singles entering the chart were Hey Little One by Dorsey Burnette (#40); Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel) by Roy Orbison (#41); Chug-A-Lug by the Trends (#42); Pink Chiffon by Mitchell Torok (#43); Trouble in Paradise by the Crests (#45); Moonlight Cocktails by the Rivieras (#46); One Last Kiss by Bobby Vee (#47); River Stay 'Way from My Door by Frank Sinatra (#48); If You Don't Mean It by Ray St. Germain (#49); and Is There Any Chance by Marty Robbins (#50).

Horse racing
Celtic Ash, with Bill Hartack up, won the 92nd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, New York in a time of 2:29 3/5. Venetian Way, whom Mr. Hartack had ridden to victory in the Kentucky Derby, placed second. First prize money was $96,785.

40 years ago
1970

Died on this date
Alexander Kerensky, 89. Minister-Chairman of Russia, 1917. Mr. Kerensky, leader of the Socialist Revolutionary Party, was the first Minister of Justice and served as second Minister-Chairman of the Russian Provisional Government from July 21-November 7, 1917 after the February revolution that overthrew the regime of Czar Nicholas II. He attempted to bring stability and a measure of democracy to Russia but was overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution (October under the Julian calendar, then still in use in Russia). Mr. Kerensky fled to Paris, and then to the United States after the Nazis overran France in 1940.

Frank Laubach, 85. U.S. missionary and teacher. Mr. Laubach was a Congregationalist missionary whose work among Muslims in the Philippines led him to create the "Each One Teach One" literacy program, which has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in their own language. He regarded poverty, injustice, and illiteracy as barriers to world peace. Mr. Laubach launched Laubach Literacy in 1955, which introduced American to reading, and was expanded to 34 backward countries, with about 2.7 million participants. Laubach Literacy merged with Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. in 2002 to form ProLiteracy Worldwide.

A.A. Allen, 59. U.S. faith healer and televangelist. Asa Alonso Allen was an Assemblies of God pastor who decided to become a revivalist after attending an Oral Roberts tent meeting in Dallas in 1949. Mr. Allen was one of the first televangelists and attracted a large following for performing "healings." He was defrocked in 1956 after being arrested for drunk driving. In 1958, a wealthy admirer donated ranchland in Arizona that Mr. Allen used as his headquarters, naming it Miracle Valley. Mr. Allen carried on, and added prosperity preaching to his act, selling "prosperity cloths" in exchange for donations of $100 and $1,000. After a heavy drinking binge, Mr. Allen died at the Jack Tar Hotel in San Francisco. According to reports, his associate (and successor) Don Stewart, attempted to clean up evidence of Mr. Allen’s drinking before police arrived, but they found the room strewn with pills and empty liquor bottles. After an investigation, the coroner’s report attributed Mr. Allen’s death to liver failure brought on by acute alcoholism. His blood alcohol level was a staggering (coma-inducing, actually--he was well past the point of staggering) .36. It was reported that the radio broadcasts of Mr. Allen that aired during the week of his death consisted largely of Mr. Allen denying that he was dead. Don Stewart took over the "ministry," renaming it from Miracle Life Fellowship International to the Don Stewart Evangelistic Association, eventually the Don Stewart Association. Like his mentor, Mr. Stewart has had a career which might charitably be termed "colourful" (and might uncharitably, although accurately, be termed "scandalous"). Mr. Allen’s ranch headquarters at Miracle Valley, Arizona has changed hands several times since his death, and is currently in foreclosure. Go here for an article about Mr. Stewart (and Mr. Allen). A YouTube search under "A.A. Allen" will turn up many clips. Here's a typical example of the man at work, using the old leg-lengthening trick:



Frank Silvera, 55. Jamaican-born U.S. actor. Mr. Silvera, a light-skinned Negro, portrayed characters of various races in various movies and television programs from 1952 until his death. He played a Mexican ranch owner in the television series The High Chapparal (1967-1970). Mr. Silvera was accidentally electrocuted at his home while trying to repair the garbage disposal in the kitchen.

War
Four days of fighting between Jordanian forces and Palestinian guerrillas ended with a truce after King Hussein agreed to remove his uncle, Major General Sherif Nasser Ben Jamil, as head of the army, and also sacked the commander of the third armoured division.

A Cambodian military spokesman said that Communist troops had seized the area of the temple ruins at Angkor Wat and were believed to be inside the complex itself.

Defense
U.S. forces left Libya 19 days ahead of schedule when the last detachment of 48 men left Wheelus Air Force Base, the last major U.S. military facility in northern Africa. The Libyan government of President Muammar Gaddafi had requested the Americans’ departure.

Terrorism
Brazilian terrorists kidnapped West German Ambassador Ehrenfried von Holleben from his car in Rio de Janeiro. The terrorists were demanding that 40 political prisoners be freed.

30 years ago
1980

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Just Like Old Times

Died on this date
Rube Marshall, 89. U.S. baseball pitcher. Roy De Verne Marshall played with the Philadelphia Phillies (1912-1914) and Buffalo Blues (1915), compiling a record of 8-10 with an earned run average of 4.17 in 64 games, batting .169 with no home runs and 2 runs batted in in 65 games.

Baseball
Winning pitcher Elias Sosa (4-2) singled with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to advance Chris Speier to second base, and Ron LeFlore followed with a single to score Mr. Speier with the winning run as the Montreal Expos edged the San Diego Padres 7-6 before 13,948 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Mike Jorgensen's grand slam with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the New York Mets a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 23,540 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Craig Swan (5-4) pitched a 6-hit complete game victory.

Rich Murray, the younger brother of Baltimore Orioles’ first baseman Eddie Murray, batted 3 for 5 and hit his first major league home run to help the San Francisco Giants defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 before 37,844 fans at Veterans Stadum in Philadelphia. Mr. Murray scored 2 runs and drove in 4.

J.R. Richard (8-3) pitched a 6-hitter for his third straight shutout as the Houston Astros blanked the Chicago Cubs 3-0 before 31,599 fans at the Astrodome. Rick Reuschel (5-6) allowed 7 hits and 3 earned runs in 7 innings in taking the loss.

Tony Armas hit a grand slam with none out in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Oakland Athletics a 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles before 5,635 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Pinch hitter Bobby Murcer singled home Willie Randolph and Joe Lefebvre with 1 out in the top of the 11th inning to break a 7-7 tie as the New York Yankees beat the California Angels 9-7 before 39,593 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

Fred Lynn's 3-run home run climaxed a 7-run 3rd inning for the Boston Red Sox as they held on to beat the Seattle Mariners 7-5 before 10,086 fans at the Kingdome in Seattle.


25 years ago
1985

Died on this date
Karen Ann Quinlan, 31. U.S. medical patient. Miss Quinlan went into an irreversible coma and entered a persistent vegetative state shortly after consuming a combination of alcohol and Valium on April 15, 1975. She was taken to Newton Memorial Hospital in Morris Township, New Jersey, where she was fed through a tube and was aided in breathing by a ventilator, which were thought to be the only things keeping her alive. Miss Quinlan's parents, who were devout Roman Catholics, wanted Karen returned to her "natural state," and petitioned to have the ventilator removed, objecting to what they saw as her life being prolonged by "extraordinary means." They thus petitioned the New Jersey Superior Court to have the ventilator removed; Newton Memorial Hospital joined the Quinlans in the action, fearing a charge of homicide if the ventilator were removed without legal justification. The Quinlans' petition was denied in November 1975, but an appeal was upheld in 1976 by the New Jersey Supreme Court. The case of Karen Ann Quinlan was widely, and incorrectly, believed to be a "right-to-die" case. In fact, Miss Quinlan met none of the criteria for death; she wasn't dead, and wasn't dying. Her parents didn't want her to die, but opposed the use of "extraordinary means" to keep her alive. The ventilator was removed, and much to everyone's surprise, Miss Quinlan continued breathing on her own, and was fed through a tube until her death from pneumonia. The legal uncertainties surrounding the situation of Karen Ann Quinlan have been credited with spurring the creation of formal ethics committees in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. The death of Karen Quinlan was given slight media coverage, in contrast to the court case surrounding her condition, which was a major news item. You have to be of a certain age to remember the case of Karen Ann Quinlan, and those who weren't paying close attention may be surprised to find that her death occurred in 1985, not in 1975 or 1976.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Hamilton (0-1) 6 @ Toronto (1-0) 24

Baseball
Von Hayes became the first major league player to hit 2 home runs in the 1st inning, leading off with a homer and then hitting a grand slam to cap a 9-run inning as the Philadelphia Phillies whipped the New York Mets 26-7 before 22,591 fans at Veterans Stadium. New York relief pitchers Joe Sambito (3 innings) and Calvin Schiraldi (1 1/3 innings) each gave up 10 runs. Charles Hudson was the winning pitcher despite giving up 13 hits and 7 runs--6 earned--in 5 innings. The 26 runs were the most by one team in a National League game since 1944.



David Green singled with 2 out, stole second base, and scored on a single by Bob Brenly for the winning run in the top of the 18th inning as the San Francisco Giants edged the Atlanta Braves 5-4 before 9,046 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Bob Horner hit 2 home runs for Atlanta.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Jealousy o nemura sete (ＪＥＡＬＯＵＳＹを眠らせて)--Kyosuke Himuro (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Verdammt, Ich Lieb' Dich--Matthias Reim (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
Stan Waters, 70, who, as the candidate of the Reform Party, had won an election in October 1989 to fill a vacancy from Alberta, became Canada’s first elected Senator when he was appointed to the upper house by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Mr. Mulroney had been dragging his feet on respecting the choice of Alberta voters, but appointed Mr. Waters after extracting a promise from Alberta Premier Don Getty not to hold any more Senate elections for the next five years while the nation examined (i.e., delayed) Senate reform.

Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells announced that he would submit the Meech Lake Canadian constitutional accord to his provincial legislature for a free vote, and that he would not attempt to influence the result.

Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney told reporters that he had deliberately postponed a first ministers’ meeting on the Meech Lake accord until just before the June 23 deadline for approval in order to "roll the dice" and place pressure on holdout premiers to go along with the deal. Mr. Wells and Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon had urged earlier talks.

The Israeli Knesset approved the new coalition government of Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s Likud Party and several small nationalist and religious parties by a vote of 62-57.

Law
The United States Supreme Court struck down a 1989 law banning desecration of the American flag.

Baseball
Nolan Ryan pitched his sixth career major league no-hitter, striking out 14 as the Texas Rangers blanked the Oakland Athletics 5-0 before 33,436 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mr. Ryan, who had previously pitched no-hitters for the California Angels and Houston Astros, became the first pitcher to pitch at least one no-hitter with three different teams.



10 years ago
2000

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles Lakers 91 @ Indiana 100 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Reggie Miller scored 33 points to lead the Pacers over the Lakers before 18,345 fans at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Shaquille O'Neal scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were missing Kobe Bryant, out with an ankle injury.