June 17, 2011

510 years ago
1501

Died on this date
Jan I, 41. King of Poland, 1492-1501. Jan I acceded to the throne upon the death of his father Casimir IV; his reign included unsuccessful military efforts against the Ottoman Turks. King Jan I was succeeded by his brother Aleksander I.

380 years ago
1631

Born on this date
Gauhar Ara Begum. Mughal princess. Princess Gauhar Ara was the 14th and youngest child of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Empress Mumtaz Mahal. Princess Gauhar Ara died in 1706 at the age of 74 or 75.

Died on this date
Mumtaz Mahal, 38. Empress consort of the Mughal Empire, 1628-1631. Mumtaz Mahal, born Arjumand Banu Begum, married the future Emperor Shah Jahan in 1612, and became Empress consort upon his accession to the throne in 1628. The couple had 14 children, but Empress Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to Princess Gauhar Ara. A grieving Emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built in Agra as a tomb for Empress Mumtaz Mahal.

240 years ago
1771

Died on this date
Daskalogiannis, 40-49. Greek rebel leader. Daskalogiannis, born Ioannis Vlachos, was a wealthy shipbuilder and shipowner who led a Cretan revolt against Ottoman rule in the spring of 1770. The revolt was unsuccessful because promised Russian support failed to arrive, and Daskalogiannis surrendered with 70 of his men. He was tortured, skinned alive, and executed, reportedly suffering the torture in silence.

200 years ago
1811

Born on this date
Jón Sigurðsson. Icelandic politician. Mr. Sigurðsson led the movement for Icelandic independence from Denmark in the 19th century. He represented Ísafjörður in the Althing from 1844 until his death, served several terms as President of the Althing, and was Speaker of the Althing from 1875-1877. Mr. Sigurðsson died on December 7, 1879 at the age of 68; his birthday, June 17, is Iceland's national holiday.

150 years ago
1861

Born on this date
Pete Browning. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Browning was an outfielder with seven major league clubs from 1882-1894, batting .341 with 46 home runs and 659 runs batted in in 1,183 games. He was a native of Louisville, and played with the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels of the American Association (1882-1889) and National League (1892-1893), and was the AA batting champion n 1882 and 1885. The Hillerich & Bradsby company made his bats; both Mr. Browning and the bats were nicknamed "Louisville Slugger." He won the Players League batting title with the Cleveland Infants in 1890, the only year of the PL's existence. Mr. Browning was a terrible defensive player, which may be why he isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He suffered from lifelong mastoiditis, which resulted in near-total deafness and virtual illiteracy. Mr. Browning tried to numb the pain with alcohol, and was occasionally drunk on the field. He was also known to patronize prostitutes, which may have resulted in paresis. Mr. Browning was committed to a lunatic asylum in June 1905, but was released two weeks later. A month later, he was hospitalized, and died on September 10, 1905 at the age of 44 from "asthenia" (a general weakening of the body), which included mastoiditis; cirrhosis of the liver; cancer; and paresis.

War
Union Army forces suffered 8 dead and 4 killed, while the Confederate Army suffered no casualties in the Battle of Vienna, Virginia, a minor skirmish in the American Civil War.

140 years ago
1871

Born on this date
James Weldon Johnson. U.S. writer and civil rights activist. Mr. Johnson was a major figure in the "Harlem Renaissance"-- a novelist, poet, songwriter, lawyer, and diplomat. He was involved with the National Assocation for the Advancement of Colored People from 1916 through the 1930s, and died nine on June 26, 1938, days after his 67th birthday.

Died on this date
Clement Vallandigham, 50. U.S. politician. Mr. Vallandigham, a Democrat, represented Columbiana County in the Ohio House of Representatives (1845-1847) and Ohio's 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1858-1863). He was a leader of the Copperhead faction of Democrats who opposed the American Civil War, and was convicted by a court martial of violating General Order 38, Union Army General Ambrose Burnside's order making it illegal to criticize the war from within the Department of the Ohio. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln ordered Mr. Vallandigham deported to the Confederacy; he went to North Carolina and then Virginia, but fled on a blockade runner to Bermuda and then to Windsor, Canada West, whence he campaigned unsuccessfully in absentia as the Deomcratic Party candidate for Governor of Ohio. Mr. Vallandigham sneaked back into Virginia in June 1864, but President Lincoln declined to take action against him. He resumed the practice of law, and died the day after accidentally shooting himself in the abdomen while defending a client accused of murder. Mr. Vallandigham was in a hotel room demonstrating to fellow defense attorneys how he intended to show the jury how the deceased in the case could have accidentally shot himself, when the pistol he was using and which he erroneously believed to be unloaded snagged on his pants and discharged. Doctors were unable to locate the pistol ball, thought to have lodged in the vicinity of his bladder, and he died of peritonitis.

Married on this date
P.T. Barnum Circus giants Anna Swan of Nova Scotia, 7'11" (2.41 metres) and Martin Bates of Kentucky, 7'11" (2.41 metres) became the world's tallest married couple, after becoming engaged during a translatlantic voyage. The wedding took place in St. Martins-in-the Fields Church in London, and Mr. Barnum's publicist told the press that Queen Victoria had provided the wedding dress, as well as two extra-large diamond-studded gold watches.

Education
The New Brunswick Assembly passed the Common Schools Act, establishing separate schools.

130 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Tommy Burns. Canadian boxer. Born Noah Brusso near Hanover, Ontario, Mr. Burns won a 20-round decision over Marvin Hart on February 23, 1906 to become the first Canadian to win the world heavyweight championship. He succesfully defended the title 11 times before losing a one-sided match against American Negro Jack Johnson in Sydney, Australia on December 26, 1908. Mr. Burns posted a lifetime record as a professional of 46-4-8. He became an evangelist in later years and died of a heart attack in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 10, 1955 at the age of 73.

120 years ago
1891

Baseball
In an American Association game at Union Park in Baltimore, the Washington Statesmen scored 14 runs in the top of the 1st inning, and the Orioles scored 5 in the bottom of the inning. The Statesmen barely held on to win 20-19.

110 years ago
1901

Academia
The U.S. College Entrance Examination Board introduced its first standardized test, the forerunner to the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Golf
Willie Anderson defeated Alex Smith 85-86 in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open at Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. First prize money was $200.

80 years ago
1931

Baseball
30 years after umpiring the American League’s first game as a major league, Tommy Connolly retired as an active umpire to become the AL’s supervisor of umpires.

70 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Johan Wagenaar, 78. Dutch composer. Mr. Wagenaar was an organist, and he wrote works for organ, as well as operas, cantatas, and orchestral works.

War
British planes attacked Nazi air bases in the Boulogne area of France, and bombed the German Rhineland area for the seventh succesive night. British forces withdrew from the Fort Capuzzo-Solum area of Libya.

Diplomacy
Paraguayan Foreign Minister Luis Argana and Brazilian Foreign Minister Dr. Oswaldo Atanha signed 10 treaties in Rio de Janeiro covering commerce, transport, and cultural relations between the countries.

The U.S. Justice and Treasury Departments ordered customs officials to prevent any of the 330,000 German nationals in the United States from leaving the country "pending further instructions."

Defense
U.S. Defense Oil Coordinator Harold Ickes advised 32 Atlantic shippers to halt all shipments of petroleum products abroad without first consulting his office.

Religion
An agreement between the Vatican and the Spanish government was published in Madrid, under which the Roman Catholic Church regained virtually all of its former power to appoint the hierarchy and lower clergy.

Economics and finance
The German government reported that it had protested the closing of German consulates in the United States, and said that "necessary measures" had been ordered against $450 million in American property in Germany.

Japanese-Dutch trade negotiations in Batavia broke down.

Labour
Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies said that strikes and lockouts in war industries would be forbidden.

60 years ago
1951

On the radio
Mr. Moto, starring James Monks, on NBC (East Coast)
Tonight’s episode: The Bazaloff Papers

Four days earlier NBC’s west coast stations had broadcast the episode as The Kuriloff Papers.

War
U.S. forces abandoned the North Korean city of Pyongyang in the "Iron Triangle."

Politics and government
The Rassemblement du peuple français (Rally of the French People) (RPF), led by Jacques Soustelle, took the largest number of seats--121 of 625--in the National Assembly in the French general election. It was the first election for the RPF, which was founded by Charles de Gaulle in 1947. The Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière (French Section of the Workers' International) (SFIO), led by Guy Mollet, was next with 107 seats, an increase of 5 from the most recent election in 1946. The SFIO total was the largest for the four-party "Third Force" coalition, which remained in power with 388 seats. The Communist Party, led by Maurice Thorez, was third with 103 seats, and received the largest number of votes.

Labour
The U.S. Labor Department reported that 18,946,000 women were in the U.S. labour force, while 37,909,000 women of working age were not in the labour force. A U.S. Senate Small Business subcommittee reported that small companies unable to get defense work were the worst sufferers from the current labour shortage.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Runaway--Del Shannon (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Il mondo di Suzie Wong--Nico Fidenco

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Wheels (Vier Schimmel, ein Wagen)--Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): Non je ne regrette rien--Edith Piaf (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Surrender--Elvis Presley (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Travelin’ Man--Ricky Nelson (2nd week at #1)
2 Running Scared--Roy Orbison
3 Stand by Me—Ben E. King
4 Moody River—Pat Boone
5 Raindrops—Dee Clark
6 The Boll Weevil Song—Brook Benton
7 Quarter to Three—U.S. Bonds
8 I Feel So Bad--Elvis Presley
9 Daddy’s Home—Shep and the Limelites
10 Hello Walls—Faron Young

Singles entering the chart were Hats Off to Larry by Del Shannon (#58); Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta by Ernie K-Doe (#66); I’m Comin’ on Back to You by Jackie Wilson (#69); Life is But a Dream by the Earls (#92); The Lonely Crowd by Teddy Vann (#97); San Antonio Rose by Floyd Cramer (#99); Right or Wrong by Wanda Jackson (#100); You Can’t Sit Down, Part 2 by the Phil Upchurch Combo (also #100); and Should I by the String-A-Longs (also #100). Should I was the other side of Take a Minute, which was not on the chart.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door--Eddie Hodges (3rd week at #1)
2 Fallen Idol--Ken Lyon
3 Dance On Little Girl--Paul Anka
4 Barbara-Ann--The Regents
5 Girl of My Best Friend--Ral Donner
6 Ring of Fire--Duane Eddy
7 Heart and Soul--Jan and Dean
8 Love Hurts--Roy Orbison
9 Moody River--Pat Boone
10 Raindrops--Dee Clark

Singles entering the chart were Hats Off to Larry by Del Shannon (#15); Don't You Sweetheart Me by Bobby Curtola (#31); A Million Teardrops by Conway Twitty (#36); Classmate by the Beau-Marks (#39); Never on Sunday by the Chordettes (#43); Dum Dum by Brenda Lee (#44); Sad Eyes (Don't You Cry) by the Echoes (#46); Stand by Me by Ben E. King (#48); Skin Tight, Pin Striped, Purple Pedal Pushers by Sheb Wooley (#49); and Tossin' and Turnin' by Bobby Lewis (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door--Eddie Hodges (2nd week at #1)
2 Fallen Idol--Ken Lyon
3 Barbara-Ann--The Regents
4 Ring of Fire--Duane Eddy
5 Moody River--Pat Boone
6 Hats Off to Larry--Del Shannon
7 Temptation--The Everly Brothers
8 Sea of Heartbreak--Don Gibson
9 Lil' Ole Me--Cornbread and Jerry
10 The Boll Weevil Song--Brook Benton

Singles entering the chart were Daydreams by Johnny Crawford (#22); Dum Dum by Brenda Lee (#31); Yellow Bird, with versions by the Arthur Lyman Group; and Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra (#32); Skin Tight, Pin Striped, Purple Pedal Pushers by Sheb Wooley (#37); A Million Teardrops by Conway Twitty (#39); and Don't You Sweetheart Me by Bobby Curtola (#40).

Died on this date
Jeff Chandler, 42. U.S. actor. Mr. Chandler, born Ira Grossel, was known for his gray hair and handsome features. He starred in The Adventures of Michael Shayne and played Mr. Boynton in the comedy series Our Miss Brooks (1948-1952) on radio, but was better known for movie roles. Mr. Chandler was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting performance as Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950), and played Cochise again in The Battle at Apache Pass (1952). He injured his back while playing baseball during a break in filming Merrill's Marauders (1962), and later underwent surgery for a spinal disc herniation. Severe hemorrhaging resulted in death from a blood infection and pneumonia; an investigation ruled that Mr. Chandler's death was the result of malpractice.

World events
Rudolf Nureyev, 23, principal dancer of the Kirov Ballet, escaped Soviet guards at Paris’s Le Bourget Airport and asked for asylum in France.

Golf
Gene Littler won the U.S. Open at Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course) in Birmingham, Michigan, shooting a 2-under par 68 in the final round to finish with a 1-over par score of 281, one stroke better than Bob Goalby and Doug Sanders. First prize money was $14,000. Jack Nicklaus, still playing as an amateur, tied with Mike Souchak for fourth place, 3 strokes behind Mr. Littler.



40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Here's to You--Joan Baez (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
The Anderson Tapes, directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, and Alan King, received its premiere screening in New York City.



Diplomacy
A U.S.-Japanese treaty was signed under which the U.S.A. agreed to return to Japan the island of Okinawa, the other islands in the Ryuku group, and the Daito islands.

Baseball
The Oakland Athletics sold first baseman Ramon Webster to the Chicago Cubs. Mr. Webster was batting 0 for 5 in 7 games with Oakland and 0 for 1 with a run batted in in 2 games with the Iowa Oaks of the AAA American Association in 1971.

Don Kessinger batted 6 for 6 and led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single and scored from second base on a 1-out single by Ron Santo to give the Chicago Cubs a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 22,749 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Burt Hooton made his major league debut as the Cubs' starting pitcher, allowing 3 hits and 3 runs--all earned--in 3.1 innings, walking 5 batters and striking out 2, bunting into a force play in his only plate appearance. Danny Breeden caught the 8th and 9th innings for Chicago, making 1 putout in the 28th and last game of his 2-year major league career.

After giving up 3 runs in the top of the 11th inning, the Minnesota Twins came back with 4 in the bottom of the inning to edge the Chicago White Sox 7-6 before 11,072 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota. George Mitterwald singled home Tony Oliva with the winning run with his fourth hit of the game, with 2 out.

30 years ago
1981

Died on this date
Zerna Sharp, 91. U.S. teacher and authoress. Miss Sharp was an elementary school teacher and principal who created the Dick and Jane series of readers for children that were published, with various revisions, from 1930-1965.

25 years ago
1986

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Montreal (1-2) 13 @ Toronto (1-1) 24
Calgary (1-1) 41 @ British Columbia (1-1) 20

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Anata ni aete yokatta (あなたに会えてよかった)--Kyōko Koizumi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)--De La Soul (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Wind of Change--Scorpions (3rd week at #1)

Society
The South African Parliament repealed the Population Registration Act, which required racial classification of all South Africans at birth.

Golf
Payne Stewart defeated Scott Simpson in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Mr. Stewart shot a 3-over-par 75, two strokes ahead of Mr. Simpson. The two were tied with 6-under-par scores of 282 after 4 rounds, three strokes ahead of Fred Couples and Larry Nelson. First prize money was $235,000.



Baseball
Tim Wallach singled home Marquis Grissom with 1 out in the bottom of the 16th inning to give the Montreal Expos a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros before 10,523 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Dale Murphy's solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves before 18,517 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Phillies tied the game in the 5th inning when starting pitcher Tommy Greene led off with his first major league home run.

Randy Milligan doubled home Brady Anderson and Cal Ripken, Jr. with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to climax a 3-run rally and give the Baltimore Orioles a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins before 25,600 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Minnesota relief pitcher Rick Aguilera (2-3) intentionally walked Mr. Ripken in order to pitch to Mr. Milligan.

Don August (5-2) pitched a 5-hit shutout, and the Milwaukee Brewers scored all their runs in the 5th inning as they blanked the Oakland Athletics 5-0 before 20,431 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

Steve Buechele scored on an infield single by Gary Pettis with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Texas Rangers a 10-9 win over the Kansas City Royals before 30,448 fans at Arlington Stadium. The Royals led 9-4 after 7½ innings, but the Rangers rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th, and Ruben Sierra singled home 2 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Donald J. Cram, 82. U.S. chemist. Dr. Cram shared the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jean-Marie Lehn and Charles J. Pedersen "for their development and use of molecules with structure-specific interactions of high selectivity." They founded of the field of host–guest chemistry.

Thomas Winning, 76. U.K. clergyman. Cardinal Winning was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow (1974-2001), and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1994. He died following a heart attack, and was succeeded by Mario Conti.

Golf
Mark Brooks and Retief Goosen were tied for the lead with 4-under-par total scores of 276 after four rounds of the U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, necessitating an 18-hole playoff the following day.