April 10, 2012

140 years ago
1872

Americana
The first Arbor Day was observed in Nebraska with the planting of more than one million trees.

130 years ago
1882

Died on this date
William Hulbert, 49. U.S. baseball executive. Mr. Hulbert was one of the founders of the National League in 1876, and was the NL's president from 1877-1882. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.

125 years ago
1887

Born on this date
Bernardo Houssay. Argentine physiologist. Dr. Houssay became the first Argentine Nobel Prize winner when he was awarded a share of the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discovery of the part played by the hormone of the anterior pituitary lobe in the metabolism of sugar." Dr. Houssay died on September 21, 1971 at the age of 84.

Academia
On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo XIII authorized the establishment of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

100 years ago
1912

Transportation
The British White Star ocean liner RMS Titanic, with approximately 2,200 passengers and crew aboard, departed Southampton, England on its maiden voyage, destined for New York by way of Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland.

60 years ago
1952

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 3 @ Montreal 1 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Tony Leswick scored 2 goals and Ted Lindsay scored into an empty net as the Red Wings defeated the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum. Terry Sawchuk won the goaltending duel over Gerry McNeil.

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Act of Faith, starring George Grizzard, Dennis King, and Florence MacMichael

Died on this date
Stuart Sutcliffe, 21. U.K. musician and artist. Mr. Sutcliffe played bass guitar with the Beatles in their early years, leaving the group in Hamburg in 1961 to pursue a career as an artist. It was his girlfriend, photographer Astrid Kircherr, who encouraged the boys to adopt the haircuts that eventually became their trademark. Mr. Sutcliffe died of a brain tumour; there was speculation that this may have resulted from a severe beating at the hands of anti-Beatle thugs.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Chicago 1 @ Toronto 4 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Frank Mahovlich's goal with 6:06 remaining in the 2nd period was the winner as the Maple Leafs beat the Black Hawks at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Baseball
Roman Mejias hit two 3-run home runs to lead the Houston Colt .45s to an 11-2 win over the Chicago Cubs before 25,271 fans at Colts Stadium in the National League expansion team’s first regular season game. Bobby Shantz was the winning pitcher.

Wally Post hit a 3-run home run in the 7th inning to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 52,564 fans in the first game ever played at Dodger Stadium.

Bill Skowron hit an inside-the-park home run and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris added homers to lead the New York Yankees to a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Baltimore second baseman Johnny Temple, in his first game with the Oriioles, had 3 hits, including a home run. Ralph Terry was the winning pitcher in relief of Whitey Ford, while Hal Brown took the loss in relief of Billy Hoeft.

40 years ago
1972

Disasters
More than 5,300 people were killed when an earthquake struck southern Iran, centred in the town of Ghir.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Seven Tears--Goombay Dance Band (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A.: (Billboard): I Love Rock and Roll--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Love Rock and Roll--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (3rd week at #1)
2 We Got the Beat--Go-Go's
3 That Girl--Stevie Wonder
4 Titles--Vangelis
5 Make a Move on Me--Olivia Newton-John
6 Centerfold--J. Geils Band
7 Freeze Frame/Flamethrower--J. Geils Band
8 Key Largo--Bertie Higgins
9 Don't Talk to Strangers--Rick Springfield
10 Open Arms--Journey

Singles entering the chart were Work That Body by Diana Ross (#78); Secret Journey by the Police (#85); When it's Over by Loverboy (#86); If it Ain't One Thing...It's Another by Richard "Dimples" Fields (#87); A Night to Remember by Shalamar (#88); I'm in Love Again by Pia Zadora (#89); and Right the First Time by Gamma (#90).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 I Love Rock and Roll--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (4th week at #1)
2 Open Arms--Journey
3 Freeze Frame--J. Geils Band
4 We Got the Beat--Go-Go's
5 Don't You Want Me--The Human League
6 Tainted Love--Soft Cell
7 Make a Move on Me--Olivia Newton-John
8 Pretty Woman--Van Halen
9 Pac-Man Fever--Buckner & Garcia
10 Centerfold--J. Geils Band

Singles entering the chart were The Beatles' Movie Medley (#42); Titles (from Chariots of Fire) by Vangelis (#43); Man on the Corner by Genesis (#47); '65 Love Affair by Paul Davis (#49); and 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone (#50).

World events
It was announced that Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, former Iranian Foreign Minister, had been arrested and charged with plotting to assassinate Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and members of Iran’s Supreme Defense Council.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Edmonton 5 @ Los Angeles 6 (OT) (Los Angeles led best-of-five series 2-1)

Daryl Evans scored off a face-off to give the Kings their win over the Oilers at the Forum to finish one of the greatest comebacks—or collapses—in Stanley Cup history. The Oilers led 5-0 after 2 periods, but the Kings rallied for 3 goals to get within striking distance when the Oilers took a 5-minute major penalty with about as many minutes remaining in regulation time. Los Angeles scored to make it 5-4, and with their net empty in the final seconds, Wayne Gretzky got the puck caught up in his skates in his own zone, and Los Angeles tied the game with 5 seconds left, prompting Edmonton play-by-play radio broadcaster Rod Phillips to say, “Oh, the Edmonton Oilers have blown this hockey game!”

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Das Boot--U96 (12th week at #1)

Died on this date
Sam Kinison, 38. U.S. comedian. A former Pentecostal preacher, Mr. Kinison abandoned preaching and became a comedian of the foul-mouthed, politically-incorrect variety that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Twice divorced, he was killed in a highway accident in California when hit by a drunk driver. Mr. Kinison was driving with cocaine and other substances in his system.

Baseball
Dave Eiland of the San Diego Padres became the ninth pitcher to hit a home run in his first major league at bat as he connected off Bob Ojeda of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game won 8-3 by the Padres. Mr. Eiland also gave up a home run to the first batter he faced.

10 years ago
2002

Space
Scientists described research on two unusual stars based on data gathered by the Chandra X-ray Observatory that led them to think that the stars might be made of quarks in a form called strange quark matter.

Business
General Motors and the creditors of Daewoo Motor reached a detailed agreement on the takeover of Daewoo by General Motors.

Baseball
A record crowd for a college game—27,673—was in attendance at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans as Louisiana State University defeated Tulane University 9-5. Aaron Hill batted in 4 runs for the victorious Tigers.