April 12, 2012

170 years ago
1742

Born on this date
Maurice Rouvier. Prime Minister of France, 1887, 1905-1906. Mr. Rouvier was a member of the Republican Union who was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1871, and held several cabinet posts, including Minister of Finance, in various governments, while serving as Prime Minister of two short-lived governments. His second government was noted for passing a law on the separation of the churches and the state in December 1905. Mr. Rouvier died on June 7, 1911 at the age of 69.

150 years ago
1862

War
James J. Andrews led an expedition of Union soldiers that stole the Confederate locomotive "The General." The incident inspired the movies The General (1926) and The Great Locomotive Chase (1956).

120 years ago
1892

Disasters
A fire in Tokyo destroyed 6,000 houses.

100 years ago
1912

Died on this date
Clara Barton, 90. U.S. nurse. Miss Barton was a schoolteacher and self-taught nurse who aided Union Army soldiers in the American Civil War and ran the Office of Missing Soldiers after the war, identifying soldiers killed or missing in action. She founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and was its president until her retirement in 1904.

Baseball
The first regular season game scheduled for brand new Fenway Park in Boston was postponed because of rain.

The Tinker-Evers-Chance double play combination (with Ed Lennox at third base) played their final game together as the Chicago Cubs lost 3-2 to the Cincinnati Reds at Redland Field in Cincinnati. Vic Saier replaced Mr. Chance at first base.

90 years ago
1922

Baseball
U.S. President Warren G. Harding threw out the first ball, and the Washington Nationals came from behind to defeat the New York Yankees 6-5 at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Babe Ruth, who, along with teammate Bob Meusel, had been suspended by baseball commissioner Kenesaw M. Landis for off-season barnstorming, watched the game from the presidential box.

80 years ago
1932

Baseball
Babe Ruth and Sammy Byrd each hit 2 home runs and Lou Gehrig added a home run, triple, and single as the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Athletics 12-6 before just 16,000 fans in the season opener at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons homered for the Athletics. Lefty Gomez won the pitching duel over George Earnshaw, with Red Ruffing getting the last out with the bases loaded.

70 years ago
1942

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Toronto 4 @ Detroit 3 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Baseball
PCL
Hal Turpin of the Seattle Rainiers came within one pitch of a perfect game but still pitched a no-hitter as the Rainiers blanked the San Diego Padres 2-0. The perfect game ended with 2 out in the 9th inning when Cedric Durst drew a bases on balls on a 3-2 count.

60 years ago
1952

Hit Parade
Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Wheel of Fortune--Kay Starr (Best Seller--5th week at #1; Disc Jockey--5th week at #1); Juke Box--3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Wheel of Fortune--Kay Starr (3rd week at #1)
--Bobby Wayne
--Eddie Wilcox Orchestra with Sunny Gale
2 Blue Tango--Leroy Anderson and his "Pops" Concert Orchestra
--Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra
3 The Blacksmith Blues--Ella Mae Morse
4 Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads
5 Tell Me Why--The Four Aces
--Eddie Fisher
6 Any Time--Eddie Fisher
7 A Guy is a Guy--Doris Day
8 Please, Mr. Sun--Johnnie Ray
9 Hambone--Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford
10 Perfidia--The Four Aces

Singles entering the chart were Be Anything (But Be Mine) by Eddy Howard (#32); Whispering Winds by Patti Page (#39); and Festival, with versions by Johnny Desmond, the DeMarco Sisters, and Percy Faith and his Orchestra (#41).

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 2 @ Montreal 1 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Ted Lindsay scored the winning goal at the Montreal Forum in the 2nd period as the puck bounced into the net off the chest of Montreal defenseman Butch Bouchard.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Wonderful Land--The Shadows (4th week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
Stanley
Cup
Finals
Chicago 2 @ Toronto 3 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 2-0)

George Armstrong scored with 3:54 remaining in regulation time to lift the Maple Leafs past the Black Hawks at Maple Leaf Gardens. Johnny Bower won his second straight goaltending duel over Glenn Hall.

Baseball
The New York Mets’ first regular season game, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Polo Grounds in New York, was postponed because of rain.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): What About Me--Moving Pictures (4th week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Edmonton 3 @ Los Angeles 2 (Best-of-five series tied 2-2)

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Funkytown--Pseudo Echo (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Viens boire un p'tit coup à la maison--License IV

Business
Texaco, Inc. filed for bankruptcy, becoming the largest American company to do so. Texaco had been ordered by a Texas court to pay Pennzoil Co. $8.53 billion for having wrongfully interfered with a merger agreement between Pennzoil and Getty Oil Company. Texaco had also been required to post a $12 billion bond while appealing the original judgment.

Religion
Pope John Paul II climaxed a week-long visit to Buenos Aires by conducting a Palm Sunday mass for 500,000 people.

Golf
Larry Mize chipped in from 140 feet on the second hole of a three-way sudden-death playoff for a birdie to defeat Greg Norman and win the Masters at Augusta, Georgia. Severiano Ballasteros had been eliminated on the previous hole.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Montreal 4 Boston 2
Toronto 2 St. Louis 1
Winnipeg 4 Calgary 3
Edmonton 6 @ Los Angeles 3 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Brett Hull, son of the legendary Bobby Hull, played his first NHL game for the Flames in their loss to the Jets.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): To Be with You--Mr. Big (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Das Boot--U 96 (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Das Boot--U 96 (6th week at #1)

Music
This blogger was in attendance at Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium as Victor Borge made his last appearance in Edmonton. I spent $20 for my ticket and got my money’s worth.

Golf
Fred Couples won the Masters tournament at August National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

10 years ago
2002

World events
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was forced from office when some military generals broke ranks with pro-Chavez forces who were firing on anti-Chavez demonstrators in Caracas.