April 29, 2012

220 years ago
1792

Born on this date
Matthew Vassar. U.S. brewer and philanthropist. Mr. Vassar, a native of Norfolk, England, donated the money and land to build Vassar Female College in Poughkeepsie, New York, which opened in 1861.

175 years ago
1837

Born on this date
Georges Boulanger. French politician. Brigadier General Boulanger was France's Minister of War from 1886-1887. He was nicknamed Général Revanche and attracted a huge popular following for insisting that Fran ce's in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 must be avenged, and it was thought that he might seize power in a coup d'état. A warrant was issued for Mr. Boulanger's arrest for conspiracy and treasonable activity, and he fled to Brussels and then London before the warrant could be executed. Elections held later in 1889 resulted in a decisive defeat for the Boulangists. Mr. Boulanger returned to Brussels, where, on September 30, 1891 at the age of 54, he shot himself in Ixelles Cemetery on the grave of his mistress, Madame de Bonnemains, who had died in his arms two months earlier. He was buried in the same grave.

120 years ago
1892

Disasters
A hurricane struck Mauritius, killing 1,000 people.

75 years ago
1937

Died on this date
William Gillette, 83. U.S. actor. Mr. Gillette was best known for writing the play Sherlock Holmes and playing the title role on stage more than 1,300 times from 1899-1932. He also played the master detective in a now-lost 1916 film, and was the first actor to portray Mr. Holmes on radio, in 1930.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Purloined Letter, starring Leon Askin, Henry Beckman, Joseph Campanella, Arnold Moss, and Edgar Stehli

50 years ago
1962

Space
Three days after liftoff, the Soviet satellite Cosmos 4 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (3rd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Without You--Nilsson
2 American Pie, Parts I and II--Don McLean
3 Joy--Apollo 100
4 A Horse with No Name--America
5 Ranger's Waltz--The Mom and Dads
6 Most People I Know Think that I'm Crazy--The Aztecs
7 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
8 Day After Day--Badfinger
9 Morning Has Broken/I Want to Live in a Wigwam--Cat Stevens
10 My World--The Bee Gees

Singles entering the chart were How Do You Do? by Jigsaw (#29); Rock and Roll Lullaby by B.J. Thomas (#33); and Heart of Gold by Neil Young (#38).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack (2nd week at #1)
2 Rockin' Robin--Michael Jackson
3 I Gotcha--Joe Tex
4 In the Rain--Dramatics
5 Betcha By Golly, Wow--Stylistics
6 Day Dreaming--Aretha Franklin
7 A Cowboys Work is Never Done--Sonny and Cher
8 A Horse with No Name--America
9 Look what You've Done for Me--Al Green
10 I'll Take You There--Staple Singers

Singles entering the chart were It's Going to Take Some Time by the Carpenters (#55); Song Sung Blue by Neil Diamond (#63); Someday Never Comes by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#67); Old Man by Neil Young (#70); Rocket Man by Elton John (#81); Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons than One) by Isaac Hayes and David Porter (#84); There it Is (Part 1) by James Brown (#87); Life and Breath by Climax (#88); Automatically Sunshine by the Supremes (#89); Lean on Me by Bill Withers (#90); Don't Want to Say Goodbye by Raspberries (#95); You and I by Black Ivory (#97); Soulsville by Isaac Hayes (#98); Hot 'N' Nasty by Humble Pie (#99); and How Do You Do by Mouth & MacNeal (#100).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Puppy Love--Donny Osmond (2nd week at #1)
2 A Horse with No Name--America
3 Heart of Gold--Neil Young
4 A Cowboys Work is Never Done--Sonny and Cher
5 You Could Have Been a Lady--April Wine
6 The Family of Man--Three Dog Night
7 Cotton Jenny--Anne Murray
8 Vincent--Don McLean
9 Roundabout--Yes
10 Baby Blue--Badfinger

Singles entering the chart were Tumbling Dice by the Rolling Stones (#71); Wild Eyes by the Stampeders (#82); Nice to Be with You by Gallery (#91); I'll Take You There by the Staple Singers (#97); Poor Little Fool by Frank Mills (#98); Sylvia's Mother by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show (#99); and Diary by Bread (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 I Like what I Like--Everyday People
2 I Gotcha--Joe Tex
3 Castles in the Air--Don McLean
4 Sylvia's Mother--Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
5 A Horse with No Name--America
6 Strawberry Wine--Spice
7 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
8 Puppy Love--Donny Osmond
9 Brandy--Scott English
10 Taxi--Harry Chapin
Pick hit of the week: Taos New Mexico--R. Dean Taylor

Died on this date
Ntare V, 34. King of Burundi, 1966. Ntare deposed his father, King Mwambutsa IV, in June 1966, but was himself deposed by a military coup five months later, and went into exile in West Germany. The former king had returned to Burundi from exile in Uganda in March under a promise of safe conduct, but was killed in a clash that the government attributed to an attempt by “monarchists” to free Mioame Ntare from house arrest.

Politics and government
Turkish President Cevdet Sunay named Suat Havri Urguplu, 69, a former ambassador to the United States, as Premier, succeeding Nihat Erin, who had resigned 12 days earlier.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
Edmonton’s top 10 (CFRN)
1 I’ve Never Been to Me—Charlene (2nd week at #1)
2 Titles—Vangelis
3 Don’t Talk to Strangers—Rick Springfield
4 Ebony and Ivory—Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
5 Don’t You Want Me—The Human League
6 ’65 Love Affair—Paul Davis
7 Beechwood 4-5789—Carpenters
8 Did it in a Minute—Daryl Hall & John Oates
9 Goin’ Down—Greg Guidry
10 Make a Move on Me—Olivia Newton-John

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Finals
Quebec 2 @ New York Islanders 5 (New York led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Vancouver 1 @ Chicago 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Roger Neilson, who had replaced the suspended Harry Neale late in the season as Vancouver’s head coach, became so frustrated with the officiating of referee Bob Myers at Chicago Stadium that he put a towel on top of a stick and waved it as a white flag of surrender.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): You're the Voice--John Farnham (4th week at #1)

Hockey
World championships
Canada 0 U.S.S.R. 0

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

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): To Be with You--Mr. Big (5th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Wedding

Died on this date
Mae Clarke, 81. U.S. actress. Miss Clarke, born Violet Mary Klotz, was a popular leading lady in the 1930s, appearing in such movies as Frankenstein (1931); The Front Page (1931); The Public Enemy (1931); and Waterloo Bridge (1931). She died on April 29, 1992 at the age of 81.

Protest
A Simi Valley, California jury that included no Negroes acquitted four Los Angeles police officers on all but one charge arising from the March 1991 beating of Rodney King. The verdict prompted immediate riots by Negroes in Los Angeles, particularly in the predominantly Negro and Hispanic South-Central area. A white truck driver named Reginald Denny was dragged from his truck and severely beaten by a mob of Negroes before being rescued by other Negroes.

700 inmates at Montreal’s Bordeaux prison rioted for more than eight hours; officials blamed overcrowding for the incident.

Education
The Economic Council of Canada filed its final report before being disbanded, and called for substantial improvements in Canada’s education system, claiming that it sent functionally-illiterate young people into the workforce.

10 years ago
2002

Music
This blogger attended an organ recital by Grace Han at West End Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton.

War
Israeli forces seized control of Hebron.

Diplomacy
The United States, which had lost its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Commission on May 3, 2001, regained it.

Politics and government
The High Constitutional Court of Madagascar announced that the recount of votes in the country’s presidential election showed that challenger Marc Ravalomanana had won an outright majority and had been elected President; incumbent Didier Ratsiraka, who had agreed to the recount, did not accept the result.