April 22, 2012

280 years ago
1732

Died on this date
Pierre Durand. French Christian martyr. Mr. Durand, a Huguenot, was one of France’s “pastors of the desert,” proclaiming in fields, caves, and homes the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. King Louis XIV, a Roman Catholic, had declared Protestantism illegal in 1685, but Mr. Durand and other members of his family continued to proclaim the gospel in defiance of the royal edict. He was arrested on February 12, 1732, and was hanged after being found guilty of disobeying the king’s orders.

90 years ago
1922

Baseball
Ken Williams of the St. Louis Browns became the first American League player to hit 3 home runs in a game, adding 2 singles as the Browns beat the Chicago White Sox 10-7 at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis.

70 years ago
1942

At the movies
Saboteur, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Priscilla Lane, Robert Cummings, and Norman Lloyd, received its premiere screening in Washington, D.C., with 80 U.S. Senators and 350 Congressmen in attendance.



War
British troops attacked Germans near Boulogne on the French coast and withdrew after two hours, reportedly without losing a man. Malta dispatches reported that 37 Axis planes had been destroyed or damaged over the island the previous day, raising the total since April 1 to 117 shot down, 38 probably destroyed, and 100 damaged. Japanese troops attacked U.S.-Philippine positions near San Remingo and Valderrama on Panay Island, forcing defenders to withdraw. Japanese forces in Burma took Pyinmana, 155 miles south of Mandalay, and attacked Loikaw near the Thai frontier.

Education
The Rapp-Coudert committee reported that it had found 503 pro-Communists in the New York City education system and that most of them had yet to be removed, due to administrative indifference.

Scandal
Rayford W. Alley told the U.S. Senate committee investigating government waste--headed by Senator Harry Truman (Democrat--Missouri)--that former Massachusetts Governor James Curley was the president of Engineers Group, Inc., accused by four contractors of swindling them out of $21,000 they had paid as bribes for defense housing contracts.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Office of Price Administration said that gas rationing would begin on May 15 in 17 eastern states and Washington, with each motorist restricted to 21.4 galons per week. The OPA set May 5 as the date for sugar rationing to commence.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Alibi Me, starring Don Hanmer, Lawrence Fletcher, Gaby Rodgers, and Rod Steiger

50 years ago
1962

At the movies
The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin, Vera Miles, and others, opened in theatres.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Toronto 3 @ Chicago 1 (Toronto won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Bob Nevin scored at 10:29 of the 3rd period and Dick Duff at 14:14 as the Maple Leafs defeated the defending champion Black Hawks at Chicago Stadium to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 11 years. Bobby Hull scored at 8:56 of the 3rd period to lift Chicago into a temporary 1-1 tie. Don Simmons won the goaltending duel over Glenn Hall.



Baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates tied a modern major league record with their 10th straight win to open the season, edging the New York Mets 4-3 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Mets tied a record for the worst start to a season, dropping to 0-9.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (2nd week at #1)

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

Singles entering the chart were Son of My Father by Chicory Tip (#31) and Give Ireland Back to the Irish by Wings (#33).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack
2 Rockin' Robin--Michael Jackson
3 In the Rain--Dramatics
4 I Gotcha--Joe Tex
5 A Horse with No Name--America
6 Betcha By Golly, Wow--Stylistics
7 Day Dreaming--Aretha Franklin
8 A Cowboys Work is Never Done--Sonny and Cher
9 Heart of Gold--Neil Young
10 Roundabout--Yes

Singles entering the chart were Little Bitty Pretty One by the Jackson 5 (#47); Isn't Life Strange by the Moody Blues (#70); Tumbling Dice by the Rolling Stones (#73); Diary by Bread (#76); Woman's Gotta Have It by Bobby Womack (#83); We're Free by Beverly Bremers (#85); Outa-Space by Billy Preston (#86); Long Haired Lover from Liverpool by Little Jimmy Osmond (#88); I've Been Lonely for So Long by Frederick Knight (#89); Mendelssohn's 4th (Second Movement) by Apollo 100 (#93); I Got Some Help I Don't Need by B.B. King (#96); Beg, Steal or Borrow by the New Seekers (#97); To Get to You by Jerry Wallace (#99); and Vahevala by Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina (#100). Outa-Space was originally released as the B-side (and was now the A-side) of I Wrote a Simple Song, which peaked at #96 on February 12.

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 Cotton Jenny--Anne Murray
7 The Family of Man--Three Dog Night
8 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
9 Monday Morning Choo Choo--Stampeders
10 Roundabout--Yes

Singles entering the chart were I Saw the Light by Todd Rundgren (#86); Smilin' by Sly and the Family Stone (#88); Oh Girl by the Chi-Lites (#89); What'd I Say by Rare Earth (#90); Love Theme from "The Godfather" (Speak Softly Love) by Andy Williams (#91); Upsetter by Grand Funk Railroad (#95); Red Red the Rocking Horse by Buxton Kastle (#96); The Theme by Sound 80 (#98); and Telegram Sam by T. Rex (#100).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Castles in the Air--Don McLean
2 A Horse with No Name--America
3 Puppy Love--Donny Osmond
4 I Gotcha--Joe Tex
5 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
6 I Like what I Like--Everyday People
7 Joy--Apollo 100
8 Heart of Gold--Neil Young
9 Brandy--Scott English
10 Caroline Goodbye--Colin Blunstone
Pick hit of the week: Sylvia's Mother--Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

Adventure
British adventurer John Fairfax, 36, and companion Sylvia Cook, a London secretary, arrived at Australia’s Hayman Island after spending almost a year rowing 8,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean in a 35-foot fibreglass boat. The couple, who had departed San Francisco on April 26, 1971, had endured four cyclones and an attack by a shark. Mr. Fairfax had rowed alone across the Atlantic Ocean in six months in 1969.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
Edmonton’s Top 20 (CHED)
1 I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll—Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
2 Don’t You Want Me—The Human League
3 That Girl—Stevie Wonder
4 Fantasy—Aldo Nova
5 Freeze Frame—J. Geils Band
6 We Got the Beat—Go-Go’s
7 Don’t Talk to Strangers—Rick Springfield
8 Titles—Vangelis
9 Make a Move on Me—Olivia Newton-John
10 Open Arms—Journey
11 Find Another Fool—Quarterflash
12 What Kind of Love is This?—Streetheart
13 Romeo—Shari Ulrich
14 ’65 Love Affair—Paul Davis
15 Tonight I’m Yours—Rod Stewart
16 Edge of Seventeen—Stevie Nicks
17 Do You Believe in Love—Huey Lewis and the News
18 Key Largo—Bertie Higgins
19 Sweet Dreams—Air Supply
20 Six Months in a Leaky Boat—Split Enz

Edmonton’s Top 10 (CFRN)
1 I’ve Never Been to Me—Charlene
2 Titles—Vangelis
3 Beechwood 4-5789—Carpenters
4 ’65 Love Affair—Paul Davis
5 Don’t Talk to Strangers—Rick Springfield
6 The Beatles’ Movie Medley—The Beatles
7 Did it in a Minute—Daryl Hall & John Oates
8 One Hundred Ways—Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram
9 Ebony and Ivory—Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
10 Key Largo—Bertie Higgins

Baseball
The Atlanta Braves, who had set a major league record by winning their first 13 games of the season, finally lost, 2-1 to the Cincinnati Reds. Bruce Berenyi was the winning pitcher over Bob Walk.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): You're the Voice--John Farnham (3rd week at #1)

Personal
This blogger wrote his last exam at the University of Alberta, in U.S. economic history, and achieved the highest mark in the class.

20 years ago
1992

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

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

Law
The Gwich’in Indians and the Government of Canada signed a land claim agreement giving the Gwich’in title to nearly 24,000 square kilometres of land in the Northwest Territories and northeastern Yukon Territory and a payment of $75 million over 15 years.

Disasters
200 people were killed and nearly 1,500 injured when an explosion levelled 30 blocks in Guadalajara, Mexico. The blast was later blamed on a ruptured oil pipeline owned by Mexico’s oil company PELEX that had leaked into the city’s sewer system.

Crime
A. Alfred Taubman, former head of Sotheby’s auction house, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and fined $7.5 million for leading a price-fixing scheme.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup playoffs
Detroit 5 Minnesota 4 (OT)
St. Louis 5 Chicago 4 (2 OT)