April 27, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Rod Crossley!

190 years ago
1822

Died on this date
U.S. Grant. 18th President of the United States, 1869-1877. In the U.S. Civil War (or, if you prefer, the War of Northern Aggression), Mr. Grant led Union forces to a number of victories before President Abraham Lincoln made him a lieutenant-general and placed him in command of all Union armies in March 1864. In 1866 he became a full general, the first American to receive such a designation since George Washington. He was the Republican Party nominee for President of the United States in 1868 and was easily elected then and re-elected in 1872. His administration was ridden with various scandals, although there were some diplomatic triumphs. Mr. Grant attempted to win the Republican presidential nomination in 1880, but lost to James A. Garfield. His last years were marked by financial reversals and throat cancer, but he was able to write and publish his memoirs, which were critically and commercially successful. Mr. Grant died on July 23, 1885 at the age of 63.

120 years ago
1892

Americana
U.S. President Benjamin Harrison laid the cornerstone at the Grant Monument in New York.

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Haunted Clock

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Gift, starring Geoffrey Horne and Nico Minardos

40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Kwame Nkrumah, 62. President of Ghana, 1957-1966. The first Negro to lead an African colony to independence after World War II, Mr. Nkrumah was deposed by a coup of military officers who accused him of nepotism and corruption. He was visiting Guinea at the time of the coup, and lived in that country for the rest of his life. Mr. Nkrumah died in Bucharest, Romania, where he was being treated for cancer.

Space
The Apollo 16 crew of John Young, Charlie Duke, and Ken Mattingly splashed down in the Pacific Ocean within a mile of their target point and in clear view of their pickup ship, the Ticonderoga. The 11-day moon mission resulted in a record haul of 214 pounds of lunar rocks and soil samples and 7,500 photographs.



War
After a five-week suspension, peace talks in the Vietnam War resumed in Paris.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden: Oh Julie--Shakin' Stevens (8th week at #1)

Crime
A drunken policeman in Seoul, South Korea, using carbines and grenades, killed 62 people and wounded 20 before killing himself.

Disasters
A Chinese jetliner crashed near Guilin, China, killing all 112 people aboard.

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

Jim Nill scored the winning goal for the Canucks at Chicago Stadium, ending a brilliant goaltending duel between Vancouver’s Richard Brodeur and Chicago’s Tony Esposito.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)--Paul Lekakis (3rd week at #1)

Weather
The temperature reached 77 F. in Edmonton.

Diplomacy
The United States Justice Department announced that Austrian President Kurt Waldheim would be barred from entering the United States because of his participation in Nazi war crimes during World War II. Mr. Waldheim, former secretary-general of the United Nations, had served in the German army, and his activities had come to light in 1986, during his successful campaign for the Austrian presidency.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Detroit 2 @ Toronto 3 (OT) (Toronto led best-of-seven series 3-1)
Edmonton 4 @ Winnipeg 2 (Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-0)

20 years ago
1992

Died on this date
Olivier Messiaen, 83. French composer, organist, and ornithologist. Mr. Messiaen regarded birds as the best singers, and incorporated birdsong into his music.

World events
Serbia (including the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Montenegro endorsed a constitution for a new Yugoslavian state, acknowledging the independence of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia. The new state renounced territorial claims and scheduled elections for its Federal Assembly on May 31. The new state was recognized by Canada, China, Russia, and other non-aligned countries.

Politics and government
Labour MP Betty Boothroyd became the first woman to be elected Speaker of the House of Commons in the 700-year history of the lower house of the British Parliament.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Montreal 7 Hartford 4
Buffalo 2 Boston 0
New York Rangers 8 New Jersey 5

10 years ago
2002

Baseball
Derek Lowe pitched a no-hitter to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 10-0 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before 32,837 fans at Fenway Park in Boston.