May 4, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, John Dea!

80 years ago
1932

Crime
America's most famous gangster, Al Capone, was jailed for income tax evasion.

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Dummy, starring Cliff Robertson and Frank Sutton

40 years ago
1972

War
The U.S.A. and North Vietnam indefinitely suspended regular peace talks in Paris on the Vietnam War. U.S. Ambassador William J. Porter reported that there had been “a lack of progress in every available channel,” in what was generally considered a reference that included secret talks.

Politics and government
Alabama Governor George Wallace won the Tennessee primary for the 1972 Democratic party nomination for President of the United States, taking 70% of the vote to 16% for U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota. President Richard Nixon captured 96% of the vote in the Republican party primary.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Boston 2 @ New York 5 (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-1)

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Oh Julie--Shakin' Stevens (9th week at #1)

Died on this date
Orhan Gunduz. Turkish diplomat. Mr. Gunduz, an honourary Turkish consul and gift shop owner, was assassinated in Somerville, Massachusetts by a group called Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide. Mr. Gunduz was the 21st Turkish diplomat to have been murdered in various places around the world since 1975, probably by Armenian nationalists who resented Turkey’s official refusal to acknowledge the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915.

War
An Argentine jet fighter set afire and disabled the British destroyer HMS Sheffield, which had to be abandoned.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Boom Boom--Paul Lekakis (4th week at #1)

Personal
It was this blogger’s first full day in London, Ontario, and I visited the campus of the University of Western Ontario for the first time.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference Finals
Montreal 3 @ Philadelphia 4 (OT) (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 1-0)

20 years ago
1992

Law
Voters in a plebiscite in the Northwest Territories narrowly approved a boundary change making possible the ratification of a land claim agreement between the Government of Canada and the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut, giving the eastern Arctic Inuit $1.15 billion over 14 years and ownership of 350,000 square kilometres. An Inuit territory called Nunavut was to be created out of the Northwest Territories in 1999.

Crime
Nearly 1,000 youths in Toronto went on a downtown rampage, smashing windows and looting stores.

Disasters
An airliner en route from Kano, Nigeria to Lagos crashed in a heavily-populated suburb shortly after takeoff, killing at least 148 people, including 76 aboard the plane.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Vancouver 4 Edmonton 0

10 years ago
2002

Horse racing
War Emblem, with Victor Espinoza aboard, won the 128th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:01.13 seconds. Proud Citizen placed second and Perfect Drift finished third.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Toronto 3 Ottawa 2 (3 OT)