May 12, 2012

160 years ago
1852

Died on this date
John Richardson, 55. Canadian-born military officer and author. Major Richardson, a native of Queenston, Upper Canada, served with the British Army in the War of 1812, in the West Indies, and in Spain in the First Carlist War. He was imprisoned for a year in Kentucky after being captured in the War of 1812, and was emotionally haunted by witnessing the execution by Tecumseh's forces of an American prisoner. Maj. Richardson's experiences led him to write novels about North American military events; despite being the grandson of an Ottawa Indian woman, his novels often contained traditional European portrayals of North American Indians. Mr. Richardson's novels included Wacousta (1832) and The Canadian Brothers (1840). He lived in Paris from 1820-1827, travelled throughout Europe, and lived in London before his final military assignment. Maj. Richardson returned to Upper Canada in 1838 and founded newspapers, in addition to writing novels. He was unsuccessful in the position of police superintendent of the Welland Canal (1845-1846), and moved to New York City in 1849. Maj. Richardson was unsuccessful in attempting to establish a literary career in New York, and died in poverty, reportedly of starvation, and was buried in a pauper's grave.

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC

Crime
The body of 20-month-old Charles Lindbergh, Jr., who had been kidnapped on March 1, was discovered by a truck driver in the woods along a road near the Lindbergh family home in New Jersey.

75 years ago
1937

Britannica
King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. It was the first coronation of a British sovereign to be filmed, and to be filmed in colour. It also marked the British Broadcasting Corporations's first outside broadcast, and the world's first global radio broadcast.



70 years ago
1942

At the movies
This Above All, directed by Anatole Litvak, and starring Tyrone Power and Joan Fontaine, opened in theatres.





War
The German submarine U-553,commanded by Kapitänleutnant Karl Thurmann, torpedoed the British merchant ship SS Nicoya, 10 miles off Quebec's Gaspé coast; this was the first ship sunk by the Germans in the Battle of the St. Lawrence. 6 of the 82 on Nicoya were killed, and 76 people survived and were rescued the following morning. Several hours later, U-553 sank the Dutch steamer Leto, with 12 of Leto’s 43 passengers and crew perishing; the U-boat was seeking calmer waters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence after experiencing engine trouble near Halifax. The U.S. tanker SS Virginia was torpedoed in the mouth of the Mississippi River by the German submarine U-507. The United States Senate passed and sent to President Franklin D. Roosevelt a bill to establish a volunteer Woman' Auxiliary Army Corps of 150,000. As a result of the bombing of five German-occupied hotels and the famous Marguery Restaurant, large sections of Paris were isolated by German and French police. Soviet Red Army forces under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko launched a major offensive from the Izium bridgehead in eastern Ukraine. Red Army sources reported that their forces were successfully holding the German assault on Kerch Peninsula at the eastern end of Crimea.

Economics and finance
U.K. Agriculture Minister Lord Woolton announced in the House of Commons that after June 1, restaurants may not charge more than 5 shillings (about $1) or serve more than three courses per meal; music, entertainment, and cover charges would be extra.

Drivers throughout the eastern United States began to register for gasoline ration cards.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Green Thumb, starring George Mitchell and Victor Thorley

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Quando, Quando, Quando--Tony Renis (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Wonderful Land--The Shadows (9th week at #1); Nut Rocker--B. Bumble and the Stingers (1st week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Soldier Boy--The Shirelles (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Soldier Boy--The Shirelles (2nd week at #1)
2 Mashed Potato Time--Dee Dee Sharp
3 Stranger on the Shore--Mr. Acker Bilk
4 Johnny Angel--Shelley Fabares
5 Good Luck Charm--Elvis Presley
6 She Cried--Jay and the Americans
7 P.T. 109--Jimmy Dean
8 Lover Please--Clyde McPhatter
9 Shout (Part 1)--Joey Dee and the Starliters
10 Everybody Loves Me But You--Brenda Lee

Singles entering the chart were I Can't Stop Loving You (#55)/Born to Lose (#87) by Ray Charles; Second Hand Love by Connie Francis (#57); Palisades Park by Freddy Cannon (#65); When I Get Thru with You by Patsy Cline (#69); Bristol Twistin' Annie by the Dovells (#71); How Can I Meet Her? (#74)/That's Old Fashioned (#80) by the Everly Brothers; How is Julie? (#77)/Turn Around, Look at Me (#85) by the Lettermen; I'll Try Something New by the Miracles (#90); The Stripper by David Rose and his Orchestra (#91); The John Birch Society by the Chad Mitchell Trio (#93); Theme from Ben Casey by Valjean (#95); Woman is a Man's Best Friend by Teddy and the Twilights (#96); Cindy's Birthday by Johnny Crawford (#98); That's My Desire by Yvonne Baker and the Sensations (#99); Why'd You Wanna Make Me Cry by Connie Stevens (#100); Snap Your Fingers by Joe Henderson (also #100); and Adios Amigos by Jim Reeves (also #100). When I Get Thru with You was the B-side (or maybe the A-side) of Imagine That, which charted at #84.

Boxing
Harold Johnson (67-8) won a 15-round unanimous decision over Doug Jones (19-2) at Philadelphia Arena to retain his National Boxing Association world light heavyweight title and win New York State Athletic Association recognition as world champion. The NYSAC title was previously vacant.



40 years ago
1972

Health
Authorities reported that a smallpox epidemic had broken out in Bangladesh, with more than 2,500 known cases and more than 700 known deaths. It was estimated that the actual figures were 10 times higher. Health workers put much of the blame on Indian officials, who were accused of refusing to let medical teams from the U.S.A. and other countries into camps of refugees who had returned from India to attack the disease there.

Disasters
A wave of water, created by a day of heavy rain, swept through central Texas hill country, killing 16 and leaving 20-25 missing.

30 years ago
1982

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, starring Graham Armitage and Kerry Jordan, on Springbok Radio
Tonight's episode: The Field Bazaar

Crime
Juan Fernandez Krohn, 32, a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, was overpowered by security guards as he approached Pope John Paul II with a knife while the pope was conducting a ceremony at the shrine of Fatima in Portugal. Fr. Krohn was a follower of Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre, a French bishop who had been suspended because of his opposition to changes in the church made by the Second Vatican Council. The incident occurred the day before the first anniversary of the assassination attempt, also in Fatima, on Pope John Paul by Mehmet Ali Agca.

Defense
The United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a proposal by the administration of President Ronald Reagan to give $60 million in military aid to the government of El Salvador.

25 years ago
1987

Personal
This blogger attended his first class at the University of Western Ontario’s School of Library and Information Science, beginning a 42-week program.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference Finals
Montreal 5 @ Philadelphia 2 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 3-2)

20 years ago
1992

Died on this date
Robert Reed, 59. U.S. actor. Mr. Reed starred in the television series The Defenders (1961-1965) and The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).

10 years ago
2002

Diplomacy
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter began a five-day visit to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.