May 24, 2012

60 years ago
1952

Hit Parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Blue Tango--Leroy Anderson and his "Pops" Concert Orchestra (Best Seller--2nd week at #1); Kiss of Fire--Georgia Gibbs (Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1); A Guy is a Guy--Doris Day (Juke Box--1st week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Blue Tango--Leroy Anderson and his "Pops" Concert Orchestra (5th week at #1)
--Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra
2 A Guy is a Guy--Doris Day
3 Wheel of Fortune--Kay Starr
4 The Blacksmith Blues--Ella Mae Morse
5 Kiss of Fire--Georgia Gibbs
--Tony Martin
6 I'll Walk Alone--Don Cornell
--Jane Froman
7 I'm Yours--Don Cornell
--Eddie Fisher
8 Forgive Me--Eddie Fisher
9 Any Time--Eddie Fisher
10 Delicado--Percy Faith and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were You by Sammy Kaye with his Swing and Sway Strings (#21); I Understand by the Four Aces (#22); Here in My Heart by Al Martino (#27); Carioca by Les Paul (#28); Somewhere Along the Way by Nat "King" Cole (#31); and With a Song in My Heart by Jane Froman (#38). With a Song in My Heart, the B-side (or maybe the A-side) of I'll Walk Alone, was the title song of a biographical film about Miss Froman, starring Susan Hayward. Somewhere Along the Way was the B-side (or maybe the A-side) of What Does it Take for You to Take Me, which charted at #50.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Good Luck Charm--Elvis Presley

Space
U.S. astronaut Scott Carpenter, in a spacecraft named Aurora 7, made his only space flight, lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida for 3 orbits of Earth on the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission (see video).

















40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Asta Nielsen, 90. Danish actress. Miss Nielsen was a star in German silent movies from 1910-1927.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Richard Nixon and U.S.S.R. Premier Aleksei Kosygin agreed on a joint space flight in 1975, and signed a five-year science pact setting up a permanent commission on scientific and technical cooperation.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Love Rock 'N' Roll--Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (4th week at #1)

Personal
This blogger spent a pleasant day with other members of the CPR Stockholders of Edmonton at the home of Peter and Audrey Wood in St. Albert, Alberta.

War
Iran claimed that it had recaptured the Iranian port city of Khurramshahr and that it had taken 30,000 Iraqi prisoners who had surrendered after their commander had been killed.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Lean on Me--Club Nouveau (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Viens boire un p'tit coup à la maison--License IV (7th week at #1)

Auto racing
Al Unser, Sr., who was without a ride at the beginning of May, won the Indianapolis 500 for the fourth time, tying a record held by A.J. Foyt. Mr. Unser had won in 1970, 1971, and 1978, but didn’t have an opportunity to participate in the 1987 race until Danny Ongais was injured in a practice crash, and Mr. Unser was hired as his replacement.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Edmonton 4 @ Philadelphia 1 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 3-1)







20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Tears in Heaven--Eric Clapton (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): To Be with You--Mr. Big (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: To Be with You--Mr. Big (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
General Suchinda Kraprayoon resigned as Premier of Thailand in the face of widespread protest against his regime and in favour of democratic reform. Five parties had withdrawn their support for Gen. Kraprayoon, and Thailand’s major political parties had agreed in principle on May 9 to constitutional amendments requiring that the country’s premier be an elected member of the legislature, and curtailing military power. Gen. Kraprayoon had seized power in a coup in 1991 and had become Premier in April 1992.

Auto racing
Al Unser, Jr. held off Scott Goodyear to win the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in the closest finish in the race’s history to date. Cold weather helped contribute to the slowest Indianapolis 500 since 1958, including a crash on the pace lap when Roberto Guerrero, driving from the pole position, spun out on cold tires and crashed into a wall, putting him out of the race before it officially started. Mr. Goodyear started 33rd and last in the field, but gradually worked his way to the front, where he just failed to overtake Mr. Unser at the finish line. It was the 35th and last Indianapolis 500 for four-time winner A.J. Foyt.



10 years ago
2002

Diplomacy
U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty pledging each nation to deactivate nuclear warheads until there were no more than 2,200 active nuclear warheads each by 2012.

Politics and government
Amadou Toumani Toure was elected President of Mali.

Scandal
Sandra Baldwin resigned as president of the U.S. Olympic Committee after admitting that her resume contained false information.