May 27, 2012

175 years ago
1837

Born on this date
"Wild Bill" Hickok. U.S. lawman. A teamster, scout and spy for the Union in the U.S. Civil War, Mr. Hickok held a number of law enforcement positions in the west before being shot and killed in Deadwood, Colorado on August 2, 1876.

120 years ago
1892

Disasters
31 people were killed when a cyclone destroyed two towns in Kansas.

90 years ago
1922

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Christopher Lee! The legendary actor was born in London.

75 years ago
1937

Americana
The Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco and Marin County, California, was officially opened for "Pedestrian Day."

Baseball
Mel Ott's 7th home run of the season gave the New York Giants a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The winning pitcher was Carl Hubbell, and the win was his 24th straight in regular season play going back to the previous year.

70 years ago
1942

World events
Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi bureaucrat whose titles were Deputy Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Director of the Reich Main Security Office, and President of Interpol, was seriously injured when Jan Kubis, one of the leaders of a British-trained team of Czech and Slovak soldiers carrying out an assassination attempt code-named Operation Anthropoid, threw a bomb into Mr. Heydrich’s car as it was crossing a bridge in Prague. Josef Gabcik, another of the leaders of the plot, had attempted to shoot Mr. Heydrich, but his machine gun had jammed, and Mr. Kubis had thrown his bomb after Mr. Heydrich had decided to take on the attackers after ordering his driver to stop.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Debt, starring Conrad Janis, Brian Keith, and Paul Ford

Defense
West Germany joined the European Defense Community. Meanwhile, East Germany decreed a prohibited zone three miles deep along its 600-mile border with West Germany, and separated Berlin’s telephone system into two sections and cut many of its lines to the West.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Metal Guru--T. Rex (2nd week at #1)

Rhodesia's Top 10 (Lyons Maid)
1 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon (7th week at #1)
2 Son of My Father--Chicory Tip
3 American Pie--Don McLean
4 Beautiful Sunday--Daniel Boone
5 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
6 Sacramento--Middle of the Road
7 Poppa Joe--The Sweet
8 Without You--Nilsson
9 Beg, Steal or Borrow--The New Seekers
10 Softly Whispering I Love You--The Congregation

Singles entering the chart were How Do You Do? by the Rising Sons (#17); A Horse with No Name by America (#18); and Black Dog by Led Zeppelin (#19).

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 A Horse with No Name--America
2 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
3 Without You--Nilsson
4 Most People I Know Think that I'm Crazy--The Aztecs
5 American Pie, Parts I and II--Don McLean
6 Morning Has Broken/I Want to Live in a Wigwam--Cat Stevens
7 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
8 Joy--Apollo 100
9 Hurting Each Other--Carpenters
10 Ranger's Waltz--The Mom and Dads

Singles entering the chart were Back Off Boogaloo by Ringo Starr (#21); Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O'Sullivan (#28); and Everything I Own by Bread (#36).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Oh Girl--Chi-Lites

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I'll Take You There--Staple Singers (2nd week at #1)
2 Oh Girl--Chi-Lites
3 Look What You've Done for Me--Al Green
4 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack
5 The Candy Man--Sammy Davis, Jr. with the Mike Curb Congregation
6 Little Bitty Pretty One--The Jackson 5
7 Hot Rod Lincoln--Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen
8 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard--Paul Simon
9 Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love--Love Unlimited
10 Back Off Boogaloo--Ringo Starr

Singles entering the chart were People Make the World Go Round by the Stylistics (#76); Ride, Sally, Ride by Dennis Coffey (#80); Rip Off by Laura Lee (#82); Conquistador by Procol Harum with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (#85); School's Out by Alice Cooper (#88); We're on Our Way by Chris Hodge (#91); Kate by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three (#93); Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) by the Detroit Emeralds (#94); Darling Be Home Soon by the Association (#95); Tell Me This is a Dream by the Delfonics (#96); Francene by ZZ Top (#98); It's the Same Old Love by Courtship (#99); and After Midnight by J.J. Cale (#100). Conquistador was recorded live at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton on November 18, 1971.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack (2nd week at #1)
2 Back Off Boogaloo--Ringo Starr
3 Vincent--Don McLean
4 Doctor My Eyes--Jackson Browne
5 Taxi--Harry Chapin
6 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard--Paul Simon
7 Morning has Broken--Cat Stevens
8 You Could Have Been a Lady--April Wine
9 Hot Rod Lincoln--Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen
10 A Cowboys Work is Never Done--Sonny and Cher

Singles entering the chart were It Doesn't Matter by Stephen Stills (#76); Rainshowers by Pagliaro (#83); Conquistador by Procol Harum with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (#86); After the Gold Rush by Tommy Graham (#93); Powder Blue Mercedes Queen by the Raiders (#96); Le Train du Nord by Marie-Claire and Richard Seguin (#98) and Superwoman (Where were You When I Needed You) by Stevie Wonder (#100). Conquistador was originally released as the B-side (and was now the A-side) of A Salty Dog, which had peaked at #84 on March 25.

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
2 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack
3 Hot Rod Lincoln--Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen
4 Sylvia's Mother--Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
5 The Family of Man--Three Dog Night
6 Song Sung Blue--Neil Diamond
7 Young New Mexican Puppeteer--Tom Jones
8 Taos New Mexico--R. Dean Taylor
9 Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love--Love Unlimited
10 Baby Blue--Badfinger
Pick hit of the week: Masquerade--Edward Bear

Defense
U.S. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird ordered the U.S. Army to halt construction of the Safeguard antiballistic missile system installation at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, and to suspend plans for future work on other projected sites as well as all ABM research and development programs. The order came less than 24 hours after U.S. President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev had signed agreements in Moscow limiting their arsenals.

Disasters
Almost 500 people in India had died as a result of a month-long heat wave.

Auto racing
Mark Donohue won the first Indianapolis 500. It was the first Indianapolis 500 in which bolt-on wings were allowed to be affixed to cars, and the result was the fastest winning speed in Indianapolis 500 to that time. 11 of the 33 cars that started the race were still running at the end. Mr. Donohue's teammate Gary Bettenhausen led 138 of 200 laps, but dropped out with ignition trouble with 25 laps remaining. Mr. Donohue led for just the last 13 laps. Jerry Grant, who had apparently finished second, was disqualified and bumped back to 12th place for illegally borrowing fuel from teammate Bobby Unser's tank after Mr. Grant overshot his box during his final pit stop. This blogger listened to the radio broadcast carried by CFYK in Yellowknife, the last time the station carried the broadcast.





30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
Edmonton’s Top 10 (CFRN)
1 Ebony and Ivory—Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder (2nd week at #1)
2 Always on My Mind—Willie Nelson
3 I’ve Never Been to Me—Charlene
4 Six Months in a Leaky Boat—Split Enz
5 Did it in a Minute—Daryl Hall & John Oates
6 Making Love—Roberta Flack
7 Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me—Juice Newton
8 Just to Satisfy You—Waylon and Willie
9 The Other Woman—Ray Parker, Jr.
10 Rosanna—Toto

War
Iran announced that fierce battles were being fought in the hills of western Iran, 80 miles from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The report also admitted that Iraqi gunners were shelling the Iranian port city of Khurramshahr, which had been recaptured by Iranian forces several days earlier. Iraq claimed that 55 Iranians had been killed on this day.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): You're the Voice--John Farnham (8th week at #1)

On television tonight
Nightline, hosted by Ted Koppel, on ABC

Disgraced televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were the guests, and Nightline achieved the highest ratings in its history. I was able to see the program on the set in my London, Ontario basement suite despite not having a cable connection, and it was broadcast on a cable station.



Died on this date
John Howard Northrop, 95. U.S. biochemist. Dr. Northrop shared the 1946 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with James Sumner and Wendell Stanley "for their preparation of enzymes and virus proteins in a pure form." Dr. Northrop died on May 27, 1987 at the age of 95.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): It's My Life--Dr. Alban

Environment
Environment Canada announced plans to issue a daily ultraviolet radiation index to remind Canadians about the dangers of overexposure to the sun.