April 20, 2013

710 years ago
1303

Academia
Sapienza – Università di Roma was instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.

560 years ago
1453

War
Three Genoese galleys escorting a Byzantine transport fought their way through the huge Ottoman blockade fleet and into the Golden Horn in the last naval battle in Byzantine history.

360 years ago
1653

Politics and government
English Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament, what was left of the House of Commons after the execution of King Charles I in 1949. Mr. Cromwell's statement to the House reportedly included the words, "You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately ... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"

120 years ago
1893

Politics and government
Prince Edward Island amalgamated its Legislative Council with the Assembly.

60 years ago
1953

War
The United Nations and North Korea began exchanging sick and wounded prisoners under Operation "Little Switch."

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): In Dreams--Roy Orbison (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: L'école est Finie--Sheila

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Come te non c'è nessuno--Rita Pavone (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ich kauf' mir lieber einen Tirolerhut--Billy Mo (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): How Do You Do It--Gerry and the Pacemakers (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): He's So Fine--The Chiffons (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 He's So Fine--The Chiffons (4th week at #1)
2 Can't Get Used to Losing You--Andy Williams
3 I Will Follow Him--Little Peggy March
4 Baby Workout--Jackie Wilson
5 Puff the Magic Dragon--Peter, Paul and Mary
6 South Street--The Orlons
7 The End of the World--Skeeter Davis
8 Our Day Will Come--Ruby and the Romantics
9 Young Lovers--Paul and Paula
10 Pipeline--Chantays

Singles entering the chart were Another Saturday Night by Sam Cooke (#70); Ain't That a Shame! by the 4 Seasons (#71); This Little Girl by Dion (#72); Remember Diana by Paul Anka (#73); You Can't Sit Down by the Dovells (#78); El Watusi by Ray Barretto (#83); The Bounce by the Olympics (#88); Two Kinds of Teardrops by Del Shannon (#89); Hot Pastrami with Mashed Potatoes (Part 1) by Joey Dee and the Starliters (#91); If You Need Me, with versions by Solomon Burke; and Wilson Pickett (#94); Mother, Please! by Jo Ann Campbell (#96); Do It--Rat Now by Bill Black's Combo (#97); Shame, Shame, Shame by Jimmy Reed (#98); Da Doo Ron Ron by the Crystals (#100); and Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis (also #100).

Died on this date
Wilfred O'Neill, 65. Canadian terrorism victim. Mr. O'Neill, a night watchman, was killed by a terrorist bomb placed in a garbage container at the Montreal army recruiting centre. The bomb was the work of the new Front de Libération du Quebec, and Mr. O'Neill was the first victim of the FLQ.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Crocodile Rock--Elton John (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Der Junge mit der Mundharmonika--Bernd Clüver (2nd week at #1)

Space
Anik-II was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was Canada's second communications satellite, and the world's first commercial satellite in orbit.

Scandal
Former U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell, testifying before a grand jury investigating the June 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex in Washington, admitted that he had heard discussions of the bugging plans during the 1972 election campaign, but had never approved them. Prior to his testimony, Mr. Mitchell had maintained that the entire Watergate affair had been a complete surprise and mystery to him.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
East Division Finals
Cleveland 2 @ New England 3 (New England led best-of-seven series 2-0)

West Division Finals
Houston 1 @ Winnipeg 5 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Larry Pleau scored 2 goals in the 2nd period, which held up through a scoreless 3rd period as the Whalers edged the Crusaders at Boston Arena.

30 years ago
1983

Weather
It was another hot and beautiful day in Edmonton. Those of us in university were able to be outside studying for exams. It was especially enjoyable if you were able to spend some of that time in the company of a lovely lady.

Politics and government
A United States Senate committee approved a bill providing more economic and military aid to Lebanon, as requested by President Ronald Reagan, but required that the president obtain congressional approval for any expanded U.S. military role in Lebanon.

Diplomacy
Talks on the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon were continuing. It was reported that Israel had dropped demands for military outposts inside Lebanon, but was insisting on joint Israeli-Lebanese patrols. Israel also wanted a continued role for Major Saad Haddad, a pro-Israel commander disliked by Lebanese leaders.

Energy
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a state could bar the development of commercial nuclear power for economic reasons. The decision upheld a California law that forbade the construction of new nuclear plants in the state until the federal government came up with a policy on the storage and disposal of nuclear waste.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the real gross national product had risen 3.1% in March.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
New York Islanders 7 New York Rangers 2
Calgary 1 @ Edmonton 9 (Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Baseball
George Brett belted three home runs, the last a two-run shot in the top of the ninth inning, and drove in seven runs to lead the Royals to an 8-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Allt som jag känner--Tone Norum and Tommy Nilsson (10th week at #1)

World events
The Washington Post reported that the 10-member inner cabinet of Israel had discussed in advance the assassination of Palestine Liberation Organization military leader Khalil al-Wazir, alias Abu Jihad, who had been gunned down on April 16.

Terrorism
Algerian officials negotiated the release of the more than 30 hostages remaining from a Kuwait Airways airliner that had been hijacked on April 5 and flown to Mashhad, Iran, and eventually to Algiers on April 13.

Scandal
U.S. President Ronald Reagan met with Deputy Attorney General Arnold Burns and William Weld, chief of the justice department's criminal division, both of whom had resigned in March in protest against the leadership of Attorney General Edwin Meese. It was reported that Mr. Weld had told President Reagan that he would have sought an indictment against Mr. Meese if he had been the independent counsel. Another blow came that day when John Shepherd withdrew as Mr. Burns's replacement. Mr. Shepherd's membership in two private clubs, one all-white and one all-male, had become an issue, and he had also been accused of improprieties, which he denied, by a former bookkeeper.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the consumer price index had risen 0.5% in March.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Finals
Boston 4 @ Montreal 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
New Jersey 5 @ Washington 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Baseball
Claudell Washington hit the 10,000th home run in New York Yankees history in a 7-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

The Baltimore Orioles set a major league record by losing their 14th consecutive game to start the season. An 8-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers pushed the Orioles past the 1904 Washington Senators and the 1920 Detroit Tigers for the worst start in major league history.

20 years ago
1993

Died on this date
Cantinflas, 81. Mexican comedian and actor. Born Fortino Mario Alfonso Moreno Reyes, Cantinflas was known as the "Charlie Chaplin of Mexico," and was a major movie star there from the late 1930s through the 1970s. His most famous role was as the co-star of Around the World in 80 Days (1956).

Adventure
The 85-foot French catamaran Commodore Explorer, skippered by Bruno Peyron of France, won the Trophy Jules Verne by breaking the 80-day round-the-world sailing barrier in 79 days 6 hours 16 minutes. Mr. Peyron started at Lizard Point on the southwestern coast of England, sailed via the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leewin and Cape Horn, and docked at Ushant, France.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Semi-Finals
Buffalo 4 @ Boston 0 (Buffalo led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Montreal 1 @ Quebec 4 (Quebec led best-of-seven series 2-0)
New Jersey 0 @ Pittsburgh 7 (Pittsburgh led best-of-seven series 2-0)
New York Islanders 5 @ Washington 4 (2OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Brian Mullen scored at 14:50 of the 2nd overtime period to give the Islanders their win over the Capitals at Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. Dale Hunter scored 3 goals for the Capitals, with his third coming with 3 seconds remaining in regulation time, sending the game into overtime. Pierre Turgeon scored the first 2 goals for the Islanders.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Bernard Katz, 92. German-born U.K. biophysicist. Dr. Katz shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1970 with Julius Axelrod and Ulf von Euler for his work in nerve biochemistry.

Daijiro Kato, 26. Japanese motorcycle racer. Mr. Kato won 17 of 53 Grand Prix starts from 1995-2003, and was the 2001 250cc world champion. He died two weeks after suffering serious injuries in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Health
The government of China admitted that it had substantially understated the country's total of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases. Officials also cancelled the week-long May Day celebrations and fired the health minister. Estimates of the disease's death rate ranged from 3%-15%.