April 21, 2013

940 years ago
1073

Died on this date
Alexander II. Roman Catholic Pope, 1061-1073. Born Anselmo da Baggio in Milan, Alexander tried to suppress simony and enforce clerical celibacy. He opposed using force to convert Jews to Roman Catholicism, but called for a crusade against the Moors in Spain. Alexander II succeeded Nicholas II as pope and was succeeded by Gregory VII.

150 years ago
1863

Religion
Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, declared his mission as "He whom God shall make manifest".

140 years ago
1873

Scandal
The Canadian Parliament passed the Oaths Act, giving the parliamentary select committee investigating the Canadian Pacific Railway Company power to question witnesses under oath. The committee had been convened amid accusations by the opposition Liberals that CPR head Sir Hugh Allan had obtained the charter for the railway by contributing to the governing Conservative party in the federal election campaign of 1872. The Oaths Act was declared unconstitutional three months later.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Duel, starring Eva Gabor, Roger Dann, Arnold Moss, and Mark Richman



50 years ago
1963

Religion
The Universal House of Justice of the Bahá'í Faith was elected for the first time, on the 100th anniversary of Bahá'í Faith founder Bahá'u'lláh's declaration of his mission.

Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson (26-2) won a 12-round decision over Brian London (28-10) at Johanneshov Ice Stadium in Stockholm. Mr. Johansson was saved by the bell when Mr. London knocked him down in the final seconds, and the bell sounded to end the fight with the count at 4 and Mr. Johansson still on the floor. Mr. Johansson was subsequently suspended from boxing for a month in the interests of his health, but chose to retire instead.



Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles 126 @ Boston 119 (Boston led best-of-seven series 3-2)

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack
2 You're So Vain--Carly Simon
3 Dueling Banjos--Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
4 Crocodile Rock--Elton John
5 Top of the World--Carpenters
6 Funny Face--Donna Fargo
7 I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo
8 Separate Ways--Elvis Presley
9 Your Mama Don't Dance--The Bootleg Family
10 Do You Want to Dance?--Bette Midler

Singles entering the chart were Dead Skunk by Loudon Wainwright III (#18); Part of the Union by the Strawbs (#25); The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence (#30); and Blue Moon by Winston Francis (#34).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence
2 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
3 Little Willy--The Sweet
4 The Cisco Kid--War
5 Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)--Four Tops
6 Sing--Carpenters
7 Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)--Gladys Knight and the Pips
8 Danny's Song--Anne Murray
9 The Twelfth of Never--Donny Osmond
10 Masterpiece--The Temptations

Singles entering the chart were Bad, Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce (#79); Hey You! Get Off My Mountain by the Dramatics (#81); You Can't Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones (#82); Only in Your Heart by America (#85); One of a Kind (Love Affair) by the Spinners (#86); You Don't Know What Love Is by Susan Jacks (#91); Fool Like You by Tim Moore (#94); Outlaw Man by David Blue (#96); Percolator by Hot Butter (#97); Long Train Runnin' by the Doobie Brothers (#98); and Music Everywhere by Tufano and Giammarese (#100).

Canada's Top 10 RPM)
1 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
2 Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack
3 The Cover of "Rolling Stone"--Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
4 Sing--Carpenters
5 The Twelfth of Never--Donny Osmond
6 You Don't Know What Love Is--Susan Jacks
7 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence
8 Dead Skunk--Loudon Wainwright III
9 Daddy's Home--Jermaine Jackson
10 Stir it Up--Johnny Nash

Singles entering the chart were Steamroller Blues by Elvis Presley (#92); Once-Loved Woman, Once-Loved Man by Marty Butler (#96); Hey Miss Maybe by Greg Mittler (#97); Last Tango in Paris by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (#98); Part of the Union by the Strawbs (#99); and Bitter Bad by Melanie (#100). Last Tango in Paris was a version of the theme from the movie.

Calgary’s Top 10
1 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
2 You Don't Know What Love Is--Susan Jacks
3 The Cover of "Rolling Stone"--Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
4 Little Willy--The Sweet
5 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence
6 Walk on the Wild Side--Lou Reed
7 Wildflower--Skylark
8 Dead Skunk--Loudon Wainwright III
9 The Cisco Kid--War
10 Orly--The Guess Who
Pick hit of the week: Stuck in the Middle with You--Stealers Wheel

Died on this date
Arthur Fadden, 79. Prime Minister of Australia, 1941. Sir Arthur, a member of the Country Party, served in the federal House of Representatives from 1936-1958. On August 29, 1941, he became Prime Minister when he was chosen to lead the United Australia Party, a coalition between the Country Party and the National Party that formed the government. Mr. Fadden's budget was defeated on a vote in the House of Representatives on October 3, and Mr. Fadden submitted his government's resignation to Governor General Lord Gowrie that day. Opposition leader John Curtin was officially sworn in as Prime Minister on October 7, ending Mr. Fadden's brief time in office. Sir Arthur died eight days after his 79th birthday.

Hal Ledyard, 41. U.S.-born Canadian football player. A quarterback, Mr. Ledyard is perhaps best remembered for the quarterbacks he backed up and shared playing time with: Y.A. Tittle in San Francisco; Russ Jackson in Ottawa; Kenny Ploen in Winnipeg; and Ron Lancaster in Saskatchewan. An alumnus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he began his professional football career as a third-string quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL in 1953, seeing little action. Mr. Ledyard spent 1954 and 1955 in the United States Army playing quarterback for the football team at the base in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He joined the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in 1956 and quarterbacked them to their first playoff appearance in five years. In 1957 and 1958, Mr. Ledyard shared the Ottawa quarterbacking duties, first with Tom Dimitroff, and then with Russ Jackson. In 1959 Mr. Ledyard was traded to the Toronto Argonauts, but was cut from the team before the start of the regular season. He then joined the Sarnia Golden Bears as quarterback and punter, and led them to the Ontario Rugby Football Union championship that year. In 1960 Mr. Ledyard added the title of head coach to his quarterbacking and punting duties, but the Golden Bears finished third and last in the ORFU with a 3-7 record. The ORFU ceased to exist as a true senior league after 1960, but Mr. Ledyard was signed by the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He backed up starting quarterback Kenny Ploen as the Blue Bombers won Grey Cups in 1961 and 1962, getting to play when Mr. Ploen would occasionally take a break from quarterbacking to play in the defensive backfield. Perhaps the most memorable moment of Mr. Ledyard's career occurred on August 29, 1963, when he came off the bench late in the game to direct a comeback and throw the winning touchdown pass as the Blue Bombers edged the British Columbia Lions 16-15 at Winnipeg Stadium. Early in the 1965 season Mr. Ledyard was dealt to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he finished the season and his career. When the Roughriders paid a visit to Winnipeg Stadium, Mr. Ledyard was honoured by his former team. He became a permanent resident of Winnipeg, and became a Canadian citizen in 1962. Mr. Ledyard held a number of jobs during and after his playing career, including a season (1971) as colour commentator on CTV's telecasts of CFL Western Conference games. By 1973 he was employed with a beer company, reportedly in a position as an executive that required him to split his time between Winnipeg and California. He was reported to be on either a vacation or a business trip when he drowned at Monterey Bay, off Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Beach in California. The drowning was reported as accidental, but scuttlebutt in Winnipeg said otherwise. Mr. Ledyard's son Grant played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1984-1999. Wayne, an older son, played tight end for the University of Manitoba Bisons football team in the mid-late 1970s.

Diplomacy
The United Nations Security Council voted 11-0 to condemn the April 10 Israeli raids on Arab guerrilla bases in Lebanon and "all acts of violence which endanger or take innocent human lives."

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
East Division Finals
New England 5 @ Cleveland 4 (New England led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Tim Sheehy scored 2 goals in the 3rd period to enable the Whalers to edge the Crusaders at Cleveland Arena.

30 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Walter Slezak, 80. Austria-Hungarian-born U.S. actor. Mr. Slezak, a native of Vienna, appeared in silent films in Germany, beginning with Sodom und Gomorrha in 1922. He made his first Broadway appearance at the end of 1930 in Meet My Sister, and eventually settled in the United States, although he didn’t appear in a Hollywood movie until Once Upon a Honeymoon in 1942. He was memorable as a resourceful Nazi in Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat (1944), but became a more familiar presence on screen (usually as a villain) in comedies such as The Princess and the Pirate (1944); The Inspector General (1949); Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950); and Bedtime for Bonzo (1951). A return to Broadway brought him a Tony award in 1955 as Best Actor (Musical) for Fanny. Mr. Slezak’s last Broadway appearance took place in The Gazebo, which ran from December 1958 to June 1959. Mr. Slezak made many appearances in television shows, starting with Suspense in 1950-1951, where he appeared in five episodes. In 1966 he played Clock King in a two-part episode of Batman; his last appearance came in a two-part episode of The Love Boat in 1980. By 1983 he was suffering from several illnesses, and he shot himself in the back yard of his home in Flower Hill, New York.

Diplomacy
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that the United States was expelling three Soviet diplomats for espionage.

Defense
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifying before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, endorsed the proposals of a commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan which recommended building and deploying MX missiles in silos in Nebraska and Wyoming.

Politics and government
John Glenn, former astronaut and current United States Senator from Ohio, announced from his hometown of New Concord his candidacy for the 1984 Democratic party nomination for President of the United States. Meanwhile, the Democrats chose San Francisco as the site of their convention, to be held in July 1984.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Together Forever--Rick Astley (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): On kesäyö/Viimeinen laulu--Topi Sorsakoski & J. Karjalainen (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
I.A.L. Diamond, 67. Romanian-born U.S. screenwriter. Mr. Diamond was best-known for his screenplays written with and for Billy Wilder from the late 1950s through 1981: Love in the Afternoon (1957); Some Like it Hot (1959); The Apartment (1960); One, Two, Three (1961); Irma La Douce (1963); Kiss Me, Stupid (1964); The Fortune Cookie (1966); The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970); Avanti! (1972); The Front Page (1974); Fedora (1978); and Buddy Buddy (1981). Some of these movies are regarded as classics; the screenplay for The Apartment won the Academy Award. However, Kiss Me, Stupid was a disaster that almost ended Mr. Wilder’s career, and Buddy Buddy was so bad that it did end the careers of both Mr. Wilder and Mr. Diamond. Other movies for which Mr. Diamond wrote screenplays included Murder in the Blue Room (1944); Monkey Business (1952); Merry Andrew (1958); and Cactus Flower (1969).

Politics and government
Al Gore, United States Senator from Tennessee, ended his active campaign for the 1988 Democratic Party U.S. presidential nomination after taking just 10% of the vote in the New York primary two days earlier.

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 312-107 to approve a trade bill that would mandate tougher steps by the United States government to open up foreign markets and punish unfair trade practices by other countries. Some protection would be granted to industries injured by imports, and the windfall profits tax on oil would be repealed. President Ronald Reagan threatened to veto the bill because he objected to a provision requiring that workers receive 60 days’ notice of a plant closing or layoffs. Mr. Reagan argued that this would discourage the creation of jobs and the expansion of business.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference
Division Finals
St. Louis 0 @ Detroit 6 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Edmonton 5 @ Calgary 4 (OT) (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Wayne Gretzky's second goal of the game, a shorthanded goal at 7:54 of the 1st overtime period, gave the Oilers their win over the Flames at Olympic Saddledome.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Informer--Snow

World events
The Supreme Court of Bolivia in La Paz sentenced former dictator Luis Garcia Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution.

Protest
A siege by prisoners in Lucasville, Ohio ended after nine days when inmates promised to release the eight guards they had been holding as hostages and return to their cells. The death toll was nine prisoners and a guard.

Environment
U.S. President Bill Clinton announced plans for a timetable to reduce global warming and to sign an international treaty protecting rare and endangered species.

Economics and finance
Democrats in the United States Senate bowed to a Republican filibuster and agreed to limit a bill favoured by President Bill Clinton to $4 billion to extend unemployment vbenefits.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference
Division Semi-Finals
St. Louis 2 @ Chicago 0 (St. Louis led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Toronto 2 @ Detroit 6 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Winnipeg 2 @ Vancouver 3 (Vancouver led best-of-series 2-0)
Los Angeles 4 @ Calgary 9 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

IIHF World Men's Championship @ Munich
Canada 4 Sweden 1

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Nina Simone, 70. U.S. singer and musician. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, Ms. Simone was a jazz singer and pianist who recorded--live and in studio--more than 30 successful albums from 1958-1993. She was a civil rights activist in the 1960s, advocating violent revolution and a separate state for Negroes. Ms. Simone eventually left the United States and spent her last years in France.

Diplomacy
Lieutenant General Jay Garner (retired), head of the U.S. Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, quietly entered Baghdad and pledged to restore essential services to the Iraqi capital and establish an interim government in the country.

Politics and government
Two days after Olusegun Obasanjo had been re-elected President of Nigeria with 62% of the vote, international monitors expressed concern about fraud and intimidation in some parts of the country.