April 22, 2013

1,775 years ago
238

Politics and government
The Roman Senate outlawed Emperor Maximinus Thrax for his bloodthirsty proscriptions in Rome and nominated two of its members, Pupienus and Balbinus, to the throne.

80 years ago
1933

Died on this date
Henry Royce, 70. U.K. industrialist. With Charles Stewart Rolls, Mr. Royce founded the automobile manufacturer Rolls-Royce Limited, manufacturing their first car in 1904.

60 years ago
1953

On the radio
I Was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews

50 years ago
1963

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the satellite Cosmos 15.

Politics and government
A new government took office in Canada as Prime Minister Lester Pearson and his cabinet were sworn in. Mr. Pearson had led the Liberal Party to a minority government in the April 8 federal election, ending the six-year reign of the Progressive Conservatives under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.

Education
The Quebec Royal Commission on Education recommended formation of a Quebec Ministry of Education and complete reorganization of education in the province. Education in Quebec was then largely controlled by the Roman Catholic Church.

40 years ago
1973

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

WHA
Avco World Trophy
East Division Finals
New England 2 @ Cleveland 5 (New England led best-of-seven series 3-1)

West Division Finals
Houston 0 @ Winnipeg 2 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Gary Jarrett scored 3 goals and Ron Buchanan added 2 more as the Crusaders staved off elimination against the Whalers at Cleveland Arena.

Dunc Rousseau scored with 4:31 remaining in regulation time and Norm Beaudin scored into an empty net in the last minute as the Jets blanked the Aeros at Winnipeg Arena. Ernie Wakely won the goaltending duel over Don McLeod.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Let's Dance--David Bowie

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Too Shy--Kajagoogoo (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Earl "Fatha" Hines, 79. U.S. jazz pianist. Mr. Hines was one of the giants in the history of jazz; Count Basie called him "the greatest piano player in the world." "Fatha" began to play piano in the area around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a teenager; he made his first recordings in 1923, and in 1925 settled in Chicago, where he met Louis Armstrong. They played together in Carroll Dickerson’s band, which by 1927 had become Mr. Armstrong’s band, under the direction of Mr. Hines. The band soon became known as the Hot Five; their most famous recording was Weatherbird, a duet between Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Hines. In 1928 (on his 25th birthday) Earl Hines began leading his own band; for more than 10 years Mr. Hines’ band was "The Band" at Al Capone’s Grand Terrace Cafe. From the Grand Terrace, Mr. Hines’ band broadcast on "open mikes," and became the most widely broadcast band in America. Mr. Hines continued to record, and led his band until it broke up in 1947. Mr. Hines rejoined Louis Armstrong’s band in 1949, but left in 1951. "Fatha’s" popularity gradually declined through the 1950s, and he retired in the early 1960s. Mr. Hines was rediscovered as an artist in 1964 after a series of recitals in New York, leading to a busy recording and performing schedule that occupied the rest of his life. In 1966 he topped Downbeat magazine’s international critics’ poll for the magazine’s Hall of Fame, and was also chosen as Downbeat’s "#1 Jazz Pianist" (an honour he went on to win five more times). During a 6-week U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of the U.S.S.R. in 1968, Mr. Hines played to sellout crowds at the Kiev Sports Palace; Soviet authorities subsequently cancelled his Moscow and Leningrad appearances on the grounds of being "culturally dangerous." Earl Hines gave his last performance in Oakland just a few days before his death.

John Louis Evans, 33. U.S. murderer. Mr. Evans was executed for the 1977 robbery and murder in Mobile, Alabama of pawnshop owner Edward Nassar. He became the first person put to death in Alabama's electric chair since 1965. The execution was botched, and it took three attempts and 14 minutes for Mr. Evans to die.

Journalism
The West German magazine Stern announced that it had obtained 60 volumes of diaries written by Adolf Hitler between 1932 and 1945. It was said that the diaries had been flown out of Berlin in the last days of World War II, and that the plane had crashed near Bornersdorf, in present East Germany. The diaries had reportedly been recovered from the crash and come into the hands of a Stern reporter, who bought them with up to $4 million U.S. of the magazine’s money. Stern began publishing the diaries, which consisted mostly of banalities, even while historians argued over their authenticity.

Politics and government
The Italian Socialist Party decided to withdraw from the nation's ruling coalition.

World events
Great Britain performed a nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site.

Law
Under Judge Samuel Grange, the Ontario Royal Commission of inquiry into deaths of 28 babies at Hospital for Sick Children began. Nurse Susan Nelles had been wrongly charged in 1981 with the murders of four of the infants.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index had risen 0.1% in March.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
New York Islanders 5 @ New York Rangers 2 (Islanders won best-of-seven series 4-2)
Boston 3 @ Buffalo 5 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Heart--Pet Shop Boys

Died on this date
Irene Rich, 96. U.S. actress. Mrs. Rich was a leading lady in movies in the 1920s and ‘30s; her forte was "women’s pictures," usually tearjerkers. Her films included Beau Brummel (1924); Lady Windermere’s Fan (1925); So This is London (1930); Manhattan Tower (1932); The Mortal Storm (1940); Fort Apache (1948); and her last picture, Joan of Arc (1948). Miss Rich achieved success on radio as star of Dear John (a.k.a. The Irene Rich Show), an anthology series that began in 1933 and lasted for more than a decade. Her leading man was Gale Gordon. Miss Rich made one television appearance, in an episode of the Chevrolet Tele-Theatre in 1949.

Personal
It was the last day of the winter term at the University of Western Ontario’s School of Library and Information Science, and for some of us (including this blogger), their last day of classes after 42 weeks--a very enjoyable day indeed. Lunch at J.J. McGinnis’ with Beth Stover and JoAnn Wong added to the occasion. Festivities continued that evening at the Elephant & Castle in downtown London.

Law
Justice Willard Estey retired from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Finals
Montreal 1 @ Boston 3 (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Washington 4 @ New Jersey 10 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Patrik Sundstrom tied the playoff record of 8 points in a playoff game (3 goals and 5 assists) as the Devils routed the Capitals at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford. Mark Johnson scored 4 goals for New Jersey.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Fever--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
This blogger, with enjoyable female company, attended a screening of The Black Pirate at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, with musical accompaniment by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The film was shown in its original two-colour Techicolor form.

Americana
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in Washington, D.C.

War
Twelve Balkan experts in the U.S. State Department told Secretary of State Warren Christopher that diplomacy had failed and that it was time to launch military action against Serbs.

Technology
Version 1.0 of the Mosaic web browser was released.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Semi-Finals
Boston 3 @ Buffalo 4 (OT) (Buffalo led best-of-seven series 3-0)
Quebec 1 @ Montreal 2 (OT) (Quebec led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Pittsburgh 4 @ New Jersey 3 (Pittsburgh led best-of-seven series 3-0)
Washington 3 @ New York Islanders 4 (OT) (New York led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Yuri Kmylev's second goal of the game, on a powerplay at 1:05 of the 1st overtime period, gave the Sabres their win over the Bruins at War Memorial Auditorium.

Vincent Damphousse scored at 10:30 of the 1st overtime period to give the Canadiens their win over the Nordiques at the Montreal Forum.

Ray Ferraro scored at 4:46 of the 1st overtime period to give the Islanders their win over the Capitals at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale. Steve Thomas scored the first 2 New York goals, and Pierre Turgeon scored the third Islander goal with 43 seconds remaining in regulation time to send the game into overtime.

Baseball
Chris Bosio pitched a no-hitter to lead the Seattle Mariners over the Boston Red Sox 7-0 at the Kingdome in Seattle.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Martha Griffiths, 91. U.S. politician. Mrs. Griffiths, a Democrat, represented Michigan's 17th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1955-1974 before becoming the first woman to be elected Michigan's Lieutenant Governor, holding the post from 1983-1991. She was the person most responsible for including prohibition of discriimination on the basis of sex in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Felice Bryant, 77. U.S. songwriter. Born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto, Felice and her husband Boudleaux Bryant wrote country and pop songs such as Bye Bye Love; All I Have to Do is Dream; Love Hurts; and Rocky Top.

Mike Larrabee, 69. U.S. athlete. Mr. Larrabee won the gold medal in the men's 400-metre run at the 1964 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, and ran the second leg for the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the men's 4 X 400 metre relay run.

Religion
Mirza Masror Ahmad was elected Khalifatul Masih V, Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims in Iraq began a journey to Karbala to participate in an annual observance that had been banned by recently-deposed President Saddam Hussein. Many participants called for U.S. forces to leave Iraq.

Politics and government
An election commission declared that incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo had been re-elected President of Nigeria on April 19 with 60% of the vote to 20% for opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari. Mr. Buhari rejected the count, accusing Mr. Obasanjo's party of fraud.

Economics and finance
U.S. President George W. Bush appointed Federal Reserve Board chairman Alan Greenspan to a fifth term. Mr. Greenspan's current term was to expire in June 2004.