April 28, 2013

760 years ago
1253

Religion
Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounded the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (To Honour/devote oneself to the Wonderful Law of the Lotus Sutra or Glory to the Sutra of the Lotus of the Supreme Law) for the very first time and declared it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.

510 years ago
1503

War
Spanish forces under the command of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba defeated French forces commanded by the Duke of Nemours in the Battle of Cerignola in what is now Italy. It was the first battle in history won by small arms fire using gunpowder.

225 years ago
1788

Americana
Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the Constitution.

110 years ago
1903

Born on this date
Jim Maloney. U.S. boxer. Mr. Maloney was a heavyweight who compiled a professional record of 51-18-2 from 1924-1934. He had four fights against future world champion Jack Sharkey (1924-1927), losing three. Mr. Maloney was a fish peddler during his boxing career, and later worked as a referee and boxing instructor. He died on August 1, 1971 at the age of 68.

75 years ago
1938

Married on this date
King Zog I of Albania married Countess Geraldine of Hungary.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: F.O.B. Vienna, starring Clement Fowler, Mike Kellin, E.A. Krumschmidt, Walter Matthau, Jayne Meadows, and Robert Webber



50 years ago
1963

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the satellite Cosmos 16.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Power to All Our Friends--Cliff Richard

#1 single in the U.K.: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (2nd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack (2nd week at #1)
2 Funny Face--Donna Fargo
3 Dueling Banjos--Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
4 You're So Vain--Carly Simon
5 Top of the World--Carpenters
6 Crocodile Rock--Elton John
7 Last Song--Edward Bear
8 Separate Ways--Elvis Presley
9 I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo
10 Everything is Out of Season--Johnny Farnham

Singles entering the chart were Also Sprach Sarathustra (2001) by Deodato (#23); Dream Lover by Greyhound (#29); Catfish John by the Hawking Brothers (#30); Oney by Johnny Cash (#31); Do You Wanna Touch Me? by Gary Glitter (#33); Pardon Me Sir by Joe Cocker (#36); Captain Straightman by Thumpin' Pig And Puffin' Billy (#37); and Goondiwindi Grey by Tex Morton (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
2 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence
3 Little Willy--The Sweet
4 The Cisco Kid--War
5 Sing--Carpenters
6 Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)--Four Tops
7 The Twelfth of Never--Donny Osmond
8 Stuck in the Middle with You--Stealers Wheel
9 Masterpiece--The Temptations
10 You are the Sunshine of My Life--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart were Daddy Could Swear, I Declare by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#79); Am I Blue by Cher (#84); Brother's Gonna Work it Out by Willie Hutch (#87); I Like You by Donovan (#88); Together We Can make Such Sweet Music by the Spinners (#95); Cosmic Sea by Mystic Moods (#96); Slip 'N' Slide by Rufus (#97); Your Side of the Bed by Mac Davis (#98); and I Don't Want to Make You Wait by the Delfonics (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (2nd week at #1)
2 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence
3 You Don't Know What Love Is--Susan Jacks
4 The Twelfth of Never--Donny Osmond
5 Sing--Carpenters
6 The First Cut is the Deepest--Keith Hampshire
7 Stir it Up--Johnny Nash
8 Stuck in the Middle with You--Stealers Wheel
9 Little Willy--The Sweet
10 Dead Skunk--Loudon Wainwright III

Singles entering the chart were The Farmer's Song by Murray McLachlan (#81); It Sure Took a Long, Long Time by Lobo (#84); Armed and Extremely Dangerous by First Choice (#87); My Love by Paul McCartney & Wings (#91); Long Train Running by the Doobie Brothers (#93); Hocus Pocus II by Focus (#94); Playground in My Mind by Clint Holmes (#95); Lady Run, Lady Hide by April Wine (#96); I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby by Barry White (#97); Superdad by Bill King (#98); Bad, Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce (#99); and Right Place, Wrong Time by Dr. John (#100).

Calgary’s Top 10
1 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (2nd week at #1)
2 The Cover of "Rolling Stone"--Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
3 Dead Skunk--Loudon Wainwright III
4 You Don't Know What Love Is--Susan Jacks
5 Wildflower--Skylark
6 Little Willy--The Sweet
7 Walk on the Wild Side--Lou Reed
8 Stuck in the Middle with You--Stealers Wheel
9 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence
10 The Cisco Kid--War
Pick hit of the week: The Twelfth of Never--Donny Osmond

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Finals
Winnipeg 2 @ New England 7 (New England led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Tom Webster scored 2 goals and Tom Williams added a goal and 2 assists as the Whalers beat the Jets at Boston Arena.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Canada's Top 12
1 Jeopardy--Greg Kihn Band
2 Mr. Roboto--Styx
3 She Blinded Me With Science--Thomas Dolby
4 Twistin' By The Pool--Dire Straits
5 Midnight Blue--Louise Tucker
6 Beat It--Michael Jackson
7 Safety Dance--Men Without Hats
8 Let's Dance--David Bowie
9 Even Now--Bob Seger
10 Some Kind of Friend--Barry Manilow
11 Shy Boy--Bananarama
12 Whirly Girl--Oxo

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan named former U.S. Senator Richard Stone, a Democrat from Florida, to be his special envoy to Central America.

Environment
In Albany, the governments of Ontario and New York signed an agreement to exchange information and research on acid rain.

Hockey
Prince of Wales Conference Finals
New York Islanders 1 @ Boston 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

IIHF World Men's Championship
Czechoslovakia 5 Canada 4

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Heart--Pet Shop Boys

Died on this date
B.W. Stevenson, 38. U.S. musician. Mr. Stevenson was best known for his single My Maria, which reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973. He died after a heart valve operation.

Matthew Fedor, 4. Canadian medical patient. A boy from Ottawa, Matthew was the first Canadian to receive a bone-marrow transplant from an unrelated donor.

Disasters
Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737 jetliner, landed safely despite having a 20-foot-long hole open in the fuselage during a flight from Hilo to Honolulu. The escaping air swept stewardess Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing to her death in the ocean, but the pilot, Captain Robert Schornstheimer, landed the plane on Maui 15 minutes later, with one engine aflame. 61 of the 95 aboard suffered injuries. Structural failure, metal fatigue, and corrosion were regarded as the most likely causes of the incident. The jet had been in use for 19 years.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Finals
Washington 7 @ New Jersey 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Basketball
NBA
Playoffs
Eastern Conference
First Round
Cleveland 93 @ Chicago 104 (Chicago led best-of-five series 1-0)
Washington 87 @ Detroit 96 (Detroit led best-of-five series 1-0)

Western Conference
First Round
Houston 110 @ Dallas 120 (Dallas led best-of-five series 1-0)
Utah 96 @ Portland 108 (Portland led best-of-five series 1-0)

Baseball
The Baltimore Orioles' record for 1988 reached 0-21 with a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. The defeat was the 15th straight for manager Frank Robinson after replacing Cal Ripken, Sr. 6 games into the season.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Informer--Snow (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Reunion

Died on this date
Jim Valvano, 47. U.S. basketball coach. Mr. Valvano was head coach at four universities from 1969-1990, compiling a record of 346 wins and 210 losses, but was best known as head coach at North Carolina State University from 1980-1990, leading the Wolfpack to the national championship in 1982-83. He was forced to resign in 1990 amid allegations of poor academic performances by his players.

Economics and finance
Standard and Poor's announced that the Canadian government's triple-A rating would be maintained, stabilizing the Canadian dollar after its value on money markets had declined.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Semi-Finals
Quebec 2 @ Montreal 6 (Montreal won best-of-seven series 4-2)
New York Islanders 5 @ Washington 3 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-2)

When Pierre Turgeon scored with 8:31 remaining in regulation time to give the Islanders a 5-1 lead over the Capitals, he was viciously hit by Washington's Dale Hunter and suffered a shoulder separation. Mr. Hunter was suspended for the first 21 games of the 1993-94 season. Todd Krygier scored a shorthanded goal with 4:41 remaining to make the score 5-2, and Al Iafrate scored a powerplay goal with 3:30 remaining to reduce the deficit to 5-3, but the Capitals were unable to prevent their elimination at Capital Center in Landover, Maryland.

10 years ago
2003

Protest
Iraqis claimed that 15 people were killed and 65 wounded when U.S. soldiers opened fire on a crowd holding an anti-U.S. demonstration in Falluja. U.S. officals said the soldiers were responding to gunfire from the crowd, a claim that was disputed by Iraqis at the scene.

War
The U.S. administration of President George W. Bush confirmed that it had reached a cease-fire agreement with the People's Mujahedeen, a terrorist organization active in Iran and Iraq.

Politics and government
About 300 Iraqis met in Baghdad under U.S. and U.K. sponsorship and decided to call a national conference within a month that would choose a transitional government.

Terrorism
Two Sikhs--Ripudaman Singh Malik, 56, a wealthy Vancouver businessman, and Ajaib Singh Bagri, 53, a mill worker from Kamloops, British Columbia--pled not guilty to the murders of 329 people in the 1985 bombing of an Air India plane as their trial finally began in Vancouver.

Health
The number of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Beijing for the month rose to 1,199.

Protest
Thousands of people in Chagugang, China rioted after a report spread that a building there would become a ward for SARS patients.