April 5, 2013

725 years ago
1288

Born on this date
Go-Fushimi. Emperor of Japan, 1298-1301. Go-Fushimi, also known as Fushimi II, succeeded his father Fushimi as Emperor. He abdicated in 1301, and died on May 17, 1336 at the age of 48.

425 years ago
1588

Born on this date
Thomas Hobbes. English philosopher. Mr. Hobbes’ best-known works were Leviathan (1651) and Behemoth (1680). In Leviathan, Hobbes developed his political philosophy, arguing from a mechanistic view that life is simply the motions of the organism and that man is by nature a selfishly individualistic animal at constant war with all other men. In a state of nature, men are equal in their self-seeking and live out lives which are "nasty, brutish, and short"--or maybe it was Mr. Hobbes who was "nasty, brutish, and short." According to Mr. Hobbes, fear of violent death was the principal motive which caused men to create a state by contracting to surrender their natural rights and to submit to the absolute authority of a sovereign. Mr. Hobbes died on December 4, 1679 at the age of 91.

150 years ago
1863

Born on this date
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. U.K. royal family member. Victoria, the daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice, was the maternal grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and consort of Queen Elizabeth II. She died September 24, 1950 at the age of 87.

140 years ago
1873

Law
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania upheld an 1871 ruling of the Court of Common Pleas that a woman didn't meet the definition of "freeman" and citizen of the United States in order to vote in local elections in Philadelphia.

90 years ago
1923

Died on this date
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, 56. U.K. Egyptologist. Lord Carnarvon financed the search for and excavation of the tomb of King Tutankhamen i Egypt's Valley of the Kings. He died 11 days after suffering a severe mosquito bite, which became infected when he cut himself shaving. Lord Carnarvon's strange death, coming shortly after he and Howard Carter had opened King Tutankhamen's tomb, helped to inspire the legend about the "Mummy's Curse," whereby a curse--especially an early death--was pronounced upon anyone disturbing a Pharaoh's tomb.

Technology
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company began production of balloon-tires.

80 years ago
1933

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Voodoo Curse

Died on this date
Earl Derr Biggers, 48. U.S. novelist and playwright. Mr. Biggers, a native of Warren, Ohio, graduated from Harvard University in 1907 and was hired in 1908 by the Boston Traveler as a humour columnist, and later as drama critic. His blunt reviews offended many, and the Traveler sent him packing in 1912, allowing Mr. Biggers time to write his first novel. Seven Keys to Baldpate was published in 1913, and was an immediate success. George M. Cohan bought dramatization rights from Mr. Biggers, and Mr. Cohan’s adaptation was a Broadway hit, running for 320 performances at the Astor Theatre from September 22, 1913 to June 1914. Mr. Cohan also starred in an early film version of Seven Keys to Baldpate, which was made into movies seven times. Mr. Biggers continued his success as a novelist with Love Insurance (1914) and The Agony Column (1916). Other projects were also successful, including a war play, Inside The Lines (a collaboration with Robert Welles Ritchie), which ran 500 nights in London in 1915 and 1916. A busy season in 1919 included the plays See-Saw (an adaptation of Love Insurance) and Three’s a Crowd (a collaboration with Christopher Morley), after which Mr. Biggers decided to take a break and go on vacation with his wife to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, Mr. Biggers read a newspaper article about Chang Apana, a Hawaiian detective of Chinese descent. Mr. Biggers had never heard of an Oriental detective, and the idea for a fictional character began to take shape in his mind. Mr. Biggers wanted to promote a more positive view of Orientals than was common in books and movies at the time (such as the Fu Manchu novels), so he decided to make his character a hero and a sage. The January 24, 1925 issue of The Saturday Evening Post began running The House Without a Key, a murder mystery featuring Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police Department. The story, published as a book later that year, was popular enough to spawn a second Charlie Chan novel. The Chinese Parrot was published in 1926, the same year that The House Without a Key was made into a movie serial. By this time Mr. Biggers and his wife had moved to Pasadena, California. Charlie Chan became such a popular character that Mr. Biggers now found it difficult to publish novels that weren’t about Charlie Chan. His last non-Chan novel, Fifty Candles, was published in 1926. The Saturday Evening Post paid Mr. Biggers $25,000 for the serialization rights to the third Charlie Chan novel, Behind That Curtain, which was published in 1928. The first two Chan novels had been made into silent movies, and had been successful enough for Fox studios to offer Mr. Biggers a handsome sum for the rights to Behind That Curtain. This novel was released as a movie in 1929; sound had come to the movies by that time, and E.L. Park became the first actor to give his voice to Charlie Chan. The fourth Charlie Chan novel, set in the Hollywood movie community of the late 1920s, was The Black Camel, published in 1929. I think this is the best of the Chan novels, but Mr. Biggers, like Arthur Conan Doyle before him, wanted to see if he could have success with something other than a story involving his most famous creation. However, the stock market crash hurt his bank account, and he decided to stick with what was working. Charlie Chan Carries On was published in 1930; in 1931 it was made into a movie, marking Warner Oland’s debut as Hollywood’s most famous Charlie Chan. The movie version of The Black Camel appeared later in 1931, with a cast that included Bela Lugosi and Robert Young. Those who haven’t read the Charlie Chan novels might be surprised to find that the characters of Number One and Number Two sons were made up for the movies. The next Charlie Chan novel, Keeper of the Keys, appeared in 1932. It was adapted for the stage by Valentine Davies. The play, starring William Harrigan as Charlie Chan, opened at the Fulton Theatre on Broadway on October 18, 1933, and closed in early November after just 23 performances. The early closing of the play may be a reason that Keeper of the Keys is the only Charlie Chan novel that hasn’t been made into a movie. Unfortunately, Earl Derr Biggers didn’t leave to see his latest novel on stage. He had been working at a pace that was injurious to his health, and died in a Pasadena hospital after suffering a heart attack in Palm Springs. He was praised for promoting a positive view of Chinese-Americans, including their role in contributing to the settling of the west coast of the United States. In 1932 he made this comment on his most famous creation: "I am quite sure that I never intended to travel the road of the mystery writer. Nor did I deliberately choose to have in the seat at my side, his life forever entangled with mine, a bland and moon-faced Chinese. Yet here I am, and with me Charlie Chan. Thank heaven he is amiable, philosophical--a good companion. For I know now that he and I must travel the rest of the journey together."

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed two executive orders: 6101: to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps; and 6102: "forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates" by U.S. citizens.

75 years ago
1938

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Chicago 3 @ Toronto 1 (Chicago led best-of-five series 1-0)

Shortly before the start of the game at Maple Leaf Gardens the Blackhawks announced that goaltender Mike Karakas would be unable to play because of a broken toe. National Hockey League teams didn't dress backup goalies in those days, so Blackhawks' coach and general manager Bill Stewart asked if they could use New York Rangers' goalie Dave Kerr, who was in attendance. Maple Leafs' owner Conn Smythe refused, and suggested that the Blackhawks use substitute Paul Goodman instead. Goodman couldn't be found, but someone remembered that Alfie Moore, a New York Americans farmhand, was living in Toronto. According to legend, Mr. Moore hadn't been able to get a ticket to the game, and was sitting in a pub near the Gardens waiting for the radio broadcast to begin when the Blackhawks found him. And of course, Mr. Moore played the game of his life; his sensational play sparked the Blackhawks to the win.

70 years ago
1943

War
The Bolivian Council of National Defense asked President Enrique Penaranda del Castillo to declare war on the Axis. U.S. bomber aircraft accidentally caused more than 900 civilian deaths, including 209 children, and 1300 wounded among the civilian population of the Belgian town of Mortsel; the target was the Erla factory one kilometre from the residential area that was hit. Soviet troops captured more territory in the Kuban area in their drive on the German base of Novorossiisk on the Black Sea. 10,000 Japanese troops, supported by fighter planes, launched an attack in China east of Shaokwang in Shantung Province.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau laid before the Senate a$5-billion postwar currency stabilization plan based on a gold-backed international exchange bookkeeping currency called "Unitas," worth $10.

Disasters
A famine in Honan Province affecting 3 million-7 million people was called China's worst disaster since the start of war against Japan.

60 years ago
1953

Basketball
NBA
Finals
New York 71 @ Minneapolis 73 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): From a Jack to a King--Ned Miller (5th week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Mecca--Gene Pitney
2 One Broken Heart for Sale--Elvis Presley
3 I Will Follow Him--Little Peggy March
4 Peanuts--The 4 Seasons
5 He's So Fine--The Chiffons
6 Pipeline--Chantays
7 Rhythm of the Rain--The Cascades
8 Still--Bill Anderson
9 Can't Get Used to Losing You--Andy Williams
10 Surfin' U.S.A.--Beach Boys

On television tonight
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: An Out for Oscar, starring Henry Silva, Linda Christian, Larry Storch, and John Marley

Space
The Soviet probe Lunik 4, launched three days earlier, achieved its closest approach to the moon at 7:24 Mountain Standard Time, 8,530 kilometres (approximately 5,331 miles).

Two Black Brant II research rockets were launched from Fort Churchill, Manitoba as part of a National Research Council of Canada project to study the ionosphere, 30-300 miles above Earth.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan (2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
The United States Senate voted 88-3 to bar any reconstruction aid to North Vietnam unless the President were to seek specific approval from Congress.

Politics and government
U.S. President Richard Nixon vetoed a bill to finance water and sewer systems in rural America.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Buffalo 3 @ Montreal 7 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)
New York Rangers 4 @ Boston 2 (New York led best-of-seven series 2-0)
St. Louis 0 @ Chicago 1 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Minnesota 1 @ Philadelphia 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Boston centre Phil Esposito suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Bruins' loss to the Rangers at Boston Garden. New York goaltender Ed Giacomin was also injured during the game, and was relieved by Gilles Villemure. Jacques Plante took his second straight loss in goal for the Bruins; it was the last game of his 18-year NHL career. He soon joined the Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association as coach and general manager, and came out of retirement a year later to play with the Edmonton Oilers.

Tony Esposito won the goaltending duel over Jacques Caron as the Black Hawks edged the Blues at Chicago Stadium.

WHA
Avco World Trophy
West Division Semi-Finals
Los Angeles 2 @ Houston 7 (Houston led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Baltimore 97 New York 89 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-1)
Atlanta 118 @ Boston 105 (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-1)

ABA
Eastern Division Semi-Finals
Carolina 136 New York 113 (Carolina won best-of-seven series 4-1)
Kentucky 108 Virginia 90 (Kentucky led best-of-seven series 3-1)

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Let's Dance--David Bowie

Died on this date
Danny Rapp, 41. U.S. musician. Mr. Rapp was the leader of the group Danny and the Juniors, whose single At the Hop reached #1 in the Billboard Top 100 for 7 weeks in early 1958. Subsequent hits for the group included Rock and Roll is Here to Stay (#19, 1958) and Twistin' U.S.A. (#27, 1960). Mr. Rapp was performing with his group at a resort in Phoenix, Arizona when he suddenly left on April 1 after a dispute with the motel manager. He was found dead in a motel room in Quartzite, Arizona, 165 miles west of Phoenix, having shot himself.

Diplomacy
Jordan's King Hussein and Palesine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat concluded three days of talks in Amman without agreeing on joint participation in U.S. President Ronald Reagan's Middle East peace plan, but agreed to meet again. Mr. Reagan's proposal contemplated a Palestinian "entity" on the West Bank that would be in "association with Jordan" and that would have limited autonomy.

France ordered 47 Soviet citizens--about 40 of them diplomats--out of the country. Those expelled included the third-ranking diplomat at the Soviet embassy and the Paris bureau chief for Tass, the official Soviet news agency. The French interior ministry said that the Soviets had been "engaged in a systematic search...for technological and scientific information, particularly in the military area."

25 years ago
1988

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

Terrorism
A Kuwait Airways jet with 112 people aboard was hijacked by Arabic-speaking gunmen, and was forced to land at Mashhad, Iran, where they released 24 female hostages and a man with a heart condition.

Defense
A force of United States Marines, ultimately numbering 1,300, began arriving in Panama to assume security duty at U.S. bases.

World events
Juan Ramon Matta, a suspected drug dealer, was seized in Honduras by U.S. authorities and taken to the United States. The U.S. believed that Mr. Matta was linked to Colombia’s Medellin cocaine cartel; he was also a suspect in the 1985 murder of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent in Mexico. The seizure of Mr. Matta provoked violent demonstrations in Honduras.

Politics and government
The contest for the Democratic party nomination for President of the United States moved to Wisconsin. Michael Dukakis won with 48% of the vote; Jesse Jackson took 28%, Al Gore 17%, and Paul Simon 5%. Vice-President George Bush won the Republican primary.

Rose Mofford, the Arizona secretary of state who had been serving serving as acting governor during the impeachment trial of Evan Mecham, was sworn in as Mr. Mecham’s successor, one day after Mr. Mecham had been removed from office after being convicted by the state Senate of obstruction of justice.

U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese announced that he had chosen John Shepherd, former president of the American Bar Association, to be the new deputy attorney general.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): All that She Wants--Ace of Base (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Divya Bharti, 19. Indian actress. Miss Bharti appeared in a number of Bollywood films in the early 1990s, and was praised as "the most interesting young actress of her generation." She died under mysterious circumstances when she fell from a five-storey apartment building in Versova Mumbai.

Crime
Four Canadian peacekeepers accused in the beating death in March of a Somali civilian at the Canadian compound in Somalia were released in Ottawa, but were not allowed to leave the armed forces base there.

Basketball
NCAA
Men's Championship @ New Orleans
Final
North Carolina 77 Michigan 71

The Tar Heels were leading the Wolverines 73-71 with 11 seconds remaining in regulation time at the Louisiana Superdome and Michigan was in possession of the ball, but Chris Webber of the Wolverines was assessed a technical foul for signalling for a time out, apparently unaware that his team had used up all of its time outs. The Tar Heels then put the game away to win their third championship and their second under head coach Dean Smith.

10 years ago
2003

War
The U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division moved through southwest Baghdad and reached the city's centre. A U.S. plane bombed a building in the Mansur neighbourhood after a report that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his two sons might be there. Allied forces bombed the Basra home of Iraqi General Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali" for launching chemical attacks on Kurds in the late 1980s. The general was believed to have died in the attacks. Iraqi troop losses were estimated to be 2,000-3,000.

Politics and government
Robert Ghiz, 29, son of former Prince Edward Island Premier Joe Ghiz, followed in his late father's footsteps by winning the leadership of the P.E.I. Liberal Party.