April 9, 2013

1,820 years ago
193

World events
Septimius Severus was proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans).

625 years ago
1388

War
Despite being outnumbered 16 to 1, forces of the Old Swiss Confederacy were victorious over the Archduchy of Austria in the Battle of Näfels.

600 years ago
1413

Britannica
Henry V was crowned King of England at Westminster.

530 years ago
1483

Died on this date
Edward IV, 40. King of England, 1461-1470; 1471-1483. A native of Rouen in Normandy, Edward IV was the first English king from the House of York. As a result of the Wars of the Roses, Edward took the throne in 1461 and Henry VI, from the House of Lancaster, was deposed and imprisoned in the Tower of London. In 1470, Edward was deposed and fled to France, and Henry was restored to the throne. In 1471 Edward returned to England with a small force and entered London unopposed. King Henry VI died the same night, likely murdered on the orders of Edward IV. The remaining years of Edward IV's reign were peaceful, and he died of an unspecified illness. He was succeeded on the throne by his 12-year-old son, Edward V.

460 years ago
1553

Died on this date
François Rabelais, 59 (?). French writer. Mr. Rabelais is considered one of the major figures of modern European writing. His best-known works were a series of books titled Gargantua and Pantagruel (1532-1552).

60 years ago
1953

Died on this date
Stanisław Wojciechowski, 84. President of Poland, 1922-1926. Mr. Wojciechowski, a Socialist, was imprisoned by Russian authorities in the early 1890s, and then moved to Zurich, Paris, and London before legally returning to Poland in 1906. He served as minister of the interior from 1919-1920, and helped to draft Poland's new constitution before becoming President after the assassination of Gabriel Narutowicz in December 1922. Amid declining economic conditions, Mr. Wojciechowski was forced to resign in May 1926, following a coup d'etat led by former colleague Józef Piłsudski. Mr. Wojciechowski spent his remaining years as a private citizen.

Eddie Cochems, 76. U.S. football player and coach. Mr. Cochems played for the University of Wisconsin from 1898-1901, and was head coach at North Dakota State University (1902-1903); Clemson University (1905); St. Louis University (1906-1908); and University of Maine (1914), compiling a record of 43 wins, 11 losses, and 3 ties. In his first year at St. Louis University, the forward pass was legalized, and Mr. Cochems is sometimes referred to as the "father of the forward pass." The 1906 St. Louis team was Mr. Cochems' best, winning all 11 of their games and outscoring the opposition 407-11.

C.E.M. Joad, 61. U.K. philosopher. Mr. Joad was a popular philosopher who became famous in Britain as a panelist on the BBC radio program The Brains Trust during World War II. He was fired by the BBC when he boasted about cheating railways by riding trains without purchasing tickets, and was then caught aboard a train without a ticket, resulting in a fine. A Fabian socialist and sexual degenerate for much of his life, Mr. Joad renounced agnosticism in his later years and came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Hans Reichenbach, 61. German philosopher. Dr. Reichenbach was a leading figure in the philosophy of logical empiricism; he founded the Gesellschaft für empirische Philosophie (Society for Empirical Philosophy), popularly known as the "Berlin Circle," in 1928. Dr. Reichenbach became a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1938, and remained there until his death from a heart attack on April 9, 1953 at the age of 61. His most notable book was The Rise of Scientific Philosophy (1951).

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Boston 2 @ Montreal 4 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Rookie Jacques Plante won the goaltending duel over Sugar Jim Henry as the Canadiens defeated the Bruins at the Montreal Forum.

50 years ago
1963

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Giant Killer

Died on this date
Eddie Edwards, 71. U.S. musician. Mr. Edwards was a trombonist with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band when they made the first jazz recordings in 1917. He played with various other bands through the 1940s.

Americana
U.S. President John F. Kennedy granted former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill honourary American citizenship. Sir Winston became the first foreigner so honoured.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 2 @ Toronto 4 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Dick Duff scored 2 goals in the first 1 minute and 8 seconds, and Bob Nevin added 2 goals as the Maple Leafs defeated the Red Wings at Maple Leaf Gardens. Mr. Duff opened the scoring 49 seconds into the game and scored again on Detroit goalie Terry Sawchuk 19 seconds later to give the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack

#1 single in France: Rien qu'une larme--Mike Brant (2nd week at #1)

World events
Three South Vietnamese supply ships broke the North Vietnamese blockade of the Mekong River, and the Cambodian government reopened Route 4 leading to Kampong Sam on the Gulf of Thailand.

Terrorism
Arab guerrillas bombed the apartment building in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia housing Israel's Ambassador to Cyprus. There was a subsequent attempt to hijack an Israeli airliner.

Environment
In Washington, D.C., Canada and the United States agreed on a contingency plan to clean up potential offshore oil spills.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Chante--Les Forbans (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Let's Dance--David Bowie

#1 single in the U.K.: Let's Dance--David Bowie

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Billie Jean--Michael Jackson (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Billie Jean--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)
2 You Are--Lionel Richie
3 Come On Eileen--Dexys Midnight Runners & the Emerald Express
4 Mr. Roboto--Styx
5 One on One--Daryl Hall & John Oates
6 Back on the Chain Gang--Pretenders
7 Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club
8 Jeopardy--Greg Kihn Band
9 Hungry Like the Wolf--Duran Duran
10 Der Kommissar--After the Fire

Singles entering the chart were Overkill by Men at Work (#38); My Love by Lionel Richie (#61); She's a Beauty by the Tubes (#84); Fool Moon Fire by Walter Egan (#87); and Cool Places by Sparks and Jane Wiedlin (#95).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Mr. Roboto--Styx
2 Billie Jean--Michael Jackson
3 Hungry Like the Wolf--Duran Duran
4 Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club
5 Back on the Chain Gang--Pretenders
6 One on One--Daryl Hall & John Oates
7 She Blinded Me with Science--Thomas Dolby
8 You Are--Lionel Richie
9 Jeopardy--Greg Kihn Band
10 Midnight Blue--Louise Tucker

Singles entering the chart were I Won't Hold You Back by Toto (#38); Even Now by Bob Seger (#44); Overkill by Men at Work (#46); White Wedding by Billy Idol (#48); Sign of the Times by Mens Room (#49); and Photograph by Def Leppard (#50).

Space
The space shuttle Challenger concluded its maiden voyage with a landing at Edwards Air Force base in California.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Montreal 2 @ Buffalo 4 (Buffalo won best-of-five series 3-0)
Edmonton 4 @ Winnipeg 3 (Edmonton won best-of-five series 3-0)
Calgary 4 @ Vancouver 5 (Calgary led best-of-five series 2-1)

The Canadiens' goals at War Memorial Auditorium were the only goals they scored in the series against the Sabres.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Perdere l'Amore--Massimo Ranieri (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car--Billy Ocean (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Gimme Hope Jo'anna--Eddy Grant

#1 single in France (SNEP): Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You--Glenn Medeiros (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Heart--Pet Shop Boys

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Don't Turn Around--Aswad (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Heart--Pet Shop Boys

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car--Billy Ocean

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Man in the Mirror--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)
2 Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car--Billy Ocean
3 Never Gonna Give You Up--Rick Astley
4 Endless Summer Nights--Richard Marx
5 Rocket 2 U--The Jets
6 Devil Inside--INXS
7 Where Do Broken Hearts Go--Whitney Houston
8 Girlfriend--Pebbles
9 Wishing Well--Terence Trent D'Arby
10 I Want Her--Keith Sweat

Singles entering the chart were I'm Still Searching by Glass Tiger (#77); Century's End by Donald Fagen (#82); When We Kiss by Bardeux (#83); We All Sleep Alone by Cher (#84); Take it While it's Hot by Sweet Sensation (#85); Under the Milky Way by the Church (#86); Da'Butt by E.U. (#87); The Flame by Cheap Trick (#88); Nite and Day by Al B. Sure! (#89); and Moonbeam by Men Without Hats (#90).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car--Billy Ocean
2 Never Gonna Give You Up--Rick Astley
3 Man in the Mirror--Michael Jackson
4 Endless Summer Nights--Richard Marx
5 Father Figure--George Michael
6 I Get Weak--Belinda Carlisle
7 She's Like the Wind--Patrick Swayze (featuring Wendy Fraser)
8 Devil Inside--INXS
9 Just Like Paradise--David Lee Roth
10 Check it Out--John Cougar Mellencamp

Singles entering the chart were I Don't Want to Live Without You by Foreigner (#86); Kiss and Tell by Bryan Ferry (#92); Never Die Young by James Taylor (#95); Strange But True by Times Two (#96); Set the Night to Music by Starship (#97); and Mandinka by Sinead O'Connor (#98).

Canada's Top 10 (The Record)
1 Never Gonna Give You Up--Rick Astley
2 Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car--Billy Ocean
3 Pump Up the Volume--M/A/R/R/S
4 Father Figure--George Michael
5 She's Like the Wind--Patrick Swayze (featuring Wendy Fraser)
6 Man in the Mirror--Michael Jackson
7 Just Like Paradise--David Lee Roth
8 Wishing Well--Terence Trent D'Arby
9 Endless Summer Nights--Richard Marx
10 I Get Weak--Belinda Carlisle

Died on this date
Brook Benton, 56 . U.S. singer and songwriter. Mr. Benton, born Benjamin Franklin Peay, sang with various gospel groups before going solo. He broke into the hit record charts as a songwriter, with two top 10 hits on the U.S. pop chart in 1958: Looking Back by Nat King Cole, and A Lover’s Question by Clyde McPhatter. Also, In A Dream and Everything were released by Roy Hamilton as B-sides that year. 1958 also marked Mr. Benton’s entry into the charts as a performer: A Million Miles From Nowhere reached #82 in the Billboard Hot 100. It’s Just a Matter of Time went to #3 in the Hot 100 in early 1959, and was the first of 23 top 40 pop hits for him from 1959-1964. He also scored well on the rhythm and blues chart, hitting #1 six times during this period: It’s Just a Matter of Time;Thank You Pretty Baby; and So Many Ways (1959); Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes) ; A Rockin’ Good Way (both duets with Dinah Washington) and Kiddio (1960). Mr. Benton’s biggest hit was The Boll Weevil Song,which hit #2 on the Hot 100, #2 R&B, and #1 on the adult contemporary chart in the summer of 1961. He also contributed to the soundtrack of the 1962 movie Walk on the Wild Side; his recording of the title song reached #43 on the pop chart. Mr. Benton’s record sales declined after 1964, but he had a big comeback hit in early 1970 with Rainy Night in Georgia,which hit #4 on the Hot 100, and #1 on the R&B chart. His 49th and last single to hit the chart was Making Love is Good for You,which got to #49 on the R&B chart in 1978. Mr. Benton died of spinal meningitis.

Dave Prater, 50. U.S. singer. Mr. Prater was the Dave of the soul singing duo Sam & Dave, whose hit singles included Hold On! I'm A Comin' (#21, Billboard Hot 100, 1966); Soul Man (#2, 1967); and I Thank You (#9, 1968). He was killed in a car accident in Sycamore, Georgia.

Personal
This blogger emceed the talent show at the University of Western Ontario's School of Library and Information Science at the grad centre in London, Ontario. A number of good acts performed, and I closed the show by singing The Breezeway Conversation (a rewrite of Simon and Garfunkel's The Dangling Conversation) and the old Elvis Presley "classic" Yoga Is as Yoga Does. It was definitely the high point of my career at SLIS. A dance followed the talent show, and a splendid time was had by all.

Terrorism
One of the hostages aboard a Kuwait Airways jet that had been hijacked four days earlier was killed by the hijackers. The plane was now on the ground at Larnaca, Cyprus.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Division Semi-Finals
Montreal 4 @ Hartford 3 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-0)
Boston 2 @ Buffalo 6 (Boston led best-of-seven series 2-1)
New York Islanders 2 @ New Jersey 3 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Washington 3 @ Philadelphia 4 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Clarence S. Campbell Conference
Division Semi-Finals
Detroit 6 @ Toronto 3 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 2-1)
St. Louis 3 @ Chicago 6 (St. Louis led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Calgary 2 @ Los Angeles 5 (Calgary led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Edmonton 4 @ Winnipeg 6 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 2-1)

20 years ago
1993

War
U.S. jets bombed Iraqi antiaircraft guns in retaliation against batteries that had reportedly fired on a routine surveillance mission in northern Iraq.

Society
Rev. Benjamin Chavis, an official with the United Church of Christ and a man with a strong background in the civil rights movement in the United States, was chosen as the new director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

10 years ago
2003

War
As Baghdad fell to coalition forces, some Iraqi civilians toppled a statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Suspicious materials in drums at a military training site in Iraq were found to be chemicals used in peticides.

Economics and finance
The government of Alberta under Premier Ralph Klein announced its 10th straight annual budgetary surplus ($1.1 billion) alongside a spending increase of almost 5%.

Basketball
NCAA
Women's championship @ Atlanta
Final
Connecticut 73 Tennessee 68