May 18, 2013

280 years ago
1733

Died on this date
Georg Bohm, 71. German organist and composer. Mr. Böhm's most important contribution to North German keyboard music was the chorale partita, a large-scale composition consisting of several variations on a particular chorale melody. He effectively invented the genre, writing several partitas of varying lengths and on diverse tunes. Johann Sebastian Bach was heavily influenced by the music of Mr. Bohm, and wrote partitas of his own.

250 years ago
1763

Disasters
Fire destroyed a large part of Montreal.

230 years ago
1783

Canadiana
The first of 7,000 United Empire Loyalists reached Fort Howe at Parrtown (later renamed Saint John), New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Saint John River to found a settlement.

210 years ago
1803

War
The United Kingdom revoked the Treaty of Amiens and declared war on France.

170 years ago
1843

Religion
In the Disruption of 1843, 121 ministers and 73 elders left the Church of Scotland General Assembly at the Church of St. Andrew in Edinburgh to form the Free Church of Scotland. The Church of Scotland had been established by an act of Parliament, and those who left to form the Free Church believed that secular courts should not have jurisdiction over church matters.

150 years ago
1863

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi by Union Army troops began.

140 years ago
1873

Montrealana
St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary opened.

125 years ago
1888

Baseball
George Borchers of the Chicago Colts pitched a 5-inning shutout in his major league debut‚ winning 13-0 over the Boston Beaneaters‚ to increase the Colts’ lead in the National League to 3 games.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Charles Trenet. French singer and songwriter. Mr. Trenet was popular from the 1930s to the 1950s. Probably his most famous song was La Mer (1946), which later, with English lyrics, became known as Beyond the Sea. Mr. Trenet died on February 19, 2001 at the age of 87.

80 years ago
1933

Energy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.

75 years ago
1938

Politics and government
Prime Minister J.B.M. Hertzog led his United Party to another majority government in the South African general election. The UP won 111 seats in the House of Assembly, a decline of 25 from the most recent election in 1933. The Purified National Party, led by D.F. Malan, finished second with 27 seats, while the Dominion Party, led by Charles Stallard, finished third with 8 seats.

60 years ago
1953

Aviation
Jackie Cochran became the first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Pipeline--Chantays (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Dis-Lui--Claude François

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Come te non c'è nessuno--Rita Pavone (9th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Wini-Wini--Die Tahiti-Tamourés (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): From Me to You--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): If You Wanna Be Happy--Jimmy Soul

U.S. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Will Follow Him--Little Peggy March (3rd week at #1)
2 If You Wanna Be Happy--Jimmy Soul
3 Surfin' U.S.A.--Beach Boys
4 Puff the Magic Dragon--Peter, Paul and Mary
5 Pipeline--Chantays
6 Foolish Little Girl--The Shirelles
7 Reverend Mr. Black--The Kingston Trio
8 Can't Get Used to Losing You--Andy Williams
9 Two Faces Have I--Lou Christie
10 Losing You--Brenda Lee

Singles entering the chart were Blue on Blue by Bobby Vinton (#73); Birdland by Chubby Checker (#75); If My Pillow Could Talk by Connie Francis (#77); String Along by Rick Nelson (#92); Danger by Vic Dana (#94); A Stranger in Your Town by the Shacklefords (#95); Pride and Joy by Marvin Gaye (#97); One Boy Too Late by Mike Clifford (#98); Spring by Birdlegs and Pauline (#100); Poor Little Rich Girl by Steve Lawrence (also #100); and Lonely Boy, Lonely Guitar by Duane Eddy and the Rebelettes (also #100).

Died on this date
Ernie Davis, 23. U.S. football player. Mr. Davis was a running back with the Syracuse University Orangemen from 1959-1961 who broke many of Jim Brown's team records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1961 as the most outstanding college football player in the United States. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1962 and promptly traded to the Cleveland Browns, where it was expected that he would join Mr. Brown in the backfield. Unfortunately, Mr. Davis was diagnosed with leukemia soon after the beginning of training camp, and the only time he donned his uniform was to appear in the team picture. The Browns retired his jersey #45. A fictionalized movie of Mr. Davis's life, The Express, was released in 2008.

Horse racing
Candy Spots, with Bill Shoemaker aboard, won the 88th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a time of 1:56 1/5. Kentucky Derby winner Chateaugay placed second.

Baseball
Joe Sparma pitched a no-hitter for the Ohio State University Buckeyes against the University of Michigan Wolverines.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Jeannette Rankin, 92. U.S. activist and politician. Miss Rankin, a Republican, represented Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives (1917-1919, 1941-1943). She was a lifelong pacifist who voted against U.S. entry into World War I, and was the only member of Congress to vote against U.S. entry into World War II. Miss Rankin advocated women's suffrage before it went into effect, and spent most of her life advocating pacifism and various social welfare causes. She died 24 days before her 93rd birthday.

Scandal
James McCord, recently convicted for his role in the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. told the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities that he had been offered executive clemency, financial aid, and a job by John Caulfield, a former aide to presidential aide John Ehrlichman and White House counsel John Dean, in order to obtain his silence in the Watergate case.

30 years ago
1983

Radio
The government launches a crackdown, with the leading Dublin pirate station Radio Nova being put off the air.

Baseball
At Memorial Stadium, Rich Dotson of the Chicago White Sox pitched a one-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles, but lost 1-0. Baltimore's lone hit was Dan Ford's eighth-inning home run. Storm Davis (7 1/3 innings) and Tippy Martinez (1 1/3 innings) combined in the four-hit shutout, with Mr. Martinez taking the win.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Maybe We're About to Fall in Love--Tommy Nilsson (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Daws Butler, 71. U.S. actor. Mr. Butler provided the voices for many cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Peter Potamus, and Wally Gator.

War
The first convoy of 1,200 Soviet soldiers coming home from Afghanistan crossed into Soviet territory.

Diplomacy
U.S. Vice-President George Bush, referring to attempts by the administration of President Ronald Reagan to cut a deal to remove General Manuel Noriega from power in Panama, said that he would not bargain with terrorists or drug dealers.

The United States Senate voted 91-6 to reject a challenge by Republican Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina to the legality of the INF treaty on the assertion that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev did not have the power as secretary of the Communist Party to sign the treaty.

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

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Conference
Semi-Finals
Atlanta 112 @ Boston 104 (Atlanta led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Chicago 95 @ Detroit 102 (Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Baseball
In a deal made possible by the emergence of rookie first baseman Mark Grace‚ the Chicago Cubs dealt veteran first baseman Leon Durham to the Cincinnati Reds for relief pitcher Pat Perry.

In the Oakland Athletics’ 39th game of the season, pitcher Dave Stewart broke a major league record by committing his 12th balk of the season in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Mr. Stewart went on to extend the record with 16 balks during the year.

20 years ago
1993

Europeana
Danish voters reversed the result of a 1992 referendum on membership in the European Union, and voted to approve of the Maastricht Treaty. The result was aided by exemptions provided to Denmark on a common currency and other matters.

Diplomacy
The U.S. administration of President Bill Clinton extended diplomatic recognition to the government of Angola.

Protest
Riots in Nørrebro, Copenhagen took place, caused by the approval of the four Danish exceptions in the Maastricht Treaty referendum on membership in the European Union. Police opened fire against civilians for the first time since World War II and injured 11 demonstrators. 113 bullets were fired in total.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Finals
New York Islanders 3 @ Montreal 4 (2OT) (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Stephan Lebeau's second goal of the game, at 6:21 of the 2nd overtime period, gave the Canadiens their win over the Islanders at the Montreal Forum. New York took a 3-2 lead midway through the 3rd period on goals by Steve Thomas and David Volek, but Paul DiPietro tied the score with 5:10 remaining in regulation time.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Conference
Semi-Finals
Charlotte 101 @ New York 105 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Western Conference
Semi-Finals
San Antonio 97 @ Phoenix 109 (Phoenix led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Houston 95 @ Seattle 120 (Seattle led best-of-seven series 3-2)

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Barb Tarbox, 42. Canadian anti-smoking activist. Ms. Tarbox, a native and resident of Edmonton, began speaking out against smoking after she was diagnosed with terminal lung and brain cancer. I don't know if her campaign had any significant impact, but there were two things that may have minimized the impact: 1) She continued to smoke to the end of her life; 2) She wasn't known to the public before she began her campaign, so nobody outside her social circle knew what she looked like before she got sick. The photos of her when she was dying therefore had a less dramatic impact than they would have had if people had been familiar with "before" pictures.

World events
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri declared martial law and sent 30,000 troops into Aceh in an attempt to suppress the separatist Free Aceh Movement after continued violations of a cease-fire.