May 2, 2013

1,640 years ago
373

Died on this date
Athanasius of Alexandria, 75-77 (?). Christian clergyman and apologist. Athanasius was bishop of Alexandria, Egypt from 328-373. He's probably best known for the Athanasian Creed, a defense of the Trinity against the heresy of Arianism.

180 years ago
1833

World events
Czar Nicholas I of Russia banned the public sale of serfs.

170 years ago
1843

Politics and government
American settlers declared the Provisional Government of Oregon.

150 years ago
1863

War
In the U.S. Civil War, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was wounded by friendly fire while returning to camp after reconnoitering during the Battle of Chancellorsville.

110 years ago
1903

Horse racing
Judge Himes, with H. Booker aboard, won the 29th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:09. Early placed second and Bourbon third.

90 years ago
1923

Died on this date
Emilio Picariello, 47; Florence Lassandro, 23. Canadian criminals. Mr. Picariello, a bootlegger, and Miss Lassandro, his companion, were hanged at the Fort Saskatchewan Jail for the September 1922 murder of Alberta Provincial Police constable Stephen Lawson, 42. Miss Lassandro was the only woman ever hanged in Alberta.

Baseball
Walter Johnson pitched a 3-hitter for his 100th career major league shutout as the Washington Nationals blanked the New York Yankees 3-0. New York shortstop Everett Scott played in his 1,000th consecutive game.

80 years ago
1933

Popular culture
The Inverness Courier reported the first modern sighting of the Loch Ness Monster.

75 years ago
1938

Music
Ella Fitzgerald recorded A-Tisket, A-Tasket.

Theatre
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded to Thornton Wilder for Our Town.

60 years ago
1953

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Takes Two to Tango--Louis Armstrong; Pearl Bailey (2nd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Doggie in the Window--Patti Page (Best seller--7th week at #1; Disc Jockey--6th week at #1; Jukebox--5th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Doggie in the Window--Patti Page (7th week at #1)
2 I Believe--Frankie Laine
--[Jane Froman]
3 The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart)--Percy Faith and his Orchestra
4 April in Portugal--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
--[Ralph Marterie and his "Down Beat" Orchestra]
5 Pretend--Nat "King" Cole
6 Tell Me a Story--Jimmy Boyd and Frankie Laine
7 Ruby--Richard Hayman and his Orchestra
8 Your Cheatin' Heart--Joni James
9 Anna--Silvana Mangano
10 Till I Waltz Again with You--Teresa Brewer

Singles entering the chart were The Ho Ho Song (#18)/Strange Things are Happening (Ho Ho, Hee Hee, Ha Ha) (#24) by Red Buttons; The Little Red Monkey by the Harmonicats (#22); And the Bull Walked Around, Olay by Richard Hayes (#25); Is it Any Wonder by Joni James (#28); Now that I'm in Love by Patti Page (#32); and Big Mamou, with versions by Pete Hanley and Dolores Gray (#35).

Horse racing
Dark Star, a 25-1 longshot with Hank Moreno aboard, won the 79th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:02, finishing a head in front of Native Dancer, the favourite. It was estimated that 3/4 of the television sets in use were tuned to the broadcast of the race.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): From Me to You--The Beatles

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: On Thursday We Leave for Home, starring James Whitmore, James Broderick, and Tim O'Connor

Space
Berthold Seliger launched a rocket with three stages and a maximum flight altitude of more than 60 miles near Cuxhaven, West Germany. It was the only sounding rocket (research rocket) developed in West Germany.

The mission of Soviet satellite Cosmos 5, launched May 28, 1962, ended.

Disasters
The Mackenzie River flooding which had forced the evacuation of Hay River, Northwest Territories over the past few days now spread to Fort Simpson.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto Maple Leafs' centre Dave Keon was named the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for 1962-63. The award "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability" went to Mr. Keon for the second straight season. In 1962-63 Mr. Keon scored 28 goals and 28 assists in 68 regular season games while receiving only one minor penalty (2 minutes), and scored 7 goals and 5 assists in 10 playoff games without a penalty as the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup for the second straight season.

Baseball
The Minnesota Twins traded pitcher Jack Kralick (1-4) to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Jim Perry (0-0).

40 years ago
1973

War
The day after two Lebanese army officers had been kidnapped, heavy fighting erupted in Beirut between the Lebanese army and Palestinian guerrillas near the Shatila refugee camp and other areas. The death toll was reported as 12 soldiers and 19 refugees in the camps. A cease-fire was reached in the evening.

Scandal
The New York Times reported that U.S. government investigators had evidence that Republican party sabotage and espionage efforts in the 1972 presidential election campaign had been more widespread than previously known, and that the strategy, designed in early 1972 when President Richard Nixon was trailing U.S. Senator and candidate for the Democratic party presidential nomination Edmund Muskie, was geared to help the weakest candidate win the Democratic nomination.

Politics and government
John Connally, who had been a member of the cabinet of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s and had later served as Governor of Texas, announced his decision to join the Republican Party, arguing that the Republicans were more responsive than the Democrats to the needs and thoughts of the American people.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Finals
New England 7 @ Winnipeg 4 (New England led best-of-seven series 2-0)

The Whalers scored 5 goals in the 3rd period to defeat the Jets at Winnipeg Arena.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Billie Jean--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Norm Van Brocklin, 57. U.S. football player and coach. "The Dutchman" was a quarterback and punter with the Los Angeles Rams (1950-1957) and Philadelphia Eagles (1958-1960). He split the quarterbacking duties with Bob Waterfield as the Rams won the NFL championship in 1951, and finished his career by leading the Eagles to the NFL championship in 1960. On September 28, 1951, he set an NFL single-game record with 554 yards passing. Mr. Van Brocklin was the head coach of the expansion Minnesota Vikings from 1961-1967, and the Atlanta Falcons from 1968-1974, with mixed success.

Defense
Leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States Senate and House of Representatives wrote letters to President Ronald Reagan urging him to support recommendations of the Scowcroft commission on MX missiles, including one to count nuclear warheads, not missiles, in talks with the Soviets. The members of Congress also endorsed the commission's recommendation for development of a single-warhead intercontinental missile.

Disasters
The strongest earthquake to hit California in 12 years--between 6.1 and 6.5 on the Richter scale--shook the central part of the state. The town of Coalinga, population 7,000, was closest to the quake’s epicentre. 47 were injured, mostly within Coalinga’s 8-block downtown business section, which was levelled; half of the town’s residents were forced from their homes. Total damage was put at $31 million, and California Governor George Deukmejian declared Fresno County a disaster area.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car--Billy Ocean (2nd week at #1)

War
Israeli forces, responding to Palestinian guerrilla raids into Israel, entered southern Lebanon in pursuit of the guerrillas.

Labour
About 7,000 workers, demanding more pay and recognition of Solidarity, the independent labour federation, struck the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk, Poland. Solidarity founder Lech Walesa, pleading ill health, played only a secondary role in the protest.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference
Finals
New Jersey 3 @ Boston 5 (Boston led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Basketball
NBA
Playoffs
Eastern Conference
First Round
Detroit 106 @ Washington 114 (Detroit led best-of-five series 2-1)

Baseball
National League President Bart Giamatti suspended Cincinnati Reds’ manager Pete Rose for 30 days for pushing umpire Dave Pallone during a dispute in a game on April 30.

Cincinnati Reds' pitcher Ron Robinson was one strike away from a perfect game against the Montreal Expos and leading 3-0 when pinch hitter Wallace Johnson hit a 2-2 pitch for a single and Tim Raines followed with a home run. John Franco relieved Mr. Robinson and preserved the 3-2 win for the Reds.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Give in to Me--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): All that She Wants--Ace of Base (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: All that She Wants--Ace of Base (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Five Live (EP)--George Michael & Queen with Lisa Stansfield

Died on this date
Julio Gallo, 83. U.S. vintner. Mr. Gallo and his brother Ernest founded E & J Gallo Winery in Modesto, California in 1933. The company became the largest exporter of California wines. Julio Gallo was killed in a car accident near his ranch.

Stephen Juba, 78. Canadian politician. Mr. Juba ran unsuccessfully for office several times before being elected as an independent candidate to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, sitting there from 1953-1959. He was first elected Mayor of Winnipeg in 1957, and held the office for the next 20 years.

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

Clarence S. Campbell Conference
Division Finals
Los Angeles 2 @ Vancouver 5 (Vancouver led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Basketball
NBA
Playoffs
Eastern Conference
First Round
Atlanta 102 @ Chicago 117 (Chicago led best-of-five series 2-0)
Indiana 91 @ New York 101 (New York led best-of-five series 2-0)

Western Conference
First Round
Los Angeles Lakers 86 @ Phoenix 81 (Los Angeles led best-of-five series 2-0)
Utah 89 @ Seattle 85 (Best-of-five series tied 1-1)

Oddities
The American Association baseball game in Des Moines between Iowa and Buffalo was postponed when several barrels of chemicals exploded during a fire, releasing a cloud of toxic fumes in the area around the stadium.

10 years ago
2003

Diplomacy
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari announced that India was restoring diplomatic relations and civilian air travel connections with Pakistan.

Law
A three-judge panel of a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. struck down parts of the campaign finance reform law passed by the United States Congress in 2002. The judges eased the ban on "soft money," saying it could be raised for party-building efforts such as registering voters, though it still could not be used by groups indirectly attacking or endorsing candidates. Both sides planned appeals.

The Canadian government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien declared Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel a national security risk, a designation that would make it easier to hasten his deportation to Germany, where he faced charges of incitement of hatred.

Scandal
Former U.S. Education Secretary William J. Bennett, author of The Book of Virtues, was revealed in news reports to have gambled heavily in casinos for a number of years, and may have lost millions of dollars. While acknowledging that he had done "too much gambling," Mr. Bennett said he had not gambled more than he could afford to lose and had not put his family at risk.