May 21, 2013

1,720 years ago
293

Politics and government
Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian appointed Galerius as Caesar to Diocletian, beginning the period of four rulers known as the Tetrarchy.

610 years ago
1403

Diplomacy
King Henry III of Castile sent Ruy González de Clavijo as ambassador to Timur to discuss the possibility of an alliance between Timur and Castile against the Ottoman Empire.

400 years ago
1613

Exploration
Rene Le Coq de La Saussaye, who had been sent by sent by Antoinette de Pons, Marquise de Guercheville, withdrew Jesuit missionary Pierre Biard and Mr. Masse from Port-Royal, Acadia, then sailed to Frenchman's Bay, Maine, where he built the settlement of St. Sauveur on Mount Desert Island.

325 years ago
1688

Born on this date
Alexander Pope. English poet. Mr. Pope was known for his satirical verse and his translation of the works of Homer. He died on May 30, 1744 at the age of 56.

150 years ago
1863

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the Union Army succeeded in closing off the last escape route from Port Hudson, Louisiana, in preparation for a coming siege.

Religion
The Seventh-day Adventist Church, which had originated with a false prophecy of the return of Jesus Christ to Earth in 1843, was assembled from various adventist movements and founded in Battle Creek, Michigan, with a membership of 3,500.

90 years ago
1923

Law
Prohibition took effect in Prince Edward Island.

75 years ago
1938

Died on this date
Silver King, 70. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. King, born Charles Frederick Koenig, played with seven teams in a 10-year major league career from 1886-1893 and 1896-1897, compiling a record of 203-154 with an earned run average of 3.18 in 397 games, and batted .198 with 4 home runs and 135 runs batted in in 419 games. He was one of the first pitchers to use a sidearm delivery. Mr. King's best season was 1888, when he won 45 and lost 21 with the pennant-winning St. Louis Browns of the American Association, leading the league in games (66), innings pitched (585), wins, and earned run average (1.64). With the Chicago Pirates of the Players’ League in 1890, he tied for the league lead in wins (32), and led outright in ERA (2.69) and shutouts (4).

Horse racing
Dauber, with M. Peters aboard, won the 63rd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a time of 1:59 4/5. Cravat placed second.

Baseball
The New York Yankees gave little support to pitcher Spud Chandler, but he hit a home run in the 8th inning to gain a 1-0 victory over Thornton Lee and the Chicago White Sox.

70 years ago
1943

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Devil's Foot

At the movies
Action in the North Atlantic, starring Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey, opened in theatres.



Boxing
Bob Montgomery (51-6-3) won the New York State Athletic Commission world lightweight title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Beau Jack (53-7-2) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

60 years ago
1953

Disasters
Five people were killed and $4 million in damage resulted when a tornado flattened downtown Sarnia, Ontario.

50 years ago
1963

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: A Taste for Pineapple

This was the 119th and last episode of the series.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando

#1 single in France: Et surtout ne m'oublie pas--Crazy Horse (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Vaughn Monroe, 61. U.S. musician, singer, and bandleader. A trumpeter and trombonist, Mr. Monroe had a distinctively deep singing voice. His hit songs included In the Still of the Night (1939); Racing with the Moon (1941); There I Go (1941); There I've Said It Again (1945); Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (1946); Ballerina (1947); and Riders in the Sky (1949).

Diplomacy
West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and U.S.S.R. leader Leonid Brezhnev issued a joint declaration on economic and cultural cooperation. Mr. Brezhnev, speaking on German television, called for a "new continent of Europe, a continent of peace, trust, and cooperation." The two leaders had been meeting in Bonn since May 19.

Scandal
During the U.S. Senate hearings on the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., Senator Stuart Symington (Democrat--Missouri) quoted from a "memorandum of conversation" written by Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director Vernon Walters after a meeting with White House aides Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman six days after the break-in, in which Mr. Walters said that Mr. Haldeman told him "It is the President's wish" that the CIA attempt to halt an investigation into the Mexican aspect of the Watergate case. Mr. Walters had previously testified that Messrs. Haldeman and Ehrlichman had requested CIA influence to call off the 1972 Federal Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the laundering of 1972 presidential election campaign funds through a bank in Mexico City.

Disasters
20 people were killed and over 100 injured from the effects of winds of more than 80 miles per hour sweeping through Peshawar, Pakistan and adjoining areas.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Billie Jean--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Beat It--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Words--F.R. David (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: True--Spandau Ballet (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Let's Dance--David Bowie

One of the ‘80s’ most annoying songs, Bang the Drum All Day by Todd Rundgren, reached #63 on the Billboard Hot 100. I don’t remember hearing it at the time, only in later years. For some reason, disc jockeys never identify the artist when they play that song.

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Let's Dance--David Bowie
2 Beat It--Michael Jackson
3 Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara
4 Come On Eileen--Dexys Midnight Runners & the Emerald Express
5 She Blinded Me with Science--Thomas Dolby
6 Overkill--Men at Work
7 Der Kommissar--After the Fire
8 Little Red Corvette--Prince
9 Mr. Roboto--Styx
10 Solitaire--Laura Branigan

Singles entering the chart were The Woman in You by the Bee Gees (#52); Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics (#83); Theme from Doctor Detroit by Devo (#84); White Wedding by Billy Idol (#85); (Keep Feeling) Fascination by the Human League (#86); Slipping Away by Dave Edmunds (#89); and What You Do to Me by Carl Wilson (#90). Theme from Doctor Detroit was from the movie.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Beat It--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)
2 Let's Dance--David Bowie
3 Rio--Duran Duran
4 She Blinded Me with Science--Thomas Dolby
5 Sex (I'm a...)--Berlin
6 Time (Clock of the Heart)--Culture Club
7 Jeopardy--Greg Kihn Band
8 Billie Jean--Michael Jackson
9 Overkill--Men at Work
10 Mr. Roboto--Styx

Singles entering the chart were Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant (#42); Faithfully by Journey (#44); Don't Let it End by Styx (#45); Italian Girls by Daryl Hall and John Oates (#47); and Making it Work by Doug and the Slugs (#50). Italian Girls was the first hit single by Messrs. Hall and Oates to have been written solely by Mr. Oates, and featuring him on lead vocal. In the United States, it was Family Man, the other side of the single, that became a hit. The original version of Family Man, by Mike Oldfield, had been a hit in Canada in the fall of 1982.

Died on this date
Kenneth Clark, 79. U.K. art critic and historian. Lord Clark was best known for presenting the BBC documentary television series Civilisation (1969).

World events
The Fatah central committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), under the control of Yasser Arafat, dismissed Col. Abu Masa, leader of an anti-Arafat PLO faction, and four other officers from their commands.

Horse racing
Deputed Testamony, with Donald Miller aboard, won the 108th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in 1:55 2/5. Desert Wine placed second.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): I'm Not Scared--Eighth Wonder (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Gimme Hope Jo'anna--Eddy Grant (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Yé ké yé ké--Mory Kanté (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): N'importe quoi--Florent Pagny (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): With a Little Help from My Friends--Wet Wet Wet/She's Leaving Home--Billy Bragg featuring Cara Tivey

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): With a Little Help from My Friends--Wet Wet Wet/She's Leaving Home--Billy Bragg featuring Cara Tivey

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Anything for You--Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Anything for You--Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine (2nd week at #1)
2 One More Try--George Michael
3 Wishing Well--Terence Trent D'Arby
4 Shattered Dreams--Johnny Hates Jazz
5 Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)--Samantha Fox
6 Angel--Aerosmith
7 Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys
8 Pink Cadillac--Natalie Cole
9 I Don't Want to Live Without You--Foreigner
10 Electric Blue--Icehouse

Singles entering the chart were Hold On to the Nights by Richard Marx (#80); Make Me Lose Control by Eric Carmen (#83); Tomorrow People by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers (#88); Black and Blue by Van Halen (#90); and Like the Weather by 10,000 Maniacs (#91).


Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys
2 Wishing Well--Terence Trent D'Arby
3 Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car--Billy Ocean
4 I'm Still Searching--Glass Tiger
5 Beds are Burning--Midnight Oil
6 Where Do Broken Hearts Go--Whitney Houston
7 Devil Inside--INXS
8 Push It--Salt-N-Pepa
9 Pink Cadillac--Natalie Cole
10 Shattered Dreams--Johnny Hates Jazz

Singles entering the chart included Alphabet St. by Prince (#76); Tall Cool One by Robert Plant (#87); and Far from Over by Blvd. (#94).

Died on this date
Dino Grandi, 92. Italian politician. Mr. Grandi joined Benito Mussolini’s Fascist movement in 1920, and served in Mr. Mussolini’s government in various positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs (1929-1932). Mr. Grandi was one of the members of the Fascist Grand Council who voted to remove Mr. Mussolini from office in 1943. Mr. Grandi fled the country, but returned to Italy many years later.

Sammy Davis, Sr., 87. U.S. dancer. Mr. Davis, his young son, Sammy, Jr., and Will Mastin comprised the Will Mastin Trio.

Pino Romualdi, 74. Italian politician. Mr. Romualdi was Deputy Secretary of the Fascist Republican Party during World War II, and was one of the founders, in 1946, of the Italian Social Movement (MSI). He remained involved in politics until his death.

Weather
It was a beautiful day in Edmonton, hitting 82 F.

Art
The National Gallery of Canada opened in Ottawa.

Defense
The United States performed a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

Horse racing
Risen Star, with Eddie Delahoussaye aboard, won the 113th running of the Preakness Stakes before 88,654 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The winning time was 1:56 2/5, the slowest Preakness in 13 years. Brian's Time placed second, 1 1/4 lengths behind, with Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors finishing third in the nine-horse field.



Basketball
NBA
Western Conference
Semi-Finals
Utah 98 @ Los Angeles Lakers 109 (Los Angeles won best-of-seven series 4-3)

20 years ago
1993

Diplomacy
Former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark was named a United Nations special envoy to find a peace settlement for Cyprus.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference
Finals
Toronto 2 @ Los Angeles 4 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 2-1)

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Frank D. White, 69. U.S. politician. Mr. White, a Democrat who switched to the Republican party, defeated incumbent Bill Clinton in the Arkansas gubernatorial election in 1980, and served as Governor from 1981-1983. He was defeated by Mr. Clinton in the 1982 election.

Law
A three-judge panel of a Florida district court threw out a jury's record $145-billion puntive damage award in 2000 against cigarette manufacturers, ruling that the trial judge should not have allowed an estimated 300,000 smokers to file a class-action suit.

Health
Members of the World Health Organization adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. If sufficiently ratified by member nations, the anti-smoking treaty would ban tobacco advertising and require warning labels to occupy 30% of tobacco products.

Politics and government
Christine Todd Whitman, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced that she would be resigning her office in June.

Economics and finance
A U.S. Senate-House of Representatives conference committee approved $318 billion in tax cuts over 10 years, $408 billion less than requested by President George W. Bush.

Disasters
More than 2,260 people were killed and 10,000 injured when an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck near Algiers.