June 9, 2013

1,960 years ago
53

Married on this date
Proconsul and future Roman Emperor Nero married his stepsister Claudia Octavia.

220 years ago
1793

Society
The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada passed a law prohibiting the importation of slaves into Upper Canada.

170 years ago
1843

Born on this date
Bertha von Suttner. Austrian authoress. Baroness von Suttner was a pacifist who was awarded the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize for writing Lay Down Your Arms and contributing to the creation of the Prize. She died on June 21, 1914, 12 days after her 71st birthday.

160 years ago
1853

Protest
Former Italian Roman Catholic priest Alessandro Gavazzi fomented another riot in Montreal. Troops fired on the crowd, leaving 10 dead.

150 years ago
1863

Died on this date
Dost Mohammad Khan, 69. Emir of Afghanistan, 1826-1839, 1845-1863. Dost Mohammad Khan took power as the result of victory in tribal warfare. He was overthrown as the result of British intervention, but regained power with the promise that the U.K. would not intervene in Afghan politics. Dost Mohammad Khan renewed hostility against Britain in 1846, and then reversed his position and signed an alliance with the U.K. in 1855. Dost Mohammad Khan, with British help, led his troops to victory over invading Persian forces on May 26, 1863, but suddenly died two weeks later, and was succeeded as Emir by Sher Ali Khan.

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the Battle of Brandy Station, the largest cavalry engagement on U.S. soil, took place in Culpepper County, Virginia, with an inconclusive result.

140 years ago
1873

Disasters
Three staff members were killed as fire destroyed all but the outer walls of the London entertainment venue Alexandra Palace, just 16 days after its opening. The facility was rebuilt, and reopened on May 1, 1875.

120 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Irish Meusel. U.S. baseball player. Emil Frederick Meusel, the older brother of New York Yankees' outfielder Bob Meusel, played left field with the Washington Nationals (1914); Philadelphia Phillies (1918-1921); New York Giants (1921-1926); and Brooklyn Robins (1927), batting .310 with 106 home runs and 819 runs batted in in 1,294 games. In 9 seasons in the minor leagues from 1913-1917 and 1927-1931 Mr. Meusel batted .311 with 54 homers in 921 games. He was a member of the Giants' World Series championship teams in 1921 and 1922, and National League champions in 1923 and 1924, batting .345 (10 for 29) in the 1921 World Series. Mr. Meusel led the NL with 125 runs batted in in 1923. He died on March 1, 1963 at the age of 69.

90 years ago
1923

Died on this date
Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, 77. U.K. Royal Family member. Princess Helena was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1866 she married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein; the couple lived in London.

World events
The Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union government of Prime Minister Alexander Stambuliyski, in office since October 14, 1919, was overthrown by a coup composed of the right wing factions of the Military League, the National Alliance, and the army led by Aleksandar Tsankov.

70 years ago
1943

Died on this date
Lewis Brown McFarlane, 91. Canadian research assistant. Mr. McFarlane helped Alexander Graham Bell make the world's first long distance telephone call in 1876. He died in Montreal.

Music
The New York Music Critics Circle named Symphony No. 1, Opus 20 by Paul Creston as the best symphonic work by an American composer to be premiered in the 1942-43 season.

War
Soviet troops established a bridgehead on the west bank of the Mius River, west of Rostov, amd repulsed a German effort to dislodge them. Waves of Allied planes bombed Pantelleria, reportedly downing 12 Axis planes.

Diplomacy
Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Chile recognized the Argentine government of General Pedro Pablo Ramirez.

Uruguay recognized the French Committee of National Liberation in Algiers as the official French government.

Journalism
A New York Supreme Court jury failed to reach a verdict in Dr. Jerome Davis's $250,000 libel suit against the Curtis Publishing Company and Benjamin Stolberg, author of an article in The Saturday Evening Post that characterized Dr. Davis as a "Communist and Stalinist."

Labour
United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis and Charles O'Neill, head of the Central Pennsylvania Coal Operators Association, announced an oral agreement covering 65,000 miners and calling for a $1.30-per-day travel allowance.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Man Who Cried Wolf, starring Logan Ramsey and David J. Stewart



Disasters
A tornado struck Worcester, Massachusetts, killing 94 people. The tornado was from the same system that had struck Flint and Beecher, Michigan the previous day.

Boxing
Randy Turpin (49-3-1) regained the world middleweight title with a 15-round decision over former European welterweight champion Charles Humez (65-3) at White City Stadium in London. The title, which Mr. Turpin had hale briefly in 1951, had been vacant since the retirement of Sugar Ray Robinson in 1952.



50 years ago
1963

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sandie Topechka!

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): We were All Wounded at Wounded Knee--Redbone

#1 single in the U.K.: See My Baby Jive--Wizzard (4th week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (2nd week at #1)
2 Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)--Deodato
3 Part of the Union--The Strawbs
4 Last Song--Edward Bear
5 Goondiwindi Grey--Tex Morton
6 The Twelfth of Never--Donny Osmond
7 Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan
8 Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack
9 Top of the World--Carpenters
10 Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend--Lobo

The only single entering the chart was Sing by the Carpenters (#23).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings (2nd week at #1)
2 Daniel--Elton John
3 Pillow Talk--Sylvia
4 Frankenstein--The Edgar Winter Group
5 Hocus Pocus--Focus
6 I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby--Barry White
7 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
8 Give Me Love--(Give Me Peace on Earth)--George Harrison
9 Playground in My Mind--Clint Holmes
10 Steamroller Blues--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were Goin' Home by the Osmonds (#76); He Did with Me by Vicki Lawrence (#77); I'll Always Love My Mama (Part 1) by the Intruders (#84); Where Peaceful Waters Flow by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#85); Over the Hills and Far Away by Led Zeppelin (#86); Brother Louie by the Stories (#89); Love and Happiness by Earnest Jackson (#92); Tequila Sunrise by the Eagles (#96); Bongo Rock by the Incredible Bongo Band (#98); and Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out by Bobby Womack (#99).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Daniel--Elton John (2nd week at #1)
2 I'm a Stranger Here--Five Man Electrical Band
3 Close Your Eyes--Edward Bear
4 Frankenstein--The Edgar Winter Group
5 You are the Sunshine of My Life--Stevie Wonder
6 Daisy a Day--Jud Strunk
7 My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings
8 Little Willy--The Sweet
9 Out of the Question--Gilbert O'Sullivan
10 Playground in My Mind--Clint Holmes

Singles entering the chart were Yesterday Once More by the Carpenters (#76); Daddy Could Swear I Declare by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#87); Monster Mash by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers (#96); Minstrel Gypsy by the Stampeders (#97); Down on My Knees by Fergus (#98); Money by Pink Floyd (#99); and I'd Rather be a Cowboy by John Denver (#100). Monster Mash was a re-release of the record that had reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in the fall of 1962, two years before RPM began publishing charts.

Calgary’s Top 10
1 Daniel--Elton John (3rd week at #1)
2 Daisy a Day--Jud Strunk
3 I'm a Stranger Here--Five Man Electrical Band
4 My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings
5 Playground in My Mind--Clint Holmes
6 Shambala--Three Dog Night
7 Kodachrome--Paul Simon
8 Drift Away--Dobie Gray
9 I'm Doin' Fine Now--New York City
10 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
Pick hit of the week: Pillow Talk--Sylvia

Died on this date
Erich von Manstein, 85. German military officer. Field Marshal Manstein was one of Germany's most prominent Wehrmacht commanders and military strategists in World War II. He participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union, but was fired by Adolf Hitler in March 1944 because of disagreements over the conduct of the war. After serving four years in prison for war crimes, he became a military adviser to the West German government.

John Creasey, 64. U.K. author. Mr. Creasey wrote more than 600 novels, mainly in the genres of crime and science fiction, under his own name and many pseudonyms. His most popular character was Gideon of Scotland Yard.

Horse racing
Secretariat, with Ron Turcotte aboard, became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Citation in 1948, winning the 105th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, New York, by a record margin of 31 lengths in a record time of 2:24. Both records still stand.

30 years ago
1983

Politics and government
In the British general election, the Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, were re-elected in a landslide, winning 397 seats in the House of Commons to 209 for Labour and 23 for the Social Democratic Party-Liberal alliance.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gimme Hope Jo'anna--Eddy Grant (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Got to Be Certain--Kylie Minogue (3rd week at #1)

Energy
The Supreme Court of Canada denied Newfoundland's 12-year quest for a better contract with Quebec for power from the Churchill Falls Hydro project.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Detroit 96 @ Los Angeles Lakers 108 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)



20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Two Princes--Spin Doctors (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Alexis Smith, 72. Canadian-born U.S. actress. Miss Smith, a native of Penticton, British Columbia, appeared in such movies as Gentleman Jim (1942); The Constant Nymph (1943); The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944); The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945); Conflict (1945); Rhapsody in Blue (1945); Night and Day (1946); Here Comes the Groom (1951); The Young Philadelphians (1959); and The Age of Innocence (1993). She won a Tony Award for her performance in Follies (1971). Miss Smith was married to actor Craig Stevens from 1944 until her death, the day after her 72nd birthday.

Married on this date
Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito married commoner Masako Owada in a Shinto ceremony.

At the movies
Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, received its premiere screening at the Uptown Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Abominations
Hooligans masquerading as hockey fans "celebrated" the Montreal Canadiens' winning the Stanley Cup by rioting in downtown Montreal, resulting in 168 people reported injured and $10 million in property damage.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Finals
Los Angeles 1 @ Montreal 4 (Montreal won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Paul DiPietro scored 2 goals and Kirk Muller scored the winning goal at 3:51 of the 2nd period to break a 1-1 tie as the Canadiens defeated the Kings to win the Stanley Cup for the 24th time. It was the last championship to be decided at the Montreal Forum and the most recent to be won by a Canadian-based team. Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player; he had previously won the trophy in 1986. Los Angeles centre Wayne Gretzky was held without a shot on goal in what turned out to be his last Stanley Cup finals game. Stephane Lebeau scored the other Montreal goal, while Marty McSorley scored for the Kings.



Basketball
NBA
Finals
Chicago 100 @ Phoenix 92 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 1-0)



10 years ago
2003

Abominations
Voters in Poland overwhelmingly approved entry into the European Union in a referendum.

War
U.S. forces began two days of raids on private homes in Thulya, Iraq, north of Baghdad, and held 400 residents for questioning.

Defense
North Korea said that it needed to develop nuclear weapons because of America's "hostile policy," toward North Korea, and because it could then save money by decreasing the size of its conventional forces. The regime of dictator Kim Il-sung denied its intention to use nuclear blackmail.

Economics and finance
U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown announced that Britain would not adopt the euro, saying that England had not met certain economic conditions required before changing its currency.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Anaheim 0 @ New Jersey 3 (New Jersey won best-of-seven series 4-3)

Rookie forward Mike Rupp scored the first goal and assisted on 2 others by Jeff Friesen as the Devils blanked the Mighty Ducks at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford. New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur recorded his third shutout of the series and seventh of the 2003 playoffs, a record for a single playoff season. Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who recorded a goals against average of 1.62 in 21 games, was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2003 playoffs.