April 1, 2014

225 years ago
1789

Politics and government
In New York City, the United States House of Representatives held its first quorum and elected Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker.

175 years ago
1839

Died on this date
Benjamin Pierce, 81. U.S. politician. Mr. Pierce, a member of the Democratic-Republican party, was Governor of New Hampshire from 1827-1828 and 1829-1830.

160 years ago
1854

Literature
The novel Hard Times by Charles Dickens began running as a serial in his magazine Household Words.

125 years ago
1889

Academia
The University of Northern Colorado was established, as the Colorado State Normal School.

100 years ago
1914

Died on this date
Rube Waddell, 37. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Waddell, one of the most colourful characters ever to play in the major leagues, pitched with the Louisville Colonels (1897, 1899); Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-1901); Chicago Orphans (1901); Philadelphia Athletics (1902-1907); and St. Louis Browns (1908-1910), compiling a record of 193-143 with an earned run average of 2.16. He led the American League in strikeouts in all 6 of his seasons with Philadelphia, and his 349 strikeouts in 1904 was a major league regular season record until it was broken by Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965 (it was the AL record until broken by Nolan Ryan of the California Angels in 1973). Mr. Waddell was one of the biggest drawing cards of his time, as much because of his antics as his pitching prowess. He would sometimes depart the mound in the middle of a game to chase a passing fire engine, and was easily distracted by opposing players and managers. According to Philadelphia manager Connie Mack, "He had four passions and four only: He loved to fish. He loved the stuff that the vintners sell. He loved fires. And he loved to pitch ballgames. In about that order." Heavy drinking contributed to a decline in Mr. Waddell's health, as did a case of pneumonia contracted while attempting rescue work during a flood in Hickman, Kentucky in the spring of 1912. He died of tuberculosis on April Fool's Day. Mr. Waddell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. The anecdotes told about Mr. Waddell could fill a book--in fact they have. A history professor named Alan H. Levy wrote Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Master, which was published in 2003.

90 years ago
1924

Died on this date
Jacob Bolotin, 36. Dr. Bolotin, a graduate of the Chicago College of Medicine, was the world's first totally blind physician fully licensed to practice medicine. He became a noted heart specialist in Chicago; his death apparently resulted from overwork.

World events
German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in jail for his participation in the "Beer Hall Putsch" of November 9, 1923, an attempted takeover of the German government by the Nazi party.

Defense
The Royal Canadian Air Force was founded as a separate service; it had previously been founded by Billy Bishop in 1918 as a separate brigade of the Canadian Army.

75 years ago
1939

War
Generalíssimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announced the end of the Spanish Civil War, as the last of the Republican forces surrendered.

Transportation
Trans-Canada Airlines began scheduled transnational passenger service between Vancouver and Montréal, with stops in Ottawa, North Bay, Kapuskasing, Winnipeg, Regina and Lethbridge. The flight took 15 hours.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Boston 1 @ New York Rangers 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)
Detroit 4 @ Toronto 5 (OT) (Toronto won best-of-three series 2-1)

Gordie Drillon scored his second goal of the game at 5:42 of the 1st overtime period to give the Maple Leafs their win over the Red Wings at Maple Leaf Gardens.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Bésame Mucho (Kiss Me Much)--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra with Bob Eberly and Kitty Kallen (Best Seller--5th week at #1); Mairzy Doats--The Merry Macs (Jukebox--3rd week at #1)

War
Soviet forces captured Kablevo, reaching a point 24 miles northeast of Odessa. The U.S. Army reported that 1,058,000 enlisted men had been discharged from December 1, 1941-January 31, 1944.

Politics and government
The day after U.S. Representative John Coffee (Democrat--Washington) had accused Connecticut industrialist Vivien Kellems of treason and seditious conduct for urging businessmen not to pay income taxes, Miss Kellems, speaking from Toronto, said that Rep. Coffee "is a coward," and dared him to make his charges "outside of the House so I can hale you into court and put you in prison where you belong."

U.S. Senator Robert Wagner (Democrat--New York) urged the Democratic Party to renominate President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the party's candidate in the November 1944 election because "the people do not want to turn the Presidency over to some untried novice in the critical days ahead."

Baseball
A U.S. Coast Guard team led by former major league outfielder Dick Porter defeated the Boston Red Sox 23-16 in an exhibition game at Curtis Bay Navy Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland. Mr. Porter had finished his 6-year major league career with the Red Sox in 1934.

60 years ago
1954

Canadiana
Woodside in Kitchener, Ontario, the boyhood home of former Prime Minister Mackenzie King, was named a National Historic Park.

Defense
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Boxing
Ed Sanders (2-0) knocked out Billy Booker at 2:33 of the 1st round of their heavyweight bout at Boston Arena.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Toronto 3 @ Detroit 4 (2 OT) (Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Ted Lindsay scored at 1:01 of the 2nd overtime period as the Red Wings eliminated the Maple Leafs at Olympia Stadium and advanced to the finals against the Montreal Canadiens, who had defeated the Boston Bruins 4 games to 0 in their semi-final series.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Coo Ca Choo--Alvin Stardust (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Distancia--Roberto Carlos (3rd week at #1)

Britannica
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties were created.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood

#1 single in Switzerland: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Elizabeth Goudge, 83. U.K. authoress. Miss Goudge wrote novels, short stories, children's books, and non-fiction, and won the Carnegie Medal for British children's books for The Little White Horse (1946). She died 24 days before her 84th birthday.

Marvin Gaye, 44. U.S. musician. Mr. Gaye was one of Motown Corporation's major stars in the 1960s and '70s. He began as a session drummer and then achieved success as a singer and songwriter from 1962 through the late 1970s. His biggest hit was I Heard it Through the Grapevine, which spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in late 1968-early 1969. Mr. Gaye's 1971 album What's Going On is regarded as one of the best albums ever recorded. Mr. Gaye also had success in performing duets with Tammi Terrell, Mary Wells, Kim Weston, and Diana Ross. He officially left Motown in 1982 and recorded for Columbia Records; Sexual Healing was a major comeback hit for Mr. Gaye in late 1982-early 1983, and earned him a Grammy Award. Drug use contributed to his personal decline and years of family conflict culminated in Mr. Gaye being fatally shot by his father; he died the day before his 45th birthday.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Esatto--Francesco Salvi (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): I Only Wanna Be with You--Samantha Fox (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Alles kan een mens gelukkig maken--René Froger (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Pour toi Arménie--Charles Aznavour and various artists (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Like a Prayer--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

Austria's top 10 (Ö3)
1 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals (3rd week at #1)
2 Das Phantom der Oper--Alexander Goebel & Luzia Nistler
3 Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart--Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney
4 Twist in My Sobriety--Tanita Tikaram
5 In the Air Tonight ('88 Remix)--Phil Collins
6 Listen to the Voices--Labi Siffre
7 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry
8 You Got It--Roy Orbison
9 Like a Prayer--Madonna
10 First Time--Robin Beck

Singles entering the chart were Like a Prayer; Leave Me Alone by Michael Jackson (#24); and Ballad of the Streets by Simple Minds (#28).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Eternal Flame--Bangles
2 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli
3 The Look--Roxette
4 My Heart Can't Tell You No--Rod Stewart
5 The Living Years--Mike + the Mechanics
6 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
7 Walk the Dinosaur--Was (Not Was)
8 Stand--R.E.M.
9 Dreamin'--Vanessa Williams
10 Lost in Your Eyes--Debbie Gibson

Singles entering the chart were Electric Youth by Debbie Gibson (#62); I'll Be Loving You (Forever) by New Kids on the Block (#68); Buffalo Stance by Neneh Cherry (#83); When Love Comes to Town by U2 with B.B. King (#89); Come Out Fighting by Easterhouse (#91); Baby Baby by Eighth Wonder (#93); and Repetition by Information Society (#94).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Eternal Flame--Bangles
2 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli
3 The Look--Roxette
4 My Heart Can't Tell You No--Rod Stewart
5 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
6 The Living Years--Mike + the Mechanics
7 Walk the Dinosaur--Was (Not Was)
8 Paradise City--Guns 'N' Roses
9 You're Not Alone--Chicago
10 Dreamin'--Vanessa Williams

Singles entering the chart were Electric Youth by Debbie Gibson (#60); I'll Be Loving You (Forever) by New Kids on the Block (#65); Downtown by One 2 Many (#74); Walking Through Walls by Escape Club (#80); The Different Story (World Of Lust And Crime) by Peter Schilling (#82); Come Out Fighting by Easterhouse (#85); When Love Comes to Town by U2 with B.B. King (#87); and Every Little Step by Bobby Brown (#89).

Economics and finance
The British government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher introduced a new local government tax, the Community Charge (commonly known as the "poll tax"), in Scotland.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Sleeping in My Car--Roxette (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Streets of Philadelphia--Bruce Springsteen (2nd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate held steady in March at 6.5%.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Aaron Bank, 101. U.S. military officer. Colonel Bank founded the U.S. Army Special Forces, commonly known as the "Green Berets." He also served with the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Carrie Snodgress, 58. U.S. actress. Miss Snodgress was nominated for an Academy Award for her starring performance in Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970). She gave up acting for several years to live with musician Neil Young, and she was never able to regain her career momentum.

Paul Atkinson, 58. U.K. musician. Mr. Atkinson was a guitarist with the Zombies, whose hit singles included She's Not There (1964); Tell Her No (1964); and Time of the Season (1969).

Law
U.S. President George W. Bush signed the "Laci Peterson" bill, making it a separate federal crime to harm a fetus during an attack on the mother.

Communications
Google announced the Gmail email program to the public.

Labour
20,000 provincial employees in Newfoundland and Labrador walked off the job in protest against the Progressive Conservative government's decision to freeze public sector wage increases. The government of Premier Danny Williams responded with plans to lay off as many as 4,000 to address its $840-million deficit.