April 12, 2014

200 years ago
1814

Died on this date
Charles Burney, 88. U.K. composer and music historian. Mr. Burney was best known for his four volume History of Music (1776-1789), but also composed choral works and works for harpsichord and other instruments. He died five days after his 88th birthday.

150 years ago
1864

Abominations
Confederate forces in the U.S. Civil War commanded by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest massacred most of the Negro Union Army soldiers who surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.

125 years ago
1884

Born on this date
Otto Fritz Meyerhof. German-born physician and biochemist. Dr. Meyerhof was awarded a share of the 1922 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discovery of the fixed relationship between the consumption of oxygen and the metabolism of lactic acid in the muscle." He fled Germany for Paris in 1938 and arrived in the United States in 1940, and was given a guest professorship at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Meyerhof died on October 6, 1951 at the age of 67.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Francisco Craveiro Lopes. 12th President of Portugal, 1951-1958. Marshal of the Air Force Craveiro Lopes was Governor-General of Portuguese India from 1936-1938, and was chosen by Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar as the National Union's candidate for President, winning election when the only other candidate withdrew before the election. He was bypassed by Mr. Salazar for renomination in 1958, and declined to accept the Democratic Opposition's offer of the presidential nomination. Mr. Creveiro Lopes was involved in a failed attempt by the military to overthrow Mr. Salazar in 1961, and died on September 2, 1964 at the age of 70.

Dorothy Cumming. Australian-born U.S. actress. Miss Cumming was a silent film actress who began her career in Australia before moving to the United States in 1916. Her movies included The King of Kings (1927); Our Dancing Daughters (1928); and The Wind (1928). Miss Cumming died on December 10, 1983 at the age of 89.

80 years ago
1934

Weather
The strongest surface wind gust in the world, at 231 miles per hour, was measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

Labour
The U.S. Auto-Lite Strike began in Toledo, Ohio. It lasted almost two months, culminating in a five-day melee in May between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.

70 years ago
1944

War
Allied counterattacks relieved Japanese pressure on the city of Kohima in the Indian state of Manipur.

Politics and government
King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy announced that he would "irrevocably" withdraw from public affairs in favour of his son Crown Prince Humbert on the day that Allied troops would enter Rome.

Economics and finance
The U.S. National Industrial Conference Board released a report on the cost of living, putting the rise at 20.8% since 1941.

Labour
An estimated 1,000 employees at a Montgomery Ward & Company Congress of Industrial Organizations union went on strike in Chicago against the company's refusal to accept a U.S. National War Labor Board order to recognize the union.

60 years ago
1954

Music
Bill Haley and the Comets were at the Pythian Temple studios in New York City to record two songs for Decca Records: Thirteen Women (And Only One Man in Town) and (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock. The session, scheduled for three hours, went 40 minutes over the scheduled time, keeping Sammy Davis, Jr. waiting for his recording session to begin.

Golf
Sam Snead defeated defending champion Ben Hogan by 1 stroke in an 18-hole playoff to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Syracuse 80 @ Minneapolis 87 (Minneapolis won best-of-seven series 4-3)

The Lakers defeated the Nationals to win their third straight championship and fifth in franchise history, all under coach John Kundla. Minnesota's star center George Mikan retired after the game, but tried a comeback two years later. It was the last NBA game to be played before the introduction of the 24-second shot clock.

50 years ago
1964

Space
The Gemini 1 spacecraft fell out of Earth orbit and burned up on re-entry into the atmosphere, almost four days after its 4 hour and 50 minute mission had ended. The capsule was not intended to be recovered, and holes had been drilled in the heat shield to make sure it didn't survive re-entry.

Baseball
Horace Clarke singled home Ike Futch from second base with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th inning to break a 2-2 tie as the Richmond Virginians of the AAA International League came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat their parent club, the New York Yankees, 3-2 before a capacity crowd of 12,240 at Parker Field in Richmond. Mr. Futch led off the inning with a single as a pinch hitter for relief pitcher Mel Stottlemyre and stole second base. Mr. Stottlemyre, who drew a base on balls and scored the first Richmond run, was credited with the win, with Ralph Terry taking the loss. Elston Howard hit a home run for the Yankees in their final spring training game of 1964.



40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: The Air That I Breathe--The Hollies

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): This Flight Tonight--Nazareth

War
Israeli forces raided several border towns in southern Lebanon, attacking homes allegedly belonging to Arab guerrilla sympathizers. The attacks were in reprisal for the previous day's attack by guerrillas with the Lebanese-based Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine on a four-storey apartment building in the Israeli border town of Qiryat Shemona that had killed 18 people, mainly women and children.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-finals
Philadelphia 4 @ Atlanta 1 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Don Saleski and Bobby Clarke scored in the 1st period and Rick MacLeish and Bill Barber scored in the 2nd and 3rd periods, respectively, as the Flyers defeated the Flames before 15,141 fans at the Omni in the first Stanley Cup game ever played in Atlanta. Bernie Parent made 27 saves in winning the goaltending duel over Dan Bouchard. Mr. Bouchard made 22 saves in his first Stanley Cup game, but assaulted referee Dave Newell and linesman Neil Armstrong, and was not suspended by the league.

WHA
Avco World Trophy
Quarter-Finals
East Division
Chicago 4 @ New England 2 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Toronto 4 @ Cleveland 2 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 3-0)

West Division
Minnesota 1 @ Edmonton 2 (Minnesota led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Duke Harris scored the game's first 2 goals and Larry Mavety and Bob Sicinski also scored as the Cougars beat the Whalers before 5,513 fans at Boston Arena.

Gavin Kirk scored in the 1st period and Rick Sentes added 3 goals in the 2nd period as the Toros defeated the Crusaders before 7,991 fans at Cleveland Arena. Ron Morgan scored his first WHA goal for the Crusaders in the 2nd period.

Val Fonteyne scored in the 2nd period and Eddie Joyal scored at 7:06 of the 3rd period as the Oilers held on to avert elimination be edging the Fighting Saints before 5,200 fans in the second and last Avco World Trophy playoff game to be played at Edmonton Gardens. Wayne Connelly scored with 38 seconds remaining in regulation time to break up Chris Worthy's bid for a shutout in goal for the Oilers. Mike Curran stopped 34 of 36 shots in goal for Minnesota, while Mr. Worthy made 24 saves for Edmonton.

Basketball
NBA
Quarter-Finals
Eastern Conference
Boston 106 @ Buffalo 104 (Boston won best-of-seven series 4-2)
Capital 81 @ New York 91 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-3)

ABA
Quarter-Finals
Western Division
San Antonio 79 @ Indiana 86 (Indiana won best-of-seven series 4-3

30 years ago
1984

Space
The crew of U.S. space shuttle Challenger mission STS-41-C (STS-13) returned the Solar Maximum Mission satellite to orbit, after effecting repairs to its sensors.

Defense
The United States House of Representatives voted 281-111 in a non-binding resolution to condemn U.S. participation in the mining of harbours in Nicaragua. The Senate had adopted a similar resolution two days earlier.

Labour
U.K. National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill ruled out the possibility of a national ballot of coal miners on whether to continue their five-week-old strike.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Like a Prayer--Madonna (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Like a Prayer--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Sugar Ray Robinson, 67. U.S. boxer. Mr. Robinson, born Walker Smith, Jr., was world welterweight champion (1946-1951) and world middleweight champion (1951; 1951-1952; 1955-1957; 1957; 1958-1960). He was considered by many to be the best "pound-for-pound" fighter in history, and was the first to travel with an entourage of hangers-on. Mr. Robinson compiled a professional record of 173-19-6-2, with 108 knockouts, in a career spanning the years 1940-1965, with time out for service in the U.S. Army in 1943-1944 and a retirement from 1952-1955, when he attempted a performing career.

Abbie Hoffman, 52. U.S. activist. Mr. Hoffman co-founded the Youth International Party, popularly known as "Yippies." He was a prominent protester against the Vietnam War, and was one of the "Chicago Seven" who were tried in connection with activities at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Mr. Hoffman was a fugitive for several years in the 1970s, but returned to a life of public protest that ended when he committed suicide with an overdose of pills washed down with liquor.

20 years ago
1994

War
United Nations aid workers reported that Serb attacks on the Bosnian Muslim city of Gorazde had caused almost 1,000 casualties.

Diplomacy
An agreement reached in Cairo provided that 9,000 Palestinian police--most to be drawn from Palestinian forces based in Jordan--would be stationed in Jericho and the Gaza Strip after the Israeli military withdrawal. Israel agreed to release 5,000 of 8,500 Palestinian prisoners that it held.

Politics and government
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former U.K. Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington arrived in Johannesburg with other negotiators seeking to resolve the impasse over the participation of the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party in South Africa's first general-suffrage elections, scheduled for April 26-28. Zulu Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi was opposed to Zulu participation in the elections.

Communications
Canter & Siegel posted the first commercial mass Usenet spam.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that an index of prices charged by producers for finished goods had risen 0.1% to 56.7% in March.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Frank Seward, 83. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Seward played with the New York Giants (1943-1944), compiling a record of 3-3 with an earned run average of 5.15 in 26 games, batting .071 with 1 run batted in. He played almost 200 games in 7 seasons in the minor leagues (1942-1949); his best seasons were 1945 and 1946, when he was 18-13 and 15-13, respectively, with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Mr. Seward died five days after his 83rd birthday.

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that he planned to keep five West Bank settlements under Israeli control as part of his proposal to unilaterally separate from Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Baseball
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 660th major league home run to tie Willie Mays for third on the career list, behind Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714). Mr. Bonds' homer, his 2nd of the season, was a 3-run blast in the 5th inning; he batted 3 for 3 with a double, base on balls, 2 runs, and 4 runs batted in as the Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5 before 42,548 fans at SBC Park in San Francisco.

The New York Mets took a 10-0 lead after 5 innings and held on to defeat the Atlanta Braves 10-6 before 53,666 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Steve Trachsel (1-0) allowed 4 hits and 1 run--earned--in 6 innings to get the win, and drove in 2 runs with a double.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 5 runs in the top of the 2nd inning to open the scoring as they routed the Chicago Cubs 13-2 before 40,483 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

The Houston Astros scored a run in the 7th inning to tie the score and 5 in the 8th to break a 5-5 tie as they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 before 26,654 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Richard Hidalgo hit a grand slam in the top of the 1st inning to give Houston a 4-run lead, but St. Louis scored 4 runs in the bottom of the inning.

The Texas Rangers scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning as they held on to beat the Anaheim Angels 7-6 before 18,156 fans at the Ballpark in Arlington. The Angels scored 2 runs in the 9th and had the potential tying run at first base with 2 out, but Adam Kennedy flied out to center field to end the game.