May 2, 2014

820 years ago
1194

Britannica
King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first Royal Charter.

150 years ago
1864

Died on this date
Giacomo Meyerbeer, 72. German musician and composer. Mr. Meyerbeer, born Jacob Liebmann Beer, began his career as a pianist, but devoted the bulk of his career to composing operas. He wrote 19 operas, and has been called "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner." Mr. Meyerbeer wrote choral works and about 50 songs in his later years.

125 years ago
1889

Diplomacy
Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II signed a treaty of amity with Italy, giving Italy control over Eritrea.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Norma Talmadge. U.S. actress. Miss Talmadge was one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era, in films such as Smilin' Through (1922); Secrets (1924); and The Lady (1925). She retired from acting in 1930, having accumulated and inherited enough wealth to be comfortable for the rest of her life, which ended on December 24, 1957 at the age of 64 as a result of pneumonia after a series of strokes.

100 years ago
1914

Died on this date
John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, Duke of Argyll, 68. The Marquess of Lorne married Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, in 1871. He served as Governor General of Canada from 1878-1883, the youngest person to hold the office.

75 years ago
1939

Movies
The National Film Act created the National Film Board of Canada as a public production agency, headed by Scottish-born filmmaker John Grierson.

Baseball
After playing 2,130 consecutive games since 1925, New York Yankees' first baseman Lou Gehrig removed himself from the lineup as the team was preparing to open a series against the Tigers in Detroit, and never played again. After appearing tired during spring training, The Iron Horse was hitting just .143 through the team's first 8 games of 1939. His muscle weakness was diagnosed as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare and fatal disease that ended up being popularly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." Mr. Gehrig remained the Yankees' captain for the rest of the 1939 season, and remained on the active roster, even for the World Series. The Yankees showed no immediate effects of Mr. Gehrig's absence from the lineup, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning and 9 in the 7th as they routed the Tigers 22-2 before 11,379 fans at Briggs Stadium. Every man in the New York lineup scored at least 1 run, and everyone except Tommy Henrich, who hit a 2-run home run, had at least 2 hits. Mr. Dahlgren hit a 2-run homer and added a double in 5 at bats, scoring 2 runs. Red Ruffing pitched a 7-hitter to improve his 1939 record to 3-0, and batted 2 for 6 with a run and 3 runs batted in. Fred Hutchinson made his major league debut as the fourth of five Detroit pitchers, allowing 4 hits, 5 bases on balls, and 8 runs--all earned--in 2/3 inning. Appropriately, the game was played in 2 hours 22 minutes.

Charlie Gelbert batted 2 for 4 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 runs batted in, and Rick Ferrell was 2 for 4 with a double and 3 RBIs to help the Washington Nationals outlast the St. Louis Browns 9-7 before 1,431 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. St. Louis left fielder Mike Mazzera was 4 for 5 with a double, a run, and 3 RBIs.

Mel Ott's 3-run home run off Junior Thompson with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning gave the New York Giants an 8-7 win over the Cincinnati Reds before 9,078 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 2 runs in the top of the 8th inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers 3-2 before 9,269 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Bob Klinger pitched a 3-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Freddie Fitzsimmons, who allowed 13 hits in pitching a complete game.

Don Gutteridge scored on a sacrifice fly by Terry Moore in the top of the 9th inning to break a 1-1 tie as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Boston Bees 2-1 before 2,155 fans at National League Park in Boston. Winning pitcher Bob Bowman, who allowed 6 hits, was relieved by Lon Warneke with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning, a 3-2 count on Johnny Cooney, and Al Lopez on third base. Mr. Warneke struck out Mr. Cooney to end the game. Losing pitcher Danny MacFayden pitched a 5-hit complete game.

70 years ago
1944

War
The Soviet Red Army ended a three-week lull on the Romanian front by opening an offensive along the middle Siret River.

Scandal
Indictments charging conspiracy to sell whiskey above U.S. Office of Price Administration ceiling prices were returned against Schenley Distillers Corporation; Benjamin F. Pross, an official with the American Federation of Labor Wine, Liquor and Distillery Workers Union; and 16 others.

Economics and finance
A U.S. technical mission headed by James M. Landis arrived in Addis Ababa to study postwar economic possibilities in Ethiopia.

Labour
U.S. delegates to the International Labour Organization conference submitted a program calling for agreement by the United Nations on postwar Labour and production problems.

The U.S. National War Labor Board ordered an election to determine whether 6,000 employees of Montgomery Ward in Chicago wanted to be represented by a Congress of Industrial Organizations union.

Education
Egyptian Minister of Education Naguib el Hilaly Pasha said tha postwar plans for sending students to the United States had been developed.

60 years ago
1954

Baseball
Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals set a major league record with 5 home runs in a doubleheader against the New York Giants at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): All My Loving (EP)--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: La Plus Belle Pour Aller Danser--Sylvie Vartan (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): E' l'uomo per me--Mina

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Oh My Darling Caroline--Ronny (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): A World Without Love--Peter and Gordon (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Can't Buy Me Love--The Beatles (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Can't Buy Me Love--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)
2 Hello, Dolly!--Louis Armstrong
3 Do You Want to Know a Secret--The Beatles
4 Bits and Pieces--The Dave Clark Five
5 Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)--The Serendipity Singers
6 Suspicion--Terry Stafford
7 Glad All Over--The Dave Clark Five
8 My Guy--Mary Wells
9 Ronnie--The 4 Seasons
10 Twist and Shout--The Beatles

Singles entering the chart were P.S. I Love You by the Beatles (#57); Three Window Coupe by the Rip Chords (#60); Kiss Me Quick by Elvis Presley (#76); Chapel of Love by the Dixie Cups (#79); I Rise, I Fall by Johnny Tillotson (#85); Every Little Bit Hurts by Brenda Holloway (#87); I'm the Lonely One by Cliff Richard (#90); Do You Love Me by the Dave Clark Five (#92); Once Upon a Time by Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells (#93); I Knew it All the Time by the Dave Clark Five (#94); Rock Me Baby by B.B. King (#99); and Little Boxes by Womenfolk (#100). P.S. I Love You was the B-side of Love Me Do, which charted at #25.

Died on this date
Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, 84. U.S.-born U.K. politician. Lady Astor, born Nancy Langhorne, was a native of Virginia who was married, divorced, moved to England at the age of 26, and married Waldorf Astor in 1906. When he succeeded to the House of Lords as Viscount Astor upon the death of his father, Viscountess Astor ran for his seat in Parliament, and in 1919 became the first woman to take a seat in the British House of Commons. A Conservative, she represented Plymouth Sutton in the House of Commons from 1919-1945, and was known for her dislike of Catholics, Jews, and Communists. Lady Astor used Cliveden, her country estate, as a hospital for Canadian soldiers during both world wars; her social circle became known as the "Cliveden Set," and was accused of influencing British policy in favour of appeasing Germany's Nazi regime.

Annette Constantini, 14. U.S. accident victim. Miss Constantini was killed and 46 children injured in an accident on an escalator at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, where 20,000 schoolchildren had been granted free admission to that day's Baltimore Orioles baseball game in recognition of "Safety Patrol Day." The children were travelling upward on an escalator that had a gate at the top restricting passage to one person at a time, while three or four at a time were getting on at the bottom. As a result, a crush of bodies ensued, and Miss Constantini was killed. The escalator was stopped by stadium usher Melville Gibson, who was finally able to reach the emergency shut-off switch.

Space
The mission of the Soviet satellite Cosmos 29 ended, one week after its launch.

War
An explosion sank the USS Card while it was docked at Saigon; Viet Cong forces were suspected of placing a bomb on the ship. She was raised and returned to service less than seven months later.

Adventure
A Chinese expedtion led by Xǔ Jìng completed the first ascent of Shishapangma, the 14th-highest mountain in the world (8,013 metres (26,289 feet)) and the lowest of the Eight-thousanders.

Horse racing
Northern Dancer, with Bill Hartack aboard, became the first Canadian horse to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, covering the 1 1/4-mile course in the 90th running of the race in a record time of 2 minutes flat, breaking the mark of 2:00 2/5 set by Decidedly in 1962. Hill Rise, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, placed second. Mr. Shoemaker had been Northern Dancer's jockey earlier in the year, but had opted to ride Hill Rise in the Kentucky Derby, thinking the latter horse had a better chance to win that race.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Waterloo--ABBA (2nd week at #1)

Scandal
The Maryland Court of Appeals unanimously ordered that former U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew be disbarred in view of his plea the previous August of nolo contendre to a charge of income tax evasion. Mr. Agnew's defense attorneys had argued in favour of suspension rather than disbarment. Judge J. Dudley Briggs said in the court's opinion, "It is difficult to feel compassion for an attorney who is so morally obtuse that he consciously cheats for his own pecuniary gain that government he has sworn to serve, completely disregards the words of the oath he uttered when first admitted to the bar, and absolutely fails to perceive his professional duty to act honestly in all matters." Mr. Agnew had resigned the vice-presidency on October 10, 1973.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Philadelphia 1 @ New York Rangers 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Ron Harris, Ted Irvine, and Steve Vickers scored in the 3rd period to break a 1-1 tie as the Rangers beat the Flyers before 17,500 fans at Madison Square Garden. Don Saleski opened the scoring for Philadelphia in the 1st period, but Brad Park tied the game for New York later in the period. Mr. Vickers' goal was scored into an empty net.

30 years ago
1984

Died on this date
Bob Clampett, 70. U.S. animator. Mr. Clampett worked for Warner Brothers studios on their Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons from 1931-1946 before moving into television with the series Time for Beany (1949-1955) and Beany and Cecil (1962-1967). He died of a heart attack six days before his 71st birthday.

Jack Barry, 66. U.S. television game show host and producer. Born John Barasch, Mr. Barry co-produced the game shows Twenty-One and Tic-Tac-Dough in the late 1950s. When it was revealed in 1958 that the outcome of Twenty-One was fixed, Mr. Barry's career was ruined for several years. He eventually made a comeback in the 1970s, hosting the game show The Joker's Wild, which ran on CBS from 1972-1975 and in syndication beginning in 1977. Mr. Barry had just completed another season as the show's host when he suffered a fatal heart attack while jogging.

World events
The day after Syrian forces had seized three Israeli officials who had crossed Syrian lines in northern Lebanon, Isreali Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir warned Syria that Israel would "regard with great severity any Syrian attempt to make false accusations to them." The officials, members of Israel's informal embassy in Lebanon, were being accused by Syria of being saboteurs.

Protest
Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, a nuclear physicist who had won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975, began a hunger strike to publicize his demand for medical treatment for his wife, Dr. Yelena Bonner. Both suffered from heart ailments, but objected to receiving medical treatment in Gorky, where Dr. Sakharov was confined.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Jesse Helms (Republican--North Carolina) wrote to President Ronald Reagan, demanding that Thomas Pickering be dismissed as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. Sen. Helms asserted that Mr. Picikering had become involved in El Salvador's presidential election on behalf of Christian Democratic party candidate Jose Napoleon Duarte, which Sen. Helms called "an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation."

Disasters
Indian officials reported that 911 people had died and 20,780 had been reported ill in a dysentery epidemic in West Bengal caused by contaminated drinking water.

25 years ago
1989

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Square Dance

World events
Hungary began dismantling its 150-mile-long border fence with Austria, which allowed a number of East Germans to defect. The fence had been in place since 1969.

Environment
Representatives of 80 nations meeting in Helsinki agreed by consensus to support a ban on production of chemicals endangering the ozone layer, calling for chlorofluorocarbons to be phased out by no later than 2000.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference Finals
Chicago 0 @ Calgary 3 (Calgary led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Mike Vernon posted the shutout in goal for the Flames as they blanked the Blackhawks at Olympic Saddledome.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Streets of Philadelphia--Bruce Springsteen (4th week at #1)

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Love Sneakin' Up on You--Bonnie Raitt (2nd week at #1)
2 Mr. Jones--Counting Crows
3 Streets of Philadelphia--Bruce Springsteen
4 The Sign--Ace of Base
5 Return to Innocence--Enigma
6 Baby, I Love Your Way--Big Mountain
7 Loser--Beck
8 I'll Remember--Madonna
9 Swimming in Your Ocean--Crash Test Dummies
10 Hasn't Hit Me Yet--Blue Rodeo

Singles entering the chart were Here Comes a Man by Traffic (#57); I Want You by Juliet Roberts (#63); Ride it Out by Hemingway Corner (#84); Night in My Veins by the Pretenders (#85); Don't Turn Around by Ace of Base (#87); Until I Fade Away by Gin Blossoms (#88); Some Change by Boz Scaggs (#89); Brown Eyed Girl by Freddy Curci (#90); and Neon Moonlight by Roscoe Martinez (#91).

Abominations
A jury in Wayne County, Michigan acquitted "Dr." Jack Kevorkian of violating a state law forbidding assisted suicide. "Dr." Kevorkian had been present at the deaths of Thomas Hyde, who was terminally ill. Mr. Hyde inhaled a lethal dose of carbon monoxide gas. Several jurors said they believed that "Dr." Kevorkian was only trying to alleviate Mr. Hyde's suffering.

Politics and government
African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela claimed victory for the ANC in South Africa’s first general-suffrage election, voting in which had taken place from April 26-29.

Diplomacy
The United States pledged $15 million in humanitarian aid for Rwanda.

Disasters
A bus crash in Gdańsk, Poland killed 32 people.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
San Jose 3 @ Toronto 2 (San Jose led best-of-seven series 1-0)

10 years ago
2004

Abominations
The Yelwa massacre in Nigeria ended. It had begun on February 4, 2004 when armed Muslims had killed more than 78 Christians in Yelwa, including at least 48 who were worshipping inside a church compound. More than 630 nomadic Muslims were killed by Christians in Nigeria.