May 6, 2014

170 years ago
1844

Britannica
The Glaciarium, the world's first mechanically frozen ice rink, opened in London.

150 years ago
1864

War
In the American Civil War, Lieutenant General James Longstreet was seriously wounded in the second day of the Battle of the Wilderness in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.

130 years ago
1884

Baseball
Larry McKeon pitched a no-hitter for the Indianapolis Blues against the Cincinnati Reds in an American Association game at League Park in Cincinnati that was called after 6 innings with the score tied 0-0.

125 years ago
1889

Franciana
The Exposition Universelle opened in Paris. The Eiffel Tower, which served as the entry gate to the World's Fair, was officially dedicated.

75 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Ted Rogers, Sr., 38. Canadian engineer and radio executive. Mr. Rogers, a native of Toronto, bought the patent rights for and improved Frederick McCullough's alternating current vacuum tubes, and in 1925 introduced the Rogers Batteryless Radio, the first radio receiver in the world to operate from household current. The same year, he founded the company Standard Radio Manufacturing (later Rogers Vacuum Tube Company), and in 1927 he founded Toronto radio station CFRB (Canada’s First Rogers Batteryless). Mr. Rogers died in Toronto of complications from a hemorrhage. His son Ted, Jr. continued his father's work and founded the communications conglomerate Rogers Communications in 1967.

Economics and finance
Charles Dunning established the Central Mortgage Bank (now known as Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation), owned by the Government of Canada and run by the Bank of Canada. Money was to be loaned at 3% to banks, on condition they lower mortgage rates to 5%.

Horse racing
Johnstown, with James Stout up, won the 65th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:03 2/5, 8 lengths ahead of Challedon, with Heather Broom third in the eight-horse field.



70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Love You--Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (Best Seller--1st week at #1); San Fernando Valley--Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (Jukebox--2nd week at #1)

War
Nazi assaults on the Allied beachhead of Anzio in Italy and in the upper Garigliano Valley were repulsed by the Allies. U.S. Major General John Cannon, chief of the Allied Tactical Air Force in the Mediterranean area, said that railyards below Florence were out of commission as the result of air attacks. Japanese forces reached the outskirts of Loyang in the Chinese province of Honan.

Diplomacy
The Icelandic cabinet and leaders of all prominent political parties in Iceland joined in a statement urging voters to ratify a decision of parliament to break ties with Denmark.

Labour
An International Labour Organization subcommittee voted to recommend that the organization adopt a "hands off" policy toward U.S. administration of Germany.

Horse racing
Pensive, with Conn McCreary up, won the 70th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:04 1/5, 4½ lengths ahead of Broadcloth, with Stir Up third in the 16-horse field.



60 years ago
1954

Transportation
The U.S. House of Representatives approved joining Canada in construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Track and field
British medical student Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in less than 4 minutes, covering the distance in 3:59.4 at Iffley Road track in Oxford, England.

50 years ago
1964

At the movies
The Last Man on Earth, directed by Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo B. Ragona, and starring Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli, and Giacomo Rossi Stuart, opened in theatres.





40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Someday, Somewhere--Demis Roussos

Politics and government
Willy Brandt resigned as Chancellor of West Germany, taking responsibility for "negligence" that had allowed an East German spy to become a member of his staff. The arrest and confession of Gunter Guillaume, Mr. Brandt's aide for Social Democratic Party affairs, had been disclosed on April 25. Mr. Brandt asked Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Scheel to take his place until the Bundestag elected a new Chancellor.

Basketball
ABA
Finals
New York 103 @ Utah 100 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-0)

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Relax--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Big in Japan--Alphaville (3rd week at #1)

Politics and government
Voting took place in Panama's first presidential election in 16 years. The leading contenders were Nicolas Ardito Barletta, a former vice president of the World Bank, and former President Arnulfo Arias Madrid, 83, whose three presidencies had all been overthrown by coups. Mr. Barletta was viewed as the candidate representing the nation's armed forces. Results weren't announced until May 16.

Jose Napoleon Duarte, the candidate of the Christian Democratic Party and a political moderate, was elected President of El Salvador, defeating Roberto d'Aubuisson, the candidate of the right-wing National Republican Alliance (Arena) in a runoff election. Mr. d'Aubuisson had been implicated in killings by death squads, an accusation he denied.

Religion
Pope John Paul II continued his visit to South Korea, where he canonized 103 Korean Roman Catholic martyrs in Seoul.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Like a Prayer--Madonna (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Like a Prayer--Madonna (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Eternal Flame--Bangles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Megamix--Boney M. (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Eternal Flame--Bangles (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Like a Prayer--Madonna (3rd week at #1)
2 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
3 Real Love--Jody Watley
4 Funky Cold Medina--Tone Loc
5 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
6 Second Chance--Thirty Eight Special
7 After All--Cher and Peter Cetera
8 Soldier of Love--Donny Osmond
9 Room to Move--Animotion
10 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals

Singles entering the chart were Satisfied by Richard Marx (#39); I Drove All Night by Cyndi Lauper (#60); Good Thing by Fine Young Cannibals (#69); Be with You by the Bangles (#73); If You Don't Know Me by Now by Simply Red (#81); I Like by Guy (#82); Rooms on Fire by Stevie Nicks (#85); and Anything Can Happen by Was (Not Was) (#89). Good Thing and its B-side, Social Security, were from the movie Tin Men (1987).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Like a Prayer--Madonna (3rd week at #1)
2 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
3 Funky Cold Medina--Tone Loc
4 Heaven Help Me--Deon Estus (with George Michael)
5 Real Love--Jody Watley
6 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
7 Second Chance--Thirty Eight Special
8 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
9 The Look--Roxette
10 Cult of Personality--Living Colour

Singles entering the chart were Satisfied by Richard Marx (#50); I Drove All Night by Cyndi Lauper (#55); Be with You by the Bangles (#65); Good Thing by Fine Young Cannibals (#70); Rooms on Fire by Stevie Nicks (#75); Who Do You Give Your Love To? by Michael Morales (#77); If You Don't Know Me by Now by Simply Red (#80); We Can Last Forever by Chicago (#82); and Crazy About Her by Rod Stewart (#87).

Died on this date
Earl "Red" Blaik, 92. U.S. football coach. "Colonel" Blaik was head coach at Dartmouth College (1934-1940) and United States Military Academy (1941-1958), compiling a record of 166-48-14. His Army teams won three straight national championships from 1944-1946. Assistant coaches who served under him and who later became head coaches included Vince Lombardi, Sid Gillman, and Bobby Dobbs. Mr. Blaik was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1964.

Horse racing
Sunday Silence, with Pat Valenzuela up, won the 115th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:05. Easy Goer, the favourite, placed second, with Awe Inspiring third.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference Finals
Calgary 5 @ Chicago 2 (Calgary led best-of-seven series 2-1)

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Without You--Mariah Carey (5th week at #1)

Politics and government
Results of the previous week's voting in South Africa's first general-suffrage elections were announced. The African National Congress, led by Nelson Mandela, received 63% of the vote to 20% for President F.W. de Klerk's National Party. The Inkatha Freedom Party, led by Zulu chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, took 10% of the vote. Seats in the 400-member National Assembly, which would choose the new President, were apportioned to the vote for each party.

War
The northern faction in Yemen's civil war that was loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh was advancing on the southern port city of Aden.

Diplomacy
The United Nations Security Council voted to impose a tougher trade embargo on Haiti if that nation's military rulers did not yield power within two weeks. Only food, medicine, and cooking oils would be exempt from the embargo.

Transportation
Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterand officially opened the Channel Tunnel in ceremonies in Britain and France.

Scandal
Former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones filed a lawsuit against U.S. President Bill Clinton, alleging that he had sexually harassed her in a hotel room in Little Rock in 1991 while he was Governor of Arkansas. She asked for a public apology from Mr. Clinton and $700,000 in damages from him and Arkansas state trooper Danny Ferguson, whom she accused of making a false statement about her meeting with Mr. Clinton. Ms. Jones maintained that she had been denied promotion because she had rejected Mr. Clinton's overture.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had edged downward 0.1% in April to 6.4%.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Toronto 2 @ San Jose 5 (San Jose led best-of-seven series 2-1)

10 years ago
2004

On television tonight
Friends, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Last One: Part 2

This was the last episode of the series.

War
U.S. President George W. Bush met with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House in Washington, and formally apologized for U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

World events
Canadian authorities boarded five foreign fishing vessels just outside Canada's 200-mile Economic Exclusion Zone and issued two citations to one Portuguese ship for illegal overfishing.

Health
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ignored the opinion of its expert advisory panel and banned over-the-counter sales of the "morning-after" contraceptive pill.