June 19, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Michael Martin!

220 years ago
1794

Canadiana
The first royal visit to New Brunswick occurred when His Royal Highness Edward Augustus, the Duke of Kent (son of King George III), visited Saint John and stayed in Chipman House. He also travelled to Fredericton, and was entertained by Governor Sir Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester, at Mansion House.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Lester Flatt. U.S. musician. Mr. Flatt, a bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist, was known for his partnership with banjoist Earl Scruggs. Their best-known song was probably The Ballad of Jed Clampett--the theme from the television comedy series The Beverly Hillbillies, in which the duo occasionally appeared--which reached #1 on the Billboard country singles chart late in 1962 and #44 on the Hot 100 pop chart. Mr. Flatt died on May 11, 1979 at the age of 64.

Alan Cranston. U.S. politician. Mr. Cranston, a Democrat, represented California in the United States Senate (1969-1993), serving as his party's whip (1977-1991) and chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (1977-1981, 1987-1983). He died on December 31, 2000 at the age of 86.

Disasters
189 miners were killed when a spark from a gunpowder blast (used to loosen coal) ignited a pocket of gas and exploded in the Hillcrest mine in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Approximately 150 widows were left behind and 400 children left fatherless. It remains the worst coal mining disaster in Canadian history, and was the third-worst in the world at the time.

Oil
A headline on the front page of The Edmonton Journal read Oil Speculators Blanket Edmonton Field. Inside, the paper was filled with advertisements from companies such as Nakamun, Spartan, and Noehren-Mannix attempting to attract investors. These names are now forgotten.

Golf
Harry Vardon won the British Open at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland with a score of 306, 3 strokes ahead of J.H. Taylor. First prize money was £50.

80 years ago
1934

Politics and government
The Liberal Party, led by Mitch Hepburn, captured 65 of 90 seats in the Provincial Parliament to win the Ontario provincial election. The governing Conservatives, led by Premier George Henry, were reduced to 17 seats, while the Liberal-Progressives, led by Harry Nixon, won 4 seats, and had made it clear they would support the Liberals against the Conservatives. Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation, United Farmers of Ontario, and Labour each won a seat, and one independent was elected. The number of seats was reduced from 112, 90 of which had been held by the Conservatives going into the election, while the Liberals had held 13.

The Liberal party, led by Jimmy Gardiner, captured 50 of 55 seats in the Legislative Assembly to win the Saskatchewan provincial election, ousting the Conservative-led coalition government of Premier James Anderson. The Farmer-Labour Party, led by M.J. Coldwell, won 5 seats in contesting their first election, while the Conservatives, including Mr. Anderson, lost all 24 of the seats they had held going into the election. Mr. Gardiner had previously served as Premier in a Liberal government from 1926-1929.

Communications
The Communications Act of 1934 established the United States' Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

75 years ago
1939

Baseball
New York Yankees' first baseman Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neuromuscular disease. He had pulled himself from the lineup on May 2 after playing 2,130 consecutive games from 1925 through April 30, 1939, but was batting just .143 in 8 games in 1939.

70 years ago
1944

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Man with the Twisted Lip

War
The Battle of the Philippine Sea began when the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet engaged the Japanese fleet. U.S. planes struck the Pas-de-Calais area of the French coast, knocking out more launching bases used for German V-1 "buzz bombs" directed against England. U.S. troops captured Bricquebec and reached a point 8 miles south of Cherbourg. British troops enterd Perugia, Italy. German forces holding Porto Longone on the west coast of Elba surrendered to French troops. The Soviet offensive in Finland advanced up to 14 miles.

Diplomacy
U.S. Representative John Coffee (Democrat--Washington) introduced a resolution into the House of Representatives to have the United States sever diplomatic relations with Spain.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau said that any agreements reached at the forthcoming Bretton Woods monetary conference would not be binding on the United States without Congressional approval.

Politics and government
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill granting independence to the Philippines and returned it to the Senate for concurrence with an amendment to grant independence as soon as constitutional processes were restored.

60 years ago
1954

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Answer Me, My Love--Nat "King" Cole; Answer Me, Lord Above--Frankie Laine (3rd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Little Things Mean a Lot--Kitty Kallen (Best Seller--3rd week at #1; Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1); Wanted--Perry Como (Jukebox--7th week at #1)

#1 Rhythm and Blues single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Shake, Rattle and Roll--Joe Turner and his Blues Kings (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Little Things Mean a Lot--Kitty Kallen (3rd week at #1)
2 Three Coins in the Fountain--The Four Aces
--[Frank Sinatra]
3 The Happy Wanderer--Frank Weir and his Orchestra
--Henri Rene's Musette
4 Hernando's Hideaway--Archie Bleyer
5 Wanted--Perry Como
6 Young at Heart--Frank Sinatra
7 If You Love Me (Really Love Me)--Kay Starr
--Vera Lynn
8 I Understand Just How You Feel--The Four Tunes
--June Valli
9 I Get So Lonely (When I Dream About You)--The Four Knights
10 Here--Tony Martin

Singles entering the chart were Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight by the McGuire Sisters (#29, charting with the version by Sunny Gale); Make Her Mine by Nat "King" Cole (#30); Point of Order by Stan Freberg and Daws Butler (#31); Wait for Me, Darling by Georgia Gibbs (#32); Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenelle Bogen by the Sea by the Four Lads (#35); Where are You by Jo Stafford (#36); and In a Garden of Roses by Joni James (#39). Where are You was the B-side (or maybe the A-side) of Thank You for Calling, which charted at #20.

Died on this date
Lester Hunt, 61. U.S. politician. Mr. Hunt, a Democrat, was Governor of Wyoming from 1943-1949 and United States Senator from Wyoming from 1949 until his death. In June 1953, his 20-year-old son Lester, Jr. was arrested for soliciting a plainclothes policeman in a Washington, D.C. park, and, in typical police practice, was turned over to his family and warned not to repeat the behaviour. Republican Senators Styles Bridges (New Hampshire) and Herman Welker (Idaho) reportedly threatened to pursue prosecution of Mr. Hunt, Jr. if Sen. Hunt didn't resign his seat and decline to run for re-election in 1954. Sen. Hunt took no action, and his son's arrest was reported in a newspaper. Mr. Hunt, Jr. pled guilty and paid a small fine, reportedly after Sens. Bridges and Welker had had threatened Inspector Roy Blick of the Washington Police Department with loss of his job if he didn't prosecute. Sen. Hunt didn't resign his seat, and on April 15, 1954, announced his intention to run for re-election. On June 8, after medical examinations, he announced that he would not run for office again. Sen. Hunt sneaked a rifle into his Senate office and shot himself at his desk; he died several hours later at Casualty Hospital. Five days later, Wyoming Governor Clifford Joy Rogers appointed Republican Edward D. Crippa to fill the remainder of Mr. Hunt's Senate term.

Golf
Ed Furgol won the U.S. Open at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey with a 4-over-par score of 284, 1 stroke ahead of Gene Littler. First prize money was $6,000. It was the first U.S. Open to be nationally televised.

Baseball
Ossie Bluege, director of the Washington Nationals' farm system, signed infielder Harmon Killebrew to a contract for $50,000. Mr. Killebrew, who was 10 days shy of his 18th birthday, was batting .847 for a semi-professional team in his hometown of Payette, Idaho. He had been recommended to Nationals' owner Clark Griffith by U.S. Senator Herman Welker (Republican--Idaho), who was also from Payette. Like other "bonus babies" of the 1950s, Mr. Killebrew was required to remain with the major league team for at least 2 seasons before he could be sent to the minors.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): My Boy Lollipop--Millie Small (2nd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Thank You Girl--The Beatles
2 All My Loving--The Beatles
3 As Long as I'm Sure of You--Bobby Curtola
4 A World Without Love--Peter and Gordon
5 My Boy Lollipop--Millie Small
6 Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying--Gerry and the Pacemakers
7 Sidewinder--Wes Dakus and the CJCA Rebels
8 Do You Love Me--The Dave Clark Five
9 Viva Las Vegas--Elvis Presley
10 Little Children--Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas
Pick hit of the week: A Little Toy Balloon--Danny Williams
New this week: The Cowboy in the Continental Suit--Marty Robbins
Larry--The Allen Sisters
Dang Me--Roger Miller
Nobody I Know--Peter and Gordon
Sunny--Neil Sedaka
Gotta Good Thing Goin'--Freddy Cannon

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Bewitchin' Pool, starring Mary Badham, Dee Hartford, and Jeffrey Byron

This was the last new episode of the series to be broadcast.

Law
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland: Waterloo--ABBA (9th week at #1)

At the movies
The Parallax View, produced and directed by Alan J. Pakula, and starring Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels, and Paula Prentiss, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
U.S. President Richard Nixon returned to Washington after a five-nation tour of the Middle East and said "a profound and lasting change has taken place in that part of the world...where there was no hope for peace there is now hope." Mr. Nixon had been enthusiastically greeted by people and leaders in Arab countries as well as Israel.

Defense
Foreign ministers of the 15 member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, meeting in Ottawa, approved a declararation to guide NATO through the next 25 years, affirming wider and more intimate consultation on common problems, including those outside the alliance area. The declaration was to be signed in Brussels a week later.

Politics and government
Nine days after the Italian government of Prime Minister Mariano Rumor had resigned because of a disagreement over how to deal with the country's economic crisis, the four parties that had originally supported the government reached an accord on an economic austerity program, allowing the government to remain in place.

Baseball
Steve Busby pitched his second career major league no-hitter as the Kansas City Royals blanked the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 before 9,019 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Big in Japan--Alphaville (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Sunny Johnson, 30. U.S. actress. Miss Johnson played a supporting role in the movie Flashdance (1983). She died the day after suffering a brain aneurysm.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that housing starts had decreased 10.5% in May.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Ibiza--Amnesia (4th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM):
1 Rock On--Michael Damian (2nd week at #1)
2 Pop Singer--John Mellencamp
3 Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler
4 Good Thing--Fine Young Cannibals
5 I Won't Back Down--Tom Petty
6 Satisfied--Richard Marx
7 Soldier of Love--Donny Osmond
8 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
9 Cry--Waterfront
10 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry

Singles entering the chart were Missing You by Candi (#73); Rock 'N' Roll Duty by Kim Mitchell (#77); The Natural Edge by David Wilcox (#81); Misguided Angel by Cowboy Junkies (#85); On Our Own by Bobby Brown (#89); That's When I Think of You by 1927 (#90); No More Rhyme by Debbie Gibson (#95); and When God Shines His Light by Van Morrison (#99).

At the movies
Batman, directed by Tim Burton, and starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, and Jack Palance, received its premiere screening in Westwood, California.



20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World--The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (Love Symbol) (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Without You--Mariah Carey (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Without You--Mariah Carey

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Love is All Around--Wet Wet Wet (4th week at #1)

Golf
Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, and Loren Roberts were tied for the lead at 5-under-par 279 after 72 holes of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, necessitating an 18-hole playoff the following day.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
New York 84 @ Houston 86 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made 2 assists, and blocked a last-second shot by John Starks as the Rockets held on to defeat the Knickerbockers before 16,611 fans at the Summit. Mr. Starks led New York with 27 points.



10 years ago
2004

Football
CFL
Edmonton (0-1) 9 @ Montreal (1-0) 33