June 3, 2014

475 years ago
1539

Americana
Hernando de Soto claimed Florida for Spain.

175 years ago
1839

World events
In Humen, China, Lin Tse-hsü destroyed 1.2 million kilograms of opium confiscated from British merchants, providing the United Kingdom with a casus belli to open hostilities, resulting in the First Opium War.

170 years ago
1844

Born on this date
Garret Hobart. 24th Vice President of the United States of America, 1897-1899. Mr. Hobart, a Republican, sat in the New Jersey General Assembly (1872-1876) and New Jersey Senate (1876-1882), serving as Speaker of the Assembly and then as President of the Senate. He was elected Vice President as William McKinley's running mate in 1896, and was an active Vice President, advising Mr. McKinley, and ruling on disputed points and attempting to expedite legislation in the Senate. Mr. Hobart died on November 21, 1899 at the age of 55, after suffering from heart disease for almost a year.

150 years ago
1864

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the Second Battle of Cold Harbor began in Virginia.

125 years ago
1889

Transportation
The first Canadian Pacific Railway train beyond Montreal arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick, marking the completion of the CPR as a coast-to-coast railway.

Energy
The first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States was completed, running 14 miles between a generator at Willamette Falls and downtown Portland, Oregon.

100 years ago
1914

Canadiana
After several days in New York City, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his wife Jean arrived in Montreal to begin a tour of Canada.

80 years ago
1934

Canadiana
Dr. Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin, was knighted by King George V in London.

75 years ago
1939

Agriculture
The Canadian Parliament passed Agriculture Minister Jimmy Gardiner's Prairie Farm Assistance Act, providing crop insurance.

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--5th week at #1); San Fernando Valley-- Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra (Jukebox--5th week at #1)

At the movies
Roger Touhy, Gangster, a fictionalized biography of Chicago gangster Roger Touhy, directed by Robert Florey, and starring Preston Foster and Victor McLaglen, received its premiere screening in New York City. Mr. Touhy, who was in prison at the time, later won a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox for defamation of character.

War
U.S. troops moved to within 15 miles of Rome as they pushed through the Alban Hills in the wake of collapsing German defenses. American troops started a fresh drive on the three Biak Island airports. British airborne Chindits crossed the Irrawaddy River and cut the last escape route of the Japanese garrison cornered in the northern half of Myitkyina, Burma.

Abominations
Argentine "nationalists" called for attacks on Jews, whom they considered responsible for the proposed day of civil disobedience on June 7.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Interdepartmental Proclaimed List Committee listed 84 Finnish firms and individuals to be deprived of U.S. trade rights without explanation.

Horse racing
Bounding Home, with G.L. Smith aboard, won the 76th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York in a time of 2:32 1/5, ruining the hopes of runner-up Pensive to win the Triple Crown.

60 years ago
1954

Diplomacy
Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie arrived in Ottawa to begin a four-day visit to Canada.

50 years ago
1964

At the movies
For Those Who Think Young, directed by Leslie H. Martinson, and starring James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, Woody Woodbury, Paul Lynde, and many others, opened in theatres.



40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Devil Gate Drive--Suzi Quatro (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Distancia--Roberto Carlos (9th week at #1)

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Somebody's Watching Me--Rockwell

#1 single in Switzerland: Hello--Lionel Richie (3rd week at #1)

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Boston 104 @ Los Angeles Lakers 137 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Magic Johnson set a finals record for a single game with 21 assists and added 11 rebounds, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 24 points, as the Lakers routed the Celtics before 17,505 fans at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Boston's Larry Bird led all scorers with 30 points.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Winnipeg (1-0) 21 @ Saskatchewan (0-1) 14

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Like a Prayer--Madonna (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Eternal Flame--Bangles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Me, Myself and I--De La Soul

#1 single in France (SNEP): Johnny, Johnny Come Home--Avalanche

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Ferry 'Cross the Mersey--The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Rock On--Michael Damian
2 Soldier of Love--Donny Osmond
3 Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler
4 Patience--Guns n' Roses
5 I'll Be Loving You (Forever)--New Kids on the Block
6 Every Little Step--Bobby Brown
7 Real Love--Jody Watley
8 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
9 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry
10 Close My Eyes Forever--Lita Ford (Duet with Ozzy Osbourne)

Singles entering the chart were Express Yourself by Madonna (#41); Lay Your Hands on Me by Bon Jovi (#58); Me, Myself and I by De La Soul (#86); Right Next to Me by Whistle (#89); Nothin' (That Compares to U) by the Jacksons (#93); Headed for a Heartbreak by Winger (#94); Waiting Game by Swing Out Sister (#96); Darlin' I by Vanessa Williams (#97); and You are the One by TKA (#98).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Rock On--Michael Damian
2 Soldier of Love--Donny Osmond
3 Real Love--Jody Watley
4 Patience--Guns n' Roses
5 Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler
6 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
7 Satisfied--Richard Marx
8 Every Little Step--Bobby Brown
9 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
10 I'll Be Loving You (Forvever)--New Kids on the Block

Singles entering the chart were Express Yourself by Madonna (#50); Lay Your Hands on Me by Bon Jovi (#63); Headed for a Heartbreak by Winger (#80); Nothin' (That Compares 2 U) by the Jacksons (#88); and Angel Eyes by the Jeff Healey Band (#90).

Died on this date
Ruhollah Khomeini, 86. Supreme Leader of Iran, 1979-1989. Ayatollah Khomeini, a Shi'ite Muslim leader who had been exiled from Iran by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1964, returned from Iraq in 1979 and led Iran's Islamic revolution, serving as religious and political leader. Under the Ayatollah's reign, Iran went backward several hundred years into the barbarism of Islamic law. His reign included the 1979-1981 seizure of the U.S. embassy by protesters, and the 1989 fatwa (legal judgment) against U.K. author Salman Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses (1988).

John McCauley, 44. Canadian hockey referee. Mr. McCauley was the National Hockey League's best referee in the 1970s, but suffered a serious eye injury when he was assaulted by a fan in New York following the third game of the Challenge Cup series in 1979. He made a brief comeback, but continuing vision problems forced him into retirement. Mr. McCauley was named the NHL's Director of Officiating in 1986, and served in that capacity until his death from complications following gall bladder surgery.

Protest
Chinese army troops began sweeping through Beijing in attempting to suppress pro-democracy demonstrations by students.

Torontonia
SkyDome, Toronto's $500 million domed stadium, was officially opened; 50,000 baseball fans were soaked by rain when the retractable roof opened.

Disasters
Some 400 people died after a gas pipeline explosion engulfed two passing trains near the town of Ufa in the Ural Mountains of the Soviet Union. President Mikhail Gorbachev said that a pipeline leak had allowed gas to accumulate and a spark from a train had set off an explosion.

Baseball
The Montreal Expos withstood a 4-run 9th-inning rally and defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-5 before 35,269 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

Milt Ramirez singled home Bill Doran with 2 out in the bottom of the 22nd inning to give the Houston Astros a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 34,425 fans at the Astrodome. At 7 hours 14 minutes, it was the longest night game in major league history to date, in terms of time.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm--Crash Test Dummies

War
Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a war memorial in Green Park in London to honour Canadians who fought and died in both world wars.

Crime
Bob McBride, former lead singer of the Canadian rock group Lighthouse, was sentenced in Ottawa to 90 days in jail for twice robbing a drugstore to feed his heroin habit; he was also ordered to organize two benefit concerts to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs.

10 years ago
2004

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Montreal (0-1) 24 @ Ottawa (1-0) 28

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Calgary 3 @ Tampa Bay 2 (OT) (Calgary led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Oleg Saprykin scored at 14:40 of the 1st overtime period to give the Flames the win over the Lightning at St. Petersburg Times Forum in St. Petersburg.