May 26, 2014

370 years ago
1644

War
Portuguese and Spanish forces both claimed victory in the Battle of Montijo in Spain.

150 years ago
1864

Americana
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed an enabling act creating the Territory of Montana.

140 years ago
1874

Politics and government
The Canadian Parliament passed the Dominion Elections Act, bringing in the secret ballot, with national elections to be held simultaneously. The property qualification for members of the House of Commons was abolished.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Paul Lukas. Hungarian-born U.S. actor. Mr. Lukas, born in Budapest as Pál Lukács, began his stage and screen career in his native country, but also worked in Germany and Austria before moving to Hollywod in 1927. He appeared in numerous films, plays, radio programs, and television programs, but was best known for playing anti-Nazi German émigré in the play (1941) and film (1943) Watch on the Rhine, winning the Academy Award for his starring screen performance. Mr. Lukas was visiting Tangier, Morocco, apparently searching for a place to spend his retirement years, when he died on August 15, 1971 at the age of 77.

110 years ago
1904

Born on this date
George Formby, Jr.. U.K. entertainer. Mr. Formby, born George Hoy Booth, was the son of music hall performer George Formby, Sr., and followed his father into show business. Mr. Formby, Jr. was Britain's most popular entertainer in the 1930s and '40s on stage, screen, and recordings, singing comical songs while playing a ukulele. His health began to decline in the late 1940s, and he performed less frequently. Mr. Formby died of a heart attack on March 6, 1961 at the age of 56, and was mourned throughout England.

100 years ago
1914

Died on this date
Jacob Riis, 65. Danish-born U.S. photojournalist. Mr. Riis moved to the United States at the age of 21, working as a carpenter and becoming acquainted with the living conditions of New York City's slum dwellers. He advocated for the improvement of tenement living conditions, most notably in his book of photographs and commentary How the Other Half Lives (1890). Mr. Riis continued his efforts at social reform until his death, 23 days after his 65th birthday.

90 years ago
1924

Died on this date
Victor Herbert, 65. U.K.-born U.S. composer. Mr. Herbert, born Victor Muspratt in Guernsey, moved to the United States in 1886. He was a cellist who turned to composing and conducting. Mr. Herbert wrote various works for cello, piano, and orchestra, but was best known for operettas such as Babes in Toyland (1903) and Naughty Marietta (1910). He died of a heart attack, shortly after his last show, The Dream Girl, began its pre-Broadway run in Connecticut.

75 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Charles Mayo, 73. U.S. physician. Dr. Mayo and his brother William were among the founders of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

70 years ago
1944

At the movies
The Scarlet Claw, directed by Roy William Neill, and starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, opened in theatres. It was the only one of the Sherlock Holmes series to be set in Canada.



Died on this date
Herbert Thompson, 85. U.K. Egyptologist. Sir Herbert lectured at University College London, and was an expert in hieroglyphics.

Christian Wirth, 58. German war criminal. SS-Sturmbannführer (Major) Wirth was a major figure in the Action T4 program--in which people with disabilities were murdered by gassing or lethal injection--and Operation Reinhard, the program to exterminate Poland's Jews. He was killed by Yugoslav Partisans while travelling in an open-topped car on an official trip to Fiume.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued invitations to 41 governments and the French Committee of National Liberation to send delegates to a United Nations monetary conference to open July 1 at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

Business
A U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee report investigating President Roosevelt's decision to seize Montgomery Ward & Company's Chicago plant was called absurd by Attorney General Francis Biddle, who said that the report failed to take into account court decisions supporting his advice to the President.

Labour
The U.S. Army said that 100,000 prisoners of war would be available for farm work and as labourers on projects not in war production.

60 years ago
1954

Died on this date
Lionel Conacher, 54. Canadian athlete and politician. A Toronto native who was voted Canada's athlete of the half-century from 1901-1950, Mr. Conacher's achievements are too numerous to mention here. He's a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (1955); Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1963); Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1965); and Hockey Hall of Fame (1994). He should have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame sooner, but it was widely assumed that he was already a member before someone finally noticed that he wasn't. Mr. Conacher served as a Liberal Member of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario for Bracondale (1937-1943) and represented Trinity in the House of Commons from 1949 until his death. He was playing for the MPs in their annual softball game against members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Ottawa when he stretched a hit into a triple in the 6th inning, and collapsed with a fatal heart attack just after pulling up at third base, 2 days after his 54th birthday.

50 years ago
1964

Space
The mission of the Soviet satellite Cosmos 30 ended, eight days after its launch.

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary-General U Thant addressed a joint sitting of the Canadian House of Commons and Senate in Ottawa.

40 years ago
1974

Auto racing
Johnny Rutherford, competing in his eleventh Indianapolis 500, finally won the race, the first time it had been held on a Sunday.



30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Love of the Common People--Paul Young (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): To All The Girls I've Loved Before--Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): I Want to Break Free--Queen

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Automatic--The Pointer Sisters

#1 single in the U.K.: The Reflex--Duran Duran (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Let's Hear It for the Boy--Deniece Williams

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Let's Hear it for the Boy--Deniece Williams
2 Hello--Lionel Richie
3 To All the Girls I've Loved Before--Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
4 Time After Time--Cyndi Lauper
5 Oh Sherrie--Steve Perry
6 Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)--Phil Collins
7 The Reflex--Duran Duran
8 Hold Me Now--Thompson Twins
9 Sister Christian--Night Ranger
10 Head Over Heels--Go-Go's

Singles entering the chart were Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen (#25); Infatuation by Rod Stewart (#42); Doctor! Doctor! by Thompson Twins (#62); Farewell My Summer Love by Michael Jackson (#75); Don't Walk Away by Rick Springfield (#79); Romancing the Stone by Eddy Grant (#82); Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart (#84); What's Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner (#86); and Alibis by Sergio Mendes (#89). Romancing the Stone was the title song of the movie.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 To All the Girls I've Loved Before--Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson (2nd week at #1)
2 Hello--Lionel Richie
3 Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)--Phil Collins
4 Time After Time--Cyndi Lauper
5 They Don't Know--Tracey Ullman
6 The Reflex--Duran Duran
7 Hold Me Now--Thompson Twins
8 Footloose--Kenny Loggins
9 You Might Think--The Cars
10 Breakdance--Irene Cara

Singles entering the chart were Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen (#47); Self Control by Laura Branigan (#49); and It's a Miracle by Culture Club (#50).

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): The Look--Roxette

Scandal
U.S. House of Representatives majority whip Tony Coelho (Democrat--California) announced his resignation as majority whip and from the House. Mr. Coelho had become a potential subject of ethical inquiries concerning the possible use of $100,000 in campaign funds to buy junk bonds underwritten by Drexel Burnham Lambert, Inc. Mr. Coelho denied using campaign funds for that purpose, but admitted that he had not reported on his financial disclosure forms a $50,000 loan used to cover half the bond purchase.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): The Real Thing--2 Unlimited (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Riverdance--Bill Whelan (4th week at #1)

Married on this date
U.S. pop music star Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, were married in the Dominican Republic.

10 years ago
2004

Terrorism
Terry Nichols was found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the bombing at the Frederick P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.