May 21, 2015

175 years ago
1840

New Zealandiana
Captain William Hobson, representing the British Colonial Office, declared British sovereignty over all of New Zealand.

120 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río. 44th President of Mexico, 1934-1940. General Cárdenas served in the Constitutionalist Army during the Mexican Revolution and was president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (1930-1931) and Governor of Michoacán (1928-1932). As President, he pursued agrarian reforms, and nationalized the oil industry in 1938, creating the government oil company Pemex. Gen. Cárdenas created the Partido de la Revolución Mexicana (PRM) in 1938 and incorporated the army into the party structure as a way of preventing coups d'état. He set a precedent by refusing to keep any political power after leaving the presidency in 1940, but served as Mexico's Minister of War (1942-1945). Gen. Cárdenas died of cancer on October 19, 1970 at the age of 75.

Died on this date
Franz von Suppé, 76. Austro-Hungarian composer and conductor. Mr. Suppé composed about 30 operettas and 180 other stage works. His overtures, especially Leichte Kavallerie (Light Cavalry)) (1866) are still regularly performed.

80 years ago
1935

Died on this date
Stubby Stubblefield, 25; Johnny Hannon. U.S. auto racing drivers.
Leo Whittaker. U.S. auto racing mechanic. Mr. Hannon, a rookie practicing for the Indianapolis 500, was driving his first lap at full racing speed when his car went over the outside retaining wall, and he died from a fractured skull. Later in the day, Mr. Stubblefield and his riding mechanic, Mr. Whittaker, also went over the wall, and both died from injuries received when they were thrown from the car. Mr. Stubblefield had raced in the Indianapolis 500 from 1931-1934, with his best performance being a fifth-place finish in 1933.

Baseball
Babe Ruth hit his 3rd home run of the season to lead the Boston Braves to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Fred Frankhouse was the winning pitcher over Tex Carleton.

75 years ago
1940

War
The evacuation of Paris began as German forces were within 60 miles of the French capital and only a few miles of the French coast. British forces began a counterattack south from Arras to try to cut off the spearhead of the German attack, but were stopped after an advance of 10 miles. French commander-in-chief General Maxim Weygand met at Ypres with Belgian King Leopold III.

Literature
The U.S. National Poetry Center's golden scroll and medal of honor for outstanding American poet of the year was presented to Jessica B. Rittenhouse.

Politics and government
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed the Rivers and Harbors Bill and asked Congress to appropriate those funds for defense; he appealed to all political groups for unity in defense policy.

U.S. President Roosevelt asked that the Bureau of Naturalization and Immigration be moved to the Justice Department in order to better deal with fifth column activities.

New York City District Attorney Thomas Dewey won the New Jersey primary in the campaign for the 1940 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States; New York lawyer Wendell Willkie received nearly 14,000 write-in votes.

Aviation
The Institute of Aeronautical Sciences designated Howard Hughes as the winner of the Octave Chanute Award in recognition of his contribution to air science.

Religion
The Northern Baptist Convention in the United States directed a collection from church members for the immediate emergency relief of war-torn countries.

Labour
The American Institute of Architects issued a report claiming improved relations between labour and employers in the construction industry during the last year.

Baseball
Jimmie Foxx hit a grand slam for the second consecutive game as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 11-8 before 6,908 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, and Roger Cramer also homered for Boston. Hank Greenberg and Rudy York hit home runs for the Tigers, while Wally Moses hit 2 triples and 2 singles.

Joe Kuhel batted 5 for 5 with a home run and 2 doubles against his former team as the Chicago White Sox edged the Washington Nationals 9-8 before 2,000 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

70 years ago
1945

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time--Les Brown and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Doris Day) (7th week at #1)
--Johnny Long and his Orchestra and Dick Robertson
--Phil Moore Four
2 Laura--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Johnnie Johnston
3 Candy--Johnny Mercer, Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and His Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
--Johnny Long and his Orchestra and Dick Robertson
4 Sentimental Journey--Les Brown and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Doris Day)
--Hal McIntyre and his Orchestra
5 Dream--The Pied Pipers
--Frank Sinatra
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
6 I'm Beginning to See the Light--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra
--Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots
7 Caldonia--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
--Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra
--Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five
8 There! I've Said it Again--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (vocal refrain by Vaughn Monroe and the Norton Sisters)
9 Just a Prayer Away--Bing Crosby
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
10 All of My Life--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Bing Crosby

Singles entering the chart were the version of Caldonia by Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five; The More I See You by Dick Haymes (#22); and Tippin' In by Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra (#36).

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Paradol Chamber

Married on this date
U.S. actors Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were wed in Mansfield, Ohio.

War
The Canadian Naval Ministry announced that 60 warships would be sent to the Pacific theatre for the battle against Japan.

Diplomacy
Syria and Lebanon broke off negotiations with France and protested the arrival of additional French troops without their consent, asking withdrawal of all foreign troops.

Politics and government
The British Labour Party rejected Prime Minister Winston Churchill's invitation to remain in the coalition cabinet until the end of the war against Japan.

The United States Senate confirmed the reappointment of David Lilienthal as chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that each state could decide whether six weeks' residence required by Nevada divorce laws established a legal domicile.

Economics and finance
The U.S. War Production Board announced that 700,000 washing machines were to be produced in the last half of 1945.

The U.S. Office of Price Administration announced increases of $2-$7 per ton in basic steel prices to cover increased production costs.

Labour
Only 7 of 333 anthracite mines remained idle under U.S. government jurisdiction, as 64,000 workers ended a 20-day strike.

Horse racing
After a temporary wartime ban, horse racing resumed in New York with the opening of the track in Jamaica.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane--Dean Martin; The Ames Brothers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Stranger in Paradise--Tony Bennett (3rd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White--Perez Prado and his Orchestra (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Disc Jockey--1st week at #1); Dance with Me Henry (Wallflower)--Georgia Gibbs (Jukebox--2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box
1 Unchained Melody--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
--Al Hibbler
--Roy Hamilton
2 The Ballad of Davy Crockett--Bill Hayes
--Fess Parker
--Tennessee Ernie Ford
3 Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White--Perez Prado and his Orchestra
--Alan Dale
4 Dance with Me Henry (Wallflower)--Georgia Gibbs
5 The Crazy Otto--Johnny Maddox and the Rhythmasters
6 Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup--Nat "King" Cole
7 Whatever Lola Wants--Sarah Vaughan
--Dinah Shore
8 Honey-Babe--Art Mooney and his Orchestra
9 A Blossom Fell--Nat "King" Cole
10 Tweedlee Dee--Georgia Gibbs

Singles entering the chart were Theme from "Medic" by Les Baxter and his Orchestra (#38, charting with the version by Victor Young and his Singing Strings) and Something's Gotta Give (#43)/Rhythm 'N' Blues (Mama’s Got the Rhythm—Papa’s Got the Blues) (#49) by the McGuire Sisters.

Horse racing
Nashua, with Eddie Arcaro aboard, won the 80th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a record time of 1:54 3/5. Saratoga placed second.

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Crying in the Chapel--Elvis Presley
2 Silhouettes--Herman's Hermits
3 Help Me, Rhonda--The Beach Boys
4 Ticket to Ride--The Beatles
5 Count Me In--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
6 Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte--Patti Page
7 She's About a Mover--Sir Douglas Quintet
8 Concrete and Clay--Eddie Rambeau
9 Wooly Bully--Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
10 Reelin' and Rockin'--The Dave Clark Five
Pick hit of the week: You'll Never Walk Alone--Gerry & the Pacemakers
New this week: My One and Only Love--Randy Sparks
I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time--Wayne Newton
Here's to the Lovers--Frank Sinatra
You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy--Jan & Dean
Queen of the Senior Prom--Vaughn Monroe
My Heart Tells Me--Womenfolk

Died on this date
Geoffrey de Havilland, 82. U.K. aviator and aviation executive. Sir Geoffrey began designing and flying planes in 1909, and founded the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1920. His Mosquito has been regarded as the most versatile warplane ever built.

Canadiana
The flag of Ontario, with the provincial crest on a red ensign, was proclaimed.

Academia
Former Ontario Premier George Drew was installed as the first Chancellor of the University of Guelph.

40 years ago
1975

At the movies
French Connection II, directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Gene Hackman and Fernando Rey, opened in theatres.



The Eiger Sanction, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Don Powell, 40. U.S.-born football coach. Mr. Powell was an assistant coach at several American universities before joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League in 1973 as an assistant under head coach John Payne. He was still with the team when he died in Regina after open-heart surgery.

Diplomacy
Daniel Patrick Moynihan was named U.S. representative to the United Nations.

Baseball
Frank Robinson hit 2 solo home runs and Buddy Bell singled home Alan Ashby with an unearned run to provide the winning margin as the Cleveland Indians edged the California Angels 3-2 before 2,919 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Winning pitcher Jim Kern allowed 5 hits and 2 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings, while losing pitcher Frank Tanana allowed 5 hits and struck out 9 while pitching a complete game.

Carl Yastrzemski's grand slam in the bottom of the 7th inning was the big blow as the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 7-3 before 14,615 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Winning pitcher Reggie Cleveland pitched a complete game, allowing 7 hits and 3 earned runs, while not striking out any batters.

Darrell Evans hit 2 home runs and Mike Lum added another as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Montreal Expos 6-3 before 3,263 fans at Atlanta Stadium in the Wednesday Expos Baseball telecast on CBC. Phil Niekro allowed 8 hits and 1 earned run in pitching a complete game for the win.

Andy Messersmith pitched a 7-hit shutout to improve his record for the season to 7-0, and drove in 3 runs with a single and sacrifice fly as the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the Chicago Cubs 10-0 before 32,315 fans at Dodger Stadium.

30 years ago
1985

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Edmonton 1 @ Philadelphia 4 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Baseball
Vince Coleman hit his first major league home run--inside-the park--to help the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 before 27,541 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Bob Horner hit 2 home runs for the Braves.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Senryū no Shizuku--Shizuka Kudo

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Verdammt, Ich Lieb' Dich--Matthias Reim

Died on this date
Morris Levy, 62. U.S. music executive. Mr. Levy co-founded and owned Roulette Records, and founded the Birdland jazz club and the Roulette Room in New York City. At his peak he owned more than 90 companies related to the recording industry. Mr. Levy was one of the industry's most notorious figures, falsely taking songwriting credits and allegedly swindling artists out of royalties. He was convicted in 1990 of extortion on charges from a Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation of alleged infiltration of organized crime into the record business. Mr. Levy's appeal was denied, but he died of cancer two months before he was to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence.

Politics and government
Canadian Environment Minister Lucien Bouchard praised the cause of Quebec separation from Canada and resigned from the cabinet and the Progressive Conservative Party caucus. The resignation was a blow to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s attempt to salvage the Meech Lake constitutional accord.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Whoops Now/What'll I Do--Janet Jackson

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Shut Up (and Sleep with Me--Sin with Sebastian

#1 single in Switzerland: Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)--Scatman John (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Les Aspin, 57. U.S. politician. Mr. Aspin, a Democrat, represented Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1971-1993. He served as U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1993-1994. He resigned on February 3, 1994, after just a year in the position, several months after the deaths of U.S. soldiers in the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia. Mr. Aspin suffered from a congenital heart ailment and died of a stroke.

Health
The World Health Organization announced that 101 of 137 people in Zaire who had recently been infected with the Ebola virus had died.

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Indiana 97 @ New York 95 (Indiana won best-of-seven series 4-3)



10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Howard Morris, 85. U.S. actor. Mr. Morris was a comic actor who was part of the cast of the television program Your Show of Shows (1950-1954). He played character roles in various other television programs, and provided the voices of several cartoon characters.

Americana
The tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka, opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey.

Horse Racing
Afleet Alex, with Jeremy Rose aboard, won the 130th running of the Preakness Stakes before 125,687 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a time of 1:55.04. Scrappy T placed second, 4 3⁄4 lengths behind, and Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo third, 9 3⁄4 lengths behind the winner.