May 4, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, John Dea!

600 years ago
1415

Religion
Reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus were condemned as heretics by Roman Catholic leaders at the Council of Constance.

225 years ago
1790

Died on this date
Matthew Tilghman, 72. American politician. Mr. Tilghman was a planter in Maryland who was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates (1751-1776), serving as Speaker of the House (1773-1775). He headed Maryland's delegation to the Continental Congress, and effectively led the American Revolution in Maryland. When Maryland's state government went into effect in 1776, Mr. Tilghman was elected to the state Senate. He served in the Maryland Senate until 1783, and was its President (1780-1783).

125 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Franklin Carmichael. Canadian artist. Mr. Carmichael, a native of Orillia, Ontario, painted Ontario landscapes, and was especially known for his use of watercolours. He was the youngest member of the Group of Seven, and also worked as an illustrator of books, magazines, and promotional brochures. Mr. Carmichael died in Toronto on October 24, 1945 at the age of 55.

75 years ago
1935

Horse racing
Omaha, with Willie Saunders up, won the 61st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:05, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Roman Soldier, with Whiskolo third in an 18-horse field.



75 years ago
1940

War
The Japanese news agency Domei announced the launching of a Japanese drive against an estimated 500,000 Chinese troops in the Chinese province of Hupeh.

Law
U.S. Attorney General Robert Jackson absolved Federal Bureau of Investigation agents of using "third degree" methods in the arrest of 12 people recruiting for the Spanish Loyalist Army.

Politics and government
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Robert H. Hinkley as assistant Secretary of Commerce in a move designed to placate opponents of his plan to merge the Civil Aviation Administration and Air Safety Board.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed a bill extending the provisions of the Federal Crop Insurance Act to cotton and tobacco.

New York lawyer and potential 1940 Republican Party U.S. presidential candidate Wendell Willkie said that the deficit spending of President Roosevelt's New Deal policies would lead the United States to bankruptcy and political chaos.

Horse racing
Gallahadion, a 35-1 longshot with Carroll Bierman up, won the 66th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:05, 1½ lengths ahead of Bimelech, with Dit third.



Track and field
Greg Rice set a U.S. record of 8:19.9 in the men's 3,000-metre run.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Fedor von Bock, 64. German military officer. Field Marshal Bock was best known for commanding Operation Typhoon, the ultimately failed attempt to capture Moscow during the winter of 1941. He and his wife and stepdaughter were kiled by a strafing British fighter-bomber on as they travelled by car toward Hamburg.

Space
What scientists described as an exploding bolide--the largest type of meteor--woke many in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware with a series of shocks and explosions following a blue-white flash in the sky.

War
U.S. Army Chief of Staff George Marshall warned that it was "urgently necessary" to increase Army replacements in the Pacific over and above battle losses. All German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark, northwestern Germany, Heligoland, and the Frisian Islands surrendered unconditionally to British Army Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery at Lüneburg Heath. Fighting stopped in the Canadian sector near Wilhelmshaven, Aurich, and Emden. Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg was liberated by the British Army. U.S. units occupied Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Berchtesgaden, while elements drove into Italy, joining with other U.S. troops at Vipiteno. Soviet troops completed the liberation of Slovakia and moved toward a link-up with U.S. forces in Austria near Linz. China claimed to have halted a four-pronged Japanese drive toward the U.S. air base at Chihkiang, 250 miles south of Chungking.

Politics and government
U.S. President Harry Truman and Harry Hopkins, former adviser to late U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, conferred for the first time at the White House in Washington.

Economics and finance
U.S. Solid Fuels Administrator Harold Ickes seized 33 more Pennsylvania coal mines on an order from President Harry Truman, and told the miners to return to work by May 7.

60 years ago
1955

Died on this date
George Enescu, 73. Romanian musician, composer, and conductor. Mr. Enescu was a violinist and pianist who was a child prodigy who performed and conducted internationally in a career spanning more than half a century. He wrote five symphonies, an opera, and orchestral, piano, and chamber works. Mr. Enescu fled to Paris after German forces occupied Romania during World War II, and died in Paris.

50 years ago
1965

Basketball
NCAA
Lew Alcindor, a center with Power Memorial High School in New York City, announced his intention to attend University of California at Los Angeles.

Baseball
Jesus Alou and Willie Mays each hit home runs in the top of the 1st inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 4-0 lead as they costed to a 9-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 10,604 fans at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Mr. Mays' home run, his 7th of the season, was the 512th of his major league career, breaking the National League record of 511 held by former New York Giants' outfielder Mel Ott.

Yogi Berra, playing his second game--and first behind the plate--since coming out of retirement to play for the New York Mets, batted 2 for 3 and scored the deciding run as the Mets edged the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 before 17,321 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Al Jackson allowed 8 hits and struck out 11 batters in pitching a complete game for his first win of the season.

40 years ago
1975

Died on this date
Moe Howard, 77. U.S. actor. Mr. Howard, born Moses Horwitz, was the last surviving original member of the movie comedy team the Three Stooges, active from the 1930s through the 1960s. Other Stooges included Larry Fine and Mr. Howard's brothers Shemp and Curly.

Dick "Two Ton" Baker, 59. U.S. entertainer. Mr. Baker was mainly known as a radio and television host in Chicago, hosting the radio program The Two Ton Baker Show and the children's television programs Wonder House (1948) and The Happy Pirates (1952-1956). He was also a pianist and singer who made several recordings, including the two-sided hit Near You/I'm a Lonely Little Petunia (In An Onion Patch) (1947), which reached #12 and #21, respectively, on the Billboard singles chart. Mr. Baker died of a heart attack, two days after his 59th birthday.

Scandal
New York Mets' outfielder Cleon Jones, in Florida for injury rehabilitation, was caught naked with a female companion in a van in St. Petersburg at 5 A.M. Mr. Jones was charged with indecent exposure and his companion, Sharon Ann Sabol, was charged with possessing marijuana and narcotic instruments. The charges against both parties were dropped 10 days later.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Philadelphia 1 @ New York Islanders 0 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Reg Leach scored the game's only goal 30 seconds into the 3rd period, and Bernie Parent, returning from a knee injury that had kept him out of the first 2 games of the series, faced only 14 shots in getting the shutout as the Flyers blanked the Islanders before 14,865 fans at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale. New York goalie Glenn Resch made 31 saves.

Baseball
The San Francisco Giants traded center fielder Garry Maddox to the Philadelphia Phillies for first baseman Willie Montanez. Mr. Maddox, who had joined the Giants in 1972, was batting just .135 with 1 home run and 4 runs batted in in 17 games in 1975, and was unhappy at being platooned with Von Joshua. Mr. Montanez, who had joined the Phillies late in the 1970 season, was batting .286 with 2 homers and 16 RBIs in 21 games in 1975.

Gene Locklear hit a home run and double in the 7th inning as the San Diego Padres, trailing 6-3, scored 7 runs and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-7 before 42,100 fans at Dodger Stadium. Burt Hooton, who allowed 4 hits, 3 bases on balls, and 5 runs--all earned--in 2 2/3 innings in relief of Rick Rhoden, was charged with the loss in his first appearance as a Dodger since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs in a trade for Geoff Zahn and Eddie Solomon.

The Chicago Cubs, trailing 4-2, scored 5 runs in the top of the 7th inning and held on to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 before 22,980 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St.Louis. St. Louis right fielder Reggie Smith batted 5 for 5, with 2 home runs, a double, 2 runs, and 5 runs batted in. Geoff Zahn started on the mound in his first appearance with the Cubs since being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was removed after 3+ innings, allowing 5 hits and 3 runs--all earned.

The San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros split a doubleheader before 9,451 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, with the Giants winning the first game 8-6 and the Astros taking the second game 12-8. The teams combined for 42 bases on balls, a major league record for a doubleheader; the former record of 33 was set by the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers on April 30, 1944. The doubleheader also resulted in 4 balks, 5 wild pitches, and 2 hit batsmen. Windy conditions at Candlestick Park contributed to the pitching problems. San Francisco overcame an early 5-0 deficit to win the first game, with Gary Matthews driving in 4 runs with a single and triple. Houston opened the scoring with 5 runs in the 2nd inning, with Bob Watson leding off with a single, stealing second base, and scoring on a 2-run home run by Milt May. Mr. Watson's run was the 1,000,000th in major league history. San Francisco center fielder Garry Maddox batted 1 for 2 with 2 bases on balls and a run in his final game with the team. In the second game, the Astros took a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning, allowed 4 runs in the bottom of the 3rd, and replied with 6 in the 4th and 2 in the 5th. Houston starting pitcher J.R. Richard had one of the most ineffective wins ever, allowing just 4 hits in 6+ innings, but allowing an incredible 11 bases on balls and 7 runs--all earned. He said, "It's the worst weather I've ever pitched in. I had no idea where the ball was going." San Francisco starter and loser John D'Acquisto allowed 4 hits, 9 walks, and 8 runs--all earned--in 3 2/3 innings.

The Minnesota Twins retired Harmon Killebrew's jersey #3 in a ceremony before 14,805 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, but their former star, finishin his career with the visiting Kansas City Royals, hit a 2-run home run in the 1st inning off Minnesota starting pitcher Vic Albury. The Twins came back to win 6-3.

Bill Hands pitched 8 1/3 innings of 5-hit shutout ball before needing relief help from Jim Umbarger and Steve Foucault as the Texas Rangers held on to edge the California Angels 1-0 before 10,435 fans at Arlington Stadium. Andy Hassler allowed just 4 hits in 8 innings, but one of the hits was a home run by Jeff Burroughs in the 4th inning, and Mr. Hassler was tagged with the loss.

Jorge Orta batted 3 for 4 with a double, 2 runs, and a run batted in as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics 5-2 before 12,931 fans at White Sox Park. When Oakland catcher Gene Tenace drew a base on balls in the top of the 8th inning, Herb Washington was sent in as a pinch runner for him, but Claudell Washington struck out to end the inning. For Herb Washington, the appearance was his 105th and last regular season major league game; he was released the following day.

Al Bumbry and Doug DeCinces each had 4 hits as the Baltimore Orioles routed the Cleveland Indians 17-3 in the first game of a doubleheader before 17,488 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Mike Torrez pitched a 6-hit complete game victory, while losing pitcher Gaylord Perry allowed 10 hits and 7 runs--6 earned--in 5 1/3 innings. The Indians won the second game 4-3 in 11 innings when Frank Duffy doubled to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning and George Hendrick singled him home with 2 out.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): We are the World--USA for Africa (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): We are the World--USA for Africa (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): We are the World--USA for Africa (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): We are the World--USA for Africa (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Move Closer--Phyllis Nelson

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): We are the World--USA for Africa (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 We are the World--USA for Africa (4th week at #1)
2 Crazy for You--Madonna
3 Rhythm of the Night--DeBarge
4 Don't You (Forget About Me)--Simple Minds
5 One Night in Bangkok--Murray Head
6 Obsession--Animotion
7 Nightshift--Commodores
8 Some Like it Hot--Power Station
9 All She Wants to Do is Dance--Don Henley
10 That was Yesterday--Foreigner

Singles entering the chart were Days are Numbers (The Traveller) by Alan Parsons Project (#85); Dangerous by Natalie Cole (#87); Wake Up (Next to You) by Graham Parker and Shot (#88); and My Toot Toot by Jean Knight (#90).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 We are the World--USA for Africa
2 Tears are Not Enough--Northern Lights
3 Crazy for You--Madonna
4 Shout--Tears for Fears
5 One Night in Bangkok--Murray Head
6 Rhythm of the Night--DeBarge
7 Nightshift--Commodores
8 A Criminal Mind--Gowan
9 Don't You (Forget About Me)--Simple Minds
10 Some Like it Hot--Power Station

Singles entering the chart were Would I Lie to You? by Eurythmics (#73); Say You're Wrong by Julian Lennon (#76); Angel by Madonna (#80); Walking on the Chinese Wall by Philip Bailey (#91); Go to Pieces by Paul Janz (#94); and Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer (#97).

Died on this date
Clarence Wiseman, 77. Canadian religious leader. Mr. Wiseman was the 10th General of the Salvation Army from 1974-1977.

Horse racing
Spend a Buck, with Angel Cordero, Jr. aboard, won the 111th running of the Kentucky Derby before 108,573 fans at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:00 2/5. Stephan's Odyssey placed second, and Chief's Crown third.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference Finals
Chicago 2 @ Edmonton 11 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 1-0)

25 years ago
1990

Politics and government
The Parliament of Latvia voted 138-0 to declare its independence from the U.S.S.R. An unspecified period of transition was approved.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had edged upward in April to 5.4%, the highest level in more than a year.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Finals
Chicago 4 @ Edmonton 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)--Scatman John (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Connie Wisniewski, 73. U.S. baseball player. Miss Wisniewski was a pitcher and outfielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League with the Milwaukee Chicks (1944) and Grand Rapids Chicks (19445-1949, 1951-1952). She compiled a pitching record of 107-48; she was the fifth-leading hitter in AAGPBL history, batting .290. Miss Wisniewski spent the 1950 season with the Admiral Music Maids of the rival National Girls Baseball League, winning 30 games.

Edmontonia
The riverboat Edmonton Queen was launched.

War
The cease-fire in the War of Croatian Independence ended after one day.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
David Hackworth, 74. U.S. military officer. Colonel Hackworth was known for his role in the creation and command of Tiger Force, a military unit formed during the Vietnam War to apply guerrilla warfare tactics to the fight against Vietnamese guerrillas. He received 24 decorations for heroism in combat during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.