May 9, 2015

475 years ago
1540

Born on this date
Pratap Singh I. Maharana of Mewar, 1572-1597. Pratap Singh I, popularly known as Maharana Pratap, was chosen by senior courtiers to succeed his father Udai Singh II on the throne. He suffered a military loss to Mughal forces and was wounded in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576, but reconquered Mewar in 1579. Maharana Pratap died on January 19, 1597 at the age of 56, reportedly from injuries in a hunting accident. He was succeeded by his eldest son Amar Singh I.

Exploration
Spanish explorer Hernando de Alarcón set sail from Acapulco with two ships--San Pedro and Santa Catalina--on an expedition to the Gulf of California.

275 years ago
1740

Born on this date
Giovanni Paisiello. Italian composer. Mr. Paisiello wrote sacred music and instrumental works, but was primarily known for his 94 operas, which made him the most popular operatic composer of the late 18th century. His music was admired by Haydn and Beethoven, and he influenced the operas of Mozart and Rossini. Mr. Paisiello died on June 5, 1816, 27 days after his 76th birthday.

225 years ago
1790

Died on this date
William Clingan, 69 (?). U.K.-born U.S. politician. Mr. Clingan, a native of Scotland, was a delegate from Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress (1777-1779), and signed the Articles of Confederation in 1778.

150 years ago
1865

War
Confederate Army Lieutenant-General Nathan Bedford Forrest surrendered his forces at Gainesville, Alabama. U.S. President Andrew Johnson issued a proclamation ending belligerent rights of the rebels and enjoining foreign nations to intern or expel Confederate ships.

120 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Richard Barthelmess. U.S. actor. Mr. Barthelmess appeared in movies from 1916-1942, but was mainly popular in silent films such as Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920). He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performances in The Patent Leather Kid (1927) and The Noose (1928), receiving a special citation for producing the former. Mr. Barthelmess died of throat cancer on August 17, 1963 at the age of 68.

Frank Foss. U.S. pole vaulter. Mr. Foss won the Amateur Athletic Union championship in 1919 and 1920, and won the gold medal in the men's pole vault competition at the 1920 Summer Olympic Games in Antwerp, breaking his own world record. He died on April 5, 1989 at the age of 93.

100 years ago
1915

Died on this date
Tony Wilding, 31. N.Z. tennis player. Mr. Wilding won the men's singles title in the Australian Open in 1906 and 1909 and at Wimbledon for four straight years from 1910-1913. He was killed in the Battle of Aubers Ridge at Neuve-Chapelle, France when a shell exploded on the roof of the dug-out he was sheltering in.

François Faber, 28. French cyclist. Mr. Faber won the Tour de France in 1909 and won five consecutive stages, a record that still stands. He joined the French Foreign Legion and was killed in the Second Battle of Artois.

War
The Second Battle of Artois between German and French forces began.

80 years ago
1935

At the movies
The Informer, directed by John Ford and starring Victor McLaglen, opened in theatres.

Baseball
Bucky Walters, a third baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies who had been converted to a full-time pitcher during spring training, defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia for the first of his 198 career major league wins. The winning run scored after an error by Charley Gelbert of the Cardinals, who was playing his first major league game since 1932, when a hunting accident almost cost him a leg.

The Chicago Cubs whipped the Boston Braves 8-1 at Braves Field. Rabbit Maranville played second base for the Braves and had a single. It was his first game since breaking his ankle in a spring training game the year before, and marked his 23rd season of play, a National League record.

75 years ago
1940

War
German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler ordered an amnesty for Norwegian prisoners of war.

Diplomacy
The U.S. administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt denied a report from Rome that Mr. Roosevelt had offered through Italian Duce Benito Mussolini to mediate the European War.

Economics and finance
The U.S.A., Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Dominican Republic signed an agreement in Washington to establish the Inter-American Bank.

The U.S. Wholesale Grocers' Association adopted a resolution at its convention in Savannah, Georgia charging U.S. Agriculture Secretary Henry Wallace with favouring big business.

Politics and government
Republicans in Connecticut were reportedly planning to place the name of Connecticut Governor Raymond E. Baldwin in nomination as a candidate for President of the United States at the Republican National Convention the following month.

The U.S. Prohibition Party adopted a resolution at its convention in Chicago that it become the nucleus of a new party coalition opposing the Republican and Democratic parties.

Business
Monsanto Chemical Corporation opened a new laboratory in Springfield, Massachusetts devoted solely to research in plastics.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Hans Kammler, 43. German SS officer and engineer. SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Kammler oversaw the construction of various Nazi concentration camps before being put in charge of the V-2 rocket and jet programmes towards the end of World War II. His death was recorded as occurring on May 9, 1945, but reports differ as to whether he took cyanide or whether he was shot by an aide-de-camp in order to prevent his capture. Other accounts state that SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Kammler escaped, with differing reports as to where he ended up.

War
U.S. Army Service Forces Chief General Brehon B. Somervell said that about 3.1 million U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Europe within a year. U.S. President Harry Truman "reluctantly" signed the bill extending the Selective Service Act to May 15, 1946 because of restrictions on 18- and 19-year-olds. The German unconditional surrender of May 8 in Rheims, France was ratified in Berlin-Karlshorst with the signatures of Marshal Georgy Zhukov for the Soviet Union, and for the Western Headquarters Sir Arthur Tedder, British Air Marshal and Allied Supreme Commander General Dwight Eisenhower's deputy. Signing for Germany were Colonel-General Hans-Jürgen Stumpff as the representative of the Luftwaffe; Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel as the Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht; and Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg as Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine. German Reich Marshal Hermann Goering, Field Marshal General Albert Kesselring, and General Franz Ritter von Epp surrendered to the U.S. 7th Army. The Channel Islands were liberated by British forces after five years of German occupation. Norwegian puppet President Vidkun Quisling was arrested along with various officials of his government. Japanese forces in the Philippines offered their first serious resistance on Mindanao Island north of the captured town of Davao.

Abominations
Arab agitators massacred over 50 Europeans, and pillaged houses during V-E Day celebrations in the Algerian Department of Constantine.

Politics and government
King Christian X of Denmark opened Parliament in Copenhagen and paid tribute to the Allies.

Economics and finance
U.S. War Mobilization Director Fred Vinson said that unemployment may increase by 1.5 million over the next six months, and announced the immediate lifting of the midnight curfew and ban on horse racing.

Labour
The Associated General Contractors of America and the American Federation of Labor made public their pact for postwar working relations, including a joint committee to deal with industry problems without recourse to government.

Scandal
Henry Rosen and Harvey Stemmer were convicted in New York of bribing five Brooklyn College basketball players to throw games.

60 years ago
1955

On television tonight
Sherlock Holmes, starring Ronald Howard and H. Marion Crawford
Tonight's episode: The Case of the Jolly Hangman



Defense
West Germany joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a ceremony in Paris.

50 years ago
1965

Died on this date
Leopold Figl, 62. Chancellor of Austria, 1945-1953. Mr. Figl was a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) who was imprisoned by the Nazis from 1938-1944 and again from 1944-1945. He was Austria's first Federal Chancellor after World War II.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the probe Lunik V to the moon from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Baseball
Joe Torre, Mack Jones, and Denis Menke hit home runs for the Milwaukee Braves as they beat the New York Mets 8-2 in the first game of a doubleheader before 30,774 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Winning pitcher Tony Cloninger pitched a 6-hit complete game and struck out 7 batters. New York catcher Yogi Berra batted 0 for 4 and struck out 3 times, the only time he struck out 3 times in a game in his 19-year major league career. Mr. Berra also dropped a foul pop fly for an error in the 2nd inning. Mr. Berra, who had recently come out of retirement to play with the Mets, decided to retire for good. In the second game, the Mets trailed 4-1 after 6½ innings, but scored 3 runs in the 7th and an unearned run in the bottom of the 9th to win 5-4. Mr. Torre batted 4 for 5 with 2 home runs, 2 runs, and 3 runs batted in in the second game.



40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: My Eyes Adored You--Frankie Valli

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Fox on the Run--Sweet

#1 single in Switzerland: Ding-A-Dong--Teach-In (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The United Nations Law of the Sea Conference ended in Geneva with a draft treaty providing a 200-nautical-mile economic zone within which coastal states had fishing and mining rights.

Defense
The United States and Canada renewed the North American Air Defense (NORAD) agreement for another five years.

Economics and finance
Canadian Finance Minister John Turner said that an annual inflation rate of 11.1% unemployment rate of 8.1% in April could no longe be blamed on international events.

France decided to rejoin the European Economic Community's joint currency float, which it had left in January 1974.

Track and field
Houston McTear, a high school junior from Baker County, Florida, streaked to a 9.0 clocking in the 100-yard dash, tying the record that Ivory Crockett of the Philadelphia AAU club had set the year before. Mr. Crockett had broken Bob Hayes' 1963 record by 1/10 second.

Basketball
NBA
Conference Finals
Washington 99 @ Boston 103 (Washington led best-of-seven series 3-2)

The Celtics outscored the Bullets 5-0 in the last 2 minutes and 50 seconds to avert elimination before 15,320 fans at Boston Garden. Washington was leading 99-98 when Kevin Porter of the Bullets fouled out. Jo Jo White made 1 of 2 free throws to tie the score, and Don Nelson and Dave Cowens followed with field goals; a field goal by Washington's Elvin Hayes was called back because of travelling. Mr. Cowens led Boston with 27 points, while Washington's Phil Chenier led all scorers with 32 points and Mr. Hayes aded 27.

Baseball
The San Francisco Giants traded pitcher Ron Bryant to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Larry Herndon and pitcher Luis Gonzalez. Mr. Bryant had led the National League in wins in 1973 with 24, but injured his side in a swimming pool accident in 1974, and his record dropped to 3-15. He was on the Giants' retirement list at the time of the trade. Mr. Herndon was batting .240 with 1 home run and 5 runs batted in in 22 games with the Tulsa Oilers of the AAA American Association, while Mr. Gonzalez was 1-0 with an earned run average of 3.41 in 4 games with the Arkansas Travelers of the AA Texas League. Both were transferred to the Phoenix Giants of the AAA Pacific Coast League.

Ron Fairly drove in 4 runs with a home run and single to help the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-4 before 21,410 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. The home run was Mr. Fairly's first since being acquired from the Montreal Expos in an off-season trade.

The Montreal Expos came back from a 4-0 deficit with a run in the 5th inning and 4 in the 6th to beat the Houston Astros 5-4 before 10,630 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal. Montreal starting pitcher Woodie Fryman stretched his team-record scoreless innings streak to 32 before the Astros scored all their runs in the 4th inning.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 9 runs--all earned--off relief ace Mike Marshall as they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-3 before 16,378 fans at Three Rives Stadium in Pittsburgh. Burt Hooton started on the mound for the Dodgers and left for a pinch hitter in the top of the 7th inning with Los Angeles leading 3-2. The Pirates scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th innning and 5 in the 8th. Mr. Marshall was placed on the Dodgers' disabled list the next day with torn cartilage in his left side.

Matt Alexander stole second base, went to third on an errant throw by catcher Thurman Munson, and scored on a wild pitch by Sparky Lyle in the bottom of the 8th inning to provide the winning run as the Oakland Athletics edged the New York Yankees 4-3 before 9,116 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mr. Alexander entered the game as a pinch runner for designated hitter Billy Williams, who drew a base on balls.

30 years ago
1985

Died on this date
Edmond O'Brien, 69. U.S. actor. Mr. O'Brien won the Academy Award for his supporting performance in The Barefoot Contessa (1954). His other movies included White Heat (1949); D.O.A. (1950); The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962); and Seven Days in May (1964). He starred in the radio series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar from 1950-1952. Mr. O'Brien died of Alzheimer's disease.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Finals
Quebec 2 @ Philadelphia 4 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Edmonton 2 @ Chicago 5 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 2-1)

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Vogue--Madonna (3rd week at #1)

Baseball
The Louisville Redbirds scored 16 runs in the 3rd inning and whipped the Nashville Sounds 18-4 an an American Association game. Louisville outfielder Bernard Gilkey set an AA record with 3 hits in the inning--2 singles and a home run.

20 years ago
1995

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted 98-0 to confirm John Deutch as Director of Central Intelligence.

Abominations
Ontario Supreme Court Judge David Nevins struck down a provincial law preventing sodomite/lesbian couples from adopting children.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Quarter-Finals
Dallas 1 @ Detroit 4 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Toronto 3 @ Chicago 0 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Vancouver 5 @ St. Louis 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
San Jose 5 @ Calgary 4 (OT) (San Jose led best-of-seven series 2-0)