April 11, 2016

1,525 years ago
491

Politics and government
Flavius Anastasius, a favoured member of the imperial court, was named as Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, succeeding Zeno, who had died two days earlier.

775 years ago
1241

War
Mongol forces commanded by Batu Khan defeated Hungarian forces led by King Béla IV in the Battle of Mohi in Hungary.

200 years ago
1816

Transportation
The General Smyth, the first river steamboat in New Brunswick, was launched at Saint John. It made its first voyage upriver from Saint John to Fredericton on May 20, 1816.

160 years ago
1856

War
Costa Rican militia forces attacked Nicaraguan forces led by American filibuster William Walker in the Second Battle of Rivas, Nicaragua.

120 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Léo-Paul Desrosiers. Canadian journalist, author, and librarian. Mr. Desrosiers, a native of Berthier-en Haut, Quebec, was influenced by Quebec nationalist figures Henri Bourassa and Lionel-Adolphe Groulx, and wrote mainly for the Montreal newspapers Le Canada and Le Devoir. He wrote about a dozen historical novels from the 1920s through the '60s. Mr. Desrosiers was director of the Montreal Public Library (1941-1953), opening numerous branches and making the library more accessible to the public. He died on April 20, 1967, nine days after his 71st birthday.

110 years ago
1906

Died on this date
Francis Pharcellus Church, 67. U.S. journalist and publisher. Mr. Church and his brother William founded The Army and Navy Journal in 1863 and Galaxy magazine in 1866. As lead editorial writer for the New York Sun, he wrote the editorial Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus in 1897.

J. A. Bailey, 58. U.S. showman. Mr. Bailey, born James Anthony McGinnis, managed the Cooper and Bailey Circus before teaming up with P.T. barnum in 1881 to form Barnum and Bailey's Circus. The circus merged with Ringling Brothers in 1919 to become Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Alberto Ginastera. Argentine-born composer. Mr. Ginastera composed works for voice, piano, and organ, as well as film scores. He died on June 25, 1983 at the age of 67.

Howard W. Koch. U.S. movie director and producer. Mr. Koch produced such movies as The Manchurian Candidate (1962); The Odd Couple (1968); and Airplane! (1980). He produced the Academy Awards ceremony on eight occasions, and served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1977-1979. Mr. Koch died of Alzheimer's disease on February 16, 2001 at the age of 84.

Sam Chapman. U.S. baseball and football player. Mr. Chapman was an All-American football player with the University of California, but turned down the opportunity to pursue a football career in order to play baseball. He was a center fielder with the Philadelphia Athletics (1938-1941, 1945-1951) and Cleveland Indians (1951), batting .266 with 180 home runs and 773 runs batted in in 1,368 games. His best season was 1941, when he hit .322 with 25 home runs and 106 RBIs. Mr. Chapman finished his career with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League (1952-1954). He died of Alzheimer's disease on December 22, 2006 at the age of 90.

Died on this date
Richard Harding Davis, 51. U.S. journalist. Mr. Davis was the first American correspondent to cover the Spanish American War; Boer War; Russo-Japanese War; and World War I. He died of a heart attack a week before his 52nd birthday.

90 years ago
1926

Died on this date
Luther Burbank, 77. U.S. botanist. Mr. Burbank developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career, and was one of the most respected men in America.

80 years ago
1936

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Harry West, on MBS
Tonight’s episode: Silver Blaze

Theatre
The Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart musical On Your Toes, featuring the ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, opened at the Imperial Theatre in New York.

Transportation
Canadian Transport Minister C. D. Howe set up Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA) as a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway (CNR), to link cities on the Atlantic coast to those on the Pacific coast.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 3 @ Toronto 1 (Detroit won best-of-five series 3-1)

Pete Kelly scored the winning goal at 9:45 of the 3rd period at Maple Leaf Gardens to give the Red Wings their first Stanley Cup, in their 10th year in the NHL.

75 years ago
1941

War
German Panzer units broke through the Yugoslav line at Bitolj, menacing the U.K.-Greek left flank. German bombers attacked the English cities of Bristol and Coventry. The Hungarian Army marched into the Bacza area between the Danube and Tisa Rivers to take over the sections lost by Hungary in World War I.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint Congressional Monroe Doctrine Resolution stating that the United States would not recognize the transfer of any Western Hemisphere territory to a non-American power. Mr. Roosevelt cabled British Prime Minister Winston Churchill that the United States was extending its neutral "security zone" 1,000 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, barring German U-boat attacks west of 26 degrees longitude. President Roosevelt issued a proclamation, signed April 10, opening the Red Sea to American ships on the ground that it was no longer in the combat zone.

World events
The Iraqi government announced that a counter-coup led by former Regent Emir Abdul Illah had been put down by the Basra garrison.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Roosevelt created the Office of Price Administration (OPA) under Leon Henderson, to prevent runaway prices, profiteering, inflation, and speculative hoarding of materials and commodities, and to coordinate civilian consumption with defense needs.

Labour
Southern U.S. coal operators representing 13 associatons bolted the New York wage conference to form a new organization known as the Southern Coal Opeators' Wage Conference, and appealed for federal mediation in the 11-day soft coal strike.

70 years ago
1946

Died on this date
Young Jack Thompson, 41. U.S. boxer. Mr. Thompson, whose real name was Cecil Lewis Thompson, compiled a record of 79-31-12 in a professional career from 1922-1932. He was the first Negro to become world welterweight champion, winning the title in 1930, losing it later that year, and regaining it and losing it again in 1931. Mr. Thompson died of a heart attack.

War
At the hearings of the United States Senate committee on the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Admiral J.R. Beardall, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's naval aide in 1941, testified that Mr. Roosevelt had shown no special alarm when he had read the conclusion of Japan's last diplomatic note to the United States on the morning of December 7, 1941.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R., France, and Mexico sided with Poland's desire to ask the United Nations Security Council to place the case of the Spanish regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco on its agenda, charging that the regime was a danger to international peace. The United Kingdom and United States opposed the Polish request. United Nations Secretary-General Trygve Lie announced that the General Assembly session in September 1946 would be held in the New York City Building of the 1939 World's Fair site at Flushing Meadows, New York.

Academia
The U.S. National Conference on the Education of Veterans in Colleges and Universities revealed Veterans Administration figures showing that 695,000 military veterans would seek college enrollment in the fall of 1946.

Energy
The U.S. Senate Atomic Energy Committee approved the McMahon bill, which called for the President to name a five-man civilian atomic energy control commission.

Economics and finance
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Clayton backed the $3.75-billion loan to the United Kingdom, saying that American foreign policy was based on the fostering of world trade and democracy. The United States Commerce Department removed import restrictions on trade with Argentina.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Yo Soy Aquel--Raphael (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Sea Around Us--The Ludlows (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Magic Town--The Vogues
2 Daydream--The Lovin' Spoonful
3 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry--B.J. Thomas and the Triumphs
4 Walkin' My Cat Named Dog--Norma Tanega
5 It's Too Late--Bobby Goldsboro
6 Spanish Flea--Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
7 Homeward Bound--Simon & Garfunkel
8 Elusive Butterfly--Bob Lind
9 You Laugh Too Much--Little Caesar and the Consuls
10 Woman--Peter & Gordon

Singles entering the chart were Leaning on the Lamp Post by Herman's Hermits (#68); A Groovy Kind of Love by the Mindbenders (#70); Eight Miles High by the Byrds (#71); 3000 Miles by Brian Hyland (#74); Lovedrops by Barry Allen (#85); Together Again by Ray Charles (#86); I'm the Sky by Eddie Rambeau (#88); Killer Joe by the Kingsmen (#89); Got My Mojo Working by Jimmy Smith (#90); I'm Comin' Home, Cindy by Trini Lopez (#91); Oh Gee Girl by the Liverpool Set (#92); Norwegian Wood by George Edwards (#93); Stop! by the Moody Blues (#94); Green Hornet by Arena Brass (#95); I'll Take Good Care of You by Garnet Mimms (#96); That's Why I Love You by Joey Hollingsworth (#97); A Lover's Concerto by Sarah Vaughan (#98); The Boogaloo Party by the Flamingos (#99); and Message to Michael by Dionne Warwick (#100).

Golf
Jack Nicklaus shot a 2-under-par 70 in an 18-hole playoff to win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, 2 strokes ahead of Tommy Jacobs and 8 ahead of Gay Brewer. The three had been tied after 4 rounds with even par total scores of 288. It was the second straight Masters win for the Golden Bear and his third in four years. First prize money was $20,000.



40 years ago
1976

Technology
The Apple Computer I, created by Steve Wozniak, was released.

Golf
Raymond Floyd shot a 2-under-par 70 in the final round to win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia with a 17-under-par total score of 271, 8 strokes ahead of Ben Crenshaw. First prize money was $40,000.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Chicago 0 @ Montreal 4 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Los Angeles 0 @ Boston 4 (Boston led best-of-seven series 1-0)
New York Islanders 3 @ Buffalo 5 (Buffalo led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Ken Dryden posted the shutout in goal for the Canadiens as they blanked the Black Hawks at the Montreal Forum in the dullest Stanley Cup game this blogger had yet seen.

WHA
Avco World Trophy
O'Keefe Cup Semi-Finals
Calgary 8 @ Quebec 4 (Calgary led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Edmonton 4 @ Winnipeg 5 (OT) (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 2-0)

U.S. Championship Preliminary
New England 3 @ Cleveland 2 (New England won best-of-five series 3-0)

The Cowboys' win over the Nordiques at Le Colisee was marred by major violence, the worst incident being an unprovoked attack by Calgary forward Rick Jodzio on Quebec forward Marc Tardif, which resulted in Mr. Tardif being knocked unconscious and hospitalized; $25,000 in fines; Mr. Jodzio being suspended for the remainder of the playoffs and eventually facing criminal charges; and Calgary coach Joe Crozier being suspended for the remainder of the series. Several Quebec players attempted to kick Mr. Jodzio, but one of them accidentally kicked Mr. Tardif in the jaw as he laid unconscious on the ice, and knocked out six of his teeth. The Whalers' win over the Crusaders at Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio was the last game the Crusaders ever played under that name, and the last World Hockey Association game ever played in Cleveland. The team moved to Minnesota after the season, and became the new Minnesota Fighting Saints.

Baseball
Manny Sanguillen had 3 hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 before 18,373 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Bob Moose, who pitched 4 innings in relief of winning pitcher Bruce Kison to earn a save, batted 2 for 2 with a triple, a run, and a run batted in. During the game, a 73-year old man in the stands collapsed with a heart attack, and Pittsburgh pitcher George Medich, a University of Pittsburgh medical student, gave him cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The man died later that day.

Pete Rose batted 4 for 6 with a double, 2 runs, and a run batted in as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves 9-3 before 53,390 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Pat Darcy allowed 2 hits and 3 earned run in 5 1/3 innings to get his first win of the season, and batted 2 for 3 with a run. He was relieved by Pat Zachry, who allowed 3 hits and no runs in 2 2/3 innings in his first major league game. Losing pitcher Phil Niekro allowed 6 hits, 5 bases on balls, and 6 runs--all earned--in 3 1/3 innings.

Jerry White had 3 singles, Bombo Rivera had 2 doubles, and Nate Colbert hit a home run to help the Montreal Expos edge the New York Mets 7-6 before 12,273 fans at Shea Stadium in New York.

The Chicago Cubs scored 2 runs in the 8th inning and 3 in the 9th to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 before 14,936 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Manny Trillo had 3 hits for the Cubs, while five teammates had 2 hits each.

The San Francisco Giants scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 before 25,659 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Dan Ford hit his first home run of the season with 1 out in the top of the 9th inning to break a 3-3 tie and give the Minnesota Twins a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers before 11,781 fans at Arlington Stadium.

The Oakland Athletics scored 4 runs in each of the 1st and 3rd innings--all with 2 out--as they defeated the California Angels 10-7 before 16,106 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Geil--Bruce and Bongo (2nd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that prices paid by producers for finished goods had fallen 1.1% in March, the third straight monthly decline.

Canadiana
A Canadian 1921 50-cent piece fetched a record U.S.$22,000 at auction in New York.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Deep Deep Trouble--The Simpsons (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Walker Cooper, 76. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Cooper was a catcher with the St. Louis Cardinals (1940-1945, 1956-1957); New York Giants (1946-1949); Cincinnati Reds (1949-1950); Boston and Milwaukee Braves (1950-1953); Pittsburgh Pirates (1954); and Chicago Cubs (1954-1955), batting .285 with 173 home runs and 812 runs batted in in 1,473 games. He and his brother Mort, a pitcher, formed an effective battery and helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 1942 and 1944.

Terrorism
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced that it would give $15 million in compensation to families of victims of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing; 80 lawsuits had already been settled for over $10 million.

Economics and finance
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney protested the U.S. challenge of a Free Trade Tribunal ruling for Canadian pork producers in a letter to President George Bush.

The United States Labor Department reported that producer prices for finished goods had declined 0.3% in March.

Labour
The Ontario Provincial Parliament passed the Employee Wage Protection Program, giving workers up to $5,000 in owed wages and termination pay if the company goes bankrupt. The bill was retroactive to October 1, 1990.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Hartford 1 @ Boston 6 (Boston led best-of-seven series 3-2)
New Jersey 4 @ Pittsburgh 2 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Buffalo 3 @ Montreal 4 (OT) (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Washington 5 @ New York Rangers 4 (OT) (Washington led best-of-seven series 3-2)

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Firestarter--The Prodigy (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): How Deep is Your Love--Take That

Died on this date
Jessica Dubroff, 7. U.S. aviatrix. Miss Dubroff began taking flying lessons at the age of 6, and was attempting to become the youngest person to fly across the United States. The day after departing Half Moon Bay, California, the plane, piloted by flight instructor Joe Reid, and also carrying Miss Dubroff's father Lloyd Dubroff, crashed during a heavy rainstorm immediately after takeoff from Cheyenne, Wyoming, killing all aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board investigation blamed Mr. Reid for his improper decision to take off in poor weather conditions, his overloading the aircraft, and his failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a stall. The NTSB also stated, "contributing to the [instructor's] decision to take off was a desire to adhere to an overly ambitious itinerary, in part, because of media commitments."

War
Israeli planes and helicopters launched strikes against targets in Beirut for the first time in nearly 14 years.

Politics and Government
The Ontario government of Premier Mike Harris pledged to reduce the provincial civil service by 13%--10,600 jobs--by the end of the 1997-98 fiscal year.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
June Pointer, 52. U.S. singer. Miss Pointer was the youngest member of the Pointer Sisters, who had numerous hit singles in the 1970s and early '80s. June became a cocaine addict, and eventually died of cancer.

Politics and government
The Israeli cabinet declared Prime Minister Ariel Sharon permanently incapacitated; acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was appointed interim Prime Minister three days later. Mr. Sharon had been Prime Minister since 2001, but had been in a coma since suffering a stroke on January 4, 2006. He died at the age of 85 on January 11, 2014.

Energy
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully enriched uranium on a small scale for the first time.