April 12, 2016

410 years ago
1606

Britannica
England's King James I decreed the design of the original Union Flag, which combined the flags of England and Scotland.

240 years ago
1776

Americana
With the Halifax Resolves--the first formal call for American sovereignty--North Carolina's Provincial Congress authorized its delegates to the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence from Britain.

220 years ago
1796

Born on this date
George N. Briggs. U.S. politician. Mr. Briggs, a Whig, represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives (1831-1843) and was Governor of Massachusetts (1844-1851). He supported capital punishment and opposed the Mexican-American War. In 1861, Mr. Briggs was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to a diplomatic mission to the South American Granadine Confederation (roughly present-day Colombia and Panama), but before Mr. Briggs could take up his position he died on September 12, 1861 at the age of 65, eight days after accidentally being shot when his gun discharged after he dropped it.

150 years ago
1866

Died on this date
Daniel S. Dickinson, 65. U.S. politician. Mr. Dickinson, a Democrat, was a member of the New York State Senate (1837-1840); Lieutenant Governor of New York (1843-1844); represented New York in the U.S. Senate (1844-1851); and served as Attorney General of New York (1862-1863).

140 years ago
1876

Born on this date
Vic Willis. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Willis played with the Boston Beaneaters (1898-1905); Pittsburgh Pirates (1906-1909); and St. Louis Cardinals (1910), compiling a record of 249-205 with an earned run average of 2.63 in 513 games, batting .166 with 1 home run and 84 runs batted in in 531 games. He had eight seasons of 20 or more wins, and three seasons of 20 or more losses; his 29 losses in 1905 remains the major league record. Mr. Willis was 25-13 in his rookie year in helping the Beaneaters win the National League pennant, and was 22-11 in 1909 in helping the Pirates win the World Series, losing 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs on June 30 in the first game ever played at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, but winning 11 consecutive games at one point. He was 0-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 2 games as the Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 3. Mr. Willis has been offically credited with a no-hitter in a 7-1 win for the Beaneaters over the Washington Senators on August 7, 1899, but local newspaper accounts in both Boston and Washington credited Bill Dinneen with a single leading off the 6th inning. Mr. Willis managed a hotel in Newark, New Jersey, and died from a stroke on August 3, 1947 at the age of 71.

Law
The Indian Act of Canada (An Act to amend and consolidate the laws respecting Indians) received royal assent; it was passed under the provisions of Section 91 (24) of the Constitution Act, 1867, which provided Canada's federal government exclusive authority to legislate in relation to "Indians and Lands Reserved for Indians". The new act replaced and superceded the 1857 “Civilization of Indian Tribes Act”, which aimed at assimilating Canada’s Aboriginal population by declaring that those who were “sufficiently advanced educationally, or capable of managing their own affairs” could renounce their treaty status and receive full British citizenship, including the right to vote.

Canadiana
Parliament passed the Keewatin Act (39 Victoria chapter 21), creating the new District of Keewatin out of a central separate strip from the North-West Territories, in order to provide government for the growing area north of Manitoba and west of Ontario.

Transportation
The Beaver Steamship Line, formerly the Canadian Shipping Company, was founded with three new iron-screw steamers to replace the old sailing ships. The Montréal-Liverpool service was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1903, and was the origin of CP Ships.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary! Mrs. Cleary was a children's librarian who became a successful author of fiction for children. She won the U.S. National Book Award in 1981, the Newbery Medal in 1984, and the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1975 for Library Service to Children.

Russell Garcia. U.S.-born N.Z. composer and arranger. Mr. Garcia wrote scores for numerous television programs and films in the United States before moving to New Zealand in 1969. He died on November 19, 2011 at the age of 95.

Movita Castaneda. U.S. actress. Maria Luisa Castaneda played exotic women in movies such as Flying Down to Rio (1933); Mutiny on the Bounty (1935); and The Hurricane (1937). She was the second wife of actor Marlon Brando. Miss Castaneda died on February 12, 2015 at the age of 98.

80 years ago
1936

Disasters
Herman Magill, Dr. David Robertson and Alfred Scadding became trapped 150 feet below ground level in the Moose River Gold Mine near Halifax, Nova Scotia, when the roof of the mine collapsed. The men were reached by drilling a borehole on the sixth day to bring food, water, and a telephone until the rescue was completed. Messrs. Robertson and Scadding survived, while Mr. Magill died on the seventh day. The event was broadcasted nonstop for 69 hours by J. Frank Willis of the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC) to over 650 radio stations throughout the United States and 58 stations in Canada, and was picked up by the BBC and broadcast to Europe. It was the first live 24-hour radio coverage of a breaking news story in Canada.

75 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestrawith Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell (3rd week at #1)

War
Italian and German troops captured Bardia, Libya. German bombers struck the Greek city of Piraeus, damaging British troop tansports and harbour facilities. The U.S.S.R. criticized the Hungarian invasion of Yugoslavia.

Defense
The government in German-occupied Denmark declared void the agreement announced on April 10 between the U.S.A. and Danish Minister to the United States Hendrick de Kauffmann, placing Greenland under U.S. protection.

Labour
U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace charged that "foreign agents" were "sabotaging our labor organizations to the great disadvantage of labor itself." The U.S. National Defense Mediation Board announced a settlement of the 76-day strike of 650 Congress of Industrial Organizations United Auto Workers members at the Standard Tool Company in Cleveland.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Boston 3 @ Detroit 1 (Boston won best-of-seven series 4-0)

Bobby Bauer scored the winning goal at 8:43 of the 2nd period at Olympia Stadium as the Bruins won their second Stanley Cup in three years. They didn’t win it again until 1970.

70 years ago
1946

War
Chen Kung-po, President of the Japanese puppet government in Nanking during World War II, was condemned to death in Soochow as a war criminal.

After three days of talks in the Netherlands, Dutch and British officials reached substantial agreement on the witihdrawal of British troops from Indonesia.

Diplomacy
The United States Senate confirmed William Pawley as U.S. Ambassador to Brazil.

Politics and government
Earl Alexander of Tunis was named Governor General of Canada, replacing the Earl of Athlone.

Americana
On the first anniversary of the death of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, his successor, Harry Truman, dedicated the Roosevelt home in Hyde Park, New York as a national shrine.

Medicine
Evidence was presented to a meeting of the American Chemical Society that sub-microscopic, virus-like substances were among the causes of cancer.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Sur ma vie--Charles Aznavour (2nd week at #1)

50 years ago
1966

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: A Taste of Tomorrow, with guest stars Fritz Weaver, Michael Constantine, and Brenda Scott

Music
Jan Berry of the singing duo Jan and Dean was critically injured in a car accident in Beverly Hills, California, effectively ending the duo's career as popular artists. Mr. Berry crashed his Corvette into a parked truck and he suffered brain damage and was in a coma, but was released from hospital two months later. He was able to resume producing duties a year later; he and Dean Torrence recorded the album Carnival of Sound, which wasn't released until 2010. Mr. Berry's accident occurred shortly after the duo had filmed the television comedy pilot Jan & Dean...On the Run, which had been accepted as a series. Mr. Berry made some recordings as a solo artist several years after his accident and he and Dean began touring as a nostalgia act in 1978, but Mr. Berry was never the same. He died after a seizure on March 26, 2004, 10 days before his 63rd birthday.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Montreal 5 @ Toronto 2 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-0)
Chicago 2 @ Detroit 1 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Baseball
Willie Stargell hit a 2-run home run off Tony Cloninger in the top of the 13th inning to break a 1-1 tie as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Atlanta Braves 3-2 before 50,671 fans at Atlanta Stadium in the first major league game played in Atlanta, and the first game played by the Braves after their move from Milwaukee. Joe Torre hit 2 solo homers for the Braves, including one with 1 out in the 13th off winning pitcher Don Schwall.

Jim Lonborg balked home Bob Johnson with 2 out in the top of the 13th inning to break a 4-4 tie as the Baltimore Orioles edged the Boston Red Sox 5-4 before 12,386 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Frank Robinson hit a home run in his first game with Baltimore after being traded by the Cincinnati Reds, and Brooks Robinson also homered for the Orioles. The game marked the major league debuts for Baltimore relief pitcher Eddie Watt, Boston reliever Guido Grilli and third baseman George Scott, and third base umpire Marty Springstead.

Tom McCraw singled home Floyd Robinson with the bases loaded and none out in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 3-2 win over the California Angels before 28,175 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The game marked the major league debuts for California right fielder Jackie Warner and first baseman Willie Montanez, and Chicago relief pitcher Dennis Higgins. Tommie Agee, playing his first game with Chicago since being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Indians, hit a 2-run home run with 2 out in the bottom of the 7th to tie the game 2-2.

Norm Cash singled home Don Wert with 2 out in the top of the 9th inning to break a 1-1 tie as the Detroit Tigers edged the New York Yankees 2-1 before 40,006 fans at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Lolich pitched a 6-hit complete game to win the pitchers' duel over Whitey Ford, who also allowed 6 hits in 8 2/3 innings. It was the first major league game for third base umpire Jerry Neudecker.

Sandy Valdespino singled home Zoilo Versalles with none out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Athletics before 21,658 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. Mudcat Grant pitched a 6-hit complete game to win the pitchers' duel over Catfish Hunter, who allowed just 4 hits in 8+ innings. The game was played in just 1 hour 45 minutes.



40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Fernando--ABBA (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Beautiful Sunday--Daniel Boone (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Fly, Robin, Fly--Silver Convention (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Vi åkbättre da för da--Swedish Alpine Ski Team (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Paul Ford, 74. U.S. actor. Mr. Ford, born Paul Ford Weaver, was a character actor best known for his supporting role as Colonel John Hall in the television comedy series The Phil Silvers Show (1955-1959). He died of a heart attack.

Protest
Thousands of Greek Cypriots stormed the U.S. embassy in Nicosia to protest the U.S.-Turkey defense agreement.

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

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): You Can Leave Your Hat On--Joe Cocker

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): The Promise You Made--Cock Robin (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Jeanny--Falco (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Living Doll--Cliff Richard and the Young Ones (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Living Doll--Cliff Richard and the Young Ones (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Rock Me Amadeus--Falco (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Kiss--Prince and the Revolution
2 Rock Me Amadeus--Falco
3 These Dreams--Heart
4 What You Need--INXS
5 Manic Monday--Bangles
6 Addicted to Love--Robert Palmer
7 R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.--John Cougar Mellencamp
8 Secret Lovers-Atlantic Starr
9 Let’s Go All the Way--Sly Fox
10 Harlem Shuffle--Rolling Stones

Singles entering the chart were Live to Tell by Madonna (#41); Be Good to Yourself by Journey (#47); Mothers Talk by Tears for Fears (#64); Holding Back the Years by Simply Red (#80); Crush on You by the Jets (#84); Hands Across America by Voices of America (#87); Pretty in Pink by Psychedelic Furs (#88); Johnny Come Home by Fine Young Cannibals (#89); and Once in a Lifetime by the Talking Heads (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Secret Lovers--Atlantic Starr
2 Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)--Glass Tiger
3 Nikita--Elton John
4 A Good Heart--Feargal Sharkey
5 Bop--Dan Seals
6 Harlem Shuffle--Rolling Stones
7 R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.--John Cougar Mellencamp
8 The Power of Love--Jennifer Rush
9 Sara--Starship
10 Let’s Go All the Way--Sly Fox

Singles entering the chart were Never as Good as the First Time by Sade (#75); Live to Tell by Madonna (#79); I Wanna Be a Cowboy by Boys Don't Cry (#86); Mutual Surrender by Bourgeois Tagg (#92); If You were a Woman by Bonnie Tyler (#93); April Fool by Chalk Circle (#95); Rough Boy by ZZ Top (#97); and Holding Back the Years by Simply Red (#98).

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Boston 3 @ Montreal 4 (Montreal won best-of-five series 3-0)
Quebec 4 @ Hartford 9 (Hartford won best-of-five series 3-0)
Chicago 2 @ Toronto 7 (Toronto won best-of-five series 3-0)
Calgary 4 @ Winnipeg 3 (OT) (Calgary won best-of-five series 3-0)
Edmonton 5 @ Vancouver 1 (Edmonton won best-of-five series 3-0)

Baseball
Dennis Leonard pitched a 3-hit shutout as the Kansas City Royals edged the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 before 24,332 fans at Royals Stadium; it was Mr. Leonard’s first major league start in three years because of a serious knee injury. The game's only run scored in the bottom of the 8th inning, when Jim Sundberg singled with 2 out off Toronto starting pitcher Jim Acker. Buddy Biancalana ran for Mr. Sundberg, Tom Gordon relieved Mr. Acker, and pinch hitter Jorge Orta doubled home Mr. Biancalana.

The Philadelphia Phillies allowed a run in the top of the 14th inning but scored 2 in the bottom of the inning to defeat the New York Mets 9-8 before 22,737 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Phillies had rallied with 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game 7-7. The Phillies used 22 players in the game, while the Mets used 18.

25 years ago
1991

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Detroit 1 @ St. Louis 6 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Minnesota 6 @ Chicago 0 (Minnesota led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Edmonton 3 @ Calgary 5 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Vancouver 4 @ Los Angeles 7 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 3-2)

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Children--Robert Miles

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Aon Focal Eile--Richie Kavanagh (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leader Jean Charest made it clear that his party would not unite with the Reform Party.

Hockey
NHL
Chicago 3 @ Detroit 5

The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks at Joe Louis Arena to become the first National Hockey League team with 61 wins in a regular season; they also matched the NHL record of 36 home wins in a season, set by the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
William Sloane Coffin, Jr., 82. U.S. clergyman. Rev. Coffin, a graduate of Yale Divinity School, became a Presbyterian minister, and later was a minister in the United Church of Christ. He was Chaplain of Yale University from 1958-1975, and senior minister at the liberal interdenominational Riverside Church from 1977-1987. Although Rev. Coffin had been a case officer with the Central Intelligence Agency in the early 1950s, he became increasingly disenchanted with the CIA and American foreign policy. As a clergyman, Rev. Coffin was known for opposing U.S. involvement in various wars and supporting nuclear disarmament, sodomite rights, and about any other politically and theologically liberal cause imaginable, to the extent that he became a caricature of a liberal Protestant clergyman.