April 24, 2016

160 years ago
1856

Born on this date
Philippe Pétain, 95. Prime Minister of France, 1940-1942; Chief of the French State, 1940-1944. Marshal Pétain joined the French Army in 1876 and rose slowly through the ranks, but distinguished himself as the "Lion of Verdun" in World War I for leading the defense of the city against German forces in 1916. He was Chief of Staff of the Army (April-May 1917) and Minister of War (February-November 1934) before accepting the appointment as Prime Minister, with the fall of France to invading German troops inevitable. Marshal Pétain led a government that collaborated with the German military administration during World War II, and was convicted of treason in 1945. Marshal Pétain was sentenced to death, but President Charles de Gaulle commuted his sentence to life in prison because of his age. Marshal Pétain became increasingly senile during his imprisonment, and he died on July 23, 1951 at the age of 95, shortly after his sentence was further reduced to hospital confinement, although he had become too ill to move.

150 years ago
1866

Communications
Victoria became connected to the British Columbia mainland via cable and telegraph.

125 years ago
1891

Died on this date
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, 90. Prussian military officer. Graf Generalfeldmarschall Moltke had a military career that spanned almost 70 years. He modernized the Ottoman Army in the mid-late 1830s, and was Chief of the Prussian General Staff, and later the Imperial German General Staff from 1857-1888. Graf Moltke was a disciple of Carl von Clausewitz and regarded strategy as a practical art of adapting means to ends. He planned and led the successful Prussian campaigns in the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). Graf Moltke died after a short illness. He's referred to as "the Elder" to distinguish him from his nephew Helmuth von Moltke, who commanded the German Army at the outbreak of World War I.

120 years ago
1896

Diplomacy
Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona was appointed Canadian High Commissioner to Britain, replacing Sir Charles Tupper, who had been recalled by the governing Conservative Party to replace Sir Mackenzie Bowell as party leader and Prime Minister.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Lou Thesz. U.S. wrestler. Mr. Thesz, born Lajos Tiza, held the National Wrestling Alliance world heavyweight championship three times, for a combined total of more than 10 years, longer than anyone else. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he invented a number of techniques, and is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers in history. Mr. Thesz died on April 28, 2002, four days after his 86th birthday.

Protest
The Easter uprising against British rule in Ireland began when 1,600 Irish nationalists, led by Patrick Pearse and James Connolly, seized several key sites in Dublin.

Exploration
Ernest Shackleton and five men of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition launched a lifeboat from uninhabited Elephant Island in the Southern Ocean to organize a rescue for the crew of the sunken Endurance.

90 years ago
1926

Diplomacy
The Treaty of Berlin was signed, with Germany and the Soviet Union each pledging neutrality in the event of an attack on the other by a third party for the next five years.

75 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Karin Boye, 40. Swedish authoress and poetess. Miss Boye is best known in her native Sweden for her poetry, but elsewhere she's best known for her dystopian novel Kallocain (1940). Miss Boye was a lesbian who committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills.

War
Heavy fighting at Thermopylae and German aerial attacks on evacuation ships continued. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill postponed a House of Commons debate on the situation in the eastern Mediterranean region until the situation was clarified.

Defense
Japanese Emperor Hirohito formally ratified the U.S.S.R.-Japan neutrality pact after it was unanimously approved by the Privy Council. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered American warships to report movements of German vessels west of Iceland, but not to fire unless fired upon. U.S. Navy Secretary Frank Knox said in a speech in New York, "We cannot allow our goods to be sunk in the Atlantic--we shall be beaten if they do." Mr. Knox said, "we must see the job through," be delivering war materials to Britain. The Mexico City newspaper Excelsior reported that the Mexican government had approved an initial expenditure of $14 million for improving the harbours on the Gulf and Pacific coasts as naval bases.

Society
Harvard University anthropologist Professor Ernest Hooton said that medical science must regenerate mankind biologically by checking human degeneration through birth control, sterlization, and euthanasia.

Academia
The New School for Social Research of New York, popularly known as the "University in Exile," received a permanent charter from the Board of Regents.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau urged a cut of $1 billion in ordinary expenditures by reducing agriculture, Civilian Conservation Corps, National Youth Administration, and soil conservation appropriations.

Labour
U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins certified the 24-day coal strike to the National Defense Mediation Board.

70 years ago
1946

Literature
Leon Trotsky's biography of U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin, Mr. Trotsky's rival for leadership of the Soviet Union, was published by Harper & Bros. Mr. Trotsky had been assassinated in exile in Mexico in 1940.

Defense
Brazilian Foreign Minister Joao Neves de Fontura announced that the Pan-American Peace and Security Conference would be held in Rio de Janeiro on September 7, 1946.

Politics and government
Nationalist Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek indefinitely postponed the constitutional assembly scheduled to convene May 5 because of Communist refusal to participate.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Export-Import Bank lent $40 million to Poland.

Business
The Argentine government of President Juan Peron placed all banks including private deposits under its control.

The French Constituent Assembly voted to nationalize 50 large insurance companies, with shareholders receiveing 3% government bonds.

50 years ago
1966

Journalism
The New York Herald Tribune published what turned out to be its final edition. The paper had been losing money, and owner John Hay Whitney attempted to organize a joint operating agreement with the Hearst-owned New York Journal American and the Scripps-owned New York World-Telegram and Sun, to take effect on May 1, 1966. Newspaper unions immediately went on strike; the strike ended on August 15, 1966, and the New York World Journal Tribune began publishing on September 12 as an afternoon paper, lasting only until May 5, 1967, when it folded for good.

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

Paul Henderson's goal at 2:14 of the 3rd period held up as the winner for the Red Wings as they edged the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles 121 @ Boston 117 (Boston led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Elgin Baylor scored 41 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, while Jerry West added 31 points for the Lakers as they averted elimination by the Celtics before 13,909 fans at Boston Garden. Bill Russell led Boston with 32 points and 28 rebounds. Los Angeles led 37-23 after the 1st quarter.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Ancora tu--Lucio Battisti (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Save Your Kisses for Me--The Brotherhood of Man

#1 single in the U.K.: Save Your Kisses for Me--The Brotherhood of Man (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Disco Lady--Johnnie Taylor (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Right Back Where We Started From--Maxine Nightingale
2 Let Your Love Flow--Bellamy Brothers
3 Boogie Fever--Sylvers
4 Disco Lady--Johnnie Taylor
5 Only Sixteen--Dr. Hook
6 Bohemian Rhapsody--Queen
7 Show Me the Way--Peter Frampton
8 Welcome Back--John Sebastian
9 Sweet Love--Commodores
10 Fooled Around and Fell in Love--Elvin Bishop

Singles entering the chart were Fool to Cry by the Rolling Stones (#69); Shop Around by Captain & Tennille (#71); Rock and Roll Love Letter by the Bay City Rollers (#72); Dance Wit Me by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (#81); Making Our Dreams Come True by Cyndi Grecco (#84); Crazy on You by Heart (#91); Takin' it to the Streets by the Doobie Brothers (#92); Lookin' Out for #1 by Bachman-Turner Overdrive (#93); Bigfoot by Bro Smith (#95); (What A) Wonderful World by Johnny Nash (#98); Kiss and Say Goodbye by the Manhattans (#99); and 'Til I Make it on My Own by Tammy Wynette (#100). Making Our Dreams Come True was the theme song of the television comedy series Laverne & Shirley.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Lonely Night (Angel Face)--Captain and Tennille (2nd week at #1)
2 Show Me the Way--Peter Frampton
3 Let Your Love Flow--Bellamy Brothers
4 Dream Weaver--Gary Wright
5 Love is the Drug--Roxy Music
6 Anyway You Want--Charity Brown
7 December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)--The Four Seasons
8 Boogie Fever--Sylvers
9 Bohemian Rhapsody--Queen
10 Dream On--Aerosmith

Singles entering the chart were Silly Love Songs by Wings (#89); Laura's Song by J.C. Stone (#94); In the Mood by Sound 9418 (#95); It's Alright (This Feeling) by Crack of Dawn (#96); There Won't Be No Country Music (There Won’t Be No Rock ’N’ Roll) by C.W. McCall (#97); Happy Days by Pratt & McClain with Brother Love (#98); Love Hangover by Diana Ross (#99); and One Piece at a Time by Johnny Cash (#100). Laura's Song had originally been titled Singing Laura's Song, released in 1975 as the B-side of Look at the Stars.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
U.S. Championship Quarter-Finals
New England 0 @ Indianapolis 4 (New England led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Baseball
Dave Concepcion singled home 2 runs in the top of the 11th inning and the Cincinnati Reds held on to defeat the Montreal Expos 6-4 before 11,190 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal in the first Expos Baseball telecast of the season on CBC.

Tito Fuentes singled home Enzo Hernandez with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the San Diego Padres a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 50,569 fans at San Diego Stadium.

Chris Chambliss singled home Roy White with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the New York Yankees a 9-8 win over the Kansas City Royals before 16,034 fans at Yankee Stadium.



Luis Gomez scored with 2 out in the bottom of the 14th inning on a sacrifice fly by Dan Ford to give the Minnesota Twins a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles before 4,222 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.

The Texas Rangers scored 2 runs in the top of the 9th inning to break a 3-3 tie and held on for a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers before 8,862 fans at Tiger Stadium.

Joe Rudi hit a 2-run home run off Tom Buskey with 2 out in the top of the 9th inning and held on to defeat the Cleveland Indians 8-7 before 17,509 fans at Cleveland Stadium. The Indians loaded the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, but Oakland relief pitcher Jim Todd caught a line drive from Duane Kuiper for the second out and retired Buddy Bell on a ground out to shortstop Bert Campaneris.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 30 (CHED)
1 Kiss--Prince and the Revolution
2 Manic Monday--Bangles
3 R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.--John Cougar Mellencamp
4 Let's Go All the Way--Sly Fox
5 West End Girls--Pet Shop Boys
6 Eurasian Eyes--Corey Hart
7 Harlem Shuffle--Rolling Stones
8 Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)--Glass Tiger
9 Bad Boy--Miami Sound Machine
10 Tender Love--Force M.D.’s
11 Addicted to Love--Robert Palmer
12 Feel it Again--Honeymoon Suite
13 Why Can’t This Be Love--Van Halen
14 What You Need--INXS
15 She Sells Sanctuary--The Cult
16 If You Leave--Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
17 Greatest Love of All--Whitney Houston
18 Something About You--Level 42
19 Vienna Calling--Falco
20 The Power of Love--Jennifer Rush

Died on this date
Wallis Simpson, 89. U.S.-born socialite. Mrs. Simpson, born Wallis Warfield, grew up in Baltimore. She married U.S. Navy officer Win Spencer in 1916, but they were divorced in 1927. Mrs. Spencer then had an affair with married shipbroker Ernest Simpson; he divorced his wife and married Mrs. Spencer in 1928. Mrs. Spencer first met Edward, Prince of Wales in 1931, and allegedly became his mistress in 1934. Mrs. Simpson obtained a divorce from her husband in October 1936, nine months after the Prince of Wales had acceded to the throne as King Edward VIII. Widespread opposition to the suitability of Mrs. Simpson as queen consort forced the king to make a decision between the throne and his lover, and he chose the latter, abdicating in December in favour of his younger brother, who became King George VI. The former king, who had been created Duke of Windsor by his brother, and Mrs. Simpson were married in France in June 1937. The Duke of Windsor served as Governor of the Bahamas from 1940-1945, and the couple returned to France after World War II, splitting their time between France and the United States as useless socialites. The Duke of Windsor died in 1972; the Duchess spent her remaining years in Paris, growing increasingly frail and dying from dementia.

Hockey
IIHF World Championship
U.S.S.R. 7 Canada 4

NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
St. Louis 7 @ Toronto 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)
Edmonton 7 @ Calgary 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Joyride--Roxette (7th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight’s episode: The Accident

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
St. Louis 4 @ Minnesota 8 (Minnesota led best-of-seven series 3-1)
Los Angeles 2 @ Edmonton 4 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Baseball
Darryl Kile of the Houston Astros pitched 6 hitless innings against the Cincinnati Reds in his first major league start. Houston manager Art Howe removed him at that point rather than risk injury to his arm. Curt Schilling finally gave up a single in the 9th inning, but the Astros edged the Reds 1-0 when pinch hitter Ken Oberkfell singled home Rafael Ramirez with 2 out in the bottom of the 13th before 10,869 fans at the Astrodome.

20 years ago
1996

Music
Shania Twain won the top album trophy for The Woman in Me and was named Best New Female Singer at the annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Politics and government
The main assembly of the Palestine Liberation Organization voted to revoke clauses in its charter that called for an armed struggle to destroy Israel.

Terrorism
The U.S. Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

Health
British officials announced plans for the selective slaughter of 42,000 head of cattle that were potential carriers of mad cow disease.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Quarter-Finals
Florida 4 @ Boston 2 (Florida led best-of-seven series 3-0)
Pittsburgh 3 @ Washington 2 (4 OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

Petr Nedved, who had scored the tying goal with 21 minutes remaining in regulation time, scored with 45 seconds remaining in the 4th overtime period to give the Penguins their win over the Capitals at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland in what was the third-longest game in NHL history to date.



Basketball
The Women's National Basketball Association was founded, to begin play in June 1997 with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference; and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference. The WNBA was created by the National Basketball Association, presumably as a sop to feminists.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Steve Stavro, 79. Greek-born Canadian businessman. Mr. Stavro, born Manoli Stavroff Sholdas, moved with his family to Toronto at the age of 7. He became a grocery store magnate, but was best known as majority owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1991-2003.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Quarter-Finals
Montreal 6 @ Carolina 5 (2 OT) (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)
New York Rangers 1 @ New Jersey 6 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Philadelphia 2 @ Buffalo 8 (Buffalo led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Colorado 5 @ Dallas 4 (OT) (Colorado led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Michael Ryder scored at 2:32 of the 2nd overtime period to give the Canadiens their win over the Hurricanes at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

John Madden scored 3 goals for the Devils as they beat the Rangers at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford.

Jean-Pierre Dumont and Jason Pominville scored 3 goals each as the Sabres routed the Flyers at HSBC Arena.