May 1, 2016

240 years ago
1776

World events
The secret society known as the [Bavarian] Illuminati, originally known as Bund der Perfektibilisten (Covenant of Perfectibility), was founded by Adam Weishaupt and four others in the Bavarian city of Ingolstadt.

230 years ago
1786

Opera
Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart received its premiere performance at the Burgtheater in Vienna.

160 years ago
1856

Canadiana
The town of Woodstock, New Brunswick was incorporated.

150 years ago
1866

Protest
The Memphis Race Riots began; in three days' time, 46 Negroes and two whites were killed.

140 years ago
1876

Canadiana
St. Catharines, Ontario was incorporated as a city.

130 years ago
1886

Labour
Rallies were held throughout the United States demanding the eight-hour work day, culminating in the Haymarket affair in Chicago, in commemoration of which May 1 is celebrated as International Workers' Day in many countries.

Baseball
Al Atkinson pitched his second career no-hitter as the Philadelphia Athletics edged the New York Metropolitans 3-2 in an American Association game at Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia.

125 years ago
1891

Baseball
Cy Young was the winning pitcher as the Cleveland Spiders defeated the Cincinnati Reds 12-3 before about 9,500 fans in the first major league game at League Park in Cleveland.

120 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Mark W. Clark. U.S. military officer. General Clark served in both world wars and the Korean War. He was best known for commanding the United States Fifth Army, and later the 15th Army Group, in the Italian campaign in World War II, and led the Fifth Army when it captured Rome in June 1944. He was heavily criticized for ignoring the orders of his superior officer, U.K. Gen. Harold Alexander, and allowing the 10th German Army to escape in his drive to take Rome. Gen. Clark died on April 17, 1894, two weeks before his 88th birthday.

J. Lawton Collins. U.S. military officer. General Collins, nicknamed "Lightning Joe," was related to other U.S. Army generals, and was the uncle of astronaut Michael Collins. He joined the U.S. Army in 1917, and served for 39 years. Gen. Collins served in the Pacific and European theatres of operations during World War II; he was Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1949-1953) and special representative of the United States in Vietnam with ambassadorial rank (1954-1955). Gen. Collins died on September 12, 1987 at the age of 91.

Politics and government
Sir Charles Tupper was asked by Governor General the Earl of Aberdeen to serve as Canada's 6th Prime Minister on the resignation of Sir Mackenzie Bowell. Sir Charles chose Hugh John Macdonald as Minister of the Interior and Superintendent General of Indian Affairs.

Labour
The Canadian Public Printing Bureau adopted an eight hour work day.

110 years ago
1906

Baseball
John Lush pitched a no-hitter to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-0 win over the Brooklyn Superbas at Washington Park in Brooklyn.

The Philadelphia Phillies routed the Washington Nationals 16-2 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Victor Starffin. Russian-born Japanese baseball pitcher. Mr. Starffin, nicknamed "the blue-eyed Japanese," moved to Japan with his family shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. He played with the Tokyo Kyojin (1936-1944); Pacific/Taiyo Robins (1946–1947); Kinsei Stars/Daiei Stars (1948–1953); and Takahashi Unions/Tombow Unions (1954–1955), compiling a record of 303-176 with an earned run average of 2.09 and 83 shutouts. He was the first Japanese Baseball League pitcher to record 300 career wins, and was the JPL's Most valuable Player in 1939 and 1940, when he posted respective totals of 42-15 with a 1.73 ERA and 38-12 with an ERA of 0.97. Mr. Starffin was killed in a traffic accident on January 12, 1957 at the age of 40 when the car he was driving was struck by a commuter tram under circumstances that remain unclear. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1960.

Glenn Ford. Canadian-born U.S. actor. Mr. Ford, a native of Quebec City, moved to California with his parents at the age of 8. He was a popular leading man in the 1940s and '50s in movies such as Gilda (1946); The Big Heat (1953); Blackboard Jungle (1955); The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956); and 3:10 to Yuma (1957). He died on August 30, 2006 at the age of 90.

80 years ago
1936

Politics and government
Eric Hamber was installed as Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, succeeding John Johnson.

75 years ago
1941

At the movies
Citizen Kane, co-written by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles, received its premiere screening at the Palace Theatre in New York City.



War
German and Italian forces launched a major attack on the Libyan port of Tobruk, breaking through the city's outer defenses. Reports from London indicated that additional troops had been landed at Basra, Iraq over the protests of the Iraqi government. Iraqi Prime Minister Rashid Ali Beg Gallani asserted that the new arrival of British troops violated the Anglo-Iraqi treaty.

Defense
U.S. Senator Joseph Guffey (Democrat--Pennsylvania) urged that the U.S. Navy convoy merchant ships to Britain. U.S. Senator Charles Tobey (Republican--New Hampshire) claimed that "pressure" from President Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated his anti-convoy resolution; he told Mr. Roosevelt to "keep your hands off the Congress." U.S. defense bonds and stamps ranging from 10c-$10,000 went on sale at post offices and banks. The U.S. Senate passed and sent to President Roosevelt the $3,415,521,750 naval appropriations bill.

Diplomacy
Chinese Foreign Minister Dr. Kuo Tai-chi said that America, Britain, and China should form an ABC combination, pooling their economic and natural resources to crush totalitarianism.

Transportation
U.S. President Roosevelt asked Congress for funds to complete a 1,500-mile stretch of the Inter-American highway from the southern border of Mexico across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama to the Panama Canal at a cost estimated at $20 million.

Science
Dr. Robley Evans of Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that new methods of determining geological ages indicated that life had existed on Earth much longer than previous estimates of 500 million years, and that man may be much older than the one million years now commonly accepted.

Economics and finance
The British Ministry of Economic Warfare urged the United States to boycott the Axis and freeze Axis funds in the United States.

Business
Albert W. Hawkes of Congoleum-Nairn Inc. was elected president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Labour
Workers at the Phelps-Dodge plant in Elizabeth, New Jersey voted to end their three-week strike.

70 years ago
1946

Diplomacy
The Paris Peace Conference concluded that the islands of the Dodecanese should be returned to Greece by Italy. Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov rejected proposals for a quadripartite military commission to enforce armistice terms in Italy, claiming that the United Kingdom and United States might seek to send similar commissions to the Balkan states.

British Prime Minister Clement Attlee told the House of Commons that the United Kingdom would not carry out the recommendations of the Palestine Inquiry Commission "single-handed," and asked what share of responsibility the United States was willing to take.

Crime
A British court sentenced physicist Alan Nunn May to 10 years' hard labour under the Official Secrets Act for having passed information calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy, i.e. the U.S.S.R. Dr. Nunn May had worked on atomic bomb research in Canada at Chalk River, Ontario, and his spying was discovered in the revelations of cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko, who had defected from the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa on September 5, 1945.

Politics and government
The United States Senate confirmed William Hastie as Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Defense
U.S. Navy Secretary James Forrestal said that the pending bill for armed services unification would give too much powere to a supreme chief of staff.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman asked Congress to appropriate $600 million already authprized for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency for the 1946 fiscal year.

Labour
The three-year Pilbara strike of Indigenous Australians began when at least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walking off the large Pastoral Stations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and from employment in the two major towns of Port Hedland and Marble Bar. They were striking for human rights recognition and payment of fair wages and working conditions.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 1.66 million strikers caused a record loss of 54.7 million man-days in the first quarter of 1946.

60 years ago
1956

Music
The single Ooby Dooby/Go, Go, Go (Down the Line) by Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings was released on Sun Records; it was Mr. Orbison's first single.

Medicine
The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was made available to the public.

A doctor in Japan reported an "epidemic of an unknown disease of the central nervous system," marking the official discovery of Minamata disease.

Labour
The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada (TLC) merged with the Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL) to form the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), after a "yes" vote on April 23.

50 years ago
1966

Radio
British Broadcasting Corporation transmitters at Daventry, England relayed the first live Canadian Broadcasting Corporation International (Radio Canada International) shortwave broadcast to Africa, via Sackville, New Brunswick.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal 2 @ Detroit 1 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

Roger Crozier started the game in goal for the Red Wings at Olympia Stadium, but was forced to leave the game because of a sprained knee and ankle in the 1st period, and was replaced by Hank Bassen. Ralph Backstrom scored the winning goal for the Canadiens against Mr. Bassen.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Ancora tu--Lucio Battisti (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Save Your Kisses for Me--The Brotherhood of Man (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Fernando--ABBA

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Let Your Love Flow--Bellamy Brothers

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

Singles entering the chart were Never Gonna Fall in Love Again by Eric Carmen (#77); Still Crazy After All These Years by Paul Simon (#85); I'll Be Good to You by the Brothers Johnson (#94); Could it Be Magic by Donna Summer (#98); Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band (#99); and Forever and Ever by Silk (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Bohemian Rhapsody--Queen
2 Lonely Night (Angel Face)--Captain and Tennille
3 Boogie Fever--Sylvers
4 Love is the Drug--Roxy Music
5 Show Me the Way--Peter Frampton
6 Shout it Out Loud--Kiss
7 Let Your Love Flow--Bellamy Brothers
8 Dream Weaver--Gary Wright
9 Anyway You Want--Charity Brown
10 Dream On--Aerosmith

Singles entering the chart were Lookin' Out for #1 by Bachman-Turner Overdrive (#95); Love is Alive by Gary Wright (#96); Under My Thumb by Lick 'N' Stick (#97); Liars by Ian Thomas (#99); and I've Got a Feeling by Al Wilson (#100).

Horse racing
Bold Forbes, with Angel Cordero up, won the 102nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:01 3/5. Honest Pleasure placed second, and Elocutionist third.



Soccer
English FA Cup Final @ Wembley Stadium, London
Southampton 1 Manchester United 0

Bobby Stokes scored the game's only goal in the 83rd minute before 99,115 fans.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Montreal 3 @ New York Islanders 2 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-0)

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
Edmonton's top 30 (CHED)
1 Manic Monday--Bangles
2 Let's Go All the Way--Sly Fox
3 R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.--John Cougar Mellencamp
4 Kiss--Prince and the Revolution
5 West End Girls--Pet Shop Boys
6 Bad Boy--Miami Sound Machine
7 Harlem Shuffle--Rolling Stones
8 Addicted to Love--Robert Palmer
9 Tender Love--Force M.D.’s
10 Why Can’t This Be Love--Van Halen
11 If You Leave--Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
12 Greatest Love of All--Whitney Houston
13 Eurasian Eyes--Corey Hart
14 Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)--Glass Tiger
15 She Sells Sanctuary--The Cult
16 Something About You--Level 42
17 The Power of Love--Jennifer Rush
18 Vienna Calling--Falco
19 Feel it Again--Honeymoon Suite
20 Your Love--Outfield
21 Live to Tell--Madonna
22 What Have You Done for Me Lately--Janet Jackson
23 All I Need is a Miracle--Mike & the Mechanics
24 A Good Heart--Feargal Sharkey
25 Is it Love--Mr. Mister
26 What You Need--INXS
27 On My Own--Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
28 Angel in My Pocket--One to One
29 Move Away--Culture Club
30 April Fool--Chalk Circle

Died on this date
Hugo Peretti, 69. U.S. songwriter and record producer. Mr. Peretti and his cousin Luigi Creatore formed the duo Hugo & Luigi, who produced records for artists such as Jimmie Rodgers, Perry Como, and Sam Cooke. Among the songs they helped write was Can't Help Falling in Love, a major hit for Elvis Presley in late 1961-early 1962.

Labour
Shirley Carr became the first female head of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, replacing Dennis McDermott as CUPE leader.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference Finals
New York Rangers 1 @ Montreal 2 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Joyride--Roxette (8th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight’s episode: The House That Jack Built

Died on this date
Richard Thorpe, 95. U.S. movie director. Mr. Thorpe, born Rollo Thorpe, directed more than 180 movies in a career running from the early 1920s through 1967. His films included Night Must Fall (1937); The Thin Man Goes Home (1945); and Jailhouse Rock (1957).

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference Finals
Pittsburgh 3 @ Boston 6 (Boston led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Baseball
Nolan Ryan, 44, pitched his seventh and last major league no-hitter as the Texas Rangers blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 before 33,439 fans at Arlington Stadium.



Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics broke Lou Brock's major league career record, stealing his 939th base in a 7-4 win over the New York Yankees before 36,139 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mr. Brock was in attendance to salute Mr. Henderson.

Willie Randolph singled home Jim Gantner with 2 out in the bottom of the 19th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox before 13,973 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Mr. Randolph had just 2 hits in 9 at bats, but his first hit had been a single to score Bill Spiers with the tying run with 2 out in the 15th as the Brewers rallied for 3 runs after the White Sox had scored 3 runs in the top half of the inning to take a 9-6 lead.

20 years ago
1996

Died on this date
Luana Patten, 57. U.S. actress. Miss Patten appeared in the movie Song of the South (1946) and So Dear to My Heart (1949), and in numerous television programs until retiring from acting in 1968. She died of respiratory failure.

Politics and government
Sheila Copps resigned as Canada's Deputy Prime Minister in the face of public pressure to fulfill an election promise to resign if the Goods and Services Tax was not abolished; eight days earlier, Ms. Copps had admitted that the tax could not be abolished.

Economics and finance
The Nova Scotia government of Premier John Savage tabled a bill that would require future governments to present a balanced budget.

10 years ago
2006

Politics and government
The Puerto Rican government closed the Department of Education and 42 other government agencies due to significant shortages of cash flow.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Quarter-Finals
Detroit 3 @ Edmonton 4 (Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-2)
Calgary 1 @ Anaheim 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Fernando Pisani and Ales Hemsky scored 2 goals each in the 3rd period as the Oilers eliminated the Red Wings at Rexall Place; Mr. Hemsky scored the winning goal with 1:06 remaining in regulation time.

Scott Niedemayer's powerplay goal with 5:37 remaining in regulation time gave the Mighty Ducks their win over the Flames at Arrowhead Pond.