May 13, 2016

200 years ago
1816

Transportation
Loyalist John Ward started the first steamer service on the Saint John River with the General Smith, a 60-passenger “floating palace” that could travel at six knots upriver from Saint John to Fredericton, New Brunswick.

170 years ago
1846

War
After several days of fighting, the United States formally declared war on Mexico.

125 years ago
1891

Horse racing
Kingman, with Isaac Murphy aboard, won the 17th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:52¼, the slowest winning time in Kentucky Derby history. Balgowan placed second and High Tariff finished third in the 4-horse field.

100 years ago
1916

Died on this date
Sholem Aleichem, 57. Ukrainian-born U.S. author. Mr. Aleichem, whose real name was Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich, was best known for writing--in Yiddish--the stories that inspired the musical play and movie Fiddler on the Roof. He died from tuberculosis and diabetes.

Horse racing
George Smith, with John Loftus aboard, won the 42nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:04, a neck ahead of Star Hawk, with Franklin third in the 9-horse field.

75 years ago
1941

War
Yugoslavian royal colonel Dragoljub Mihailović started fighting against German occupation troops, beginning the Serbian resistance. The German government proclaimed the northern area of the Red Sea to be a zone of military occupation, and warned neutral shipping against sailing in the area. Haj Amin al-Husseini, exiled Mufti of Jerusalem and leader of a million Muslims, broadcast a proclamation from Baghdad summoning all Muslims to join Iraqi forces in armed revolt against the United Kingdom.

Diplomacy
Ecuador and Peru notified the U.S. State Department that they were willing to accept the services of Argentina, Brazil, and the United States in ending their century-old boundary dispute.

Politics and government
Joseph Rosier (Democrat) took the oath of office as a United States Senator from West Virginia upon the Senate approving his appointment to fill ther remainder of the term of Matthew Neely (Democrat), who had resigned in the fall of 1940 to run for Governor of West Virginia. Mr. Rosier was appointed to the Senate on January 13, 1941, but a challenge to his appointment delayed his assumption of the office. His term was due to expire on January 3, 1943.

Frank Hague was elected to his seventh consecutive four-year term as Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Labour
Most employees of Colt Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut went on strike for an hourly wage increase of 20c. The comapny had $30 million in defense contracts.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Prisoner of Love--Perry Como
--The Ink Spots
2 Oh! What it Seemed to Be--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--Frank Sinatra
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
--Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest
3 The Gypsy--The Ink Spots
--Dinah Shore
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
4 I'm a Big Girl Now--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
5 Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop--Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra
--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
6 One-zy, Two-zy (I Love You-zy)--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Phil Harris and his Orchestra
7 Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)--Dinah Shore
--Andy Russell
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
8 All Through the Day--Frank Sinatra
--Perry Como
9 Shoo Fly Pie (And Apple Pan Dowdy)--Stan Kenton and his Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
10 Cement Mixer (Put-ti Put-ti)--Alvino Rey and his Orchestra

New singles entering the chart were the version of The Gypsy by the Ink Spots; the version of Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside) by Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra; Painted Rhythm by Stan Kenton and his Orchestra (#36); Who's Sorry Now? by Harry James and his Orchestra (#37); and All the Cats Joined In by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (#38). Who's Sorry Now? was the B-side of I Didn't Mean a Word I Said, charting at #31.

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Uneasy Easy Chair

War
A U.S. military court in Dachau sentenced 58 Germans to hang, and 3 to life imprisonment, for the murders of 70,000 inmates in the Malthausen concentration camp during World War II. The Allied Far Eastern Commission issued an interim reparations plan for Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan General Douglas MacArthur, specifying that Japanese arsenals, the aircraft industry, and light metals industry should be made available for reparations. Japanese Defense Counsel Ichiro Kiyose challenged the legality of the International Military Tribunal, declaring that Japan's surrender affected the armed forces, but not the government.

World events
U.S. military authorities in Germany ordered all German military and Nazi memorials destroyed, and all books glorifying war and Nazism confiscated.

Diplomacy
Brazilian Foreign Minister Joao Neves da Fontura proposed that the United States and all other American nations settle their differences with Argentine President Juan Peron in order to present a united front against the U.S.S.R.

At the conference of foreign ministers in Paris, The United Kingdom and United States agreed to accept a French proposal for the Yugoslavia-Italy boundary, which was closer to Soviet and Yugoslavian views, but still left Trieste to Italy.

Negotiations between Iranian Prime Minister Ahmad Ghavam Saltaneh and Azerbaijani leader Mir Sayid Jafar Pishevari ended in failure.

Politics and government
King Zahir Shar of Afghanistan dismissed his cabinet and asked Sha Mahmoud Khan to form a new one.

Defense
The U.S. Army revealed a "major reorganization" plan to save manpower and money; eliminate nine service commands; give General Dwight Eisenhower broader powers; strengthen research; and grant "increased autonomy" to the Army Air Forces. U.S. President Harry Truman conferred with War Secretary Robert Patterson and Navy Secretary James Forrestal on unification of the armed forces. The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a resolution extending Selective Service until July 1, 1946, exempting fathers and all 18-19-year-olds.

Agriculture
Concluding a worldwide food survey, former U.S. President Herbert Hoover stated that the world grain shortage had been reduced from 11 million to 3.6 million tons within the past two months.

Labour
A U.S. federal fact-finding board in Washington recommended a 20% pay increase for 16,000 Congress of Industrial Organizations International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union members on the Pacific coast.

60 years ago
1956

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Belfry, starring Jack Mullaney, Pat Hitchcock, and Dabbs Greer

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Homeward Bound--Simon & Garfunkel (2nd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Monday, Monday--The Mamas and the Papas
2 Leaning on the Lamp Post--Herman's Hermits
3 Lovedrops--Barry Allen
4 Time--The Pozo-Seco Singers
5 Good Lovin'--The Young Rascals
6 How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?--Nancy Sinatra
7 Marble Breaks and Iron Bends--Drafi
8 Love is Like an Itching in My Heart--The Supremes
9 Tippy Toeing--The Harden Trio
10 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry--B.J. Thomas and the Triumphs
Pick hit of the week: Girl in Love--The Outsiders
New this week: One Too Many Mornings--The Beau Brummels
Younger Girl--The Critters
There's No Living Without Your Loving--Peter and Gordon
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Dusty Springfield
Distant Drums--Jim Reeves

Diplomacy
Queen Elizabeth II concluded her four-day visit to Belgium, the first state visit to the country by a British monarch since King George V in 1922.

40 years ago
1976

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

Pierre Bouchard scored the winning goal for the Canadiens as they edged the Flyers before 17,007 fans at the Spectrum.

WHA
Avco World Trophy
U.S. Championship Semi-Finals
New England 2 @ Houston 4 (Houston led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Basketball
ABA
Finals
Denver 106 @ New York 112 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Julius Erving led the Nets with 31 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists as they defeated the Nuggets before 15,434 fans at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale to win their second championship in three years, in the last game in the nine-year history of the American Basketball Association. Denver's David Thompson scored 42 points, while teammate Dan Issel scored 30 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. The Nets, Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs merged with the National Basketball Association on June 17, 1976.



25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Eyes to Me--Dreams Come True (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Punaista ja makeaa--Popeda

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Joyride--Roxette (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Hollywood Detective, on A&E
Tonight's episode: Barring Disaster

Ernest Hemingway was a character in this episode, which was the last of the series to be broadcast, and the only one I didn’t see. As far as I know, Hollywood Detective has never been rerun or released on video or DVD.

Politics and government
Canadian Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn delivered the Speech from the Throne; the speech from the government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney promised a House of Commons-Senate Committee to study the Constitution, and also emphasized education, aboriginal affairs, and reform of Parliament.

Abominations
Baltej Dhillon, a Sikh, became the First Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer to wear a turban since the force's creation in 1873.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Fastlove--George Michael (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Children--Robert Miles (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): They Don't Care About Us--Michael Jackson

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Closer to Free--BoDeans
2 Ironic--Alanis Morissette
3 Because You Loved Me--Céline Dion
4 Follow You Down--Gin Blossoms
5 Always Be My Baby--Mariah Carey
6 Nobody Knows--The Tony Rich Project
7 Birmingham--Amanda Marshall
8 Lucky Love--Joan Osborne
9 Dreamer's Dream--Tom Cochrane
10 A List of Things--Damhnait Doyle

Singles entering the chart were You Still Touch Me by Sting (#90); Burning Down the House by Bonnie Raitt (#91); Sister by the Nixons (#93); Angeline is Coming Home by the Badlees (#94); and One More Astronaut by I Mother Earth (#97).

Diplomacy
Representatives of North Korea, South Korea, China, and the United States began two days of talks in an attempt to find a permanent Korean peace agreement.

Politics and government
Quebec's chief electoral officer announced that scrutineers for the Yes side in the 1995 provincial independence referendum would be investigated in connection with the rejection of a large number of ballots in federalist ridings; he also announced the possibility of charges against the organizers of the October 27, 1995 No rally, stating that the rally constituted illegal campaign spending.

Economics and finance
The United Nations World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization issued a joint special alert over food supplies in North Korea, suggesting that 130,000 people were at risk because of food shortages.

Labour
German public sector unions staged the first of several warning strikes, demanding a 4.5% wage increase, and protesting the April announcement of government austerity measures.

Disasters
Severe thunderstorms and a tornado killed 600 people in Bangladesh.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Semi-Finals
Colorado 4 @ Chicago 3 (2 OT) (Colorado won best-of-seven series 4-2)

10 years ago
2006

Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Buffalo 3 @ Ottawa 2 (OT) (Buffalo won best-of-seven series 4-1)
Carolina 1 @ New Jersey 5 (Carolina led best-of-seven series 3-1)