May 17, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Katya Semenova!

175 years ago
1841

Disasters
32 people were killed in a rockslide from Citadel Rock onto Champlain Street/Cap Diamant area of Lower Québec City.

150 years ago
1866

Born on this date
Erik Satie. French composer. Mr. Satie was a composer who was mainly known for his compositions for piano, especially his three Gymnopédies (1888). He died on July 1, 1925 at the age of 59 of cirrhosis of the liver after years of heavy drinking.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife. U.K. Royal Family member. Princess Alexandra, a granddaughter of King Edward VII, was the daughter of Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, who had married Princess Louise of Wales, daughter of the future King Edward VII. Princess Alexandra married Prince Arthur of Connaught in 1913, and died on February 26, 1959 at the age of 67.

110 years ago
1906

Born on this date
Horace McMahon. U.S. actor. Mr. McMahon played heavies in numerous movies in the 1930s and '40s, but became known for playing Lieutenant Monaghan in the play (1949) and movie (1951) Detective Story. He played Lt. Mike Parker in the television series Naked City (1958-1963), receiving an Emmy Award nomination in 1962. Mr. McMahon died from a heart ailment on August 17, 1971 at the age of 65.

80 years ago
1936

Died on this date
Panagis Tsaldaris, 67 or 68. Prime Minister of Greece, 1932-1933; 1933-1935. Mr. Tsaldaris was first elected to Parliament in 1910, and led the People's Party from 1922 until his death. He served as Interior Minister, Foreign Minister, and Leader of the Opposition before his terms as Prime Minister. Mr. Tsaldaris's government was deposed by a military coup on October 10, 1935; he died after a period of declining health.

75 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell (8th week at #1)

Died on this date
Fernando Pinto Sepulveda. Chilean politician. Mr. Pinto, leader of Chile's Radical Party, was killed when members of the pro-Nazi Chilean Vanguardia Popula Socialista broke up the Radical Party's national convention in Santiago.

War
HMCS Dauphin was commissioned at Esquimalt, British Columbia for service in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Germany announced the recapture of Solum on the Egyptian-Libyan border. A communique from Chungking stated that Chinese troops had recaptured Tsaoyang--a strategic base in the northern part of the province of Hupeh--and Suchi in the province of Chekiang, while Japan claimed to have held Tsaoyang. Air warfare between British and German forces intensified in Iraq and Syria.

Defense
The Vichy French regime announced that it would defend Dakar, Senegal against all aggression, and denied that German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler had mentioned German occupation of Dakar in recent talks with Vichy French Vice Premier François Darlan. The U.S. Justice Department began a nationwide roundup of aliens illegally in the country. Four Democratic Party members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the United States to take over French island possessions in the Western Hemisphere.

Diplomacy
The Soviet news agency Tass announced the establishment of trade, diplomatic, and consular relations between the U.S.S.R. and Iraq.

Protest
British authorities in the Malay state of Selangor proclaimed a state of emergency after three rubber plantation strikers were killed in a clash with soldiers.

Horse racing
Whirlaway, with Eddie Arcaro aboard, won his second straight Triple Crown race, taking the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in a time of 1:58 4/5. King Cole placed second. First prize money was $49,365.



70 years ago
1946

War
Marshal Ion Antonescu--Romania's dictator during World War II--and 12 of his cabinet ministers were sentenced to death in Bucharest for war crimes.

The International Military Tribune in Tokyo dismissed defense motions challenging its authority to try civilians for war crimes during World War II.

Diplomacy
United Nations Security Council Resolution 6 was adopted, listing dates when the Security Council would review new applicants for the UN. A Security Council subcommittee considered evidence submitted by the U.S.S.R. and Belgium that the Spanish regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco was a fascist state and a menace to world peace.

U.S. President Harry Truman sent telegrams to the heads of Arab states assuring them that the United States would not take any independent action concerning the settlement of the Palestine question.

Politics and government
The Labour Party government of Prime Minister Willem Schermerhorn was defeated in the Dutch general election, yielding its position as the Netherlands' largest party to the Catholic People's Party. The Catholic People's Party led with 32 of 100 seats in the House of Representatives; the Labour Party was next with 29, followed by the Anti-Revolutionary Party (13); and Communist Party (10).

Science
U.S. Navy scientists revealed the discovery of a 300-mile-wide layer of colloidal particles or minute marine life in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of lower California.

Economics and finance
The U.S.A. and U.K. agreed to export 10 million tons of cereals to famine-stricken nations through September 1946.

Labour
U.S. President Harry Truman seized control of the nation's railroads and directed the Office of Defense Transportation to operate them, 24 before a scheduled strike by the Locomotive Engineers and Railroad Trainmen Brotherhoods.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Amour, Castagnettes et Tango--Lucienne Delyle (3rd week at #1)

50 years ago
1966

Died on this date
Randy Turpin, 37. U.K. boxer. Mr. Turpin was world middleweight champion from July-September 1951; he defeated defending champion Sugar Ray Robinson in a 15-round decision in London, and lost the rematch in a 10-round technical knockout in New York. At various times, Mr. Turpin held the British and European middleweight titles, and the British and Commonwealth light heavyweight titles. He posted a record of 66-8-1 in a professional career that ran from 1946-1958, with a two-fight comeback in 1963-1964. Mr. Turpin suffered from financial problems in later years; after shooting and wounding his 4-year-old daughter, he fatally shot himself. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001.

Space
An Agena Target Vehicle intended to dock with the upcoming Gemini 9 manned mission was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida atop an Atlas rocket, but failed to achieve Earth orbit, forcing the scrubbing of the Gemini 9 liftoff scheduled for later that morning.



Politics and government
10 days of voting in The Gambia's first general elections began.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Fernando--ABBA (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Beautiful Sunday--Daniel Boone (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Fly, Robin, Fly--Silver Convention (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Vi åkbättre da för da--Swedish Alpine Ski Team (8th week at #1)

Diplomacy
French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing began a five-day visit to the United States.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Live to Tell--Madonna

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Living Doll--Cliff Richard and the Young Ones (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): A Different Corner--George Michael

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Chicken Song--Spitting Image

#1 single in the U.K.: Rock Me Amadeus--Falco

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Greatest Love of All--Whitney Houston

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Why Can’t This Be Love--Van Halen
2 Greatest Love of All--Whitney Houston
3 West End Girls--Pet Shop Boys
4 Addicted to Love--Robert Palmer
5 Live to Tell--Madonna
6 What Have You Done for Me Lately--Janet Jackson
7 Take Me Home--Phil Collins
8 Bad Boy--Miami Sound Machine
9 If You Leave--Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
10 Your Love--Outfield

Singles entering the chart were One Hit (To the Body) by the Rolling Stones (#77); Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You by Stevie Nicks (#81); Mad About You by Belinda Carlisle (#83); Nasty by Janet Jackson (#84); Vanity Kills by ABC (#87); Don Quichotte by Magazine 60 (#88); The Finest by S.O.S. Band (#89); and Living on Video by Trans-X (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 West End Girls--Pet Shop Boys
2 The Power of Love--Jennifer Rush
3 Let’s Go All the Way--Sly Fox
4 Addicted to Love--Robert Palmer
5 Manic Monday--Bangles
6 Kiss--Prince and the Revolution
7 If You Leave--Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
8 Live to Tell--Madonna
9 Greatest Love of All--Whitney Houston
10 Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)--Glass Tiger

Singles entering the chart were Who's Johnny by El DeBarge (#87); I Didn't Mean to Turn You On by Robert Palmer (#90); Out on a Limb by Eye Eye (#95); Suspicious Minds by Fine Young Cannibals (#96); When the Heart Rules the Mind by GTR (#97); Weak in the Presence of Beauty by Floy Joy (#98); and Who’s Leaving Who by Anne Murray (#99).

Horse racing
Snow Chief, with Alex Solis aboard, won the 111th running of the Preakness Stakes before 87,652 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in a time of 1:54 4/5. Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand placed second, and Broad Brush finished third. First prize money was $411,900.



25 years ago
1991

Weather
It was a cloudy, dreary, and eventually rainy day in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where this blogger happened to be. I had enjoyable female company for the evening, but I got as wet as I've ever been walking back to my motel.

Defense
The Canadian Department of National Defence said that it was cancelling orders for $900 million worth of military equipment and cutting almost 1,000 jobs at Ottawa Northern Division Headquarters due to the easing of Cold War tensions.

Business
Rogers Communications Inc. announced that it would acquire Skyline Cablevision Ltd. of Ottawa for $70 million, plus $5 million for a French language community channel.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Minnesota 1 @ Pittsburgh 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)



20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Children--Robert Miles (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Man Utd Man--Men Utd featuring the Absolutely's (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
Crash, directed by David Cronenberg and starring James Spader and Holly Hunter, received its world premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival; audiences were scandalized by the portrayal of characters sexually aroused by traffic accidents. The movie was one of several in the mid-1990s that provided evidence that Canada was producing the world's most perverted "mainstream" films.

Died on this date
Willis Conover, 75. U.S. music producer and broadcaster. Mr. Conover began his career as the publisher of the magazine Science Fantasy Correspondent before becoming a disc jockey and producer of jazz concerts. He was best known for hosting the Voice of America Jazz Hour on Voice of America for more than 40 years. The program was broadcast on shortwave internationally and were especially popular in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, as Mr. Conover's voice and deliberately slow delivery enabled his listeners to learn English as well as introducing them to jazz. Mr. Conover was a heavy smoker for most of his life, and died of lung cancer.

Johnny "Guitar" Watson, 61. U.S. musician. Mr. Watson was a blues, soul, and funk guitarist, singer, and songwriter in a career spanning more than 40 years. His biggest hit single was A Real Mother for Ya, which reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #5 on the rhythm and blues chart in 1977. Mr. Watson died of a heart attack on stage while on tour in Yokohama, Japan.

Scott Brayton, 37. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. Brayton drove in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) circuit (1981-1995) and Indy Racing League (1996), participating in 147 races. He never won a race, but finished 6th in the Indianapolis 500 in 1989 and 1993. Mr. Brayton won the pole position for the 1995 Indianapolis 500, but finished 17th because of mechanical problems. He won the pole again for the 1996 Indianapolis 500, but in a practice run several days later, his car blew a tire and crashed into a wall at almost 230 miles per hour, killing him instantly.





War
Sri Lankan officials claimed that government troops were in control of the Jaffna peninsula, a former Tamil Tiger stronghold.

Crime
U.S. President Bill Clinton signed "Megan's Law," a measure requiring neighbourhood notification when sex offenders move in.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Cy Feuer, 95. U.S. theatre director, producer, and composer. Mr. Feuer, born Seymour Feuerman, composed scores for numerous films and radio programs in the 1940s, but was best known for his collaboration with Ernest H. Martin in producing Broadway musicals. He and Mr. Martin won Tony Awards for Best Musical for Guys and Dolls (1951) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1962), and Mr. Feuer was awarded a Tony Award in 2003 for Lifetime Achievement.

Jermaine Herron, 27. U.S. criminal. Mr. Herron was executed by lethal injection at Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville for the 1997 murders of Betsy Nutt, 41, and her 15-year-old son. His co-defendant Derrick Frazier was executed on August 31, 2006.

Nichola Goddard, 26. Papua New Guinean-born Canadian soldier. Captain Goddard, a forward observer with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was killed in action 15 miles west of Kandahar city, Afghanistan during a lengthy firefight with Taliban insurgents; becoming the first-ever female Canadian soldier killed in combat.

Abominations
The Canadian House of Commons voted 149-145 to extend the deployment of Canadian troops in Afghanistan by two years to February, 2009.

Defense
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Oriskany was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Semi-Finals
San Jose 0 @ Edmonton 2 (Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-2)