May 23, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Chrisie Bell!

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Polly & Maurice Pratt!

425 years ago
1591

Died on this date
John Blitheman, 65-66 (?). English musician and composer. Mr. Blitheman succeeded Thomas Tallis as the organist at the Chapel Royal. His compositions were mainly for keyboard.

275 years ago
1741

Born on this date
Andrea Luchesi. Italian-born composer. Mr. Luchesi was an organist whose compositions included five symphonies, works for organ, and choral works. He moved to Bonn in 1771, and remained there until his death on March 21, 1801 at the age of 59.

170 years ago
1846

War
Mexican President Mariano Paredes unofficially declared war on the United States.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Pär Lagerkvist. Swedish author. Mr. Lagerkvist was awarded the 1951 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the artistic vigour and true independence of mind with which he endeavours in his poetry to find answers to the eternal questions confronting mankind." He examined issues of good and evil, and frequently used religious motifs, although he was not a believer himself. Mr. Lagerkvist was best known for the novel Barabbas (1950); he died on July 11, 1974 at the age of 83.

110 years ago
1906

Died on this date
Henrik Ibsen, 78. Norwegian playwright. Mr. Ibsen was often referred to as the "father of realism." His plays included Peer Gynt (1867); A Doll's House (1879); An Enemy of the People (1882); and Hedda Gabler (1890).

Canadiana
Saskatchewan's first provincial government, led by Premier Walter Scott, declared Regina to be the official capital.

Crime
Moncton, New Brunswick Mayor James Ryan was found guilty of two counts of assault in physical attacks against newspaper publisher John Hawke; the pair had engaged in fistfights in Hawke's newspaper office and Moncton's Council Chambers.

80 years ago
1936

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Harry West, on MBS
Tonight’s episode: The Mazarin Stone

Baseball
Sammy Byrd came to bat as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and none out in the bottom of the 9th inning and hit a grand slam to give the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The homer was Mr. Byrd’s first of the season. The game was played in 1 hour 44 minutes.

Tony Lazzeri hit a home run in the first game and 2 in the second as the New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics 12-6 and 15-1 before 28,000 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

Jake Powell doubled home Buddy Lewis with 2 out in the top of the 11th inning to give the Washington Nationals an 8-7 win over the Boston Red Sox before 24,800 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. The Nationals scored 2 runs in the top of the 9th to take a 7-4 lead, but the Red Sox rallied for 3 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game.

75 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Herbert Austin, 74. U.K. automobile executive. Sir Herbert founded the Austin Motor Company in 1905. A Conservative, he represented Birmingham King's Norton in the House of Commons from 1918-1922. Sir Herbert, who was created the first Baron Austin in 1937, died of a heart attack.

War
A Japanese spokesman admitted that Chinese troops had recaptured Chuki, a railhead in the northern part of the province of Chekiang. At an America First Committee rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, Charles Lindbergh delivered a speech in opposition to U.S. involvement in the European war. U.S. Senator Burton K. Wheeler (Democrat--Montana) also addressed the crowd of 22,000. The Royal Air Force reported that British bombers had broken up an Iraqi counterattack at Falluja, 30 miles west of Baghdad, after native troops had gained positions in the town's outskirts.

Diplomacy
In a broadcast from Vichy, French Vice Premier François Darlan said that collaboration with Germany was a matter of "life or death" for France, but added that German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler had not demanded the French fleet or colonial territory.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Major General George Brett chief of the Army Air Corps; Brigadier General Courtney Hodges chief of infantry; and Colonel William Porter chief of the Chemical Warfare Service. A conference report on a bill empowering the U.S. government to impose priorities on industry to aid defense was passed by the Senate and sent to President Roosevelt.

Transportation
The U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board authorized Pan-Am Grace Airways, Inc. to establish commercial air service to and from Oruro, Bolivia. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt allocated $8 million in defense funds to aid airline service in Latin America in competition with Axis-controlled companies.

Crime
William Bioff and George E. Browne were indicted by a grand jury in New York on charges of extorting $550,000 during the past six years from 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation, Loew's Inc., Paramount Pictures, Inc., and Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc.

Labour
American Federation of Labor strikers reached an agreement to end a walkout at an ammunition loading plant in Ravenna, Ohio.

Boxing
Joe Louis (49-1) retained his world heavyweight title when challenger Buddy Baer (51-6) was disqualified by referee Arthur Donovan at the start of the 7th round of the bout at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Mr. Baer had been knocked down three times in the 6th round, but Mr. Baer's manager claimed that the last knockdown had occurred after the bell, and went into the ring to complain. Mr. Baer was disqualified when his manager refused to leave the ring. Buddy Baer, who knocked the champion down in the 1st round, was the younger brother of former world heavyweight champion Max Baer, whom Mr. Louis had knocked out in 1935.



70 years ago
1946

War
The United States Senate committee on the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii closed its inquiry.

Nationalist Chinese forces recaptured the Manchurian city of Changchun from the Communists, as Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek left Nanking for Mukden in U.S. Army General George Marshall's plane.

Defense
Former Spanish Republican Prime Minister Jose Giral y Pereira warned the United Nations Security Council subcommittee on Spain that Spanish dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco had authorized all Spanish citizens to bear arms on the pretext of a possible Soviet attack.

Politics and government
Argentine President-elect Juan Peron announced the merger of all parties supporting him into a single National Revolutionary Party.

Economics and finance
U.S. government officials disclosed that only 10% of relief food sent to China was reaching famine zones.

U.S. President Harry Truman asked the Senate to extend the Office of Price Administration for a year without crippling amemdments, and signed a bill continuing government export controls until July 1947.

Labour
Transportation across the United States was paralyzed, as 250,000 members of the Railroad Trainmen and Locomotive Engineers Brotherhoods went on strike, rejecting U.S. President Harry Truman's proposal for an 18½c hourly wage increase. In response, Mr. Truman placed all transportation under the Office of Defense Transportation and Insterstate Commerce Commission, which would determine freight priorities.

60 years ago
1956

Economics and finance
Arthur J. Trebilcock, former Secretary of the Standard Exchange, was appointed the first full time president of the Toronto Stock Exchange; J.G.K. Strathy filled the new post of TSE Chairman.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Yo Soy Aquel--Raphael (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Pretty Flamingo--Manfred Mann (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Monday, Monday--The Mamas and the Papas (2nd week at #1)
2 How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?--Nancy Sinatra
3 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35--Bob Dylan
4 Sloop John B--The Beach Boys
5 Good Lovin'--The Young Rascals
6 Message to Michael--Dionne Warwick
7 Shapes of Things--The Yardbirds
8 A Groovy Kind of Love--The Mindbenders
9 Gloria--Shadows of Knight
10 Eight Miles High--The Byrds

Singles entering the chart were Girl in Love by the Outsiders (#68); Sweet Talkin' Guy by the Chiffons (#74); I Know You Better than That by Bobby Goldsboro (#86); Better Use Your Head by Little Anthony and the Imperials (#87); So Much Love by Steve Alaimo (#88); Toodle Oo Kangaroo by Larry Lee (#89); Everyday I Have to Cry by the Gentrys (#90); The Last Word in Lonesome is Me by Eddy Arnold (#92); Girl Girl Girl by Danny Harrison (#96); S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song) by Joe Tex (#97); It's Over by Jimmie Rodgers (#98); For My Own by the Rocketones (#99); and Crazy Things by the Quid (#100).

War
South Vietnamese troops captured Da Nang after a week of battling Buddhists, rebel troops, and armed civilians.

Labour
The British government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson declared a state of emergency, a week after the National Union of Seamen had gone on strike.

40 years ago
1976

Politics and government
Leaders of social democratic parties from Latin America and Europe began a three-day conference in Caracas to discuss "transatlantic cooperation" on economic, political, and social issues.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Finals
Winnipeg 5 @ Houston 4 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Phoenix 87 @ Boston 98 (Boston led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Dave Cowens scored 25 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, and had 10 assists to lead the Celtics over the Suns before 15,320 fans at Boston Garden. Alvan Adams led the Suns with 26 points.





30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Midnight Lady--Chris Norman (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Sterling Hayden, 70. U.S. actor. Mr. Hayden, born Sterling Walter, was known for his performances in such films as The Asphalt Jungle (1950); Johnny Guitar (1954); The Killing (1956); Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964); and The Godfather (1972). He was a skilled yachtsman, and took acting jobs in order to finance his sailing trips.

Economics and finance
The United States imposed a 35% tariff on imported Canadian cedar shakes and shingles.

Baseball
The Hawaii Islanders routed the Phoenix Firebirds 31-5 in a Pacific Coast League game.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in his Kiss)--Cher (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Wilhelm Kempff, 95. German musician and composer. Mr. Kempff was a classical pianist who was particularly known for his interpretations of Beethoven and Schubert in a performing and recording career spanning more than 60 years. Mr. Kempff wrote two symphonies and numerous orchestral, vocal, chamber, and keyboard works.

Jean van Houtte, 84. Prime Minister of Belgium, 1952-1954. A member of the Christian Social Party, Mr. van Houtte was Belgium's Finance Minister from 1950-1952 and again from 1958-1961. He replaced Joseph Pholien as Prime Minister upon Mr. Pholien's resignation, and left office when the Socialist Party, led by Achille Van Acker, came to power.

Fletcher Markle, 70. Canadian-born director, screenwriter, and producer. Mr. Markle, a native of Winnipeg, began his career in radio in Canada before moving to the United States in the mid-1940s, working in radio, television, and cinema as writer, director, or producer in a career spanning 30 years. His movies included Jigsaw (1949) and The Incredible Journey (1963), and he was host and then producer of the Canadian documentary television program Telescope (1963-1973). Mr. Markle and actress Mercedes McCambridge were married from 1950-1962, and they formed Cubano Productions in 1956 to produce feature films and content for independent television; they were intending to produce a series titled Tonight in Havana, starring Ricardo Montalban, but the series doeesn't seem to have been made. Mr. Markle died of heart failure in Pasadena, California.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Minnesota 4 @ Pittsburgh 6 (Pittsburgh led best-of-seven series 3-2)



Baseball
The Baltimore Orioles, with a record of 13-24, fired Frank Robinson as manager and replaced him with first base coach Johnny Oates. Mr. Robinson had managed the Orioles since 1988; his best season was 1989, when the Orioles posted a record of 87-75, second in the American League East Division and just 2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tommy Greene pitched a no-hitter to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-0 win over the Montreal Expos before 8,833 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Mr. Greene walked 7 batters and struck out 10.



Darrin Jackson hit a home run to lead off the 12th inning to give the San Diego Padres an 11-10 win over the Atlanta Braves before 13,780 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The Braves scored a run in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game 6-6, but the Padres scored 4 unearned runs in the top of the 10th, only to have the Braves come back with 4 in the bottom of the 10th--the last 3 on a homer by David Justice--to tie the score 10-10.

The Texas Rangers broke a 5-5 tie with 5 runs in the top of the 11th inning and defeated the Minnesota Twins 10-6 before 16,036 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Until it Sleeps--Metallica

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): X-Files--DJ Dado (3rd week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Finals
Detroit 6 @ Colorado 4 (Colorado led best-of-seven series 2-1)

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Jim Trimble, 87. U.S. football coach. Mr. Trimble played tackle at Indiana University from 1939-1941 before serving in World War II. He was an assistant coach at Wichita State University in 1946-1947 and head coach from 1948-1950, compiling a record of 13-14-3. Mr. Trimble was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1951, and was head coach from 1952-1955, compiling a 25-20-3 record. After being fired in Philadelphia, Mr. Trimble served as head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1956-1962, leading them to five Eastern Canadian championships and the Grey Cup championship in 1957. In 1961, Mr. Trimble became the first winner of the Annis Stukus Trophy as the Coach of the Year in the Canadian Football League. He was head coach of the Montreal Alouettes from 1963-1965, but posted three losing seasons, all of them ending in semi-final defeats, and he was fired during Grey Cup week. When Montreal Star sportswriter Ian MacDonald kidded him about his firing, Mr. Trimble responded by giving Mr. MacDonald a severe beating; Mr. MacDonald refused to press charges, and Mr. Trimble apologized, but the incident ended his CFL career, after compiling a regular season, playoff, and Grey Cup record of 87-72-2. In 1966, while not coaching, Mr. Trimble and a friend marketed "goose neck" or "slingshot" goalposts; they were first used in the second game of the CFL's Eastern Finals in 1966, and were soon used throughout the Canadian, National, and American Football Leagues. Mr. Trimble was an assistant coach with the New York Giants from 1967 through the 1969 pre-season, after which he was moved to the scouting department, where he remained for 20 years. He died of emphysema, six days before his 88th birthday.

Lloyd Bentsen, 85. U.S. politician. Mr. Bentsen, a Democrat, served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross, and eventually rising to the rank of colonel in the United States Air Force. He represented Texas' 15th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1948-1955 and in the Senate from 1971-1993, winning his first Senate election against Republican candidate and future U.S. President George H.W. Bush. Mr. Bentsen was the Democratic Party's candidate for Vice President of the United States in 1988 as the running mate to Michael Dukakis, and served as Secretary of the Treasury in the administration of President Bill Clinton from 1993-1994.

Scandal
An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police did not have enough evidence to accuse Greg Sorbara of criminal wrongdoing; he was reinstated as Finance Minister in the provincial government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Finals
Anaheim 4 @ Edmonton 5 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 3-0)