June 14, 2016

800 years ago
1216

War
In the First Barons' War, Prince Louis of France captured the city of Winchester, and soon conquered over half of the Kingdom of England.

325 years ago
1691

Born on this date
Jan Francisci. Slovak musician and composer. Mr. Francisci was a church organist in Pressburg (now Bratislava) and Neusohl in what is now Slovakia. He wrote works for organ and harpsichord, most of which have been lost. Mr. Francisci died on April 27, 1758 at the age of 66.

175 years ago
1841

Politics and government
Canadian Governor Lord Sydenham opened the first session of the first Parliament of the Province of Canada at Kingston. Robert Baldwin resigned from the Ministry over the lack of French Canadians and Reformers in the Councils of government; Reformers held the majority in the Assembly.

170 years ago
1846

War
The Bear Flag Revolt began as Anglo settlers in Sonoma, California, started a rebellion against Mexico and proclaimed the California Republic.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Dorothy McGuire. U.S. actress. Miss McGuire was known for her starring roles in such movies as The Enchanted Cottage (1945); A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945); The Spiral Staircase (1946); Gentleman's Agreement (1947); Friendly Persuasion (1956); and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960). She died on September 14, 2001 at the age of 85.

80 years ago
1936

Died on this date
G. K. Chesterton, 62. U.K. author. Gilbert Keith Chesterton was a man of letters who wrote fiction and non-fiction on various subjects, including politics, religion, art, and literature. He converted from high church Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism in 1922, and wrote short stories featuring the fictional detective Father Brown. Mr. Chesterton's best-known non-fiction book may have been Orthodoxy (1908), a defense of traditional Christian beliefs. He died of congestive heart failure.

Baseball
The New York Yankees traded outfielder Ben Chapman to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Jake Powell. Mr. Chapman had been the Yankees' regular center fielder since 1930, but manager Joe McCarthy felt that rookie Joe DiMaggio, who had been playing in left and right fields, was ready to move to center field. Mr. Chapman was batting .266 with 1 home run and 21 runs batted in in 36 games with New York in 1936. Mr. Powell, who had--apparently deliberately--broken the wrist of Detroit Tigers' first baseman Hank Greenberg in a collision at first base early in the season, was batting .290 with 1 homer and 30 RBIs in 53 games with Washington in 1936. He became the Yankees' regular left fielder.

75 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): María Elena--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra with Bob Eberly

Movies
The City Council of Buenos Aires voted to permit the showing of Charlie Chaplin's film The Great Dictator (1940), after it had been banned for six months at the request of the Italian Ambassador to Argentina.

War
The Soviet news agency Tass belittled rumours in the Western press of a war between the U.S.S.R. and Germany as an "obvious absurdity...a clumsy propaganda maneuver of the forces arrayed against the Soviet Union and Germany." German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler, in a meeting in Berlin, outlined to his generals the final secret plan for the invasion of Russia, and ordered them to use "brutal means" against the Communists.

Abominations
The first major wave of Soviet mass deportations and murder of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians began.

Defense
A Gallup Poll reported that 55% of Americans questioned after U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's May 27 speech said that they approved of naval convoys for ships carrying war materials to the United Kingdom.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Roosevelt issued an executive order freezing U.S. assets of Germany and Italy.

70 years ago
1946

At the movies
Inside Job, directed by Jean Yarbrough, and starring Preston Foster, Alan Curtis, and Ann Rutherford, opened in theatres in New York City.



Died on this date
Jorge Ubico Castañeda, 67. 21st President of Guatemala, 1931-1944. General Ubico, the son of Liberal Party cabinet minister Arturo Ubico Urruela, received an army commission as a second lieutenant in 1897, probably through political connections. He rose through the ranks, led a campaign against El Salvador, and participated in the coup that installed General José Orellana as President in 1921. Gen. Ubico served as Secretary of War (1922-1923), and ran unsuccessfully for President in 1926 as candidate of the Political Progressive Party. After a period of political instability in 1930-1931, the Liberals allied with the Progressives, and Gen. Ubico was elected President in February 1931 as the only candidate on the ballot. He governed as an absolute dictator, militarizing political and social institutions, eliminating public corruption, and giving concessions to wealthy landowners and the American-owned United Fruit Company. Gen. Ubico resigned amidst nationwide protests against his rule on July 1, 1944, handing the government to a triumvirate of generals who continued his policies. However, the triumvirate was toppled by a revolution on October 19, 1944; Gen. Ubico went into exile in New Orleans, where he died of lung cancer.

John Logie Baird, 57. U.K. engineer. Mr. Baird was one of the inventors of mechanical television, invented the colour television picture tube, and achieved the first transatlantic television transmission. He died four months after suffering a stroke.

Diplomacy
Iran announced a 10-point agreement ending its eight-month dispute with Azerbaijan, providing "home rule" for the province and integrating its troops into the national army.

Politics and government
The French Consituent Assembly elected Vincent Auriol, a Socialist, as its President.

The All-India Congress Party rejected the British cabinet mission's plan for an interim Indian government with equal Congress-Moslem League representation.

After losing his party's 1946 Senatorial nomination, U.S. Senator Charles La Follette (Republican--Indiana) said that he would leave the Republican Party when his congressional term ended.

Defense
In a report to Congress, U.S. President Harry Truman estimated Lend-Lease aid from March 11, 1941-December 31, 1945 at $30,753,304,000.

Energy
At the first meeting of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, U.S. representative Bernard Baruch outlined the U.S. plan for international control, calling for an independent authority to supervise all nuclear projects.

Education
The Canadian Library Association was founded in Ottawa.

Labour
A nationwide strike of U.S. maritime workers was averted when union leaders reached an agreement with the American Ship Owners Association and the Waterfront Employers Association, granting wage increases and a limitation of the work week for several categories of workers.

Tennis
In Montreal, Mexico defeated Canada to eliminate the Canadian team from the Davis Cup, while Sweden beat Belgium to advance to the European finals.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Amour, Castagnettes et Tango--Lucienne Delyle (7th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The Haitian embassy in Buenos Aires granted political asylum to Argentine General Raul Tanco, a leader of the recent unsuccessful Peronist revolt.

Politics and government
The United Kingdom's 74-year occupation of the Suez Canal Zone formally ended in a ceremony in Port Said, Egypt.

Defense
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to restore $600 million of the $1 billion cut by the House of Representatives from the $2.925 billion in foreign military aid requested by the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower.

Scandal
Matthew Connelly and Theron Lamar Caudle, former officials with the U.S. administration of President Harry Truman, were convicted by a jury in St. Louis of conspiracy to help St. Louis shoe manufacturer Irving Sachs to escape criminal prosecution for income tax evasion.

Business
NBC President Robert Sarnoff, echoing CBS counterpart Frank Stanton, denied U.S. government charges that NBC and CBS, the nation's two largest television networks, had an "economic stranglehold" on the industry.

Disasters
11 passengers were killed and 140 injured in a train derailment near Rheims, France.

50 years ago
1966

Religion
The Vatican announced the abolition of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum ("index of prohibited books"), which had originally been instituted in 1557.

Labour
Québec longshoremen ended their 39-day strike, and got a 34% wage increase.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Fernando--ABBA (11th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Beautiful Sunday--Daniel Boone (13th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Save Your Kisses for Me--The Brotherhood of Man (4th week at #1)

On television today
The Gong Show, hosted by John Barbour, began airing weekdays at 12:30 P.M. on NBC or on other stations in markets where the local NBC affiliate had declined to show the program.

Personal
This blogger registered at Henry Wise Wood Senior High School in Calgary for the 1976-77 school year.

Baseball
Carlos May hit 4 singles and batted in 3 runs for the New York Yankees as they defeated the New York Mets 8-4 before 36,361 fans at Yankee Stadium in the annual Mayor's Trophy Game. Oscar Gamble drove in the last 2 Yankee runs with a home run in the bottom of the 6th inning. Elliott Maddox, playing his first game in a full year since suffering a serious knee injury, started in center field for the Yankees, and reached base in both of his plate appearances. Jay Kleven, called up from the Tidewater Tides of the AAA International League to catch for the Mets, hit 2 singles, drew a base on balls, drove in the first 2 Met runs, and scored a run. Jim Beattie, called up by the Yankees from the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, was the winning pitcher over Rick Baldwin. Gil Patterson, also called up from Syracuse, pitched the last 2 innings for the Yankees.



30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Live to Tell--Madonna (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): J'aimie Le Vie--Sandra Kim (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Wonderful World--Sam Cooke (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Spirit in the Sky--Doctor and the Medics

#1 single in the U.K.: Spirit in the Sky--Doctor and the Medics (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): On My Own--Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 On My Own--Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
2 Live to Tell--Madonna
3 I Can’t Wait--Nu Shooz
4 Greatest Love of All--Whitney Houston
5 There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)—Billy Ocean
6 Why Can’t This Be Love--Van Halen
7 West End Girls--Pet Shop Boys
8 Something About You—Level 42
9 A Different Corner—George Michael
10 No One is to Blame—Howard Jones

Singles entering the chart were Sweet Freedom by Michael McDonald (#77); Higher Love by Steve Winwood (#78); Voice of America's Sons by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (#80); Hanging on a Heart Attack by Device (#85); Rumors by Timex Social Club (#86); Jungle Boy by John Eddie (#87); Land of La La by Stevie Wonder (#88); In the Shape of a Heart by Jackson Browne (#89); and With You All the Way by New Edition (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 A Different Corner—George Michael
2 Live to Tell--Madonna
3 Greatest Love of All--Whitney Houston
4 On My Own—Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
5 The Power of Love--Jennifer Rush
6 What Have You Done for Me Lately--Janet Jackson
7 Holding Back the Years—Simply Red
8 West End Girls--Pet Shop Boys
9 If You Leave--Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
10 There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)—Billy Ocean

Singles entering the chart were Opportunities by Pet Shop Boys (#88); Modern Woman by Billy Joel (#89); Patio Lanterns by Kim Mitchell (#94); In the Shape of a Heart by Jackson Browne (#96); Secret Separation by the Fixx (#87); Right Beside You by Billy Newton-Davis (#98); and Is Your Love Strong Enough by Bryan Ferry (#99).

Died on this date
Jorge Luis Borges, 86. Argentine author and poet. Mr. Borges was best known for short stories and novels that influenced the genre of "magical realism." He became internationally famous after his works begam to be translated from Spanish into English in the early 1960s.

Alan Jay Lerner, 67. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Lerner was a lyricist and librettist who was best known for his partnership with Frederick Loewe on musical plays such as Brigadoon (1947); My Fair Lady (1956); and Camelot (1960). He won three Academy Awards and three Tony Awards. Mr. Lerner died of lung cancer.

Disasters
Three people were killed and a fourth seriously injured in an accident on the Mindbender roller coaster at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton.

Boxing
Willie de Wit (12-0-1) won the Canadian heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over defending champion Ken Lakusta (16-9) at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.

25 years ago
1991

Died on this date
Peggy Ashcroft, 83. U.K. actress. Dame Peggy, born Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft, had a career that spanned more than 60 years, mainly on stage. She appeared in television programs and movies in later years, and won an Academy Award for her supporting performance in A Passage to India (1984).

World events
More than 1,000 Kurds besieged a U.S. military base near the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk, pleading with American troops not to withdraw, fearing retaliation from the Iraqi army.

Defense
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said in Berlin that Canada would scale down her military forces in Europe. There were currently 8,000 troops at Lahr and Baden Baden, Germany; 1,400 were to be withdrawn by the end of 1991.

Economics and finance
Canadian Finance Minister Michael Wilson said that the Free Trade tribunal ruling in favour of Canadian pork exporters proved that the deal worked; the ruling called for the end of the U.S. countervail pork duty, and a $20-million refund to Canada.

Business
A limited partnership made up of several Quebec partners bought the Montreal Expos baseball club from the hands of the team's first owner, Charles Bronfman and his minority partners, Hugh Hallward and Lorne Webster. The cost of the transaction was estimated at $ 100 million.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Lemon Tree--Fool's Garden

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Chicago 78 @ Seattle 89 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Gary Payton scored 23 points and added 6 assists, while Shawn Kemp scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the SuperSonics defeated the Bulls before 17,072 fans at KeyArena. Michael Jordan led the Bulls with 26 points, but scored only 2 points in the 4th quarter.



Football
CFL
Pre-season
Edmonton (0-1) 18 @ Saskatchewan (1-1) 23
Calgary (2-0) 33 @ British Columbia (1-1) 21

10 years ago
2006

Music
The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts opened across from Osgoode Hall in Toronto. The new home of the Canadian Opera Company (COC) and the National Ballet of Canada was modelled after European opera houses, with a five-tiered, horseshoe-shaped auditorium.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Edmonton 4 @ Carolina 3 (OT) (Carolina led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Fernando Pisani intercepted a pass from Cory Stillman and scored the first shorthanded overtime goal in Finals' history to give the Oilers their win over the Hurricanes at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.