April 10, 2017

175 years ago
1842

Canadiana
Halifax was incorporated as a city.

170 years ago
1847

Born on this date
Joseph Pulitzer. Hungarian-born U.S. publisher and politician. Mr. Pulitzer emigrated to the United States at the age of 17, served with the Union Army in the Union Army in the American Civil War, becoming an American citizen in 1867. He was briefly a lawyer and represented the 5th St. Louis District in the Missouri House of Representatives (January-March 1870), beginning his journalistic career in St. Louis in the late 1860s with the German-language newspaper Westliche Post. Mr. Pulitzer bought the St. Louis Dispatch in December 1878 and merged it with the St. Louis Post, promptly merging them into the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In 1883, he bought the New York World from railroad magnate Jay Gould, using his papers to pioneer yellow journalism, emphasizing gossip, sex, violence, and crime. Mr. Pulitzer, originally a Republican, switched his allegiance to the Democratic Party in 1874, and represented New York's 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1885-1886). His health declined over many years, and he died aboard his yacht in Charleston, South Carolina on October 29, 1911 at the age of 64, while on the way to his winter home on Jekyll Island, Georgia. Mr. Pulitzer bequeathed $2 million to Columbia University, and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism was founded in 1912. The school founded the Pulitzer Prizes in 1917, originally just for journalism, and later expanded to literature, poetry, history, music, and drama.

130 years ago
1887

Born on this date
Bernardo Houssay. Argentine physiologist. Dr. Houssay became the first Argentine Nobel Prize winner when he was awarded a share of the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discovery of the part played by the hormone of the anterior pituitary lobe in the metabolism of sugar." Dr. Houssay died on September 21, 1971 at the age of 84.

Academia
On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo XIII authorized the establishment of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

110 years ago
1907

Born on this date
Germán Suárez Flamerich. President of Venezuela, 1950-1952. Professor Suárez was a law professor who served as legal adviser to the military junta that governed Venezuela following the coup that deposed President Rómulo Gallegos in 1948. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1949-1950) and Ambassador to Peru (1950), and was named to succeed the assassinated Carlos Delgado Chalbaud as President, although the real power was in the hands of Defense Minister Marcos Pérez Jiménez. Prof. Suárez spent many years in exile afterward, and eventually resumed the practice of law. He died on June 24, 1990 at the age of 83.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Robert Burns Woodward. U.S. chemist. Dr. Woodward, widely regarded as the preeminent organic chemist of the 20th century, was awarded the 1965 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his outstanding achievements in the art of organic synthesis." He died on July 8, 1979 at the age of 62.

Died on this date
Charlie Gould, 69. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Gould was a first baseman with the Boston Red Stockings (1871-1872); Lord Baltimores (1874); and New Havens (1875) of the National Association, batting .251 in 136 games. He played with the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the National League from 1876-1877, batting .258 with no home runs and 24 runs batted in in 85 games and compiling a 0-0 record with a 0.00 earned run average in 2 games as a pitcher. He managed the New Havens to a 2-21 record, and managed the Red Stockings in 1876, leading them to a dismal 9-56 record.

War
Private John Pattison of the Canadian Expeditionary Force's 50th (Calgary) Infantry Battalion earned the Victoria Cross for his bravery this day at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France; he singlehandedly attacked and captured a German machine gun nest with grenades.

80 years ago
1937

Transportation
An act of Parliament created Trans-Canada Airlines--now Air Canada--to coordinate air transport across Canada, with headquarters in Montreal.

75 years ago
1942

War
The U.S. Navy Department reported that about 3,500 sailors and Marines had escaped to Corregidor before the fall of Bataan to Japanese forces the previous day. Indian Hindu leader Jawaharlal Nehru issued a statement in New Delhi asking every Indian to defend his country whatever the outcome of Indian-British negotiations over Indian independence from British rule.

Agriculture
Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King agreed with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to approve resolutions of the Joint Economic Committees to balance American-Canadian agricultural trade.

70 years ago
1947

Died on this date
Charles Nordhoff, 60. U.K.-born U.S. author. Mr. Nordhoff moved to the United States with his family at the age of 2. He collaborated on several books with James Norman Hall, most notably the Bounty Trilogy: Mutiny on the Bounty (1932); Men Against the Sea (1933); Pitcairn's Island (1934). Mr. Nordhoff died alone of an apparent heart attack, but there were suspicions of suicide.

Diplomacy
French Foreign Minister Georges Bidault, supported by U.S. State Secretary George Marshall and U.K. Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, urged the Moscow foreign ministers conference to approve a French plan to detach the Saar from Germany and incorporate it economically into France. U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov refused to commit himself on the proposal.

The United Kingdom urged France and Italy to prevent Jews from embarking for Palestine from Mediterranean ports.

Politics and government
The Paraguayan government of President Higinio Morínigo promised free elections as soon as the current military revolt was crushed.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Toronto 4 @ Montreal 0 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Canadiens knocked out Toronto forwards Vic Lynn and Bill Ezinicki with high sticks to the head, earning more than 20 minutes in penalties, a game misconduct, a $250 fine from National Hockey League President Clarence Campbell, and a suspension for game 3. Turk Broda posted the shutout to win the goaltending duel over Bill Durnan.

Baseball
Brooklyn Dodgers' President Branch Rickey announced that he had purchased the contract of infielder Jackie Robinson from the Montreal Royals of the International League, making Mr. Robinson the first Negro in the major leagues since the brothers Fleet and Welday Walker in 1884. Don Lund and Al Campanis each hit 2-run home runs off Ralph Branca in the 4th inning to provide the necessary scoring as the Royals took a 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers in a spring training game before 14,282 fans at Ebbets Field. In his last game in a Montreal uniform Mr. Robinson, playing first base, was hitless, but drew a base on balls and scored the first run on Mr. Lund's homer.

60 years ago
1957

Diplomacy
Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs Lester Pearson urged Canadians to avoid rancor against the United States because of the April 4 suicide of Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Herbert Norman, whose suicide was linked to long-standing but unproven American suspicions that he was a Soviet agent.

Politics and government
Jordanian Prime Minister Suleiman Nabulsi's leftist government resigned on King Hussein's request following reports of increasing disorders and infiltration of the Army by pro-Soviet elements.

Crime
Jack and Myra Soble pled guilty in a U.S. federal court in New York to the charge of conspiring with Jacob Albam and Soviet officials to obtain U.S. defense data for the U.S.S.R.

Transportation
The Suez Canal was reopened for all shipping after being closed for three months.

Energy
The foreign ministers of Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden announced plans to construct a joint nuclear research institute in Copenhagen.

Labour
The United Auto Workers of America convention in Atlantic City re-elected Walter Reuther as union president by acclamation.

Business
West Canadian Collieries suspended operations of the Bellevue mine in Bellevue, Alberta.

Disasters
Pilgrims from a listing river boat attempted to board another, causing 150 deaths when both boats sank in the Godavari River in India.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Good Vibrations--The Beach Boys (3rd week at #1)

Movies
The Academy Awards for 1966 were presented at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Sanata Monica, California. The winners included: Picture--A Man for All Seasons; Director--Fred Zinnemann (A Man for All Seasons); Actor--Paul Scofield (A Man for All Seasons); Actress--Elizabeth Taylor (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?); Supporting Actor--Walter Matthau (The Fortune Cookie); Supporting Actress--Sandy Dennis (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?); Foreign Language Film--A Man and a Woman.

Labour
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists settled its 13-day strike against the American Broadcasting Company, National Broadcasting Company, and Mutual Broadcasting System.

Hockey
CPHL
Adams Cup
Semi-Finals
Memphis 2 @ Omaha 1 (Omaha led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Oklahoma City 6 @ Houston 5 (Oklahoma City led best-of-seven series 3-2)

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Don't Give Up on Us--David Soul (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The U.S. Coast Guard seized the U.S.S.R. fishing trawler Antanas Snechkus for violating the 200-mile U.S. fishing limit that had gone into effect on March 1, 1977. The Coast Guard had seized the Soviet trawler Taras Shevchenko the previous day.

Scandal
The United States Boxing Championships, which had been televised on Sunday afternoons on ABC from January 16-March 27, were cancelled amid allegations of fixed fights and revelations that the records of some fighters were false and their rankings inflated. Those involved in the scandal included promoter Don King and The Ring magazine, which co-sponsored the tournament, and on whose rankings and records the matches were based.

Golf
Tom Watson shot a 5-under-par 67 to win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, finishing with a 12-under-par total of 276, two strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus. First prize money was $40,000.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Quarter-Finals
San Diego 1 @ Winnipeg 5 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 1-0)

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Respectable--Mel and Kim

At the movies
The Secret of My Success, starring Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, and Richard Jordan, opened in theatres.

Labour
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the right to strike was not guaranteed by the Constitution.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Los Angeles 3 @ Edmonton 13

Edmonton centre Wayne Gretzky scored 7 points in a playoff game for the third time in his career and passed Jean Beliveau as the career scoring leader in Stanley Cup history as the Oilers routed the Kings at Northlands Coliseum.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Das Boot--U96 (12th week at #1)

Died on this date
Peter D. Mitchell, 71. U.K. biochemist. Dr. Mitchell was awarded the 1978 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his contribution to the understanding of biological energy transfer through the formulation of the chemiosmotic theory."

Cec Linder, 71. Polish-born Canadian actor. Mr. Linder was a character actor who appeared in movies such as Goldfinger (1964), but was best known for his work in television programs such as the BBC series Quatermass and the Pit (1958-1959); the CBC series Seaway (1965-1966) and Seeing Things (1981-1987); and the CBS soap opera The Edge of Night (1970s).

Sam Kinison, 38. U.S. comedian. A former Pentecostal preacher, Mr. Kinison abandoned preaching and became a comedian of the foul-mouthed, politically-incorrect variety that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Twice divorced, he was killed in a highway accident in California when hit by a drunk driver. Mr. Kinison was driving with cocaine and other substances in his system.

Scandal
Financier Charles Keating, Jr. was sentenced in Los Angeles to nine years in prison for swindling investors when his Lincoln Savings and Loan collapsed. The convictions were later overturned.

Labour
The National Hockey League Players Association strike ended after 10 days.

Baseball
Dave Eiland of the San Diego Padres became the ninth pitcher to hit a home run in his first major league at bat as he connected off Bob Ojeda of the Los Angeles Dodgers in an 8-3 win for the Padres before 23,971 fans at Jack Murphy-San Diego Stadium.

Rex Hudler and Ray Lankford hit consecutive doubles with 1 out in the top of the 11th inning to produce the winning run as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Chicago Cubs 2-1 before 32,659 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Don't Let Go (Love)--En Vogue (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Perseeseen--Klamydia (2nd week at #1)

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Dakota Staton, 76. U.S. singer. Miss Staton was a jazz singer who recorded several acclaimed albums in the last 1950s and early '60s, and had a hit single with The Late, Late Show (1957).

War
Queen Elizabeth II rededicated the restored Vimy Memorial in France at a ceremony attended by more than 20,000 people, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, on the 90th anniversary of Canada's most famous battle of World War I.

Defense
A team of Canadian Forces soldiers and Inuit Rangers, part of a military sovereignty mission, ended an historic mission from Eureka to Alert, Nunavut.

Terrorism
A woman wearing an explosives vest strapped underneath her black robe blew herself up in the midst of 200 police recruits in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, killing 16.