April 19, 2017

150 years ago
1867

War
Cretan troops defeated Turkish forces at Heraclion.

125 years ago
1892

Transportation
Charles Duryea claimed to have driven the first automobile in the United States, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

110 years ago
1907

Born on this date
Alan Wheatley. U.K. actor. Mr. Wheatley was best known for playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in the ATV series The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-1959). Sherlockians recognize him as the first actor to play Sherlock Holmes in a television series, starring in a six-episode series on BBC in October-November 1951. Mr. Wheatley died on August 30, 1991 at the age of 84.

90 years ago
1927

Society
Actress and playwright Mae West was sentenced to ten days in a workhouse on Roosevelt Island (known then as "Welfare Island") and fined $500 after her play Sex had been raided by the police in February 1927. The play had opened on April 26, 1926 at Daly's 63rd Street Theatre in New York City, and had run for 375 performances, before a total of 325,000 spectators, before being raided and shut down.

75 years ago
1942

War
U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Command was formally established with the approval of the U.S.A., U.K., N.Z., Australia, and the Netherlands. Chinese troops reinforced battered British forces on the Irrawaddy front in Burma as Japanese forces continued to attack. An enemy submarine shelled Royal Dutch Shell refineries in Bullen Bay, Curacao, Netherlands West Indies, without causing any damage.

Abominations
The Majdan-Tatarski ghetto was established in Poland, situated between the Lublin Ghetto and a Majdanek subcamp.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau announced that he would start a campaign asking Americans to spend 10% of their income on war savings bonds.

Labour
The Norwegian government of Minister President Vidkun Quisling ordered all teachers to join the new teachers' association before May 1 or be dismissed.

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Heartaches--Ted Weems and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)

Diplomacy
At the Moscow conference of foreign ministers, the U.S.A., U.K., and France opposed Yugoslavia's claim to southern Carinthia, insisting that the 1920 plebiscite that had awarded the territory to Austria was fair.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman reported a $1.25-billion budget surplus for fiscal 1947, but said that it should be applied to the national debt rather than a tax reduction.

Labour
Western Union granted the American Federation of Labor Commercial Telegraphers Union a 5c hourly wage increase retroactive to April 1, ending the threat of a second nationwide communication workers' strike.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal 1 @ Toronto 2 (Toronto won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Ted Kennedy scored with 5:21 remaining in regulation time to break a 1-1 tie, and Toronto goalie Turk Broda stopped Ken Reardon on a breakaway late in the 3rd period, as the Maple Leafs edged the Canadiens at Maple Leaf Gardens to win their second Stanley Cup championship in the last three years. Clarence Campbell, in his first season as President of the National Hockey League, didn't immediately present the Maple Leafs with the Cup, ostensibly out of concern about fan violence.

Basketball
BAA
Finals
Philadelphia 75 @ Chicago 72 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Joe Fulks scored 26 points to lead the Warriors over the Stags at Chicago Stadium. Don Carlson and Max Zaslofsky each scored 15 points for the Stags.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Bambino--Dalida (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Cumberland Gap--Lonnie Donegan (2nd week at #1)

Transportation
The first British vessel to use the Suez Canal since the November 1956 attack on Egypt passed through the waterway.

Agriculture
The U.S. Agriculture Department revoked a ban on the sale of surplus U.S. wheat to foreign buyers, and authorized the Commodity Credit Corporation to approve "limited" export sales.

Labour
French transit workers ended a two-day nationwide strike for a 10% wage increase.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)
2 Georgy Girl--The Seekers
3 I'm a Believer--The Monkees
4 Ruby Tuesday/Let's Spend the Night Together--The Rolling Stones
5 Somethin' Stupid--Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
6 Snoopy vs. the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen
7 What's Wrong with the Way I Live--The Twilights
8 The Return of the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen
9 Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)--Engelbert Humperdinck
10 Pamela Pamela--Wayne Fontana

Singles entering the chart were You Got What it Takes by the Dave Clark Five (#37) and Give it to Me by the Troggs (#39).

On television tonight
Peter Jennings with the News, on ABC



Died on this date
Konrad Adenauer, 91. Chancellor of West Germany, 1949-1963. Mr. Adenauer joined the Centre Party in 1906 and was Mayor of Cologne from 1917-1933. He was dismissed from office by the Nazis shortly after they came to power in Germany, and spent the years from 1933-1945 opposing the Nazis while trying to escape imprisonment. Mr. Adenauer was Mayor of Cologne again briefly in 1945, and founded the Christian Democratic Union in 1946. When the CDU emerged triumphant in the 1949 general election, Mr. Adenauer took office as Chancellor. Under his leadership, West Germany rebuilt her economy, as well as diplomatic relations with the Western democracies, including the United States and France. Mr. Adenauer opposed Communism and led his country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He retired as Chancellor at the age of 87, but remained chairman of the CDU until December 1966, just four months before his death.

40 years ago
1977

Environment
U.S. Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus asked Congress to expand Redwood National Park in California by 48,000 acres.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Los Angeles 3 @ Boston 1 (Boston led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Toronto 0 @ Philadelphia 2 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 3-2)

WHA
Avco World Trophy
Quarter-Finals
New England 0 @ Quebec 3 (Quebec won best-of-seven series 4-1)

CHL
Adams Cup
Semi-Finals
Kansas City 4 @ Fort Worth 3 (Kansas City won best-of-seven series 4-2)

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Don't Dream it's Over--Crowded House

#1 single in Switzerland: Respectable--Mel & Kim (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Viens boire un p'tit coup à la maison--Licence IV (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Maxwell Taylor, 85. U.S. military officer and diplomat. General Taylor joined the United States Army in 1922, and served as commander of the 101st Airborne Division ("The Screaming Eagles") in World War II. He held the posts of Governor of the Ryukyu Islands (April-June 1955); Chief of Staff of the Army (1955-1959); Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1962-1964); United States Ambassador to South Vietnam (1964-1965); and Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board (1968-1970). Gen. Taylor has been criticized for advocating increased American military involvement in Vietnam, contrary to the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Andy O'Brien, 77. Canadian journalist. Mr. O'Brien, a native of Renfrew, Ontario, and the son of a trainer of hockey and baseball teams, was a sportswriter with the Montreal Standard, Montreal Star, and Weekend magazine, and wrote several books, in a career spanning more than 40 years. He covered 12 Olympic Games, 6 Commonwealth Games, 45 Stanley Cups, and 31 Grey Cups. Mr. O'Brien was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. He died in Montreal after a long illness.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): To Be with You--Mr. Big (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Das Boot--U 96 (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Das Boot--U 96 (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Frankie Howerd, 75. U.K. comedian. Mr. Howerd, born Francis Howard, starred in the television comedy series Up Pompeii! (1969-1970) and The Frankie Howerd Show (1976).

Politics and government
Three days after the resignation of Mohammed Najibullah, Abdul Rahim Hatif became interim President of Afghanistan.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Hartford 0 @ Montreal 2 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Buffalo 3 @ Boston 2 (Buffalo led best-of-seven series 1-0)
New Jersey 1 @ New York Rangers 2 (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Pittsburgh 1 @ Washington 3 (Washington led best-of-seven series 1-0)

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): My Love For You--Blackwood (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): It's No Good--Depeche Mode

#1 single in France (SNEP): Maria--Ricky Martin (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Let a Boy Cry--Gala (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Let a Boy Cry--Gala (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Believe I Can Fly--R. Kelly

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): I Believe I Can Fly--R. Kelly (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Can't Nobody Hold Me Down--Puff Daddy featuring Mase (5th week at #1)

Disasters
The 1997 Red River flood overwhelmed the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Fire began and spread in downtown Grand Forks, but high water levels hampered efforts to reach the fire, leading to the destruction of 11 buildings.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Montreal 1 @ New Jersey 4 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Ottawa 3 @ Buffalo 1 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
Pittsburgh 2 @ Philadelphia 3 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-0)

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Jean-Pierre Cassel, 74. French actor. Mr. Cassel, born Jean-Pierre Crochon, appeared in numerous plays in France and in movies such as Oh! What a Lovely War (1969); The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972); The Three Musketeers (1973); and The Four Musketeers (1974).

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Quarter-Finals
Pittsburgh 0 @ Ottawa 3 (Ottawa won best-of-seven series 4-1)
Detroit 2 @ Calgary 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)
Dallas 1 @ Vancouver 0 (OT) (Vancouver led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Minnesota 1 @ Anaheim 4 (Anaheim won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Brenden Morrow scored 6:22 into the 1st overtime period to give the Stars their win over the Canucks at General Motors Palce.