April 22, 2017

260 years ago
1757

Born on this date
Alessandro Rolla. Italian musician and composer. Mr. Rolla was a violist and violinist who was an innovator in technique on both instruments, which he played as leader of the Ducale Orchestra in Parma (1782-1802) and leader and orchestra director of the La Scala Orchestra in Milan (1802-1833). He wrote 12 symphonies, 20 violin concertos, 15 viola concertos, eight ballets, and numerous chamber works. Mr. Rolla Died on September 15, 1841 at the age of 84; he's known today mainly as the teacher of legendary violinist Niccolٍ Paganini.

150 years ago
1867

Diplomacy
Japanese embassy personnel arrived in New York.

Labour
30,000 tailors went on strike in Paris, while tailors in London also went on strike.

125 years ago
1892

Died on this date
Édouard Lalo, 69. French composer. Mr. Lalo was best known for Symphonie espagnole (1875).

75 years ago
1942

At the movies
Saboteur, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Priscilla Lane, Robert Cummings, and Norman Lloyd, received its premiere screening in Washington, D.C., with 80 U.S. Senators and 350 Congressmen in attendance.



War
British troops attacked Germans near Boulogne on the French coast and withdrew after two hours, reportedly without losing a man. Malta dispatches reported that 37 Axis planes had been destroyed or damaged over the island the previous day, raising the total since April 1 to 117 shot down, 38 probably destroyed, and 100 damaged. Japanese troops attacked U.S.-Philippine positions near San Remingo and Valderrama on Panay Island, forcing defenders to withdraw. Japanese forces in Burma took Pyinmana, 155 miles south of Mandalay, and attacked Loikaw near the Thai frontier.

Education
The Rapp-Coudert committee reported that it had found 503 pro-Communists in the New York City education system and that most of them had yet to be removed, due to administrative indifference.

Scandal
Rayford W. Alley told the U.S. Senate committee investigating government waste--headed by Senator Harry Truman (Democrat--Missouri)--that former Massachusetts Governor James Curley was the president of Engineers Group, Inc., accused by four contractors of swindling them out of $21,000 they had paid as bribes for defense housing contracts.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Office of Price Administration said that gas rationing would begin on May 15 in 17 eastern states and Washington, with each motorist restricted to 21.4 galons per week. The OPA set May 5 as the date for sugar rationing to commence.

70 years ago
1947

Diplomacy
Continuing his European speaking tour, former U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace arrived in Paris, and was greeted by French Communist leaders Jacques Duclos and Marcel Cachin. Mr. Wallace urged the United States to prove its peaceful intentions by granting a "non-political" loan to help rebuild Russia's war-devastated areas.

The Jewish Agency for Palestine and the Hebrew Committee of National Liberation requested that they be allowed to send nonvoting delegates to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session on Palestine as representatives of the Jewish people.

Politics and government
Former Ambassador to the United States Wai Tao-ming was named Nationalist Governor of Taiwan as the island officially became a Chinese province.

The U.S. House of Representatives issued a contempt citation for Communist Party Secretary Eugene Dennis, who failed to answer an April 9 subpoena from the House Un-American Activities Committee.

A Gallup Poll reported that 79% of Democratic Party voters favoured U.S. President Harry Truman as the party's presidential candidate in the 1948 election, with former Vice President Wallace receiving the support of 9% of Democratic voters.

Aviation
The International Civil Aviation Organization announced the creation of a new worldwide search and rescue system to minimize aircraft losses.

Economics and finance
After two weeks of debate, the U.S. Senate voted 67-23 to approve President Truman's $400-million aid package to Greece and Turkey.

Scandal
Former U.S. Representative Andrew May went on trial in Washington's Federal District Court with three businessmen connected with the Garsson munitions firm on charges of war contract fraud and bribery.

Basketball
BAA
Finals
Chicago 80 @ Philadelphia 83 (Philadelphia won best-of-seven series 4-1)

Howie Dallmar's jump shot field goal in the last minute of regulation time broke an 80-80 tie and gave the Warriors their win over the Stags at Philadelphia Arena and the first Basketball Association of America championship. Philadelphia's Joe Fulks led all scorers with 34 points, while Tony Jaros led Chicago with 21 points.

60 years ago
1957

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles delivered a major foreign policy address in New York, renewing the concept of peaceful liberation of Soviet bloc states as a basic policy of the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that federal district courts must retain jurisdiction over school segregation cases and keep the cases on their dockets until discrimination was ended.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Hey Joe--Johnny Hallyday (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Un mondo d'amore--Gianni Morandi

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Let's Spend the Night Together--The Rolling Stones (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): This is My Song--Petula Clark; Harry Secombe (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Puppet on a String--Sandie Shaw

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Puppet on a String--Sandie Shaw

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You--The Monkees
2 Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
3 Happy Together--The Turtles
4 I Think We're Alone Now--Tommy James and the Shondells
5 This is My Song--Petula Clark
6 Jimmy Mack--Martha and the Vandellas
7 Western Union--The Five Americans
8 Bernadette--Four Tops
9 The Happening--The Supremes
10 I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)--Aretha Franklin

Singles entering the chart were Groovin' by the Young Rascals (#70); Lay Some Happiness on Me by Dean Martin (#76); Melancholy Music Man by the Righteous Brothers (#79); I was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistling Jack Smith (#81); Sunshine Girl by the Parade (#86); Funky Broadway (Part 1) by Dyke and the Blazers (#89); Sam's Place by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos (#92); I'm Indestructible by Jack Jones (#93); Hey Love by Stevie Wonder (#96); Do the Thing by Lou Courtney (#97); and Blue's Theme by the Arrows (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Canada--The Young Canada Singers
2 A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You--The Monkees
3 Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
4 Bernadette--Four Tops
5 This is My Song--Petula Clark
6 Western Union--The Five Americans
7 Dedicated to the One I Love--The Mamas and the Papas
8 Jimmy Mack--Martha and the Vandellas
9 Beggin'--The 4 Seasons
10 I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)--Aretha Franklin

Singles entering the chart were I Got Rhythm by the Happenings (#66); Casino Royale by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (#70); I was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistling Jack Smith (#72); Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) by Engelbert Humperdinck (#73); Here Comes My Baby by the Tremeloes (#74); Portrait of My Love by the Tokens (#80); Shake a Tail Feather by James and Bobby Purify (#83); Nothing Takes the Place of You by Toussaint McCall (#86); Sunshine Girl by the Parade (#87); It's So Hard Being a Loser by the Contours (#88); Do the Thing by Lou Courtney (#89); I Love You More than Words Can Say by Otis Redding (#90); My Girl Josephine by Jerry Jaye (#91); Making Memories by Frankie Laine (#92); In the Midnight Hour by the Wanted (#93); The Whole World is a Stage by the Fantastic Four (#94); Little Games by the Yardbirds (#95); Precious Memories by the Romans (#96); Melancholy Music Man by the Righteous Brothers (#97); I'm Indestructible by Jack Jones (#98); Holiday for Clowns by Brian Hyland (#99); and Live by the Merry-Go-Round (#100).

Vancouver's top 10 (CFUN)
1 Blue's Theme--The Arrows
2 You Got What it Takes--The Dave Clark Five
3 A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You--The Monkees
4 Happy Jack--The Who
5 On a Carousel--The Hollies
6 She's Looking Good--Rodger Collins
7 Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
8 Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)--Engelbert Humperdinck
9 Bernadette--Four Tops
10 Somebody to Love--Jefferson Airplane

Singles entering the chart were Can't Seem to Make You Mine by the Seeds (#36); Creeque Alley by the Mamas and the Papas (#39); I Got Rhythm by the Happenings (#43); Him or Me - What's it Gonna Be? by Paul Revere and the Raiders (#46); Music to Watch Girls By by Andy Williams (#47); Casino Royale by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (#49); and I was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistling Jack Smith (#50).

Vancouver's top 10 (CKLG)
1 Somebody to Love--Jefferson Airplane
2 Blue's Theme--The Arrows
3 Somethin' Stupid--Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
4 The Happening--The Supremes
5 No Milk Today/There's a Kind of Hush--Herman's Hermits
6 My Back Pages--The Byrds
7 Yellow Balloon--The Yellow Balloon
8 Can't Seem to Make You Mine--The Seeds
9 I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)--Aretha Franklin
10 Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon--Neil Diamond

Singles entering the chart were Him or Me - What's it Gonna Be? by Paul Revere and the Raiders (#20); Live by the Merry-Go-Round (#22); Buy for Me the Rain by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#26); I was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistling Jack Smith (#28); Groovin' by the Young Rascals (#29); and My Babe by Ronnie Dove (#30).

Died on this date
Tom Conway, 62. Russian-born actor. Mr. Conway, born Tom Sanders, was the older brother of actor George Sanders, and changed his surname after losing a coin toss to see which of the two would keep the original surname. The family moved to England at the outbreak of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, and Mr. Conway followed his brother to Hollywood in the early 1940s. Mr. Conway succeeded his brother as The Falcon, playing the title character in 10 movies from 1942-1946. When Basil Rathbone declined to renew his contract as Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Conway replaced him on radio, with Nigel Bruce continuing as Dr. Watson in the 1946-47 season of The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Mr. Conway starred in the television series Inspector Mark Saber – Homicide Detective (1951-1954). As the years went on, drinking destroyed Mr. Conway's career, and eventually took his life.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Toronto 3 @ Montreal 0 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Johnny Bower replaced Terry Sawchuk in goal for the Maple Leafs and posted the shutout to win the goaltending duel over Rogie Vachon.



CPHL
Adams Cup
Finals
Oklahoma City 3 @ Omaha 2 (Oklahoma City won best-of-seven series 4-1)

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Shenandoah--Jan Lindblad (9th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Lay Back in the Arms of Someone--Smokie

#1 single in France: Les chansons françaises--La Bande à Basile (5th week at #1)

Diplomacy
Portuguese Prime Minister Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares concluded three days of talks in Washington on Portugal's economic recovery program with U.S. President Jimmy Carter and U.S. congressional leaders.

Communications
Optical fiber was first used to carry live telephone traffic.

Environment
A pipe blew out during a routine maintenance procedure on a Phillips Petroleum rig in the North Sea, causing millions of gallons of oil to spread over an area of 1,300 square miles. The spill occurred in the Ekofisk field, about 160 miles southwest of Norway and 180 miles northwest of Denmark.

Hockey
WHA
Avco World Trophy
Quarter-Finals
Edmonton 3 @ Houston 4 (Houston won best-of-seven series 4-1)
Winnipeg 1 @ San Diego 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

CHL
Adams Cup
Finals
Tulsa 1 @ Kansas City 4 (Kansas City led best-of-seven series 1-0)

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): You're the Voice--John Farnham (3rd week at #1)

Personal
This blogger wrote his last exam at the University of Alberta, in U.S. economic history, and achieved the highest mark in the class.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Quebec 2 @ Montreal 1 (Quebec led best-of-seven series 2-0)
New York Islanders 2 @ Philadelphia 1 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): To Be with You--Mr. Big (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Stormy Weather

Politics and government
The Gwich’in Indians and the Government of Canada signed the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, giving the Gwich’in title to 22,422 square kilometres of land in the Northwest Territories and 1,554 square km in northeastern Yukon Territory; 6,158 square km of subsurface rights; special hunting and fur harvesting rights in the Mackenzie Delta and Yukon; and a payment of $75 million over 15 years.

Scandal
A. Alfred Taubman, former head of Sotheby’s auction house, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and fined $7.5 million for leading a price-fixing scheme.

Disasters
206 people were killed and nearly 1,500 injured when an explosion levelled 30 blocks in Guadalajara, Mexico. The blast was later blamed on a ruptured oil pipeline owned by Mexico’s oil company PELEX that had leaked into the city’s sewer system.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Detroit 5 @ Minnesota 4 (OT) (Minnesota led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Chicago 4 @ St. Louis 5 (2 OT) (St. Louis led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Vancouver 2 @ Winnipeg 4 (Winnipeg led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Los Angeles 3 @ Edmonton 4 (Edmonton led best-of-seven series 2-1)

20 years ago
1997

World events
A four-month siege of the Japanese embassy in Peru ended when Peruvian troops stormed the building and freed 71 of 72 hostages, while killing all 14 Tupac Amaru rebels, including their leader, Nestor Cerpa Cartolini. Supreme Court judge Carlos Giusti Acuna was the only hostage killed; two Peruvian soldiers were also killed.

Abominations
93 resident of the Algerian village of Haouch Khemisti were massacred in three hours, and then decapitated.

Disasters
Flooding of the Red River in Manitoba led to a state of emergency.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
New Jersey 6 @ Montreal 4 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 3-0)
Florida 3 @ New York Rangers 4 (OT) (New York led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Detroit 0 @ St. Louis 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)
Colorado 3 @ Chicago 6 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)
Dallas 4 @ Edmonton 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)
Anaheim 0 @ Phoenix 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

10 years ago
2007

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Quarter-Finals
New Jersey 3 @ Tampa Bay 2 (New Jersey won best-of-seven series 4-2)
Detroit 2 @ Calgary 1 (2 OT) (Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Johan Frenzen scored in the 2nd overtime period to give the Red Wings their win and eliminate the Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome.