April 29, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Irina Zabelina!

600 years ago
1417

Died on this date
Louis II, 39. King of Naples, 1389-1399. Louis II took the throne after his predecessor, Ladislaus, was overthrown and expelled from Naples. King Louis II ruled until Ladislaus returned and overthrew him.

225 years ago
1792

Born on this date
Matthew Vassar. U.S. brewer and philanthropist. Mr. Vassar, a native of Norfolk, England, donated the money and land to build Vassar Female College in Poughkeepsie, New York, which opened in 1861. He died on June 23, 1868 at the age of 76.

200 years ago
1817

Defense
Richard Rush for the United States and Charles Bagot for the United Kingdom signed the Rush-Bagot Agreement, limiting the number of warships the two countries could maintain on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain - "on Lake Ontario one vessel not exceeding one hundred tons burden, and armed with an eighteen pound cannon. On the Upper Lakes two vessels not exceeding the like burden each, and armed with like force, and on the waters of Lake Champlain one vessel not exceeding like burden and armed with like force."

180 years ago
1837

Born on this date
Georges Boulanger. French politician. Brigadier General Boulanger was France's Minister of War from 1886-1887. He was nicknamed Général Revanche and attracted a huge popular following for insisting that Fran ce's in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 must be avenged, and it was thought that he might seize power in a coup d'état. A warrant was issued for Mr. Boulanger's arrest for conspiracy and treasonable activity, and he fled to Brussels and then London before the warrant could be executed. Elections held later in 1889 resulted in a decisive defeat for the Boulangists. Mr. Boulanger returned to Brussels, where, on September 30, 1891 at the age of 54, he shot himself in Ixelles Cemetery on the grave of his mistress, Madame de Bonnemains, who had died in his arms two months earlier. He was buried in the same grave.

175 years ago
1842

Born on this date
Carl Millöcker. Austrian composer. Mr. Millöcker was best known for composing the music for the operetta Der Bettelstudent (The Beggar Student) (1882). He died on December 31, 1899 at the age of 57.

150 years ago
1867

World events
Dictatorial methods employed by Colombian President Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera led to a coup d'etat by opposition politicians. Mr. Mosquera was subsequently exiled for three years.

140 years ago
1877

Born on this date
Karl Hotz. German military officer. Dr. Hotz was a civil engineer who was a reserve officer in World War I, and an oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) as feldkommandant (field commander) of occupation forces in Nantes, known for his lenient treatment of French resisters. After Germany invaded Russia in June 1941 in violation of the 1939 non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, the Comintern ordered the French Communist Party to form a National Front, which began carrying out assassinations of German officials. On October 20, 1941, Oberstleutnant Hotz, 64, and his adjutant Dr. Wilhelm Sieger, left the Hotel Central in Nantes to go to the local command at Place St. Pierre when two assailants fired shots at them. Oberstleutnant Hotz was fatally shot, while Dr. Sieger attempted to pursue the assassins, who successfully escaped.

125 years ago
1892

Disasters
A hurricane struck Mauritius, killing 1,000 people.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Celeste Holm. U.S. actress. Miss Holm won an Academy Award for her supporting performance in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), and was nominated for Oscars for her supporting performances in Come to the Stable (1949) and All About Eve (1950). She died on July 15, 2012 at the age of 95.

80 years ago
1937

Died on this date
William Gillette, 83. U.S. actor. Mr. Gillette was best known for writing the play Sherlock Holmes and playing the title role on stage more than 1,300 times from 1899-1932. He also played the master detective in a 1916 film, and was the first actor to portray Mr. Holmes on radio, in 1930.

75 years ago
1942

War
U.K. Royal Air Force bombers carried out heavy attacks on Kiel, Germany and Trondheim, Norway. An Axis air raid on Alexandria, Egypt killed 102 and injured 111.

Diplomacy
While maintaining relations with the Vichy French regime, Cuba announced its recognition of Free French control over Tahiti, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Equatorial Africa, and Cameroons.

Labour
U.S. National War Labor Board Chairman William Davis announced that American Federation of Labor President William Green and Congress of Industrial Organizations President Philip Murray had agreed on a formula for settling jurisdictional disputes during wartime.

70 years ago
1947

Died on this date
Irving Fisher, 80. U.S. economist. Dr. Fisher was one of America's earliest neoclassical economists--focusing on the determination of goods, outputs, and income distributions in markets through supply and demand. His books included The Nature of Capital and Income (1906); The Rate of Interest (1907); and The Theory of Interest (1930). Several days before the stock market crash in 1929, Dr. Fisher said that stock prices had "reached what looks like a permanently high plateau"--a prediction of such overwhelming inaccuracy that it caused Dr. Fisher's reputation to crash.

Diplomacy
Arab delegates to the United Nations General Assembly special session on Palestine demanded an immediate debate, opposing a British proposal for the creation of a special UN commission to study the problem. The Jewish Agency for Palestine protested the lack of Jewish representation at the session.

Mexican President Miguael Aleman arrived in Washington for a nine-day visit.

Society
The Indian National Assembly abolished untouchability,making its observance a criminal offense.

Economics and finance
Canadian Finance Minister Douglas Abbott presented his budget for the 1947-48 fiscal year, recommending an average income tax cut of 29% and estimating a $190-million surplus from total revenues of $2.45 billion.

Disasters
A tornado destroyed the town of Worth, Missouri, killing 14 people.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): All Shook Up--Elvis Presley (Best Seller--3rd week at #1; Disc Jockey--1st week at #1; Jukebox--1st week at #1; Top 100--2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
13 members of the Western European Union Council signed an agreement in Strasbourg to settle all disputes among them by conciliation or referral to the World Court.

Honduras recalled her Ambassador to Nicaragua and protested to the Organization of American States Nicaragua's invasion of Gracia a Dios.

U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower named Llewellyn Thompson, Jr. as U.S. Ambassador to the U.S.S.R.

The U.S.S.R. Foreign Ministry charged that the dispatch of the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet to the eastern Mediterranean Sea was "an open military demonstration against the countries of the Arab East."

Defense
The Japanese government appealed for the cessation of all further nuclear weapons tests.

Politics and government
U.S. President Eisenhower submitted to Congress a reorganization plan, proposing final abolition of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

Economics and finance
Jordan's King Hussein accepted a U.S. aid grant of $10 million.

Energy
The U.S. Interior Department awarded a $108-million contract to Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corporation of New York fo construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, the first major unit of the Upper Colorado River Project.

Disasters
U.S. President Eisenhower declared flood-stricken parts of Texas a major disaster area eligible for federal aid.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever--The Beatles (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Hey Joe--Johnny Hallyday (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Un mondo d'amore--Gianni Morandi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Let's Spend the Night Together--The Rolling Stones (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Puppet on a String--Sandie Shaw

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Puppet on a String--Sandie Shaw (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Puppet on a String--Sandie Shaw (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You--The Monkees (2nd week at #1)
2 Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
3 I Think We're Alone Now--Tommy James and the Shondells
4 Happy Together--The Turtles
5 The Happening--The Supremes
6 Jimmy Mack--Martha and the Vandellas
7 Sweet Soul Music--Arthur Conley
8 This is My Song--Petula Clark
9 Western Union--The Five Americans
10 Don't You Care--The Buckinghams

Singles entering the chart were Respect by Aretha Franklin (#56); Creeque Alley by the Mamas and the Papas (#59); Him or Me - What's it Gonna Be? by Paul Revere and the Raiders (#63); All I Need by the Temptations (#64); Too Many Fish in the Sea & Three Little Fishes by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (#65); When You're Young and in Love by the Marvelettes (#71); Six O'Clock by the Lovin' Spoonful (#77); Mirage by Tommy James and the Shondells (#79); Another Day, Another Heartache by the 5th Dimension (#83); A Beautiful Story by Sonny and Cher (#84); I Got What You Need by Kim Weston (#87); Together by the Intruders (#93); Daddy's Home by Chuck Jackson and Maxine Brown (#94); You're All I Need by Bobby Bland (#95); Got to Have You Back by the Isley Brothers (#99); The Oogum Boogum Song by Brenton Wood (#100); and When Love Slips Away by Dee Dee Warwick (also #100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Canada--The Young Canada Singers (2nd week at #1)
2 Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
3 Western Union--The Five Americans
4 I'm a Man--The Spencer Davis Group
5 I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)--Aretha Franklin
6 Jimmy Mack--Martha and the Vandellas
7 A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You--The Monkees
8 Don't You Care--The Buckinghams
9 Happy Jack--The Who
10 Half Past Midnight--The Staccatos

Singles entering the chart were Barefootin' by Larry Lee (#73); Somebody Help Me by the Modbeats (#76); Groovin' by the Young Rascals (#92); Shotgun by Wes Dakus (#93); My Babe by Ronnie Dove (#94); Just Look What You've Done by Brenda Holloway (#95); The Flower Children by Marcia Strassman (#96); I'll Make Him Love Me by Barbara Lewis (#97); When You're Young and in Love by the Marvelettes (#98); Let's Run Away by Magic Cycle (#99); and You're All I Need by Bobby Bland (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 You Got What it Takes--The Dave Clark Five
2 Happy Jack--The Who
3 Somethin' Stupid-- Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
4 Blue's Theme--The Arrows
5 On a Carousel--The Hollies
6 Somebody to Love--Jefferson Airplane
7 Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)--Engelbert Humperdinck
8 The Happening--The Supremes
9 Sweet Soul Music--Arthur Conley
10 The Love I Saw in You was Just a Mirage--Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Singles entering the chart were Six O'Clock by the Lovin' Spoonful (#33); Sunshine Girl by the Parade (#41); My Babe by Ronnie Dove (#43); Making Memories by Frankie Laine (#44); A Beautiful Story by Sonny and Cher (#46); There is Love by Jim "Harpo" Valley (#47); Groovin' by the Young Rascals (#48); Rainy Day by the Canterbury Tales (#49); and Cloudy by the Liverpool Five.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Blue's Theme--The Arrows
2 The Happening--The Supremes
3 Yellow Balloon--The Yellow Balloon
4 Can't Seem to Make You Mine--The Seeds
5 Somebody to Love--Jefferson Airplane
6 My Back Pages--The Byrds
7 At the Zoo--Simon and Garfunkel
8 Sunshine Girl--The Parade
9 Out of Left Field--Percy Sledge
10 Live--The Merry-Go-Round

Singles entering the chart were Six O'Clock by the Lovin' Spoonful (#22); Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley (#26); Creeque Alley by the Mamas and the Papas (#27); 100 or Two by the Springfield Rifles (#28); When You're Young and in Love by the Marvelettes (#29); and Round Round by Jonathan King (#30).

At the movies
Eight on the Lam, starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller, opened in theatres.

Died on this date
J.B. Lenoir, 38. U.S. musician. Mr. Lenoir was a blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was active in Chicago in the 1950s and '60s. His most successful recording was Mamma Talk to Your Daughter (1954), which reached #11 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues singles chart. Mr. Lenoir died of internal bleeding several weeks after being injured in a car accident and not receiving proper treatment.

Music
Numerous artists performed at the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a festival in the Great Hall of the Alexandra Palace in London.

Boxing
The day after refusing induction into the United States Army, Muhammad Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight title.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Toronto 4 @ Montreal 1 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Terry Sawchuk played brilliantly in goal for the Maple Leafs as they beat the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum. Al Smith dressed as the backup goalie for Toronto, replacing the injured Johnny Bower.



40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Shenandoah--Jan Lindblad (10th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Porque te Vas--Jeanette

#1 single in France: Sunny--Boney M. (2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez Gonzalez was in Washington for talks with U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): You're the Voice--John Farnham (4th week at #1)

Music
The French singer Dalida completed three days of concerts in Antalya, Turkey; they turned out to be her last performances, as she committed suicide at the age of 54 with an overdose of barbiturates on the night of May 2-3, 1987.

Hockey
World championships
Canada 0 U.S.S.R. 0

NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Toronto 0 @ Detroit 3 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 3-2)

25 years ago
1992

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

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

Died on this date
Mae Clarke, 81. U.S. actress. Miss Clarke, born Violet Mary Klotz, was a popular leading lady in the 1930s, appearing in such movies as Frankenstein (1931); The Front Page (1931); The Public Enemy (1931); and Waterloo Bridge (1931).

Protest
A Simi Valley, California jury that included no Negroes acquitted four Los Angeles police officers on all but one charge arising from the March 1991 beating of Rodney King. The verdict prompted immediate riots by Negroes in Los Angeles, particularly in the predominantly Negro and Hispanic South-Central area. A white truck driver named Reginald Denny was dragged from his truck and severely beaten by a mob of Negroes before being rescued by other Negroes. See also here and here.

700 inmates at Montreal’s Bordeaux prison rioted for more than eight hours; officials blamed overcrowding for the incident.

Education
The Economic Council of Canada filed its final report before being disbanded, and called for substantial improvements in Canada’s education system, claiming that it sent functionally-illiterate young people into the workforce.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Montreal 1 @ Hartford 2 (OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)
Boston 3 @ Buffalo 9 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)
New York Rangers 3 @ New Jersey 5 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)
Washington 4 @ Pittsburgh 6 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

20 years ago
1997

Died on this date
Mike Royko, 64. U.S. journalist. Mr. Royko was a columnist with the Chicago Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune in a career spanning more than 40 years. He was awarded the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Mr. Royko died of a brain aneurysm.

Defense
The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 entered into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Ottawa 2 @ Buffalo 3 (OT) (Buffalo won best-of-seven series 4-3)
Edmonton 4 @ Dallas 3 (OT) (Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-3)
Phoenix 0 @ Anaheim 3 (Anaheim won best-of-seven series 4-3)

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Ivica Račan, 63. Prime Minister of Croatia, 2000-2003. Mr. Račan was President of the League of Communists of Croatia from 1989-1990, and was the first President of the Social Democratic Party from 1990 until April 11, 2007, when he resigned because he had terminal cancer. As Prime Minister of two centre-left coalition governments, Mr. Račan moved Croatia toward membership in the European Union, and toward a more open and democratic government. His coalition was defeated in the November 2003 election.

Josh Hancock, 29. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Hancock played with the Boston Red Sox (2002); Philadelphia Phillies (2003-2004); Cincinnati Reds (2004-2005); and St. Louis Cardinals (2006-2007), compiling a record of 9-7 with an earned run average of 4.20 in 102 games; he was with the Cardinals when they won the World Series in 2006. A few hours after giving up 1 run in 3 innings of relief, Mr. Hancock was killed--18 days after his 29th birthday--when he crashed his vehicle into a flatbed truck that was in the left lane of the road assisting another vehicle that had been involved in a prior accident. Mr. Hancock was drunk, speeding, texting on a cell phone, and not wearing a seat belt. He also had marijuana in his car, but not in his system. The fact that Mr. Hancock was entirely at fault didn't stop his greedy family from suing everyone in sight a few weeks later; the meritless suit was dropped on July 30, 2007.

Selvarajah Rajivarnam, 25. Sri Lankan journalist. Mr. Rajivarnam was a reporter with the Uthayan newspaper in Jaffna. A member of the country's Tamil minority, he was shot and killed on the street by unknown assailants.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Semi-Finals
Buffalo 1 @ New York Rangers 2 (2 OT) (Buffalo led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Anaheim 3 @ Vancouver 2 (Anaheim led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Michal Rozsival scored at 16:43 of the 2nd overtime period to give the Rangers their win over the Sabres at Madison Square Garden.