April 5, 2017

775 years ago
1242

War
Russian forces led by Alexander Nevsky rebuffed an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights in the Battle on the Ice on Lake Peipus.

225 years ago
1792

Politics and government
U.S. President George Washington cast the first presidential veto of Congressional legislation.

175 years ago
1842

Canadiana
Geologist Abraham Gesner opened the first public museum in what is now Canada at the Mechanics Institute in Saint John. The Gesner Museum displayed over 2,000 items, mostly natural history, wildlife specimens, rock and mineral samples, and a variety of artifacts, and was the forerunner of the New Brunswick Museum.

150 years ago
1867

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State William Seward sent a message to Mexican President Benito Juárez to ask that the life of deposed Emperor Maximilian be spared.

130 years ago
1887

Popular culture
Anne Sullivan first succeeded in communicating with deaf-and-blind Helen keller by spelling the word "water" in the manual alphabet. The story was told in the movie The Miracle Worker (1962).

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Robert Bloch. U.S. author. Mr. Bloch was known for his horror, fantasy, and science fiction short stories and novels. His best-known work was probably the novel Psycho (1959), which was made into a famous movie by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960. Mr. Bloch died on September 23, 1994 at the age of 77.

Abominations
The British Columbia legislature passed An Act to amend the Provincial Election Act, granting women, with the exception of Asians and Aboriginals, the right to vote in provincial elections and hold provincial office.

75 years ago
1942

War
The Imperial Japanese Navy launched a carrier-based air attack of 75 planes on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean raid. Port and civilian facilities were damaged and the British Royal Navy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk southwest of the island. The U.S.S.R. announced that 40,000 Germans had been killed and 121 localities recaptured on the central front from March 21-April 3. The New York Times reported that Romania, Slovakia, and Croatia had formed a "de facto military alliance" to prevent further Hungarian territorial expansion.

Defense
The Aircraft War Production Council was created in Los Angeles by eight Pacific Coast airplane manufacturers to coordinate and exchange information and pool facilities and plans for war plane production.

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Heartaches--Ted Weems and his Orchestra (4th week at #1)

At the movies
Time Out of Mind, produced and directed by Robert Siodmak, and starring Phyllis Calvert, Robert Hutton, Ella Raines, and Eddie Albert, received its premiere screening in New York City.

Theatre
A revival of Alice in Wonderland received positive reviews on its opening night at the International Theatre on Broadway in New York City.

War
5 U.S. Marines were killed and 16 wounded when Chinese Communists raided a Marine ammunition dump near Tangku in the Peking region.

The Paraguayan government claimed the capture of a military rebel strongpoint at Ybaspobo, near Concepcion.

Politics and government
Local elections in Japan resulted in a victory for the conservative Liberal and Democratic parties, with the Socialists and Communists combining to attract 25% of the vote.

Religion
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes was named head of the newly-created World Council of Christians and Jews.

Labour
British authorities in Germany reported the end of a two-day strike by 300,000 Ruhr coal miners demanding larger food rations.

Delaware Governor Walter Bacon signed a law banning mass picketing and secondary boycotts, and restricting closed shop demands and union inititation fees.

Weather
Portland, Oregon meteorologist E.S. Ellison changed snow to rain by sowing ice pellets from a plane.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Bambino--Dalida

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Young Love--Tab Hunter (7th week at #1)

Diplomacy
Officials in Washington reported that Israel had informed the U.S. State Department of its intention to challenge Egypt's Suez Canal blockade by attempting to send an Israeli-flagged vessel through the canal.

Defense
West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, arguing that "our troops should...have the latest [atomic weapons] and shares in the latest developments," said that atomic armament was in progress, and that West Germany must adapt itself to atomic-war conditions.

Politics and government
Communists won the first elections in the united state of Kerala in southwestern India, and E. M. S. Namboodiripad was sworn in as the first Chief Minister.

The French cabinet announced plans for a permanent commission to safeguard human rights in Algeria.

Law
A New York jury voided Mrs. Margaret Nahm's will, which left $700,000 to room service waiter Angel Estervez, on the ground that he had used undue influence on the ailing widow, who had died in 1955 at the age of 88. The suit had been brought by the Salvation Army and other legatees under an earlier will.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Georgy Girl--The Seekers (2nd week at #1)
2 Snoopy vs. the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen
3 I'm a Believer--The Monkees
4 Ruby Tuesday/Let's Spend the Night Together--The Rolling Stones
5 Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever--The Beatles
6 Pamela Pamela--Wayne Fontana
7 Green, Green Grass of Home--Tom Jones
8 Peek-A-Boo--The New Vaudeville Band
9 I'm a Man--The Spencer Davis Group
10 The Return of the Red Baron--The Royal Guardsmen

Singles entering the chart were So Good by Roy Orbison (#29); Undecided by Masters Apprentices (#35); There's a Kind of Hush by Herman's Hermits (#36); and Somethin' Stupid by Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra (#38).

At the movies
Double Trouble, starring Elvis Presley, Annette Day, and John Williams, opened in theatres, just two weeks after the release of another of Mr. Presley's films, Easy Come, Easy Go.



Died on this date
Hermann Joseph Muller, 76. U.S. geneticist. Dr. Muller was awarded the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the discovery of the production of mutations by means of X-ray irradiation." He warned of the dangers of radiation from nuclear fallout, and was an outspoken opponent of nuclear weapons.

Mischa Elman, 76. Ukrainian-born U.S. musician. Mr. Elman was a violinist who began his career in Europe before moving to the United States in 1917. He was popular as a concert performer, and had a recording career that spanned 60 years.

Law
Jose Luis Bustamante of Peru was elected President of the International Court of Justice.

Hockey
CPHL
Adams Cup
Semi-Finals
Omaha 4 @ Memphis3 (Omaha led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Houston 3 @ Oklahoma City 2 (Oklahoma City led best-of-seven series 2-1)

40 years ago
1977

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat concluded two days of talks to explore Middle East peace terms and to seek U.S. arms and economic aid.

Politics and government
Rankin Inlet native Willy Adams was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as the first Canadian Senator from the Northwest Territories, and the first Inuit Senator. Mr. Adams sat as a Liberal.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Preliminary round
Chicago 2 @ New York Islanders 5 (New York led best-of-three series 1-0)
Minnesota 2 @ Buffalo 4 (Buffalo led best-of-three series 1-0)
Toronto 4 @ Pittsburgh 2 (Toronto led best-of-three series 1-0)
Atlanta 2 @ Los Angeles 5 (Los Angeles led best-of-three series 1-0)

WHA
Birmingham 4 @ Calgary 4

Peter Marrin scored with 31 seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Bulls their tie with the Cowboys at the Stampede Corral, all but eliminating Calgary from playoff contention. Paul Henderson scored twice for the Bulls, while Mark Napier scored his 60th goal of the season for Birmingham. The Cowboys blew an early 3-0 lead.

Baseball
The Texas Rangers suspended second baseman Lenny Randle for 30 days and fined him a flat amount plus salary, amounting to $23,407.90, for his March 28 attack on manager Frank Lucchesi. Mr. Randle was upset at finding out that he had lost his starting job to rookie Bump Wills, and beat up Mr. Lucchesi, giving him a triple fracture of the right cheekbone.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Funkytown--Pseudo Echo (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Respectable--Mel & Kim

#1 single in France: On se retrouvera--Francis Lalanne (6th week at #1)

Television
Fox Broadcasting Company began broadcasting in prime time.

Terrorism
Tamil Tigers were blamed after a bomb exploded in the main bus terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing more than 100 people.

Curling
World Men's Championship @ B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver
Final
Canada (Russ Howard) 9 West Germany (Rodger Gustaf Schmidt) 5

Mr. Howard's rink scored 5 points in the 10th end to win the title.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): To Be with You--Mr. Big (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I'm Too Sexy--Right Said Fred

#1 single in Switzerland: Das Boot--U 96 (5th week at #1)

On television tonight
Alexander Graham Bell: The Sound and the Silence: Part 1, on CBC

This two-part made-for-television biographical movie starred John Bach as Alexander Graham Bell.

Died on this date
Sam Walton, 74. U.S. business magnate. Mr. Walton operated several Ben Franklin variety stores before opening the first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. He died of cancer a week after his 74th birthday.

Suada Dilberovic; Olga Sučić. Bosnian activists. Ms. Dilberovic and Ms. Sučić were peace protesters who were killed on the Vrbanja Bridge in Sarajevo, becoming the first casualties of the Bosnian War.

Terrorism
The Iranian embassy in Ottawa was stormed by members of MEK, an Iraq-supported Muslim group.

Politics and government
Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori suspended sections of the Peruvian constitution and seized power with the support of the military.

Curling
World Men's Championship @ Olympic Eisstadion, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Final
Switzerland (Markus Eggler) 6 Scotland (Hammy McMillan) 3

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): From Disco to Disco--Whirlpool Productions (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)--Aerosmith (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Con te partirò--Andrea Bocelli (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Let a Boy Cry--Gala (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Let a Boy Cry--Gala (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Mama/Who Do You Think You Are--Spice Girls (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Block Rockin' Beats--The Chemical Brothers

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Can't Nobody Hold Me Down--Puff Daddy featuring Mase (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Allen Ginsberg, 70. U.S. poet. Mr. Ginsberg was a leading figure of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. His best-known work was Howl (1956), which was the subject of an obscenity trial in 1957.

Weather
In the worst April storm since the beginning of record-keeping in 1876, a major snowstorm struck southern Manitoba, shutting down Winnipeg for three days.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Darryl Stingley, 55. U.S. football player. Mr. Stingley was a wide receiver with the New England Patriots (1973-1977), with 110 receptions for 1,183 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also rushed 28 times for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. In a pre-season game on August 12, 1978, Mr. Stingley was hit in the helmet by Oakland Raiders' defensive back Jack Tatum while going for a pass, and Mr. Stingley was left a quadriplegic. He managed to complete his degree in physical education at Purdue University in 1992. Mr. Stingley died of heart failure and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia.