April 6, 2017

140 years ago
1877

Golf
Jamie Anderson won the British Open at Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, Scotland, shooting a 4-round score of 160, 2 strokes ahead of Bob Pringle. First prize money was £8.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.. U.S. engineer and aviation executive. Mr. Douglas founded the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921, which became one of the major firms in the aircraft industry, achieving tremendous success with the Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) and the DC-3 in the mid-late 1930s. He was president of the company until he retired in favour of his son Douglas, Jr. in 1957, but remained as Chairman of the Board, approving a merger with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in 1967 to become McDonnell Douglas. Mr. Douglas was honourary chairman of the board with McDonnell Douglas until his death on February 1, 1981 at the age of 88.

Lowell Thomas. U.S. journalist. Mr. Thomas was a writer, broadcaster, and film producer who was known for his wide travels. He publicized T.E. Lawrence during World War I, making him famous as Lawrence of Arabia. Mr. Thomas presented the first televised newscast in 1939, and produced the first Cinerama movie in 1952, but was best known for his radio newscasts, which he presented on CBS and from 1930-1932 and 1947-1976 and on NBC from 1932-1947. He died on August 29, 1981 at the age of 89.

120 years ago
1897

War
Ottoman commander Edhem Pasha mobilized his forces in preparation for driving Greek forces out of Macedonia.

100 years ago
1917

War
The United States entered World War I, as Congress voted to declare war on Germany.

80 years ago
1937

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 1 @ New York Rangers 5 (New York led best-of-five series 1-0)

75 years ago
1942

War
General Andrew McNaughton formed the First Canadian Army in Aldrshot, England, with five divisions, two armored brigades, and three other divisions slated for home defense. In their third day of their attack upon Allied lines on Bataan, Japanese troops made "some gains, but at a heavy cost in casualties." Only slight damage resulted from the first Japanese assaults on Indian ports of Vizagapatan and Cocanada. Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo warned India to rebel against British rule or "suffer great calamities" in the course of Japanese subjugation of U.K. troops there.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's special representative Louis Johnson conferred in New Delhi with Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalan Azad in an effort to save U.K.-Indian negotiations from collapsing.

The United States and Haiti signed a defense and economic agreement under which the U.S. would supply artillery, airplanes, and a patrol boat to Haiti; buy Haiti's cotton; extend credit to strengthen dollar exchange; and assist in increasing Haiti's sisal hemp production.

Labour
The United States Supreme Court overturned a National Labor Relations Board decision, ruling 5-4 that as long as sailors had signed shipping articles and promised to obey the captain, a strike was a mutiny in any waters within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, as well as on high seas.

70 years ago
1947

Theatre
The first Tony Awards for achievement on Broadway were presented in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The winners included: Director--Elia Kazan (All My Sons); Actor--José Ferrer (Cyrano de Begerac), Fredric March (Years Ago); Actress--Ingrid Bergman (Joan of Lorraine), Helen Hayes (Happy Birthday); Supporting Actress--Play--Patricia Neal (Another Part of the Forest); Supporting Actor--Musical--David Wayne (Finian's Rainbow).

Politics and government
Municipal elections in Chile resulted in a victory for the Anti-Communist Front, which gained 834 city council seats to 568 for the leftist Democratic Alliance.

Disasters
Floods and high winds caused 15 deaths and heavy damage in the eastern and midwestern United States, with the Flint-Lansing area of Michigan hardest hit.

Golf
Jimmy Demaret shot a 1-under-par 71 to win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, finishing with a 7-under-par total of 281, two strokes ahead of Byron Nelson and amateur Frank Stranahan. Mr. Demaret had won the Masters in 1940, and in 1947 became the first player to shot four under-par rounds in the same Masters. First prize money was $2,500.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Singing the Blues--Guy Mitchell (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Cindy, Oh Cindy--Margot Eskens (2nd week at #1)

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

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Round and Round--Perry Como (Best Seller--1st week at #1); Butterfly--Andy Williams (Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1; Top 100--2nd week at #1); Young Love--Tab Hunter (Jukebox--5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Party Doll--Buddy Knox with the Rhythm Orchids
--Steve Lawrence
2 Round and Round--Perry Como
3 Butterfly--Charlie Gracie
--Andy Williams
4 Little Darlin'--The Diamonds
5 I'm Walkin'--Fats Domino
6 Young Love--Tab Hunter
--Sonny James
7 Come Go with Me--The Dell-Vikings
8 Marianne--Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders
--The Hilltoppers
9 Mama Look at Bubu--Harry Belafonte
10 Gone--Ferlin Husky

Singles entering the chart were All Shook Up by Elvis Presley (#13); Rock-A-Billy by Guy Mitchell (#32); So Rare by Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra (#34); Pledge of Love, with versions by Ken Copeland; Mitchell Torok; and Dick Contino (#36); School Day by Chuck Berry (#38); Dearest (#39)/There Oughta Be a Law (#43) by Mickey and Sylvia; (There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me) by Elvis Presley (#40); and After School, with versions by Randy Starr; and Joy Layne (#48).

Business
Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis bought Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founded Olympic Airlines.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Boston 1 @ Montreal 5 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Rocket Richard scored 4 goals--a record-tying 3 in the 2nd period--to lead the Canadiens over the Bruins at the Montreal Forum.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Boston 98 @ St. Louis 100 (St. Louis led best-of-seven series 2-1)

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)--Engelbert Humperdinck (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Dragnet 1967, starring Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Hit-and-Run Driver



Space
The United States launched Applications Technology Satellite (ATS) 2 from Cape Kennedy, Florida but the satellite ended up in an undesirable orbit, and able to produce little usable data before it was deactivated six months later.

Politics and government
Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner George Brinton McClellan was named provincial ombudsman of Alberta, the first in Canada.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
New York 4 @ Montreal 6 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Toronto 2 @ Chicago 5 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 1-0)

The Canadiens scored 5 goals in the last 10:48 of the 3rd period to come back from a 4-1 deficit and defeat the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in the Rangers' first playoff game in 5 years.

Denis DeJordy won the goaltenders' duel over Terry Sawchuk as the Black Hawks beat the Maple Leafs at Chicago Stadium. Mr. Sawchuk played in place of Johnny Bower, who suffered a split finger.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Knowing Me, Knowing You--ABBA (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Frank Rooney, 92. Austro-Hungarian born U.S. baseball player. Mr. Rooney, born Frank Rovny, was a first baseman who played 12 games with the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the Federal League in 1914, batting .200 with 1 home run and 8 runs batted in.

Jack Wasserman, 50. Canadian journalist. Mr. Wasserman, a native of Winnipeg, moved to Vancouver with his family in 1935. He joined the Vancouver Sun in 1949, and worked at the paper for the rest of his life, eventually writing a column on local events. Mr. Wasserman was also a reporter and interviewer with the local news program Hourglass on CBUT. His column appeared in the Sun for April 6, and that evening he participated in an Hourglass panel discussion on politics before going to the Hotel Vancouver, where he was the second speaker scheduled at a roast for British Columbia politician Gordon Gibson, Sr. Mr. Wasserman was partway through his address when he collapsed with a sudden heart attack. Many in the audience thought it was a skit, but they weren't laughing when they heard that Mr. Wasserman had died in hospital.

Hockey
WHA
Birmingham 4 @ Edmonton 6
Indianapolis 3 @ Phoenix 7
Houston 5 @ San Diego 3

Bill Flett scored 3 straight goals in the 3rd period for the Oilers as they defeated the Bulls at Northlands Coliseum to clinch a playoff spot, eliminating the Calgary Cowboys from playoff contention.

Lauri Mononen scored 3 goals for the Roadrunners as they beat the Racers before 8,218 fans at Memorial Coliseum in the last game ever played by the Roadrunners, who finished sixth and last in the Western Division with a record of 28-48-4. Mr. Mononen's hat trick included the Roadrunners' last goal ever, in the 3rd period.

Mark Howe scored 2 goals, and his brother Marty scored the winner with 3:49 remaining in regulation time, as the Aeros beat the Mariners before 8,193 fans at San Diego Sports Arena.

Baseball
The Montreal Expos sold pitcher Don Carrithers to the Minnesota Twins. Mr. Carrithers, who had come to the Expos in a trade with the San Francisco Giants in 1974, was 6-12 with an earned run average of 4.43 in 34 games in 1976, while batting .108 with no home runs or runs batted in in 35 games.

Frank Tanana pitched a 9-hit shutout and struck out 9 batters, while Joe Rudi, in his first game in a California uniform, batted 3 for 5 with a home run, double, and 4 runs batted in as the California Angels blanked the Seattle Mariners 7-0 before 57,762 fans at the Kingdome in the Mariners' first regular season game ever, and the first major league game in Seattle since 1969. Diego Segui started on the mound for the Mariners and allowed 5 hits and 6 runs--4 earned--in taking the loss. He became the only player to play for the Seattle Pilots (1969) and Mariners. Seattle second baseman Jose Baez had 2 singles in 4 at bats, and 1 putout and 1 assist, in his first major league game. It was also the first major league game for third base umpire Ken Kaiser.



Cesar Geronimo hit a 2-run home run in the 4th inning to break a 2-2 tie as the Cincinnati Reds opened defense of their World Series championship with a 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres before 51,937 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Woodie Fryman, playing his first game with Cincinnati since being acquired from the Montreal Expos in an off-season trade, allowed 7 hits and 3 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to get the win, while San Diego starter Randy Jones allowed 9 hits and 5 runs--4 earned-- in 5 innings to take the loss. San Diego left fielder Gene Richards made his major league debut, leading off the game with a single and stealing second base. He finished 1 for 3 with 2 bases on balls, and made 3 putouts and an error. San Diego relief pitcher Victor Bernal also played his first major league game, pitching 1/3 inning with a base on balls and no runs allowed.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): I Knew You were Waiting for Me--Aretha Franklin and George Michael (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney concluded their two-day summit in Ottawa, with the main subjects being acid rain and free trade. Mr. Reagan addressed Parliament and gave no timetable, but said that he and Mr. Mulroney had agreed to consider a bilateral accord on acid rain. He also said that his administration was committed to “good-faith negotiations” to achieve free trade between the countries.

Boxing
Sugar Ray Leonard (34-1), fighting for the first time in three years, won a 12-round split decision over defending champion Marvin Hagler (62-3-2) to win the World Boxing Council world middleweight championship at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. For Mr. Hagler, who had held the title for 11 years, it was his last fight.



25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): En rakkauttas saa--Kurre (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Isaac Asimov, 72. Russian-born U.S. author. Dr. Asimov, the author and/or editor of more than 500 books of fiction and non-fiction, was best known for his Foundation series. In 1969 this blogger received a signed postcard from Dr. Asimov after pointing out an error in an astronomy book that he had written for children.

On television tonight
Alexander Graham Bell: The Sound and the Silence: Part 2, on CBC

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

Diplomacy
The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina received international recognition.

Politics and government
Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, citing corruption in the Congress and the judiciary, dissolved the Peruvian Congress.

Two days of voting in the Italian general election produced a minority government, with the Christian Democrats failing to gain a majority. 67% of the 47.5 million eligible voters cast ballots.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Truly Madly Deeply--Savage Garden

#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Cold Rock a Party--MC Lyte (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Warum?--Tic Tac Toe

#1 single in Switzerland: Warum?--Tic Tac Toe (2nd week at #1)

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Columbia, carrying a seven-member crew, was ordered to return to Earth because of a defective fuel cell. Columbia had lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 4 to begin mission STS-83, scheduled to last 16 days. The shuttle returned to Earth on April 8, and the mission was reflown in July as mission STS-94.