May 25, 2017

1,025 years ago
992

Died on this date
Mieszko I, 62 (?). Duke of Poland, 960-992. Mieszko I, the son of Siemomysł, was the first Christian ruler of Poland, and is regarded as the founder of the Polish state. He died of natural causes and was succeeded by his son Boleslaw I.

230 years ago
1787

Politics and government
Under the leadership of George Washington, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia for the purpose of creating a new form of government for the United States.

160 years ago
1857

Economics and finance
The Flying Eagle cent was released into circulation by the United States Mint.

130 years ago
1887

Disasters
200 people were killed when the Opera Comique in Paris burned.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Steve Cochran. U.S. actor. Mr. Cochran was known for playing tough guys in movies such as The Chase (1946) and White Heat (1949), and in numerous television programs. He died on June 15, 1965 at the age of 48 aboard his yacht off the coast of Guatemala, reportedly from an acute lung infection; conspiracy theories abound.

Theodore Hesburgh. U.S. priest, theologian, and academic. Reverend Father Hesburgh became a Roman Catholic priest in the 1940s, and was best known as the President of the University of Notre Dame from 1952-1987. He was active in social causes, and received 16 appointments from U.S. presidents to various bodies. Rev. Fr. Hesburgh died on February 26, 2015 at the age of 97.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden invited Opposition Leader Wilfrid Laurier to unite in a coalition wartime government, composed equally of Conservatives and Liberals. Mr. Laurier suggested that a referendum on conscription, or a general election, should be held first.

90 years ago
1927

Economics and finance
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King cut trade ties with the U.S.S.R..

75 years ago
1942

Died on this date
Emanuel Feuermann, 39. Austro-Hungarian born musician. Mr. Feuermann, a native of what is now Ukraine, was one of the most famous cellists of the first half of the 20th century. He was a professor at the Berlin Conservatory when the Nazis came to power in Germany, and he was dismissed and forced to flee Germany because he was Jewish. Mr. Feuermann was in Vienna when the Nazis marched into Austria in 1938, and he eventually made his way to the United States. Mr. Feuermann died of complications during surgery for hemorrhoids.

War
The German government announced that three large Russian armies, including tank forces, had failed to break the German encirclement near Kharkov. 23 people allegedly connected with the Australia First movement were arrested on charges of treason and conspiracy to aid the Japanese invasion of the continent.

70 years ago
1947

War
Vietnamese nationalists rejected a truce offer from French High Commissioner Emile Bollaert as "tantamount to surrender."

Protest
Clashes in Buenos Aires between Communists and supporters of Argentine President Juan Peron resulted in eight casualties.

Agriculture
Finland announced an experimental collective farm program along the lines of those used in the U.S.S.R.

Labour
Coal miners in Nova Scotia ended a three-month strike after accepting a $1 daily wage increase from Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Marianne--Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Cindy, Oh Cindy--Margot Eskens (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Butterfly--Andy Williams (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 All Shook Up--Elvis Presley (7th week at #1)
2 Little Darlin'--The Diamonds
3 School Day--Chuck Berry
4 Love Letters in the Sand--Pat Boone
5 A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)--Marty Robbins
6 Come Go with Me--The Dell-Vikings
7 So Rare--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra
8 Round and Round--Perry Como
9 Dark Moon--Bonnie Guitar
--Gale Storm
10 Gone--Ferlin Husky

Singles entering the chart were Cocoanut Woman by Harry Belafonte (#38); Gonna Find Me a Bluebird by Marvin Rainwater (#43); Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers (#47); A Teenager's Romance by Ricky Nelson (#48); With All My Heart by Jodie Sands (#49); (Main Theme) Around the World by Victor Young and his Orchestra (#52); Old Cape Cod by Patti Page (#53); Searchin' by the Coasters (#58); and I Like Your Kind of Love by Andy Williams (#60). A Teenager's Romance was the other side of I'm Walkin', charting at #12 with the version by Fats Domino. (Main Theme) Around the World was from the movie Around the World in 80 Days (1956); the vocal version by Bing Crosby was the B-side.

Defense
A Syrian Army force stationed in the Erbid-Aljum area of Jordan was withdrawn at Jordan's request.

Protest
Nationalist Chinese troops restored order in Taipei as the city was placed under martial law following the previous day's anti-American rioting.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Boston Burglar--Johnny McEvoy (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Silence is Golden--The Tremeloes (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Charles Momsen, 70. U.S. military officer. Vice Admiral Momsen served with the U.S. Navy from 1916-1955; he was a pioneer in submarine rescue, and invented the Momsen lung, an escape device that was used from the late 1920s through the early '60s, and for which Vice Admiral Momsen received Navy Distinguished Service Medal in 1929. He died of cancer, 27 days before his 71st birthday.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the fifth Moliniya I communications satellite.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson visited Canada, conferring with Prime Minister Lester Pearson and visiting Expo 67 in Montreal, where he unveiled the United States' Centennial gift to Canada, a crystal and steel sculpture called The Great Ring of Canada..

Soccer
European Cup
Final @ Portuguese National Stadium, Lisbon
Celtic 2 Internazionale Milan 1

Celtic, from Glasgow, Scotland, became the first non-Latin team to win the cup, handing Internatiozale Milan only their second defeat in European competition in the past three years. 70,000 fans were in attendance.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Don't Want to Talk About It/The First Cut is the Deepest--Rod Stewart

At the movies
Star Wars opened in limited release in theatres.

Literature
The Chinese government removed a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare's work, effectively ending the Cultural Revolution, which had begun in 1966.

Baseball
The Philadelphia Phillies released first baseman-outfielder Bobby Tolan. Mr. Tolan was in his 13th season in the major leagues and his second with the Phillies, and was batting .125 (2 for 16) in 15 games in 1977, with no home runs and 1 run batted in.

The Oakland Athletics scored 2 unearned runs with 2 out in the top of the 10th inning and held on to edge the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 before 36,097 fans at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto in a game televised in Canada on CBC. With 2 out and nobody on base, Rodney Scott singled and was picked off first base and caught stealing at second in a rundown, but Toronto first baseman Ron Fairly was called for obstruction, making Mr. Scott safe at second. Manny Sanguillen then doubled home Mr. Scott and scored on a single by Mitchell Page. Toronto starting pitcher Jerry Garvin allowed 9 hits and 6 runs--3 earned--in 9 2/3 innings in taking the loss.

Rod Carew had 5 hits in the first game and 2 in the second to help the Minnesota Twins sweep a doubleheader from the Boston Red Sox 13-5 and 9-4 before 24, 686 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Mike Paxton made his major league debut as Boston's starting pitcher in the second game, allowing 7 hits and 5 runs--all earned--in 2 1/3 innings to take the loss.

Frank Tanana pitched 3-hitter and struck out 11 batters to improve his record for the season to 8-1, and Bobby Grich and Bobby Bonds hit home runs as the California Angels blanked the Detroit Tigers 4-0 before 13,150 fans at Tiger Stadium.

Jim Norris led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a single, stole second base, and scored on a 1-out single by Bruce Bochte to give the Cleveland Indians a 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners before 4,016 fans at Cleveland Stadium. Dennis Eckersley pitched a complete game victory, allowing just 5 hits and walking just 1 batter.

The San Francisco Giants scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning and held on to edge the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 before 7,041 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Tom Hume made his major league debut as Cincinnati's starting pitcher, allowing 4 hits and 5 earned runs in 1/3 inning to take the loss. George Foster hit 2 home runs for the Reds.

Art Howe hit a pair of solo home runs and Enos Cabell added a 2-run homer to help the Houston Astros edge the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6 before 27,743 fans at Dodger Stadium. Reggie Smith homered for the Dodgers.

Dave Winfield hit a home run and Mike Ivie singled and scored on a single by pinch hitter Jerry Turner as the San Diego Padres scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 12th inning to defeat the Atlanta Braves 6-5 before 14,288 fans at San Diego Stadium. Junior Moore had led off the top of the 12th with a home run to give Atlanta a 5-4 lead.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Slice of Heaven--Dave Dobbyn with Herbs (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Peter Coe, 59. U.K. theatre director. Mr. Coe once had three plays running at once in London's West End, and also achieved success on Broadway. He was the artistic director of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton from 1978-1980. Mr. Coe was killed in an automobile accident in England.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrived in Bucharest to begin a three-day visit to Romania. Romanian President Nicolae Ceaucescu, a critic of Mr. Gorbachev’s policies, met the Soviet leader and his wife at the airport, and they drove past crowds that were far more restrained than those that had greeted Mr. Gorbachev in Czechoslovakia in April.

Horse Racing
Herve Filion drove Commander Bond to victory in the third race at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York, becoming the first harness racing driver to win 10,000 races.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): You Won't See Me Cry--Wilson Phillips

Died on this date
Sidney Thomson Fisher, 83. Canadian engineer. Mr. Fisher developed NATO’s tactical communications system and held 65 other patents on electronic devices.

Philip Habib, 72. U.S. diplomat. Mr. Habib was the chief mediator for the United States between Israel and Egypt in the Camp David Accords in 1978-1979.

Marshall Thompson, 66. U.S. actor. Mr. Thompson was best known as the star of the television series Daktari (1966-1969).

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Truly Madly Deeply--Savage Garden (8th week at #1)

#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Blood on the Dance Floor--Michael Jackson

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Blond--Rainhard Fendrich (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: I Believe I Can Fly--R. Kelly (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Jay Hebert, 74. U.S. golfer. Mr. Hebert won seven tournaments on the PGA tour, including the 1960 PGA Championship.

World events
A military coup in Sierra Leone replaced President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koromah.

Abominations
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of homosexuals against discrimination, despite sexual orientation not being specifically mentioned in the Charter.

Politics and government
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien affirmed that Canada would not recognize any Quebec referendum result of 50.1% in favour of Quebec independence.

Auto racing
The Indianapolis 500 was postponed until the next day because of rain.



10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Charles Nelson Reilly, 76. U.S. comedian and actor. Mr. Reilly appeared in various plays and movies, but was best known as a panelist on television game shows, especially Match Game (1973-1982, 1990-1991). He died of pneumonia.