May 28, 2017

130 years ago
1887

Born on this date
Jim Thorpe. U.S. athlete. Mr. Thorpe, whose ancestry was a combination of Native American and European, was the greatest athlete of the 20th century, if not ever. He won the gold medal in both pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Summer Olympic Games in Stockholm, and was praised by King Gustav V of Sweden as the world's greatest athlete. His medals were taken away because it was discovered that he had briefly played professional baseball several years earlier, but the medals were reinstated and commemorative medals were presented to two of his children 70 years later. Mr. Thorpe played major league baseball with the New York Giants, but his favourite sport was football. He achieved stardom with Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and starred with seven different NFL teams in the 1920s. Mr. Thorpe briefly served as the first president of the American Professional Football Association in 1922, shortly before the league changed its name to the National Football League. He's a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, and was inducted as a charter member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1963. A fictionalized account of his feats, Jim Thorpe--All-American, was a popular movie in 1951, starring Burt Lancaster. Mr. Thorpe himself appeared in several movies, including White Heat (1949), where he was one of the prisoners whispering information about Cody Jarrett's mother in the prison cafeteria. He died on March 28, 1953 at the age of 65.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Sepp Dietrich. German military officer. Waffen-SS Oberst-Gruppenführer Dietrich was Fuehrer Adolf Hitler's chauffeur and bodyguard, but advanced his position as a result of the Night of the Long Knives on June 30, 1934. He commanded the 6th Panzer Army during the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944-early 1945. Mr. Dietrich was imprisoned from 1945-1955 for war crimes and from 1957-1958 for his role in the Night of the Long Knives. He died on April 21, 1966 at the age of 75.

Minna Gombell. U.S. actress. Miss Gombell was a character actress who appeared in numerous plays and movies such as The Thin Man (1934); Block-Heads (1938); and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). She died on April 14, 1973 at the age of 80.

Environment
John Muir founded the Sierra Club in San Francisco.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Papa John Creach. U.S. musician. Mr. Creach was a blues violinist who played on recording sessions with the rock groups Jefferson Airplane and its successor, Jefferson Starship in the 1970s, while also being a member of the band Hot Tuna. He died on February 22, 1994 at the age of 76.

Barry Commoner. U.S. ecologist. Dr. Commoner was one of the founders of the modern environmental movement, arguing that capitalist technologies were responsible for environmental degradation, rather than overpopulation. His books included Science and Survival (1966) and The Closing Circle (1971). Dr. Commoner died on September 30, 2012 at the age of 95.

Protest
3,000 white men began a race riot against Negroes in East St. Louis, Illinois.

90 years ago
1927

Economics and finance
The Canadian House of Commons approved the Old Age Pension Plan for those over 70 years of age with a demonstrable need, who passed a means test. It was the federal government's first major venture into public welfare.

80 years ago
1937

Died on this date
Alfred Adler, 67. Austro-Hungarian born psychiatrist. Dr. Adler began his medical career as an opthalmologist before changing to psychiatry. He studied with Sigmund Freud and was president of the Vienna Psychoanaytic Society in 1910, but split from Dr. Freud a year later. Dr. Adler founded the school of psychotherapy known as individual psychology; he emphasized the importance of overcoming feelings of inferiority, which likely came from his personal history as a child of below-average size. When Dr. Adler became successful, Dr. Freud offered the scholarly comment, "I made a pygmy great."

Politics and government
Stanley Baldwin retired as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and was succeeded by Neville Chamberlain. Mr. Baldwin's last act as Prime Minister was to raise the salaries of Members of Parliament from £400 a year to £600--the first raise since 1911--and to give the Leader of the Opposition a salary.

Business
The German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen was founded.

75 years ago
1942

War
Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho asked the Mexican Congress to declare war on Germany, Italy, and Japan. In retaliation for the assassination attempt on Reinhard Heydrich, Nazis in Czechoslovakia killed over 1,800 people. The German High Command announced that the "battle of encirclement south of Kharkov had resulted in an outstanding victory," with 165,000 prisoners counted. German forces in Libya split into two columns, attacking British troops at Bir Hacheim and El Gazala. Chinese forces abandoned the Chekiang provincial capital of Kinwha to the Japanese.

Diplomacy
Acting Argentine President Ramon Castillo indicated that Argentina would continue its policy of strict neutrality and not break with the Axis.

Labour
U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle overruled the Immigration Appeals Board and ordered the deportation of Australian native and California Congress of Industrial Organizations leader Harry Bridges on the grounds that he had been a member of the Communist Party since his arrival in the United States in 1920.

70 years ago
1947

Died on this date
August Eigruber, 40. Austrian politician. SS-Obergruppenführer Eigruber was Nazi Gauleiter of Reichsgau Oberdonau (Upper Danube) and Landeshauptmann of Upper Austria in the mid-late 1930s,, and Reichstatthalter (Reich Governor) of Oberdonau from 1942-1945. He was convicted of crimes against humanity for atrocities that took place at Malthausen concentration camp, and was hanged at Landsberg Prison. 25 other Malthausen guards were also hanged, after 22 had been hanged the previous day.

Literature
Inside U.S.A. by John Gunther was published in New York by Harper.

Diplomacy
Fazi el-Kawukji, leader of the Palestinian Arab revolt in 1936-1939, threatened war against the Jews of Palestine if the United Nations Palestine Inquiry Commission made recmmendations unfavourable to the Arabs.

Americana
A bill granting U.S. citizenship to the inhabitants of Guam was endorsed by the Interior, State, War, and Navy secretaries, and submitted by the House of Representatives Public Lands Committee.

Politics and government
Two days after recapturing power in a coup, Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza assumed control of the country's armed forces.

Religion
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. ended in Grand Rapids, Michigan after passing resolutions against women ministers, peacetime military conscription, and federal aid to education.

Labour
The week-old strike of Ford Motor Company supervisory workers demanding representation by the Foremen's Association of America spread to the company's plant in Buffalo, New York.

60 years ago
1957

War
Cuban Army troops clashed with guerrillas in the Sierra del Cristal area, killing 16 rebels, according to government reports. In other fighting, guerrilla leader Fidel Castro's forces killed 11 government soldiers.

Diplomacy
Following three days of talks in Washington, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer issued a commuique endorsing a U.S.-U.S.S.R.-U.K.-France foreign ministers meeting on German reunification and a preliminary arms control agreement.

The Jordanian Army accused the Syrian Army had plotted with hired assassins and Communists to remove King Hussein from power.

Health
Sources in the Philippines reported 185 deaths in an influenza epidemic.

Baseball
National League club owners met in Chicago and voted unanimously to allow the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to move to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Amarsi un po'--Lucio Battisti (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Swiss Lady--Pepe Lienhard Band (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): You're My World--Guys 'n' Dolls (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Have I the Right?--Dead End Kids (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K (BMRB): I Don't Want to Talk About It/The First Cut is the Deepest--Rod Stewart (2nd week at #1)

Rhodesia's Top 10 (Lyons Maid)
1 Love Me--Yvonne Elliman
2 Fairytale--Dana
3 Don't Leave Me this Way--Thelma Houston
4 Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington
5 If You Leave Me Now--Chicago
6 Afternoon Delight--Starland Vocal Band
7 Blue Water--Julian Laxton Band
8 Isn't She Lovely--David Parton
9 Wild Side of Life--Status Quo
10 Living Next Door to Alice--The Dreamers

Singles entering the chart were Chanson d'Amour by the Manhattan Transfer (#16); Secrets by the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver (#18); and Monday Morning by Fleetwood Mac (#19).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Sir Duke--Stevie Wonder (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Sir Duke--Stevie Wonder
2 I'm Your Boogie Man--K.C. and the Sunshine Band
3 When I Need You--Leo Sayer
4 Dreams--Fleetwood Mac
5 Got to Give it Up Pt. 1--Marvin Gaye
6 Southern Nights--Glen Campbell
7 Couldn't Get it Right--Climax Blues Band
8 Lonely Boy--Andrew Gold
9 Angel in Your Arms--Hot
10 Lucille--Kenny Rogers

Singles entering the chart were I'm in You by Peter Frampton (#51); Easy by the Commodores (#81); Just a Song Before I Go by Crosby, Stills and Nash (#83); Barracuda by Heart (#85); Watch Closely Now by Kris Kristofferson (#91); It Feels So Good to Be Loved So Bad by the Manhattans (#92); Lady (Put the Light on Me) by Brownsville Station (#94); I Don't Love You Anymore by Teddy Pendergrass (#95); People in Love by 10 C.C. (#97); and Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy by Marlena Shaw (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 When I Need You--Leo Sayer (2nd week at #1)
2 Southern Nights--Glen Campbell
3 Right Time of the Night--Jennifer Warnes
4 I'm Your Boogie Man--K.C. and the Sunshine Band
5 Angel in Your Arms--Hot
6 Sir Duke--Stevie Wonder
7 Hotel California--Eagles
8 Lido Shuffle--Boz Scaggs
9 Couldn't Get it Right--Climax Blues Band
10 Dreams--Fleetwood Mac

Singles entering the chart were Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky") by Maynard Ferguson (#85); Can't Stop Myself from Loving You by Octavian (#91); Da Doo Ron Ron by Shaun Cassidy (#93); Slow Down by John Miles (#94); You're Moving Out Today by Bette Midler (#96); I'm Going Down by Rose Royce (#97); High on Love by Elliot Randall (#98); So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away) by Dave Mason (#99); and While I'm Alone by Maze (#100).

Disasters
A fast-spreading fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky killed 165 people and injured more than 200 others.

30 years ago
1987

On television tonight
Our World, hosted by Linda Ellerbee and Ray Gandolf, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Dangerous Assumptions: Spring 1953

This was the 26th and last episode of the series.



World events
Mathias Rust, a 19-year-old resident of Hamburg, West Germany, flew a single-engine Cessna from Helsinki across 400 miles of Soviet air space and landed in Moscow’s Red Square, just a few yards from the Kremlin Wall. Mr. Rust left his plane and visited with onlookers before being seized and imprisoned.



Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Edmonton 2 @ Philadelphia 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Brian Propp and J.J. Daigneault scored 1 minute 24 seconds apart in the 3rd period to complete a comeback from a 2-0 deficit as the Flyers edged the Oilers at the Spectrum.



25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Why Me--Linda Martin

Economics and finance
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at a record high of 3,398.43.

Sport
Dave Steen, bronze medal winner in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, was named to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Chicago 1 @ Pittsburgh 3 (Pittsburgh led best-of-seven series 2-0)

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): MMMBop--Hanson

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
David Lane, 68. U.S. white nationalist leader. Mr. Lane co-founded the white supremacist organization The Order, which was responsible for the 1984 murder of radio talk show host Alan Berg. Mr. Lane was the getaway driver, and was sentenced to 190 years in prison for his role in the crime; he died of an epileptic seizure in prison.

Marquise Hill, 24. U.S. football player. Mr. Hill was a defensive end with the Louisiana State University Tigers from 2001-2003, and was a member of the national championship team in 2003. He played with the New England Patriots from 2004-2006, and was a member of the team that won the 2005 Super Bowl. Mr. Hill and friend Ashley Blazio fell off a jet ski into Lake Ponchartrain, with neither wearing lifejackets; he kept her afloat and she was rescued, but he died.

Politics and government
Robert Ghiz, son of former Premier Joe Ghiz, led the Liberal Party to victory in the Prince Edward Island provincial election, ending 11 years of Progressive Conservative government. The Liberals captured 23 of 27 seats in the Legislative Assembly, with the PCs, led by Premier Pat Binns, taking the remaining 4 seats--the exact reversal of the parties' standing going into the election.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Ottawa 2 @ Anaheim 3 (Anaheim led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Travis Moen scored with 2:51 left in regulation time to break a 2-2 tie as the Ducks edged the Senators at Honda Center.