June 24, 2017

520 years ago
1497

Exploration
Giovanni Caboto Montecataluna--whose name has been anglicized to John Cabot--a hired Genoese seaman, reached Newfoundland (some argue Cape Breton) on the Matthew with his sons after a 35-day voyage, his second voyage. The expedition was underwritten by Bristol merchants and backed by King Henry VI, and Mr. Caboto claimed the region for England. It was the first European discovery of North America since Vikings.

575 years ago
1542

Born on this date
John of the Cross. Spanish mystic. John of the Cross, born Juan de Yepes y Álvarez, was a Roman Catholic priest and prior in the Carmelite Order who, with Teresa of Ávila, helped to found the movement eventually known as Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites. He died of erysipelas on December 14, 1591 at the age of 49, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726 as St. John of the Cross.

420 years ago
1597

Exploration
The first Dutch voyage to the East Indies reached Banten, Java.

300 years ago
1717

Abominations
The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), was founded in London.

200 years ago
1817

Died on this date
Thomas McKean, 83. U.S. politician and judge. Mr. McKean, a member of the Federalist and then Democratic-Republican Parties, represented Delaware in the Continental Congress (1774-1776, 1777-1783); President of Delaware (1777); President of the Continental Congress (1781); Chief Justice of Pennsylvania (1777-1789); and Governor of Pennsylvania (1799-1808).

75 years ago
1942

War
The U.S. Selective Service established the order by which men with dependents would be drafted, placing married men with children in the last category. The U.S.S.R. reported that German assaults on the Kharkov and Sevastopol fronts were continuing despite heavy losses. Chinese troops recaptured Kweiki on the Hangchow-nanchang railway in Kiangsi Province and Lishui, the last important Japanese-held air base in southern Chekiang Province.

Abominations
German forces destroyed the Czech village of Levzsaky and executed the entire adult population for allegedly "sheltering parachutists."

Politics and government
Roberto Ortiz resigned as President of Argentina because of poor health and failing eyesight.

N.Z. Prime Minister Peter Fraser announced in Wellington the creation of a 13-member war administration combining government and opposition leaders.

Dissenting from the latest report of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities, Rep. Jerry Voorhis (Democrat--California), a member of the committee said in Washington that the committee was guilty of "name-calling," and that every loyal American had the right "to disagree politically with [it] withouf being branded as subversive and un-American."

Economics and finance
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee voted to end the Civilian Conservation Corps, an employment program that had been initiated during the Depression in the 1930s.

70 years ago
1947

World events
Kenneth Arnold, an American pilot, reported seeing strange objects near Mount Rainier, Washington. He described them as "saucers skipping across the water," hence the term "flying saucers" was born.

A court in Baghdad handed down a death sentence for Iraqi Communist Party leader Yusuf Salman and two of his followers.

Politics and government
Ernst Reuter was named by Berlin's City Council as the city's permanent Mayor.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Mundt bill giving permanent status to the State Department's international cultural, education, and information programs, including Voice of America broadcasts.

Economics and finance
The French National Assembly approved Prime Minister Paul Ramadier's 135-billion franc austerity budget.

Polish Ambassador to the United States Josef Winiewicz informed the U.S. State Department that Poland was eager to participate in the Marshall Plan.

U.K. and U.S. authorities rejected a proposed economic merger of their sectors of Berlin.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations Industrial Union of Marine and Ship Building Workers called a strike of 35,000 U.S. East Coast shipyard workers whose contract had expired, halting work on 79 major merchant and naval vessels.

Academia
U.S. Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower accepted the presidency of Columbia University, promising to assume the post after retiring as Army chief of staff.

Boxing
Sugar Ray Robinson (79-1-1) retained his world welterweight title with a technical knockout of Jimmy Doyle (42-7-3) in the 8th round at Cleveland Arena. Mr. Doyle died the next day.

Golf
Jim Ferrier defeated Chick Harbert 2 and 1 to win the PGA Championship at Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield Michigan. First prize money was $3,500.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Love Letters in the Sand/Bernardine--Pat Boone (Best Seller--4th week at #1); Love Letters in the Sand--Pat Boone (Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1; Top 100--3rd week at #1)

Law
In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that obscenity was not protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the 1954 convictions of six Communist Party leaders in Detroit and ordered a new trial on the grounds that the Smith Act did not make it a crime to teach or advocate violent overthrow of the government as an "abstract principle."

Defense
Following two days of talks in Baghdad, King Faisal of Iraq and King Hussein of Jordan issued a joint statement pledging to defend each other and condemning intervention by other Arab states in their internal affairs.

U.S. physicists Edward Teller, Ernest Lawrence, and Mark Mills issued a report claiming that readioactive fallout from hydrogen bomb detonations had been reduced by 95% and that further work could produce a bomb with "essentially negligible" radiation.

Energy
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to President Dwight D. Eisenhower a bill requiring authorization of the Joint Atomic Energy Committee and Congress before any atomic power plant could be built by the government or by private industry with federal aid.

Boxing
British Empire featherweight champion Hogan "Kid" Bassey (52-11-2) became the first Nigerian to win a world title when he scored a technical knockout of Cherif Hamia (30-2-2) of Algeria in the 10th round at Palais des Sports in Paris to win the world featherweight title that had been vacated by the retirement of Sandy Saddler.



50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): This is My Song--Petula Clark (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France: A Whiter Shade of Pale--Procol Harum (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): A chi--Fausto Leali (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Puppet on a String--Sandie Shaw (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): A Whiter Shade of Pale--Procol Harum (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): A Whiter Shade of Pale--Procol Harum (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Groovin'--The Young Rascals (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Groovin'--The Young Rascals (3rd week at #1)
2 She'd Rather Be with Me--The Turtles
3 Windy--The Association
4 Respect--Aretha Franklin
5 Little Bit o' Soul--The Music Explosion
6 Somebody to Love--Jefferson Airplane
7 Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)--Engelbert Humperdinck
8 Can't Take My Eyes Off You--Frankie Valli
9 Sunday Will Never Be the Same--Spanky and Our Gang
10 7 Rooms of Gloom--Four Tops

Singles entering the chart were Jackson (#51)/You Only Live Twice (#97) by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra; Carrie-Anne by the Hollies (#55); Don't Go Out Into the Rain (You're Going to Melt) by Herman's Hermits (#58); White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane (#59); A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum (#60); Somebody Help Me by the Spencer Davis Group (#71); For Your Love by Peaches and Herb (#73); Soothe Me by Sam and Dave (#76); Hypnotized by Linda Jones (#78); Silence is Golden by the Tremeloes (#79); I'll Always Have Faith in You by Carla Thomas (#80); Airplane Song (My Airplane) by the Royal Guardsmen (#86); Daylight Savin' Time by Keith (#89); Little Miss Sunshine by Tommy Roe (#93); I Stand Accused (Of Loving You) by the Glories (#95); You were on My Mind by Crispian St. Peters (#96); and My World Fell Down by Sagittarius (#100). You Only Live Twice was the title song of the movie.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 She'd Rather Be with Me--The Turtles
2 Mirage--Tommy James and the Shondells
3 Somebody to Love--Jefferson Airplane
4 Him or Me - What's it Gonna Be?--Paul Revere and the Raiders
5 Respect--Aretha Franklin
6 Little Bit o' Soul--The Music Explosion
7 All I Need--The Temptations
8 Come on Down to My Boat--Every Mother's Son
9 Here Comes My Baby--The Tremeloes
10 Let's Live for Today--The Grass Roots

Singles entering the chart were Woman Like That, Yeah by Joe Tex (#72); Somebody Help Me by the Spencer Davis Group (#74); Daylight Savin' Time by Keith (#76); This Time Long Ago by the Guess Who (#84); Carrie-Anne by the Hollies (#85); Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by the Buckinghams (#86); Silence is Golden by the Tremeloes (#87); Love Me Tender by Percy Sledge (#90); Soothe Me by Sam and Dave (#91); Step Out of Your Mind by the American Breed (#92); Airplane Song (My Airplane) by the Royal Guardsmen (#93); You Wanted Someone to Play With (I Wanted Someone to Love) by Frankie Laine (#94); Terry's Theme (Do it to 'Em) by the B.T.B. 4 (#96); He's in Town by the Townsmen (#98); No Good to Cry by the Wildweeds (#99); and I'll Always Have Faith in You by Carla Thomas (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Windy--The Association (3rd week at #1)
2 San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)--Scott McKenzie
3 Come on Down to My Boat--Every Mother's Son
4 She'd Rather Be with Me--The Turtles
5 Don't Sleep in the Subway--Petula Clark
6 Round Round--Jonathan King
7 Little Bit o' Soul--The Music Explosion
8 Hip Hug-Her--Booker T. and the M.G.'s
9 A Whiter Shade of Pale--Procol Harum
10 Let's Live for Today--The Grass Roots

Singles entering the chart were The Flower Children by Marcia Strassman (#29); Out and About by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart (#37); Don't Go Out Into the Rain (You're Going to Melt) by Herman's Hermits (#40); Jackson/You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra (#44); Mary in the Morning by Al Martino (#45); Step Out of Your Mind by the American Breed (#48); Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by the Buckinghams (#49); and Somebody Help Me by the Spencer Davis Group (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)--Scott McKenzie
2 Little Bit o' Soul--The Music Explosion
3 Come on Down to My Boat--Every Mother's Son
4 Windy--The Association
5 Let's Live for Today--The Grass Roots
6 The Flower Children--Marcia Strassman
7 The Tracks of My Tears--Johnny Rivers
8 Don't Sleep in the Subway--Petula Clark
9 Sound of Love--The Five Americans
10 She'd Rather Be with Me--The Turtles

Singles entering the chart were Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison (#24); Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by the Buckinghams (#25); Don't Go Out Into the Rain (You're Going to Melt) by Herman's Hermits (#28); More Love by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (#29); and Jackson by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood (#30).

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Ain't that Just the Way--Barbi Benton (8th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ma Baker--Boney M. (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Rockollection--Laurent Voulzy (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
André-Gilles Fortin, 33. Canadian politician. Mr. Fortin represented the Quebec riding of Lotbinière in the House of Commons--first, as a member of the Ralliement Créditiste, and then as a member of the Social Credit Party of Canada, after the factions reunited in 1971--from 1968 until his death. He succeeded Réal Caouette as leader of the Social Credit Party on November 7, 1976, and was making efforts to rebuild the party's declining support when he was killed in a car accident, likely as a result of falling asleep while driving, on the Trans-Canada Highway between Montreal and Quebec City. Mr. Fortin was succeeded as Social Credit leader by Mr. Caouette's son Gilles.

Personal
This blogger completed classes in Grade 11 at Henry Wise Wood High School in Calgary.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Jackie Gleason, 71. U.S. actor and bandleader. “The Great One” was one of television’s biggest stars from 1949-1971, starting with The Life of Riley (1949-1950). He created a number of characters for skits on The Jackie Gleason Show, none more popular or enduring than bus driver Ralph Kramden, the main character of “The Honeymooners.” The Honeymooners became a separate series in 1955-56, but the ratings weren’t as high as for Mr. Gleason’s variety show, so the series was cancelled after one season, and the variety show returned, incorporating “The Honeymooners” skits. Mr. Gleason had appeared in minor roles in movies in the 1940s (often as "Jackie C. Gleason"), and appeared in major roles in such films as The Hustler (1961); Gigot (1962); Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962); Papa’s Delicate Condition (1963); Soldier in the Rain (1963); Skidoo (1968); Smokey and the Bandit (1977); and Nothing in Common (1986). Despite not being able to read music, Mr. Gleason had a good ear, and he directed an orchestra that recorded best-selling albums with titles such as Music for Lovers Only and Music to Change Her Mind.

Terrorism
The Organization for the Defense of Free People freed the son of the Lebanese defense minister and his driver, who had been kidnapped in Beirut a week earlier. American Broadcasting Company correspondent Charles Glass, who had also been kidnapped on June 17, remained in custody.

Football
CFL
The day before they were to open their regular season in Toronto, the Montreal Alouettes folded. This blogger first heard the news on the radio just after 4 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time while working on an all-night assignment for library school.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Abba-esque (EP)--Erasure

20 years ago
1997

Died on this date
Brian Keith, 75. U.S. actor. Mr. Keith, the son of actor Robert Keith, originally acted under the name Robert Keith, Jr. in a career that started at the age of 2 when he appeared in a silent movie. He was best known for his starring roles in the television series Family Affair (1966-1971) and Hardcastle and McCormick (1983-1986). Mr. Keith was suffering from emphysema and lung cancer when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which some believe may have been accidental.

World events
The U.S. Air Force released The Roswell Report, closing the case on the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico incident involving an unidentified flying object, saying that the alien bodies witnesses reported seeing were actually life-sized dummies.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Chris Benoit, 40. Canadian wrestler. Mr. Benoit, a native of Montreal who grew up in St. Albert, Alberta, held 22 championship belts in various circuits in a 22-year professional career, which began with Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling in 1985. Mr. Benoit hanged himself two days after strangling his wife Nancy, 43, and their son Daniel, 7, at their home in Fayetteville, Georgia. A post-mortem neurological exam found that Mr. Benoit had such severe brain damage that his brain resembled that of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's disease patient, and it was said that he would have required institutionalization within seven years. He had wrestled as recently as June 19, and was scheduled to wrestle on the following weekend.

Religion
Anglican Church of Canada bishops narrowly overturned a vote to approve sodomite/lesbian unions.

Horse Racing
Emma-Jayne Wilson, 25, became the first female jockey to win the Queen's Plate in its 148-year history, riding Mike Fox to victory at Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, Ontario in a time of 2:05.45.