April 15, 2018

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Harold Riemer and Danielle Wessel!

280 years ago
1738

Opera
Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, premiered at King's Theatre, Haymarket, London.

230 years ago
1788

Died on this date
Giuseppe Bonno, 77. Austrian composer. Mr. Bonno composed a number of operas and oratorios, largely forgotten today.

225 years ago
1793

Died on this date
Foster Powell, 59. U.K. pedestrian. Mr. Powell was a long-distance walker, and had been called "the first English athlete of whom we have any record." He began his career in pedestrianism in 1764 by walking 50 miles in 7 hours, becoming a national celebrity. Mr. Powell walked 400 miles from London to York and back in 1773, and walked 100 miles in 21 hours 35 minutes in 1788.

130 years ago
1888

Died on this date
Matthew Arnold, 65. U.K. poet and author. Mr. Arnold, for both his poetry and prose, is highly regarded for addressing the intellectual and spiritual climate of England in the mid-late 19th century, particularly the decline in traditional religious belief.

125 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Vern Hughes. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Hughes played with the Baltimore Terrapins (1914), posing a 0-0 record with an earned run average of 3.18 in 3 games, batting 0 for 1. He died on September 26, 1961 at the age of 68.

100 years ago
1918

Baseball
Babe Ruth pitched a 4-hit complete game and drove in 2 runs to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Philadelphia Athletics 7-1 before 7,000 fans at Fenway Park in the American League regular season opener.

Elmer Miller had 3 hits to help the New York Yankees beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 before 13,000 fans in the season opener at Griffith Stadium in Washington. George Mogridge started on the mound for New York and allowed 5 hits and 3 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, but was credited with the win, while Walter Johnson pitched a complete game for Washington, allowing 11 hits and 4 earned runs.

90 years ago
1928

Aviation
Captain George H. Wilkins and Lieutenant Carl B. Eielson landed on Dead Man’s Island, near Spitzbergen, Norway, 10 hours and 20 minutes after leaving Point Barrow, Alaska.

A Canadian relief plane, with C.A. "Duke" Schiller and Dr. Louis Cuisinier aboard, arrived at Greenly Island from Sept-Iles, Quebec, to aid the crew of the Bremen, stranded on a transatlantic flight. Dr. Cuisinier stayed to help repair the Bremen, while Mr. Schiller left with Commandant James Fitzmaurice of the Bremen to a meeting with Miss Herta Junkers, daughter of the Bremen's builder. This flight was to take several days.

Adventure
Toichio Araki arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, nine days after he and Ryvkichi Matsui had departed Tokyo to circle the globe in opposite directions. Mr. Araki was heading east.

Americana
President Calvin Coolidge, at Statuary Hall, National Capitol, dedicated and accepted for the nation, as a gift from Tennessee, the statue of Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States.

75 years ago
1943

War
Allied bombers attacked a Japanese convoy off Wewak, New Guinea, sinking one and damaging two other merchant ships. U.S. planes bombed Munda, New Georgia Island and Vila on Kolombangara Island in the Solomons.

Politics and government
Dun and Bradstreet executive Arthur D. Whiteside was appointed War Production Board vice-chairman in charge of civilian requirements.

Medicine
The American Chemical Society revealed that a chemical compound known as 2,3,5 tri-iode-benzoic acid checked the growth of tuberculosis bacilli.

70 years ago
1948

At the movies
No Orchids for Miss Blandish, written, produced, and directed by St. John L. Clowes, and starring Jack La Rue, Hugh McDermott, and Linden Travers, opened in theatres in the United Kingdom.





Literature
Toward World Peace, former U.S. Vice President and current third-party presidential candidate Henry Wallace's statement on international politics, was published in New York by Harcourt, Brace.

Died on this date
Alfred Church Lane, 85. U.S. geologist. Dr. Lane authored 1,087 publications, served as Michigan's state geologist from 1899-1909, and was chairman for the Committee on the Measurement of Geologic Time for the National Research Council from 1922-1946.

Manuel Roxas, 56. 5th President of the Philippines, 1946-1948. Mr. Roxas, a member of the Nacionalista Party and then the Liberal Party, held numerous offices in a lengthy political career, serving as the 3rd and last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from May 28-July 4, 1946,and the 1st President of the Third Philippine Republic from July 4, 1946 until his death from a heart attack. He was succeeded by Vice President Elpidio Quirino.

World events
The Brazilian government began a roundup of Communists after an explosion at the Villa Military ammunition depot caused at least 34 deaths near Rio de Janeiro.

Defense
The U.S. House of Representatives authorized $822 million to increase the size of the Air Force, despite pleas from President Harry Truman and Defense Secretary James Forrestal for greater balance between the services in defense expenditures. The House also rejected a bill sponsored by Rep. Adam Clayton Powell (Democrat--New York) banning racial segregation in the Air Force.

Politics and government
Tennessee's Democratic Convention defeated a resolution opposing U.S. President Truman and voted to send its 40-man delegation to the Democratic National Convention without instructions.

Basketball
BAA
Finals
Philadelphia 70 @ Baltimore 72 (Baltimore led best-of-seven series 2-1)

60 years ago
1958

Space
U.S. Army rocket expert Wernher Von Braun told the House of Representatives Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration that the Army had asked the Defense Department for permission to shoot a man 150 miles into space.

Diplomacy
In an effort to break the deadlock on the definition of territorial waters at the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, the U.S.A. abandoned its traditional adherence to a 3-mile limit.

Foreign Ministers Alichiro Fujiyama of Japan and Subandrio of Indonesia met in Tokyo to complete ratification of a peace treaty and restore full diplomatic relations between the countries.

Politics and government
Former U.S. Representative Harrison Williams won the Democratic Party nomination and Rep. Robert Kean won the Republican Party nomination for in primary elections for the U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey held by retiring Senator H. Alexander Smith.

Crime
Colombian bandits killed 24 travellers in the Dolores Tolima area.

Labour
The Spanish Parliament approved a law giving unions the right to negotiate directly with employers in disputes involving wages and working conditions.

Business
Canadian Pacific opened the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal 1 @ Boston 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)

Baseball
Ruben Gomez pitched a 6-hitter and added 2 singles, a run, and a run batted in for the San Francisco Giants as they routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0 before 23,448 fans at Seals Stadium in San Francisco in the first major league game ever played in California, and the first for the former New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers since their relocations after the 1957 season. Among the players making their major league debuts was San Francisco first baseman Orlando Cepeda, who batted 1 for 5 with a solo home run, making 13 putouts and an assist, and participating in a double play.

R.C. Stevens, playing his first major league game, singled home Dick Groat with 2 out in the top of the 14th inning to break a 3-3 tie as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Milwaukee Braves 4-3 before 43,339 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Eddie Mathews hit 2 home runs for the Braves.

Ned Garver pitched a 7-hitter and had a single of his own to lead the Kansas City Athletics over the Cleveland Indians 5-0 before 35,307 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Herb Score started on the mound for Cleveland, allowing 4 hits and 3 runs--all earned--in 3 innings to take the loss in his first game since being hit in the eye by a line drive on May 7, 1957.

Don Larsen pitched a 4-hitter and Yogi Berra hit a home run to drive in the first 2 runs of a 3-run 7th inning as the New York Yankees shut out the Boston Red Sox 3-0 before 35,233 fans at Fenway Park in Boston in a game that was played in 1 hour 58 minutes. Losing pitcher Willard Nixon allowed 4 hits and 3 earned runs in 8 innings.

50 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Hana no Kubikazari/Ginga no Romance--The Tigers

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): I'm Coming Home--Tom Jones (4th week at #1)

War

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 213, which met in space with Cosmos 212, launched the previous day. The satellites met, coupled, rode together and decoupled automatically, showing a maneuvering capability not yet shown by the United States, although the U.S. had performed more manned dockings. They were coupled in space for 89.8 minutes, covering approximately 123-127 miles. Both satellites later landed softly in Soviet territory a day apart.

War
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson began three days of talks in Honolulu with U.S. military commanders in Vietnam and South Korean President Park Chung Hee.

Hockey
CPHL
Adams Cup
Semi-Finals
Fort Worth 6 @ Kansas City 3 (Fort Worth won best-of-five series 3-1)

Basketball
NBA
Eastern Division Finals
Boston 122 @ Philadelphia 104 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Baseball
Before 14,219 fans at the Astrodome, the New York Mets and Houston Astros played the longest game in National League history. The 6 hour 6 minute contest, in which each team had 79 at-bats and 11 hits, ended with 1 out in the bottom of the 24th inning when Bob Aspromonte's grounder went through the legs of shortstop Al Weis to give the Astros a 1-0 win. It set the mark as the longest NL game played to completion, the longest major league night game, and the first 23 innings were the longest major league scoreless game. The game tied the American League's longest complete game (Philadelphia Athletics 4, Boston Red Sox 1 in 24 innings on September 1, 1906).

Dal Maxvill tripled to lead off the top of the 10th inning and pinch runner Dick Simpson scored on a single by pinch hitter Johnny Edwards to break a 3-3 tie as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Atlanta Braves 4-3 before 11,738 fans at Atlanta Stadium.

Jim Lefebvre's 2-run home run off Bob Veale with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning climaxed a 3-run rally and gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 16,214 fans at Dodger Stadium. Mr. Veale carried a 2-0 lead into the 9th, but pinch hitter Bob Bailey led off with a double and advanced to third base on a single by Willie Davis, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Zoilo Versalles drove home Mr. Bailey with a ground out to shortstop, and Wes Parker struck out, but Mr. Lefebvre followed with his game-ending home run. Bill Singer pitched a 6-hit complete game, allowing 1 earned run, and was credited with the win; Mr. Veale allowed just 4 hits--3 in the 9th--in taking the loss. Cleo James made his major league debut as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers, striking out to end the 8th inning.

Ramon Webster drove in 3 runs with a home run and a double, and Reggie Jackson also homered for the Oakland Athletics as they beat the New York Yankees 6-3 before 8,579 fans at Yankee Stadium. Blue Moon Odom pitched a 7-hit complete game and had a single and run of his own to win the pitchers' duel over Mel Stottlemyre.

Camilo Pascual pitched a 7-hitter and added a single and run of his own to lead the Washington Senators over the California Angels 7-0 before 4,570 fans at District of Columbia Stadium. Sam Bowens drove in 2 runs with a home run and a double, and Ken McMullen also homered.

40 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Un'emozione da poco--Anna Oxa (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Rivers of Babylon--Boney M.

#1 single in Ireland: Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry's Song)--Brian and Michael (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry's Song)--Brian and Michael (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Night Fever--Bee Gees (5th week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees (2nd week at #1)
2 Only a Fool--The Mighty Sparrow with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
3 U.O. Me (You Owe Me)--Luv'
4 Wuthering Heights--Kate Bush
5 Argentina--Conquistador
6 Fantasy--Earth, Wind & Fire
7 Rosita--George Baker
8 Denis--Blondie
9 Come Back My Love--Darts
10 Same Old Song--Pussycat

Singles entering the chart were Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring by Boney M. (#13); With a Little Luck by Wings (#16); Amor, Amor by Rod McKuen (#25); and Substitute by Clout (#29).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Night Fever--Bee Gees (5th week at #1)
2 Can't Smile Without You--Barry Manilow
3 Dust in the Wind--Kansas
4 Lay Down Sally--Eric Clapton
5 If I Can't Have You--Yvonne Elliman
6 Jack and Jill--Raydio
7 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees
8 Running on Empty--Jackson Browne
9 Thunder Island--Jay Ferguson
10 Emotion--Samantha Sang

Singles entering the chart were Ego by Elton John (#49); Shadow Dancing by Andy Gibb (#51); Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty (#87); You Belong to Me by Carly Simon (#88); Ocean of Thoughts and Dreams by the Dramatics (#97); I Could Have Loved You by the Moments (#98); Do You Wanna Dance by the Ramones (#99); and The Groove Line by Heatwave (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Night Fever--Bee Gees (3rd week at #1)
2 Can't Smile Without You--Barry Manilow
3 Lay Down Sally--Eric Clapton
4 Dust in the Wind--Kansas
5 If I Can't Have You--Yvonne Elliman
6 Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees
7 Jack and Jill--Raydio
8 The Circle is Small--Gordon Lightfoot
9 Ebony Eyes--Bob Welch
10 Goodbye Girl--David Gates

Singles entering the chart were Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon (#78); You're the One that I Want by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (#80); That's Your Secret by Sea Level (#82); Kings and Queens by Aerosmith (#85); Never Get Enough of Your Love by L.T.D. (#89); Make You Feel Love Again by Wet Willie (#94); Every Kinda People by Robert Palmer (#96); Maybe Your Heart by Christopher Ward (#97); Wheel in the Sky by Journey (#98); Coming Home by the Ian Thomas Band (#99); and Bombs Away by Bob Weir (#100).

Terrorism
The kidnappers of Aldo Moro announced that the "trial" of the former Italian Prime Minister had been completed, and that he had been sentenced to death.

Politics and government
Patriotic Front thug Robert Mugabe said that the new Rhodesian state should have a one-party Marxist government.

Disasters
At least 43 people were killed and over 100 injured when two trains collided between Bologna and Florence, Italy.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Preliminary Round
New York Rangers 1 @ Buffalo 4 (Buffalo won best-of-three series 2-1)

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): I Should Be So Lucky--Kylie Minogue (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
Tales from the Gimli Hospital, written and directed by Guy Maddin, and starring Kyle McCulloch, Michael Gottli, and Angela Heck, received its premiere screening in Canada.

Died on this date
Kenneth Williams, 62. U.K. actor and comedian. Mr. Williams was a member of the cast of the BBC radio program Hancock's Half-Hour in the 1950s, and achieved greater popularity as one of the stars of the "Carry On" movies from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Youri Egorov, 33. U.S.S.R. musician. Mr. Egorov was a classical pianist who was a popular concert performer from 1978-1987. He made many recordings, especially of the compositions of Chopin, Scarlatti, and Schumann. Mr. Egorov was a sodomite who gave his last performance several months before his death from AIDS.

Defense
The U.S. Navy destroyed two mines in the Persian Gulf, near where the frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts had been struck the day before during Operation Earnest Will, protecting Kuwaiti oil tankers from attacks by Iran. President Ronald Reagan, persuaded that the mines were the work of Iran, approved an attack on two Iranian offshore oil platforms.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the index of prices charged by producers for finished goods had risen 0.6% in March.

25 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Fever--Madonna

Died on this date
Leslie Charteris, 86. Singapore-born U.K. writer. Mr. Charteris, born Leslie Bowyer-Yin, was best known for creating "The Saint" in a series of novels that served as the basis for a popular British television series in the 1960s. He also wrote scripts for the U.S. radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 1943-1944.

J. Tuzo Wilson, 85. Canadian geologist. Dr. Wilson was best known for devising the theory of plate tectonics, the idea that Earth's rigid outer layers--the lithosphere--are broken up into numerous plates that slide independently over the viscous asthenosphere, the mantle just underneath.

Economics and finance
The Group of Seven nations, meeting in Tokyo, agreed to $28 billion in aid to Russia to bolster Russian President Boris Yeltsin, with much of the aid dependent on austerity measures.

Hockey
NHL
Chicago 3 Toronto 2
Winnipeg 3 Edmonton 0

20 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Pol Pot, 73. Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea, 1976-1979. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge movement he led were behind the deaths of approximately 1.7 million Cambodians in the so-called "killing fields" during the late 1970s. Pol Pot, born Saloth Sar, became head of the underground Cambodian Communist Party in 1962 after becoming converted to Marxism while studying in Paris. He and his guerrillas came to power in 1975 after a war against the U.S.-backed Cambodian government. The dictator immediately set about realizing his vision of an agrarian utopia, abolishing money, private property and religion. His troops forced people to leave the cities to set up rural collectives where many thousands died of disease and starvation. Anyone suspected of being an "intellectual" was an enemy of the new state and hundreds of thousands of the educated middle-classes were tortured and executed. In 1997 Pol Pot was deposed as leader of the Khmer Rouge and a special Khmer Rouge tribunal sentenced him to life imprisonment at the movement's headquarters in northern Cambodia. News of Pol Pot's death came just hours after guerrilla officials said they were prepared to surrender him to end fighting with Cambodian government troops. However, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, closely involved in the U.S. bombing of Cambodia, said he thought the Khmer Rouge might have killed Pol Pot.

Literature
Mordecai Richler was awarded the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for his novel Barney's Version.

World events
Somali gunmen kidnapped nine Red Cross workers in Mogadishu, even as main faction leaders reached an agreement at a conference in Nairobi, Kenya to set up a new government.

Israel released Ahmad Qatamesh, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner held without trial. Mr. Qatamesh had been jailed on suspicion of being a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Baseball
The first-ever American League-National League doubleheader took place in New York. The Yankees were forced to come to Shea Stadium after a beam fell into the stands at Yankee Stadium on April 13. The Yankees earned their first victory in Queens in 22 years as they defeated the Anaheim Angels 6-3. Former Mets star Darryl Strawberry, the all-time home run leader at Shea, added to his total with a shot into the left field bleachers. In the regularly-scheduled night game, the Mets beat the Cubs 2-1. The Yankees, who played at Shea in 1974 and 1975 while Yankee Stadium was renovated, drew a crowd of 40,743, a dramatic contrast to the gathering of 16,012 who showed up for the Mets game at night.

Troy O'Leary, who had already hit a home run and scored another run, singled home John Valentin with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics before 18,477 fans at Fenway Park in Boston.

The Chicago White Sox scored 4 runs in the top of the 1st inning and held on to edge the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 before 46,546 fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Kevin Brown pitched a 4-hitter and hit 3 singles, and Greg Vaughn led off the 2nd inning with a home run for the only score as the San Diego Padres edged the San Francisco Giants 1-0 before 16,255 fans at 3Com Park at Candlestick Point in San Francisco.

10 years ago
2008

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference
Quarter-Finals
Montreal 1 @ Boston 0 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-1)
Washington 3 @ Philadelphia 6 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Western Conference
Quarter-Finals
San Jose 3 @ Calgary 2 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)
Minnesota 1 @ Colorado 5 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)
Anaheim 4 @ Dallas 2 (Dallas led best-of-seven series 2-1)