April 13, 2019

500 years ago
1519

Born on this date
Catherine de' Medici. Queen consort of France, 1547-1559. Catherine, the daughter of Lorenzo II de' Medici and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne, married the future King Henry II of France in 1533, and became queen consort when he acceded to the throne in 1547. She was the mother of kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III, serving as regent for Charles IX from 1560-1563. Queen Catherine, perhaps the most powerful woman in Europe in the 16th century, died on January 5, 1689 at the age of 69.

225 years ago
1794

Died on this date
Nicolas Chamfort, 53. French author and playwright. Mr. Chamfort, born Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, was known for his epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to his cousin the Prince de Condé in the late 1770s, but supported the French Revolution and was one of the first to enter the Bastille when it was stormed in 1789. Mr. Chamfort eventually turned against the excesses of the revolution, and attempted suicide in September 1793; he was unsuccessful, but suffered greatly until his death, a week after his 53rd birthday.

190 years ago
1829

Politics and government
The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 received royal assent, giving Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom the right to vote and to sit in Parliament.

170 years ago
1849

Europeana
Lajos Kossuth presented the Hungarian Declaration of Independence in a closed session of the National Assembly.

160 years ago
1859

Academia
By an Act of the Legislature, King's College was transformed into the University of New Brunswick, with its new charter guaranteeing a non-denominational provincial institution open to all students regardless of religious persuasion.

130 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Herbert Yardley. U.S. cryptographer. Mr. Yardley founded and led the American Black Chamber, a cryptographic organization, breaking Japanese codes during the Washington Naval Conference of 1921-1922. He helped the Chinese Nationalists from 1938-1940 in breaking Japanese codes, and worked briefly for the Canadian government in 1941. Mr. Yardley died on August 7, 1958 at the age of 69, after suffering a stroke.

125 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Arthur Fadden. Prime Minister of Australia, 1941. Sir Arthur, a member of the Country Party, served in the federal House of Representatives from 1936-1958. On August 29, 1941, he became Prime Minister when he was chosen to lead the United Australia Party, a coalition between the Country Party and the National Party that formed the government. Mr. Fadden's budget was defeated on a vote in the House of Representatives on October 3, and Mr. Fadden submitted his government's resignation to Governor General Lord Gowrie that day. Opposition leader John Curtin was officially sworn in as Prime Minister on October 7, ending Mr. Fadden's brief time in office. Sir Arthur died on April 21, 1973, eight days after his 79th birthday.

Joie Ray. U.S. runner. Mr. Ray was a distance runner who set world records for 1 mile and 2 miles. He represented the United States in the Summer Olympic Games in 1920, 1924, and 1928, winning a bronze medal in the 3,000-metre team run in 1924. Mr. Ray died on May 13, 1978, a month after his 84th birthday.

120 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Harold Osborn. U.S. athlete. Mr. Osborn won gold medals in the decathlon and men's high jump at the 1924 Summer Olympic Games in Paris; he remains the only competitor to win gold medals in the decathlon and an individual event. Mr. Osborn competed in the high jump in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, just failing to win a medal. He died on April 5, 1975, eight days before his 76th birthday.

Alfred Mosher Butts. U.S. architect and game creator. Mr. Butts was unemployed in the early 1930s when he invented the board game Scrabble, which combined crossword puzzles and anagrams. He eventually sold he rights to the game to James Brunot. Mr. Butts also created Alfreds Other Game, a word game which first appeared in 1985. He died on April 4, 1993, nine days before his 94th birthday.

Died on this date
James Service, 75. U.K.-born Australian politician. Mr. Service, a native of Scotland, moved to Australia in 1853, and became a businessman and banker in Melbourne. He had a career in politics spanning more than 40 years, and served as Premier of Victoria from March-August 1880 and 1883-1886.

110 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Eudora Welty. U.S. authoress. Miss Welty wrote novels and short stories about the American South in a career spanning more than 50 years, and received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1973 for her novel The Optimist's Daughter. She died on July 23, 2001 at the age of 92.

World events
The Ottoman countercoup of 1909 took place. It was an attempt to dismantle the Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire and replace it with an autocracy under Sultan/Caliph Abdul Hamid II. The countercoup was overthrown 11 days later.

100 years ago
1919

Born on this date
Madalyn Murray O'Hair. U.S. atheist. Mrs. O'Hair founded American Atheists in 1963; she was best known for initiating the case Murray v. Curlett, resulting in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1963 that compulsory Bible-reading in public schools was unconstitutional. Her son Bill, the named plaintiff in the case, became a Christian in 1980 and was disowned by his mother. Jon Garth Murray, Bill's half-brother, was named president of American Atheists in 1986, although his mother still effectively ran the organization. Mrs. O'Hair, Jon Garth Murray, and her granddaughter Robin Murray O'Hair disappeared from Austin, Texas and were murdered on September 29, 1995; Mrs. O'Hair was 76 at the time of her death. Former American Atheists employee and convicted felon David Roland Waters was convicted of the murders, and led authorities to the bodies in 2001. It's ironic that the deceased spent their lives fighting against God and His people, and were murdered by one of their own.

Howard Keel. U.S. actor and singer. Mr. Keel acted in Broadway musicals before starring in movie musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun (1950); Show Boat (1951); Calamity Jane (1953); Kiss Me Kate (1953); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954); and Kismet (1955). He was a member of the cast of the television series Dallas from 1981-1991. Mr. Keel died on November 7, 2004 at the age of 85.

Abominations
British troops gunned down at least 379 unarmed demonstrators in Amritsar, India; at least 1,200 were wounded.

90 years ago
1929

At the movies
The Letter, directed by Jean di Limur, and starring Jeanne Eagels and O.P. Heggie, opened in theatres.



80 years ago
1939

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

Roy Conacher scored in the 1st and 3rd period, and Frank Brimsek posted a shutout in goal as the Bruins blanked the Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Baseball
The New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 13-5 in a spring training game in Norfolk, Virginia. New York first baseman Lou Gehrig, who had had a poor spring, had 4 hits in 5 at bats, including 2 home runs. They were the last home runs he ever hit.

75 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Cécile Chaminade, 76. French musician and composer. Miss Chaminade was a popular concert pianist from the 1870s through the 1910s. She composed Romantic piano works and songs; her works were popular in their time, but became forgotten after her death, although they've received some radio airplay in recent years.

War
Soviet forces captured the Crimean capital of Simferopol and the ports of Feodosia and Yevpatoria. Australian forces occupied Bogadjim on the north coast of New Guinea and made contact with enemy patrols along the road to the larger base of Madang.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. and New Zealand agreed to establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors.

Politics and government
Judge Delbert Metzger rejected the testimony of U.S. Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz and U.S. Army Lieutenant General Robert Richardson that martial law was still necessary, and ruled that military government in Hawaii was invalid.

U.S. Senator Burnet Maybank (Democrat--South Carolina) said that southern states would resist the U.S. Supreme Court ruling opening primary elections to Negroes.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Chicago 4 @ Montreal 5 (OT) (Montreal won best-of-seven series 4-0)

Toe Blake scored at 9:12 of the 1st overtime period at the Montreal Forum to give the Canadiens their first Stanley Cup championship since 1931. The Black Hawks led 4-1 halfway through the 3rd period, but Elmer Lach scored his second goal of the game at 10:02 to make it 4-2, and Rocket Richard scored at 16:05 and 17:20 to tie the score. George Allen scored twice for Chicago.

70 years ago
1949

War
Israel and Syria agreed to a cease-fire pending continued armistice talks.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly's Steering Committee delayed a final decision on Israel's admission to the UN, to indicate disapproval of Israeli opposition to the internalization of Jerusalem.

Defense
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a $15-billion defense budget for fiscal 1950, including funds for a 70-group Air Force.

Crime
Frank Meyer, former director of Communist educational activities in Chicago, appeared as a prosecution witness in the New York trial of 11 U.S. Communist leaders, and testified that Party courses advocated the violent overthrow of American democracy.

Energy
U.S. President Harry Truman urged Congress to authorize the creation of a Columbia Valley Administration, modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority, to provide federal power, irrigation, and flood control programs for the Pacific Northwest.

Economics and finance
The Western Allies announced their willingness to let West Germany keep most factories currently marked for dismantling as reparations.

Business
Montgomery Ward board chairman Sewell Avery gained control over the company, following the resignation of four vice presidents in a management dispute.

Disasters
The Pacific Northwest of North America's worst recorded earthquake struck a 150,000-square-mile area in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia, causing eight deaths.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 1 @ Toronto 3 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Bill Ezinicki, Ted Kennedy, and Gus Mortson scored to give the Maple Leafs their win over the Red Wings at Maple Leaf Gardens. Jack Stewart scored to give Detroit an early lead. Turk Broda outdueled Harry Lumley in goal.

Basketball
BAA
Finals
Washington 56 @ Minneapolis 77 (Minneapolis won best-of-seven series 4-2)

George Mikan scored 29 points to lead the Lakers over the Capitols before 10,482 fans at Minneapolis Auditorium. Kleggie Hermsen led Washington scorers with 12 points. It was the first BAA championship for the Lakers and the last game for the Basketball Association of America before it merged with the National Basketball League to become the National Basketball Association.

60 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mariquilla--José Luís y su Guitarra (9th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
2 Venus--Frankie Avalon
3 Pink Shoe Laces--Dodie Stevens
4 It's Just a Matter of Time--Brook Benton
5 Tragedy--Thomas Wayne with the DeLons
6 Never Be Anyone Else But You--Ricky Nelson
7 Charlie Brown--The Coasters
8 (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I--Elvis Presley
9 Guitar Boogie Shuffle--The Virtues
10 I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye by Kathy Linden (#70); The Kissing Tree (#76)/Bonaparte's Retreat (#87) by Billy Grammer; The Walls Have Ears by Patti Page (#78); I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You) by Joni James (#81); I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself by Buddy Knox (#88); Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy by Annette (#90); I've Come of Age by Billy Storm (#91); Lonely for You by Gary Stites (#94); Quiet Village by Martin Denny (#95); My Heart is an Open Book by Carl Dobkins, Jr. (#96); Little Queenie by Chuck Berry (#98); You Can't Be True Dear by the Mary Kaye Trio (#99); and Kansas City by Wilbert Harrison (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I/I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)
2 Guitar Boogie Shuffle--The Virtues
3 It's Late/Never Be Anyone Else But You--Ricky Nelson
4 Venus--Frankie Avalon
5 Come Softly to Me--The Fleetwoods
6 Pink Shoe Laces--Dodie Stevens
7 The Tijuana Jail--The Kingston Trio
8 Sea Cruise--Frankie Ford
9 Raw-Hide--Link Wray and the Wraymen
10 It Doesn't Matter Anymore--Buddy Holly

Singles entering the chart were Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye by Kathy Linden (#53); Quiet Village by Martin Denny #58); I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself by Buddy Knox (#59); and Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy by Annette (#60).

Died on this date
Eduard van Beinum, 57. Dutch orchestra conductor. Mr. van Beinum began his musical career as a violinist and pianist before moving into conducting. He led several orchestras, most notably Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra, becoming second conductor in 1931 and eventually serving as principal conductor. Mr. van Beinum suffered from heart problems for years, and was conducting a rehearsal of the Concertgebouw Orchestra when he suffered a fatal heart attack on the podium.

Space
The U.S. Air Force launched a 1,600-pound Discoverer II satellite into a polar orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Diplomacy
The Indian Foreign Ministry announced that the exiled Dalai Lama would be given residence in Mussourie, a former Himalayan resort 150 miles from New Delhi.

Defense
James Wadsworth, U.S. delegation chief to the Geneva test ban talks, proposed a ban on all nuclear detonations in the lower atmosphere and underwater as part of a step-by-step international accord to prohibit all nuclear testing.

Arriving in New York for talks with U.S. military leaders, West German Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss said that he doubted that Soviet leaders would risk war for attainment of their demands in Europe.

Crime
Vito Genovese, alleged head of an international drug ring, was sentenced in New York to 15 years in prison and fined $20,000 for conspiracy to violate federal narcotics laws. He also became subject to deportation to his native Italy.

50 years ago
1969

Died on this date
Alfred Karindi, 67. Estonian conductor and composer. Mr. Karindi was an organist who taught music for many years and conducted choirs. He wrote choral music as well as works for organ, orchestral music, and chamber pieces.

World events
Four Muslims from the Basrah region of Iraq, charged with being spies for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, were hanged in Baghdad, bringing the number executed as spies since January to 26. Baghdad radio termed the hangings "a victory for the Palestinian cause and Vietnam."

Disasters
Melting snow was causing rivers in the Midwestern United States to swell to record levels against bolstered dikes, leaving 8,000 people homeless.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Los Angeles 5 @ Oakland 3 (Los Angeles won best-of-seven series 4-3)

Semi-Finals
Boston 3 @ Montreal 4 (OT) (Montreal led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Johnny Bucyk scored with 5:48 remaining in regulation time to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead, but Serge Savard scored with 1:09 remaining to tie the score, and Mickey Redmond scored at 4:55 of the 1st overtime period to give the Canadiens their second straight overtime win over the Bruins at the Montreal Forum.

CHL
Adams Cup
Finals
Dallas 2 @ Oklahoma City 5 (Oklahoma City led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Tom Webster scored 3 goals for the Blazers as they defeated the Black Hawks.

40 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Y.M.C.A.--Village People (10th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Dschinghis Khan--Dschinghis Khan

#1 single in France (IFOP): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (7th week at #1)

War
Rhodesian commandos raided the headquarters of the Patriotic Front in Lusaka, Zambia in an attempt to kill or kidnap guerrilla leader Joshua Nkomo. 10 were killed in the raid.

Diplomacy
In retaliation for South Africa's expulsion of three American embassy officials the previous day, the United States ordered two military attaches to leave Washington.

Hockey
The Calgary Wranglers defeated the Lethbridge Broncos 6-2, reducing the Broncos' lead in their Western Hockey League playoff series to 2 games to 1.

30 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Like a Prayer--Madonna (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): When Love Comes to Town--U2 featuring BB King

War
At least 6 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid on the West Bank village of Nahalin.

Scandal
The Wall Street securities firm Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. settled civil charges brought against it by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Under the settlement, DBL would be under probation for three years; would pay a fine of $15 million; would put $350 million in a fund for those injured by its violations; would dismiss junk-bond "king" Michael Milken; and would appoint or elect leaders acceptable to the SEC. DBL had previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

25 years ago
1994

Terrorism
A Palestinian suicide bomber detonated explosives in a bus station in Hadera, Israel, killing 5 Israelis and wounding about 30 others.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the index of consumer prices had risen 0.3% in March.

20 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Willi Stoph, 84. Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of East Germany, 1964-1973; 1976-1989. Mr. Stoph joined the Communist Party in 1931 and was one of the longest-serving members of East Germany's Communist government. He and his 44-member cabinet resigned on November 7, 1989 in response to public pressure.

War
Serbian troops briefly seized an Albanian border post.

Crime
"Dr." Jack Kevorkian was sentenced in Pontiac, Michigan to 10-25 years in prison for the second-degree murder of a man whose assisted suicide was videotaped and shown on the television news program 60 Minutes.

10 years ago
2009

Died on this date
Harry Kalas, 73. U.S. sportscaster. Mr. Kalas was best known as a baseball play-by-play broadcaster on radio. He called the games of the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League (1961-1964) and Houston Astros (1965-1970), but was best known as the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies (1971-2009). He also broadcast football games, and was a narrator for NFL Films. Mr. Kalas died of heart disease a few hours after collapsing in the press box of Nationals Park in Washington, where he was scheduled to call that night's game between the Phillies and the Washington Nationals.

Bruce Snyder, 69. U.S. football player and coach. Mr. Snyder was a fullback with the University of Oregon Ducks from 1960-1963, and began his college coaching career there as an assistant (1966-1972). He was an assistant coach at three other universities and with the Los Angeles Rams (1983-1986), but was better known as a head coach at the Utah State University (1976-1982); University of California (1987-1991); and Arizona State University (1992-2000), compiling a record of 125-106-6. Mr. Snyder won numerous awards in 1996, when he led the Sun Devils to a record of 11-1, and came within 19 seconds of winning the 1997 Rose Bowl. Mr. Snyder died of melanoma.

Mark Fidrych, 54. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Fidrych, nicknamed "The Bird" because of his resemblance to the character Big Bird on the television program Sesame Street, played with the Detroit Tigers from 1976-1980, compiling a record of 29-19 with an earned run average of 3.10 in 58 games. He made the Tigers as a non-roster player in spring training in 1976, and didn't make his first start until mid-May, but quickly became a sensation, talking to the ball, circling the mound after each out, and applauding and shaking hands with his teammates after they made spectacular plays. Mr. Fidrych finished the 1976 season with a 19-9 record, leading the American League in complete games (24) and earned run average (2.24), and was named the AL's Rookie of the Year. His starts accounted for two-thirds of the Tigers' home attendance in 1976. A knee injury in spring training delayed the start of Mr. Fidrych's 1977 season, and he lost his first two starts, but won six in a row before suffering a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, an injury that wasn't diagnosed until 1985. He lost his next two starts, and pitched just 16 major league games after that. Mr. Fidrych pitched in the minor leagues as a Boston Red Sox farmhand in 1981-1982, but his mechanics were faulty, and he was released after spring training in 1983. He returned to his native Massachusetts and lived on a farm with his family, never expressing bitterness about his short baseball career. Mr. Fidrych remained probably the most popular player in Detroit Tigers history. He died of accidental suffocation while working under his truck on his farm.