June 19, 2019

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Michael Martin!

840 years ago
1179

Died on this date
Erling Skakke, 63 or 64. Norwegian nobleman. Jarl (Earl) Skakke was the father of Magnus V, King of Norway from 1161-1184. Jarl Skakke was killed in the Battle of Kalvskinnet.

War
Forces commanded by Sverre Sigurdsson won the Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros, turning the tide of the Norwegian civil wars.

750 years ago
1269

Abominations
King Louis IX of France ordered all Jews found in public without an identifying yellow badge to be fined ten livres of silver.

225 years ago
1794

Canadiana
The first royal visit to New Brunswick occurred when His Royal Highness Edward Augustus, the Duke of Kent (son of King George III), visited Saint John and stayed in Chipman House. He also travelled to Fredericton, and was entertained by Governor Sir Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester, at Mansion House.

110 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Osamu Dazai. Japanese author. Mr. Dazai, born Shūji Tsushima, began publishing novels in the 1930s, but was best known for his later works, such as Shayō (The Setting Sun) (1947) and Ningen Shikkaku (No Longer Human) (1948). He was a drunkard with a history of suicide attempts; he and Tomie Yamazaki, his current lover, drowned themselves in the rain-swollen Tamagawa Canal near his house in Tokyo on June 13, 1948, six days before his 39th birthday.

100 years ago
1919

Born on this date
Pauline Kael. U.S. film critic. Miss Kael was the film critic for various publications, most notably The New Yorker (1968-1991). She was known for her emotional reviews, often contrary to those of most critics, and she influenced many younger movie critics. Miss Kael died on September 3, 2001 at the age of 82, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

80 years ago
1939

Baseball
New York Yankees' first baseman Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neuromuscular disease. He had pulled himself from the lineup on May 2 after playing 2,130 consecutive games from 1925 through April 30, 1939, but was batting just .143 in 8 games in 1939.

75 years ago
1944

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Man with the Twisted Lip

War
The Battle of the Philippine Sea began when the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet engaged the Japanese fleet. U.S. planes struck the Pas-de-Calais area of the French coast, knocking out more launching bases used for German V-1 "buzz bombs" directed against England. U.S. troops captured Bricquebec and reached a point 8 miles south of Cherbourg. British troops enterd Perugia, Italy. German forces holding Porto Longone on the west coast of Elba surrendered to French troops. The Soviet offensive in Finland advanced up to 14 miles.

Diplomacy
U.S. Representative John Coffee (Democrat--Washington) introduced a resolution into the House of Representatives to have the United States sever diplomatic relations with Spain.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau said that any agreements reached at the forthcoming Bretton Woods monetary conference would not be binding on the United States without Congressional approval.

Politics and government
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill granting independence to the Philippines and returned it to the Senate for concurrence with an amendment to grant independence as soon as constitutional processes were restored.

70 years ago
1949

On the radio
Pat Novak For Hire, starring Jack Webb, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Only Way to Make Frinds is to Die

Died on this date
Jagatjit Singh Bahadur, 76. Maharaja of Kapurthala, 1877-1947. Sir Jagatjit acceded to the throne of the princely state of Kapurthala at the age of 4, and assumed full powers in 1890. While serving under the British Raj, he represented India at three League of Nations Assemblies in the 1920s. The monarchy was abolished when Kapurthala became part of independent India in 1947, but Sir Jagatjit remained one of the world's richest men.

Diplomacy
Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) declared that the Communists had won the civil war, and expressed wilingness to establish diplomatic relations with "truly friendly" foreign countries.

Politics and government
French President Vincent Auriol and Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai signed an agreement establishng a semi-autonomous Vietnamese state. A referendum in France's northeastern Indian territory of Chandernagoreresulted in an overwhelming victory for union with India.

Abominations
German Freemasons, banned under the Nazis, met in Frankfurt and established a Masonic Grand Lodge for West Germany, with steel industrialist Theodor Vogel as Grand Master.

Religion
The Czechoslovakian government prevented Roman Catholic Archbishop Josef Beran from issuing a pastoral letter pledging loyalty to the state but condemning its attempts to impose an "anti-Christian" ideology on the country.

Business
The new Sears, Roebuck catalogue appeared with price cuts averaging 6 1/2%.

Labour
The Far Eastern trade union leaders meeting in Geneva established an Anti-Communist Federation of Labour.

Auto racing
The first Strictly Stock race sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) took place at Charlotte Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Roper completed 197 of 200 laps and finished second, but was named the winner when Glenn Dunaway was disqualified after the discovery of his altered rear springs.

60 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Roulette--Russ Conway

Protest
South African police fired on rioting Africans in the Kato Manor slum area of Durban after 4,000 women stormed and burned three municipal beer halls, destroying beer stocks and besieging a group of police and newsmen.

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate voted 49-46 to reject President Dwight D. Eisenhower's nomination of Lewis Strauss as Secretary of Commerce.

Disasters
The worst storm disaster ever to hit the Gulf of St. Lawrence occurred off the coast of Escuminac on Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick. The unexpected storm struck with sudden severity, creating 60-foot waves, sinking 50 salmon and lobster fishing boats, and claiming the lives of 35 salmon fishermen from the region.

50 years ago
1969

At the movies
Last Summer, directed by Frank Perry, and starring Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas, Bruce Davison, and Cathy Burns, opened in theatres.



War
U.S. President Richard Nixon reacted to criticism from former defense secretary Clark Clifford on his handling of the Vietnam War by describing Mr. Clifford as a member of an administration that failed to reduce American casualties or commitments in the war. He said that he might bring home troops even sooner than Mr. Clifford’s suggested deadline of the end of 1970.

Defense
As U.S. President Richard Nixon spoke of suspending multiple warhead tests, the Pentagon, without public announcement, awarded an $87 million contract for the production of 68 multiple warheads for its Minuteman 3 missiles.

Economics and finance
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau set up the Prices and Incomes Commission to study causes and effects of inflation.

Labour
About 140 United States federal air traffic controllers, mostly in the New York area, threw the nation’s air traffic into chaos when they called in sick and refused to work, in reaction to what they considered anti-controller remarks made by Federal Aviation Administrator John Shaffer.

Disasters
Three miners were killed in a flood underground in the Balmer South mine at Michel, British Columbia.

Boxing
World light heavyweight champion Bob Foster (36-4) scored a technical knockout of Levan Roundtree (13-8) at 2:10 of the 4th round of a heavyweight bout at City Auditorium in Atlanta.

40 years ago
1979

Died on this date
Paul Popenoe, 90. U.S. eugenicist and counsellor. Mr. Popenoe was an agricultural explorer as a young man, collecting specimens for his father's nursery in California. This activity led him to take an interest in eugenics; he edited Journal of Heredity (1913-1917) and co-authored the college textbook Applied Eugenics (1918), promoting betterment of human society by sterilizing those deemed to be unfit. Mr. Popenoe worked with the Human Betterment Society and the American Eugenics Society in the 1920s and '30, but, alarmed by the rising incidence of divorce in America, eventually turned his focus to marriage counselling, opening the American Institute of Family Relations in Los Angeles in 1930. Mr. Popenoe became a popular marriage counsellor for the next several decades, appearing in mass media while no longer emphasizing the eugenic roots of his ideas.

Defense
The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff told President Jimmy Carter that they would support the SALT-II treaty when it went before the U.S. Senate.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Edmonton (1-1) 31 @ Toronto (1-1) 16
Hamilton (0-2) 11 @ British Columbia (2-0) 16

The Eskimos' win over the Argonauts at Exhibition Stadium was televised in Edmonton on CITV, marking the first time, excluding all-star games, that a CFL pre-season game had been televised. It was the first of four Eskimo road games to be broadcast on CITV in 1979.

30 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Ibiza--Amnesia (4th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM):
1 Rock On--Michael Damian (2nd week at #1)
2 Pop Singer--John Mellencamp
3 Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler
4 Good Thing--Fine Young Cannibals
5 I Won't Back Down--Tom Petty
6 Satisfied--Richard Marx
7 Soldier of Love--Donny Osmond
8 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
9 Cry--Waterfront
10 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry

Singles entering the chart were Missing You by Candi (#73); Rock 'N' Roll Duty by Kim Mitchell (#77); The Natural Edge by David Wilcox (#81); Misguided Angel by Cowboy Junkies (#85); On Our Own by Bobby Brown (#89); That's When I Think of You by 1927 (#90); No More Rhyme by Debbie Gibson (#95); and When God Shines His Light by Van Morrison (#99).

At the movies
Batman, directed by Tim Burton, and starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, and Jack Palance, received its premiere screening in Westwood, California.



25 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World--The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (Love Symbol) (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Without You--Mariah Carey (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Without You--Mariah Carey

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Love is All Around--Wet Wet Wet (4th week at #1)

Golf
Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, and Loren Roberts were tied for the lead at 5-under-par 279 after 72 holes of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, necessitating an 18-hole playoff the following day.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
New York 84 @ Houston 86 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made 2 assists, and blocked a last-second shot by John Starks as the Rockets held on to defeat the Knickerbockers before 16,611 fans at the Summit. Mr. Starks led New York with 27 points.



20 years ago
1999

Married on this date
Prince Edward of the United Kingdom, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, married commoner Sophie Rhys-Jones in Windsor, England.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Dallas 2 @ Buffalo 1 (3 OT) (Dallas won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Brett Hull’s hotly-disputed goal at 14:51 of the 3rd period of overtime (which actually came in the wee hours of June 20) gave the Dallas Stars their first--and so far, only--Stanley Cup championship, defeating the Sabres before 18,595 fans at Marine Midland Arena. Mr. Hull appeared to have the toe of his skate in the goal crease when he scored the winning goal, in which case, according to the rules then in place, the goal should not have counted. Dallas centre Joe Niewendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Stanley Cup playoffs.



10 years ago
2009

War
British forces began Operation Panther's Claw, in which more than 350 troops made an aerial assault on Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Armed Forces opened Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in northwestern Pakistan.

Protest
Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers broke out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef.

Politics and government
New Democratic Party leader Darrell Dexter was sworn in as Premier of Nova Scotia, ten days after leading the NDP to its first electoral victory in the province.

Business
Nortel Networks Corporation announced that it would sell itself off piece-by-piece rather than restructure under bankruptcy protection, ending the company's 127-year history.