May 29, 2019

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Cathy Brown!

580 years ago
1439

Born on this date
Pius III. Roman Catholic Pope, 1503. Pius III, born Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, was the nephew of Pope Pius II, who made him a cardinal in 1460. He held various offices before succeeding Alexander VI as pope. Pius III was elected Pope on September 22 and consecrated on October 1, but died on October 15, 1503, just 14 days after his consecration. He was said to be suffering from gout and an ulcer on the leg, but it has been alleged that he was poisoned. Pius III was succeeded as pope by Julius II.

125 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Josef von Sternberg. Austro-Hungarian born U.S. film director. Mr. Sternberg, born Jonas Sternberg, moved with his family to New York at the age of 3, and began his film career performing various tasks in silent films. He learned his craft in Europe in the early 1920s, and worked there and in Hollywood into the era of sound films, directing movies such as Underworld (1927) and The Docks of New York (1928). Mr. Sternberg was best known for working with Marlene Dietrich, directing her in movies such as Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (1930); Morocco (1930); and Blonde Venus (1932). His later works were less distinguished, and he taught at the University of California at Los Angeles from 1959-1963. Mr. Sternberg died of a heart attack on December 22, 1969 at the age of 75.

Beatrice Lillie. Canadian-born U.K. actress. Born Constance Sylvia Gladys Munston in Toronto, Miss Lillie was often called the funniest woman in the world. She appeared in such films as Around the World in 80 Days (1956) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), and died on January 20, 1989 at the age of 94.

120 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Douglas Abbott. Canadian politician and judge. Mr. Abbott, a Liberal, represented the Montreal riding of Saint-Antoine - Westmount from 1940-1954. He served as Minister of National Defence from 1945-1946 and Minister of Finance and Receiver General from 1946-1954 in the governments of Prime Ministers Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent. Mr. Abbott was probably one of the best Ministers of Finance the country ever had, as Canada was able to avoid a widely-anticipated economic slump after the end of World War II in 1945. Mr. Abbott was appointed directly from the cabinet to the Supreme Court of Canada, where he served as a Puisne Justice until 1973. His appointment was one of the most controversial in history, as no one had been appointed to the Supreme Court directly from the cabinet since 1911, and no such appointment has been made since. Mr. Abbott died on March 15, 1987 at the age of 87.

110 years ago
1909

Baseball
United States President William Howard Taft and his half-brother Charles, a part-owner of the Chicago Cubs, were among the 14,023 on hand to watch the Cubs play the Pittsburg Pirates at soon-to-be-vacated Exposition Park in Pittsburg. The Cubs scored 5 runs in the top of the 11th inning to break a 3-3 tie and win 8-3 behind the pitching of Three Finger Brown, and moved to within percentage points of the Pirates for first place in the National League.

Harry Krause and Eddie Plank were the respective winning pitchers as the Philadelphia Athletics swept a doubleheader from the Boston Red Sox, 6-2 and 6-4. Philadelphia third baseman Frank Baker hit a home run off Frank Arellanes in the first game that was the first ball to be hit over the right field wall at the recently-opened Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

100 years ago
1919

Born on this date
Jacques Genest. Canadian physician. Dr. Genest, a native of Montreal, founded the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) and taught at the Université de Montréal and McGill University. He was known for his work on arterial hypertension, and died on January 5, 2018 at the age of 98.

Died on this date
Robert Bacon, 58. U.S. diplomat and politician. Mr. Bacon worked with U.S. Steel before leaving the business world and serving as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1905-1909, and as Secretary of State from January 27-March 5, 1909, after Elihu Root resigned to take a Senate seat. Mr. Bacon served as U.S. Ambassador to France from 1909-1912, and was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army during World War I, serving as Chief of the American Military Mission at British General Headquarters. Mr. Bacon returned to the United States in April 1919, and died of blood poisoning following surgery for mastoiditis.

Space
A total eclipse of the Sun took place, which at 6 minutes 51 seconds, was the longest in 503 years.

Science
Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity was tested--and later confirmed--by Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin during the total solar eclipse.

Labour
The Regina Trades and Labour Council and Moose Jaw Trades and Labour Council decided not to join the Winnipeg General Strike.

75 years ago
1944

Literature
New York Magistrate Charles Keutgen ruled D.H. Lawrence's novel The First Lady Chatterly obscene, and ordered a trial of the publisher, Dial Press, Ince.

War
Allied forces advanced to within 16 miles of Rome. U.S. and Chinese troops penetrated the southern portion of Myitkyina, Burma, blocking one of the last escape routes of the Japanese garrison.

World events
A military junta seized control of Guayaquil, Ecuador--forcing the resignation of the government of President Carlos Arroyo del Rio--and named Dr. Fausto Navarro Allende as provisional President.

Diplomacy
Dispatches from Berne reported that Bulgarian Regent Bogdan Philov had returned to Sofia after receiving an ultimatum from German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden to sever relations with the U.S.S.R.

Defense
U.S. Senator Lister Hill (Democrat--Alabama) introduced a bill which would provide for the consolidation of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force in one department under a civilian secretary.

70 years ago
1949

On the radio
Pat Novak For Hire, starring Jack Webb, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Lola Madden

Died on this date
William Julian, 87. U.S. Treasurer. Mr. Julian was killed in an automobile accident.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. announced plans to close its Shanghai consulate and maintain diplomatic missions only in Nationalist China.

Politics and government
Three weeks of local elections in Cyprus ended with a victrory for nationalist candidates who advocated a union of Cyprus with Greece and an end to the island's status as a British colony.

Economics and finance
Communist administrators took over the Chinese Central Bank in Shanghai and declared the Nationalist gold yuan void as of June 5.

Labour
A 25-day strike of Ford Motor Company workers ended when both sides accepted an agreement sending the dispute over work speed to arbitration.

60 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such As I/I Need Your Love Tonight--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

At the movies
Pork Chop Hill, directed by Lewis Milestone and Gregory Peck, and starring Mr. Peck and many others, opened in theatres.

Died on this date
Dutch Ussat, 55. U.S. baseball player. William August Ussat was an infielder who played 1 game with the Cleveland Indians in 1925 and 4 games in 1927, batting .176 with no home runs and 2 runs batted in. He played at least 594 games in 10 seasons in the minor leagues from 1924-1936.

World events
Sources in Amman reported the arrest of Jerusalem commander Adib Kassim and Engineers Brigade commander Khalid Tarawneh for plotting the overthrow the Jordanian government.

Disasters
16 miners died in an explosion in a condemned coal mine near Merlebach, France.

Baseball
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his White House staff were among the 3,030 in attendance at Griffith Stadium in Washington as the Senators defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-6 when Hal Naragon singled home Harmon Killebrew with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning with the winning run. The Red Sox had tied the game in the top of the 9th on a 3-run home run by Jackie Jensen. Mr. Killebrew hit a home run leading off the 3rd, and autographed the ball for Mr. Eisenhower's grandson David. Boston second baseman Pete Runnels batted 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and a run batted in.

With runners on first and third bases and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning and the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Braves tied 5-5 before 20,334 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee, Philadelphia pitcher Gene Conley was attempting to intentionally walk Joe Adcock. Mr. Adcock reached across home plate and hit a ground ball to second baseman Sparky Anderson, who was playing behind Mr. Conley in order to prevent a return throw from catcher Carl Sawatzki getting past Mr. Conley. Mr. Anderson fielded the ball and threw home, but Hank Aaron beat the throw for the winning run as the Braves won 6-5, with Mr. Adcock's grounder being scored as as fielder's choice.

The Chicago Cubs scored 8 runs in the top of the 4th inning and coasted to a 9-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 18,297 fans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

50 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?--Peter Sarstedt (2nd week at #1)

Defense
A United States House of Representatives armed services subcommittee reported that the Navy was guilty of "inexcusable carelessness" in the sinking of the nuclear submarine USS Guitarro in San Francisco Bay on May 16.

Baseball
Bobby Tolan hit a single, double, and home run, scoring 2 runs and batting in 3, while Johnny Bench hit a home run and 2 singles, scoring 2 runs, and driving in 2 to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-4 before 8,161 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.

Reggie Smith batted 4 for 5 with 2 home runs, a double, 3 runs, and 4 runs batted in to help the Boston Red Sox defeat the Kansas City Royals 8-6 before 9,355 fans at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City.

Norm Cash drove in 3 runs with a pair of home runs, Willie Horton hit a home run and 2 singles, and Ron Woods added his first major league homer to help the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics 8-4 before 4,059 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Denny McLain pitched a 7-hit complete game victory, walking 5 batters and striking out 12, to improve his 1969 record to 8-4, winning the matchup against Catfish Hunter.

40 years ago
1979

Died on this date
Mary Pickford, 87. Canadian-born U.S. actress. Miss Pickford, born Gladys Smith, was a native of Toronto who began her career there on stage as a child actress. She moved to the United States and began acting in movies in 1909, and became known as "America's Sweetheart," usually playing ingenues in films such as Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917) and Pollyanna (1920). Miss Pickford's career waned with the coming of sound to movies in the late 1920, although she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Coquette (1929). Miss Pickford was married to actor Douglas Fairbanks from 1920-1936, and they, with Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith, founded United Artists in 1919. Miss Pickford and Mr. Fairbanks divorced in 1936, and she was married to actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers from 1937 until her death from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Sig Jakucki, 69. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Jakucki played with the St. Louis Browns (1936, 1944-1945), compiling a record of 25-22 with an earned run average of 3.79 in 72 games, and batting .161 with 3 home runs and 14 runs batted in in 73 games. He was 13-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 1944, defeating the Detroit Tigers 5-3 in the last game of the season to enable the Browns to win their only American League pennant. Mr. Jakucki was the losing pitcher in his only World Series appearance. He was a heavy drinker, which led to his banishment from the Browns late in the 1945 season. Mr. Jakucki was reportedly destitute at the time of his death.

John H. Wood, Jr., 63 U.S. judge. Judge Wood sat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas from 1970 until his death. He was scheduled to preside over a major narcotics case and was fatally shot by Charles Harrelson as he left his home in San Antonio, Texas. Judge Wood was the first United States federal judge to be murdered.

Politics and government
Bishop Abel Muzorewa was sworn in as Rhodesia’s first Negro Prime Minister.

Aviation
Five days after 273 people were killed when a DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the United States Federal Aviation Administration grounded all 135 DC-10 wide-bodied airliners owned by American companies until inspection of engine and pylon-mounting bolts on the aircraft could be completed. The order came after federal investigators discovered that the critical pylon bolt that gave way before the May 25 crash had not failed from metal fatigue. The head of an investigating team said that as the engine of the plane that crashed at O’Hare fell away from the wing, it damaged hydraulic controls in the wing. The damage caused the retraction of flaps on the leading edge of the wing. The unbalanced condition--a high takeoff lift on the right wing and no lift on the left wing--rolled the plane into an extreme left bank that could not be corrected by the controls.

Law
The United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that prison inmates were not entitled to the full protection of the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution in state parole proceedings.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that a worker could not collect punitive damages from a union that did not pursue the worker's grievance claim.

Soccer
NASL
Vancouver 3 @ Edmonton 1

Football
CFL
The defending Grey Cup champion Edmonton Eskimos began workouts at their training camp at Concordia College. Veteran receiver George McGowan showed no effects of a chronic knee condition.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Washington 112 @ Seattle 114 (OT) (Seattle led best-of-seven series 3-1)

The SuperSonics outscored the Bullets 10-8 in overtime before 14,098 fans at Seattle Center Coliseum (see video). Gus Williams led Seattle scorers with 36 points, while Dennis Johnson added 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Elvin Hayes, Kevin Grevye, and Charles Johnson each scored 18 points for Washington, while Wes Unseld scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.



Baseball
Steve Rogers pitched a shutout as the Montreal Expos routed the Philadelphia Phillies 9-0 before 32,078 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Ellis Valentine's 3-run home run was the big blow of a 3-run 5th inning.

Pinch hitter Denny Walling singled home Craig Reynolds with none out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds before 17,458 fans at the Astrodome. Randy Niemann, in his second major league game, allowed 8 hits and 1 earned run, striking out 6 batters and walking none, to get his first major league win, while losing pitcher Paul Moskau allowed just 6 hits and 2 earned runs in 8+ innings.

Dusty Baker singled home Reggie Smith with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to climax a 3-run rally as the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the San Francisco Giants 6-5 before 35,845 fans at Dodger Stadium.

30 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Like a Prayer--Madonna (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Ibiza--Amnesia (2nd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM):
1 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
2 Real Love--Jody Watley
3 Like a Prayer--Madonna
4 Rock On--Michael Damian
5 After All--Cher and Peter Cetera
6 I'll Be There for You--Bon Jovi
7 Second Chance--Thirty Eight Special
8 Pop Singer--John Mellencamp
9 Heaven Help Me--Deon Estus (with George Michael)
10 Everlasting Love--Howard Jones

Singles entering the chart were Boomtown by Andrew Cash (#76); Express Yourself by Madonna (#82); Dressed for Success by Roxette (#88); Trouble Me by 10,000 Maniacs (#94); It Doesn't Matter by Coleman Wilde (#96); Little Jackie Wants to Be a Star by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (#98); and I Hear a Symphony by Eric Fachia (#99).

Died on this date
George C. Homans, 78. U.S. sociologist. Professor Homans was the founder of behavioural sociology and the Social Exchange Theory, which studies human interactions in terms of costs and benefits. His best-known book was The Human Group (1950). Prof. Homans died of a heart ailment.

Politics and government
Premier Joe Ghiz led his Liberal Party to a landslide win in the Prince Edward Island provincial election, taking 30 of 32 seats in the Legislative Assembly; the Liberals' total was an increase of 9 from the most recent election in 1986. The Progressive Conservatives, led by Mel Gass, won the remaining 2 seats, a decline of 9 from 1986.

U.S.S.R. leader Mikhail Gorbachev engineered the seating of reformer Boris Yeltsin on the Supreme Soviet, with one of the chosen members agreeing to step aside.

Defense
In Brussels, at the observance of the 40th anniversary of the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, U.S. President George Bush proposed that both NATO and the Warsaw pact cut back on their conventional forces in Europe. He proposed specific ceilings for each class of weaponry and also recommended that the United States reduce its combat forces in Europe to 275,000, or about 20%.

Egypt and the United States signed of an agreement allowing the manufacture of parts of the F-16 jet fighter plane in Egypt.

Baseball
Mike Schmidt, perhaps the greatest third baseman in baseball history, announced his retirement at the age of 39. He was hitting just .203 with 6 home runs in 42 games in 1989. In 18 major league seasons, all with the Philadelphia Phillies, Mr. Schmidt hit 548 home runs.

25 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: The Sign--Ace of Base (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Without You--Mariah Carey (4th week at #1)

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

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

Love is All Around was from the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994).

Died on this date
Erich Honecker, 81. General Secretary of the Socialist Unity (Communist) Party of Germany, 1971-1989. Mr. Honecker joined the Communist Party in the late 1930s, and spent several decades with the Communist government of East Germany. He was the prime organizer of the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, and initiated the power struggle in 1970 that saw Walter Ulbricht ousted as First Secretary of the Socialist Unity (Communist) Party. Mr. Honecker governed East Germany for 18 years, and was successful in having East Germany admitted to membership in the United Nations. He resisted political reforms, and was removed from power in October 1989, several weeks before the fall of the East German Communist regime. Mr. Honecker attempted to seek asylum in the Chilean embassy in Moscow in 1991, but was extradited to the now-united Germany in 1992 to face trial for human rights abuses. The proceedings were abandoned because of Mr. Honecker's failing health, and he died of liver cancer.

Auto racing
Al Unser, Jr. won the Indianapolis 500 for the second time, at an average speed of 160.872 miles per hour. Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, driving in his first Indianapolis 500, finished second.



20 years ago
1999

Discovered dead on this date
Philip Taylor Kramer. Mr. Kramer played bass guitar with the rock group Iron Butterfly in the mid-1970s, and then became a computer engineer. He worked on the MX missile guidance system as a contractor with the U.S. Defense Department, and in 1990 co-founded Total Multimedia Inc. with Randy Jackson of the Jackson 5 singing group. The company was reorganized under bankruptcy in 1994 and put under new leadership; Mr. Kramer continued working there, but was reportedly greatly affected by the bankruptcy and organization. Mr. Kramer was 42 when, on February 12, 1995, he drove to Los Angeles International Airport to pick up a business associate, but while on the way to the airport, phoned his wife to say that his plans had changed and that the associate should go directly to a hotel, where Mr. Kramer and his wife would meet them later. Mr. Kramer spent 45 minutes at the airport and then left, making a number of cell phone calls, threatening to commit suicide, and, in reference to video evidence that he had been asked to analyze related to the murder charge against former football star O.J. Simpson, claiming that Mr. Simpson was innocent. Mr. Kramer was never seen alive again; his minivan and skeletal remains were found at the bottom of Decker Canyon near Malibu, California. A forensic examination led authorities to conclude that Mr. Kramer had committed suicide on the day he was last heard from, but conspiracy theories abound.

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Discovery completed the first docking with the International Space Station.

Politics and government
Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as President of Nigeria, the country’s first democratically elected leader in 15 years.

David Vitter, a conservative Republican, won a runoff election for the Louisiana seat in the United States House of Representatives that had been vacated when Rep. Robert Livingston, also a Republican, had resigned amid reports of marital infidelity. Mr. Vitter won the runoff against fellow Republican David Conner Treen, a former governor and congressman, 51% to 49%.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference Finals
Buffalo 5 Toronto 2

Baseball
Byung-Hyun Kim, a 20-year-old South Korean, made his major league debut as a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched a perfect 9th inning, striking out Mike Piazza to end the game, preserving an 8-7 win over the New York Mets before 35,167 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Jermaine Allensworth replaced the ejected Brian McRae in center field for New York, playing the 2nd-5th innings, batting 0 for 2, with no fielding chances, in the 342nd and last game of his 4-year major league career.

With 1 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th inning, pinch hitter Glenallen Hill hit a home run, Jose Hernandez followed with a single, and Mark Grace followed with a double to drive home Mr. Hermandez with the winning run as the Chicago Cubs edged the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 before 40,478 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.