April 13, 2020

450 years ago
1570

Born on this date
Guy Fawkes. English rebel. Mr. Fawkes converted to Roman Catholicism as a young man, and went to mainland Europe in 1591, fighting for Spain in the Eighty Years' War against Protestant Dutch reformers in the Low Countries. He was unable to obtain Spanish support for a rebellion in England, but returned to England, and in 1604 began plotting with a small group of English Catholics, led by Robert Catesby, to assassinate King James I, a Protestant, and replace him with his daughter Elizabeth. The plot, known as the Gunpowder Plot because it involved blowing up the House of Lords, was discovered on November 5, 1605, and the plotters were arrested. They were convicted of high treason and sentenced to death in January 1606. Mr. Fawkes, 35, was the last of four plotters to mount the scaffold on January 31, 1606, but he fell from the scaffold and broke his neck before he could be hanged, drawn, and quartered. November 5 is still observed as Guy Fawkes Day in England, with celebrations including bonfires.

210 years ago
1810

Born on this date
Félicien David. French composer. Mr. David wrote three symphonies, several operas, and other instrumental and vocal works. He died on August 29, 1876 at the age of 66.

150 years ago
1870

Art
New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded.

130 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Frank Murphy. U.S. jurist and politician. Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, held several offices, including Governor of Michigan (1937-1939); Attorney General of the United States (1939-1940); and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1940-1949). As a Supreme Court Justice, he was perhaps best known for dissenting from the majority in Korematsu v. United States (1944), which upheld the constitutionality of internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Mr. Murphy was still a member of the Supreme Court when he died in his sleep on July 19, 1949 at the age of 59.

Died on this date
Samuel J. Randall, 64. U.S. politician. Mr. Randall, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives from 1863-1890. He was the Speaker of the House from 1876-1881. Mr. Randall died of colon cancer while still an active Congressman.

120 years ago
1900

Baseball
At the request of the owners of the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants, the National League banned umpire Tim Hurst from working in cities whose club owners "object to having a man of that type associated with their grounds‚ where ladies and gentlemen watch the games."

100 years ago
1920

Born on this date
Roberto Calvi. Italian banker. Mr. Calvi joined Banco Ambrosiano, Sicily's second-largest private bank, in 1947, rising to the position of chairman in 1975. He was known as "God's banker" because of his close association with the Vatican. He was convicted in 1981 of illegally exporting several billion lire, and was given a four-year suspended sentence. Mr. Calvi warned Pope John Paul II of disastrous consequences if Banco Ambrosiano were to collapse, and fled to England on June 10, 1982, using a false passport. He was a member of the illegal Italian Masonic lodge Propaganda Due (P2), who referred to themselves as frati neri ("black friars"). Mr. Calvi was found hanging from scaffolding under Blackfriars Bridge in London on June 18, 1982, the day after his death at the age of 62; conspiracy theories abound.

Claude Cheysson. French diplomat and politician. Mr. Cheysson, a Socialist, was a career diplomat with the French Foreign Ministry, interrupting his diplomatic career to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1981-1984. He served with the European Commission's Delors Commission from 1985-1989. Mr. Cheysson died on October 15, 2012 at the age of 92.

Liam Cosgrave. Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, 1973-1977. Mr. Cosgrave, a member of Fine Gael, sat in the Dáil Éireann from 1943-1981, holding several cabinet posts, including Minister for External Affairs (1954-1957). He became leader of Fine Gael in 1965, serving as Leader of the Opposition until taking office as Taoiseach of a Fine Gael-Labour Party government. Mr. Cosgrave was often overshadowed by his cabinet ministers, and clashed with the presidency. His government's economic measures were highly unpopular, leading to a crushing loss to Fianna Fáil in the 1977 general election. Mr. Cosgrave died on October 4, 2017 at the age of 97.

80 years ago
1940

War
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State A.A. Berle said that as long as Franklin D. Roosevelt was President of the United States, America would stay out of war. Mr. Roosevelt called the German invasion of Norway and Denmark an "unlawful exercise of force." German radio broadcasts from Oslo threatened Norwegians with death if they resisted the German occupation. Five more German destroyers and a U-boat were sunk in battle with British forces.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said in Washington that 50 years of Pan-Americanism had resulted in the Western Hemisphere's rejection of the world's "arrogant forces."

Politics and government
The U.S. House of Representatives Special Committee to Investigate Un-American Activities reported that the Communist Party U.S.A. had a central role in the Soviet-German plan to sponsor a revolution in Mexico.

Track and field
Cornelius Warmerdam set a world record in the pole vault of 15 feet in Berkeley, California.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
New York Rangers 3 @ Toronto 2 (OT) (New York won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Bryan Hextall scored at 2:07 of the 1st overtime period at Maple Leaf Gardens to give the Rangers their third Stanley Cup--and their last for 54 years. The Maple Leafs led 2-0 in the 2nd period, but Neil Colville scored at 8:08 of the period and Alf Pike scored at 10:01 to tie the score. Frank Boucher, in his first year behind the bench for the Rangers, was the winning coach, while Dick Irvin, whose son Dick, Jr. was with him at the game in Maple Leaf Gardens, ended nine years as coach of the Maple Leafs. Toronto defenseman Red Horner retired after this game, ending a Hall of Fame career.



75 years ago
1945

Abominations
German troops killed more than 1,000 political and military prisoners in Gardelegen, Germany.

War
Soviet and Bulgarian forces captured Vienna. U.S. troops in Germany crossed the Mulde River to reach a point 38 miles west of Dresden and 98 miles from the Soviet troops.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King announced in Ottawa that a federal election would be held on June 11, the first in five years.

Senator Kenneth McKellar (Democrat--Tennessee) became the regular presiding officer of the United States Senate, as Vice President Harry Truman had succeeded to the presidency the previous day upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

70 years ago
1950

War
Israel rejected an Arab League offer to begin peace talks on the basis of the 1947 United Nations partition plan, internationalization of Jerusalem, and return of Palestinian refugees.

Diplomacy
The Arab League Council threatened sanctions against Jordan if it annexed Arab Palestine without the approval of other Arab states.

A court in Prague convicted two Czech employees of the U.S. embassy of spying on Czech uranium mines.

Politics and government
Harry Truman began his sixth year as U.S. President by telling reporters that the nation had attained record prosperity during his years in office, and that he intended to take full personal credit for it. He said that prospects for lasting peace were better than ever since the start of the Cold War in 1946.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Thomas Finletter as Secretary of the Air Force.

Journalism
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission warned radio stations which presented their own editorial opinions on controversial issues that they had a "duty to seek out, aid and encourage the broadcast of opposing views."

Economics and finance
Official Arab statistics showed that West German steel production had now reached a rate exceeding the 11.1 million-ton limit fixed by the Allied Control Council.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Detroit 1 New York 3 @ Toronto (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Edgar Laprade scored twice in the 3rd period as the Rangers broke a 1-1 tie to defeat the Red Wings. Madison Square Garden in New York was unavailable because of a circus, so the Rangers elected to play the second and third games of the series--their home games--at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

60 years ago
1960

Space
The United States launched Transit 1B, a navigational satellite.

50 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Let it Be--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Onna no Blues--Keiko Fuji (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gwendolyne--Julio Iglesias (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Merriman Smith, 57. U.S. journalist. Mr. Smith began working as a White House correspondent in 1940 for United Press in 1940, and continued in that position for UP's successor, United Press International. He began the tradition of closing presidential news conferences by saying, "Thank you, Mr. President." Mr. Smith was in the motorcade in Dallas when President John F. Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1964 for his coverage of the assassination. Mr. Smith appeared frequently on television programs hosted by Jack Paar and Merv Griffin, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1967. He was reportedly despondent over the death of his son in the Vietnam War, and may never have recovered from the assassination of President Kennedy, leading to his suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot.

Hugh Redmond, 50. U.S. spy. Mr. Redmond, a resident of Yonkers, New York, worked for the Central Intelligence Agency in Shanghai from 1946-1951, disguised as an ice cream machine salesman. He was arrested in China in 1954 as he was boarding a ship to San Francisco, and was imprisoned for alleged espionage. Mr. Redmond's death wasn't announced until July 10, 1970, when Chinese authorities claimed that he'd committed suicide by slashing his wrists. Mr. Redmond's cremated remains were returned to the United States; suspicion remains that he was murdered.

Space
The Apollo 13 crew of Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert continued toward the moon. Shortly after the conclusion of an evening telecast, the spacecraft was rocked by an explosion in the service module and began venting oxygen, placing the mission and the astronauts in peril. Mr. Lovell began his report to Mission Control with the words, "Houston, we’ve had a problem." It was decided that the crew should turn off the power in the command module Odyssey and move into the lunar module Aquarius, using it as a lifeboat.







World events
Greek Prime Minister George Papadopoulos ordered the release of Mikis Theodorakis, the country’s leading composer, who had been a political prisoner for 20 months. Mr. Theodorakis was allowed to fly to France for treatment of tuberculosis.

It was reported that an officially-inspired campaign of hatred against Cambodia’s 400,000 Vietnamese residents had resulted in detentions, disappearances, and at least one mass killing, which a witness attributed to Cambodian troops.

Politics and government
U.S. House of Representatives minority leader Gerald Ford (Republican--Michigan) announced that a bipartisan group of conservative Representatives had decided to press for a House investigation of William O. Douglas’s fitness to continue sitting on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Baseball
The Oakland Athletics used gold-coloured bases in their home opener before 26,270 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, but the innovation was subsequently banned. Reggie Jackson’s 2-run single gave the Athletics a 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers behind the 3-hit pitching of Catfish Hunter and Diego Segui. Marty Pattin took the loss.

40 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Little Sister--Ry Cooder (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd (11th week at #1)

Died on this date
Markus Höttinger, 23. Austrian auto racing driver. Mr. Höttinger was a Formula Two driver who was killed when hit in the head by a loose wheel from another car during the third lap of the second round of the 1980 European Formula Two Championship at Hockenheimring in West Germany.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in a televised interview broadcast in Europe, said that the United States wanted its allies to impose economic sanctions against Iran later in April and then break diplomatic relations with Iran by mid-May if there was no progress in releasing the hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Mr. Carter stated that if the latest economic and diplomatic moves did not produce success, "we will be required to take additional action which may very well involve military means." The press had reported that the U.K. and West Germany were the leaders in pressing for sanctions against Iran, while France had blocked such moves, not wanting, in the words of one French official, to be "stampeded into economic warfare with Iran," simply because Mr. Carter wanted to get tough.

Auto racing
CRL
Johnny Rutherford won the Datsun Twin 200 at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California; it was the first race for the Championship Racing League, a points-sanctioning merger between the United States Auto Club (USAC) and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART).

Golf
Severiano Ballasteros of Spain shot an even-par round of 72 to win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia with a 13-under-par total score of 275, 4 strokes ahead of Gibby Gilbert and Jack Newton. First prize money was $55,000.



Baseball
Charlie Leibrandt pitched a shutout in his first major league start as the Cincinnati Reds blanked the Atlanta Braves 5-0 before 32,996 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

30 years ago
1990

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Montreal 4 @ Buffalo 2 (Montreal led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Hartford 2 @ Boston 3 (Boston led best-of-seven series 3-2)
New York Islanders 5 @ New York Rangers 6 (Rangers won best-of-seven series 4-1)
Washington 4 @ New Jersey 3 (Washington led best-of-seven series 3-2)

25 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)--Scatman John (2nd week at #1)

Television
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced the cancellation of the panel program Front Page Challenge, which was first broadcast in 1957. The announcement surprised many Canadians who were unaware that the program was still on the air, with the most recent season ending with the broadcast of February 1, 1995.

Politics and government
U.S. Representative Bob Dornan (California) announced his candidacy for the 1996 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. Mr. Dornan was a conservative Roman Catholic who opposed abortion and homosexuality.

Baseball
10 days after an agreement between major league owners and players that ended an eight-month strike was approved, teams began playing spring training games.

20 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Frenchy Bordagaray, 90. U.S. baseball player and manager. Stanley George Bordagaray was an outfielder and third baseman with the Chicago White Sox (1934); Brooklyn Dodgers (1935-1936, 1942-1945); St. Louis Cardinals (1937-1938); Cincinnati Reds (1939); and New York Yankees (1941), batting .283 with 14 home runs and 270 runs batted in in 930 games. He played in World Series with the Reds and Yankees, with no plate appearances in 3 games. Mr. Bordagaray batted .344 with 32 homers in 783 games in 7 seasons in the minor leagues. He was known as one of the most colourful players of his time, inspiring numerous anecdotes.

World events
The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe ordered the government to remove squatters from nearly 1,000 of the country’s commercial farms, most of which were owned by white people. Police refused to enforce the order, citing lack of resources. Other countries responded to the impasse by freezing millions of dollars of aid for land reform.

Politics and government
The Nisga’a Treaty received royal assent, whereby the Government of Canada settled a 113-year-old treaty land claim with the Nisga’a Indians of British Columbia, giving them self-government powers; a 300,000-cubic decameter water reserve; control of natural resources in nearly 2,000 square kilometres of land in the Nass River Valley; and $253 million in cash and economic funding. The federal government added another $255 million.

Abominations
Texas Governor and U.S. presidential candidate George W. Bush met with 12 sodomite activists known as "Log Cabin Republicans" ("Log Bathhouse" would be a more appropriate name) and assured them that as president he would not consider a person’s sexual orientation in making appointments.

Scandal
U.S. President Bill Clinton said that he did not have "any interest" in receiving a pardon from the president who would replace him, and saw no need for it.

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives, buy a vote of 220-208, and the Senate, by a vote of 50-48, approved a budget for fiscal 2001 of $187 trillion. The budget provided $28.8 billion less for domestic spending than President Clinton had wanted, and spent $4.5 million more for defense. It included $160 billion-$175 billion in tax cuts over five years.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Conference Quarter-Finals
Buffalo 2 @ Philadelphia 3 (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Pittsburgh 7 @ Washington 0 (Pittsburgh led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Florida 3 @ New Jersey 4 (New Jersey led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Los Angeles 0 @ Detroit 2 (Detroit led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Phoenix 3 @ Colorado 6 (Colorado led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Edmonton 0 @ Dallas 3 (Dallas led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Baseball
The Houston Astros sold pitcher Dwight Gooden to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Mr. Gooden had appeared in 1 game with the Astros in 2000, starting and allowing 6 hits and 4 runs--all earned--in 4 innings, with no decision.

The Colorado Rockies scored 10 runs in the 2nd inning on their way to a 12-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 39,365 fans at Coors Field in Denver. The Cardinals took an early lead with 3 runs in the top of the 1st.

10 years ago
2010

Crime
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Northern Brands International Inc., and JTI-Macdonald Corp. paid more than $500 million to Candian federal, provincial and territorial governments to settle lawsuits and pay fines after being charged with tobacco smuggling in the early 1990s.