April 16, 2020

500 years ago
1520

War
The Revolt of the Comuneros began in Spain against the rule of King Charles V when citizens of Toledo rebelled against the royal government's attempt to unseat radical city councillors.

220 years ago
1800

Born on this date
George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan. U.K. military officer and politician. Lord Lucan, known as Lord Bingham before 1839, was a career officer in the British Army, rising to the rank of field marshal. He succeeded his father as the Earl of Lucan in 1839, and conducted mass evacuations of poor Irish residents during the Great Famine in the late 1840s. Lord Lucan was made commander of the Cavalry Division during the Crimean War in 1854, with his brother-in-law the Earl of Cardigan, whom he detested, as one of his subordinates. In the Battle of Balaclava, Lord Lucan transmitted an order from Army commander Lord Raglan to Lord Cardigan to lead what became known as the Charge of the Light Brigade, resulting in disastrous losses. Lord Raglan blamed Lord Lucan for the debacle, but Lord Lucan delivered a speech in the House of Lords blaming Lord Raglan and his late aide-de-camp, Captain Louis Nolan. Lord Lucan was rewarded with subsequent commissions, but never saw combat again. In 1858, he devised a compromise allowing for Jews to sit in the House of Lords. The Earl of Lucan died on November 10, 1888 at the age of 88.

170 years ago
1850

Died on this date
Marie Tussaud, 88. French-born U.K. sculptress. Madame Tussaud carved her first wax figure in 1877. She went to England in 1802 to exhibit her works, and was forced to remain there because of the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and France. In 1831, Madame Tussaud opened the wax museum in London that still bears her name. She died in her sleep.

110 years ago
1910

Americana
Boston Arena--now known as Matthews Arena--opened for an ice show. It remains the oldest existing indoor hockey arena still used for the sport in the 21st century.

100 years ago
1920

Born on this date
Ananda Dassanayake. Sri Lankan politician. Mr. Dassanayake, a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, was Governor of Uva (1995-1999) and Southern Province (1999-2002). He died on August 9, 2012 at the age of 92.

80 years ago
1940

Diplomacy
Shao Li-Tse was appointed Nationalist China's Ambassador to the U.S.S.R.

The U.S. State Department announced that diplomatic relations with Iceland would be established shortly.

Politics and government
Election results gave the Argentine Radical Party control of Argentina's Chamber of Deputies for the first time since 1930.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met at the White House with Postmaster General James Farley, a candidate for the 1940 Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States.

Law
The Egyptian cabinet drafted a law making espionage or treason punishable by death.

Baseball
Bob Feller became the only major league pitcher to pitch a no-hitter on opening day as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox 1-0 before 14,000 fans at Comiskey park in Chicago. Edgar Smith took the loss.

U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt threw out the first ball at Griffith Stadium in Washington as the Nationals lost 1-0 to the Boston Red Sox. Winning pitcher Lefty Grove gave up just 2 hits.

20,187 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia saw the hometown Athletics upset the defending World Series champion New York Yankees 2-1 in 10 innings. Chubby Dean went the distance for his first major league complete game and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. Red Ruffing took the loss. Bob Johnson hit a home run for Philadelphia’s first score.

49,517 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit went home disappointed as the Tigers opened the season with a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Browns. George Coffman won the pitching duel over Bobo Newsom.

75 years ago
1945

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time--Les Brown and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Doris Day) (3rd week at #1)
--Johnny Long and his Orchestra and Dick Robertson
--Phil Moore Four
2 Candy--Johnny Mercer, Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and His Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
3 I'm Beginning to See the Light--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra
--Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots
4 Rum and Coca-Cola--The Andrews Sisters
--Abe Lyman and his Orchestra
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
5 A Little on the Lonely Side--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
6 Dream--The Pied Pipers
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
7 Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive--Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and His Orchestra
--Artie Shaw and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
8 More and More--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
--Perry Como
9 Just a Prayer Away--Bing Crosby
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
10 Sentimental Journey--Les Brown and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Doris Day)
--Hal McIntyre and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were the version of I'm Beginning to See the Light by Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots; and (I Love You, I Love You, I Love You) Sweetheart of All My Dreams by Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra (#32).

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Remarkable Worm

War
Canadian forces took Groningen, Netherlands after a four-day battle. A German U-Boat torpedoed the Royal Canadian Navy minesweeper HMCS Esquimalt off Halifax. The Soviet Red Army began the final assault on German forces around Berlin, with nearly one million troops fighting in the Battle of the Seelow Heights. The United States Army liberated Nazi Sonderlager (high security) prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C (better known as Colditz). U.S. troops entered Nuremberg as Allied Supreme Commander General Dwight Eisenhower announced that victory would be announced when "all important enemy pockets on the western front" were destroyed. British and Indian troops occupied the Burmese port of Tangup, encountering little Japanese opposition. Tokyo was again struck by incendiary bombs dropped by Marianas-based U.S. superfortresses. Almost 7,000 German troops and civilians died when the German Kriegsmarine refugee freighter MV Goya was sunk by Soviet submarine L-3.

Diplomacy
U.K. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden met in Washington with U.S. President Harry Truman.

Politics and government
U.S. President Harry Truman addressed a joint session of Congress and asked for continuation of the policies of the late President Franklin D Roosevelt. Mr. Truman promised prosecution of World War II to its conclusion; punishment of war criminals; and creation of the United Nations organization for "just settlement of international differences."

Education
The International Education Assembly adopted a resolution at its closing session calling for the San Francisco Conference to establish a permanent International Office of Education.

Business
The United States government started an antitrust suit in Danville, Illinois against A&P Company, charging that it had conspired to control food prices in restraint of trade and to gain a monopoly.

Economics and finance
U.S. cattle feeders and packers told a congressional food investigation committee that the Office of Price Administration was to blame for meat shortages.

70 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Anders Peter Nielsen, 82. Danish shooter. Mr. Nielsen won three silver medals at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, and a gold medal in the team 300-metre military rifle standing event at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp.

Eduard Oja, 45. Estonian composer and conductor. Mr. Oja was a violinist whose compositions included tone poems and vocal pieces. He conducted the Tartu Women's Singing Society's Women's Choir from 1930-1934.

Politics and government
French Prime Minister Georges Bidault proposed the creation of a new "Atlantic High Council" to coordinate the defense, economic, and political policies of the Atlantic pact nations.

Religion
The Vatican repudiated the Polish church-state pact, charging that the Polish government had forced lesser Roman Catholic officials to sign the agreement without the approval of Archbishop Stefan Wyszynski, Primate of Poland.

Labour
The United Auto Workers of America rejected Chrysler Corporation's "final offer" to end an 82-day strike of the company's 89,000 workers.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Syracuse 69 @ Minneapolis 77 (Minneapolis led best-of-seven series 3-1)

The Lakers outscored the Nationals 39-31 in the 2nd half to break a 38-38 tie before 10,512 fans at Minneapolis Auditorium. George Mikan led the Lakers with 28 points, while Dolph Schayes and Alex Hannum each scored 18 points for the Nationals.

Baseball
In the Pacific Coast League, Steve Souchock of Sacramento hit home runs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings of a 19-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. His last home run was a grand slam and gave him 9 runs batted in for the game.

60 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Beatnik Fly--Johnny and the Hurricanes (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Marina--Rocco Granata and the International Quintet (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Banjo Boy--Jan & Kjeld (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): My Old Man's a Dustman--Lonnie Donegan (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Theme from "A Summer Place"--Percy Faith and his Orchestra (8th week at #1)
2 Puppy Love--Paul Anka
3 Sweet Nothin's--Brenda Lee
4 Greenfields--The Brothers Four
5 He’ll Have to Go--Jim Reeves
6 White Silver Sands--Bill Black's Combo
7 Mama--Connie Francis
8 Stuck on You--Elvis Presley
9 Sink the Bismarck--Johnny Horton
10 I Love the Way You Love--Marv Johnson

Singles entering the chart were Doggin' Around by Jackie Wilson (#75); Good Timin' by Jimmy Jones (#84); My Empty Room by Little Anthony and the Imperials (#87); Easy Lovin' by Wade Flemons (#90); Hold Me Tenderly by Bobby Bland (#95); A Star is Born (A Love Has Died) by Mark Dinning (#96); Paper Roses by Anita Bryant (#99); and Mister Lonely by the Videls (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Stuck on You--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)
2 Stairway to Heaven--Neil Sedaka
3 Sixteen Reasons--Connie Stevens
4 Step by Step--The Crests
5 Footsteps--Steve Lawrence
6 Wild One--Bobby Rydell
7 Cradle of Love--Johnny Preston
8 Rockin' Rollin' Ocean--Hank Snow
9 Let the Little Girl Dance--Billy Bland
10 (Welcome) New Lovers--Pat Boone

Singles entering the chart were What am I Living For by Conway Twitty (#27); Cathy's Clown by the Everly Brothers (#51); Another Sleepless Night by Jimmy Clanton (#52); Burning Bridges by Jack Scott (#53); Promised Land of Love by Dean Morgan (#54); Jump Over by Freddy Cannon (#55); When You Wish Upon a Star by Dion and the Belmonts (#56); Nobody Loves Me Like You by the Flamingos (#57); Because of My Pride by the Fireflies (#58); Poor Me by Adam Faith (#59); and Tell Me that You Love Me by Fats Domino (#60).

Music
U.S. rock and roll stars Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran performed at the Bristol Hippodrome in Bristol, England, concluding a three-month tour of England. On their way to London, the car that they were passengers in crashed along the bath road. Mr. Cochran suffered a traumatic brain injury and fractured skull when thrown from the car, and died the next day. Mr. Vincent suffered a fractured collarbone and severe leg injuries; songwriter Sharon Sheeley, Mr. Cochran's fiancee, suffered back and thigh injuries; tour manager Patrick Tompkins sustained facial injuries and a possible fracture of the base of the skull. The driver, George Martin, was uninjured, but was subsequently convicted of dangerous driving.

50 years ago
1970

On television tonight
Dragnet 1970, on NBC
Tonight's episode: D.H.Q.: The Victims



This was the 98th and last episode of the revival of the series.

Died on this date
Mal Eason, 91. U.S. baseball pitcher and umpire. Mr. Eason played with the Chicago Orphans (1900-1902); Boston Beaneaters (1902); Detroit Tigers (1903); and Brooklyn Superbas (1905-1906), compiling a record of 36-73 with an earned run average of 3.39 in 125 games, batting .121 with no home runs and 15 runs batted in in 130 games. He pitched a 2-0 no-hit victory against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 20, 1906. Mr. Eason played at least 3 seasons in he minor leagues from 1899-1908. He umpired 3 games in the National League in 1902, and turned to umpiring full-time after his playing career ended, working 989 games in the National League from 1910-1917. Mr. Eason died in a house fire.

Space
The Apollo 13 crew of Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert continued their journey back to Earth, still using the lunar module Aquarius as a lifeboat.

Defense
The second substantive round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. began in the Marble Hall of Belvedere Palace in Vienna. The talks had been in recess since December 22, 1969.

Figures made available to the U.S. Congress showed that the Defense Department had secretly supplied nearly double the military aid to Greece authorized by Congress. An aid curb had been instituted in 1967 to show U.S. displeasure at the military coup that had replaced democratic government in Greece.

The U.S. administration of President Richard Nixon announced that Cambodian President Lon Nol had appealed to the U.S. for military aid to fight North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces that were threatening the Cambodian capital of Pnompenh.

Politics and government
In a by-election in the riding of Bannside, Protestant Unionist Rev. Ian Paisley won a seat in Northern Ireland’s parliament.

Labour
Player representatives of the 14 National Basketball Association clubs went to a U.S. federal court in New York in an attempt to block a proposed merger with the American Basketball Association. The players believed the merger would eliminate competition for talent.

Disasters
A landslide crushed a children’s tuberculosis hospital at Plateau D’Assy in the French Alps, killing 71 and injuring 8.

Hockey
NHL
Ned Harkness, who had compiled a record of 110-5-1 in the previous four years as head coach at Cornell University, was named coach of the Detroit Red Wings, succeeding Sid Abel, who remained as general manager. Mr. Harkness won National Collegiate Athletic Association championships with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1954 and with Cornell in 1967 and 1970. The 1969-70 Cornell team went undefeated through a 27-game season.

Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
St. Louis 4 @ Minnesota 2 (St. Louis won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Baseball
Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds, who had won the National League batting titles in 1968 and 1969, signed a new contract for $105,500, making him the highest-paid "singles hitter" in baseball.

Don Gullett pitched 5 shutout innings of relief to earn his first major league win as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-2 before 6,114 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Mr. Gullett, who batted 1 for 2 with a base on balls, a stolen base, and 2 runs, took over for ace starter Jim Maloney, who suffered a severed Achilles tendon while running to first base in the 3rd inning. Mr. Maloney returned to the lineup before the end of the season, but never won another major league game. Lee May had 4 hits, including a grand slam, to lead the Cincinnati attack.

40 years ago
1980

Died on this date
Morris Stoloff, 81. U.S. musician and composer. Mr. Stoloff was a violin prodigy who performed as a feature soloist before joining the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 17. He worked as concertmaster of Paramount Pictures and then as musical director for Columbia Pictures (1936-1962). Mr. Stoloff often took partial credit for scores when working with a composer, and was nominated for 17 Academy Awards, winning for Cover Girl (1944); The Jolson Story (1946); and Song Without End (1960). He's perhaps best known for the single Moonglow and Theme from Picnic, which reached #1 on the Billboard Disc Jockey chart for three weeks in 1956. Mr. Stoloff left Columbia Pictures to become the musical director at Reprise Records.

World events
More than 230 of the Cubans who had crowded into the Peruvian embassy in Havana 10 days earlier seeking amnesty were flown to Costa Rica.

Labour
Bill 126, the labour law introduced by the Quebec government of Premier René Lévesque and passed by the National Assembly on June 22, 1979, went into force.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Quarter-Finals
Minnesota 3 @ Montreal 0 (Minnesota led best-of-seven series 1-0)
New York Islanders 2 @ Boston 1 (OT) (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Clark Gillies scored the winning goal at 1:02 of the 1st overtime period as the Islanders edged the Bruins at Boston Garden.

30 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Sexy Music--Wink (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Janet Adkins, 54. U.S. medical patient. Ms. Adkins, a Michigan resident who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1989, was the first "assisted suicide" victim of mad scientist "Dr." Jack Kevorkian.

Disasters
An explosion caused by a leaking gas cylinder killed at least 80 people travelling on a commuter train travelling near Kumrahar, Hihar, India.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Winnipeg 1 @ Edmonton 4 (Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-3)
Minnesota 2 @ Chicago 5 (Chicago won best-of-seven series 4-3)

Baseball
The Milwaukee Brewers amassed 20 hits, but oddly, no home runs, as they whipped the Boston Red Sox 18-0 before 35,478 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Teddy Higuera was the winning pitcher over Mike Boddicker.

25 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: If You Love Me--Brownstone

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)--Scatman John (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Conquest of Paradise--Vangelis (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Arthur English, 75. U.K. actor. Mr. English was best known for playing Mr. Harman in the television comedy series Are You Being Served? (1976-1985).

Environment
Canada signed a deal in Brussels with the European Union, ending a bitter dispute over fishing rights in the North Atlantic Ocean. Both sides said the agreement would protect threatened fish stocks.

Curling
Men's World Championships @ Keystone Centre, Brandon, Manitoba
Final
Canada (Kerry Burtnyk) 4 Scotland (Gordon Muirhead) 2

Bronze medal
Germany (Andy Kapp) 6 U.S.A. (Tim Somerville) 5

20 years ago
2000

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that he could accept a new Palestinian "entity" if Israel could obtain concessions. Though he did not use the word "state," five cabinet ministers said that a state could become a reality if the Palestinians agreed to their terms: that it be demilitarized; that Palestinian refugees could not return to Israel; and that most Jewish settlers would be permitted to remain in West Bank settlements.

Economics and finance
The International Monetary Fund promised a renewed emphasis on debt relief for poor countries.

Baseball
Alex Rodriguez batted 4 for 5 with a base on balls, 3 home runs, 5 runs, and 7 runs batted in to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 19-7 before 15,325 fans at SkyDome in Toronto.

10 years ago
2010

Died on this date
Daryl Gates, 83. U.S. police officer. Mr. Gates joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1949, and rose through the ranks until becoming Chief of the LAPD in 1978. He instituted and/or employed programs such as SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics); D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education); PDID (Public Disorder and Intelligence Division); and CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums). Chief Gates attracted considerable criticism from racial minority groups for poor relationships between the minorities and members of the LAPD. The criticism increased after a videotape showing LAPD officers beating Negro criminal suspect Rodney King during arrest in 1991 was widely released, and riots occurred following the officers' acquittal in their trial in 1992. Chief Gates resigned on June 28, 1992, two months after the riots; he died after a long battle with bladder cancer.