April 28, 2020

280 years ago
1740

Died on this date
Baji Rao I, 39. Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, 1720-1740. Baji Rao I, a Brahmin, was trained as a diplomat and warrior. He served as Peshwa (Prime Minister) to Chhatrapati (Emperor) Shahu I, and was credited with the expansion of the Maratha Empire in India, never losing a battle in 20 years. Baji Rao I died five days after contracting a fever.

260 years ago
1760

War
French forces commanded by General Chevalier François Gaston de Lévis defeated British forces led by General James Murray in the Battle of Sainte-Foy in what is now Quebec. It was the last French victory in North America.

Politics and government
The Sovereign Council of New France held its last meeting.

220 years ago
1800

Died on this date
Yevstigney Fomin, 38. Russian composer. Mr. Fomin was a harpsichordist who was best known for composing about 30 operas, most notably Orfey i Evridika (Orpheus and Eurydice) (1792). He died in poverty.

140 years ago
1880

Baseball
Boston Red Caps’ catcher Lew Brown showed up drunk for an exhibition game, and was suspended for the season.

120 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Heinrich Müller. German SS officer. SS-Gruppenführer Müller was head of the Munich Political Police Department in the 1920s, and opposed the Nazi seizure of power in Bavaria in 1933. However, he was recruited by Security Service (SD) chief Reinhard Heydrich into the SS in 1934, and became its operations chief by 1936. SS-Gruppenführer Müller was advanced through the ranks of the SS by Mr. Heydrich, and was appointed chief of the secret state police force Gestapo in 1939. He attended the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, where the policy of extermination of Jews was decided upon, and was involved in its planning and execution. SS-Gruppenführer Müller was last seen alive in the Fuehrerbunker in Berlin on the evening of May 1, 1945, the day after the death of Fuehrer Adolf Hitler; he was presumed to have been killed or committed suicide shortly thereafter. SS-Gruppenführer Müller was the most senior figure in the Nazi regime who was never captured or confirmed to have died.

Jan Oort. Dutch astronomer. Dr. Oort made major contributions to the understanding of the Milky Way, and was a pioneer in radio astronomy. He determined that the Milky Way rotates, and overturned the idea that the Sun is at its centre. Dr. Oort also discovered the galactic halo--a group of stars orbiting the Milky Way but outside the main disk-- and postulated the existence of dark matter in 1932. He died on November 5, 1992 at the age of 92.

110 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Sam Merwin, Jr. U.S. author. Mr. Merwin wrote science fiction, fantasy, and romance under his own name and severl speudonyms from 1940 through the 1970s. His best-known works were the science fiction novel The House of Many Worlds (1951) and its sequel, Three Faces of Time (1955). Mr. Merwin died on January 13, 1996 at the age of 85.

Aviation
Frenchman Louis Paulhan won the 1910 London to Manchester air race, the first long-distance aeroplane race in England.

Baseball
Walter Johnson (2-2) gave up 16 hits but only 1 run and struck out 12 in going the distance as the Washington Nationals edged the Boston Red Sox 2-1 in 12 innings before 2,948 fans at American League Park in Washington. Losing pitcher Ray Collins (0-1) allowed 12 hits in 11.2 innings.

90 years ago
1930

Baseball
In the Class C Western Association, 1,000 fans were on hand in Independence, Kansas to see the Producers lose 13-3 to the Muskogee Chiefs in the first night game in organized professional baseball history.

The Philadelphia Athletics scored 4 runs in the 9th inning without getting a hit to defeat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 before 6,000 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. The runs scored as a result of 2 bases on balls, 2 errors, and a hit batsman.

80 years ago
1940

War
In response to Germany's recent invasion of Norway, a Gallup Poll reported that 93% of Americans thought the invasion unjustified, but 96% did not favour a U.S. declaration of war on Germany. The town of Namsos, the Allied troop landing area in central Norway, was levelled by German air attacks. Allied commanders were ordered to withdraw from Namsos and Andalsnes, thus abandoning the attempt to take Trondheim. Conflicting reports of success were issued from Tokyo and Chungking concerning the heavy fighting in the Chinese province of Shansi.

Law
The United States Justice Department announced the establishment of a Neutrality Laws Unit to centralize control of all alleged violations.

Tennis
Don Budge defeated Bruce Barnes in the men's final of the U.S. Open championship at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Baseball
Hal Trosky hit a 2-run home run with 2 out in the 10th inning to give the Cleveland Indians an 11-9 win over the Detroit Tigers before 30,200 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The Indians had led 9-3, but the Tigers scored 6 runs in the 9th to tie the game.

75 years ago
1945

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time--Les Brown and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Doris Day) (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Juke Box--2nd week at #1; Honor Roll of Hits--5th week at #1); I'm Beginning to See the Light--Harry James and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Kitty Kallen) (Airplay--2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Benito Mussolini, 61. Prime Minister of Italy, 1922-1943. Mr. Mussolini, known as Il Duce (The Leader), was leader of the Italian Fascist Party from 1921 until his death. He governed constitutionally as Prime Minister for his first three years in office before establishing a legal dictatorship. Mr. Mussolini's alliance with the German Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler turned out rather badly after initial successes during World War II. Mr. Mussolini was driven from power in 1943, but was restored by the Nazis as a puppet ruler. In the final days of the war, Mr. Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci, 33, were stopped by Communist partisans near Dongo (Lake Como) in northern Italy while attempting to board a plane bound for Switzerland and then Spain. The couple and most of their entourage were shot to death, and their bodies were moved to Milan, where, the next day, they were publicly hung upside down from meat hooks (see video).

Roberto Farinacci, 52. Italian politician. Mr. Farinacci was Secretary of Italy's National Fascist Party from 1925-1926 and Mayor of Cremona from 1922-1931. He was known as one of the Fascist regime's most prominent anti-Semites. Mr. Farinacci was executed in Vimercate by Communist partisans.

Hermann Fegelein, 38. German SS officer. General Fegelein was part of the entourage of Fuehrer Adolf Hitler and was married to Gretl Braun, sister of Mr. Hitler's mistress Eva Braun. He was shot to death in the garden of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin the day after escaping the Fuehrerbunker and being arrested in his apartment while preparing to flee to Sweden or Switzerland. Gen. Fegelein was reportedly drunk at the time of his arrest and all through his court martial in the Fuehrerbunker, which resulted in a conviction for desertion.

War
An Associated Press report quoting U.S. Senator Tom Connally (Democrat--Texas) said that Germany had surrendered unconditionally, but U.S. President Harry Truman denied the report. A truce was arranged between Canadian and German forces in Holland. Soviet forces drove the remaining German forces in Berlin into a 25-square-mile area of the city's centre.

Abominations
29 people were killed when the U.S. hospital ship Comfort was damaged by attacks from Japanese planes 50 miles south of Okinawa. The ship was properly designated as a hospital ship.

U.S. Army Brigadier General Eric Wood called Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany an "extermination factory" which had deprived Europe of its best democratic personnel.

Diplomacy
At the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov demanded that White Russia and Ukraine be given their seats at once, before working committees began deliberations.

Politics and government
The United States Senate Agriculture Committee voted to remove the Rural Electrification Administration from the Agriculture Department.

Economics and finance
The U.S. War Production Board revoked 40 lesser controls over industry covering a variety of consumer goods.

Track and field
Michigan captured the team title at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, while Illinois won the team title at the Drake Relays.

70 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Generoso Pope, 59. Italian-born U.S. businessman. Mr. Pope, born Generoso Papa, emigrated with his family to New York City in 1906. He founded Pope Foods in 1912, importing Italian foods. Mr. Pope owned a chain of Italian-language newspapers in major American cities. He was a conservative Democrat who supported the Italian Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini as well as U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and influenced the adoption of Columbus Day as an American holiday in 1934. Mr. Pope was successful in persuading Mr. Roosevelt's administration to take a neutral stand on the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1936, but he broke with the Mussolini regime after the U.S.A. entered World War II in 1941, and supported the American war effort. Mr. Pope was a prominent anti-Communist in his later years, and died of a heart ailment, 27 days after his 59th birthday.

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary-General Trygve Lie, UN General Assembly President Carlos Romulo, and former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt stated their opposition to former U.S. President Herbert Hoover's proposal for a reorganized UN without Communist states.

Czechoslovakia demanded that the U.S.A. reduce its diplomatic staff in Czechoslovakia by two-thirds because of alleged anti-Czech activities.

Politics and government
The United Kingdom objected before the United Nations Trusteeship Council to plans for Italian administration of Eritrea, urging that the country be divided between Ethiopia and Sudan.

Science
A compromise bill for the creation of a National Science Foundation was sent to U.S. President Harry Truman after getting the approval of both houses of Congress.

Oddities
Jim Martin, a catcher with Pampa in the West Texas-New Mexico League, was struck by lightning in the 2nd inning of a game at Abilene. He was knocked unconscious, his mask was hurled 85 feet away, and the stadium lights were knocked out. However, Mr. Martin was not seriously hurt, and he played the next day.

60 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Marina--Rocco Granata and the International Quintet (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Do You Mind?--Anthony Newley

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Frank Nitti Story, with guest stars Bruce Gordon, Richard Anderson, Myron McCormick, and Dick Foran

This was the last episode of the season.

50 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Kvällstoppen): Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)--Edison Lighthouse

#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Mademoiselle Ninette--The Soulful Dynamics

Died on this date
Ed Begley, 69. U.S. actor. Mr. Begley was an excellent character actor whose movies included Patterns (1956) (also the earlier television version (1955)); 12 Angry Men (1957); and Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), for which he won an Academy Award for his supporting performance. He died of a heart attack.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched Meteor 1-4, the first of two meteorological satellites to form part of the Soviet Union’s weather satellite system.

War
U.S. President Richard Nixon formally authorized American combat troops to take part in the Cambodian campaign.

Academia
U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew, addressing a Republican Party fund-raising dinner in Hollywood, Florida, said that Yale University President Kingman Brewster should be fired and a "more mature and responsible person" put in his place, since Yale students could not "get a fair impression of their country under the tutelage of Kingman Brewster." Five days earlier, Mr. Brewster had expressed skepticism of the ability of Negro revolutionaries to get a fair trial anywhere in the United States.

Religion
The Vatican issued revised rules for mixed marriages between Roman Catholics and non-Catholics. The new policy eliminated the requirement that the non-Catholic partner promise to raise children in the Roman Catholic faith, substituting a provision that required the non-Catholic only to be informed of the Catholic partner’s commitment to raise the children as Catholics.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
Pittsburgh 0 @ St. Louis 5 (St. Louis led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Jacques Plante was in goal for the Blues at St. Louis Arena, earning his 14th career Stanley Cup shutout.

40 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Got You--Split Enz (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Runaway--Chanels (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Message in a Bottle--The Police

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Weekend--Earth and Fire

Died on this date
Tommy Caldwell, 30. U.S. musician. Mr. Caldwell played bass guitar with the rock group the Marshall Tucker Band from 1973 until his death, six days after suffering serious head injuries in an auto accident.

Politics and government
Cyrus Vance resigned as U.S. Secretary of State, four days after an attempted military rescue of the hostages at the U.S. embassy in Iran had ended in failure with the deaths of eight servicemen. Mr. Vance had not supported Operation Eagle Claw, arguing that it was possible to obtain the hostages’ freedom through diplomatic channels, augmented by political and economic sanctions.

Protest
Students in Kabul at the Omar Shaheed School for Boys and at the Habibia High School began burning the old and new Afghan flags and throwing stones at troops. The troops fired back and killed at least 13 students, while 200 were arrested.

30 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Opposites Attract--Paula Abdul (Duet with the Wild Pair) (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Vattene Amore--Amedeo Minghi; Mietta (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Vogue--Madonna

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): How am I Supposed to Live Without You--Michael Bolton

#1 single in France (SNEP): Le temps des Yéyés--Les Vagabonds (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Vogue--Madonna (3rd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 The Power--Snap! (3rd week at #1)
2 Dub Be Good to Me--Beats International
3 Infinity (1990's... Time for the Guru)--Guru Josh
4 Vogue--Madonna
5 Oh Pretty Woman--Gary Moore featuring Albert King
6 Kingston Town--UB40
7 What "U" Waitin'....."4"?--Jungle Brothers
8 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor
9 This Beat is Technotronic--Technotronic featuring MC Eric
10 Black Velvet--Alannah Myles

Singles entering the chart were Something Happened on the Way to Heaven by Phil Collins (#25); Fame 90 by David Bowie (#26); Moments in Soul by J.T. and the Big Family (#30); I Might by Shakin' Stevens (#31); Pressure by Angela & the Rude (#34); and The Sex of It by Kid Creole and the Coconuts (#35).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor (2nd week at #1)
2 Don't Wanna Fall in Love--Jane Child
3 I Wanna Be Rich--Calloway
4 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
5 How Can We Be Lovers--Michael Bolton
6 Whip Appeal--Babyface
7 Here and Now--Luther Vandross
8 Without You--Motley Crue
9 Whole Wide World--A'me Lorain
10 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart

Singles entering the chart were U Can't Touch This by M.C. Hammer (#27); Do You Remember? by Phil Collins (#51); Children of the Night by Richard Marx (#55); Notice Me by Nikki (#73); Dare to Fall in Love by Brent Bourgeois (#75); That's the Way of the World by D-Mob with Cathy Dennis (#78); Club at the End of the Street by Elton John (#86); Girls Nite Out by Tyler Collins (#89); This and That by Michael Penn (#90); Only My Heart Talkin' by Alice Cooper (#91); Try to Find Me by Gorky Park (#92); Sittin' in the Lap of Luxury by Louie Louie (#97); and Up All Night by Slaughter (#98).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Nothing Compares to U--Sinead O’Connor
2 Don’t Wanna Fall in Love--Jane Child
3 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
4 I Wanna Be Rich--Calloway
5 I’ll Be Your Everything--Tommy Page
6 How Can We Be Lovers--Michael Bolton
7 Here and Now--Luther Vandross
8 Forever--Kiss
9 Without You--Motley Crue
10 Whip Appeal--Babyface

Singles entering the chart were Children of the Night by Richard Marx (#54); Do You Remember? by Phil Collins (#61); Coming of Age by Damn Yankees (#68); Turtle Power by Partners in Kryme (#74); Pictures of You by the Cure (#80); This and That by Michael Penn (#86); and That's the Way of the World by D-Mob With Cathy Dennis (#90).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Wish it Would Rain Down--Phil Collins (6th week at #1)
2 Nothing Compares to U--Sinead O’Connor
3 Lover of Mine--Alannah Myles
4 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield
5 Love Will Lead You Back--Taylor Dayne
6 I’ll Be Your Everything--Tommy Page
7 Blue Sky Mine--Midnight Oil
8 Don’t Wanna Fall in Love--Jane Child
9 The Heart of the Matter--Don Henley
10 This Old Heart of Mine--Rod Stewart with Ronald Isley

Singles entering the chart were It Must Have Been Love by Roxette (#69); Book of Dreams by Suzanne Vega (#71); Dangerous Times by Sue Medley (#74); Heaven is a 4 Letter Word by Bad English (#79); 38 Years Ago by the Tragically Hip (#81); Club at the End of the Street by Elton John (#84); This is Love by Regatta (#87); Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice) by Gloria Estefan (#89); Texas Twister by Little Feat (#91); and I Come Off by Young MC (#93).

Theatre
The musical A Chorus Line closed after 6,137 performances at the Shubert Theatre in New York, the longest Broadway run in history to that time.

Protest
200,000-700,000 people came to Washington, D.C. to protest against the continuing abomination of abortion. U.S. President George Bush addressed the rally by telephone and said that the "widespread prevalence of abortion is a tragedy." Vice President Dan Quayle, who attended the rally, said, "The pro-life movement is the humanitarian movement of our time."

Hockey
IIHF
Men's World Championship
Czechoslovakia 3 Canada 2

NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Finals
Chicago 2 @ St. Louis 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

Baseball
The Detroit Tigers scored 4 runs in the 5th inning, 5 in the 7th, and 4 in the 8th as they beat the Milwaukee Brewers 13-5 before 15,829 fans at Tiger Stadium, with starting pitcher Frank Tanana picking up his 200th career major league win.

25 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Se på mej--Jan Johansen (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Key to My Life--Boyzone (2nd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 4,321.27, a record high.

20 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Penelope Fitzgerald, 83. U.K. authoress. Mrs. Fitzgerald was a literary editor and teacher before beginning her career as a writer in her late 50s. She wrote several biographies, but was best known for novels such as The Bookshop (1978); Offshore (1979); and The Blue Flower (1995).

Literature
The first Northrop Frye Literature Festival opened in Moncton, New Brunswick, with 40 authors giving readings.

Crime
A white man went on a shooting spree in the suburbs of Pittsburgh that was apparently racially-motivated, killing five Negroes and critically wounding a sixth.

Business
The United States Justice Department and 17 of the 19 states participating in a suit against Microsoft Corporation for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act asked U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson to break Microsoft into two separate companies.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Semi-Finals
San Jose 0 @ Dallas 4 (Dallas led best-of-seven series 1-0)

10 years ago
2010

Business
U.S. Steel Canada Inc. (formerly Stelco) announced its intention to sell two of its Hamilton, Ontario mills to German-owned Max Aicher (North America) Inc.