1250
War
Ayyubids of Egypt captured King Louis IX of France in the Battle of Fariskur in Egypt.
700 years ago
1320
Britannica
Scots reaffirmed their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.
530 years ago
1490
Died on this date
Matthias I, 47. King of Hungary and Croatia, 1458-1490; King of Bohemia, 1469-1490. Matthias Corvinus was the son of John Hunyadi, Regent of Hungary, who died in 1456. Matthias and his older brother Ladislaus Hunyadi were imprisoned in 1457 on the orders of King Ladislaus the Posthumous, and Ladislaus Hunyadi was executed. King Ladislaus died unexpectedly in 1458, and Matthias was proclaimed King. He waged military campaigns and established a professional standing army; introduced new taxes and political reforms; and patronized art, science, and literature. King Matthias suffered from gout in his later years, and died of a reported stroke. He was succeeded by Vladislaus II.
500 years ago
1520
Died on this date
Raphael, 37. Italian artist. Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino was a painter and architect who was one of the major figures of the Renaissance. He left a large body of work before dying of apparent exhaustion on or shortly after his 37th birthday.
440 years ago
1580
Disasters
One of the largest earthquakes recorded in the history of England, Flanders, or northern France took place.
200 years ago
1820
Born on this date
Nadar. French photographer, journalist, and author. Nadar, whose real name was Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, was a caricaturist and novelist who was best known for his portrait photographs. He was a ballonist and proponent of manned flight; in 1858 he became the first person to take aerial photographs. Mr. Tournachon died on March 20, 1910, 17 days before his 90th birthday.
190 years ago
1830
Abominations
Joseph Smith and five others organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fayette, New York.
160 years ago
1860
Died on this date
James Kirke Paulding, 81. U.S. author and politician. Mr. Paulding was a friend and associate of Washington Irving and other New York writers known as the "Knickerbocker Group." His works included the novels Koningsmarke (1823) and The Dutchman's Fireside (1831), and the play The Lion of the West (1831). Mr. Paulding served as U.S. Secretary of the Navy in the administration of President Martin Van Buren (1838-1841), where he was known for his opposition to new technology.
Abominations
The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois.
150 years ago
1870
Politics and government
The British Columbia Legislative Assembly voted to send J.S Helmcken, J. W. Trutch, and R. W. W. Carrall to negotiate union with Canada; the Great Confederation Debates ended on April 11.
Law
A Canadian federal Order-in-Council approved the formation of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP).
130 years ago
1890
Born on this date
Anthony Fokker. Indonesian-born Dutch aircraft manufacturer. Mr. Fokker designed the Fokker Dr.I and Fokker D.VII, which were used by the German Luftstreitkräfte to great effect during World War I. He died of meningitis at the age of 49 on December 23, 1939.
Baseball
California League
Stockton 1 @ Sacramento 36
The game lasted just 7 innings, and took just 2 hours and 10 minutes. Stockton made 16 errors.
125 years ago
1895
Born on this date
Dudley Nichols. U.S. screenwriter. Mr. Nichols was at his peak in the 1930s and '40s, winning an Academy Award for The Informer (1935), and receiving Oscar nominations for The Long Voyage Home (1940); Air Force (1943); and The Tin Star (1957). He died of cancer on January 4, 1960 at the age of 64.
120 years ago
1900
Born on this date
Leo Robin. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Robin worked in Tin Pan Alley in New York and later, in Hollywood, from the 1920s through the 1950s. He was best known for his collaborations with Ralph Rainger, most notably Thanks for the Memory, which was from the movie The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938), and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Mr. Robin died of heart failure on December 29, 1984 at the age of 84.
100 years ago
1920
Born on this date
Edmond Fischer. Chinese-born U.S. biochemist. Dr. Fischer, born in Shanghai to European parents, grew up and was educated in Switzerland, moving to the United States in 1950, where he obtained a teaching position at the University of Washington. He and colleague Edwin Krebs shared the 1992 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries concerning reversible protein phosphorylation as a biological regulatory mechanism."
Jack Cover. U.S. military aviator and engineer. Dr. Cover studied nuclear physics under Enrico Fermi, and was a test pilot with the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He worked at North American Aviation (1952-1964), and later worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dr. Cover was known for inventing the Taser stun gun; he named it after Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle. Dr. Cover died of pneumonia while suffering from Alzheimer's disease, on February 7, 2009 at the age of 88.
Oddities
The Times of London contained a report (mailed on March 18 by their correspondent in Constantinople) that a Greek sailor in that city had been tellng people about how he had seen British soldiers on March 16 marching an important person--Djemal Pasha, thought the sailor--through the streets in the early hours of the morning, and that three Turks had been caught trying to blow up a British general with dynamite bombs. Another person there told the Times reporter that the reason the operation had been carried out so efficiently was because the British had brought Sherlock Holmes with them to Constantinople: "A wonderful man that! He just puts his nose in the air and smells out evil-doers. How brilliant an idea to employ him!"
..."Serlo Kolms" is a real being to many frequenters of our cinemas, and recently a newspaper advertising a coming feuilleton published the notice "Sherlock Holmes a Constantinople" in several successive numbers. This was taken literally by certain Greek and Turkish readers, who blamed a rival newspaper for failing to report the presence of this celebrity here! It is now an article of faith with many that Sherlock is here and at work, presumably in the "I" branch.
90 years ago
1930
Protest
At the end of the Salt March, Indian independence activist Mohandas Gandhi raised a lump of mud and salt and declared, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire."
Baseball
The New York Giants played their first night game, a 9-1 win in Bridgeport, Connecticut over their farm team, the Bridgeport Bears of the Class A Eastern League. It was to be another 10 years before the Giants would play a regular season night game at home.
80 years ago
1940
Space
A solar eclipse was visible at 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time in the northeastern United States.
War
A resolution opposing American entry into the European war was adopted by a Socialist Party convention in Washington. The Chinese Central News Agency reported that 60 Japanese war ships were missing off the coast of the Chinese province of Fukien.
Politics and government
Supporters of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt started a Texas campaign to force the state Democratic Party convention, meeting in May, to send a delegation of Mr. Roosevelt's supporters to the national convention.
Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
New York Rangers 1 @ Toronto 2 (New York led best-of-seven series 2-1)
Gordie Drillon and Hank Goldup scored in the 3rd period for the Maple Leafs as they came from behind to edge the Rangers at Maple Leaf Gardens. Phil Watson scored in the 1st period to give New York the lead. Turk Broda won the goaltending duel over Dave Kerr.
75 years ago
1945
War
The Allied left flank moved forward between 5-30 miles on the western front. Sarajevo was liberated from German and Croatian forces by the Yugoslav Partisans. Japan initiated Operation Ten-Go, a series of massed kamikaze attacks aimed at destroying the U.S. 5th Fleet off Okinawa. The Battle of Slater's Knoll on Bougainville Island in Indonesia ended in a decisive victory for Australian forces over Japanese forces.
Diplomacy
The Japanese government said it was prepared to meet the consequences of the U.S.S.R.'s denunciation of the neutrality pact with Japan, but added that the pact must remain in force until April 1946, because one year's notice of termination was required.
Politics and government
U.S. Secretary of State Edward Stettinius said that the United States was doing all it could to assist the establishment of a new Polish government of unity so that the country could be represented at the San Francisco conference to found the United Nations.
Society
Memphis, Tennessee's Board of Motion Picture Censors, headed by Lloyd Binford, banned the movie Brewster's Millions (1945), calling it "inimical to the friendly relations" between Negroes and whites. The Board's objection was apparently to the servant portrayed by Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, who had "too familiar a way about him."
Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Toronto 1 @ Detroit 0 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 1-0)
Sweeney Schriner scored at 13:56 of the 1st period and Frank McCool posted the shutout in goal for the Maple Leafs as they edged the Red Wings at Olympia Stadium. Harry Lumley was in goal for Detroit.
70 years ago
1950
Television
RCA reported successful transmission of colour television by coaxial cable.
War
French sources reported the escape of 1,000 Chinese Nationalist soldiers from internment camps in northern Indochina. 200 were said to have joined the Viet Minh.
Diplomacy
The United States refused Guatamala's request for the recall of U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Richard Patterson, denying charges that he was meddling in Guatemala's internal affairs and trying to turn the country into an American base.
Politics and government
In a move to silence Republican Party criticism of hs foreign policy, U.S. President Harry Truman named John Foster Dulles as an adviser to Secretary of State Dean Acheson.
A French Communist Party conference in Gennevillers defied anti-sabotage laws and adopted orders for the party to "intensify action against the transport, handling and manufacture of arms."
Law
31 nations (none from the Soviet bloc) signed a five-year convention setting up standard procedures for establishing the legal deaths of missing persons.
Economics and finance
Austria and Israel reached an agreement permitting the transfer of the frozen accounts of Austrian Jews to Israel. The agreement removed the last remaining obstacle to unlimited trade between the two countries.
Labour
U.S. President Truman urged Congress to extend unemployment insurance coverage to an additional six million workers and to increase benefits by 20%.
United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis endorsed Congress of Industrial Organization President Philip Murray's proposal for a merger with the American Federation of Labor.
Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
New York 3 @ Montreal 0 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-1)
Toronto 2 @ Detroit 0 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Jack Gordon, Pat Egan, and Dunc Fisher scored in the 3rd period for the Rangers as they eliminated the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum. Chuck Rayner earned the shutout in goal, outduelling Bill Durnan; for Mr. Durnan, it was the last game in his 7-year Hall of Fame NHL career.
Ted Kennedy scored on a powerplay at 10:35 of the 1st period and Max Bentley scored in the 3rd period for the Maple Leafs as they defeated the Red Wings at Olympia Stadium. Turk Broda earned his third shutout of the series in goal.
60 years ago
1960
At the movies
The Unforgiven, directed by John Huston, and starring Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Charles Bickford, and Lillian Gish, opened in theatres.
Space
The Soviet satellite Sputnik 3 ended its mission. It had been launched on May 15, 1958 with the purpose of studying atmospheric pressure and composition; concentration of ions; magnetic fields; and cosmic rays.
50 years ago
1970
Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Let it Be--The Beatles
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Onna no Blues--Keiko Fuji (2nd week at #1)
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gwendolyne--Julio Iglesias
On the radio
The Challenge of Space, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: Big Brother in the Sky
Died on this date
Sam Sheppard, 46. U.S. physician. Dr. Sheppard, an osteopath in Cleveland, was convicted of the 1954 murder of his wife. He claimed his innocence, and was released from prison in 1966, in part because it was ruled that the Cleveland Press had helped to create an atmosphere that was biased against him. A retrial resulted in his acquittal. Unable to resume his medical career, Dr. Sheppard became a professional wrestler in his later years. The case of Dr. Sheppard is said to have inspired the television series The Fugitive (1963-1967), but this was denied by Roy Huggins, who created The Fugitive.
Maurice Stokes, 36. U.S. basketball player. Mr. Stokes was a forward and center who starred at Saint Francis College in Pennsylvania (1951-1955), and was named the most valuable player in the 1955 National Invitation Tournament. He joined the Rochester Royals, and was the National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year in 1955-56, leading the league in rebounds per game. Mr. Stokes led the NBA in several statistical categories over the next two years, and was named a Second Team All-Star in each of his three seasons. On March 12, 1958, in the last game of the 1957-58 regular season, he hit his head on the floor and was knocked unconscious. Three days later, the Royals, now based in Cincinnati, opened their playoff series in Detroit. Mr. Stokes played 39 minutes of the Royals' 100-83 loss to the Pistons, scoring 12 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and making 2 assists. On the flight home to Cincinnati, Mr. Stokes became very ill, suffered a seizure, went into a coma, and became paralyzed. He only partially recovered, but his struggle inspired many. Mr. Stokes was one of the NBA's few Negro players in the 1950s, and his closest friend and teammate, Jack Twyman, was white; their friendship provided a positive example of racial harmony at a time when such relationships were rare. Mr. Twyman became Mr. Stokes' legal guardian, and raised money to pay for his friend's medical bills. Mr. Stokes died of a heart attack; he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
George Alleyn, 24; James Pence, 24; Walt Frago, 23; Roger Gore, 23. U.S. police officers. The four policemen were California Highway Patrol officers who were killed by career criminals Jack Twinning and Bobby Davis in a shootout in the Newhall area of Los Angeles.
Society
In an effort to head off a school integration plan backed by the U.S. Supreme Court, Florida Governor Claude Kirk ordered Manatee County pupils to ignore the desegregation order. Gov. Kirk also personally assumed control of the county’s school system after suspending the school board superintendent.
Baseball
Lee May, Bernie Carbo, and Bobby Tolan all hit home runs in the 4th inning as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Montreal Expos 5-1 before an opening day crowd of 30,124 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Mr. Carbo’s home run was his first major league hit. Jim Merritt was the winning pitcher, while Joe Sparma, in his first game since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers, took the loss. The win marked a successful debut for Sparky Anderson as manager of the Reds.
The Detroit Tigers blanked the Washington Senators 5-0 before 45,015 fans at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington as Mickey Lolich pitched a 7-hit shutout. Dick Bosman took the loss.
40 years ago
1980
Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Little Sister--Ry Cooder
#1 single in Switzerland: Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd (10th week at #1)
World events
With word spreading that those within the grounds of the Peruvian embassy in Havana could leave Cuba if they could obtain visas from another country, 10,800 Cubans were jammed into the grounds, packed to tightly that some were pressed against the chain-link fence surrounding the compound. Cuba had removed its guards around the embassy after Peru had refused to return six men who had crashed through the gates of the embassy in a bus on April 1 in an attempt to obtain asylum, and had killed a Cuban guard in the process.
Hockey
NHL
Quebec 4 Montreal 4
Detroit 3 @ Hartford 5
Gordie Howe, now with the Hartford Whalers, played his final regular season game, scoring his 801st career goal. Mr. Howe, who had turned 52 years of age six days earlier, scored the goal against the team with whom he had starred from 1946-1971. It was also the final regular season game for Mr. Howe’s youthful teammate, 41-year-old Bobby Hull.
30 years ago
1990
Politics and government
Liberal and Parti Quebecois members of the Quebec National Assembly teamed up to pass a motion rejecting any modifications to the Meech Lake constitutional accord. Several hours later, the provincial House of Assembly of Newfoundland rescinded its approval of the Meech Lake Canadian accord, following through on a promise made by Premier Clyde Wells the previous month, and reversing the decision of the government of Mr. Wells’ predecessor, Brian Peckford. Newfoundland joined New Brunswick and Manitoba as provinces that had yet to approve the accord by the June 23 deadline in order for the accord to become law.
Economics and finance
The U.S. Labor Department reported that unemployment stood at 5.2% in March.
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski ended a three-day visit to Poland by signing a $30 million loan guarantee for Canadian businesses, mostly in cattle and dairy modernization.
Environment
Canadian Environment Minister Lucien Bouchard announced an agreement between the federal and Quebec governments to set up Saguenay Marine Park to save St. Lawrence River beluga whales. Autopsies of dead whales showed high toxin levels in their blubber.
Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Division Semi-Finals
Toronto 2 @ St. Louis 4 (St. Louis led best-of-seven series 2-0)
Minnesota 3 @ Chicago 5 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
Winnipeg 2 @ Edmonton 3 (OT) (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
Los Angeles 5 @ Calgary 8 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
25 years ago
1995
Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)--Scatman John
Died on this date
Ioannis Alevras, 82 or 83. President of Greece, 1985. Mr. Alevras, a member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, became Speaker of the Greek Parliament in 1981, and served as interim President from March 10-30, 1985 after the resignation of Constantine Karamanlis. He was succeeded as President by Christos Sartzetakis, who had no official political affiliation.
20 years ago
2000
Died on this date
Habib Bourguiba, 96. 1st President of Tunisia, 1957-1987. Mr. Bourguiba co-founded the independence movement Neo Destour in 1934, and was exiled and imprisoned several times before France granted Tunisia its independence in 1956. He took office as Prime Minister in 1956, and became President upon the declaration of a republic in 1957. Mr. Bourguiba's reign remains a subject of debate; while he's regarded as the founder of independent Tunisia, he's also denounced as a dictator who abused human rights, with at least 1,000 political opponents dying or disappearing during his time in office. Mr. Bourguiba was deposed by Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on November 7, 1987, and spent the remainder of his life under house arrest.
World events
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, ousted in a coup the previous October, was found guilty of hijacking and terrorism, and was sentenced to life in prison; he was acquitted of kidnapping and attempted murder. Six other defendants, including Mr. Sharif’s brother, were acquitted of all charges by the judge. The case stemmed from Mr. Sharif’s attempt to prevent a commercial airliner from arriving in Pakistan; its passengers included General Pervez Musharraf, who that same day led the overthrow of Mr. Sharif’s government.
Juan Miguel Gonzalez flew from Cuba to Washington, D.C. to retrieve his 6-year-old son Elian, who had been ordered to be returned to him by a U.S. District Court. Lazaro Gonzalez, the boy’s great-uncle, refused to hand him over, and negotiations continued.
Abominations
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s government passed legislation to seize, without compensation, farms owned by white people.
Law
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien introduced a new immigration bill to crack down on human smuggling and refugees who were criminals while welcoming the "best and brightest."
Science
Celera Genomics, a private company mapping the human genetic blueprint, announced that it had decoded all of the DNA pieces making up the genetic pattern of a single human being. With an eye toward the looming battle over the patenting of portions of DNA, Canadian futurist Frank Ogden, popularly known as "Dr. Tomorrow," formally filed an application to have his own DNA trademarked in an effort to protect himself and his identity.
10 years ago
2010
Died on this date
Corin Redgrave, 70. U.K. actor. Mr. Redgrave, the son of actor Michael Redgrave and brother of actresses Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave, appeared in plays, films, and television programs, and was best known for his stage performances. His movies included A Man for All Seasons (1966); In the Name of the Father (1993); and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994).
Wilma Mankiller, 64. U.S. Indian leader. Miss Mankiller was a member of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma who participated in events such as the occupation of Alcatraz (1969-1971), and became the first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1985-1995). She became a professor in later years, and died after a long battle with cancer.
War
Maoist rebels killed 76 Central Reserve Police Force officers in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh, India.
Protest
Violent protests started in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek in response to perceived corruption and rising living expenses, eventually resulting in the collapse of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's government.
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