May 8, 2020

800 years ago
1220

Died on this date
Richeza of Denmark, 30-40 (?). Queen consort of Sweden, 1210-1216. Richeza, a daughter of King Valdemar I and Queen Sophia, and a sister of King Valdemar II, married King Erik X of Sweden in 1210. The couple had four daughters and a son before Erik X died in 1216. Johan I was then elected to the throne, and Queen Richeza was driven into exile back in Denmark. She died two years before Erik XI acceded to the Swedish throne.

570 years ago
1450

World events
Kentishmen led by Jack Cade marched on London in a revolt against King Henry VI.

300 years ago
1720

Born on this date
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1756-1757. The Duke of Devonshire, a Whig, succeeded the Duke of Newcastle as Prime Minister on November 16, 1756, serving only until the end of the current parliamentary session on June 25, 1757. He died on October 2, 1864 at the age of 44, after years of poor health.

275 years ago
1745

Born on this date
Carl Stamitz. German composer. Mr. Stamitz was a court violinist who wrote 50 symphonies, 38 symphonies concertantes, numerous concertos for various instruments, chamber works, and two operas. He died on November 9, 1801 at the age of 56, after gradually descending into poverty.

170 years ago
1850

Born on this date
Ross Barnes. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Barnes was a second baseman and shortstop with the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association from 1871-1875, batting .379 in 266 games. When the National League began play in 1876, Mr. Barnes was with the Chicago White Stockings, and he led the league in batting (.429); slugging (.590); runs (126); hits (138); doubles (21); triples (14); and bases on balls (20). Mr. Barnes was a master at bunting the ball so that it bounced in fair territory before reaching third base and then rolled foul, and made many infield hits in that manner. After the 1876 season, the rule was changed so that such a play was a foul ball. The rule change, combined with an illness that robbed Mr. Barnes of his strength and agility, combined to limit his playing time and effectiveness in later years. He played just 22 games in 1877. He played with Tecumseh of the International Association in 1878, then returned to the NL with the Cincinnati Reds in 1879. After sitting out 1880, Mr. Barnes finished his career back with the Red Stockings in 1881. In 234 National League games, Mr. Barnes batted .319 with 2 home runs and 111 runs batted in. He died on February 5, 1915 at the age of 64.

140 years ago
1880

Died on this date
Gustave Flaubert, 58. French author. Mr. Flaubert was a leading proponent of literary realism and was known for his exacting style, looking for "just the right word." His best-known work was the novel Madame Bovary (1857). Mr. Flaubert died of a cerebral hemorrhage after suffering from venereal disease for years.

Communications
The Victoria and Esquimalt Telephone Company, the first such company in British Columbia, was founded in Victoria.

130 years ago
1890

Baseball
16-year-old Willie McGill of the Cleveland Infants of the Players League became the youngest pitcher in major league history to pitch a complete game as he beat the Buffalo Bisons 14-5 at Brotherhood Park in Cleveland.

The Chicago Pirates routed the Pittsburgh Burghers 20-5 in a Players League game at South Side Park in Chicago.

In the National League, the Chicago White Stockings scored 12 runs in the 6th inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 18-9 at West Side Park in Chicago. The big blow in the inning was a grand slam by Howard Earl.

125 years ago
1895

Born on this date
James H. Kindelberger. U.S. aviation engineer and executive. Mr. Kindelberger served with the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I, and was an engineer with the Glenn L. Martin Company in the 1920s and Douglas Aircraft Company in the '30s. He was President and general manager of North American Aviation from 1934-1960 and then served as Chairman of the Board until his death from congestive heart failure on July 27, 1962 at the age of 67.

Edmund Wilson. U.S. writer. Mr. Wilson wrote novels, plays, and non-fiction, but was best known as a literary critic. He was influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud, and in turn influenced several novelists, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Upton Sinclair. Mr. Wilson's books included To the Finland Station (1940); O Canada: An American's Notes on Canadian Culture (1965); and The Dead Sea Scrolls, 1947–1969 (1969). He died on June 12, 1972 at the age of 77.

Fulton J. Sheen. U.S. clergyman. Rev. Sheen was a Roman Catholic Bishop who became nationally known through his use of radio and television. He was ordained a priest in 1919, and taught theology at Catholic University of America before serving as Auxiliary Bishop of New York (1951-1966) and Bishop of Rochester (1966-1969). Rev. Sheen hosted the radio program The Catholic Hour (1930-1950) and the television programs Life is Worth Living (1952-1957) and The Fulton Sheen Program (1961-1968). He was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Television in 1953 and 1954, winning in 1953; he was nominated in 1957 in the category of Best Male Personality--Continuing Performance. Rev. Sheen also wrote 73 books, and died on December 9, 1979 at the age of 84.

Abominations
Nicholas Flood Davin (Conservative--Assiniboia West) introduced a motion in the Canadian House of Commons to give women the vote; it was eventually defeated 105-47.

110 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Mary Lou Williams. U.S. musician. Mrs. Williams was a jazz pianist, arranger, and composer who became one of the first women to become successful in jazz. She was married to saxophonist John Overton Williams from 1927-1940, and they performed together in the group Twelve Clouds of Joy, with Mrs. Williams serving as the band's arranger. Her compositions included Zodiac Suite, which was first performed on December 31, 1945. Mrs. Williams withdrew from performing in the mid-1950s and converted to Roman Catholicism. She often performed sacred music after that, and contributed to Catholic and other charities. Mrs. Williams died of bladder cancer on May 28, 1981, 20 days after her 71st birthday.

100 years ago
1920

Born on this date
Sloan Wilson. U.S. author. Mr. Wilson was best known for his novels The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1955) and A Summer Place (1958), both of which were made into popular movies. He died on May 25, 2003, 17 days after his 83rd birthday.

Horse racing
Paul Jones, with Ted Rice up, won the 46th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:09, a head in front of Upset, with On Watch third, 4 lengths behind in the 17-horse field.



90 years ago
1930

Baseball
Fred Lindstrom hit for the cycle and added a fifth hit in 6 at bats to help the New York Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-10 in 10 innings at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Mr. Lindstrom led off the top of the 10th with a single to begin a 3-run rally that broke a 10-10 tie. Pinch hitter Stu Clarke grounded out to lead off the bottom of the 10th in the 61st and last game of his 2-year major league career.

80 years ago
1940

War
Japanese forces broke the Chinese Hupeh-Honan defense lines.

Politics and government
U.K. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain narrowly survived a non-confidence vote in the House of Commons amid demands from the opposition Labour Party that he resign. Many Conservative backbenchers joined the demands for Mr. Chamberlain's resignation; the vote was seen as making his resignation inevitable.

Dr. Rafael Angel Caldron Guardia was inaugurated as President of Costa Rica.

A poll showed 67% of Republican party voters in favour of New York City District Attorney Thomas Dewey as their party's candidate for the 1940 nomination for President of the United States, over Senators Arthur Vandenberg (Michigan) and Robert Taft (Ohio).

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal for shifting the Civil Aviation Administration and Air Safety Board to the Commerce Department.

Diplomacy
Delegates of 40 peace organizations meeting at International House in New York City urged the creation of some form of international government.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department announced the formation of an Interstate Trade Barriers Committee to study federal legislation needs against trade restrictions.

Medicine
Drs. Philip Polatin, Hyman Spotnitz, and Benjamin Wiesel of New York State Psychiatric Institute reported successful use of insulin in the shock treatment of mental patients.

Baseball
The Cincinnati Reds traded center fielder Vince DiMaggio to the Pittsburgh Pirates for left fielder Johnny Rizzo. In 2 games with the Reds in 1940, Mr. DiMaggio was batting .250 (1 for 4) with no home runs or runs batted in. Mr. Rizzo was batting .179 with no home runs and 2 RBIs in 9 games with the Pirates in 1940.

75 years ago
1945

On the radio
On a Note of Triumph, hosted and narrated by Martin Gabel, on CBS

This broadcast, which also featured William L. Shirer as a reporter, was written by Norman Corwin.



Died on this date
Bernhard Rust, 61. German politician. Mr. Rust was Minister of Science, Education and National Culture (Reichserziehungsminister) in the Nazi regime of Fuehrer Adolf Hitler from 1934 until his death by reported suicide. He was instrumental in purging Jews and others regarded as enemies of the Nazi state from universities, and issued a rule in 1933 that students and teachers should greet each other with the Nazi salute.

Josef Terboven, 46. German politician. Mr. Terboven was Reichskommissar for Norway during the Nazi occupation of that country from April 24, 1940 until he committed suicide in Oslo, next to the body of Wilhelm Rediess, by detonating 50 kilograms of dynamite in a bunker on the Skaugum compound.

Wilhelm Rediess, 44. German SS officer. Mr. Rediess was the SS and Police Leader during the German occupation of Norway from 1940 until he committed suicide in Oslo by shooting himself as the Third Reich collapsed in Norway.

War
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill officially announced the end of the war with Germany as the German surrender signed the previous day in Rheims, France went into effect and was confirmed in Berlin at 11:01 P.M. local time. The German surrender ended the Prague uprising after a three-day attempt to liberate the Czech capital from Nazi occupation. U.S. Navy Secretary James Forrestal named Admiral Henry Hewitt to conduct further investigations into the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The United States War Department indefinitely suspended a regulation requiring review of all cases of professional athletes.

















Abominations
Several thousand civilians were killed by French Army soldiers after clashes in and around the Algerian town of Sétif.

Crime
In the second day of rioting, 10,000 servicemen looted and vandalized downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia during VE-Day celebrations.



Diplomacy
The United States delegation to the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco asked the conference to accept the formula for relating the Pan-American security system to the United Nations, which would permit the Western Hemisphere to deal with its own disputes.

Politics and government
Frank Hague was re-elected to his eighth consecutive term as Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau said that U.S. costs for World War II had reached $276 billion.

Energy
The national brownout of non-essential lighting was lifted by the U.S. War Production Board.

70 years ago
1950

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Silent Voice

Died on this date
Vital Brazil, 85. Brazilian physician. Vital Brazil Mineiro da Campanha was an immunologist who was known for his discovery of the serum used to treat venomous snakes of the Crotalus, Bothrops, and Elaps genera. He developed anti-scorpion and anti-spider serums, and in 1901 founded the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, the first such institute in the world dedicated exclusively to basic and applied toxicology. Dr. Brazil died 10 days after his 85th birthday.

War
U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson announced that the United States would give arms aid to the French-sponsored states of Indochina. He attacked the Viet Minh and other Communist guerrillas as agents of "Soviet imperialism." The New York Times reported a secret agreement between North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and the People's Republic of China for increased arms and deliveries to the Viet Minh guerrillas.

The United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission reported Israeli acceptance of a proposal for direct Jewish-Arab peace negotiations with the commission acting as mediator. The Arabs accepted on condition that Israel recognize in principle the right of Arab refugees to return to their homes in Israeli territory.

Defense
Nationalist Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek urged the United States to give his forces as much arms as the U.S.S.R. was giving the Communist Chinese, in order to prevent invasion of Taiwan or Southeast Asia.

The Western Allies enacted a new law to prevent West German rearmament.

Politics and government
The U.S.S.R. told the Western Allies that it would agree to a city-wide Berlin election if all occupation troops were withdrawn in advance and if Soviet representation on the electoral commission equalled the total Western representation.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-1 to uphold the constitutionality of the Taft-Hartley Act's provision requiring union leaders to submit affidavits certifying that they were not Communists.

American Federation of Labor President William Green announced that the AFL executive board had rejected Congress of Industrial Organizations President Philip Murray's proposal for "functional" unity of the federations and major independent unions. He informed Mr. Murray that the AFL would work only for "organic" (i.e., formal and complete) unity of American labour.

Disasters
10,000 people evacuated the Red River valley south of Winnipeg as a result of the Red River Flood.

60 years ago
1960

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Insomnia, starring Dennis Weaver, James Milhollin, Jack Ragin, and Al Hodge

50 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Cheryl Moana Marie--John Rowles

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): All Kinds of Everything--Dana (8th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Ma Belle Amie--Tee Set (2nd week at #1)
2 Love is a Beautiful Song--Dave Mills
3 Carol Ok--Chris Andrews
4 Spider Spider--Tidal Wave
5 Travelin' Band--Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon & Garfunkel
7 Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)--Edison Lighthouse
8 Hitchin' a Ride--Vanity Fare
9 Tchaikovsky One--Omega Limited
10 Elizabethan Reggae--Boris Gardiner

Singles entering the chart were Can't Help Falling in Love by Andy Williams (#15); and She's Gone by Ken J. Larkin (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Cecilia--Simon & Garfunkel
2 Little Green Bag--George Baker Selection
3 American Woman/No Sugar Tonight--The Guess Who
4 Everything is Beautiful--Ray Stevens
5 Vehicle--The Ides of March
6 Something's Burning--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
7 Mr. Monday--The Original Caste
8 Up Around the Bend--Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 What is Truth--Johnny Cash
10 Come Running--Van Morrison

Singles entering the chart were The Seeker by the Who (#26); Get Ready by Rare Earth (#27); Hum a Song (From Your Heart) by Lulu with the Dixie Flyers (#28); Soolaimón (African Trilogy II) by Neil Diamond (#29); and Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) by Melanie with the Edwin Hawkins Singers (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Little Green Bag--George Baker Selection
2 Cecilia--Simon & Garfunkel
3 Everything is Beautiful--Ray Stevens
4 Vehicle--The Ides of March
5 Something's Burning--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
6 American Woman/No Sugar Tonight--The Guess Who
7 Up Around the Bend/Run Through the Jungle--Creedence Clearwater Revival
8 Come Running--Van Morrison
9 Woodstock--Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
10 What is Truth--Johnny Cash

Singles entering the chart were Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) by Melanie with the Edwin Hawkins Singers (#26); Into the Mystic by Johnny Rivers (#27); Get Ready by Rare Earth (#28); Mississippi Queen by Mountain (#29); and Soolaimón (African Trilogy II) by Neil Diamond (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Let it Be--The Beatles (8th week at #1)
2 Spirit in the Sky--Norman Greenbaum
3 Mr. Monday--The Original Caste
4 House of the Rising Sun--Frijid Pink
5 No Sugar Tonight--The Guess Who
6 Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon & Garfunkel
7 Cecilia--Simon & Garfunkel
8 Little Green Bag--George Baker Selection
9 What is Truth--Johnny Cash
10 Tennessee Bird Walk--Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan

Music
The album Let it Be by the Beatles was released on Apple Records.

War
At his first press conference in three months, U.S. President Richard Nixon announced that most American troops would be withdrawn from Cambodia by the second week of June, and all would be withdrawn by the end of June.

Protest
Construction workers in downtown Manhattan attacked a group of student protesters near New York City Hall, beat them up, and forced City Hall officials to raise the American flag to full staff from half staff (it had been lowered in memory of the students who had been killed in the Kent State University shooting of May 4). The workers then invaded Pace College.



Politics and government
Jose Figueres Ferrer was sworn in as President of Costa Rica, succeeding Jose Joaquin Trejos Fernandez.

Crime
The charges against seven Black Panthers who survived a Chicago police raid in December 1969 in which two Panthers were killed were dropped after the prosecution said that there was insufficient evidence that any of the defendants had fired at police.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles 99 @ New York 113 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-3)

Willis Reed’s playing time was limited because of a leg injury, but his two early field goals gave the Knickerbockers their first National Basketball Association championship in front of a capacity crowd of 19,500 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Walt Frazier led New York scorers with 36 points, while grabbing 7 rebounds and adding 19 assists. Jerry West led Los Angeles with 28 points, while Wilt Chamberlain scored 21 points and grabbed 24 rebounds.



Baseball
The Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds combined to hit 9 home runs as the Cubs won 10-7 before 13,377 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Billy Williams hit 2 home runs for the Cubs, while Tony Perez and Hal McRae each hit 2 for the Reds. Chicago starting pitcher Ken Holtzman (4-3) got the win despite allowing 9 hits and 5 runs--all earned--in 5+ innings.

The San Diego Padres scored 3 runs in the 4th inning and 4 in the 5th en route to an 11-1 win over the Montreal Expos in the first game of a twi-night doubleheader before 22,702 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal. Mike Corkins (1-3) pitched a 6-hit complete game victory and batted 2 for 4 with a run. Pinch runner Jimmy Qualls scored from third base on a wild pitch with 2 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Expos a 7-6 win in the second game. With 2 out and nobody on base, John Bateman drew a base on balls, and Mr. Qualls ran for him, reaching third base on a single by Ron Brand. The Padres hit 4 of the game's 6 home runs.

40 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (Hot Press): Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl--The Detroit Spinners

Died on this date
Geoffrey Baker, 67. U.K. military officer. Field Marshal Sir Geoffrey served with the British Army in East Africa, Sicily, and Normandy during World War II, and was Director of Operations and Chief of Staff during the Cyprus Emergency (1955-1959). He rose through the ranks until he became Chief of the General Staff of the British Army (1968-1971). Field Marshal Sir Geoffrey died after a brief illness.

Health
The World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of smallpox.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Semi-Finals
New York Islanders 0 @ Buffalo 2 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Minnesota 3 @ Philadelphia 7 (Philadelphia won best-of-seven series 4-1)

30 years ago
1990

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Daddy's Little Girl

Died on this date
Luigi Nono, 66. Italian composer. Mr. Nono was an atheist and Communist who composed avant-garde classical music in a career spanning 40 years, and was a member of what he called the "Darmstadt School."

Politics and government
The Estonian Parliament declared the birth of the "Estonian Republic," and dropped the words "Soviet Socialist" from the republic’s name.

The Albanian Parliament approved a package of legislation that appeared to set the isolated Marxist nation on a path toward liberalization. President Ramiz Alia, who was also first secretary of the Albanian Workers’ (Communist) Party, provided the impetus for the new legislation. Under the new laws, the court system was reorganized, the number of capital offenses was reduced from 34 to 11, restrictions on the right to worship were apparently relaxed, and citizens were guaranteed the right to obtain foreign passports.

25 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Missing--Everything but the Girl

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)--Scatman John (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Wish You were Here--Rednex

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Back for Good--Take That (2nd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Believe--Elton John (4th week at #1)
2 No More "I Love You's"--Annie Lennox
3 I Know--Dionne Farris
4 Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?--Bryan Adams
5 Lightning Crashes--Live
6 Can't Stop Lovin' You--Van Halen
7 Wonderdrug--Jann Arden
8 Gel--Collective Soul
9 Hold On--Jamie Walters
10 You Lose You Gain--John Bottomley

Singles entering the chart were Angel by the Jeff Healey Band (#79); Strange Currencies by R.E.M. (#82); Genuine by Mae Moore (#90); Wiser Time by the Black Crowes (#95); and Over My Shoulder by Mike + the Mechanics (#99).

Died on this date
Teresa Teng, 42. Taiwanese singer. Miss Teng was known for singing folk songs and romantic ballads, and was popular in her native land, as well as Indonesia, Malaysia, China, and Japan. She died of a severe asthma attack.

20 years ago
2000

World events
850 British troops arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to evacuate foreign nationals. Supporters of the Sierra Leone government demonstrated outside the home of Foday Sankoh, leader of the Revolutionary United Front, a rebel organization that had seized 500 United Nations peacekeeping troops, mainly Zambians, several days earlier. Bodyguards fired on the demonstrators and killed 19 of them.

Technology
Five days after the ILOVEYOU virus began circulating, a student in the Philippines was arrested after police raided his apartment, but was released because of insufficient evidence.

Art
The Tate Modern art gallery in London opened its doors to the world's media ahead of the official opening by Queen Elizabeth II on May 11.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Conference Semi-Finals
Toronto 0 @ New Jersey 3 (New Jersey won best-of-seven series 4-2)

The Maple Leafs provided New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur with the easiest shutout of his career, firing just 6 shots on goal in the entire game in one of the worst offensive performances in National Hockey League history.

Baseball
Jason and Jeremy Giambi each hit a home run for the Oakland Athletics in a 9-8 loss to the Anaheim Angels before 15,034 fans at Edison International Field of Anaheim.

Shane Andrews singled home Ricky Gutierrez with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 12-11 win over the Milwaukee Brewers before 29,135 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Brewers had rallied for 4 runs in the 9th to tie the score. The teams combined for 8 home runs, including a pair by Milwaukee right fielder Jeromy Burnitz.