May 1, 2021

850 years ago
1171

Died on this date
Diarmait Mac Murchada, 60-61 (?). King of Leinster, 1126-1171. Diarmait Mac Murchada acceded to the throne of Leinster, a kingdom in Ireland, upon the death of his older brother Énna. Diarmait was the king who invited the first wave of English settlers, planted by the Norman conquest. During his reign, the indigenous Celtic Christian Church in Ireland came under the jurisdiction of the Holy See through a bull issued to the Normans by Pope Adrian IV. King Diarmait was deposed in 1167 by High King of Ireland Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (Rory O'Connor), but regained the throne with English and Welsh military support. King Diarmait was succeeded as King of Leinster by his son Domhnall Caomhánach.

290 years ago
1731

Died on this date
Johann Ludwig Bach, 54. German composer. Mr. Bach, a third cousin of Johann Sebastian Bach, was a violinist whose catalogue of 39 compositions includes 17 cantatas.

200 years ago
1821

Born on this date
Henry Ayers. U.K.-born Australian politician. Sir Henry was a carpenter when he emigrated to South Australia in 1840; he worked as a law clerk and mine manager before entering politics. He was a member of the South Australia Legislative Council from 1857-1893, and served five terms as Premier of South Australia (1863-1864, 1865, 1867-1868, October-November 1868, 1872-1873). Sir Henry died on June 11, 1897 at the age of 76.

170 years ago
1851

Britannica
Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London.







150 years ago
1871

Born on this date
Emiliano Chamorro Vargas. President of Nicaragua, 1917--1921, 1926. Mr. Chamorro participated in a failed coup attempt against President José Santos Zelaya in 1893, but after Mr. Zelaya was removed by a coup in 1909, Mr. Chamorro became Chairman of the Constituent Assembly and leader of the Nicaragua's Conservative Party. He helped to suppress a revolt against President Adolfo Díaz in 1911, and was rewarded by being appointed Ambassador to the United States, serving until 1916. He was elected President with American assistance, and used his term to try to pay off Nicaragua's creditors. Mr. Chamorro was defeated by Carlos José Solórzano in the 1923 presidential election, but led a successful coup against Mr. Solórzano in March 1926. However, Mr. Chamorro failed to win American support, a civil war ensued, and he was forced to resign in favour of Mr. Díaz in November 1926. Mr. Chamorro held ambassadorial posts to several European countries in later years, and died on February 26, 1966 at the age of 94.

130 years ago
1891

Baseball
Cy Young was the winning pitcher as the Cleveland Spiders defeated the Cincinnati Reds 12-3 before about 9,500 fans in the first major league game at League Park in Cleveland.

125 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Mark W. Clark. U.S. military officer. General Clark served in both world wars and the Korean War. He was best known for commanding the United States Fifth Army, and later the 15th Army Group, in the Italian campaign in World War II, and led the Fifth Army when it captured Rome in June 1944. He was heavily criticized for ignoring the orders of his superior officer, U.K. Gen. Harold Alexander, and allowing the 10th German Army to escape in his drive to take Rome. Gen. Clark died on April 17, 1894, two weeks before his 88th birthday.

J. Lawton Collins. U.S. military officer. General Collins, nicknamed "Lightning Joe," was related to other U.S. Army generals, and was the uncle of astronaut Michael Collins. He joined the U.S. Army in 1917, and served for 39 years. Gen. Collins served in the Pacific and European theatres of operations during World War II; he was Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1949-1953) and special representative of the United States in Vietnam with ambassadorial rank (1954-1955). Gen. Collins died on September 12, 1987 at the age of 91.

Politics and government
Sir Charles Tupper was asked by Governor General the Earl of Aberdeen to serve as Canada's 6th Prime Minister on the resignation of Sir Mackenzie Bowell. Sir Charles chose Hugh John Macdonald as Minister of the Interior and Superintendent General of Indian Affairs.

Labour
The Canadian Public Printing Bureau adopted an eight hour work day.

120 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Heinz Eric Roemheld. U.S. composer. Mr. Roemheld was a child prodigy as a pianist, and performed in the United States and Europe, performing his scores for silent movies. He wrote music for more than 400 films, and won the Academy Award for his original score for Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). Mr. Roemheld is perhaps best known as the composer of the song Ruby, from the movie Ruby Gentry (1952). He died of pneumonia on February 11, 1985 at the age of 83.

110 years ago
1911

Diplomacy
Philippe Ray was appointed Canadian Commissioner to France.

100 years ago
1921

Society
The Québec government took control of the sale of liquor in the province when the Alcoholic Beverages Act created the Commission des liqueurs du Québec, today's SAQ; with near universal prohibition of alcoholic beverages in North America, Québec was the only 'wet' jurisdiction on the continent for a time.

90 years ago
1931

Americana
The Empire State Building, then the world's tallest at 102 storeys, opened in New York City.



80 years ago
1941

At the movies
Citizen Kane, co-written by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles, received its premiere screening at the Palace Theatre in New York City.



War
German and Italian forces launched a major attack on the Libyan port of Tobruk, breaking through the city's outer defenses. Reports from London indicated that additional troops had been landed at Basra, Iraq over the protests of the Iraqi government. Iraqi Prime Minister Rashid Ali Beg Gallani asserted that the new arrival of British troops violated the Anglo-Iraqi treaty.

Defense
U.S. Senator Joseph Guffey (Democrat--Pennsylvania) urged that the U.S. Navy convoy merchant ships to Britain. U.S. Senator Charles Tobey (Republican--New Hampshire) claimed that "pressure" from President Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated his anti-convoy resolution; he told Mr. Roosevelt to "keep your hands off the Congress." U.S. defense bonds and stamps ranging from 10c-$10,000 went on sale at post offices and banks. The U.S. Senate passed and sent to President Roosevelt the $3,415,521,750 naval appropriations bill.

Diplomacy
Chinese Foreign Minister Dr. Kuo Tai-chi said that America, Britain, and China should form an ABC combination, pooling their economic and natural resources to crush totalitarianism.

Transportation
U.S. President Roosevelt asked Congress for funds to complete a 1,500-mile stretch of the Inter-American highway from the southern border of Mexico across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama to the Panama Canal at a cost estimated at $20 million.

Science
Dr. Robley Evans of Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that new methods of determining geological ages indicated that life had existed on Earth much longer than previous estimates of 500 million years, and that man may be much older than the one million years now commonly accepted.

Economics and finance
The British Ministry of Economic Warfare urged the United States to boycott the Axis and freeze Axis funds in the United States.

Business
Albert W. Hawkes of Congoleum-Nairn Inc. was elected president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Labour
Workers at the Phelps-Dodge plant in Elizabeth, New Jersey voted to end their three-week strike.

75 years ago
1946

Diplomacy
The Paris Peace Conference concluded that the islands of the Dodecanese should be returned to Greece by Italy. Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov rejected proposals for a quadripartite military commission to enforce armistice terms in Italy, claiming that the United Kingdom and United States might seek to send similar commissions to the Balkan states.

British Prime Minister Clement Attlee told the House of Commons that the United Kingdom would not carry out the recommendations of the Palestine Inquiry Commission "single-handed," and asked what share of responsibility the United States was willing to take.

Crime
A British court sentenced physicist Alan Nunn May to 10 years' hard labour under the Official Secrets Act for having passed information calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy, i.e. the U.S.S.R. Dr. Nunn May had worked on atomic bomb research in Canada at Chalk River, Ontario, and his spying was discovered in the revelations of cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko, who had defected from the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa on September 5, 1945.

Politics and government
The United States Senate confirmed William Hastie as Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Defense
U.S. Navy Secretary James Forrestal said that the pending bill for armed services unification would give too much powere to a supreme chief of staff.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman asked Congress to appropriate $600 million already authprized for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency for the 1946 fiscal year.

Labour
The three-year Pilbara strike of Indigenous Australians began when at least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walking off the large Pastoral Stations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and from employment in the two major towns of Port Hedland and Marble Bar. They were striking for human rights recognition and payment of fair wages and working conditions.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 1.66 million strikers caused a record loss of 54.7 million man-days in the first quarter of 1946.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: No Friend Like an Old Friend, starring Judith Evelyn, Ruth Ford, and Tom Helmore

War
The 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group was sent to join United Nations forces in Korea. Chinese Communist forces halted their drive on Seoul.

Defense
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee released General Albert Wedemeyer's secret 1947 report to President Harry Truman on the Korean situation, showing that Gen. Wedemeyer had accurately forecast the invasion of South Korea by Soviet-controlled North Korean Communists.

Politics and government
Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza completed the unexpired term of the late Victor Manual Roman y Reyes and began a regular six-year term.

The pro-Indian Kashmiri government summoned a Constituent Assembly to "frame a constitution" for the state.

Two "right-wing" socialist groups in Italy merged to form the new anti-Communist Italian Socialist Party.

Protest
Iran's outlawed Tudeh Party staged a pro-Soviet demonstration in Tehran with 30,000 participants.

Law
Leonard Nicholson was appointed Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; he served until March 31, 1959.

Crime
The U.S. Senate Crime Investigating Committee issued a third interim report, accusing Ambassador to Mexico William O'Dwyer of aiding crime while Mayor of New York by failing to take effective action against top gangsters in their gambling, narcotics, waterfront, bookmaking, and murder rackets.

Americana
The American Mothers Committee of the Golden Rule Foundation named Dr. Mary Sloop, a North Carolina physician, as the American Mother of 1951.

Labour
Federal officials in the southwestern United States began a "get-tough" policy of enforcing existing regulations against hiring illegal Mexican migrant workers.

Baseball
Mickey Mantle his his first major league home run to help the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 8-3 before 14,776 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Yogi Berra also homered for New York. Minnie Minoso, in his first game with Chicago, hit a 2-run homer in his first at bat.

Pinch hitter Lou Limmer doubled in three runs and scored himself as the Philadelphia Athletics erupted for 8 runs in the top of the 11th inning to break a 1-1 tie and defeat the Detroit Tigers 9-1 before 3,583 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit.

Mickey Vernon hit a solo home run with 1 out in the top of the 13th inning to break an 8-8 tie as the Washington Nationals edged the St. Louis Browns 9-8 before 3,346 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Quince Años Tiene Mi Amor--Dúo Dinámico (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Et maintenant--Gilbert Bécaud

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Runaway--Del Shannon (2nd week at #1)
2 Mother-in-Law--Ernie K-Doe
3 I've Told Every Little Star--Linda Scott
4 A Hundred Pounds of Clay--Gene McDaniels
5 Blue Moon--The Marcels
6 But I Do--Clarence "Frogman" Henry
7 Take Good Care of Her--Adam Wade
8 One Mint Julep--Ray Charles
9 You Can Depend on Me--Brenda Lee
10 On the Rebound--Floyd Cramer

Singles entering the chart were That Old Black Magic by Bobby Rydell (#53); Little Devil by Neil Sedaka (#56); Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson (#73); Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You) by Little Caesar and the Romans (#80); Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It by Freddy Cannon (#88); Raindrops by Dee Clark (#90); Big Big World by Johnny Burnette (#92); You're Gonna Need Magic by Roy Hamilton (#93); Count Every Star by Donnie and the Dreamers (#94); Moody River by Pat Boone (#95); Halfway to Paradise by Tony Orlando (#96); A Cross Stands Alone by Jimmy Witter (#97); The Kissin' Game by Dion (#99); and Rama Lama Ding Dong by the Edsels (#100).

Abominations
Cuban dictator Fidel Castro announced that Cuba was now a socialist state and that he had banned elections.

Diplomacy
Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia, arrived in Ottawa to start a two-day visit to Canada.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Morning--Steve Montgomery

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): 4 marzo 1943--Lucio Dalla (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Hot Love--T. Rex (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Double Barrel--Dave and Ansel Collins

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 I'll Be Gone--Spectrum
2 Rose Garden--Lynn Anderson
3 The Pushbike Song--The Mixtures
4 What is Life/Apple Scruffs--George Harrison
5 Knock Three Times--Dawn
6 My Sweet Lord--George Harrison
7 Armstrong--Reg Lindsay
8 Have You Ever Seen the Rain/Hey Tonight--Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 Amazing Grace--Judy Collins
10 Your Song--Elton John

Singles entering the chart were Another Day by Paul McCartney (#25); and Oye Como Va by Santana (#54).

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Funny, Funny--The Sweet
2 Mozart - First Movement Symphony No. 40--Waldo De Los Rios
3 True Love that's a Wonder--Sandy Coast
4 Underneath the Blanket Go--Gilbert O'Sullivan
5 Loop di Love--J. Bastós
6 Those Words--Sandra & Andres
7 Du--Peter Maffray
8 Power to the People--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
9 In Your Eyes (I Can See the Lies)--Tee-Set
10 Proud Mary--Ike & Tina Turner

Singles entering the chart were Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones (#15); It Don't Come Easy by Ringo Starr (#20); United by Drafi (#30); Rosetta by Georgie Fame & Alan Price (#33); A Day Begins by Greenfield & Cook (#36); O Daar Heb Je Ze Weer by Jack De Nijs (#37); The Leader by Unit Gloria (#38); and I'm a Bum by the Gloomys (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Joy to the World--Three Dog Night (3rd week at #1)
2 Put Your Hand in the Hand--Ocean
3 Never Can Say Goodbye--The Jackson 5
4 What's Going On--Marvin Gaye
5 I Am...I Said/Done Too Soon--Neil Diamond
6 If--Bread
7 Stay Awhile--The Bells
8 Another Day/Oh Woman, Oh Why--Paul McCartney
9 Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)--The Temptations
10 Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)--Daddy Dewdrop

Singles entering the chart were Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones (#40); It Don't Come Easy by Ringo Starr (#49); Reach Out I’ll Be There by Diana Ross (#66); Feelin’ Alright by Grand Funk Railroad (#78); Reach Out Your Hand by the Brotherhood of Man (#80); I’m Comin’ Home by Dave Edmunds (#87); A Mama and a Papa by Ray Stevens (#88); Jumpin' Jack Flash by Johnny Winter (#89); The Drum by Bobby Sherman (#90); Music is Love by David Crosby (#95); The Electronic Magnetism (That's Heavy, Baby) by Solomon Burke (#96); and Be Good to Me Baby by Luther Ingram (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Joy to the World--Three Dog Night (3rd week at #1)
2 Put Your Hand in the Hand--Ocean
3 Never Can Say Goodbye--The Jackson 5
4 I Am...I Said--Neil Diamond
5 Stay Awhile--The Bells
6 Another Day--Paul McCartney
7 Bridge Over Troubled Water--Aretha Franklin
8 If--Bread
9 What’s Going On--Marvin Gaye
10 We Can Work it Out--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart were The Drum by Bobby Sherman (#49); Reach Out I’ll Be There by Diana Ross (#60); Nathan Jones by the Supremes (#69); I Cried by James Brown (#70); You’re My Man by Lynn Anderson (#72); I’m Comin’ Home by Dave Edmunds (#76); Feelin’ Alright by Grand Funk Railroad (#77); A Mama and a Papa by Ray Stevens (#85); House at Pooh Corner by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#87); Hot Love by T. Rex (#88); Love's Made a Fool of You by Cochise (#92); Be Nice to Me by Runt (#95); Funky Nassau - Part I by the Beginning of the End (#97); Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) by the Raiders (#98); and Sea Cruise by Johnny Rivers (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Joy to the World--Three Dog Night (3rd week at #1)
2 Never Can Say Goodbye--The Jackson 5
3 Put Your Hand in the Hand--Ocean
4 I Am...I Said--Neil Diamond
5 Another Day/Oh Woman, Oh Why--Paul McCartney
6 What’s Going On--Marvin Gaye
7 Stay Awhile--The Bells
8 If--Bread
9 Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)--The Temptations
10 She's a Lady--Tom Jones

Singles entering the chart were Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones (#77); Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On by Edwin Starr (#80); The Drum by Bobby Sherman (#84); Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love) by the Main Ingredient (#93); House at Pooh Corner by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#94); Brownsville by the Joy of Cooking (#95); Ajax Liquor Store by Hudson & Landry (#96); L.A. International Airport by Susan Raye (#97); Feelin’ Alright by Grand Funk Railroad (#98); and Happy by Hog Heaven (#100).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Joy to the World--Three Dog Night (2nd week at #1)
2 I Am...I Said--Neil Diamond
3 Jodie--Joey Gregorash
4 Another Day--Paul McCartney
5 One Toke Over the Line--Brewer and Shipley
6 Carry Me--Stampeders
7 Power to the People--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
8 Eighteen--Alice Cooper
9 If--Bread
10 Woodstock--Matthews’ Southern Comfort

Singles entering the chart were Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones (#45); It Don’t Come Easy by Ringo Starr (#54); I’m Comin’ Home by Dave Edmunds (#61); Toast and Marmalade for Tea by Tin Tin (#67); Hello Mom by the Mercey Brothers (#69); Cool Aid by Paul Humphrey and his Cool Aid Chemists (#71); I Love You for All Seasons by Fuzz (#81); Baby Let Me Kiss You by King Floyd (#99); and Bridge Over Troubled Water by Aretha Franklin (#100).

Calgary’s Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Tillicum--Syrinx
2 I Am...I Said--Neil Diamond
3 Joy to the World--Three Dog Night
4 Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)--Daddy Dewdrop
5 Another Day--Paul McCartney
6 A Country Boy Named Willy--Spring
7 Eighteen--Alice Cooper
8 I Play and Sing--Dawn
9 Indian Reservation--Raiders
10 Snow Blind Friend--Steppenwolf
Pick hit of the week: Garden of Ursh--Karen Young

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State William Rogers began a five-nation tour of the Middle East to evaluate chances of settling the Arab-Israeli dispute.

Transportation
The U.S. passenger railroad system Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) went into service, combining and streamlining the operations of 18 intercity passenger railroads, linking about 300 cities.

Horse racing
Canonero II, a "dark" horse from Venezuela ridden by Gustavo Avila, won the 97th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:03 1/5. First prize money was $145,500; Canonero II, so lightly regarded that he had been placed in the mutuel field at 8-1 odds, paid $19.40 to win. Jim French, with Angel Cordero, Jr. aboard, placed second, with Bold Reason third in the 20-horse field. Unconscious, the 5-2 pre-race favourite, finished fifth.



40 years ago
1981

Hit parade #1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): In the Air Tonight--Phil Collins (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Stop the Cavalry--Jona Lewie (5th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Shaddap You Face--Joe Dolce Music Theatre (9th week at #1)
2 I am the Beat--Look
3 Give Me Back My Love--Maywood
4 Here is My Love--Tommy Dee
5 Woman--John Lennon
6 Spend the Night in Love--The Four Seasons
7 Twilight Café--Susan Fassbender
8 Song for You--Chicago
9 Gypsy Girl--David Scobie
10 Antmusic--Adam & the Ants

The only single entering the chart was Santa Maria by Alan Garrity (#20).

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Shaddap You Face--Joe Dolce Music Theatre
2 In the Air Tonight--Phil Collins
3 Fade to Grey--Visage
4 Woman--John Lennon
5 9 to 5--Dolly Parton
6 Flash--Queen
7 Amoureux solitaires--Lio
8 Vienna--Ultravox
9 Angel of Mine--Frank Duval & Orchestra
10 Some Broken Hearts Never Mend--Telly Savalas

Singles entering the chart were Jealous Guy by Roxy Music (#11); Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz (#12); and Fremde Erde by Roy Black (#15).

On the radio
Nightfall, on CBC
Tonight's episode: Breaking Point

Personal
This blogger spent an enjoyable evening with the CPR Stockholders of Edmonton, our local Sherlock Holmes society, at the Jagerbeiz, a Swiss restaurant. Appropriately, the quiz for the occasion was on the short story The Final Problem.

Oil
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau imposed a special tax of $1.15 per barrel to pay for Petro-Canada's purchase of Petrofina.

Economics and finance
The government of Canada started the Sport Select baseball pool; it met the opposition of the provinces and major league baseball.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Joyride--Roxette (8th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight’s episode: The House That Jack Built

Died on this date
Richard Thorpe, 95. U.S. movie director. Mr. Thorpe, born Rollo Thorpe, directed more than 180 movies in a career running from the early 1920s through 1967. His films included Night Must Fall (1937); The Thin Man Goes Home (1945); and Jailhouse Rock (1957).

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Prince of Wales Conference Finals
Pittsburgh 3 @ Boston 6 (Boston led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Baseball
Nolan Ryan, 44, pitched his seventh and last major league no-hitter as the Texas Rangers blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 before 33,439 fans at Arlington Stadium.



Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics broke Lou Brock's major league career record, stealing his 939th base in a 7-4 win over the New York Yankees before 36,139 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mr. Brock was in attendance to salute Mr. Henderson.

Willie Randolph singled home Jim Gantner with 2 out in the bottom of the 19th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox before 13,973 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Mr. Randolph had just 2 hits in 9 at bats, but his first hit had been a single to score Bill Spiers with the tying run with 2 out in the 15th as the Brewers rallied for 3 runs after the White Sox had scored 3 runs in the top half of the inning to take a 9-6 lead.

25 years ago
1996

Died on this date
Luana Patten, 57. U.S. actress. Miss Patten appeared in the movie Song of the South (1946) and So Dear to My Heart (1949), and in numerous television programs until retiring from acting in 1968. She died of respiratory failure.

Politics and government
Sheila Copps resigned as Canada's Deputy Prime Minister in the face of public pressure to fulfill an election promise to resign if the Goods and Services Tax was not abolished; eight days earlier, Ms. Copps had admitted that the tax could not be abolished.

Economics and finance
The Nova Scotia government of Premier John Savage tabled a bill that would require future governments to present a balanced budget.

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Chandra Levy, 24. U.S. civil servant. Miss Levy was a federal government intern who went missing in Washington, D.C. She was having an affair with Representative Gary Condit (Democrat--California), which led to his being widely suspected in her disappearance. Due to police incompetence, Miss Levy's remains weren't discovered until May 2002, when they were discovered in Rock Creek Park. Ingmar Guandique, a Salvadoran who was in prison serving sentences for assaulting two women in Rock Creek Park, was convicted in 2010 of Miss Levy's murder and sentenced in February 2011 to 60 years in prison.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Ted Lowe, 90. U.K. sportscaster. Mr. Lowe was a snooker commentator for BBC and ITV from 1969-1996; his husky, hushed tones earned him the nickname "Whispering Ted."

Henry Cooper, 76. U.K. boxer. Sir Henry, a heavyweight, compiled a record of 40-14-1 in a professional career from 1954-1971. He defeated Brian London in 1959 to win the British and British Empire heavyweight titles, and added the European heavyweight title with a win over Karl Mildnberger in 1968, holding all three titles until a narrow and controversial loss to Joe Bugner in his last fight. Sir Henry was best known for his two fights against Muhammad Ali, knocking down the contender, then known as Cassius Clay, in 1963 before losing by technical knockout because of cuts in the 5th round, and then fighting Mr. Ali for the world championship in 1966, suffering another TKO loss because of cuts in the 6th round. Sir Henry died two days before his 77th birthday.

Religion
Pope Benedict XVI beatified Pope John Paul II, moving his predecessor a step closer to sainthood.