May 27, 2021

925 years ago
1096

Abominations
The largest of the Rhineland massacres took place in Mainz, where at least 1,100 Jews were killed by "Christians" associated with the People's Crusade.

175 years ago
1846

Politics and government
John A. Macdonald (Conservative--Kingston) made his first speech in the Canadian Legislative Assembly in Montreal, advocating repeal of usury laws. Mr. Macdonald had been elected to the Assembly in 1844.

130 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Jaan Kärner. Estonian poet and author. Mr. Kärner wrote in various genres from the early 1920s through the early '40s, but was best known for his nature poetry. He lived in the U.S.S.R. during the German occupation of Estonia during World War II, but returned to Estonia after it was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1944. Mr. Kärner went insane in 1946, and died on April 3, 1958 at the age of 66.

Claude Champagne. Canadian composer. Mr. Champagne, a native of Montreal, wrote numerous choral works, but was perhaps best known as a professor at the McGill University Conservatory. He died on December 21, 1965 at the age of 74.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, 76, suffered a stroke, leaving him mentally alert, but partially paralyzed and unable to speak.

125 years ago
1896

Disasters
The F4-strength 1896 St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado hit in St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, killing at least 255 people and causing $2.9 billion in damage (in 1997 U.S. dollars).

110 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Hubert Humphrey. Vice President of the United States, 1965-1969. Mr. Humphrey, a Democrat, was Mayor of Minneapolis from 1935-1948, and represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1949-1964 and 1971-1978. He was known for his support for civil rights for Negroes and his opposition to Communism. As Vice President, Mr. Humphrey publicly supported President Lyndon Johnson's policy of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Mr. Humphrey was the Democratic Party candidate for President of the United States in 1968, losing a close election to Republican nominee Richard Nixon. Sen. Humphrey campaigned unsuccessfully for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination, and declined to run for the 1976 nomination after learning that he had terminal bladder cancer. He died on January 13, 1978 at the age of 66.

Vincent Price. U.S. actor. Mr. Price had a career of more than 50 years on stage, screen, radio, and television; he appeared in more than 100 movies, and was primarily known as a star of horror films. Mr. Price was associated with the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, appearing in seven movies based on Mr. Poe's stories that were directed by Roger Corman in the early 1960s, and using his distinctive voice to make spoken word recordings of Mr. Poe's stories. Mr. Price had a degree in art history, and was an art collector and expert who lectured and wrote on the subject. He died of lung cancer on October 25, 1993 at the age of 82, after suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Parkinson's disease in later years.

Teddy Kollek. Hungarian-born Israeli politician. Mr. Kollek, born Kollek Tivadar, moved with his family to Vienna in 1918 and to Mandatory Palestine in 1935. He worked with the Jewish Agency in the 1940s as a liaison officer, aiding British authorities in opposing the Irgun and Stern Gang terrorist organizations. Mr. Kollek was director general of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's office in the 1950s, and served six consecutive terms as Mayor of Jerusalem (1965-1993), modernizing the city and pursuing peaceful relations with the city's Arab population. He reluctantly ran for a seventh term in 1993 and was defeated, but remained active in retirement. Mr. Kollek died on January 2, 2007 at the age of 95.

90 years ago
1931

Baseball
Will Harridge was named President of the American League, succeeding E.S. Barnard.

80 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Günther Lütjens, 52.. German military officer. Admiral Lütjens joined the Reichsmarine in 1907, and served in both world wars. He was commanding the battleship Bismarck when it was sunk in combat against the British Royal Navy, and went down with the ship, two days after his 52nd birthday.

Ernst Lindemann, 47. German military officer. Kapitän zur See Lindemann joined the Imperial German Navy in 1913 and served in both world wars. He was captain of the battleship Bismarck during World War II, and went down with the ship when she was sunk in battle against U.K. Royal Navy forces.

War
British ships sank the German battleship Bismarck off the coast of France, resulting in the loss of 2,300 lives. German forces captured the Cretan capital of Canea.



Defense
A Japanese official said in a Tokyo radio broadcast that Japan had 500 warships and 4,000 naval planes in fighting order. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that "an unlimited national emergency confronts this country, which requires that its military, naval, air and civilian defenses be put on the basis of readiness to repel any and all acts or threats of aggression directed toward any part of the Western Hemisphere." Mr. Roosevelt reasserted the doctrine of freedom of the seas, and asked Congress for additional appropriations of over $3.3 billion for aircraft construction.

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill extending for two years President Roosevelt's power to operate the $2-billion Exchange Stabilization Fund and to alter the gold content of the dollar.

Labour
American Federation of Labor President William Green denounced the San Francisco shipyard strike.

Chess
U.S. champion Samuel Reshevsky retained his title with two games remaining by drawing the 14th game with Israel Horowitz in New York.

75 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Gypsy--The Ink Spots (2nd week at #1)
--Dinah Shore
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
2 Prisoner of Love--Perry Como
--The Ink Spots
3 Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)--Dinah Shore
--Andy Russell
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
4 Oh! What it Seemed to Be--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--Frank Sinatra
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
--Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest
5 All Through the Day--Frank Sinatra
--Perry Como
6 I'm a Big Girl Now--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
7 Shoo Fly Pie (And Apple Pan Dowdy)--Stan Kenton and his Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
8 Cement Mixer (Put-ti Put-ti)--Alvino Rey and his Orchestra
9 Sioux City Sue--Bing Crosby and the Jesters
10 Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra

New singles entering the chart were Doin' What Comes Natur'lly, with versions by Dinah Shore with Spade Cooley and his Orchestra; and Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra (#17); Cynthia's in Love by Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra (#24); I Don't Know Enough About You, with versions by the Mills Brothers; and Peggy Lee (#26); and The Girl that I Marry by Frank Sinatra (#33). Doin' What Comes Natur'lly and The Girl that I Marry were originally from the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun (1946). The Girl that I Marry was the B-side of They Say it's Wonderful, charting at #14 with the version by Perry Como.

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

This was the last episode of the season, and the last for Mr. Rathbone; he declined to renew his contract to play the role of Sherlock Holmes in both movies and radio. Beginning the following week, the program's time slot was filled by The Casebook of Gregory Hood, a detective show written by Denis Green and Anthony Boucher, the writers of The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

War
Fighting broke out along the Indochina-Siam border in an area ceded to Siam by the Vichy French regime in 1941, but claimed by the current French government.

Diplomacy
Former Spanish Republican leader Giral y Pereira told the United Nations Security Council subcommittee that civil war would break out in Spain if the UN did not take measures to remove Generalissimo Francisco Franco from power.

Defense
The U.S. War Department board investigating the Army's "caste system" said that it found many "injustices," and that there was a "need for a new philosophy."

Protest
The Haitian government ordered an 8 P.M. curfew after 30 defeated parliamentary candidates urged a general strike, overthrow of the provisional government, and new elections.

Health
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved plans to call a World Health Conference and to establish a World Health Organization.

Economics and finance
General Lucius Clay of the U.S. military government in Germany confirmed reports that dismantling of factories for reparations had been halted in the U.S. zone until Germany could be treated as a single economic unit.

A British government committee reported that the United Kingdom must train 5,000 scientists yearly to maintain the country's economic progress.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Selective Service Act did not give veterans "super-seniority" in their pre-World War II jobs.

Soft-coal miners in the United States renewed their strike as the two-week truce ended.

Congress of Industrial Organizations President Philip Murray and American Federation of Labor President William Green denounced U.S. President Harry Truman's strike control proposals as violating fundamental constitutional guarantees. Mr. Truman had asked Congress to allow him to use court injunctions against labour leaders who urged workers to staty away from their jobs in industries that had been taken over by the federal government.

National Maritime Union members in New York rejected a $12.50 monthly wage increase offer from 39 shipping companies, which had already been accepted by a union negotiating committee.

70 years ago
1951

On the radio
Mr. Moto, starring James Monks, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Smoke Screen

Defense
U.S. Civil Defense Administrator Millard Caldwell said that he doubted that the Air Force could stop even 30% of the planes in a Soviet bomber attack on the United States.

Politics and government
The second round of voting in the Austrian presidential election resulted in the election of Socialist Party candidate and Mayor of Vienna Theodor Körner, who took 52.06% of the vote to 47.94% for Austrian People's Party candidate Heinrich Gleißner. The first round of voting on May 6 had resulted in Mr. Gleißner leading with 40.14% to 39.15% for Mr. Körner.

Economics and finance
International Monetary Fund directors in Washington urged that member states act at once to promote "relaxation or removal" of trade restrictions.

Labour
The U.S. National Farm Labor Union charged that police in the California towns of Brawley, Calexico, and El Centro were rounding up illegal Mexican immigrants and escorting them through picket lines to work on Imperial Valley farms, where workers were striking for a 60c hourly wage increase.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Runaway--Del Shannon (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Where the Boys Are--Connie Francis (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Wheels (Vier Schimmel, ein Wagen)--Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): Wheels--The String-A-Longs (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Surrender--Elvis Presley; Runaway--Del Shannon

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Mother-in-Law--Ernie K-Doe (3rd week at #1)
2 Runaway--Del Shannon
3 A Hundred Pounds of Clay--Gene McDaniels
4 Daddy’s Home--Shep and the Limelites
5 Breakin’ in a Brand New Broken Heart--Connie Francis
6 Running Scared--Roy Orbison
7 Mama Said--The Shirelles
8 Travelin’ Man--Ricky Nelson
9 I Feel So Bad--Elvis Presley
10 Hello Mary Lou--Ricky Nelson

Singles entering the chart were Every Beat of My Heart by the Pips (#70); The Writing on the Wall by Adam Wade (#72); Bring Back Your Heart by the Del Vikings (#83); Anna by Jorgen Ingmann & his Guitar (#87); Dance on Little Girl by Paul Anka (#92); Rainin’ in My Heart by Slim Harpo (#93); Miss Fine by the New Yorkers (#94); Son-in-Law, with versions by the Blossoms; and Louise Brown (#98); Ring of Fire by Duane Eddy (#99); I’m Gonna Knock on Your Door by Eddie Hodges (#100); Quarter to Three by U.S. Bonds (also #100); and Yellow Bird by Arthur Lyman Group (also #100). Every Beat of My Heart, released on Vee-Jay Records and credited to the Pips, also appeared on the Fury label, credited to Gladys Knight and the Pips; that version was listed with the other version, but was not charted. Son-in-Law is listed as having versions by the Blossoms and Louise Brown, but the two are actually different songs with the same title. Both are presumably responses to Mother-in-Law. The version of Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You) by Nino and the Ebb Tides was listed with the version by Little Caesar and the Romans at #51, but not charted.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Moody River--Pat Boone (2nd week at #1)
2 Little Devil--Neil Sedaka
3 Everyday--Bobby Lee
4 Barbara-Ann--The Regents
5 Louisiana Mama--Gene Pitney
6 Hello Walls--Faron Young
7 Triangle--Janie Grant
8 Travelin' Man/Hello Mary Lou--Ricky Nelson
9 How Many Tears--Bobby Vee
10 Indian Giver--Annette

Singles entering the chart were I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door by Eddie Hodges (#23); Dance on Little Girl by Paul Anka (#35); Sacred by the Castells (#39); Temptation by the Everly Brothers (#42); You Always Hurt the One You Love by Clarence Henry (#45); Book of Love by Bobby Bare (#46); Wishbone by Donnie Brooks (#47); Be My Boy by the Paris Sisters (#49); and Respectable by the Chants (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Moody River--Pat Boone
2 Travelin' Man/Hello Mary Lou--Ricky Nelson
3 Everyday--Bobby Lee
4 Louisiana Mama--Gene Pitney
5 Little Devil--Neil Sedaka
6 I Feel So Bad/Wild in the Country--Elvis Presley
7 She Wears My Ring--Jimmy Bell
8 Indian Giver--Annette
9 Hello Walls--Faron Young
10 Barbara-Ann--The Regents

Singles entering the chart were Love Hurts by Roy Orbison (#19, charting with its A-side, Running Scared); Ronnie by Marcy Joe (#27); The Battle's O'er by Andy Stewart (#28); Jimmy Love by Cathy Carroll (#30); Dance on Little Girl by Paul Anka (#33); I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door by Eddie Hodges (#36); Girl of My Best Friend by Ral Donner (#37); What a Surprise by Johnny Maestro (#39); and Temptation by the Everly Brothers (#40).

On television tonight
The Roaring 20's, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Million Dollar Suit

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Les rois mages--Sheila (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Chips Rafferty, 62. Australian actor. Mr. Rafferty, born John Goffage, worked at various jobs before becoming an actor, embodying the typical Australian in movies such as Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940) and The Overlanders (1946). He died of a heart attack.

Abominations
Pakistani forces massacred over 200 civilians--mostly Bengali Hindus--in Bagbati, East Pakistan (Bangladesh).

Politics and government
Liberal MHA Bill Smallwood, the son of Premier Joey Smallwood, was issued a five-day suspension from the Newfoundland House of Assembly for physically attacking Progressive Conservative Leader William Marshall. Former Liberal cabinet minister John Crosbie (PC--St. John's West) was given a three-day suspension after accusing Premier Smallwood of approving his son's behaviour, while Mr. Marshall and H.R.V. Earle (Liberal--Fortune Bay) were suspended for criticizing House Speaker George Clarke.

Disasters
46 people were killed and 25 injured near Wuppertal in the Dahlerau train disaster, the worst railway accident in West Germany.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Please--Shizuka Kudo

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Sweet Soul Music--London Boys

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Joyride--Roxette (8th week at #1)

Baseball
In a Pacific Coast League game at Civic Stadium in Portland, Vancouver Canadians’ right fielder Rodney McCray became an instant celebrity when he crashed through the plywood right field wall while attempting to catch a drive off the bat of the Beavers’ Chip Hale.



25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La danza de los 40 limones--Juan Antonio Canta (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Lemon Tree--Fools Garden (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): They Don't Care About Us--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Old Man & Me (When I Get to Heaven)--Hootie & the Blowfish
2 Always Be My Baby--Mariah Carey
3 Because You Loved Me--Céline Dion
4 Dreamer's Dream--Tom Cochrane
5 Ironic--Alanis Morissette
6 Follow You Down--Gin Blossoms
7 Everything Falls Apart--Dog's Eye View
8 Nobody Knows--The Tony Rich Project
9 Closer to Free--BoDeans
10 You Learn--Alanis Morissette

Singles entering the chart were Machinehead by Bush X (#86); The Old Apartment by Barenaked Ladies (#94); Looking for It by Jann Arden (#95); Sweet Dreams by La Bouche (#96); Love Untold by Paul Westerberg (#97); and The Playboy Interview by Merlin (#98).

War
Russian President Boris Yeltsin met with Chechnyan rebels for the first time, and negotiated a new cease-fire in the war between Russia and the breakaway republic of Chechnya, to come into effect on May 31 and to include an exchange of prisoners.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Finals
Colorado 2 @ Detroit 5 (Colorado led best-of-seven series 3-2)

20 years ago
2001

Terrorism
Members of the Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 20 tourists in Palawan, Philippines, triggering a hostage crisis that lasted over a year.

Auto racing
Helio Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 for the first time.



10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Gil Scott-Heron, 62. U.S. musician and poet. Mr. Scott-Heron was known for his spoken word recordings in the 1970s and '80s, and was regarded as a major influence on rap music. He was HIV positive, and died soon after becoming ill upon returning to New York after a trip to Europe.

Jeff Conaway, 60. U.S. actor. Mr. Conaway appeared in both the Broadway (1972) and movie (1978) versions of Grease, and played Bobby Wheeler in the television comedy series Taxi (1978-1982). He abused drugs for many years, with frequent recoveries and relapses, and died of pneumonia with sepsis, the result of heavy drug use.

Margo Dydek, 37. Polish-born basketball player. Ms. Dydek was a center who played in Europe before playing with the Utah Starzz/San Antonio Silver Stars (1998-2004); Connecticut Sun (2005-2007); and Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association; at 7' 2", she was the tallest professional female basketball player in the world. Ms. Dydek led the WNBA in blocks 8 times, and remains the league's career leader in blocks. She was a two-time WNBA All-Star. Ms. Dydek was coaching in Australia and was pregnant with her third child when she died from cardiac arrest. She was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2019.

Politics and government
Ed Stelmach tendered his official resignation as leader of the Alberta's Progressive Conservatives after three years as the province's Premier; he blamed his plummeting popularity on the surging Wildrose Alliance, a splinter party created by PCs who were critical of Mr. Stelmach's oil royalties policy.