June 9, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sandie Topechka!

375 years ago
1640

Born on this date
Leopold I. Holy Roman Emperor, 1658-1705. Leopold I, the son of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, was elected Emperor in 1658, more than a year after the death of his father. He held several other titles, and presided over several wars, including the successful Great Turkish War (1683-1699. Emperor Leopold had been trained for the clergy before the unexpected death of his older brother Ferdinand IV, and was a leader in the Counter-Reformation. He also composed music, and died on May 5, 1705 at the age of 64.

200 years ago
1815

Diplomacy
The Final Act of the Congress of Vienna was signed, settling the new European political situation.

Europeana
Luxembourg declared independence from the French Empire.

170 years ago
1845

Born on this date
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto. Governor General of Canada, 1898-1904; Viceroy and Governor-General of India, 1905-1910. The Earl of Minto, a native of London, was a career soldier before assuming the post of Governor General of Canada. He encouraged the teaching of Canadian history in schools and the founding of the National Archives of Canada, and continued the Canadian tradition of vice-regal patronage of sports by donating the Minto Cup in 1901 for the senior men's lacrosse champions of Canada. Lord Minto died on March 1, 1914 at the age of 68.

Frank Norton. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Norton played right field and third base with the Washington Nationals (1867-1869) and Washington Nationals (1870) of the amateur National Association of Base Ball Players, and played 1 game with the Washington Olympics of the professional National Association in 1871, striking out in his only plate appearance. He died on August 1, 1920 at the age of 75.

150 years ago
1865

Born on this date
Albéric Magnard. French composer. Mr. Magnard wrote four complete symphonies and a number of chamber works. He died on September 3, 1914 at the age of 49 while defending his property from invading German troops early in World War I.

Carl Nielsen. Danish composer. Mr. Nielsen is regarded as Denmark's greatest composer, known for six symphonies, Wind Quintet and concertos for violin, flute and clarinet. He was a violinist, but eventually composed mainly for piano. Mr. Nielsen died of a heart attack on October 3, 1931 at the age of 66.

130 years ago
1885

War
The Treaty of Tientsin was signed to end the Sino-French War, with China eventually giving up Tonkin and Annam – most of present-day Vietnam – to France.

125 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Leslie Banks. U.K. actor. Mr. Banks appeared in numerous films in the 1930s and '40s, usually as a villain. His movies included The Most Dangerous Game (1932); The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934); Sanders of the River (1935); Jamaica Inn (1939); and The Door with Seven Locks (1940). He died of a stroke at the age of 61 on April 21, 1952.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Jim McDonald. U.S. football player. Mr. McDonald was a halfback and quarterback with Ohio State University from 1935-1937. He was the second player drafted in the 1938 National Football League draft, selected by the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn't make the team, but played with the Detroit Lions from 1938-1939. Mr. McDonald died on May 1, 1997 at the age of 81.

Les Paul. U.S. musician. Mr. Paul, born Lester Polsfuss, was a pioneer in the use of the electric guitar and a major influence on rock and roll. He and his second wife, singer Mary Ford, had a string of hit singles in the early 1950s, including How High the Moon (1951) and Vaya con Dios (1953). Mr. Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005 (for the solid-body electric guitar), and is the only member of both bodies. He died on August 12, 2009 at the age of 94.

80 years ago
1935

Space
The first observations were made at the University of Toronto's David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Baseball
The St. Louis Cardinals scored at least once in all 8 innings in which they batted as they beat the Chicago Cubs 13-2 before 14,500 fans at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis.

75 years ago
1940

Music
Aaron Copland's suite from his score for the movie Our Town (1940) received its premiere performance in a radio broadcast on CBS.



War
German tanks were reported to be within 35 miles of Paris.

Diplomacy
Chinese Ambassador to the U.S.S.R. Shao Li-tse arrived in Moscow.

Politics and government
The United States House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities, chaired by Rep. Martin Dies (Democrat--Texas), demanded that President Franklin D. Roosevelt dismiss 563 people in government service who were members of the League for Peace and Democracy, allegedly a Communist organization.

Law
The Cuban Constituent Assembly completed the new constitution, which provided for a parliamentary system with a Prime Minister appointed by the President.

Golf
Lawson Little shot a 2-under par 70 to defeat Gene Sarazen by 3 strokes in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The two were tied with 1-under par total scores of 287 after 4 rounds. First prize money was $1,000.



70 years ago
1945

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Sentimental Journey--Les Brown and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Doris Day) (Best Seller--3rd week at #1; Honor Roll of Hits--2nd week at #1); There! I've Said it Again--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (vocal refrain by Vaughn Monroe and the Norton Sisters) (Best Seller--1st week at #1; Airplay--5th week at #1); Candy--Johnny Mercer, Jo Stafford and the Pied Piper with Paul Weston and his Orchestra (Juke Box--1st week at #1)

Abominations
Delayed dispatches from Frankfurt on the Main said that Germany's Nazi regime exterminated at least 80% of the Reich's Jews, and that their program called for killing every remaining Jew in occupied Europe before the summer of 1946. Allied authorities estimated that about 150,000 German Jews survived.

War
Japanese Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki told the Diet that Japan would "fight to the last." After capturing Ishan on the outskirts of Liuchow, Chinese forces stormed the city's suburbs in the province of Kwangsi.

Politics and government
The government of Argentina announced the release of all political prisoners except "extreme rightists."

The Philippine Congress met in Manila in its first session since the islands' liberation from Japanese occupation.

The U.S.A., U.K., and Yugoslavia reached an agreement for a temporary Allied military administration of the Italian province of Venezia Giulia, including Trieste.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman authorized Alien Property Custodian James Markham to seize liquid assets of German and Japanese nationals in the United States and turn the proceeds over to the U.S. Treasury.

Labour
The United States Army announced plans to enforce the National War Labor Board's directive to Montgomery Ward and Company to grant its employees back pay and union dues check-off and maintenance of membership privileges.

Track and field
The United States Naval Academy won the NCAA championship in Milwaukee, scoring 62 points to 57 3/4 for the University of Illinois.

Horse racing
Hoop Jr., with Eddie Arcaro up, won the 71st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:07, 6 lengths ahead of Pot o' Luck, with Darby Dieppe 2¾ lengths further behind in third in the 16-horse field. The race took place a month later than usual because of a temporary national wartime ban on horse racing.





50 years ago
1965

War
The Viet Cong commenced combat with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam in the Battle of Đồng Xoài, one of the largest battles in the Vietnam War.

Politics and government
The civilian Prime Minister of South Vietnam, Phan Huy Quát, resigned after being unable to work with a junta led by Nguyễn Cao Kỳ.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): January--Pilot (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Cyclamen no Kaori--Akira Fuse (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): You're The First, The Last, My Everything--Barry White

On the radio
The first live transmission from the British House of Commons was broadcast by British Broadcasting Corporation Radio and commercial stations.

Died on this date
Gwendolyn Lizarraga, 73. Belizean politician. Mrs. Lizarraga, popularly known as Madam Liz, was a successful farmer before entering politics. A member of the People's United Party, she represented Pickstock in the British Honduras (later Belize) House of Representatives (1961-1974), and was the first woman in the House. Madam Liz was also the colony's first female cabinet minister, with portfolios that included Education and Social Services. She declined to run in the 1974 general election because of declining health.

Diplomacy
China and the Philippines established diplomatic relations.

Baseball
Pitcher Dave McNally announced his retirement from the Montreal Expos, the day after losing his sixth straight decision. Mr. McNally had come to the Expos in a trade after the 1974 season, having pitched with the Baltimore Orioles from 1962-1974. Mr. McNally pitched a 2-hit shutout in his major league debut on September 26, 1962, and shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth and final game of the 1966 World Series. He hit his peak from 1968-1971, going 87-31 in the regular season in those years and helping the Orioles win the American League pennant in the last three of those years. He left Montreal with a record of 3-6 with an earned run average of 5.26 in 12 games in 1975, and batting .190. Mr. McNally and Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Andy Messersmith played the 1975 season without signing a contract, and were testing the legality of the owners' traditional interpretation of the reserve clause, which effectively bound a player to his team in perpetuity. On December 23, 1975, arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in favour of the players.

The San Francisco Giants scored 4 unearned runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the New York Mets 5-4 before 4,644 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

The Minnesota Twins scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th inning to tie the game and another in the 11th to defeat the Cleveland Indians 11-10 before 6,912 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.

Darrell Porter led off the top of the 9th inning with a home run to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox before 4,949 fans at White Sox Park. Ed Rodriguez, the second of three Milwaukee pitchers, was credited with the win to improve his 1975 record to 5-0.

Joe Rudi singled home Bill North with 1 out in the top of the 15th inning to give the Oakland Athletics a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles before 13,211 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Paul Lindblad, the fourth of five Oakland pitchers, got the win and improved his 1975 record to 4-0; Vida Blue came in from the bullpen to retire Lee May for the final out. Dyar Miller made his major league debut on the mound for Baltimore; he entered the game to begin the 14th inning, and took the loss, allowing 2 hits and an earned run in 1 1/3 innings.

Aguascalientes outfielder Al Crawford was reported to be in critical condition with a fractured skull after being hit by a pitch in a Mexican League game against Cordoba. He recovered and played two more years in the Mexican League.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Everybody Wants to Rule the World--Tears for Fears

#1 single in France (SNEP): Éthiopie--Chanteurs sans Frontières (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: We are the World--USA for Africa (6th week at #1)

Terrorism
Thomas Sutherland, Dean of Agriculture at the American University of Beirut, was kidnapped in Lebanon by members of Islamic Jihad. He wasn't released until November 18, 1991.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Los Angeles Lakers 111 @ Boston 100 (Los Angeles won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 29 points to lead the Lakers over the Celtics before 14,890 fans at Boston Garden. It was the first time in nine playoff series between the teams that the Lakers had ever beaten the Celtics. Mr. Abdul-Jabbar, who 30.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game, was named the finals' Most Valuable Player. Boston forward Larry Bird made only 12 of 29 field goal attempts and was suffering from an injured right hand, an injury later revealed to have occurred in a fight with Boston bartender Mike Harlow.



Football
CFL
Pre-season
Calgary (0-1) 9 @ British Columbia (1-0) 19

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Un' Estate Italiana--Edoardo Bennato; Gianna Nannini

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Infinity (1990's... Time for the Guru)--Guru Josh

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): What's a Woman?--Vaya Con Dios (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Sacrifice--Elton John (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): World in Motion--England New Order

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Paint it Black--The Rolling Stones (3rd week at #1)
2 Se Bastasse Una Canzone--Eros Ramazzotti
3 What's a Woman?--Vaya Con Dios
4 Kingston Town--UB40
5 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart
6 Still Got the Blues (For You)--Gary Moore
7 Caruso-Luciano Pavarotti
8 Black Velvet--Alannah Myles
9 Saxuality--Candy Dulfer
10 A Dreams a Dream--Soul II Soul

Singles entering the chart were Get on Your Feet by Gloria Estefan (#26); Are You Ready For Loving Me (The 7" PWL Beach-Mix) by Rene Froger (#30); I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by the Chimes (#32); Het Leven is te Mooi Voor Tranen by Koos Alberts (#33); and Dirty Cash by Adventures of Stevie V (#35).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Hold On--Wilson Phillips
2 Vogue--Madonna
3 Poison--Bell Biv DeVoe
4 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart
5 It Must Have Been Love--Roxette
6 Alright--Janet Jackson
7 Sending All My Love--Linear
8 Step by Step--New Kids on the Block
9 U Can't Touch This--M.C. Hammer
10 Nothing Compares 2 U--Sinéad O'Connor

Singles entering the chart were Could This Be Love by Seduction (#88); Rise to It by Kiss (#93); Possession by Bad English (#94); Let Me Be Your Lover by the U-Krew (#97); and Take it to Heart by Michael McDonald (#98).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Vogue--Madonna (3rd week at #1)
2 Hold On--Wilson Phillips
3 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart
4 Poison--Bell Biv DeVoe
5 Alright--Janet Jackson
6 It Must Have Been Love--Roxette
7 U Can't Touch This--M.C. Hammer
8 Sending All My Love--Linear
9 Ooh La La (I Can’t Get Over You)--Perfect Gentlemen
10 Nothing Compares to U--Sinead O’Connor

Singles entering the chart were Possession by Bad English (#59); If Wishes Came True by Sweet Sensation (#64); Could This Be Love by Seduction (#67); Epic by Faith No More (#72); The Blues by Tony! Toni! Tone! (#79); Now You're Gone by Whitesnake (#90); and Bang Bang by Danger Danger (#91).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You--Heart
2 Vogue--Madonna
3 Nothing Compares to U--Sinead O’Connor
4 Hold On--Wilson Phillips
5 This Old Heart of Mine--Rod Stewart with Ronald Isley
6 Alright--Janet Jackson
7 It Must Have Been Love--Roxette
8 Do You Remember?--Phil Collins
9 Save Me--Fleetwood Mac
10 Baby It's Tonight--Jude Cole

Singles entering the chart were Sittin' in the Lap of Luxury by Louie, Louie (#69); You Can't Deny It by Lisa Stansfield (#79); Love is Dangerous by Fleetwood Mac (#84); Yeah Yeah Yeah by the Blondes (#86); King of Wishful Thinking by Go West (#87); and Kissing Gate by Sam Brown (#90).

Politics and government
Two days of voting concluded in Czechoslovakia’s first free elections in more than 40 years. Civic Forum--the party of President Vaclav Havel--and Public Against Violence, its sister party in Slovakia, captured 46% of the vote and 170 of 300 seats in the bicameral parliament. The Communist Party finished a distant second with 14% of the vote and 47 seats in the Federal Assembly. The allied parties also ran well ahead in voting for the legislatures of the Czech and Slovak republics.

Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the 10 provincial premiers signed a 13-page document that appeared to pave the way for approval of the Meech Lake constitutional accord by the holdout provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. The new agreement provided for an examination of Senate reform; a commitment to hold aboriginal conferences every three years; and a legal opinion that Quebec’s "distinct society" clause would not override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells placed an asterisk beside his signature to indicate his intention to let the people of Newfoundland decide on the issue.

Diplomacy
Nelson Mandela, one of the 20th Century’s most overrated people, began a one-week European tour featuring meetings with the leaders of Switzerland, West Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. The leaders he met included Pope John Paul II and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Horse racing
Go and Go, with Michael Kinane up, won the 122nd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, New York in a time of 2:27 1/5, 8¼ lengths ahead of Thirty Six Red, with Baron de Vaux, a 65-1 longshot, 2 lengths further back in third in the 9-horse field.



20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Se på mej--Jan Johansen (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me--U2

Crime
Andrew Richards was sentenced to life in prison for the attempted rape of another man in the first case of its kind in Britain.

Colombian police arrested Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, believed to be a leader of the Cali drug cartel. Mr. Rodriguez had been indicted in the United States on drug charges. U.S. officials estimated that the Cali cartel, which preferred non-violent means, such as bribery, to the terrorism preferred by the Medellin cartel, controlled nearly 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States.

Business
Inco Ltd. paid $700 million to buy 30% of Diamond Fields Resources Inc.'s metal deposit at Voisey Bay, Labrador.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that prices charged by manufacturers and farmers for finished goods had not changed in May.

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Houston 117 Orlando 106 (Houston led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 34 points and added 11 rebounds to lead the Rockets over the Magic before 16,010 fans at Orlando Arena. Shaquille O'Neal led Orlando with 33 points and 12 rebounds.



10 years ago
2005

Basketball
NBA
Finals
Detroit 69 @ San Antonio 84 (San Antonio led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Manu Ginóbili scored 26 points--15 in the 4th quarter--as the Spurs beat the Pistons before 18,797 fans at SBC Center. Tim Duncan added 24 points and 17 rebounds for San Antonio. Chauncey Billups led Detroit with 25 points and 6 assists.



Football
CFL
Pre-season
Ottawa (1-0) 27 @ Montreal (0-1) 16