May 13, 2021

800 years ago
1221

Born on this date
Alexander Nevsky. Prince of Novgorod, 1236-1240, 1241-1256, 1258-1259; Grand Prince of Kiev, 1246-1263; Grand Prince of Vladimir, 1252-1263. Alexander Nevsky became a legendary figure in medieval Rus' history for repelling invading forces from Sweden in 1240 and Germany in 1242. He died after a brief illness on November 14, 1263 at the age of 42, and was canonized as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547.

210 years ago
1811

Born on this date
Juan Bautista Ceballos. 20th President of Mexico, 1853. Mr. Ceballos, a Liberal, was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1842-1847 and again from 1851 until he was appointed President of the Supreme Court. He served in this office until acceding to the presidency on January 6, 1853 when Mariano Arista was forced from office. Congress rejected many of President Ceballos' initiatives, and he dissolved Congress on January 19 and called for a constitutional convention. The Mexico City garrison then removed Mr. Ceballos from office. He returned to the Supreme Court in 1856, and was elected a deputy to the Constituent Congress (1856-1857). In 1857, President Antonio López de Santa Anna nominated Mr. Ceballos to the Order of Guadalupe; Mr. Ceballos snubbed the offer, and President Santa Anna then exiled him. Mr. Ceballos went to Europe, and died in Paris on August 20, 1859 at the age of 48.

175 years ago
1846

War
The United States declared war on the Federal Republic of Mexico following a dispute over the American annexation of the Republic of Texas and a Mexican military incursion.

160 years ago
1861

Space
The Great Comet of 1861 was discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales.

War
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issued a "proclamation of neutrality" in the American Civil War which recognized the Confederacy as having belligerent rights.

Transportation
Pakistan's (then a part of British India) first railway line opened, from Karachi to Kotri.

140 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Lima Barreto. Brazilian journalist and author. Mr. Barreto began his career as a journalist, but became a major figure in Brazilian Pre-Modernism for his satirical novels, especially Triste Fim de Policarpo Quaresma (The Patriot) (1911). He became a heavy drinker in later years, spent time in various psychiatric hospitals, and died of a heart attack on November 1, 1922 at the age of 41.

130 years ago
1891

Horse racing
Kingman, with Isaac Murphy aboard, won the 17th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:52¼, the slowest winning time in Kentucky Derby history. Balgowan placed second and High Tariff finished third in the 4-horse field.

110 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Robert Middleton. U.S. actor. Often cast as a brutal villain, Mr. Middleton, born Samuel G. Messer, was a character actor who gave memorable performances in movies such as The Desperate Hours (1955) and A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966), and in two episodes of the television series Thriller (1961). He also played (uncredited) Ralph Kramden's boss, Mr. Marshall, in several sketches of The Honeymooners on The Jackie Gleason Show, and appeared as "Wisconsin Skinny" with Don Adams in a 1973 television commercial for the game Skittle Pool. Mr. Middleton died of congestive heart failure on June 14, 1977 at the age of 66.

Maxine Sullivan. U.S. singer. Miss Sullivan was a jazz singer who performed for more than 40 years, but was best known for her swing version of Loch Lomond (1937). She died on April 7, 1987 at the age of 75 after suffering a seizure.

Jack Wells. Canadian sportscaster. "Cactus Jack," a native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, made his name with several radio and television stations in Winnipeg, broadcasting football, hockey, and curling. He was the first television voice of western Canadian Football League telecasts. Mr. Wells was inducted into the media wing of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1981, and died in Winnipeg on May 26, 1999, 13 days after his 88th birthday.

Horse racing
Meridian, with George Archibald up, won the 37th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville in a time of 2:05. Governor Gray placed second and Colston finished third in the 7-horse field.

Baseball
The Detroit Tigers blew a 10-1 lead and lost 13-11 to the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings at Bennett Park in Detroit. Ty Cobb hit his first career major league grand slam in the 3rd inning for the Tigers, but Duffy Lewis hit a grand slam for the Red Sox in a 7-run 9th to tie the game.

Fred Merkle drove in 6 runs with a double and an inside-the-park home run as the New York Giants scored 13 runs--7 before the first out was recorded--in the 1st inning and coasted to a 19-5 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals at Hilltop Park in New York. Mr. Merkle finished the game with 7 RBIs. Christy Mathewson (5-1) was credited as the winning pitcher despite being pulled by manager John McGraw after the 1st inning. Rube Marquard relieved and struck out 14 batters in 8 innings.

The Philadelphia Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the 16th inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 at National League Park in Philadelphia. Winning pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander (6-1) pitched 8 innings of no-hit relief.

100 years ago
1921

Baseball
A jury acquitted former New York Giants’ outfielder Benny Kauff of auto theft and related charges, but baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis refused to lift the lifetime ban against him.

80 years ago
1941

War
Yugoslavian royal colonel Dragoljub Mihailović started fighting against German occupation troops, beginning the Serbian resistance. The German government proclaimed the northern area of the Red Sea to be a zone of military occupation, and warned neutral shipping against sailing in the area. Haj Amin al-Husseini, exiled Mufti of Jerusalem and leader of a million Muslims, broadcast a proclamation from Baghdad summoning all Muslims to join Iraqi forces in armed revolt against the United Kingdom.

Diplomacy
Ecuador and Peru notified the U.S. State Department that they were willing to accept the services of Argentina, Brazil, and the United States in ending their century-old boundary dispute.

Politics and government
Joseph Rosier (Democrat) took the oath of office as a United States Senator from West Virginia upon the Senate approving his appointment to fill ther remainder of the term of Matthew Neely (Democrat), who had resigned in the fall of 1940 to run for Governor of West Virginia. Mr. Rosier was appointed to the Senate on January 13, 1941, but a challenge to his appointment delayed his assumption of the office. His term was due to expire on January 3, 1943.

Frank Hague was elected to his seventh consecutive four-year term as Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Labour
Most employees of Colt Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut went on strike for an hourly wage increase of 20c. The comapny had $30 million in defense contracts.

75 years ago
1946

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

New singles entering the chart were the version of The Gypsy by the Ink Spots; the version of Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside) by Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra; Painted Rhythm by Stan Kenton and his Orchestra (#36); Who's Sorry Now? by Harry James and his Orchestra (#37); and All the Cats Joined In by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (#38). Who's Sorry Now? was the B-side of I Didn't Mean a Word I Said, charting at #31.

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

War
A U.S. military court in Dachau sentenced 58 Germans to hang, and 3 to life imprisonment, for the murders of 70,000 inmates in the Malthausen concentration camp during World War II. The Allied Far Eastern Commission issued an interim reparations plan for Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan General Douglas MacArthur, specifying that Japanese arsenals, the aircraft industry, and light metals industry should be made available for reparations. Japanese Defense Counsel Ichiro Kiyose challenged the legality of the International Military Tribunal, declaring that Japan's surrender affected the armed forces, but not the government.

World events
U.S. military authorities in Germany ordered all German military and Nazi memorials destroyed, and all books glorifying war and Nazism confiscated.

Diplomacy
Brazilian Foreign Minister Joao Neves da Fontura proposed that the United States and all other American nations settle their differences with Argentine President Juan Peron in order to present a united front against the U.S.S.R.

At the conference of foreign ministers in Paris, The United Kingdom and United States agreed to accept a French proposal for the Yugoslavia-Italy boundary, which was closer to Soviet and Yugoslavian views, but still left Trieste to Italy.

Negotiations between Iranian Prime Minister Ahmad Ghavam Saltaneh and Azerbaijani leader Mir Sayid Jafar Pishevari ended in failure.

Politics and government
King Zahir Shar of Afghanistan dismissed his cabinet and asked Sha Mahmoud Khan to form a new one.

Defense
The U.S. Army revealed a "major reorganization" plan to save manpower and money; eliminate nine service commands; give General Dwight Eisenhower broader powers; strengthen research; and grant "increased autonomy" to the Army Air Forces. U.S. President Harry Truman conferred with War Secretary Robert Patterson and Navy Secretary James Forrestal on unification of the armed forces. The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a resolution extending Selective Service until July 1, 1946, exempting fathers and all 18-19-year-olds.

Agriculture
Concluding a worldwide food survey, former U.S. President Herbert Hoover stated that the world grain shortage had been reduced from 11 million to 3.6 million tons within the past two months.

Labour
A U.S. federal fact-finding board in Washington recommended a 20% pay increase for 16,000 Congress of Industrial Organizations International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union members on the Pacific coast.

70 years ago
1951

World events
Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, declaring that he was in imminent danger of assassination, took refuge in the Parliament building in Tehran with the intention of remaining there until nationalization of the country's oil industry was completed.

South Americana
The 400th anniversary of the founding of the National University of San Marcos was commemorated by the opening of 32,000-seat Estadio Universidad San Marcos, the first large-capacity stadium in Peru.

Labour
Most New Zealand dock workers returned to work after the government broke a 12-week waterfront strike by establishing new unions to replace the allegedly Communist-influenced Waterside Workers Union.

Spanish dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco denounced as "crimes against the motherland" a month-long series of strikes in Catalonia and the Basque provinces of northern Spain aimed at obtaining cost-of-living raises.

60 years ago
1961

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

#1 single in Italy: Where the Boys Are--Connie Francis

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Babysitter-Boogie--Ralf Bendix (4th week at #1)

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

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Blue Moon--The Marcels

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Mother-in-Law--Ernie K-Doe (2nd week at #1)
2 Runaway--Del Shannon
3 A Hundred Pounds of Clay--Gene McDaniels
4 Blue Moon--The Marcels
5 But I Do--Clarence "Frogman" Henry
6 I’ve Told Every Little Star--Linda Scott
7 Daddy’s Home--Shep and the Limelites
8 You Can Depend on Me--Brenda Lee
9 Breakin’ in a Brand New Broken Heart--Connie Francis
10 Take Good Care of Her--Adam Wade

Singles entering the chart were Rama Lama Ding Dong by the Edsels (#68); Stand By Me by Ben E. King (#70); How Many Tears (#73)/Baby Face (#100) by Bobby Vee; Barbara Ann by the Regents (#75); A Little Feeling (Called Love) by Jack Scott (#85); Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You) by Little Caesar and the Romans (#88); Our Love is Here to Stay by Dinah Washington (#90); A Love of My Own by Carla Thomas (#95); Nobody Cares (About Me) by Jeanette (Baby) Washington (#96); Sucu Sucu by Ping-Ping (also #100); and Louisiana Mama by Gene Pitney (also #100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Travelin' Man/Hello Mary Lou--Ricky Nelson (2nd week at #1)
2 Little Devil--Neil Sedaka
3 Moody River--Pat Boone
4 Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)--The Coasters
5 Runaway--Del Shannon
6 Running Scared--Roy Orbison
7 The Rebel - Johnny Yuma--Johnny Cash
8 Louisiana Mama--Gene Pitney
9 She Wears My Ring--Jimmy Bell
10 Shy Away--Jerry Fuller

Singles entering the chart were I Feel So Bad by Elvis Presley (#31); Raindrops by Dee Clark (#35); Girl of My Best Friend by Ral Donner (#38); The Kissin' Game by Dion (#41); Little Feeling Called Love by Jack Scott (#42); Pick Me Up on Your Way Down by Pat Zill (#45); Book of Love by Bobby Bare (#47); Time by Jerry Jackson (#49); and (Dance the) Mess Around by Chubby Checker (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Travelin' Man/Hello Mary Lou--Ricky Nelson
2 Little Devil--Neil Sedaka
3 Moody River--Pat Boone
4 Running Scared--Roy Orbison
5 Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)--The Coasters
6 The Rebel - Johnny Yuma--Johnny Cash
7 She Wears My Ring--Jimmy Bell
8 Runaway--Del Shannon
9 Peanut Butter--The Marathons
10 Triangle--Janie Grant

Singles entering the chart were Wild in the Country by Elvis Presley (#14, charting with its A-side, I Feel So Bad); How Many Tears by Bobby Vee (#25); Rampage by the Revels (#32); Jimmy Martinez by Marty Robbins (#34); Raindrops by Dee Clark (#38); Everyday by Bobby Lee (#39); and Ring of Fire by Duane Eddy (#40). Wild in the Country was the title song of the movie. Ring of Fire was the title song of the movie (1961).

On television tonight
The Roaring 20's, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Right Off the Boat: Part 1

Died on this date
Gary Cooper, 60. U.S. actor. One of the biggest movie stars of the first half of the 20th century, Mr. Cooper won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performances in Sergeant York (1941) and High Noon (1952). Other notable films of Mr. Cooper included The Virginian (1929); A Farewell to Arms (1932); Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); Beau Geste (1939); The Westerner (1940); Ball of Fire (1941); Meet John Doe (1941); The Pride of the Yankees (1942); For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943); The Fountainhead (1949); Ten North Frederick (1958); Man of the West (1958); and They Came to Cordura (1959). He died of cancer, six days after his 60th birthday.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Les rois mages--Sheila (2nd week at #1)

Abominations
Over 900 unarmed Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh were massacred by the occupying Pakistan Army aided by local collaborators in the Demra massacre.

Politics and government
U.S. President Richard Nixon and advisers Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman discussed various topics in the White House, including Mexicans, Negroes, and homosexuality.





Transportation
The government of Canada announced its intention to build a Short Take-Off and Landing airport in Montréal, with commuter service to a similar Ottawa and Toronto STOL port.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
Montreal 0 @ Chicago 2 (Chicago led best-of-seven series 3-2)

Tony Esposito won the goaltending duel over Ken Dryden as the Black Hawks shut out the Canadiens at Chicago Stadium. After the game, Montreal star Henri Richard blasted his coach, Al MacNeil, as "incompetent," and "the worst coach I ever played for." He expressed regret for his comments before game 6.

Baseball
The Cincinnati Reds traded backup outfielder and pinch hitter Angel Bravo to the San Diego Padres for backup outfielder and pinch hitter Al Ferrara. Mr. Bravo was batting .200 (1 for 5) in 5 games with the Reds, while Mr. Ferrara was batting .118 (2 for 17) in 17 games with the Padres.

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Morning Train (Nine to Five)--Sheena Easton (2nd week at #1)
2 Take it on the Run--REO Speedwagon
3 Bette Davis Eyes--Kim Carnes
4 Kiss on My List--Daryl Hall & John Oates
5 Watching the Wheels--John Lennon
6 Keep on Loving You--REO Speedwagon
7 Somebody's Knockin'--Terri Gibbs
8 Angel of the Morning--Juice Newton
9 Sweetheart--Franke & the Knockouts
10 Being with You--Smokey Robinson

Singles entering the chart were How 'bout Us by Champaign (#18); and This Little Girl by Gary U.S. Bonds (#20).

Died on this date
Joan Weber, 45. U.S. singer. Miss Weber was known for her recording of Let Me Go, Lover!, which reached the number one spot on U.S. singles charts in late 1954-early 1955. Subsequent singles failed to chart, as her husband, bandleader George Verfaillie, assumed total control of her career, with disastrous results. Miss Weber eventually ended up in a mental institution in New Jersey, where she died of heart failure.

Crime
As Pope John Paul II rode through a crowd of 20,000 people in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, he was shot four times by Mehmet Ali Agca. In Edmonton, CFRN news director Bruce Hogle said in his television editorial that night, "The obvious question is, what can be done to prevent these things from happening? The answer is: nothing."





30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Eyes to Me--Dreams Come True (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Punaista ja makeaa--Popeda

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Joyride--Roxette (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Hollywood Detective, on A&E
Tonight's episode: Barring Disaster

This was the sixth and last episode of the series.

Politics and government
Canadian Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn delivered the Speech from the Throne; the speech from the government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney promised a House of Commons-Senate Committee to study the Constitution, and also emphasized education, aboriginal affairs, and reform of Parliament.

Abominations
Baltej Dhillon, a Sikh, became the First Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer to wear a turban since the force's creation in 1873.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Fastlove--George Michael (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Children--Robert Miles (5th week at #1)

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

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Closer to Free--BoDeans
2 Ironic--Alanis Morissette
3 Because You Loved Me--Céline Dion
4 Follow You Down--Gin Blossoms
5 Always Be My Baby--Mariah Carey
6 Nobody Knows--The Tony Rich Project
7 Birmingham--Amanda Marshall
8 Lucky Love--Joan Osborne
9 Dreamer's Dream--Tom Cochrane
10 A List of Things--Damhnait Doyle

Singles entering the chart were You Still Touch Me by Sting (#90); Burning Down the House by Bonnie Raitt (#91); Sister by the Nixons (#93); Angeline is Coming Home by the Badlees (#94); and One More Astronaut by I Mother Earth (#97).

Diplomacy
Representatives of North Korea, South Korea, China, and the United States began two days of talks in an attempt to find a permanent Korean peace agreement.

Politics and government
Quebec's chief electoral officer announced that scrutineers for the Yes side in the 1995 provincial independence referendum would be investigated in connection with the rejection of a large number of ballots in federalist ridings; he also announced the possibility of charges against the organizers of the October 27, 1995 No rally, stating that the rally constituted illegal campaign spending.

Economics and finance
The United Nations World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization issued a joint special alert over food supplies in North Korea, suggesting that 130,000 people were at risk because of food shortages.

Labour
German public sector unions staged the first of several warning strikes, demanding a 4.5% wage increase, and protesting the April announcement of government austerity measures.

Disasters
Severe thunderstorms and a tornado killed 600 people in Bangladesh.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Western Conference Semi-Finals
Colorado 4 @ Chicago 3 (2 OT) (Colorado won best-of-seven series 4-2)

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Jason Miller, 62. U.S. actor, director, and playwright. Mr. Miller appeared in sveral films, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting performance as Father Damien Karras in The Exorcist (1973). He won a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize for his play That Championship Season (1972), and directed its movie adaptation (1982). Mr. Miller was artistic director of the Scranton Public Theatre in later years; he died of a heart attack.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Wallace McCain, 81. Canadian businessman. Mr. McCain, a native of Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, co-founded McCain Foods Limited with his brother Harrison in 1957. Wallace McCain died in Toronto from pancreatic cancer.

Bruce Ricker, 68. U.S. film director and producer. Mr. Ricker produced and directed documentaries about jazz and blues musicians in a career spanning more than 30 years. Several of his films were made in collaboration with Clint Eastwood.

Derek Boogaard, 28. Canadian hockey player. Mr. Boogard, a native of Saskatoon, ostensibly played left wing, but was really just a goon with the Minnesota Wild (2005-10) and New York Rangers (2010-11), scoring 3 goals and 13 assists in 277 regular season games, with 589 minutes in penalties, and 1 assist in 10 playoff games with 44 minutes in penalties. He began abusing prescription drugs in reaction to injuries, and died from an accidental drug and alcohol overdose while recovering from a concussion. A post-mortem examination of Mr. Boogard's brain revealed that he had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Terrorism
Two suicide bombers attacked paramilitary police recruits heading home after months of training in northwest Pakistan, killing 87 people in what the Pakistan Taliban called revenge for the U.S. slaying of Osama bin Laden.

Law
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that daily agendas produced by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet were not subject to the access-to-information law.