Categories
Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… May 8

2018

President Trump pulls the US out of the multilateral Iran nuclear deal.

2013

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi receives a four year prison sentence for fraud.

2005

The new Canadian War Museum opens in Ottawa.

1982

Gilles Villeneuve, from Berthierville, Que. dies in a 225 KPH accident while qualifying for the 1982 F1 Belgian Grand Prix.

1970

Beatles release “Let it Be” album.

1967

Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in US Army

1962

Oskar Schindler and his wife Emilie Schindler are honored for saving 1200 Jews during WWII,.

1945

German General Wilhelm Keitel formally surrenders to the Allies represented by the United States, the UK, France and the Soviet Union in Berlin.

1933

Gandhi began a hunger strike to protest British oppression in India.

1886

Pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pemberton invented what would later be called “Coca-Cola.”

1878

1st unassisted triple play in organized baseball, by Paul Hines.

1847

The rubber tire was patented by Robert W. Thompson.

Categories
Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… May 8

2018

President Trump pulls the US out of the multilateral Iran nuclear deal.

2013

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi receives a four year prison sentence for fraud.

2005

The new Canadian War Museum opens in Ottawa.

1984

Canadian Army Corporal Denis Lortie 1959- sprays the Quebec National Assembly with sub-machine gun fire, killing 3 and wounding 13; on leave from his base, he tells his captors he wanted to destroy the Parti Quebecois.

1982

Gilles Villeneuve, from Berthierville, Que. dies in a 225 KPH accident while qualifying for the 1982 F1 Belgian Grand Prix.

1970

Beatles release “Let it Be” album.

1967

Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in US Army

1962

Oskar Schindler and his wife Emilie Schindler are honored for saving 1200 Jews during WWII,.

1945

German General Wilhelm Keitel formally surrenders to the Allies represented by the United States, the UK, France and the Soviet Union in Berlin.

1933

Gandhi began a hunger strike to protest British oppression in India.

1886

Pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pemberton invented what would later be called “Coca-Cola.”

1878

1st unassisted triple play in organized baseball, by Paul Hines.

1847

The rubber tire was patented by Robert W. Thompson.

Categories
Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… May 7

2021

The World Health Organization approves the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm, its first made by a non-western country.

2019

Denver is the first US city to decriminalize psilocybin “magic mushrooms”.

2018

Vladimir Putin is sworn in as Russian President for another 6 years.

2017

Emmanuel Macron wins France’s presidential election defeating Marine Le Pen.

2011

“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, directed by Rob Marshall, starring Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz, premieres in – opening weekend makes $350.6m.

1998

Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for $40 billion USD and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history.

1992

Three employees at a McDonald’s Restaurant in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, are brutally murdered and a fourth permanently disabled after a botched robbery. It is the first “fast-food murder” in Canada.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission.

1975

U.S. President Ford declared an end to the Vietnam War.

1966

Mamas & Papas “Monday Monday” hits #1.

1912

Film and television production and distribution studio Paramount Pictures is founded.

1867

Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel patents dynamite in England.

1824

Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th (Chorale) Symphony, premieres in Vienna.

Categories
Sports (en)

Shohei Ohtani equals a Babe Ruth record from 1919

Shohei Ohtani is having a terrific season. The pitcher, who is also a fearsome hitter, has just given a historic performance with theLos Angeles Angels.

The 27-year-old Japanese, last season’s American League MVP, was on the mound yesterday to face theRed Sox at Fenway Park in Boston.Hitting third in the batting order and making his first start as a pitcher at Fenway Park, Ohtani became the first starting pitcher to hit in one of the first four positions at the ballpark since Babe Ruth did so on September 20, 1919.

In addition to accomplishing a 100+ year old feat,Shohei Ohtani didit with panache. He batted safely in 2 of his 4 appearances, producing a run in the eighth inning.The Angels took advantage of the excellent performance of their pitcher who recorded 11 outs at bat to win 8-0.

Angels manager Joe Maddon still can’t believe what an outstanding player number 17 is for the Angles.

“I hope you don’t start taking this for granted. Like it’s an old thing,” the manager told the media after the game. “It’s so unusual. It’s out of this world, at this level of this game.”

On the mound,Shohei Ohtani was equally impressive. In the win,Ohtani threw a season-high 99 pitches,including 81 of his 99 pitches for strikes, whichis also a career high.

The Japanese native seemed to enjoy the experience of being atBoston’siconicFenway Park, like Babe Ruth in 1919.

“This is one of my favorite stadiums. I was looking forward to pitching here, and I felt like it left a really good impression.”

On the Red Sox side, pitcherRich Hillcouldn’t help but notice his opponent’s brilliance.

“He’s the best player in the league. I think that’s one thing everyone can pretty much unanimously agree on. It’s special to see someone like him. I think everyone should really appreciate what we’re seeing because it’s something we haven’t seen in 100 years and may not see again for another 100 years.”

Categories
Entertainment

Madonna asks to be confessed by the pope

Madonna has written a message to Pope Francis asking him to confess her and to discuss “important matters” with him.

The 63-year-old singer, who has long used provocative religious imagery to boost her career, wants to meet with the Holy Father to get “a second chance” to make things right.

Madonna Louise Ciccone has reached out to Pope Francis nearly two decades after the Vatican condemned her “blasphemous” behavior.

The star took to Twitter to call out the pope.

https://twitter.com/Madonna/status/1522015424841281536?s=20&t=BKHLRQogrxxABX_nz56Uzw

“Hello @Francois – I’m a good Catholic. I swear! I mean I don’t swear! It’s been a few decades since my last confession. Would it be possible to meet sometime to discuss some important issues?” the singer begins.

“I’ve been ex-confessed three times. It doesn’t seem fair,” Madonna continued.

The star, who will launch in a few weeks a compilation album of remixes of numbers 1, was still waiting at the time of writing for a response from the pontiff.

The Queen of Pop has incurred the wrath of the Catholic Church after her controversial 2006 show in Rome, during which she was “crucified” on stage. The Church, led at the time byPope Benedict XVI, called the performance “blasphemous”.

Categories
Sports (en)

Phil Mickelson reportedly lost $40 million in gambling

Phil Mickelson has reportedly lost more than $40 million while gambling, according to a book to be released later this month.

SportswriterAlan Shipnuck, a former golf reporter for Sports Illustrated, will release Phil’s biography : The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar. In it, he depicts the colossal losses the golf champion suffered between 2010 and 2014.

Amazon

The biographer explains thatPhil Mickelson was raking in tens of millions a year during those yearsofgambling losses. Still, his gambling addiction could have put him over the edge.

“During those years when he was making the most money, his income was estimated at just over $40 million a year. That’s an obscene amount of money, but once he paid his taxes, he only had about $20 million left. Then he had to pay for his plane and residences, plus his agent, caddy, pilots, chef, personal trainer, swing coaches and various others,” the journalist explains.

The biographer comes to these conclusions after studyingthe government auditthat looked intoPhil Mickelson ‘s caseduring those years.

Alan Shipnuck points out thatMickelson’ s separation from his longtime caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay, in 2017involved hundreds of thousands of dollarsinback pay that the golfer owed his caddie.

These financial losses may explain whyPhil Mickelsonwanted to turn his back on thePGArecently to join a new professional tour called theSaudi Golf League, run by former golferGreg Norman.

The Saudi Golf League, backed by the Saudi government, has promised players huge sums of money and guaranteed fees for fewer tournaments than they play on the PGA Tour. However, the PGA Tour has threatened to ban any player who participates in this initiative.

ThePhil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!)Biographyof Golf’s Most Colorful Superstarwill be released on May 17.

Categories
Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… May 6

2017

France bans too thin fashion models and makes labeling of digitally enhanced photos mandatory.

2012

François Hollande elected 24th President of France.

2004

TV sitcom “Friends” airs season finale in 10th and final season.

2002

Entrepreneur Elon Musk founds SpaceX.

“Spider-Man” became the first movie to make more than $100 million in its first weekend.

1997

Michael Jackson & Bee Gees inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

1994

Nelson Mandela and the ANC, finally confirmed winners in South Africa’s first post apartheid election.

Channel tunnel linking England & France officially opens.

1957

U.S. Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his book “Profiles in Courage”.

1937

German airship Hindenburg explodes in flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 on board and 1 on the ground.

1915

Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run while playing for the Boston Red Sox.

1910

George V becomes King of the United Kingdom upon the death of his father, Edward VII.

1903

Chicago White Sox commit 12 errors against Detroit Tigers.

1889

The Universal Exposition opened in Paris, France, marking the dedication of the Eiffel Tower. Also at the exposition was the first automobile in Paris, the Mercedes-Benz.

1840

World’s first adhesive postage stamp, the “Penny Black”, is first used in Great Britain.

1682

Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles.

Categories
Entertainment

Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany to get married at Mar-a-Lago

Tiffany Trump, the fourth child of former President Donald Trump, will get married at her father’s estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 12.

According to what the New York Post has learned, Tiffany Trump and her fiancé Michael Boulos were supposed to get married this summer in Greece, but have now changed their minds and chosen the lavish Florida residence of the 45th president of the United States.

The newspaper claims that more than 500 guests will attend the grand celebration overseen by Donald and his ex-wife Marla Maples.

“There’s been a lot of planning and a lot of staging. This is Tiffany’s big moment, and it will be lavish. It’s going to be a big, beautiful party,” the newspaper’s source says.

Tiffany Trump andMichael Boulos live in Miami, as do most of the Trump family who fled to the southern US state after the 2020 presidential defeat.

tiffanytrump/Instagram

The bride and groom met on a respective vacation toMykonos, Greece, in 2018. Tiffany, 28, announced her engagement to Boulos, 24, on Jan. 19, 2021, the last day of her father’s term in the White House.

Categories
Entertainment News

Ukraine launches global social fundraising campaign

President Volodymyr Zelensky has just announced the launch of a global social fundraising campaign to support the war and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.

The statesman, who has been very present on social networks since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, himself made the announcement in English.

“In one click, you can donate funds to help our defenders, save our civilians and rebuild Ukraine,” announced the leader.

It is through the United24 platform that people around the world are invited to make donations.

“All funds will be transferred to the National Bank of Ukraine and allocated to the relevant ministries,” added the Ukrainian president.

Volodymyr Zelensky also added that for the sake of transparency, reports on the distribution of funds will be published “every 24 hours”.

“Only together we have the potential to stop the war and rebuild what Russia has destroyed,” the president concluded.

Since Ukraine was invaded, several initiatives have been organized to support the war-torn European country. Many stars, such as Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, have organized fundraisers. Musical artists, such as Pink Floyd, have played music to raise funds. Or companies like Elon Musk’s Starlink are providing material aid to the country.

Categories
Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… May 5

2021

Canada is the first country to authorize the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12-15 year olds.

2018

Electric cigarette explodes killing a man in St. Petersburg, Florida, first death from a vaping product.

2016

Fort McMurray wildfires: Canadian province of Alberta declares a state of emergency as evacuation of 80,000 people continues.

1971

“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin first played live at Ulster Hall, Belfast.

1969

Milwaukee Bucks sign #1 NBA Draft pick, star UCLA center Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

1962

West Side Story soundtrack album goes #1 & stays #1 for 54 weeks.

1961

Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he made a 15 minute suborbital flight.

1956

Elvis Presley scored his first US No.1 single and album when ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ went to the top of the charts. ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ became his first million-seller, and was the best-selling single of 1956.

1922

Construction begins on Yankee Stadium (Bronx).

1921

Perfume Chanel No. 5 released by fashion designer Coco Chanel.

1904

Pitching against the Philadelphia Athletics at the avenue, Cy Young of the Boston Americans throws the first perfect game in the modern era of baseball.

1821

Napoleon Bonaparte died on the island of St. Helena, where he had been in exile.

1494

Christopher Columbus sighted Jamaica on his second trip to the Western Hemisphere. He named the island Santa Gloria.