August 17, 2008

340 years ago
1668

Disasters
A magnitude 8.0 earthquake caused 8,000 deaths in Anatolia, Ottoman Empire.

100 years ago
1908

At the movies
Fantasmagorie, the first animated cartoon, created by Émile Cohl, was shown in Paris.

80 years ago
1928

War
Mongolian troops in Manchuria, led by Soviets with the pretense of a move for Manchurian independence from Nationalist China, captured the town of Barim and killed several Chuinese soldiers.

Defense
After four days of mock air raids, London was reported to be vulnerable to real air attacks.

Disasters
Storms over the past week were reported to have killed 11 people in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and had done $5 million in damage to crops.

70 years ago
1938

Boxing
Henry Armstrong (92-11-6) won the world lightweight title in a bloody 15-round split decision over Lou Ambers (75-6-7) at Madison Square Garden in New York, becoming the first boxer to hold titles in three different weight classes simultaneously. He also held the welterweight and featherweight crowns.

60 years ago
1948

Diplomacy
Soviet Consul General Jacob Lomakin charged that U.S.S.R. consular employee Oksana Kosenkina was being held prisoner by police in a New York hospital following her jump five days earlier from a third-floor window at the Soviet consulate.

Defense
The United Nations Security Council's Commission on Conventional Armaments concluded 18 months of work with a report admitting failure to chieve agreement on regulation of non-nuclear weapons.

Canadian Defense Minister Brooke Claxton and U.S. Defense Secretary James Forrestal met in Ogdensburg, New York to pledge continued military cooperation between their countries.

Politics and government
Premier Ernest Manning led his Social Credit Party to a fourth consecutive majority government in the Alberta provincial election. Social Credit won 51 of 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly, an increase of 1 from the most recent election in 1944. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, led by Elmer Roper, won 2 seats, and the Liberals, led by Harper Prowse, also won 2.

Burmese President Saw Shwe Thaik authorized military officials to proclaim martial law in any part of the country, after Communist-led guerrillas kidnapped Rangoon's police chief near the city.

Former U.S. State Department employee Alger Hiss and Time editor Whittaker Chambers confronted each other at a closed hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities in New York. Mr. Hiss continued to deny any association with Mr. Chambers.

Religion
The Anglican Church issued a report on the Lambeth conference, condeming Communism and urging closer ties with other Christian churches.

Economics and finance
Israel issued a new national currency, the Israeli pound, valued at $4 U.S.

The French National Assembly enacted a plan sponsored by Finance Minister Paul Reynaud, giving the government sweeping powers to control inflation and balance the budget.

50 years ago
1958

Space
Pioneer 0, America's first attempt at lunar orbit, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, using the first Thor-Able rocket and failed when the rocket exploded 77 seconds after launch. It was notable as one of the first attempted launches beyond Earth orbit by any country.

World events
Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Mukhtar Baban said that Iraqi Crown Prince Abdul Illah planned to overthrow the Syrian government and establish himself as King of Syria, but was opposed by King Faisal.

Diplomacy
Argentina and Chile issued a joint communique announcing an agreement to end their dispute over possession of Snipe Island by leaving it unoccupied.

Defense
The U.S. Navy announced that Admiral Hyman Rickover would be promoted to vice admiral as the service's leading nuclear power project designer.

Society
The Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith issued a report titled Anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union Today, accusing the U.S.S.R. of "cultural genocide" against the country's Jewish population.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Orange and the Green/(The Puppet Song) Whiskey on a Sunday--The Irish Rovers (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Rain and Tears--Aphrodite's Child (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La nostra favola--Jimmy Fontana (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Du sollst nicht weinen--Heintje (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Help Yourself--Tom Jones

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Mony Mony--Tommy James and the Shondells (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): People Got to Be Free--The Rascals

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Ich Bau' Dir Ein Schloss--Heintje (8th week at #1)
2 Times were When--The Cats
3 Callow-La-Vita--Raymond Froggatt
4 Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong--Golden Earrings
5 Abergavenny--Marty Wilde
6 Angel of the Morning--Merrilee Rush
7 Help Yourself--Tom Jones
--Dans Met Mij--Ben Cramer
8 Camp--Sir Henry and his Butlers
9 Sunny Girl--The Hep Stars
10 Do it Again--The Beach Boys

Singles entering the chart were Lady Willpower by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (#23); The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp by O.C. Smith (#30); Rain and Tears by Aphrodite's Child (#32); America (2nd Amendment) by the Nice (#37); I Ain't Got Time by the Motions (#38); Costa Brava, with versions by John Lamers, and Digno Garcia y sus Carios (#39); and Someone Out There by the Flirtations (#40).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Hello, I Love You--The Doors
2 People Got to Be Free--The Rascals
3 Classical Gas--Mason Williams
4 Born to Be Wild--Steppenwolf
5 Turn Around, Look at Me--The Vogues
6 Stoned Soul Picnic--The 5th Dimension
7 Light My Fire--Jose Feliciano
8 Hurdy Gurdy Man--Donovan
9 Lady Willpower--Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
10 Sunshine of Your Love--Cream

Singles entering the chart were Help Yourself by Tom Jones (#74); The Weight by Jackie DeShannon (#75); Do What You Gotta Do by Bobby Vee (#81); I Say a Little Prayer by Aretha Franklin (#84); San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair) by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra (#91); Lady Madonna by Fats Domino (#92); M'Lady by Sly and the Family Stone (#93); Workin' on a Groovy Thing by Patti Drew (#94); Girl Watcher by the O'Kaysions (#95); She's About a Mover by Otis Clay (#96); (As I Went Down To) Jerusalem by Hello People (#98); Baby, Come Back by the Equals (#99); and Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache by Bandwagon (#100). I Say a Little Prayer was the other side of The House that Jack Built, charting at #43.

My World, the B-side of People Got to Be Free, was one of a number of good B-sides by The Rascals. I don't think any of them ever charted. People Got to Be Free was the third single by the Rascals to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The others were Good Lovin' in 1966, and Groovin' in 1967, when the group was known as the Young Rascals.

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Hello, I Love You--The Doors
2 Girl from the North Country--Tom Northcott
3 Lady Willpower--Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
4 You Keep Me Hangin' On--The Vanilla Fudge
5 Born to Be Wild--Steppenwolf
6 Indian Lake--The Cowsills
7 Hurdy Gurdy Man--Donovan
8 Mr. Bojangles--Jerry Jeff Walker
9 Tell Someone You Love Them--Dino, Desi and Billy
10 Sky Pilot--Eric Burdon and the Animals
Pick hit of the week: Eyes of a New York Woman--B.J. Thomas

Golf
JoAnn Carner beat Anne Welts at Birmingham Country Club in Michigan for her fifth United States Women's Amateur title, one short of Glenna Collett Vare's record of six in the 1920's and 30's.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (2-2-1) 3 @ Hamilton (2-1) 9

Garney Henley returned a Ron Lancaster fumble 23 yards in the 2nd quarter for the game's only touchdown as the Tiger-Cats defeated the Roughriders before 24,393 fans at Civic Stadium to win the rematch of the previous year's Grey Cup teams.

30 years ago
1978

Adventure
Three Americans completed the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by hot air balloon, flying Double Eagle II from Maine to France in six days.

Diplomacy
Chinese Premier Hua Guofeng began a three-day visit to Romania.

Defense
U.S. President Jimmy Carter vetoed a $36-billion weapons bill because it included a $2-billion nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that he opposed.

25 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Ira Gershwin, 86. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Gershwin, born Israel Gershowitz, wrote lyrics to songs with music by his brother George. His songs included I Got Rhythm; The Man I Love; and Someone to Watch Over Me. After George died in 1937, Ira teamed up with such composers as Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, and Harold Arlen.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Superstitious--Europe (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr., 74. Canadian-born U.S. politician. Mr. Roosevelt, the fifth child of the 32nd President of the United States, was born at the family's summer home on Campobello Island, New Brunswick. He represented New York's 20th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1949-1955 as a member of the Liberal Party, and later as a Democrat. Mr. Roosevelt died on his 74th birthday.

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, 64. President of Pakistan, 1978-1988. General Zia took power after a coup in 1977 and became Pakistan's longest-serving head of state. He was one of 32 people killed in the crash of a C130-B plane in Punjab. A board of inquiry concluded that the most probable cause of the crash was an act of sabotage in the aircraft.

Arnold Raphel, 45. U.S. diplomat. Mr. Raphel was appointed United States Ambassador to Pakistan by President Ronald Reagan in January 1987. He was killed in the plane crash that killed Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Politics and government
At the U.S. Republican National Convention at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, U.S. Vice-President George Bush was officially nominated as the party's candidate for President of the United States of America in the November 1988 election.

Defense
U.S. and Soviet scientists conducted a joint nuclear test for the first time, in the Nevada desert. 43 Soviet scientists were among the observers as the United States detonated a nuclear device 2,000 feet underground. The purpose of the exercise was to refine techniques for verifying underground nuclear explosions.

Adventure
Jeff MacInnis, 25, of Toronto and Mike Beedell, 32, of Ottawa, sailed their catamaran through the Northwest Passage, becoming the first people to navigate the Passage by wind power alone.

Track and field
Butch Reynolds of the United States ran 400 metres in 43.29 seconds at the International Grand Prix Sportfest in Zurich, breaking the 20-year-old world record of 43.86 set by Lee Evans of the United States at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. Mr. Reynolds' mark stood for 11 years until it was shattered by Michael Johnson at the World Track and Field Championships in Seville, Spain.

10 years ago
1998

Scandal
U.S. President Bill Clinton admitted having an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Economics and finance
Russia devalued the ruble.