August 22, 2008

870 years ago
1138

War
English forces commanded by William of Aumale defeated Scottish forces led by King David I in the Battle of the Standard at Cowton Moor near Northallerton, Yorkshire, England.

210 years ago
1798

War
French troops landed at Kilcummin, County Mayo, Ireland to aid the Irish rebellion against British rule.

190 years ago
1818

Died on this date
Warren Hastings, 85. U.K. politician. Mr. Hastings worked with the British East India Company, gradually advancing in position, serving as Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal) from 1772-1774 and Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal) from 1782-1785. He emphasized the importance of learning local languages and culture in dealing with the Indian people. Mr. Hastings was impeached in 1787 for crimes and misdemeanours, and after a trial of more than seven years, was finally acquitted.

90 years ago
1918

Died on this date
Korbinian Brodmann, 49. German neurologist. Dr. Brodmann became famous for his definition of the cerebral cortex into 52 distinct regions from their cytoarchitectonic (histological) characteristics, known as Brodmann areas. He died of a sudden septic infection following pneumonia.

80 years ago
1928

On the radio
The largest network in the eight-year history of radio broadcasting--105 transmitters, in addition to shortwave stations--was hooked up to broadcast New York Governor Al Smith's speech from Albany, New York, accepting the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States. Gov. Smith pledged Prohibition enforcement, and favoured state control of liquor traffic.

Scandal
Newburyport, Massachusetts Mayor Andrew J. "Bossy" Gillis was sentenced in District Court to 330 days in the House of Correction and ordered to pay fines totalling $1,140 after being found guilty on 11 charges of illegally storing gasoline; illegally selling gasoline; and violating city ordinances by removing sidewalks and changing street levels. He appealed.

75 years ago
1933

Politics and government
Angus Lewis Macdonald led the Liberals to power in the Nova Scotia provincial election.

60 years ago
1948

War
Israel proposed separate direct peace negotiations with every Arab state engaged in fighting in Palestine.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. military police in Berlin arrested Thomas Headen, deputy chief of the U.S. military government's information division, for carrying a camera in the Potsdamer Platz area. He was released after a short imprisonment in the Soviet sector.

Religion
The World Council of Churches opened its first assembly in Amsterdam, attended by 450 delegates and 1,000 officials of Protestant and Orthodox churches from 42 countries. The assembly was boycotted by the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches.

Agriculture
The Polish Communist Party announced plans to push nationalization of agriculture in conformity with the Cominform line.

Disasters
A violent fire ravaged the sheds and 130 cars parked in the yard of the Bonaventure train station in Montreal. There were no fatalities, but more than $1 million in damage resulted.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): When--The Kalin Twins

Died on this date
Roger Martin du Gard, 77. French author. Mr. Martin du Gard was awarded the 1937 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the artistic power and truth with which he has depicted human conflict as well as some fundamental aspects of contemporary life in his novel cycle Les Thibault."

Diplomacy
France and the United Arab Republic signed an agreement pledging $57.4 million in French compensation for the 1956 Suez invasion; ending sequestration of French property by the U.A.R.; and providing for a return to normal relations between the two countries.

Defense
In a note to the Soviet Foreign Ministry, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower offered to halt U.S. nuclear tests for one year on condition that the U.S.S.R. refrain from further testing and agree to open negotiations on an international nuclear test control system. The U.S. Defense Department announced that the United States would continue to produce and stockpile nuclear weapons until a full disarmament agreement limiting nuclear weapons production came into effect.

Icelandic Ambassador to the United Kingdom Kristinn Gudmundsson warned that Iceland would consider withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization if the U.K. carried out threats to give armed protection to British trawlers operating within Iceland's projected 12-mile fishing limit.

Politics and government
The Argentine Federal Appeals Court rejected an appeal by the Peronist Party to regain legal status.

Football
CFL
IRFU
Montreal (0-2) 14 @ Toronto (1-1) 15

Boyd Carter and Dave Mann combined for the longest play in Canadian Football League history in the 4th quarter to help the Argonauts edge the Alouettes before 19,497 fans at Varsity Stadium. With the Alouettes leading 14-1, Montreal kicker Bill Bewley missed a field goal attempt. Mr. Carter fielded the ball 4 yards in front of the dead ball line, returned it 16 yards, and lateralled to Mr. Mann, who went the remaining 115 yards to complete the 131-yard play, converted by Vic Kristopaitis. Less than a minute later, Bobby-Jack Oliver blocked a Sam Etcheverry punt, and Dick Fouts recovered in the Montreal end zone. Mr. Kristopaitis converted for what turned out to be the winning point. For the second straight game, Joel Wells scored 2 Montreal touchdowns, both converted by Mr. Bewley.

40 years ago
1968

At the movies
Nobody Runs Forever, aka The High Commissioner, starring Rod Taylor and Christopher Plummer, received its world premiere screening in London.

Space
The United States launched the unmanned suborbital mission RAM C-II, an instrumented nose cone whose mission was to measure electron and ion concentrations in the flow field at discrete spacecraft locations during re-entry.

Religion
Pope Paul VI became the first Roman Catholic Pope to visit Latin America when he arrived in Bogota for the beginning of the three-day International Eucharistic Congress.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (3-1) 24 @ Montreal (1-2) 25

30 years ago
1978

Died on this date
Jomo Kenyatta, 80-89 (?). Prime Minister of Kenya, 1963-1964; 1st President of Kenya, 1964-1978. Mr. Kenyatta, born Johnstone Kamau, was the first and best-known of Africa's nationalist leaders. He spent several decades petitioning for Kenyan independence from British rule, and was in prison from 1952-1961. Kenya was granted independence in 1963, and Mr. Kenyatta led the nation--which became a republic in December 1964--until his death. He was succeeded in office by Vice President Daniel arap Moi, with an election to be held within 90 days.

War
23 Sandinista National Liberation Front (FLSN) guerrillas occupied the Nicaraguan National Palace in Managua, threatening to kill their 1,500 hostages, and demanding a cash ransom of $500,000 and the release of 59 political prisoners.

Politics and government
The U.S. Senate voted 67-22 to pass the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, giving the District full voting representation in the Congress, the Electoral College, and regarding amending the U.S. Constitution. The proposed amendment, which now went to the states for ratification, would give D.C. two Senators and one or two Representatives, depending on population figures. It subsequently failed to be ratified by enough states (ratified by 16, with 38 needed), and so did not become part of the Constitution.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (3-2-2) 26 @ Montreal (4-2) 30
Saskatchewan (0-6) 22 @ Calgary (3-2-1) 43

Joe Barnes threw touchdown passes to Ken Starch and Peter Dalla Riva, and Jim Burrow returned an interception for another TD to help the Alouettes defeat the Lions at Olympic Stadium.



John Hufnagel completed 2 touchdown passes to Tom Forzani and 1 each to James Sykes and Willie Armstead to lead the Stampeders over the Roughriders before 26,876 fans at McMahon Stadium. The loss spoiled the debut of Walt Posadowski as head coach of the Roughriders. Mr. Posadowski had replaced Jim Eddy, who had been fired on August 16.

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (6th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan indicated that his planned visit to the Philippines in November was in some doubt following the previous day's assassination of Filipino political opposition leader Benigno Aquino.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Perfect--Fairground Attraction

World events
The government of Burundi said that at least 5,000 people had been killed in ethnic clashes between the ruling Tutsi tribe and the Hutu tribe. Although they constituted only about 15% of the population, Tutsis ran the government and the army with a firm hand. A slaughter of the virtually defenseless Hutu by the army apparently followed a minor skirmish.

10 years ago
1998

Baseball
In the midst of his pursuit of Roger Maris's major league single-season record of 61 home runs, Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals acknowledged that for more than a year he had been using androstenedione, a testosterone-producing supplement that was banned by the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the International Olympic Committee because it was thought to provide an unfair advantage.