August 26, 2008

730 years ago
1278

War
Ladislaus IV of Hungary and Rudolf I of Germany defeated Ottokar II of Bohemia in the Battle on the Marchfeld near Dürnkrut in (then) Moravia.

260 years ago
1748

Religion
The first Lutheran denomination in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium, was founded in Philadelphia.

240 years ago
1768

Exploration
Captain James Cook set sail from England on board HMS Endeavour.

230 years ago
1778

Adventure
The first recorded ascent of Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia, took place.

140 years ago
1868

James Mann, 46. U.S. politician. Mr. Mann, a Democrat, sat in the Maine House of Representatives (1849-1850) and Senate (1851-1853). He served with the Union Army during the American Civil War, and then settled in Louisiana. Mr. Mann was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd District in 1868, but died five weeks into his term of office.

90 years ago
1918

War
General Arthur Currie led the Canadian Corps in a successful attack on the Hindenburg Line, penetrating German defenses and continuing the advance started at Amiens on August 8, 1918. The Canadian Corps advanced over 3 miles and captured the towns of Monchy-le-Preux and Wancourt. Lieutenant Charles Smith Rutherford of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division performed actions that would earn him the Victoria Cross; he captured a German party of 45, including two officers and three machine-guns, then captured another pill-box along with another 35 prisoners and their guns.

80 years ago
1928

At the movies
Danger Street, directed by Ralph Ince, and starring Warner Baxter and Martha Sleeper, opened in theatres

Diplomacy
The U.K. Foreign Office denounced as a malicious forgery the letter purporting to have been sent by Sir Austen Chamberlain to French Foreign Minister Aristide Briand, setting forth in detail the terms of an Anglo-French naval alliance, which it asserted, did not exist.

Law
At a cafe in Paisley, Scotland, a woman found the remains of a snail in her bottle of ginger beer, giving rise to the landmark civil action case Donoghue v Stevenson.

75 years ago
1933

Tennis
Helen Wills Moody of the United States endured her first tournament loss since being upended by Suzanne Lenglen of France at Cannes in 1926 after a stretch of 158 victories. The defeat came by default in the third set against Miss Wills's rival Helen Jacobs in the United States nationals at Forest Hills, New York.

70 years ago
1938

Hockey
NHL
The National Hockey League allowed the Montreal Maroons to suspend operations because of financial troubles. The franchise wasn't officially revoked until 1947.

60 years ago
1948

At the movies
Rope, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger, opened in theatres in New York City.



War
Burmese government forces reported renewed attacks by Communist-led guerrillas in the Karenni Hill area of eastern Burma.

Protest
Communists in Berlin occupied City Hall in the Soviet sector to prevent the predominantly non-Communist City Assembly from meeting.

Agriculture
Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York announced the development of a short strain of field corn which was less vulnerable to weather, and produced more stalks per acre than standard strains.

Football
IRFU-ORFU
Pre-season
Hamilton (0-1) 0 @ Montreal (1-0) 18

Virgil Wagner, Floyd Wheeler, and Keith English scored touchdowns for the Alouettes as they shut out the Tigers at Royals Stadium. Mr. English scored in the 4th quarter on a 60-yard pass from Steve Nemeth.

50 years ago
1958

Died on this date
Ralph Vaughan Williams, 85. U.K. composer. Mr. Vaughan Williams was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, often incorporating British folk melodies into his works. He wrote nine symphonies, and died hours before the beginning of the session of the first recording of his Symphony No. 9.

Music
Sir Adrian Boult conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the premiere recording of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 9 in E Minor.

War
India and Pakistan ordered a cease-fire on the Assam border between India and East Pakistan.

Communications
The Board of Broadcast Governors (BBG) was founded in Ottawa to regulate broadcasting in Canada, independent of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It later became the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Protest
Thousands of Senegalese shouting independence slogans met French Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle upon his arrival in Dakar, French West Africa.

Society
In the wake of racial rioting, Nottingham's two representatives in the U.K. House of Commons called for legislation to curb non-white immigration to the United Kingdom.

Law
Chief Justice Earl Warren called an extraordinary session of the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples' petition that a lower court ruling granting a delay in school desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas be vacated.

Football
CFL
WIFU
The board of directors of the British Columbia Lions voted 25-1 to fire head coach Clem Crowe, who had held the position since 1956, but had yet to lead the team into the playoffs. Mr. Crowe was fired the day after a 34-13 loss at home against the Calgary Stampeders dropped the Lions' 1958 record to 0-3. The team would be led by assistant coaches Vic Lindskog and Walt Schlinkman and three players until a successor to Mr. Crowe was found.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): C C C--The Tigers (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Delilah--Tom Jones (12th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 People Got to Be Free--The Rascals
2 Born to Be Wild--Steppenwolf
3 Sunshine of Your Love--Cream
4 Hello, I Love You--The Doors
5 Light My Fire--Jose Feliciano
6 Turn Around, Look at Me--The Vogues
7 Dream a Little Dream of Me--Mama Cass
8 Pictures of Matchstick Men--The Status Quo
9 You Keep Me Hangin' On--The Vanilla Fudge
10 Stoned Soul Picnic--The 5th Dimension

Singles entering the chart were Harper Valley P.T.A. by Jeannie C. Riley (#68); And Suddenly by Cherry People (#71); Six Man Band by the Association (#78); Prayer Meeting by Willie Mitchell (#79); Tell Someone You Love Them by Dino, Desi and Billy (#81); Who is Gonna Love Me? by Dionne Warwick (#82); Help Yourself by Tom Jones (#85); The Weight by Jackie DeShannon (#88); Do What You Gotta Do by Bobby Vee (#91); In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly (#93); Barefoot in Baltimore by Strawberry Alarm Clock (#95); My Way of Life by Frank Sinatra (#96); That Kind of Woman by Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts (#97); All's Quiet on West 23rd by Julie Budd (#98); If Love is in Your Heart by Friend and Lover (#99); and Little Green Apples by O.C. Smith (#100).

Died on this date
Kay Francis, 63. U.S. actress. Miss Francis, born Katherine Gibbs, was a major movie star in the early 1930s in films such as One Way Passage (1932); Trouble in Paradise (1932); and I Loved a Woman (1933). She died after a long battle with breast cancer.

Music
The single Hey Jude/Revolution by the Beatles was released in North America on Apple Records, as the first single released on that label.

Politics and government
The U.S. Democratic National Convention opened at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago.

Protest
Police and 10,000 demonstrators, mostly young people, clashed in Grant Park in Chicago, the first of several violent incidents to take place during the Democratic National Convention.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Tu--Umberto Tozzi (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Tu--Umberto Tozzi (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: You're the One that I Want--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Three Times a Lady--Commodores (2nd week at #1)

Rhodesia's Top 10 (Lyons Maid)
1 Rivers of Babylon--Boney M. (9th week at #1)
2 You're the One that I Want--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
3 If You Can't Give Me Love--Suzie
4 Baker Street--Gerry Rafferty
5 I Can't Stand the Rain--Eruption
6 Make Love to Me--Kelly Marie
7 Take a Chance on Me--ABBA
8 Too Much, Too Little, Too Late--Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
9 Baby Come Back--Player
10 Sweet, Sweet Smile--Carpenters

Singles entering the chart were Thank You for the Music by ABBA (#16); and Love is in the Air by John Paul Young (#17).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Grease--Frankie Valli

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 You're the One that I Want--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (9th week at #1)
2 Windsurfin'--The Surfers
3 You're the Greatest Lover--Luv'
4 Lay Love on You--Luisa Fernandez
5 Arabian Affair--The Abdul Hassan Orchestra
6 Too Much, Too Little, Too Late--Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
7 Follow Me--Amanda Lear
8 One for You One for Me--La Bionda
9 Wet Day in September--Pussycat
10 Dancing in the City--Marshall, Hain

Singles entering the chart were The Eve of the War by Jeff Wayne (#17); Grease by Frankie Valli (#23); and Never Let Her Slip Away by Andrew Gold (#30).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Three Times a Lady--Commodores (3rd week at #1)
2 Grease--Frankie Valli
3 Miss You--The Rolling Stones
4 Hot Blooded--Foreigner
5 Love Will Find a Way--Pablo Cruise
6 Hopelessly Devoted to You--Olivia Newton-John
7 Boogie Oogie Oogie--A Taste of Honey
8 An Everlasting Love--Andy Gibb
9 Magnet and Steel--Walter Egan
10 My Angel Baby--Toby Beau

Singles entering the chart were Who are You by the Who (#62); Josie by Steely Dan (#69); Took the Last Train by David Gates (#74); It's a Laugh by Daryl Hall and John Oates (#83); Lights by Journey (#87); Let's Get Crazy Tonight by Rupert Holmes (#88); In for the Night by the Dirt Band (#89); Holding On (When Love is Gone) by L.T.D. (#94); and Dance (Disco Heat) by Sylvester (#99).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Three Times a Lady--Commodores
2 Grease--Frankie Valli
3 Miss You--The Rolling Stones
4 Last Dance--Donna Summer
5 Hot Blooded--Foreigner
6 Love Will Find a Way--Pablo Cruise
7 Copacabana (At the Copa)--Barry Manilow
8 Baker Street--Gerry Rafferty
9 An Everlasting Love--Andy Gibb
10 Magnet and Steel--Walter Egan

Singles entering the chart were Flyin' by Prism (#77); Oh! Darlin' by Robin Gibb (#78); Don't Look Back by Boston (#79); On the Dark Side of Atlanta by Dan Hill (#84); Surrender by Cheap Trick (#87); Hollywood Nights by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (#88); Livingston Saturday Night by Jimmy Buffett (#91); Right Down the Line by Gerry Rafferty (#92); Time for Me to Fly by REO Speedwagon (#93); Took the Last Train by David Gates (#94); Easy Love by Aerial (#95); You Never Done it Like That by Captain and Tennille (#96); California Nights by Sweet (#97); Imagine a Song by Christopher Ward (#98); Ain't Nothin' Gonna Keep Me from You by Teri DeSario (#99); and If You Wanna Do a Dance All Night by the Spinners (#100).

Died on this date
Charles Boyer, 78. French-born U.S. actor. Mr. Boyer began his career in France, but achieved his greatest success after moving to Hollywood in the 1930s, usually playing romantic leads. He was nominated for Academy Awards for his starring performances in Conquest (1937); Algiers (1938); Gaslight (1944); and Fanny (1961). Mr. Boyer committed suicide with an overdose of Seconal, two days after the death of his wife, and two days before his 79th birthday.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched Soyuz 31, with a crew of Commander Valery Bykovsky and Research Cosmonaut Sigmund Jähn, from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to dock with the Salyut 6 space station. The mission's purpose was to provide a fresh spacecraft for the return trip of the Soyuz 29 crew of Vladimir Kovalyonok and Aleksandr Ivanchenkov, who had been aboard Salyut since June 15, 1978.

Religion
Albino Cardinal Luciani, 69, former patriarch of Venice, was named as the new Roman Catholic Pope, taking the name John Paul I as a tribute to his two most recent predecessors, Paul VI and John XXIII. Paul VI had died on August 6 after 15 years in office.

Disasters
Tropical storm Elaine turned into a typhoon, killing 14 people in the Philippines and leaving 30 towns there under water.

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Codo--DÖF (4th week at #1)

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (1-6) 15 @ Toronto (6-2) 36
Ottawa (2-5) 17 @ Edmonton (4-3) 14

Condredge Holloway threw touchdown passes to Terry Greer and Emanuel Tolbert and Darrell Wilson returned an interception for a touchdown with 1:41 remaining in the game as the Argonauts defeated the Roughriders before 35,414 fans at Exhibition Stadium. Hank Ilesic kicked 2 converts and 4 field goals for Toronto, and Mr. Holloway completed a 2-point convert pass to Jan Carinci. Saskatchewan quarterback John Hufnagel threw touchdown passes to Ron Robinson and Leroy Campbell. It was the first game for the Roughriders under head coach Reuben Berry, who had assumed the position six days earlier upon the firing of Joe Faragalli.

Gerry Organ kicked 5 field goals and 2 singles as the Rough Riders held on to beat the Eskimos before 49,880 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Ottawa led 17-6 until Warren Moon marched the Edmonton offense downfield--with a play that included a 25-yard pass from Mr. Moon to himself--and completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tom Scott and a 2-point convert pass to Brian Kelly with 3:09 remaining in regulation time. The Rough Riders had a first down on the Eskimos' 11-yard line in the last 2 minutes and ran six plays, getting stopped on third down at the Edmonton 1-yard line in the final seconds, but there wasn't enough time for the Eskimos to move the ball downfield for a possible tying field goal. Ottawa's Skip Walker rushed 16 times for 94 yards, while Donnie Little led Ottawa receivers with 8 receptions for 140 yards. Mr. Kelly led all receivers with 9 receptions for 150 yards. Mr. Scott's touchdown gave him a CFL career record with 62 games catching touchdown passes, and the TD was the 80th touchdown reception of his career, tying the record set by Terry Evanshen, who played from 1965-1978. Edmonton running back Jim Germany carried once for 6 yards before leaving with a knee injury, and he never played again. It was the final home game for Pete Kettela as head coach of the Eskimos, and he was heavily criticized for a sequence of plays in the 3rd quarter that included sending the short-yardage offense into the game to run the ball on second down-and-goal-to-go from the Ottawa 5-yard line, then removing the short-yardage team and putting the receivers back in for a third-down gamble from the 3, which was unsuccessful. It remains the only regular season win for an Ottawa team at Commonwealth Stadium.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Girl You Know It's True--Milli Vanilli (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Carlos Paião, 30. Portuguese singer and songwriter. Dr. Paião was a physician by training, but became one of Portugal's most popular singers and songwriters. His best-known song was probably Playback, which he performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. Dr. Paião was killed in a car accident while returning home from a concert.

Football
CFL
Toronto (6-1) 23 @ Saskatchewan (4-3) 21



10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Frederick Reines, 80. U.S. physicist. Dr. Reines worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II, and was awarded a share of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the detection of the neutrino" and "for pioneering experimental contributions to lepton physics."