June 30, 2008

300 years ago
1708

Died on this date
Tekle Haymanot I, 24. Emperor of Ethiopia, 1706-1708. Tekle Haymanot I was the son of Emperor Iyasu I, and acceded to the throne upon his father's retirement. Emperor Tekle Haymanot I ordered his father's murder in 1707 prompted much resentment, and Tekle Haymanot I was stabbed to death by some of his father's courtiers while travelling in the provinces. Tekle Haymanot I was succeeded as Emperor by his uncle Tewoflos.

250 years ago
1758

War
Austrian forces commanded by Generalfeldwachtmeister Ernst Gideon von Laudon and Joseph von Siskovits defeated Prussian forces led by Lieutenant General Hans Joachim von Zieten in the Battle of Domstadtl in Moravia.

190 years ago
1818

Diplomacy
The United Kingdom returned Maine's Moose Island to American control after clarification of the boundary line. The island had been captured by Thomas Hardy on July 11, 1814 to establish a colony called New Ireland at the end of the War of 1812 on the Atlantic coast.

160 years ago
1848

Education
Toronto schools closed for a year because city council refused to raise funding from £500 to £2,000 per annum.

110 years ago
1898

Born on this date
Josef Jakobs. German military spy. Corporal Jakobs parachuted from the Netherlands into England on January 31, 1941, but broke his ankle on landing, and was arrested the following day after firing his pistol to get the attention of two farmer. He was convicted by a court-martial on August 5 of espionage as an enemy combatant, and was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 7:12 A.M. on August 15, 1941 at the age of 43, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower.

100 years ago
1908

World events
A powerful natural explosion from an unknown cause (perhaps a meteorite) rocked the Tunguska Basin, in eastern Siberia, flattening hundreds of square miles of forest and resulting in tremors that could be felt hundreds of miles away.

Baseball
Cy Young pitched his third career major league no-hitter as the Boston Red Sox shut out the New York Highlanders 8-0 before 1,500 fans at Hilltop Park in New York. Mr. Young also batted 3 for 5 with a run and 4 runs batted in.

Doc White pitched a 4-hiiter to win the pitchers' duel over George Mullin, who allowed 5 hits, as the Chicago White Sox edged the Detroit Tigers 2-1 at South Side Park in Chicago.

Glenn Liebhardt pitched a 3-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Jack Powell as the Cleveland Naps edged the St. Louis Browns 2-1 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

Luther Taylor pitched a 5-hitter for the New York Giants as they blanked the Brooklyn Superbas 3-0 before 2,500 fans at Washington Park in Brooklyn.

80 years ago
1928

Labour
The convict lease system in Alabama expired, affecting over 700 men in coal mines.

Disasters
48 miners were killed in a cave-in and fire-damp in a coal mine near St. Etienne, France.

70 years ago
1938

Baseball
Hank Leiber batted 4 for 6 with a home run, 2 doubles, and 5 runs batted in, and Sam Leslie was 5 for 6 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs as the New York Giants routed the Philadelphia Phillies 14-1 before 1,500 fans in the last major league game ever played at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, which had been the Phillies' home since 1895. The Phillies subsequently shared Shibe Park with the Athletics.

Van Mungo pitched a 1-hitter and had a hit of his own to lead the Brooklyn Dodgers to a 5-0 win over the Boston Bees before 2,581 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Rabbit Warstler doubled to lead off the 5th inning for the only Boston hit.

Cy Blanton pitched a 3-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 before 3,685 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

The Boston Red Sox scored 4 runs in the 5th inning and 5 in the 6th as they routed the Washington Nationals 11-1 before 4,400 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Jim Bagby pitched a 6-hit complete game victory.

Joe DiMaggio, the fourth New York Yankee batter in the game, hit a 3-run home run to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead before a batter had been retired in the bottom of the 1st inning, and the Yankees coasted to a 7-1 win over the Philadelphia Athletics before 4,663 fans at Yankee Stadium. Red Ruffing pitched a 4-hit complete game victory.

Al Pytlak tripled with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning and Johnny Allen singled him home to give the Cleveland Indians a 10-9 win over the Detroit Tigers at League Park in Cleveland. Mr. Allen relieved starting pitcher Bob Feller and was credited with the win despite allowing 2 earned runs in 2 innings, improving his 1938 record to 11-1.

The Chicago White Sox scored 5 runs in the 4th inning of an 11-1 rout of the St. Louis Browns before 888 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Jack Knott pitched a 4-hit complete game victory.

60 years ago
1948

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Near You--Bing Crosby; Dick Haymes and the Andrews Sisters (2nd month at #1)

At the movies
Easter Parade, directed by Charles Walters, and starring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, and Ann Miller, received its premiere screening in New York City.



War
The last British troops left Palestine.

Robert H. Best, a U.S. citizen convicted of broadcasting Nazi propaganda during World War II, was sentenced in Boston to life imprisonment for treason.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King delivered his last speech to the House of Commons.

Environment
U.S. President Harry Truman signed a bill authorizing $126.5 million over five years for research on means of combatting water pollution. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia signed an agreement establishing a joint sanitary authority for the streams of the Ohio River Valley.

Economics and finance
U.S. Economic Cooperation Administrator Paul Hoffman threatened to cut off U.S. aid to any country exporting war materials to the U.S.S.R.

Labour
Cuban sugar workers ended strike threats when President Ramon Grau San Martin promised to maintain their wages at 1947 levels and reduce their work week from 48 to 44 hours.

Baseball
Bob Lemon pitched a no-hitter for the Cleveland Indians as they shut out the Detroit Tigers 2-0 before 49,761 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Losing pitcher Art Houtteman allowed just 5 hits and no earned runs. The game was played in 1 hour 33 minutes.

Vern Stephens drove in 5 runs with a home run, single, and 2 outfield flies to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 7-3 win over the New York Yankees before 31,615 fans at Yankee Stadium.

Whitey Platt hit a solo home run in the 5th inning, doubled in the 7th, and singled home Al Zarilla with the winning run in the bottom of the 8th as the St. Louis Browns edged the Chicago White Sox 2-1 before 2,267 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

Bill Voiselle pitched a 7-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Larry Jansen as the Boston Braves defeated the New York Giants 3-1 before 22,417 fans at Braves Field. Johnny Mize's home run accounted for the New York scoring.

The Philadelphia Phillies scored 3 runs in the 2nd inning, 3 in the 3rd, and 6 in the 4th as they beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 13-4 before 6,687 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

Every man in the lineup for the Chicago Cubs had at least one hit as they beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 before 19,140 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Ralph Hamner pitched a 6-hit complete game victory.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Purple People Eater--Sheb Wooley (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1; Top 100--4th week at #1)

Politics and government
Nationalist Chinese Prime Minister O.K. Yui resigned and was replaced by Chen Chiang in a move said to indicate Mr. Chen's possible choice as a successor to President Chiang Kai-shek.

40 years ago
1968

Politics and government
The second round of French parliamentary elections resulted in a majority of seats in the National Assembly going to supporters of President Charles de Gaulle. The Union pour la défense de la République (Union for the Defense of the Republic), led by Georges Pompidou, took 293 of 487 seats, and the allied Républicains indépendants (Independent Republicans) won 61. The Socialists, led by François Mitterrand, won 57 seats, down from 117 seats in the most recent election in 1967. The Communist Party, led by Waldeck Rochet, dropped from 73 seats to 34.

Kristján Eldjárn was elected President of Iceland, taking 65.6% of the vote to 34.4% for Gunnar Thoroddsen.

Religion
Pope Paul VI issued the Credo of the People of God.

Golf
Dave Stockton won the Cleveland Open with a score of 276. First prize money was $22,000.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Rivers of Babylon--Boney M. (11th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Rivers of Babylon--Boney M. (2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale began a four-day visit to Israel and Egypt.

Asiatica
It was announced that Brunei would become independent of the United Kingdom in 1983 and that the neighbouring countries of Malaysia and Indonesia would respect Brunei's independence.

Abominations
In a gesture to the Communist government of the People's Republic of China, the U.S. administration of President Jimmy Carter announced that it had decided not to sell 60 F-4 fighter-bombers to Taiwan. The $500-million sale was considered by Mr. Carter and the State Department to be inconsistent with the policy of a "strong and secure" mainland China.

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Canada's Top 30
1 Total Eclipse of the Heart--Bonnie Tyler
2 Every Breath You Take--The Police
3 Flashdance (What a Feeling)--Irene Cara
4 Electric Avenue--Eddy Grant
5 I'm Still Standing--Elton John
6 Puttin' on the Ritz--Taco
7 Too Shy--Kajagoogoo
8 Come Dancing--The Kinks
9 Faithfully--Journey
10 Don't Let it End--Styx
11 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)--Eurythmics
12 Our House--Madness
13 Straight From the Heart--Bryan Adams
14 Time (Clock of the Heart)--Culture Club
15 Never Gonna Let You Go--Sergio Mendes
16 The Woman in You--The Bee Gees
17 Hot Girls in Love--Loverboy
18 We Two--Little River Band
19 Is There Something I Should Know--Duran Duran
20 Stand Back--Stevie Nicks
21 Heartache Avenue--The Maisonettes
22 China Girl--David Bowie
23 Baby Jane--Rod Stewart
24 Wanna Be Startin' Something--Michael Jackson
25 Wishing--A Flock of Seagulls
26 How Do You Sleep at Night--The Tenants
27 Italian Girls--Daryl Hall and John Oates
28 Roll Me Away--Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
29 1999--Prince
30 The Haunting--The Front

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gimme Hope Jo'anna--Eddy Grant (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Afrikka, sarvikuonojen maa--Eppu Normaali (3rd week at #1)

Politics and government
One speaker at the 19th All-Union Conference of the Soviet Communist Party in Moscow called for a purge of President Andrei Gromyko and other members of the "old guard." Others complained about systemic shortcomings, including bureaucratic interference in the economy.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the U.S.A. was still the world's largest debtor nation at the end of 1987. The net debt burden stood at $269.24 billion, an increase of 37% in a year.

10 years ago
1998

Labour
Conductors were eliminated on Canadian passenger trains as a cost-saving measure.