July 26, 2008

330 years ago
1678

Born on this date
Joseph I. Holy Roman Emperor, 1705-1711. Joseph I became Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, and King of Croatia upon the death of his father Leopold I. Joseph had earlier become King of Hungary (1687) and King of the Romans (1690). He sanctioned the extermination of the Romani people within the empire, and continued the War of the Spanish Succession; Austrian hegemony over Italy was established during his reign. Emperor Joseph I contracted a sexually transmitted disease--probably syphilis--and failed to produced a legitimate heir who survived him. He died of smallpox during an epidemic on April 17, 1711 at the age of 32, and was succeeded in all his titles by his younger brother Charles VI.

250 years ago
1758

War
The Siege of Louisbourg ended with British forces defeating the French and taking control of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

220 years ago
1788

Americana
The New York State Convention, meeting in Poughkeepsie, ratified the United States Constitution and entered the Union as the 11th state.

100 years ago
1908

Law
U.S. Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte issued an order to immediately staff the Office of the Chief Examiner (later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation).

90 years ago
1918

Science
In Göttingen, Germany, Emmy Noether introduced what became known as Noether's theorem, from which conservation laws are deduced for symmetries of angular momentum, linear momentum, and energy.

80 years ago
1928

Politics and government
The Romanian Peasant Party opened a rump Parliament in Bucharest; the regular body also began.

The U.S. Bull Moose Progressive National Convention in Omaha nominated Dr. Henry Hoffman of Omaha as the party's candidate for President of the United States in 1928, while social activist Jane Addams of Chicago was nominated as the party's vice presidential candidate.

Boxing
Gene Tunney (79-1-4-1) retained his world heavyweight title with a technical knockout of Tom Heeney (32-9-5) at 2:52 of the 11th round at Yankee Stadium in New York. Mr. Heeney was the first New Zealand native to fight for the title. Mr. Tunney announced his retirement from boxing five days later.



60 years ago
1948

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis, on MBS

At the movies
The Babe Ruth Story, starring William Bendix, had its premiere screening at the Astor Theater in New York City. Mr. Ruth himself showed up at the theatre, but left long before the movie was over; he died three weeks later.



Diplomacy
The U.S.A. and U.K. retaliated against the Berlin blockade by imposing an embargo on all Soviet rail traffic moving across western Germany to France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.

Politics and government
Leaders of 11 western German states, meeting in Frankfurt, agreed to supervise the creation of a West German government, with a constituent assembly elected by the state parliaments.

U.S. President Harry Truman signed executive orders prohibiting discrimination in the U.S. armed forces and federal civil service.

Berlin Deputy Mayor Ferdinand Friedensberg dismissed Communist-sponsored police chief Paul Markgraf, who remained in control of police in the Soviet sector of the city.

Labour
The U.S. National Maritime Union re-elected Joseph Curran as president and defeated Communist candidates for the union's executive board.

Boxing
Freddie Mills (76-16-6) won a 15-round decision over defending champion Gus Lesnevich (60-12-5) at White City Stadium, White City, London to win the world light heavyweight title.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Witch Doctor--David Seville

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Sail Along Silvery Moon--Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Hello, le soleil brille--Annie Cordy (20th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): All I Have to Do is Dream/Claudette--The Everly Brothers (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Patricia--Perez Prado and his Orchestra
2 Splish Splash--Bobby Darin
3 Yakety-Yak--The Coasters
4 Hard Headed Woman--Elvis Presley
5 Poor Little Fool--Ricky Nelson
6 When--The Kalin Twins
7 Rebel Rouser--Duane Eddy and the Rebels
8 The Purple People Eater--Sheb Wooley
9 Left Right Out of Your Heart (Hi Lee Hi Lo Hi Lup Up Up)--Patti Page
10 One Summer Night--The Danleers

Singles entering the chart were Moon Talk by Perry Como (#33); Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare) by Domenico Modugno (#41); Come Closer to Me (Acercate Mas) (#45)/Nothing in the World (#51) by Nat "King" Cole; Early in the Morning, with versions by the Rinky-Dinks; and Buddy Holly (#54); Rock-in Robin by Bobby Day (#66); King Creole (EP) by Elvis Presley (#67); Ain't That Love by Harry Belafonte (#70); and The Same Old Song and Dance by Frank Sinatra (#74). The Rinky-Dinks were actually Bobby Darin recording under another name. Ain't That Love was the other side of The Waiting Game, charting at #63.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Hard Headed Woman--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)
2 Splish Splash--Bobby Darin
3 Poor Little Fool--Ricky Nelson
4 Rebel Rouser--Duane Eddy and the Rebels
5 Return to Me--Dean Martin
6 When--The Kalin Twins
7 Left Right Out of Your Heart (Hi Lee Hi Lo Hi Lup Up Up)--Patti Page
8 Yakety-Yak--The Coasters
9 The Purple People Eater--Sheb Wooley
10 If Dreams Come True--Pat Boone

Singles entering the chart were One Summer Night by the Danleers (#16); Blue, Blue Day by Don Gibson (#17); Ginger Bread by Frankie Avalon (#18); and Willie and the Hand Jive by the Johnny Otis Show (#20).

Died on this date
Eugene Millikin, 67. U.S. politician. Mr. Millikin, a Republican, represented Colorado in the United States Senate from 1941-1957. He specialized in tax and revenue issues.

Iven Kincheloe, 30. U.S. military aviator. Captain Kincheloe joined the United States Air Force in 1949 and became an ace during the Korean War, downing five MiG-15s. He then became a test pilot, flying the Bell X-2 in 1956 and then being assigned to the X-15 program. Capt. Kincheloe was killed in the crash of a Lockheed F-104A at Edwards Air Force Base, California when he was forced to eject, and the parachute deployed too late to slow his descent. Had he not been killed, Capt. Kincheloe would almost certainly have been selected for the first group of astronauts, and may have become the first American in space.

Space
The United States launched the satellite Explorer 4.

Britannica
Queen Elizabeth II named Prince Charles as heir-apparent to the throne and Prince of Wales.

Politics and government
Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Karim el-Kassem announced that elections would be delayed until steps were taken toward land redistribution, improved housing, and an end to "corruption."

Paraguay's Liberal Party, suppressed for 11 years, was allowed to hold a convention in Asuncion.

Football
CFL
WIFU
Pre-season
Calgary (1-0) 18 @ British Columbia (0-1) 17

Doug Brown converted Ernie Warlick's touchdown with 4:53 remaining in the game to give the Stampeders their win over the Lions before 13,381 fans at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. The game consisted of 5 quarters, beginning with a quarter in which only Canadian players were used. Calgary halfback Harvey Wylie scored a touchdown for the only points in the Canadian quarter.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Spinning, Spinning, Spinning--Simple Image (2nd week at #1)

World events
Trương Đình Dzu, who had come in second to Nguyễn Văn Thiệu in a rigged Vietnamese presidential election in 1967, was jailed by a military court for illicit currency transactions. He was sentenced to five years' hard labour for advocating the formation of a coalition government as a way to move toward an end to the war.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat--Massachusetts) said that for "personal reasons" he would not accept the 1968 Democratic Party nomination for Vice President of the United States if it were offered to him.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): You're the One that I Want--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (7th week at #1)

War
The Ethiopian government reported the recapture from Eritrean secessionist forces of Tennesei, an important rebel supply town near the Sudanese border; Massawa, a strategic Red Sea port; and the town of Mendefra.

Disasters
It was reported that more than 200 Vietnamese refugees had drowned when their boat capsized in the South China Sea.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (1-1) 16 @ Toronto (2-1) 20
Edmonton (3-0) 46 @ Saskatchewan (0-2) 11

Gregg Butler, Larry Highbaugh, and Joe Hollimon returned interceptions for touchdowns to help the Eskimos rout the Roughriders at Taylor Field in Regina.

Baseball
Fernando Gonzalez drove in 3 runs with a pair of singles to help the San Diego Padres defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 before 16,556 fans, including this blogger and his parents, at San Diego Stadium. Gaylord Perry allowed 8 hits and 3 runs--all earned--in 7 innings to get the win. The Pirates scored 2 runs in the 9th and had the potential tying run on second base with 2 out, but Omar Moreno grounded out to end the game.

Silvio Martinez pitched a 2-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Ed Halicki as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the San Francisco Giants 2-1 before 18,769 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Joe Niekro pitched a 4-hitter and drove in 2 runs with a single and double as the Houston Astros shut out the Montreal Expos 5-0 before 8,465 fans at the Astrodome. Bob Watson's solo home run in the 4th inning was the winning run.

The Detroit Tigers scored 3 runs in the 1st inning and 5 in the 3rd as they beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-6 before 18,056 fans at Tiger Stadium. Baltimore Doug DeCinces hit 2 home runs for the second straight game. Earl Stephenson finished the game on the mound for the Orioles, allowing 5 hits and 1 run--earned--in 5 1/3 innings in the 54th and last game of his 4-year major league career.

Lou Piniella hit a 3-run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the New York Yankees a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians before 31,631 fans at Yankee Stadium. The Indians had scored a run in the top of the 9th to take the lead.



Joe Rudi hit a grand slam in the top of the 1st inning to open the scoring and the California Angels took an 8-0 lead after 3½ innings and held on to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-9 before 21,584 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

George Medich pitched a 2-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Dennis Eckersley as the Texas Rangers shut out the Boston Red Sox 2-0 before 21,671 fans at Arlington Stadium. The Rangers broke a 0-0 tie when Al Oliver hit an infield single with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th inning and Bobby Bonds followed with a home run.

20 years ago
1988

Politics and government
Retired general U Sein Lwin was named by the central committee of Burma's ruling party to succeed General Ne Win as the country's president. The committee dismissed Burma's prime minister and attorney general, who were held responsible for student-led riots in March and June.

Diplomacy
Iran said that it was willing to help obtain the release of U.S. hostages in Lebanon if the United States freed Iranian assets frozen in 1979.