June 29, 2008

120 years ago
1888

Music
George Edward Gouraud recorded G.F. Handel's Israel in Egypt onto a phonograph cylinder, thought for many years to be the oldest known recording of music.

110 years ago
1898

Transportation
The first through passenger train across Newfoundland left St. John's at 7:20 P.M. and arrived at Port aux Basques at 10:45 P.M. on June 30.

100 years ago
1908

Calgariana
The first Dominion Exhibition opened, serving as a predecessor to the Calgary Stampede.

80 years ago
1928

Abominations
Two Negroes who had wounded two white men in a debt dispute were lynched near Brook Haven, Mississippi.

Adventure
John Henry Mears and Captain B.B. Collyer, who were trying to travel around the world by steamship and airplane in 23 days, left the Battery at 5 A.M. in a seaplane for the Ambrose Channel Lightship. There they were transferred to a pilot boat, and boarded the outward bound White Star liner Olympic for Cherbourg.

Ray Woods, 22, dove off the Brooklyn Bridge and was unhurt; he claimed to have also made the dive five days earlier.

Transportation
Two new bridges connecting Staten Island, New York and New Jersey were opened to traffic.

75 years ago
1933

Died on this date
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, 46. U.S. movie actor and director. Mr. Arbuckle was one of the most popular stars of the 1910s, but his career was ruined when bit-part actress Virginia Rappe died shortly after taking ill at a party attended by Mr. Arbuckle. He was charged with manslaughter; two trials resulted in hung juries and the third trial produced an acquittal after just six minutes of deliberation and an apology from the jury for the injustice Mr. Arbuckle had endured. Despite the legal exoneration, Mr. Arbuckle was "crucified for the sins of Hollywood," and the only work he could get for the next decade was as a direcor under the pseudonym William Goodrich. Mr. Arbuckle finally resumed acting in short films under his own name in 1933, but he died of a heart attack in his sleep just hours after signing a contract with Warner Brothers to make a feature-length film.

Boxing
Primo Carnera (75-6) knocked out Jack Sharkey (35-9-2) at 2:27 of the 6th round to win the world heavyweight title before 40,000 fans at Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long Island City, New York.



60 years ago
1948

Television
Audience Research, a branch of Gallup Poll, reported that 354,000 television sets were in use in the United States.

War
Communist forces in China established a blockade of Mukden and Changchun, the main Nationalist-held cities of Manchuria.

Indian troops reported capturing the Kashmiri transport centre of Gurais.

Japanese General Yoshitaka Kawane and Colonel Kurataro Hirano were sentenced to death by a U.S. military tribunal in Yokohama for ordering the 1942 Bataan "death march."

Education
John Studebaker resigned as U.S. Education Commissioner to join Scholastic Magazine.

Labour
Longshoremen in London voted to end their 16-day dock strike after employers promised to review contract penalty clauses condemned by workers as unfair.

50 years ago
1958

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents on CBS
Tonight's episode: Little White Frock, starring Herbert Marshall, Julie Adams, and Tom Helmore

This was the last episode of the season.

Died on this date
Karl Arnold, 57. West German politician. Mr. Arnold, a member of the Christian Democratic Union, was Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia (1947-1956) and President of the German Bundesrat (1949-1950). He was a member of the Bundestag from 1957 until his death.

War
A 1,000-man Druze guerrilla force attacked areas southwest of Beirut in an apparent effort to take positions adjacent to Beirut International Airport.

People's Republic of China fighters shot down two Nationalist Chinese F-86 jets near Swatow.

Economics and finance
U.K. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd flew to Paris for talks with French Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle on French policy regarding North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Western European economic unity.

Soccer
FIFA World Cup
Final @ Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden
Brazil 5 Sweden 2

Vavá and Pelé each scored 2 goals before 49,737 fans to lead Brazil to its first World Cup title.





40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Unicorn--The Irish Rovers (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Rain and Tears--Aphrodite's Child (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La bambola--Patty Pravo (9th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Delilah--Tom Jones (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Honey--Bobby Goldsboro (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Jumpin' Jack Flash--The Rolling Stones

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): This Guy's in Love with You--Herb Alpert (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Ich Bau' Dir Ein Schloss--Heintje
2 Jumpin' Jack Flash--The Rolling Stones
3 Summertime Blues--Blue Cheer
4 Young Girl--The Union Gap
5 If I Only Had Time--John Rowles
6 Lazy Sunday--Small Faces
7 Hello, How are You?--The Easybeats
8 Honey--Bobby Goldsboro
9 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel
7 I Can't Let Maggie Go--The Honeybus
10 Camp--Sir Henry and his Butlers

Singles entering the chart were Because I Love You by the Free (#29); The Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan (#31); My Name is Jack by Manfred Mann (#35); This Guy's in Love with You by Herb Alpert (#38); and Yummy Yummy Yummy by Ohio Express (#40). My Name is Jack was a version of the song performed by John Simon in the movie You Are What You Eat (1968).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 This Guy's in Love with You--Herb Alpert (2nd week at #1)
2 MacArthur Park--Richard Harris
3 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel
4 Angel of the Morning--Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts
5 Yummy Yummy Yummy--Ohio Express
6 Jumpin' Jack Flash--The Rolling Stones
7 The Look of Love--Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
8 Reach Out of the Darkness--Friend and Lover
9 The Horse--Cliff Nobles & Co.
10 Here Comes the Judge--Shorty Long

Singles entering the chart were Autumn of My Life by Bobby Goldsboro (#69); Dreams of the Everyday Housewife by Wayne Newton (#75); Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon) by the Moody Blues (#76); Dreams of the Everyday Housewife by Glen Campbell (#77); Love Street (#81)/Hello, I Love You (#84) by the Doors; Love Makes a Woman by Barbara Acklin (#87); Turn on Your Love Light by Bill Black's Combo (#94); Step Inside Love by Cilla Black (#95); D-I-V-O-R-C-E by Tammy Wynette (#96); Mrs. Bluebird by Eternity's Children (#98); Classical Gas by Mason Williams (#99); and He Gives Me Love (La La La) by Lesley Gore (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 This Guy's in Love with You--Herb Alpert
2 MacArthur Park--Richard Harris
3 Mony Mony--Tommy James and the Shondells
4 Angel of the Morning--Merrilee Rush
5 Yummy Yummy Yummy--Ohio Express
6 Think--Aretha Franklin
7 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel
8 Master Jack--Four Jacks and a Jill
9 Sleepy Joe--Herman's Hermits
10 Reach Out of the Darkness--Friend and Lover

Singles entering the chart were I'm a Midnight Mover by Wilson Pickett (#71); With Pen in Hand by Billy Vera (#72); Look Over Your Shoulder by the O'Jays (#73); Turn Around, Look at Me by the Vogues (#75); Give Me One More Chance by Wilmer and the Dukes (#86); Remember Me by Dee Depaul (#87); D-I-V-O-R-C-E by Tammy Wynette (#89); Blue Bonnie Blue by the 49th Parallel (#93); Young Birds Fly by the Cryan' Shames (#95); Sealed with a Kiss by Gary Lewis and the Playboys (#99); and I See the Rain by the Great Flood (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Yummy Yummy Yummy--Ohio Express
2 Mony Mony--Tommy James and the Shondells
3 Jumpin' Jack Flash--The Rolling Stones
4 I Wanna Live--Glen Campbell
5 Choo Choo Train--The Box Tops
6 A Man Without Love (Quando M'innamoro)--Engelbert Humperdinck
7 Lady Willpower--Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
8 MacArthur Park--Richard Harris
9 I Love You--People
10 San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native)--Fever Tree

Singles entering the chart were Grazing in the Grass by Hugh Masakela (#25); Don't Take it So Hard by Paul Revere and the Raiders (#26); With Pen in Hand by Billy Vera (#27); (You Keep Me) Hangin' On by Joe Simon (#28); The Story of Rock and Roll by the Turtles (#29); and Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon) by the Moody Blues (#30).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Jumpin' Jack Flash--The Rolling Stones
2 D.W. Washburn--The Monkees
3 The Legend of Xanadu--Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
4 Mony Mony--Tommy James and the Shondells
5 Mrs. Robinson--Simon and Garfunkel
6 Master Jack--Four Jacks and a Jill
7 Sky Pilot--Eric Burdon and the Animals
8 Yummy Yummy Yummy--Ohio Express
9 Lady Willpower--Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
10 MacArthur Park--Richard Harris
Pick hit of the week: Hurdy Gurdy Man--Donovan

Energy
The J. Percy Priest Dam in Tennessee was dedicated by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson.

Boxing
Carlos Teo Cruz (36-12-2) won the world lightweight title with a 15-round split decision over defending champion Carlos Ortiz (51-6-1) at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.



World welterweight champion Curtis Cokes (52-9-3) scored a technical knockout of Willie Ludick (28-4) in the 3rd round of a non-title bout at Praça de Touros Monumental in Maputo, Mozambique. Mr. Cokes had retained his title with a 5-round TKO over Mr. Ludick on April 16.

30 years ago
1978

On television tonight
James at 16, starring Lance Kerwin, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Queen of the Silver Dollar

This was the 21st and last episode of the series.

Died on this date
Bob Crane, 49. U.S. actor. Mr. Crane was a successful radio disc jockey before going into acting, where he achieved fame as the star of the television comedy series Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971). He indulged a sexually licentious lifestyle, that included videotaping his acts with various women. In the spring of 1978, Mr. Crane was in Scottsdale, Arizona, starring in the dinner theatre play Beginner's Luck. He was reportedly desiring to forsake his immoral lifestyle, and was having meetings with a local pastor. Two weeks before his 50th birthday, Mr. Crane was found in his apartment bludgeoned to death; his friend and video technician John Carpenter was tried and acquitted, and the murder remains officially unsolved.



Terrorism
Two Israelis were killed and 35 wounded when a bomb exploded in a market in Jerusalem. A Palestine Liberation Organization unit named after the recently-killed Ali Yasin claimed responsibility.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Hamilton (2-2) 11 @ Toronto (2-1) 16
Saskatchewan (0-3) 25 @ British Columbia (3-0) 30

25 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Joe Delaney, 24. U.S. football player. Mr. Delaney was a running back with the Kansas City Chiefs who rushed for 1,121 yards in his rookie season of 1981. He died in his home town of Monroe, Louisiana while attempting to save three boys who were drowning.

Edmontonia
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales began a visit to Edmonton. About 50,000 people crowded into Sir Winston Churchill Square for the royal couple's downtown walkabout. This blogger was able to get to the front of the crowd to shake hands with Prince Charles and take a close-up photo of Diana.

Politics and government
Guatemalan President Efrain Rios Montt suspended civil liberties, a day after a former junta member had declared his intention to overthrow the government.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court decided 5-4 to uphold a Minnesota law granting tuition tax credits to parents of students in private and parochial schools, ruling that the law did not violate the constitutional ban on government establishment of religion.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Hamilton (2-2) 40 @ Ottawa (1-3) 47
Edmonton (1-3) 31 @ Calgary (3-1) 32

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Only One Woman--Alien (6th week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had declined 0.1% in May.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Winnipeg (1-0) 30 @ Ottawa (0-1) 25

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Horst Jankowski, 62. German musician. Mr. Jankowski was a jazz and easy listening pianist and composer who was best known for his single Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt (A Walk in the Black Forest), a major international hit in 1965. He died of lung cancer.