September 2, 2008

110 years ago
1898

Died on this date
Wilford Woodruff, 91. U.S. religious leader. Mr. Woodruff was the 4th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death, having served on the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1839-1889 and as President of the Quorum from 1880-1889. He practiced plural marriage--having at least nine wives, and at least 34 children by them--but officially abolished plural marriage in 1890, when it was apparent that Utah would continue to be denied U.S. statehood until such an abolition took place. Mr. Woodruff was known for making several false prophecies about the second coming of Jesus and the end of the world. He was succeeded as Mormon President by Lorenzo Snow.

War
Major General Sir Herbert Kitchener's Anglo-Egyptian forces decisively defeated the Dervishes at the Battle of Omdurman in Sudan.

100 years ago
1908

Boxing
Tommy Burns (42-2-8) retained his world heavyweight title with a knockout of Bill Lang (16-5-1) in the 6th round at West Melbourne Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Mr. Lang knocked the champion down in the 2nd round. It was Mr. Burns' 13th and last successful title defense.

90 years ago
1918

Died on this date
John Forrest, 71. Australian politician. Sir John, a member of several parties in a political career spanning almost three decades, was an award-winning explorer and surveyor in his youth, leading three expeditions into Central Australia. He served as Premier of Western Australia from 1890 until W.A. joined the Australian federation in 1900, and thereafter held various cabinet posts in federal politics. Sir John died at sea while on his way to London to seek treatment for cancer.

War
In the Second Battle of Arras, Arthur Currie's Canadian Corps cracked the Drocourt-Quéant Line in Belgium, the northern hinge of Germany's supposedly impregnable Hindenburg Line, at two locations. The Corps suffered 30,000 casualties in a heavy week of fighting. Lieutenant-Colonel Cyrus Peck, Member of the House of Commons for Prince Rupert, led a Canadian Corps assault under intense enemy shelling at the Drocourt-Quéant Line, earning the Victoria Cross. Bellenden Hutcheson, an American physician in the 75th Battalion (later the Toronto Scots), performed actions that won him the Victoria Cross. His citation reads, in part: "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty...Without hesitation and with utter disregard for personal safety he remained on the field until every wounded man had been attended to. He dressed the wounds of a seriously wounded officer under terrific machine-gun and shell fire, and, with the assistance of prisoners and of his own men, succeeded in evacuating him to safety, despite the fact that the bearer party suffered heavy casualties. Immediately afterwards he rushed forward, in full view of the enemy, under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, to tend a wounded sergeant, and, having placed him in a shell hole, dressed his wounds."

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
Maurice Bokanowski, 49. French politician. Mr. Bokanowski was France's Minister of Commerce and Aviation from 1926 until his death, two days after his 49th birthday, when he and four companions were killed when their airplane crashed near Toul, France. The other victims were connected with the operation of the plane. Mr. Bokanowski was succeeded as Minister by Henry Cheron, and Laurent Eynac was appointed the first Minister of the Air.

William D'Olier, 47. U.S. businessman. Mr. D'Olier was President of the Sanitation Corporation in New York City, and was regarded as an important witness in the upcoming Queens sewer graft prosecutions. His body was found in a lonely section of Maspeth, Queens; there was a bullet wound in the right temple and his right hand held a loaded pistol, from which one of five bullets had been fired. On September 27, the Queens County Grand Jury reported to the Court that evidence before them indicated that Mr. D'Olier had been murdered.

Aviation
Bert Hassell and Parker Cramer, whose plane bound from Rockford, Illinois to Stockholm via Cochrane, Ontario had been forced down on August 19 on the Sukkertoppen, Greenland ice arm, were discovered and taken to Camp Lloyd, near Mount Evans, Greenland.

70 years ago
1938

Football
WIFU
Calgary (0-1) 0 @ Winnipeg (1-0) 7
Edmonton (0-1) 0 @ Regina (1-0) 11

Wayne Sheley scored the game's only touchdown as the Blue Bombers blanked the Bronks before 6,000 fans at Osborne Stadium. It was the first game for Reg Threlfall as Winnipeg coach; his predecessor, Bob Fritz, had moved to Edmonton to become coach of the Eskimos.

The loss to the Roughriders before 3,000 fans at Parc de Young was the Eskimos' first game in the Western Interprovincial Football Union and their first game of senior football since 1932.

60 years ago
1948

Died on this date
Sylvanus Morley, 65. U.S. archaeologist and spy. Professor Morley specialized in research on the Maya civilization in Mexico and Central America, in a career spanning 40 years. During World War I, he worked for the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence in the area, filing 10,000 pages of reports on German activities in the region, and has been called the best secret agent produced by the United States during the war.

War
Rebellious Karen tribesmen demanding the creation of a separate state seized Moulmein and Thaton in southeastern Burma.

Politics and government
U.S. President Harry Truman rejected charges of the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities that he was protecting Communist elements in the government by refusing to disclose the contents of loyalty investigation files, and called the charges "a plain lie out of the whole cloth." Testifying before a House Labor subcommittee, Congress of Industrial Organizations Secretary-Treasurer James Carey charged that the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America was a "Communist front on many questions." He claimed that Westinghouse, RCA, and other companies had dismissed anti-Communist workers to appease UE leaders.

Berlin's City Assembly suspended meetings until the conclusion of Allied negotiations on the city's status.

Health
U.S. President Truman revealed details of a proposed 10-year public health program, committing $4.3 billion in federal, state, and local funds to medical insurance, research, and education.

Labour
12,000 members of the CIO International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union struck West Coast ports in a dispute over union hiring halls, creating a large freight tie-up as the Association of American Railroads imposed an embargo on the affected areas.

50 years ago
1958

World events
The United States Air Force Lockheed C-130A-II spy plane was shot down by fighter planes over Yerevan in Armenia when it strayed into Soviet airspace while conducting a mission along the Turkish-Armenian border. All 17 crew members were presumed killed, although only 6 were repatriated.

Politics and government
The Nationalist Party caucus elected Native Affairs Minister Hendrik Verwoerd to succeed the late Hans Strijdom as Prime Minister of South Africa.

Education
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill providing $900 million in aid to science education.

Virginia Governor J. Lindsay Almond said that he would close any school in his state that received a "final, unappealable" federal court order to desegregate.

Health
Official reports indicated that a sleeping sickness epidemic had caused death in 765 of 3,616 cases in South Korea and 300 of 1,800 in Japan.

Football
CFL
WIFU
The British Columbia Lions named former end Dan Edwards as their new head coach. The Lions had fired Clem Crowe after starting the season 0-3, and had lost the next 2 games under assistant coaches Vic Lindskog and Walt Schlinkman.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): C C C--The Tigers (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Delilah--Tom Jones (13th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Born to Be Wild--Steppenwolf
2 People Got to Be Free--The Rascals
3 Sunshine of Your Love--Cream
4 Light My Fire--Jose Feliciano
5 You Keep Me Hangin' On--The Vanilla Fudge
6 1,2,3, Red Light--1910 Fruitgum Company
7 Sealed with a Kiss--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
8 Soul-Limbo--Booker T. & the M.G.'s
9 Mr. Businessman--Ray Stevens
10 Turn Around, Look at Me--The Vogues

Singles entering the chart were Naturally Stoned by Avant Garde (#74); Midnight Confessions by the Grass Roots (#75); To Wait for Love by Herb Alpert (#76); Time Has Come Today by the Chambers Brothers (#83); Fire by Arthur Brown (#84); Biplane Evermore by the Irish Rovers (#85); (The Lament of the Cherokee) Indian Reservation by Don Fardon (#87); Shoot 'em Up, Baby by Andy Kim (#88); Lady Madonna by Fats Domino (#89); M'Lady by Sly and the Family Stone (#90); Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do by Betty Wright (#91); I Wish it Would Rain by Gladys Knight & the Pips (#92); Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye by Eddy Arnold (#93); Drifting in the Wind by the Raja (#94); Poor Baby by the Cowsills (#96); San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra (#97); Be a Woman by the Stampeders (#98); Shape of Things to Come by Max Frost and the Troopers (#99); and Walk in the Park by Claudine Longet (#100).

Died on this date
Nish Williams, 64. U.S. baseball player. Vinicius J. Williams was primarily a catcher, although he played other positions, with seven Negro League teams (1928-1939), batting .273 with 6 home runs and 42 runs batted in. He was the stepfather of major league first baseman Donn Clendenon. Mr. Williams died of cancer.

War
Operation OAU, a battle between Nigerian 3 Marine Commando Division (3MCDO) and Biafran 12 Division in modern day southeastern Nigeria, began during the Nigerian Civil War.

Diplomacy
The Tunisian delegation walked out of an Arab League conference in Cairo after calling the League "a tool of the United Arab Republic."

Oil
A pipeline opened between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Ndola, Zambia.

Disasters
The death toll after a weekend of earthquakes in eastern Iran was put at 10,000.

Landslides from heavy rains in San Salvador killed 14 people.

Golf
Bob Murphy won his second straight tournament, winning the Thunderbird Classic in Clifton, New Jersey with a total score of 277. First prize money was $30,000.

Football
CFL
Toronto (3-2) 18 @ Hamilton (2-3) 15
Edmonton (2-4-1) 2 @ Saskatchewan (4-2-1) 29
British Columbia (2-4) 6 @ Calgary (5-2) 26

Dave Mann kicked a field goal on the last play of the game to give the Argonauts their win over the defending Grey Cup champion Tiger-Cats before 27,153 fans at Civic Stadium. The Tiger-Cats had passed up an opportunity to go for a field goal less than 2 minutes earlier and turned over the ball on an unsuccessful third-down gamble.

The Roughriders had no problem defeating the Eskimos before 19,763 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Bill Goods contributed 3 converts, 2 field goals--including one from 47 yards on the last play of the 1st half--and 2 singles. It was the first Canadian Football League game for Edmonton offensive end Ben Hart, and the last for offensive halfback Don Lisbon and guard Phil Tucker.

Herm Harrison, Ron Payne, and Dave Cranmer scored touchdowns for the Stampeders as they outscored the Lions 23-3 in the 2nd half before 19,450 fans at McMahon Stadium on a rainy Labour Day afternoon. B.C. assistant coach Jackie Parker came out of retirement to play quarterback for the Lions because of injuries to regulars Paul Brothers and Pete Ohler; it was his first game since 1965, when he concluded three years with the Toronto Argonauts after nine outstanding seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. Mr. Payne, a defensive end, intercepted one of Mr. Parker's passes and returned it 15 yards for a TD.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Tu--Umberto Tozzi (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Ça plane pour moi--Plastic Bertrand

#1 single in Ireland: Three Times a Lady--Commodores

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Three Times a Lady--Commodores (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Grease--Frankie Valli (2nd week at #1)

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

Singles entering the chart were I'm Gonna Love You Too by Blondie (#21); Had to Fall in Love by the Moody Blues (#27); Rumour Has It by Donna Summer (#29); Nimm das Nächste Schiff Nach Rhodos (I Love I Love I Love You) by Costa Cordalis (#30); Sweet Nothings by Renée (#31); What's the Deal by the Detroit Emeralds (#32); Round in Circles by Highlight (#34); and Red by the Dizzy Man's Band (#36).

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

Singles entering the chart were How Much I Feel by Ambrosia (#66); Badlands by Bruce Springsteen (#67); Themes from the Wizard of Oz by Meco (#75); Ease on Down the Road by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson (#81); Peggy Sue by the Beach Boys (#83); and Substitute by Clout (#90). Ease on Down the Road was from the movie The Wiz (1978).

Canada's top 10 ()
1 Three Times a Lady--Commodores (2nd 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 Last Dance--Donna Summer
7 Copacabana (At the Copa)--Barry Manilow
8 An Everlasting Love--Andy Gibb
9 Magnet and Steel--Walter Egan
10 Hopelessly Devoted to You--Olivia Newton-John

Singles entering the chart were Devoted to You by Carly Simon and James Taylor (#80); Back in the U.S.A. by Linda Ronstadt (#87); Take Me Away by Prism (#94); I Love the Night Life (Disco 'round) by Alicia Bridges (#95); Almost Like Being in Love by Michael Johnson (#97); Close the Door by Teddy Pendergrass (#98); She Loves to Be in Love by Charlie (#99); and Heartbreaker by Dolly Parton (#100).

Football
CIAU
Calgary (1-0) 20 @ Manitoba (0-1) 7

Tony Kuchera kicked field goals of 24, 38, 50, and 42 yards to help the Dinosaurs defeat the Bisons at Pan-Am Stadium in Winnipeg. Quarterback Darrell Moir rushed 1 yard for the Calgary touchdown and passed to Grant Newell for a 2-point convert. Al Bowness rushed 4 yards for the Manitoba TD in the 3rd quarter, converted by Les Oakes.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Girl You Know It's True--Milli Vanilli (3rd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had increased for the second straight month, to 5.5% in August.

10 years ago
1998

At the movies
The Red Violin, directed by François Girard, and starring Jason Flemyng, Greta Scacchi, Don McKellar, Sylvia Chang, and Samuel L. Jackson, received its premiere screening at the Venice Film Festival.

Died on this date
Allen Drury, 80. U.S. writer. Mr. Drury wrote for various newspapers, but was best known for his novels, particularly his first, Advise and Consent (1959), which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1960, and was made into a successful movie in 1962. Mr. Drury's other novels included A Shade of Difference (1962); Capable of Honor (1966); and The Hill of Summer (1981). He died of cardiac arrest on his 80th birthday.

Crime
The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found Jean-Paul Akayesu, the former mayor of a small town in Rwanda, guilty of nine counts of genocide.

Disasters
Swissair Flight 111, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 jet en route from New York to Geneva, crashed off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, killing all 229 people on board. Canada's Transportation Safety Board, the lead investigator, concluded that flammable material used in the aircraft's structure allowed a fire to spread beyond the control of the crew, resulting in the crash of the aircraft.