October 15, 2008

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Angela Nixon!

120 years ago
1888

Born on this date
S.S. Van Dine. U.S. author. Mr. Van Dine, whose real name was Willard Huntington Wright, was an art critic who became an author of crime fiction, writing under the name S.S. Van Dine in 12 novels featuring the detective Philo Vance, published from 1926-1939. He created another fictional detective, Dr. Crabtree, a character in 12 short films from 1931-1932. Mr. Van Dine died on April 11, 1939 at the age of 50 from a heart condition exacerbated by heavy drinking.

Crime
George Lusk, chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee in London, received a letter allegedly from Jack the Ripper.

110 years ago
1898

Football
CRU
ORFU
Hamilton (1-1) 1 @ Ottawa (2-0) 9
Toronto (0-1) 0 @ Osgoode Hall (1-1) 19

90 years ago
1918

Died on this date
Shirdi Sai Baba, 83 (?). Indian religious figure. Shirdi Sai Baba was a guru who was something of a syncretist, as he preached the importance of self-realization and promoted the reading of both Hindu and Muslim scriptures, while opposing religious orthodoxy, whether it be Christian, Muslim, or Hindu. Shirdi Sai Baba founded a movement that still has Hindu and Muslim devotees throughout the world who regard him as an avatar, an incarnation of the Hindu deities Shiva and Dattatreya. The later guru Saithya Sai Baba (1926-2011), who also founded a worldwide movement devoted to himself, claimed to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba. Both Sai Babas were mistaken.

80 years ago
1928

Aviation
Four days after departing Friedrichshaven, Germany, the German dirigible Graf Zeppelin, commanded by Hugo Eckener, with 38 crew members, passed over Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and flew over New York City at 4 P.M. before going to Lakehurst, New Jersey, anchoring there at 5:38 P.M. and discharging her 19 passengers. The airship had been in flight for 111 hours 38 minutes and had travelled approximately 6,300 miles.

Labour
200,000 people went out in a general strike in Lodz, Poland; the strike ended a week later with a 5% wage increase.

70 years ago
1938

Football
CRU
IRFU
Toronto (2-0) 25 @ Montreal (0-2) 2
Ottawa (2-0) 42 @ Hamilton (0-2) 6

WIFU
Winnipeg (5-2) 14 @ Regina (4-3) 6
Edmonton (0-7) 3 @ Calgary (5-2) 6

ORFU
Toronto (1-1) 18 @ Peterborough (0-2) 2
Montreal (1-0-1) 12 @ Sarnia (1-0-1) 12

The Rough Riders set an IRFU record for points in a quarter as they scored 30 points in the 3rd quarter of their rout of the Tigers at Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds.

Fritz Hanson scored 2 touchdowns as the Blue Bombers beat the Roughriders before 3,000 fans at Parc de Young. Leo Danaher rushed 85 yards for the Regina touchdown.

The Eskimos thought they'd scored the winning touchdown with 33 seconds remaining in the game against the Bronks at Mewata Stadium, but officials ruled that Edmonton running back Vince Yatchek had not crossed the goal line on third down. Edmonton coach Bob Fritz was so upset at the hometown officiating that he took his team off the field, ending the game. Jimmy Gilkes scored the Calgary touchdown in the 2nd quarter.

Bummer Stirling scored a touchdown, field goal and 4 singles, with his 70-yard punt going for the tying point in the last minute, to give the Imperials their tie with the Nationals. Johnny Ferraro rushed 55 yards for the first Montreal touchdown, and Mr. Burton intercepted a Sarnia lateral and ran 20 yards for the other Montreal TD.

Canadian university
McGill (2-0) 10 @ Toronto (1-1) 7
Queen's (0-2) 7 @ Western Ontario (1-1) 10
Alberta (0-2) 0 @ Saskatchewan (1-1) 13

More than 18,000 fans at Varsity Stadium saw the Redmen defeat the Varsity Blues.

Mr. Hall rushed for a touchdown in the 1st quarter and Bert Border rushed for another with 6 minutes remaining in the game as the Huskies shut out the Golden Bears at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon.

60 years ago
1948

Died on this date
Edythe Chapman, 85. U.S. actress. Miss Chapman was a stage actress who eventually appeared in silent films, often playing maternal characters. Her movies included The Ten Commandments (1923) and Navy Blues (1929). Miss Chapman died a week after her 85th birthday.

War
Siam announced an agreement with British Malaya allowing troops of either country to penetrate 10 miles beyond the border in pursuit of Communist guerrillas.

Diplomacy
North Korea established relations with Poland and Mongolia. The U.S.S.R. named its former military commander in Korea, Terenti Shtikov, to serve as Ambassador to North Korea.

Defense
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark established a defense ministers' committee to coordinate defense plans.

Nicaraguan War Minister Anastasio Somoza charged that Cuba, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Venezuela were providing arms to revolutionaries in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Law
The United Nations General Assembly's Legal Committee excluded a provision against the extermination of politcal groups from a draft convention against genocide, ruling that the provision would hamper action against domestic revolutionaries.

Health
The U.S. Public Health Service announced that a five-minute test for diabetes will be used in a nationwide effort to find an estimated one million hidden diabetes cases.

50 years ago
1958

Theatre
The Girls in 509, written by Howard Teichmann, directed by Bretaigne Windust, and starring Imogene Coca, Laurinda Barrett, and Robert Emhardt, opened at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway in New York.

Art
New York dealer Georges Keller paid $616,000, the highest known price yet paid for a painting, for Garcon au Gilet Rouge by Paul Cezanne, at an auction at Sotheby's in London.

Diplomacy
Israeli Foreign Minister Golda Meir arrived in Ottawa to begin a state visit to Canada.

Tunisia severed all relations with the United Arab Republic following allegations that the U.A.R. had meddled in Tunisian affairs and was still attempting to dominate other Arab states.

Politics and government
Three days after returning from exile in the Canary Islands after being ousted in 1957, Gustavo Rojas Pinilla said that he still considered himself to be President of Colombia.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board, in a move to check a wave of heavy stock trading and record high prices, increased the margin requirement for stock market transactions from 70% to 90%, the highest since 1947.

Chinese Communist newspapers reaching Hong Kong disclosed the launching of a 10-year plan for industrialization and agricultural development of Sinkiang Province.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Hey Jude--The Beatles (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Virginia Burton, 59. U.S. authoress. Miss Burton wrote and illustrated children's books, most notably The Little House (1943), which won the Caldecott Prize.

Energy
Atomic Energy of Canada signed a five-year agreement with the French Atomic Energy Commission.

Olympics
Al Oerter of the United States became the first track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals in the same event when he won the men's discus throw with a mark of 216 feet 6 inches at the Mexico City Games. His streak started at the 1956 Melbourne Games in Australia, continuing in 1960 (Rome) and 1964 (Tokyo).

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Kiss You All Over--Exile

Died on this date
W. Eugene Smith, 59. U.S. photojournalist. Mr. Smith has been described as the single most important individual in the development of the editorial photo essay. He was known for photo essays such as Country Doctor (1948); A Spanish Village (1951); and Minamata (1972-1975). Mr. Smith died of a stroke.

Energy
The U.S. Congress approved a package of energy legislation intended to make the United States self-sufficient in its energy use. The package included price increases for natural gas, leading to deregulation of newly-discovered natural gas in 1985; a tax on gas-guzzling cars; and measures to promote energy conservation.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Congress passed an $18.7-billion tax cut bill for 1979, giving 79% of its benefits to individuals making $15,000 or more per year. The Congress also passed the Humphrey-Hawkins bill, setting national goals of reducing unemployment from the 1978 level of 6% to 4% by 1983, and a bill providing a 7.3% cost-of-living increase in veterans' benefits.

Business
The U.S. Congress voted to deregulate the airline industry in an effort to fight inflation and make the industry competitive.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 2 @ Boston 4

Football
CFL
Montreal (6-7-1) 10 @ Ottawa (10-3) 13
Edmonton (10-2-2) 38 @ Winnipeg (8-5) 10
Saskatchewan (3-10-1) 13 @ Calgary (6-4-3) 32

33,976 fans at Lansdowne Park saw the Ottawa defense sack Montreal quarterback Joe Barnes late in the game to preserve the Rough Riders' victory over the Alouettes, clinching first place in the Eastern Football Conference.

Tom Wilkinson completed 3 touchdown passes to Tom Scott as the Eskimos beat the Blue Bombers before a record Winnipeg Stadium crowd of 28,080 to clinch first place in the Western Football Conference. The Blue Bombers failed to score a touchdown, and wide receiver Mike Holmes was ejected in the 2nd quarter after getting into a scuffle on the sidelines with an Edmonton defender. The game began a streak of 133 games, including post-season games, in which the Eskimos scored at least one touchdown.

Terry Irvin returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown to help the Stampeders beat the Roughrieders at McMahon Stadium. In the final start of his 19-year CFL career, Saskatchewan quarterback Ron Lancaster, who had turned 40 the previous day, completed just 8 of 23 passes, with 3 interceptions.

Baseball
World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers 2 @ New York Yankees 12 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-2)

The Yankees overcame an early 2-0 deficit with 4 runs in the 3rd inning, 3 in the 4th, and 4 in the 7th as they routed the Dodgers before 56,449 fans at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees set a World Series record for a single game with 16 singles. Jim Beattie pitched a 9-hit complete game victory.



Nippon Series
Hankyu Braves 6 @ Yakult Swallows 10 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Red Red Wine--UB40 (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Total Eclipse of the Heart--Bonnie Tyler (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Total Eclipse of the Heart--Bonnie Tyler (2nd week at #1)
2 The Safety Dance--Men Without Hats
3 Making Love Out of Nothing at All--Air Supply
4 (She’s) Sexy + 17--Stray Cats
5 True--Spandau Ballet
6 King of Pain--The Police
7 Islands in the Stream--Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton
8 Tell Her About It--Billy Joel
9 Puttin' on the Ritz--Taco
10 All Night Long (All Night)--Lionel Richie

Singles entering the chart were Say Say Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson (#35); Crumblin' Down by John Cougar Mellencamp (#47); The Smile Has Left Your Eyes by Asia (#76); Souls by Rick Springfield (#78); Invisible Hands by Kim Carnes (#84); I Need You by the Pointer Sisters (#86); Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) by Paul Young (#88); I Am Love by Jennifer Holliday (#89); and Mama by Genesis (#93).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 King of Pain--The Police
2 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)--Eurythmics
3 Maniac--Michael Sembello
4 One Thing Leads to Another--The Fixx
5 (She’s) Sexy + 17--Stray Cats
6 Tell Her About It--Billy Joel
7 True--Spandau Ballet
8 Total Eclipse of the Heart--Bonnie Tyler
9 Making Love Out of Nothing at All--Air Supply
10 Modern Love--David Bowie

Singles entering the chart were Love is a Stranger by Eurythmics (#38); Heart and Soul by Huey Lewis and the News (#41); Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar (#42); Tonight I Celebrate My Love by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack (#44); Big Log by Robert Plant (#49); and Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) by Paul Young (#50).

Diplomacy
The 12-member U.S. commission on Central America headed by Henry Kissinger met with Niicaraguan leaders in Managua. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said that the United States would have to decide if it wanted to continue on a path toward war with Nicaragua or whether it wanted to reduce tensions.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (3-11) 22 @ Hamilton (5-8) 34
Montreal (3-10) 32 @ Edmonton (8-6) 45

Dieter Brock completed 24 of 34 passes for 227 passes and 3 touchdowns to Keith Baker as the Tiger-Cats defeated the Roughriders before just 12,523 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium to win their first game under head coach Al Bruno, replacing Bud Riley, who had been fired a week earlier. Rookie Johnny Shepherd rushed 17 times for 143 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown--his only rushing touchdown of the regular season. Homer Jordan played most of the game at quarterback for Saskatchewan, completing 19 of 31 passes for 359 yards and touchdowns of 2 and 62 yards to Chris DeFrance and another of 3 yards to Tim Kearse. Backup quarterback Steve Clarkson relieved Mr. Jordan and saw the only game action of his 3-game CFL career, completing 1 of 4 passes for 25 yards. Mr. DeFrance caught 6 passes for 122 yards, while Mr. Baker caught 9 for 102.

Edmonton quarterback Warren Moon, who had been bothered earlier in the week by an inflamed bursa sac on his right elbow, showed no ill effects, as he set a team record for a single game that still stands with 555 yards passing as the Eskimos withstood a late Montreal rally to defeat the Concordes before 49,074 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Mr. Moon completed 31 of 51 passes and connected with Brian Kelly for 3 touchdowns and Tom Scott and Milson Jones for a touchdown each. Mr. Jones also rushed 1 yard for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter, his first TD since being acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a month earlier. Montreal quarterback Johnny Evans completed 27 of 40 passes for 353 yards and touchdown passes of 60 and 59 passes to Ron Robinson in the 2nd half. Lester Brown scored the first 2 Concorde touchdowns on rushes of 18 and 5 yards in the 2nd quarter. The Eskimos led 37-18 after Dave Cutler converted Mr. Jones' first TD with 30 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, but Mr. Evans connected with Mr. Robinson for his first touchdown on the last play of the quarter, and hit him for his second touchdown just 5:05 later. Don Sweet's convert reduced the deficit to 37-32, but Larry Highbaugh made his 5th interception of the season--and the 66th and last of his CFL career--and Mike McLeod intercepted another pass from Mr. Evans on his own 10-yard line and returned it 50 yards to help preserve the victory for the defending Grey Cup champions. Mr. Kelly finished with 13 receptions for 266 yards--a team record--and Mr. Scott caught 6 for 106 to become only the second CFL player to amass 10,000 career yards in pass receptions, after former Eskimo Tommy-Joe Coffey, who played in the CFL from 1959-1960 and 1962-1973. Former Concorde Pete Harvey played his first game as an Eskimo in place of injured Waddell Smith and caught 4 passes for 80 yards. Mr. Robinson led the Concordes with 7 receptions for 216 yards. Edmonton's Scott Stauch led all rushers with 6 carries for 70 yards.

Baseball
World Series
Baltimore Orioles 5 @ Philadelphia Phillies 4 (Baltimore led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Baltimore second baseman Rich Dauer batted 3 for 4 with a double and 3 runs batted in as the Orioles edged the Phillies before 66,947 fans at Veterans Stadium, the largest crowd to attend a World Series game since 1964. A turning point in the game came in the top of the 6th inning when John Lowenstein singled with 1 out and moved to third base on a double by Mr. Dauer. Philadelphia manager Paul Owens then ordered starting pitcher John Denny to intentionally walk pinch hitter Joe Nolan to lead the bases. As usual, the move backfired, since the next batter, pinch hitter Ken Singleton, drew an unintentional walk to force in Mr. Lowenstein with the tying run, and Mr. Singleton was followed by another pinch hitter, John Shelby, who hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Mr. Dauer, putting the Orioles ahead 4-3. Baltimore added a run in the 7th. The Phillies mounted a rally in the 9th when pinch hitter Ozzie Virgil singled in Bob Dernier with 2 out to make it 5-4, but Joe Morgan lined out to Mr. Dauer to end the game. Storm Davis started on the mound for the Orioles and gave up 6 hits and 3 runs--all earned in 5 innings, but was credited with the win. Tippy Martinez pitched 1 2/3 innings to pick up his second save of the series. Mr. Denny gave up 7 hits and 4 runs--all earned--in taking the loss.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): I Don't Want Your Love--Duran Duran (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): The Only Way is Up--Yazz and the Plastic Population

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): A Groovy Kind of Love--Phil Collins

#1 single in France (SNEP): Un Roman d'amitié (Friend You Give Me Reason)--Elsa and Glenn Medeiros (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Desire--U2 (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): One Moment in Time--Whitney Houston

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Red Red Wine--UB40

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Red Red Wine--UB40
2 Love Bites--Def Leppard
3 Don't Be Cruel--Cheap Trick
4 A Groovy Kind of Love--Phil Collins
5 What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)--Information Society
6 I'll Always Love You--Taylor Dayne
7 Don't Worry Be Happy--Bobby McFerrin
8 Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?--Steve Winwood
9 Sweet Child o' Mine--Guns 'N' Roses
10 I Hate Myself for Loving You--Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Singles entering the chart were I Don't Want Your Love by Duran Duran (#46); In Your Room by the Bangles (#62); Jealous Guy by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band (#73); Didn't Know it was Love by Survivor (#78); Yeah, Yeah, Yeah by Judson Spence (#83); Dancing Under a Latin Moon by Candi (#86); Don't Break My Heart by Romeo's Daughter (#89); and Live it Up by Gardner Cole (#91). Jealous Guy had previously been released on the album Mind Games (1973), but hadn't been released as a single until it was included in the movie Imagine: John Lennon (1988).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Don't Worry Be Happy--Bobby McFerrin
2 True Love--Glenn Frey
3 One Good Woman--Peter Cetera
4 Don't You Know--Steve Winwood
5 Don't Be Cruel--Cheap Trick
6 Love Bites--Def Leppard
7 A Groovy Kind of Love--Phil Collins
8 Forever Young--Rod Stewart
9 Never Tear Us Apart--INXS
10 It Would Take a Strong Man--Rick Astley

Singles entering the chart were Small World by Huey Lewis and the News (#76); Giving You the Best That I Got by Anita Baker (#83); Walk Away by Michael Bolton (#89); Another Lover by Giant Steps (#93); When Time Turns Around by the Spoons (#95); Look Away by Chicago (#97); and 1974 by Amy Grant (#99).

Died on this date
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, 96. U.K, musician and composer. Mr. Sorabji, born Leon Dudley Sorabji, was a pianist who wrote numerous works for piano and performed them in public from 1920-1936, and then banned performances of his music for the next 40 years, concentrating on essays and music criticism.

Hockey
NHL
Detroit 5 @ Toronto 3

Football
CIAU
British Columbia 22 @ Alberta (0-7) 20

The Thunderbirds needed a 22-yard field goal by Mike Bellefontaine with 11 seconds remaining in the game to beat the winless Golden Bears before 600 fans at Varsity Stadium in Edmonton, as UBC quarterback Jordan Gagner passed for 345 yards, but also threw 5 interceptions against one of the worst teams in the country. Alberta running back Tom Houg rushed for 229 yards and a touchdown. UBC head coach Frank Smith and his assistants were most unhappy about the officiating, and weren't shy about showing their displeasure.

Baseball
World Series
Oakland Athletics 4 @ Los Angeles Dodgers 5 (Los Angeles led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Kirk Gibson, suffering from a leg injury restricting him to pinch-hitting duties, came to bat with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning and hit a 2-run home run off Oakland relief ace Dennis Eckersley to give the Dodgers the win before 55,983 fans at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st when Mickey Hatcher hit a 2-run home run off Oakland starting pitcher Dave Stewart. The Athletics scored all their runs in the 2nd on a grand slam by Jose Canseco off Los Angeles starter Tim Belcher. The Dodgers scored a run in the 6th to make it 4-3, and were down to their last out when pinch hitter Mike Davis walked on four pitches and Mr. Gibson fouled off several pitches before hitting a slider on a full count into the right field bleachers. Alejandro Pena pitched the last 2 innings and was credited with the win.