October 21, 2008

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Donna Morrow!

175 years ago
1833

Born on this date
Alfred Nobel. Swedish chemist and engineer. Mr. Nobel became fluent in six languages, and obtained the first of 355 patents at the age of 24. His best-known invention was dynamite, which he patented in 1867. Mr. Nobel acquired the weapons manufacturing firm Bofors-Gullspهng in 1894. When his brother Ludwig died in 1888, several newspapers erroneously printed Alfred's obituary, with one accusing him of being a war profiteer and killer. The accusation prompted Mr. Nobel to create the Nobel Prizes to recognize those who "conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Mr. Nobel was accused of high treason against France for selling the propellant ballistite to Italy, so he moved from Paris to Sanremo, Italy in 1891, and died there from a stroke on December 10, 1896 at the age of 63.

120 years ago
1888

Politics and government
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland was founded.

90 years ago
1918

Politics and government
Former federal and provincial cabinet minister Charles Fitzpatrick took office as Lieutenant Governor of Québec.

Economics and finance
The government of Canada appointed a Canadian commercial commission for Siberia, based in Vladivostok.

80 years ago
1928

Americana
The state of New Jersey formally acquired the home in North Hackensack once occupied by General Frederick William von Steuben, who had been given the home because of his aid to Continental Army troops in the American Revolutionary War.

Transportation
The larges traffic jam in American history to date--25 miles in diameter--occurred when 150,000 people in automobiles, trains, buses, carriages, and afoot, went to Lakehurst, New Jersey to see the Graf Zeppelin. Another 100,000 people tried to get there, but didn't make it.

70 years ago
1938

Died on this date
Dorothy Hale, 33. U.S. socialite. Mrs. Hale was an aspiring actress who travelled in New York City art circles. After her husband, artist Gardner Hale, drove on a cliff in 1931, Mrs. Hale was left with severe financial difficulties, her acting career stalled, and she was forced to depend on wealthy friends and lovers to maintain her lifestyle. Mrs. Hale entertained some friends several hours before her death, went to the theatre, and then left friends at the 21 Club in New York to go home. She wrote several suicide notes and then jumped to her death from her 16th-floor apartment window. Mrs. Hale's suicide was commemorated by her friend Frida Kahlo's painting The Suicide of Dorothy Hale (1939).

60 years ago
1948

Defense
General Lucius Clay of the U.S. military government in Germany visited Washington to confer on the Berlin situation with President Harry Truman and the National Security Council. He was promised an additional 66 C-54 transport planes for the airlift.

Politics and government
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Illinois law that barred Progressive Party U.S. presidential candidate Henry Wallace from the state ballot.

Technology
Ultraflex, a radio device developed by RCA and Eastman Kodak for transmitting still and moving pictures, was publicly demonstrated for the first time, in Washington.

Academia
Heads of 17 Negro land-grant colleges concluded a three-day meeting in Washington by objecting to the proposed creation of a segregated regional university for the southern states.

Business
A U.S. federal court in New York fined the Rubber Manufacturers Association and eight corporations $50,000 for restraining competition in tire sales.

Disasters
A KLM airliner crashed in Scotland and killed 39 passengers, including KLM managing director Hendrik Veendendaal.

50 years ago
1958

World events
Elements of Bolivia's right-wing Socialist Falange failed in an attempt to seize high government officials and capture Militia Headquarters in La Paz.

Defense
American and Nationalist Chinese officials conceded Communist charges of U.S. naval activity in the Quemoy area.

Politics and government
The French National Assembly issued decrees fixing the new French Senate at 301 members and scheduled senatorial elections for March 1959.

The All-Algeria Committee of Public Safety was dissolved.

Football
ORFU
Sarnia (9-1) 27 @ London (5-4) 28

Gerry Thompkins scored 2 touchdowns for the second straight game, Al Bruno scored a touchdown for the second straight game, and Mr. Koska added a TD for the Lords as they edged the Golden Bears at Labatt Park to ruin Sarnia's bid for a perfect season. Al Pfeifer added a convert and 3 singles for London. J.B. Smith scored his 13th and 14th touchdowns of the season for the Golden Bears, with Eric McKeever and Chuck Stanley scoring the others. Gino Cappelletti added 2 converts and a single.

Baseball
Nippon Series
Nishitetsu Lions 6 @ Yomiuri Giants 1 (Nishitetsu won best-of-seven series 4-3)

The Lions defeated the Giants before 20,961 fans at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo to complete their comeback after losing the first 3 games in the series.



40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Koi no Kisetsu--Pinky and the Killers (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Get on Your Knees--Los Canarios (4th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Fire--Arthur Brown
2 Hey Jude--The Beatles
3 I've Gotta Get a Message to You--The Bee Gees
4 Midnight Confessions--The Grass Roots
5 Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin
6 Little Green Apples--O.C. Smith
7 Girl Watcher--The O'Kaysions
8 Over You--Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
9 Piece of My Heart--Big Brother and the Holding Company
10 Suzie Q (Part Two)--Creedence Clearwater Revival

Singles entering the chart were Love Child by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#55); The Straight Life by Bobby Goldsboro (#61); Little Arrows by Leapy Lee (#65); Always Together by the Dells (#67); Chewy Chewy by Ohio Express (#77); Do Something to Me by Tommy James and the Shondells (#86); Baby, Let's Wait by the Royal Guardsmen (#87); Aunt Dora's Love Soul Shack by Arthur Conley (#88); From the Teacher to the Preacher by Gene Chandler and Barbara Acklin (#91); Kiss Her Now by Ed Ames (#93); How Lucky Can One Guy Be by the Uniques (#94); Bitter Green by Gordon Lightfoot (#96); Who's Making Love by Johnnie Taylor (#97); Harper Valley P.T.A. (Later that Same Day) by Ben Colder (#99); and Isn't it Lonely Together by Robert Knight (#100).

On television tonight
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock, on BBC 1
Tonight's episode: The Greek Interpreter

Boxing
Curtis Cokes (54-9-3) retained his world welterweight title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Ramon La Cruz (88-6-12) at Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans.



30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Una donna per amico--Lucio Battisti

#1 single in Switzerland: You're the One that I Want--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Summer Nights--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Summer Nights--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Kiss You All Over--Exile (4th week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Hopelessly Devoted to You--Olivia Newton-John (2nd week at #1)
2 Summer Nights--John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John & Cast
3 Three Times a Lady--Commodores
4 Grease--Frankie Valli
5 Summer Night City--ABBA
6 It's Raining--Darts
7 Dreadlock Holiday--10 cc
8 Hot Shot--Karen Young
9 Guust Flater En De Marsupilami--Wij Zijn Twee Vrienden
10 Again and Again--Status Quo

Singles entering the chart were Dear John by Teach In (#24); Love Machine by Supermax (#29); Comes a Time by Neil Young (#32); The Longer the Distance by the Major Dundee Band (#36); and Neon City by Mistral (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Hot Child in the City--Nick Gilder
2 Kiss You All Over--Exile
3 Reminiscing--Little River Band
4 You Needed Me--Anne Murray
5 Whenever I Call You "Friend"--Kenny Loggins
6 Boogie Oogie Oogie--A Taste of Honey
7 MacArthur Park--Donna Summer
8 Right Down the Line--Gerry Rafferty
9 Who are You--The Who
10 Beast of Burden--The Rolling Stones

Singles entering the chart were Alive Again by Chicago (#43); How You Gonna See Me Now by Alice Cooper (#84); Can You Fool by Glen Campbell (#85); Cuz it's You, Girl by the James Walsh Gypsy Band (#86); I Will Be in Love with You by Livingston Taylor (#87); Y.M.C.A. by the Village People (#88); So Young, So Bad by Starz (#90); and Soft and Wet by Prince (#99).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Hot Child in the City--Nick Gilder (2nd week at #1)
2 Kiss You All Over--Exile
3 Summer Nights--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
4 You Needed Me--Anne Murray
5 Reminiscing--Little River Band
6 Don't Look Back--Boston
7 Whenever I Call You "Friend"--Kenny Loggins
8 Who are You--The Who
9 Right Down the Line--Gerry Rafferty
10 Hopelessly Devoted to You--Olivia Newton-John

Singles entering the chart were Greased Lightnin' by John Travolta (#91); Dreadlock Holiday by 10 cc (#95); This is the Love by Paul Anka (#96); The Power of Gold by Dan Fogelberg/Tim Weisberg (#97); Hold the Line by Toto (#98); Louie, Louie by John Belushi (#99); and There'll Never Be by Switch (#100).

Died on this date
Anastas Mikoyan, 82. U.S.S.R. politician. Mr. Mikoyan joined the Bolshevik movement in 1915 and held various posts in the government of the Soviet Union in a political career lasting 50 years. He retired after serving as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1964-1965.

Disappeared on this date
Frederick Valentich, 20. Australian aviator. Mr. Valentich, a UFO enthusiast, was on a training flight in a Cessna 182 over Bass Strait when he told Melbourne air traffic control that his plane was handling roughly and that he was being approached by a craft that was "not an aircraft." All contact was then lost, but Mr. Valentich was never found. It has been speculated that Mr. Valentich ended up flying upside down and became disoriented.

Diplomacy
Cuban President Fidel Castro, in a conciliatory gesture to the United States, allowed 46 former political prisoners and 33 of their relatives to fly to Miami, eight days after the U.S. State Department that it had approved them for immigration, following a six-week screening to make sure there were no spies or terrorists among them.

Defense
French officials confirmed that France would sell China $700 million worth of missiles.

Hockey
NHL
Philadelphia 0 @ Toronto 2

Football
CFL
Toronto (4-10) 7 @ Montreal (7-7-1) 30
Ottawa (10-4) 17 @ British Columbia (5-7-2) 20

David Green rushed for 145 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown, to help the Alouettes beat the Argonauts before 45,547 fans at Olympic Stadium.

Lui Passaglia's fourth field goal of the game, with less than a minute remaining, gave the Lions their win over the Rough Riders before 20,971 fans at Empire Stadium in Vancouver.



CIAU
St. Francis Xavier (5-1) 43 St. Mary's (3-3) 4
Acadia (4-2) 78 Mount Allison (1-5) 6
Prince Edward Island (3-3) 35 New Brunswick (2-4) 21
Quebec @ Trois Rivieres (1-5) 14 Concordia (0-6) 9
Queen's (6-0) 15 Bishop's (4-2) 14
Carleton (4-2) 24 Ottawa (2-4) 13
Western Ontario (6-1) 33 Wilfrid Laurier (5-2) 23
Waterloo (4-3) 26 York (4-3) 22
Windsor (4-3) 34 Toronto (1-6) 22
McMaster (2-5) 23 Guelph (2-5) 8
British Columbia (5-2) 30 @ Manitoba (0-8) 9
Calgary (5-2) 20 @ Alberta (5-2) 10

Baseball
Nippon Series
Hankyu Braves 12 @ Yakult Swallows 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): One Moment in Time--Whitney Houston

Scandal
Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, his wife Imelda, and eight others, including international arms merchant Adnan Khashoggi, were indicted by a U.S. grand jury in New York on charges of fraud and racketeering. Mr. Marcos was accused of embezzling more than $100 million from the Philippine government, which he allegedly used to buy three buildings in New York City. The other counts included the charge of fraudulently borrowing $165 million from U.S. banks to refinance the buildings and buy more property.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that consumer prices had risen 0.3% in September.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (10-6) 21 @ Hamilton (8-8) 24

Tom Porras completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Earl Winfield in the 4th quarter to provide the winning margin as the Tiger-Cats edged the Rough Riders before 13,702 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Francis W. Sargent, 83. U.S. politician. Mr. Sargent, a Republican, was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1967-1969 and Governor of Massachusetts from 1969-1975. He advocated protection of the environment, no-fault auto insurance, and racial balancing of school districts. He also instituted the weekend furlough program for convicts, which became infamous in the late 1980s when a violent criminal named Willie Horton raped a woman and beat her fiance while on a furlough during the time that Mr. Sargent's successor, Michael Dukakis, was Governor.

Baseball
World Series
New York Yankees 3 @ San Diego Padres 0 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-0)

Andy Pettitte pitched 7 2/3 innings to win the pitchers' duel over Kevin Brown as the Yankees completed the Series sweep before 65,427 fans at Qualcomm Stadium. Bernie Williams drove in the winning run with a ground out in the 6th inning; the Yankees added 2 insurance runs in the 8th.