October 23, 2008

120 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Onésime Gagnon. Canadian politician. Professor Gagnon, a native of Saint-Léon-de-Standon, Quebec, was a law professor at Université Laval (1942-1958). A Conservative, he represented Dorchester in the Canadian House of Commons (1930-1935) serving briefly as Minister Without Portfolio (1935). He unsuccessfully campaigned for the leadsership of the Quebec Conservative Party in 1933, but was elected to the Quebec Legislative Assembly in 1936 as a Union Nationale candidate, representing Matane (1936-1958), serving in the cabinet of Premier Maurice Duplessis as Minister of Fisheries (1936-1939) and Treasurer (1944-1958). Prof. Gagnon left his academic post and provincial politics to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, serving from February 14, 1958 until his death in office, 23 days before his 73rd birthday. He was succeeded by Paul Comtois.

90 years ago
1918

Health
The influenza epidemic peaked in Canada as 55,000 people died.

80 years ago
1928

World events
A government order closing four universities, a parliamentary debate ending in a challenge to a duel, 140 arrests, and numerous minor casualties were the products of renewed anti-Semitic riots in Budapest.

Disasters
The first crash in Canada of an airmail plane occurred, shortly after takeoff near Calgary.

70 years ago
1938

Radio
Canadian singers and orchestras produced A Musical Portrait of Canada, the first major Canadian broadcast heard around the world.

60 years ago
1948

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Twelfth Street Rag--Pee Wee Hunt and his Orchestra (7th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 It's Magic--Doris Day
--Dick Haymes and Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
--Tony Martin
--Gordon MacRae
2 A Tree in the Meadow--Margaret Whiting
3 Twelfth Street Rag--Pee Wee Hunt and his Orchestra
4 Maybe You'll Be There--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
5 My Happiness--The Pied Pipers
--Ella Fitzgerald
--Jon and Sondra Steele
6 You Call Everybody Darlin'--Al Trace and the Revelers
--The Andrews Sisters
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
--Anne Vincent
7 Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue--Gordon MacRae and the Starlighters
--Jerry Murad's Harmonicats
8 Underneath the Arches--Primo Scala's Banjo and Accordion Orchestra with the Keynotes
--The Andrews Sisters
9 Rambling Rose--Perry Como and the Satisfiers
10 Buttons and Bows--Dinah Shore and the Happy Valley Boys

Singles entering the chart were Serutan Yob (A Song for Backward Boys and Girls Under 40) by the Unnatural Seven (#32); The Matador, with versions by Carmen Miranda and the Andrews Sisters; and Dinah Shore with the Brazilians (#33); and It's Too Soon to Know by the Orioles (#34). The version of The Matador by Carmen Miranda and the Andrews Sisters was the other side of Cuanto la Gusta, charting at #23.

War
Chinese Communists claimed the capture of the Honan rail junction of Chengchow and the western terminus of the Peking-Suiyuan rail line at Paotow.

South Korean officials claimed the suppression of the Communist rising in Yosu and Sunchon, with 1,500 arrests.

World events
French troops seized seven of the nation's largest coal mines after a week of riots between Communist-led striking workers and non-strikers.

Religion
Pope Pius XII issued his encyclical In Mulltiplicibus Curis, calling for the internationalization of Jerusalem and appealing for the preservation of all Christian shrines in Palestine.

Cycling
Emile Bruneau and Louis Saen of Belgium won the 68th international six-day race in New York.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Ottawa (8-1) 17 @ Hamilton (1-8-1) 8
Montreal (5-4) 22 @ Toronto (4-5-1) 17

WIFU
Saskatchewan (2-9) 0 @ Calgary (12-0) 19

Paul Rowe scored 2 touchdowns for the Stampeders as they shut out the Roughriders at Mewata Stadium to complete their perfect regular season. Fred Wilmot added a convert and 2 field goals, Bill Wusyk, kicked a convert, and Keith Spaith punted for a single.

60 years ago
1958

Literature
Boris Pasternak, author of the novel Doctor Zhivago, was named the winner of the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature.

World events
Cuban guerrillas released kidnapped employees of the Texas Oil Company refinery near Santiago de Cuba.

Diplomacy
Following three days of talks in Taiwan, U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Nationalist Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek issued a joint statement declaring that the Nationalist government would not use force in an effort to return to the mainland.

Defense
French Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle reaffirmed his intention of continuing unilateral development of a nuclear weapons arsenal.

Popular culture
The cartoon characters known as the Smurfs made their first appearance in the story La flute à six schtroumpfs, a Johan and Peewit adventure by Peyo, which was serialized in the weekly magazine Spirou.

Disasters
An underground rock surge ("bump") and coal gas explosion in the Number Two Cumberland Mine at Springhill, Nova Scotia collapsed a tunnel at 8:06 P.M., trapping 174 miners.



40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin (5th week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Hey Jude/Revolution--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)
2 Harper Valley P.T.A.--Jeannie C. Riley
3 Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin
4 Help Yourself--Tom Jones
5 I've Gotta Get a Message to You/Kitty Can--The Bee Gees
6 Little Arrows--Leapy Lee
7 Over You--Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
8 Do it Again--The Beach Boys
9 Mary, Mary/What am I Doing Hangin' 'Round--The Monkees
10 Dream a Little Dream of Me--Mama Cass

Singles entering the chart were (The Lament of the Cherokee) Indian Reservation by Don Fardon (#28); Hold Me Tight by Johnny Nash (#29); and A Little Bit for Sandy by Paul Peterson (#39).

At the movies
Ice Station Zebra, directed by John Sturges, and starring Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan, and Jim Brown, opened in theatres.



Live a Little, Love a Little, directed by Norman Taurog, and starring Elvis Presley and Michele Carey, opened in theatres.



Politics and government
Stephen Juba was re-elected Mayor of Winnipeg, taking 75.18% of the vote to 24.82% for Eric Wells, his only challenger in the municipal election.

Olympics
Elaine Tanner of Canada won a silver medal in the women's 100-metre backstroke at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, becoming the first Canadian ever to win an Olympic swimming medal.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (10-3-1) 24 @ Winnipeg (2-12) 7

George Reed rushed for 69 yards and 3 touchdowns, reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth straight season, to help the Roughriders defeat the Blue Bombers before 10,000 fans at Winnipeg Stadium.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Black is Black--La Belle Epoque

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Tomei Ningen--Pink Lady (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): You're the One that I Want--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Maybelle Carter, 69. U.S. musician. "Mother Maybelle" was the matriarch of the Carter Family, a pioneering country music group founded in 1927. She sang and played several instruments, and was known for her distinctive style of guitar-picking. Mrs. Carter died after years of failing health.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Desire--U2 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Hand in Hand--Koreana (6th week at #1)

Disasters
At least 111 people, 50 in Nicaragua, were reported dead after a hurricane had swept through the Caribbean area over the previous five days.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (9-7) 13 @ Toronto (12-4) 36
British Columbia (8-8) 35 @ Edmonton (10-6) 15

The Blue Bombers turned over the ball 6 times in the 2nd half of their loss to the Argonauts before 23,324 fans at Exhibition Stadium.



The Eskimos turned over the ball 7 times in their loss to the Lions before 30,030 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. The Lions were cruising with a 21-1 lead in the 2nd half before the Eskimos struck back with 2 quick touchdowns (including one from Henry "Gizmo" Williams on a 75-yard punt return) to cut the deficit to 21-15. However, former Eskimo quarterback Matt Dunigan produced 2 more touchdowns to put the Eskimos away. The Eskimos added Tommy-Joe Coffey and John LaGrone to the Wall of Honour at halftime; this blogger got to meet the honourees that day, and it was a privilege to meet both men. For CJCA's Bryan Hall, it was his 500th game as a play-by-play broadcaster. Another notable feature of the game was that the Lions brought their cheerleaders to the game with them, making for some enjoyable viewing.

Baseball
Nippon Series
Seibu Lions 3 @ Chunichi Dragons 7 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Barnett Slepian, 52. U.S. abortionist. Dr. Slepian performed abortions in the Buffalo, New York area. He was shot at his home in Amherst, New York when James Kopp, who was affiliated with the militant Roman Catholic anti-abortion group known as "The Lambs of Christ," fired through Dr. Slepian's kitchen window. Dr. Slepian died two hours later. Mr. Kopp, with help from several sympathizers, escaped arrest until 2001, when he was arrested in France and subsequently extradited to the United States. Dr. Slepian was having regular conversations with a husband and wife who were Baptists and were protesting outside his clinic, but wanted to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Dr. Slepian. Dr. Slepian was was reportedly open to the gospel, but Mr. Kopp decided to take the law into his own hands and interfere with what God may have been doing in Dr. Slepian's heart.

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat signed a land-for-peace agreement at the White House, following nine days of talks at Wye River, Maryland.

Technology
Swatch Internet Time was introduced by the Swatch corporation as part of their marketing campaign for their line of "Beat" watches.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (12-4-1) 45 @ Toronto (9-8) 8

Ronald Williams rushed for 3 touchdowns and Gerald Vaughn returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown to help the Tiger-Cats rout the Argonauts before 32,717 fans at SkyDome.

Baseball
Nippon Series
Yokohama BayStars 2 @ Seibu Lions 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 2-2)