October 29, 2008

740 years ago
1268

Died on this date
Conradin, 16. King of Jerusalem and Sicily; Duke of Swabia, 1254-1268. Conradin succeeded his father Conrad IV of Germany. He and his best friend, Frederick I, Margrave of Baden, 19, were captured by Charles I of Sicily and executed. Conradin's death marked the end of the legitimate house of Hohenstaufen.

390 years ago
1618

Died on this date
Walter Raleigh, 64-66 (?). English explorer, military officer, and politician. Sir Walter was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1585 and led expeditions to South America--searching for El Dorado, the legendary "City of Gold"--while financing expeditions to North America. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for several years after secretly marrying, without Queen Elizabeth's permission, one of her ladies-in-waiting. Sir Walter eventually returned to favour, serving as a rear admiral in fighting against the Spanish armada, leading further expeditions, and representing three counties in Parliament. He was convicted of treason in 1603 for participating in the Main Plot to remove King James I from the throne, but his death sentence was commuted, and he was imprisoned in the Tower of London until 1616. After he was freed, Sir Walter led another expedition to South America, but a ship under the command of his friend Lawrence Keymis disobeyed the orders of both Sir Walter and King James and fired on a Spanish outpost on the Orinoco River. To appease Spanish demands, Sir Walter's death sentence was reinstated and he was beheaded at the Palace of Westminster. His execution was regarded by many as unjust. Sir Walter has been credited with popularizing the use of tobacco in England, and was a noted poet.

350 years ago
1658

War
Naval forces of the Dutch Republic defeated Swedish forces in the Battle of the Sound.

120 years ago
1888

Diplomacy
The Convention of Constantinople was signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and peace.

110 years ago
1898

Football
ORFU
Ottawa (4-0) 15 @ Hamilton (2-2) 8
Osgoode Hall (2-2) 17 @ Toronto (0-4) 8

100 years ago
1908

Olympics
Ulrich Salchow of Sweden won the first Olympic gold medal in figure skating at the Summer Olympic Games in London. The competition was part of the Summer Olympics because the Winter Olympics were not established until 1924.

90 years ago
1918

War
The German High Seas Fleet was incapacitated when sailors mutinied on the night of October 29th-30th, an action which triggered the German Revolution of 1918–1919.

80 years ago
1928

Aviation
The German dirigible Graf Zeppelin, commanded by Hugo Eckener, took off from Lakehurst, New Jersey at 1:55 A.M. to begin her return flight to Friedrichshafen. The airship dodged squalls and rain, and was off Newfoundland by dusk. Clarence Terhune, 19, a golf caddy from St. Louis, was discovered as a stowaway.

70 years ago
1938

Football
IRFU
Hamilton (2-2) 13 @ Montreal (0-4) 9
Toronto (3-1) 13 @ Ottawa (3-1) 15

WIFU
Semi-Final
Regina 0 @ Winnipeg 13

ORFU
Sarnia (1-1-2) 6 @ Montreal (2-0-2) 6
Peterborough (1-3) 3 @ Toronto (2-2) 30

Greg Kabat kicked field goals of 45 and 25 yards and converted Fritz Hanson's 5-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter as the Blue Bombers shut out the Roughriders before a capacity crowd of 6,200 at Osborne Stadium.

Canadian university
McGill (4-0) 9 @ Queen's (0-4) 1
Western Ontario (2-2) 7 @ Toronto (2-2) 8

WCIRU
Saskatchewan (2-3) 13 @ Alberta (0-3) 11

Ross Pinder threw touchdown passes to Neil McLeod in the 1st quarter and Skipper Hall in the 3rd quarter, and kicked a field goal in the 4th quarter to provide the winning margin as the Huskies held on to defeat the Golden Bears at Varsity Stadium in Edmonton. Dave McKay rushed for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to tie the score 5-5; with Saskatchewan leading 13-5 in the 4th quarter, Mickey McMillan rushed for the second Alberta TD, converted by Lloyd Wilson.

60 years ago
1948

War
Israeli soldiers captured the Palestinian village of Safsaf in the Galilee; afterward, 52-64 villagers were massacred by the Israeli Defense Forces.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Harry Truman ordered U.S. representatives at the United Nations to oppose British and Chinese proposals for sanctions against Israel if the Jews refused to give up recent gains in the Negev desert.

World events
Peruvian President Jose Luis Bustmante y Rivero was overthrown by a military coup led by General Manuel Odria.

The Greek government imposed martial law on the entire country as government forces and guerrillas battled indecisively in the Vitsi mountain area.

Defense
U.S. Army Secretary Kenneth Royall announced a reorganization of the top command, creating the post of vice chief of staff, to be filled by General J. Lawton Collins. Generals Wade Haislip and Albert Wedemeyer became new deputy chiefs of staff.

Journalism
An Editor and Publisher survey reported that 65% of American daily newspapers supported Republican Party candidate Thomas Dewey and 15% supported President Harry Truman in the 1948 U.S. presidential election four days hence.

Economics and finance
The British government of Prime Minister Clement Attlee proposed a steel nationalization bill bringing 107 iron and steel firms under state control by mid-1950.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations Maritime Engineers Beneficial Association signed an agreement with the Pacific American Shipowners Association calling for a 5.3% wage increase, the first break in the 57-day West Coast dockworkers strike.

Boxing
Sandy Saddler (87-6-2) knocked defending champion Willie Pep (134-2-1) down twice in the 3rd round and then out at 2:38 of the 4th round to win the world featherweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was the first time Mr. Pep had ever been knocked out.

50 years ago
1958

Defense
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Permanent Council abandoned efforts to arrange British-Greek-Turkish talks on the Cyprus dispute.

Withdrawal of 2,000 U.K. paratroops from Jordan was completed by a Royal Air Force airlift to Cyprus.

Politics and government
General Ne Win took office as Prime Minister of Burma, heading a 10-member cabinet.

Martin Pederson, a farmer from the Hawarden area, was elected leader of the Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party.

A U.S. district court in Montgomery, Alabama upheld state legislation putting all predominantly Negro areas outside the borders of Tuskegee, depriving most of the city's Negro voters of a voice in the city government.

Literature
Boris Pasternak wired the Swedish Academy that "in view of the meaning" given to his Nobel Prize in Literature "in the community to which I belong," he must convey his "voluntary refusal" to accept the prize. U.S.S.R. officials and propaganda agencies launched a campaign for expulsion of Mr. Pasternak from Russia.

Disaster
Rescue workers in Springhill, Nova Scotia found 12 more coal miners alive after an underground coal gas explosion and rock surge in the Number Two Cumberland mine; 7 more were brought out on November 1, but 74 died in the deepest coal mine in North America. The last body was recovered November 6, 1958 from the 3,960-metre depth.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
Syrian President Nur al-Din-al-Atasi also took office as Prime Minister, replacing Yusuf Zuayan.

Dr. Gaston Tremblay quit the Union Nationale to sit as an independent member of the Québec National Assembly.

Boxing
Stanley Hayward (27-3-3) won a 10-round split decision over former world champion Emile Griffith (57-9) in a middleweight bout at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Kiss You All Over--Exile (3rd week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
New York Rangers 3 Pittsburgh 2
Vancouver 5 @ Philadelphia 2
Montreal 1 @ Chicago 4

Ivan Boldirev scored 2 goals to help the Black Hawks defeat the Canadiens at Chicago Stadium.

WHA
Quebec 6 @ Edmonton 2
Cincinnati 7 New England 4
Indianapolis 3 Winnipeg 3

Real Cloutier scored 2 goals and 3 assists, while Marc Tardif added 2 goals and Chris Bordeleau and Curt Brackenbury added 1 each to help the Nordiques beat the Oilers before 10,231 fans at Northlands Coliseum. Steve Carlson and Joe Micheletti scored the Edmonton goals.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (6-7-2) 31 @ Toronto (4-11) 15
Calgary (8-4-3) 28 @ Winnipeg (9-6) 24
Saskatchewan (4-11-1) 36 @ Edmonton (10-3-2) 26

Larry Key rushed 20 times for 89 yards and a touchdown to go over 1,000 yards for the season, helping the Lions defeat the Argonauts before 40,120 fans at Exhibition Stadium. Teammate John Henry White rushed 10 times for 85 yards and a touchdown, and caught 4 passes for 56 yards, while quarterback Gary Keithley rushed 1 yard for the other B.C. TD. Toronto quarterback Seth White rushed 1 yard for the first Argonaut touchdown and completed a 24-yard TD pass to M.L. Harris with 2:37 remaining in the game.



James Sykes rushed 20 times for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught 1 pass for 44 yards, while Willie Burden carried 18 times for 92 yards and caught 2 passes for 16 yards to help the Stampeders defeat the Blue Bombers before 26,781 fans on a windy day at Winnipeg Stadium. Ken Johnson completed a 24-yard pass to Tom Forzani for the other Calgary touchdown. Winnipeg quarterback Dieter Brock completed 21 of 33 passes for 62 yards and 3 touchdowns--2 to Mike Holmes and the other to Gord Paterson, while Jim Washington rushed 18 times for 107 yards. A late Winnipeg drive ended at the Calgary 38-yard line. Mr. Sykes went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season.

Ron Lancaster, in the last game of his 19-year Hall of Fame Canadian Football League career and his only game at Commonwealth Stadium as a player, entered the game with 10 minutes remaining and the Roughriders trailing the Eskimos 26-20 before 42,673 fans. He passed 9 yards to Joey Walters for a touchdown with 7:11 remaining, and then rushed 1 yard for a TD of his own with 2:21 remaining. Starting Saskatchewan quarterback Larry Dick completed 2 touchdown passes in the last 2:10 of the 1st half--41 yards to Rod Parker, and 17 yards to Mr. Walters. Jim Germany rushed for the first 2 Edmonton touchdowns, while Warren Moon threw 22 yards to Stu Lang for the other Edmonton TD. Edmonton running back Pat McNeil rushed 8 times for 31 yards in his first CFL game. It was also the last game in the 11-year Hall of Fame career of Saskatchewan defensive end Bill Baker, and the last game for Walt Posadowski as head coach of the Roughriders. He was replaced by Mr. Lancaster several days later. The Eskimos honoured Jackie Parker at halftime for his achievement of being named the greatest player in the 25-year history of the Schenley Awards.

NFL
Baltimore (3-6) 8 @ Miami (6-3) 26
New York Jets (5-4) 21 @ New England (7-2) 55
San Francisco 20 @ Washington (7-2) 38
St. Louis (1-8) 16 @ Philadelphia (4-5) 10
Kansas City 24 @ Pittsburgh (8-1) 27
Detroit (3-6) 21 @ Chicago (3-6) 17
Cincinnati (1-8) 28 @ Houston (5-4) 13
Denver (6-3) 20 @ Seattle (4-5) 17 (OT)
San Diego (3-6) 27 @ Oakland (5-4) 23
Cleveland 41 Buffalo 20
New Orleans 28 New York Giants 17
Green Bay 9 Tampa Bay 7

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Desire--U2 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): A Groovy Kind of Love--Phil Collins

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Teardrops--Womack & Womack (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Amor de mis amores--Paco

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Orinoco Flow--Enya (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Orinoco Flow--Enya

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): A Groovy Kind of Love--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 A Groovy Kind of Love--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)
2 Wild, Wild West--Escape Club
3 Kokomo--The Beach Boys
4 What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)--Information Society
5 Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?--Steve Winwood
6 Bad Medicine--Bon Jovi
7 The Loco-Motion--Kylie Minogue
8 One Moment in Time--Whitney Houston
9 Don't Be Cruel--Bobby Brown
10 Never Tear Us Apart--INXS

Singles entering the chart were Every Rose Has its Thorn by Poison (#60); Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble by D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (#78); Rock & Roll Strategy by Thirty Eight Special (#80); Hippy Hippy Shake by the Georgia Satellites (#82); The Lover in Me by Sheena Easton (#85); Wild World by Maxi Priest (#86); Got a New Love by Good Question (#88); Litte Liar by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (#89); Thanks for My Child by Cheryl Pepsii Riley (#91); and Peek-A-Boo by Siouxsee and the Banshees (#94). Hippy Hippy Shake was from the movie Cocktail (1988).

Football
CFL
Hamilton (9-8) 23 @ Ottawa (2-15) 15
Edmonton (10-7) 16 @ British Columbia (9-8) 51

Martin Sartin rushed 1 yard for a touchdown and caught a 24-yard pass from Tom Porras for another TD to help the Tiger-Cats defeat the Rough Riders before 16,402 fans at Lansdowne Park. Ottawa running back Orville Lee went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season.

The Lions rolled up 543 yards in net offense, while forcing 5 turnovers and restricting the Edmonton offense to 179 yards as they embarrassed the Eskimos before 32,334 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. Edmonton cornerback Steve Benjamin opened the scoring in the 1st quarter with an interception return for a touchdown. Former Calgary Stampeder quarterback Rick Worman, seeing his first game action in an Edmonton uniform, threw a pass to Jim Sandusky late in the game for the Eskimos' only offensive touchdown. It was the only CFL game for Edmonton defensive back Darryl Gaines.

CIAU
OQIFC
Semi-Final
Ottawa 13 @ Queen's 16


WIFL
Alberta (1-7) 36 @ Manitoba (1-7) 33

Alberta running back Tom Houg reached 1,000 yards rushing for the season as the Golden Bears edged the Bisons at Pan-Am Stadium in Winnipeg to end the season. The Bisons' only win had been in Edmonton by a 21-17 score early in the season, so they were ahead on total points 54-53 and avoided finishing in last place in the WIFL.

10 years ago
1998

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin the 10-day mission STS-95. The seven-member crew was commanded by Curtis Brown and included John Glenn, who was making his first space flight since Mercury-Atlas 6 on February 20, 1962, and who, at 77, became the oldest person yet to go into space.

Television
ATSC HDTV broadcasting in the United States was inaugurated with the launch of the STS-95 space shuttle mission.

World events
The long-awaited report by South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was presented, accusing leading figures from across the political spectrum of human rights violations.

Terrorism
While en route from Adana to Ankara, a Turkish Airlines flight with a crew of 6 and 33 passengers was hijacked by a Kurdish militant, who ordered the pilot to fly to Switzerland. The plane instead landed in Ankara after the pilot tricked the hijacker into thinking that he was landing in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia to refuel.

Disasters
Hurricane Mitch, the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history, made landfall in Honduras.

A discothèque fire in Gothenburg, Sweden killed 63 people and injured 200.