October 31, 2008

870 years ago
1138

Died on this date
Lý Thần Tông, 22. Emperor of Vietnam, 1128-1138. Lý Thần Tông, born Lý Dương Hoán, succeeded his grandfather Lý Nhân Tông. Lý Thần Tông died of a serious disease that he had contracted two years earlier, and was succeeded by his 2-year-old son Lý Anh Tông.

240 years ago
1768

Died on this date
Francesco Maria Veracini, 78. Italian composer. Mr. Veracini was a violinist who was best known for his violin sonatas. He also wrote violin concertos, recorder sonatas, and orchestral suites, and has been described as heralding the end of the Baroque era.

180 years ago
1828

Politics and government
Voting began in the U.S. presidential election.

120 years ago
1888

Politics and government
Lieutenant-Governor Joseph Royal convened the first session of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in Regina. Frederick Haultain was head of the advisory council to the Lieutenant-Governor.

100 years ago
1908

Transportation
The first streetcar from Edmonton to Strathcona, Alberta crossed the Low Level Bridge.

Football
ORFU
Toronto (2-0) 7 Peterboro (0-2) 6

90 years ago
1918

Health
The Alberta government prohibited all public meetings of seven persons or more, as the influenza epidemic swept the province; churches, schools, and theatres closed.

80 years ago
1928

Crime
The signature of Albert Snyder, art editor of Queens Village, New York, who was beaten to death with a sashweight at his home on March 9, 1927, was traced by an agent of an insurance company on an amended form of application for insurance policies of $45,000 and $5,000, the former carrying double indemnity provisions in case of accidental death. Mr. Snyder had not signed the application. This was revealed at the trial of the company's suit to invalidate the insurance. The court voided the policies.

Agriculture
In the first such act under a decree by Italian Duce Benito Mussolini, the untilled farm of a lawyer in Rovigo Province was seized, to be farmed cooperatively in the public interest.

70 years ago
1938

At the movies
En kvinnas ansikte (A Woman's Face), directed by Gustaf Molander, and starring Ingrid Bergman, Tore Svennberg, and Anders Henrikson, opened in theatres in Sweden.

60 years ago
1948

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Now is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song)--Bing Crosby; Gracie Fields (1st month at #1)

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and George Spelvin (Wendell Holmes), on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Uddington Witch

Died on this date
Irving Ross. U.S. bureaucrat. Mr. Ross, an employee of the Economic Cooperation Administration, was murdered in the Soviet sector of Vienna, allegedly by men in Russian uniforms. U.S.S.R. military authorities claimed jurisdiction over the investigation.

Muso Suparto. Indonesian politician. Mr. Suparto, leader of the Indonesian Communist Party, was killed near Maidun by government troops.

Mary Nolan, 45. U.S. actress. Miss Nolan, born Mary Imogene Robertson, began her career with the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s before appearing in films such as West of Zanzibar (1928) and Desert Nights (1929). She was involved in violent relationships with men, became a drug addict, and was institutionalized several times. Miss Nolan appeared in nightclubs in her later years; she died of an overdose of Seconal, which was ruled "accidental or suicide."

War
Israel completed its conquest of Gallilee, gaining control over all of northern Palestine.

Diplomacy
Dutch Foreign Minister D.U. Stikker arrived in Batavia to negotiate a general settlement of Indonesian issues.

World events
The Chinese Nationalist government urged Americans to leave Peking, Tientsin, and other northern cities threatened by Communists.

Economics and finance
The Chinese Nationalist government abandoned its program of price restraints, after merchants refused to sell at money-losing ceiling prices.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Carolina Moon/Stupid Cupid--Connie Francis (6th week at #1)

War
The Algerian provisional government issued a "last appeal" to France for a negotiated end to the Algerian conflict.

Defense
U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. delegations met in Geneva to open the Conference on the Discontinuance of Nuclear Weapons Tests.

Politics and government
Burmese Prime Minister General Ne Win told Parliament that he would continue Burma's neutralist foreign policy and restore order, with the aim of holding new elections within six months.

40 years ago
1968

On the radio
The War of the Worlds, on WKBW

The Buffalo station, using its own personnel, did an updated version of the H.G. Wells story in the manner made famous by the Mercury Theatre's version in 1938.



War
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson announced that he was calling a complete halt to all American air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam as of 8 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on November 1. A Communist rocket attack on Saigon killed at least 21 South Vietnamese civilians. Hue and My Tho were also under attack.

30 years ago
1978

On television tonight
The Paper Chase, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Da Da



Died on this date
Larry Isbell, 48. U.S.-born football and baseball player. Mr. Isbell was an All-American football quarterback at Baylor University in 1951, and was an All-American baseball catcher in 1952. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round in 1952, but opted to sign with the Boston Red Sox instead. Mr. Isbell played with the Louisville Colonels of the AAA International League in 1952-1953, batting .266 with 2 home rins and 19 runs batted in in 55 games in 1952, and .317 with 1 homer and 16 RBIs in 50 games in 1953. He also played 3 games with the Fort Worth Cats of the AA Texas League in 1953. Mr. Isbell joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union in 1954 and spent five seasons with them as an offensive and defensive halfback, quarterback, and punter. He made the WIFU All-Star team as a defensive back from 1956-1958, but was probably most renowned as a punter. Mr. Isbell punted 539 times for a 42.8-yard average and 50 singles from 1954-1958. He set a WIFU record in his rookie season with a 46.3-yard average, including an average of 56.2 in a game against the Calgary Stampeders in his second game, on August 23. Mr. Isbell set another WIFU record with 17 punts in a game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on September 12, 1955. His last season was 1958, when he punted 111 times for a 40.9-yard average and a WIFU-leading 11 singles, while catching 5 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, and returning 2 interceptions for a total of 68 yards. Mr. Isbell returned to his native Texas, and was working as a car salesman when he died of a heart attack. He has since been inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame; the Baylor University Hall of Fame; and the Saskatchewan Roughriders Plaza of Honour.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board raised the discount rate to a record high of 9 1/2%, and raised the interest rate on federal funds to 9 1/8%. Chase Manhattan Bank raised its prime rate to 10 1/2%.

Labour
Oil workers in Iran went on strike, cutting production from 5.3 million barrels per day to 2 million barrels. The workers demanded higher wages and an end to martial law.

The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations rejected U.S. President Jimmy Carter's anti-inflation program, calling for mandatory wage and price controls.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Desire--U2 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli

Died on this date
John Houseman, 86. Romanian-born U.S. producer and actor. Mr. Houseman, born Jacques Haussmann, was educated in England and moved to the United States in 1925. He was associated with Orson Welles in theatre, radio, and film from the mid-1930s through the early 1940s. Mr. Houseman produced plays, films, and television programs through the 1970s, and was the founding director of the Drama Division of the Juilliard School and The Acting Company. He achieved fame as an actor in the 1970s, winning an Academy Award for his supporting performance as Professor Charles W. Kingsfield in The Paper Chase (1973), and reprising his role in the subsequent television series (1978-1979, 1983-1986). Mr. Houseman died of spinal cancer, the day after the 50th anniversary of the original Mercury Theatre on the Air broadcast of The War of the Worlds, which he had produced.

Scandal
Imelda Marcos, wife of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, was arraigned and pled not guilty, 10 days after being indicted with her husband and eight others by a U.S. grand jury in New York on charges of racketeering. Doctors said that Mr. Marcos was not well enough to travel from Hawaii to New York for arraignment.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Elmer Vasko, 62. Canadian hockey player. Mr. Vasko, nicknamed "Moose," was a native of Duparquet, Quebec. He was a defenceman with the Chicago Black Hawks (1956-66) and Minnesota North Stars (1967-70), scoring 200 points on 34 goals and 166 assists in 786 regular season games and 2 goals and 7 assists in 78 playoff games. Mr. Vasko was a member of the 1961 Stanley Cup championship team, and was a second team NHL All-Star in 1962-63 and 1963-64.

Diplomacy
The Iraq disarmament crisis began as Iraq announced that it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.

Football
CFL
Calgary (12-6) 22 @ British Columbia (9-9) 31

Juan Johnson rushed for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns and Lui Passaglia kicked 3 field goals to help the Lions to their sixth straight win, defeating the Stampeders before 20,070 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.