October 4, 2008

110 years ago
1898

Politics and government
Amédée Forget began the first of his two terms as Lieutenant-Governor of the Northwest Territories.

90 years ago
1918

Health
The first cases of the misnamed Spanish flu in Alberta were reported in Calgary.

Disasters
An explosion at the T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant in Sayreville, New Jersey killed more than 100 people, injured hundreds more, and destroyed the plant and more than 300 surrounding buildings.

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
Umberto Obregon, 21. Mexican suicide. Mr. Obregon, the son of recently-assassinated President-elect General Alvaro Obregon, shot himself in Mexico City. Gen. Obregon had been assassinated in San Angel on July 27 by Jose de Leon Toral.

Politics and government
Herbert Morrison was elected chairman of the British Labour Party.

Scandal
Andrew "Bossy" Gillis, the "Bad Boy" Mayor of Newburyport, Massachusetts, was sentenced in Salem to serve two months in jail, one month at hard labour, and was fined a total of $545 for conducting an illegal gasoline filling station. Ed Bass, a baker, was acting Mayor while Mr. Gillis was in jail.

The Albany, New York "baseball pool" was put into bankruptcy by a U.S. federal court.

Baseball
World Series
St. Louis Cardinals 1 @ New York Yankees 4 (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Waite Hoyt pitched a 3-hitter, while Babe Ruth hit a 2-run home run and Lou Gehrig drove in 2 runs as the Yankees beat the Cardinals before 61,426 fans at Yankee Stadium.

75 years ago
1933

Baseball
World Series
Washington Nationals 1 @ New York Giants 6 (New York led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Goose Goslin's home run in the top of the 3rd inning gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead, but the Giants erupted for 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th, knocking Washington starting pitcher General Crowder out of the box, before 35,461 fans at the Polo Grounds. Hal Schumacher pitched a 5-hit complete game to get the win. 43-year-old Sam Rice, in his 19th season with the Nationals, played his last game in a Washington uniform, singling as a pinch hitter in the 7th inning.

60 years ago
1948

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis, on MBS

Defense
U.K. Field Marshal Viscount Bernard Montgomery was named head of the Western European Permanent Defense Organization, with two French officers and one British officer as his aides.

The U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force began extensive war games on both coasts, practicing coordination of surprise attack procedures.

Politics and government
U.S. President Harry Truman ordered careful screening by the Army, Federal Bureau of Investigation, State Department, and Displaced Persons Committee of immigrant refugees to prevent entry of Communist agents.

Popular culture
The American Municipal Association reported that laws in 50 cities banned comic books dealing with crime or sex.

Labour
U.S. railroads granted a 10c hourly wage increase to 175,000 members of the Order of Railway Conductors and the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.

Football
CRU
WIFU
Calgary (8-0) 26 @ Winnipeg (3-5) 6

Keith Spaith, Fritz Hanson, and Woody Strode scored touchdowns for the Stampeders as they beat the Blue Bombers at Osborne Stadium. Fred Wilmot added 2 converts and 2 field goals. Mr. Hobson scored the Winnipeg touchdown.

Baseball
Ken Keltner hit a 3-run home run in the top of the 4th inning to break a 1-1 tie as the Cleveland Indians went on to defeat the Boston Red Sox 8-3 before 33,957 fans at Fenway Park in Boston in a 1-game playoff to decide the American League pennant. Cleveland shortstop Lou Boudreau batted 4 for 4 with 2 solo home runs and 3 runs. Gene Bearden pitched a 5-hit complete game victory to finish the season with a record of 20-8, while Boston starter Denny Galehouse, who had spent the equivalent of several innings warming up in the bullpen the previous day, lasted just 3+ innings in taking the loss.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Bird Dog--The Everly Brothers

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Der Legionär--Freddy Quinn (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): When--The Kalin Twins (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Carolina Moon/Stupid Cupid--Connie Francis

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 It's All in the Game--Tommy Edwards
2 Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)--Domenico Modugno
--Dean Martin
3 Bird Dog--The Everly Brothers
4 Rock-in Robin--Bobby Day
5 Little Star--The Elegants
6 Tea for Two Cha Cha--The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra starring Warren Covington
7 Susie Darlin'--Robin Luke
8 Tears on My Pillow--Little Anthony and the Imperials
9 Just a Dream--Jimmy Clanton and the Rockets
10 Patricia--Perez Prado and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were The Hula Hoop Song, with versions by Georgia Gibbs, and Teresa Brewer (#53); With Your Love by Jack Scott (#55); Call Me by Johnny Mathis (#60); Guaglione by Perez Prado and his Orchestra (#68); Poor Boy by the Royaltones (#77); Blue Ribbon Baby by Tommy Sands (#80); Nine More Miles (The “Faster-Faster” Song) by Georgie Young and the Rockin' Bocs (#82); I Really Love You by the Danleers (#84); Tears from My Heart by Thurston Harris (#93); Queen of the Hop by Bobby Darin (#94); It's Raining Outside by the Platters (#95); Fried Onions by Lord Rockingham’s XI (#97); Pretty Little Pearly by the Click-Clacks (#99); and Everyone was There by Bob Kayli (#100).

Defense
Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and Foreign Minister Alichiro Fujiyama met with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Douglas MacArthur II in Tokyo to renew the 1951 U.S.-Japan security treaty.

Politics and government
The Constitution of the Fifth Republic was adopted in France.

Transportation
British Overseas Airway Corporation inaugurated jet airliner commercial passenger service across the Atlantic Ocean.

Hockey
NHL
All-Star Game
All-Stars 3 @ Montréal 6

Rocket Richard scored the first and last goals, while brother Henri scored the winning goal and added 2 assists for the defending Stanley Cup champion Canadiens before 13,989 fans. Andy Bathgate of the New York Rangers scored 2 goals for the All-Stars.

Football
CFL
IRFU
Hamilton (7-0-1) 14 @ Ottawa (4-4) 1
Montreal (3-4-1) 14 @ Toronto (1-7) 10

WIFU
Saskatchewan (6-3-1) 27 @ Calgary (5-5) 14
Winnipeg (9-2) 21 @ Edmonton (5-5-1) 15

CRU
ORFU
London (2-4) 20 @ Sarnia (7-0) 24

Bernie Faloney threw touchdown passes to Tommy Grant and Paul Dekker as the Tiger-Cats defeated the Rough Riders before 18,000 fans at Lansdowne Park. Don Sutherin added a convert and single for Hamilton, while Mack Yoho scored the Ottawa point on a single off a missed field goal attempt.

Sam Etcheverry completed touchdown passes to Dick Hunter and Joel Wells to help the Alouettes defeat the Argonauts before 16,424 fans at Varsity Stadium. Dick Shatto rushed 41 yards for the Toronto touchdown, with Vic Kristopaitis adding a convert and field goal. It was the first start for Ronnie Knox as quarterback of the Argonauts.

Frank Tripucka completed touchdown passes to Ken Carpenter and Ron Dundas and handed off to Cookie Gilchrist for another TD to lead the Roughriders over the Stampeders before 18,000 fans at Mewata Stadium. Jack Hill converted 2 of the touchdowns, with Reg Whitehouse adding a convert and Larry Isbell punting for a single. Veryl Switzer rushed 2 yards for the first Calgary touchdown and Nobby Wirkowski passed to Gene Filipski for the other Stampeder TD.

Jackie Parker's 12-yard touchdown pass to Normie Kwong on the second-last play of the game was called back on a penalty for illegal substitution, and they were unable to score on the final play as the Blue Bombers escaped with a win over the Eskimos before 19,000 fans at Clarke Stadium. Jim Van Pelt passed 8 yards to Frank Gilliam for the first Winnipeg touchdown, and Leo Lewis rushed 47 yards for the other Blue Bomber TD. Mr. Lewis rushed 9 times for 94 yards and caught 3 passes for 57 yards. Joe Mobra scored a touchdown, 2 converts, and a single for the Eskimos, with Bill Walker scoring the other TD, both on passes from Mr. Parker. Edmonton defensive back Rollie Miles made 3 interceptions.

J.B. Smith, Chuck Stanley, and Ernie White scored touchdowns for the Golden Bears as they defeated the Lords at Norm Perry Park. Gino Cappelletti converted all the Sarnia TDs and added 3 singles. Jim Greer, Ron King, and Gerry Thompkins scored the London touchdowns, all converted by Del Thachuk.

SIFL
Toronto (2-0) 35 McGill (1-1) 13
Western Ontario (1-1) 46 Queen's (0-2) 16

Baseball
The Sporting News named San Francisco Giants' first baseman Orlando Cepeda and Washington Senators' outfielder Albie Pearson as the top rookies in the National and American Leagues, respectively, while naming Carlton Willey of the Milwaukee Braves and Ryne Duren of the New York Yankees as the top rookie pitchers in their respective leagues. Mr. Cepeda batted .312 with 25 home runs and 96 runs batted in in 148 games, while Mr. Pearson batted .275 with 3 homers and 33 RBIs in 146 games. Mr. Willey was 9-7 with an earned run average of 2.70 in 23 games, and led the NL with 4 shutouts. Mr. Duren was 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA in 44 games, and led the AL with 20 saves.

World Series
Milwaukee Braves 0 @ New York Yankees 4 (Milwaukee led best-of-seven series 2-1)

Don Larsen allowed 6 hits in 7 innings and Ryne Duren followed with 2 scoreless innings as the Yankees shut out the Braves before 71,599 fans at Yankee Stadium. Hank Bauer batted 3 for 4 with a home run, driving in all 4 runs.





40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in South Africa (Springbok Radio): For Your Precious Love--The Flames

Originally a hit in North America for Jerry Butler and the Impressions 10 years earlier, For Your Precious Love was a hit in South Africa for two artists in 1968. Oscar Toney, Jr.'s version peaked at #3 on August 30. The Flames--Blondie Chaplin, Steve Fataar, Brother Fataar, and Ricky Fataar, were the first non-white South African rock group to achieve widespread success.

#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I Have Loved Me a Man--Allison Durbin (2nd week at #1)

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Fire--Arthur Brown
2 Hey Jude/Revolution--The Beatles
3 I've Gotta Get a Message to You--The Bee Gees
4 Cinnamon--Derek
5 1,2,3, Red Light--1910 Fruitgum Company
6 (The Lament of the Cherokee) Indian Reservation--Don Fardon
7 Suzie Q--Creedence Clearwater Revival
8 Hush--Deep Purple
9 My Special Angel--The Vogues
10 Baby, Come Back--The Equals

Singles entering the chart were Those were the Days by Mary Hopkin (#26); Piece of My Heart by Big Brother and the Holding Company (#27); Elenore by the Turtles (#28); White Room by Cream (#29); and Lalena by Donovan (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Revolution/Hey Jude--The Beatles (4th week at #1)
2 I've Gotta Get a Message to You--The Bee Gees
3 1,2,3, Red Light--1910 Fruitgum Company
4 Fire--Arthur Brown
5 (The Lament of the Cherokee) Indian Reservation--Don Fardon
6 The Snake--Al Wilson
7 Street Fighting Man--The Rolling Stones
8 People Got to Be Free--The Rascals
9 Girl Watcher--The O'Kaysions
10 On the Road Again--Canned Heat

At the movies
Firecreek (1968), a Western starring James Stewart and Henry Fonda, opened its two-night run at the Capitol Theatre in Yellowknife. This blogger went with his best friend, Garland Grayston, and babysitter Betty-Jo Morris.

Died on this date
Pete "Mad Daddy" Myers, 40. U.S. radio personality. Mr. Myers was a rock and roll disc jockey who achieved success in Akron, and shortly thereafter, Cleveland, Ohio in the late 1950s, with a unique style that included a constant rhyming delivery accompanied by sound effects. He later moved to New York, where he was forced to tone down his "Mad Daddy" persona. Mr. Myers was reportedly despondent, believing he was about to be forced out of his position at New York station WNEW, and fatally shot himself in his apartment.

War
Cambodia admitted that it was a sanctuary for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, saying that they occupied three provinces bordering South Vietnam.

Diplomacy
Czechoslovakian leaders concluded two days of talks in Moscow with Soviet leaders by giving in to U.S.S.R. pressure to abandon the remnants of their eight-month liberalization program and to let Soviet troops remain in Czechoslovakia.

Law
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson withdrew his nomination of Supreme Court Associate Justice Abe Fortas for Chief Justice after an effort to end a Senate filibuster to block the nomination failed. The withdrawal also voided the nomination of Judge Homer Thornberry to succeed Mr. Fortas as an Associate Justice.

Disasters
Eight coal miners were killed, two injured, and seven missing when a gas explosion wrecked a mine in Luenen, West Germany.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Summer Nights--John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

Disasters
Heavy floods in southeast Asia were reported to be driving millions of people from their homes and causing outbreaks of cholera.

Baseball
American League Championship Series
New York 4 @ Kansas City 10 (Best-of-five series tied 1-1)

The Royals took a 5-0 lead after 2 innings and coasted to victory before 41,158 fans at Royals Stadium.

National League Championship Series
Los Angeles 9 @ Philadelphia 5 (Los Angeles led best-of-five series 1-0)

Steve Garvey hit 2 home runs, while Dave Lopes and Steve Yeager also homered to help the Dodgers win before 63,460 fans at Veterans Stadium.

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Moonlight Shadow--Mike Oldfield (3rd week at #1)

Defense
U.S. President Ronald Reagan formally gave his support to the build-down concept in which old nuclear warheads would be destroyed as new ones were deployed. In the new proposal, emphasis would be placed on less threatening and less vulnerable sea-based and mobile land-based missiles.

Business
The big three U.S. automakers--General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler--reported that sales had increased 16.7% during the 1983 model year, the first gain from the previous year since 1978.

Auto racing
Richard Noble set a new land speed record of 633.468 miles per hour (1,019 kilometres per hour), driving Thrust 2 at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.

Baseball
National League Championship Series
Philadelphia 1 @ Los Angeles 0 (Philadelphia led best-of-five series 1-0)



20 years ago
1988

Scandal
Nine Canadians victimized by U.S. Central Intelligence Agency brainwashing experiments at McGill University in the 1950s reached an out-of-court settlement, sharing a $750,000 award.

Economics and finance
The United States House of Representatives voted 272-152 in favour of restricting imports of textiles, apparel, and shoes, but the result was 11 votes short of the number required to override President Ronald Reagan's veto of the bill which he had called "protectionism at its worst" in his veto message. He hailed the failure to override the veto, saying that the House had "once again reaffirmed America's commitment to the free market and free international trade."

Baseball
National League Championship Series
New York 3 @ Los Angeles 2 (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)

The Mets scored all their runs in the top of the 9th inning, ending Orel Hershiser's streak of scoreless innings at 67 1/3. Jay Howell, who relieved Mr. Hershiser, was the losing pitcher before 55,582 fans at Dodger Stadium.





10 years ago
1998

Football
CFL
Edmonton (7-7) 3 @ Montreal (9-4-1) 34
Winnipeg (2-12) 21 @ Hamilton (10-2-1) 35
British Columbia (5-9) 22 @ Calgary (9-5) 11

Mike Pringle rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown to help the Alouettes rout the Eskimos before 16,152 fans at Molson Stadium. Edmonton's Scott Deibert recovered a Montreal fumble on the opening kickoff, leading to a 30-yard Sean Fleming field goal to open the scoring just 1:09 into the game. Otherwise, the Eskimos never came close to scoring, and they were so badly embarrassed that Montreal third-string quarterback Lance Funderburk even led a touchdown drive, scoring on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. Marcus Dowdell played his first game as an Eskimo, catching 5 passes for 68 yards and returning 4 punts for 17 yards.

Danny McManus passed for 460 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Ronald Williams rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown to help the Tiger-Cats beat the Blue Bombers before 14,879 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Juan Johnson rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown, and Lui Passaglia added a convert and 5 field goals to help the Lions defeat the Stampeders before 33,179 fans at McMahon Stadium.

Baseball
National League Division Series
Houston 1 @ San Diego 6 (San Diego won best-of-five series 3-1)