November 29, 2008

1,390 years ago
618

War
Tang dynasty forces scored a decisive victory over forces of their rival Xue Rengao in the Battle of Qianshuiyuan in China.

740 years ago
1268

Died on this date
Clement IV, 78. Roman Catholic Pope, 1265-1268. Clement IV, born Gui Foucois in France, was Bishop of Le Puy (1257–1260); Archbishop of Narbonne (1259–1261): and Cardinal of Sabina (1261–1265) before succeeding Urban IV as Pope. Clement IV was a patron of both Thomas Aquinas and Roger Bacon. Pope Clement IV died six days after his 78th birthday; because of irreconcilable differences among the cardinals, the papal throne remained vacant for nearly three years before being occupied by Gregory X.

210 years ago
1798

Canadiana
Members of the Legislature of St. John's Island voted to change the island's name to Prince Edward Island in honour of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George III, then stationed with the army in Halifax. The reason for the change was that there was too much confusion with Saint John, New Brunswick and St. John's, Newfoundland; the official name change took place on June 3, 1799.

110 years ago
1898

Disasters
Nine people drowned when the steamboat City of Ainsworth foundered off Crawford Bay on Kootenay Lake, British Columbia.

100 years ago
1908

Born on this date
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.. U.S. clergyman and politician. A man of mixed racial ancestry, Mr. Powell followed his father into the clergy as a Baptist minister in Harlem, New York. A Democrat, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1945-1971. A prominent civil rights activist, Mr. Powell's later years in Congress were dogged by allegations of corruption. He died on April 4, 1972 at the age of 63.

90 years ago
1918

Died on this date
Antônio Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, 37. Brazilian Royal Family member and military aviator. Prince Antônio Gastão was the third and youngest son of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, and a grandson of Emperor Pedro II. Prince Antônio Gastão lived in exile in Europe after his grandfather was deposed in a coup, and joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons during World War I, serving as a pilot and spy attached to the Royal Flying Corps. Prince Antônio Gastão was promoted to captain in 1916, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1917. He spent the last few months of the war with the War Office, and died in Edmonton, London from injuries suffered in a plane crash shortly after the end of the war.

80 years ago
1928

Died on this date
Carl Anderson, 34. U.S. criminal. Mr. Anderson, a reputed rum runner, was killed, and companion Edmond Sahr, 24, was wounded in the shoulder, when bullets from a machine gun on the Coast Guard cutter C.G. 2364 sprayed into Mr. Anderson's cabin cruiser The Bug in Lake Ontario, half a mile out from the Niagara River.

Crime
A court in Paris sentenced the murderer of Italian Vice Consul Count Nardini to two years in prison. The lightness of the sentence led to demonstrations by Fascists at the French embassy in Rome, and elsewhere.

70 years ago
1938

Society
Mary Buksa became one of the first people in Edmonton to prepay and plan her own funeral, including the purchase of a tombstone with the death date yet to be filled in.

60 years ago
1948

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

War
Marshal Lin Biao, commander-in-chief of the Chinese communist Northeast Field Army, launched a massive offensive toward Beijing, beginning the Pingjin Campaign. Nationalist forces abandoned the northern Chinese port of Chinwangtao to the Communists.

Diplomacy
Israel formally applied for admission to the United Nations.

Law
The Indian Constituent Assembly adopted a constitutional clause prohibiting the practice of untouchability "in any form."

Politics and government
The American Veterans Committee ended a four-day convention in Cleveland after voting to bar Communists from membership; opposing a federal bonus for veterans; and supporting Marshall Plan aid to Europe.

Economics and finance
The U.S.S.R. and the Western powers approved a plan for study of the Berlin currency problem by experts from neutral United Nations Security Council member states.

Football
NCAA
University of Pennsylvania center and linebacker Chuck Bednarik was named the winner of the Maxwell Award as the best all-around college football player in the United States for 1948.

50 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)--Domenico Modugno; Dean Martin (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): La Paloma--Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): When--The Kalin Twins (12th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Hoots Mon--Lord Rockingham's XI

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio (2nd week at #1)
2 To Know Him, is to Love Him--The Teddy Bears
3 It's Only Make Believe--Conway Twitty
4 Topsy II--Cozy Cole
5 I Got Stung--Elvis Presley
6 Beep Beep--The Playmates
7 Lonesome Town--Ricky Nelson
8 One Night--Elvis Presley
9 It's All in the Game--Tommy Edwards
10 Chantilly Lace--The Big Bopper

Singles entering the chart were Big Bopper's Wedding (#73)/Little Red Riding Hood (#78) by the Big Bopper; Love You Most of All by Sam Cooke (#81); Seven Minutes in Heaven by the Poni-Tails (#88); Peek-A-Boo by the Cadillacs (#92); Nobody But You by Dee Clark (#93); Turvy II by Cozy Cole (#95); Caravan Part 2 by Cozy Cole (#97); Sing Sing Sing by the Bernie Lowe Orchestra (#98); Donna by Ritchie Valens (#99); and The Wedding by June Valli (#100). Turvy II was the B-side of Turvy I; Caravan Part II was the B-side of Caravan Part I.

Law
King Hussein of Jordan announced the end of martial law and curfew restrictions.

Football
CFL
Grey Cup @ Empire Stadium, Vancouver
Winnipeg 35 Hamilton 28

Quarterback Jim Van Pelt set a Grey Cup scoring record with 22 points on 2 touchdowns, 2 field goals, and 4 converts in leading the Blue Bombers back from an early 14-0 deficit to defeat the Tiger-Cats before 36,567 fans in one of the best Grey Cup games ever played. Gerry McDougall rushed for a touchdown to open the scoring, and Ralph Goldston returned a Winnipeg fumble 75 yards for another TD, with Steve Oneschuk's second convert making the score 14-0. The Blue Bombers got on the scoreboard when Mr. Van Pelt pitched out to Leo Lewis and then caught a pass for a 20-yard touchdown. Mr. Van Pelt kicked a pair of field goals to narrow the deficit to 14-13. Mr. Goldston was ejected in the 2nd quarter for punching Mr. Lewis at the end of a play. With the Tiger-Cats leading 14-13 and time for just one more play before halftime, Hamilton head coach Jim Trimble elected to have Cam Fraser punt from his own 3-yard line rather than simply ground the ball. The kick was blocked, and Norm Rauhaus recovered for a touchdown, which, converted by Mr. Van Pelt, gave Winnipeg a 20-14 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter, Hamilton quarterback Bernie Faloney completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ron Howell, and Mr. Oneschuk's convert gave the Tiger-Cats a 21-20 lead. Winnipeg linebacker Gordie Rowland recovered a Hamilton fumble at the Tiger-Cats' 25-yard line, leading to a 3-yard touchdown rush by Charlie Shepard, with Mr. Van Pelt's convert giving the Blue Bombers a 27-21 lead. A 35-yard TD pass from Mr. Faloney to Mr. Howell, converted by Mr. Oneschuk, made the score 28-27 Hamilton after 3 quarters. In the 4th quarter, Mr. Van Pelt scored his second touchdown and converted, and Mr. Shepard punted for a single to give Winnipeg a seven-point lead. Mr. Faloney drove the Tiger-Cats into Winnipeg territory in the last 4 minutes, but both drives ended with Winnipeg interceptions. It was the Blue Bombers' first Grey Cup championship in 17 years.



NCAA
Army 22 Navy 6 @ Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Jesamine--The Casuals (2nd week at #1)

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Little Arrows--Leapy Lee
2 Abraham, Martin and John--Dion
3 Love Child--Diana Ross and the Supremes
4 Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin
5 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell
6 1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero--Bobby Russell
7 Do Something to Me--Tommy James and the Shondells
8 The Straight Life--Bobby Goldsboro
9 Bitter Green--Gordon Lightfoot
10 On the Way Home--Buffalo Springfield

Singles entering the chart were Scarborough Fair by Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 (#26); Till by the Vogues (#29); and Who's Making Love by Johnnie Taylor (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Hey Jude/Revolution--The Beatles (12th week at #1)
2 Little Arrows--Leapy Lee
3 Love Child--Diana Ross and the Supremes
4 White Room--Cream
5 Magic Carpet Ride--Steppenwolf
6 Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin
7 The Straight Life--Bobby Goldsboro
8 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell
9 Elenore--The Turtles
10 Abraham, Martin and John--Dion

Politics and government
The Quebec Chamber of Deputies voted in favour of Bill 90, abolishing the Legislative Council. The bill provided that the Quebec Legislature would now be composed solely of the Lieutenant-Governor and an elective chamber that would be called the National Assembly of Quebec, instead of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. The legislative counsels, who saw their jobs disappear, were entitled to a $ 10,000 pension, a measure that was strongly contested by the Liberals who sat in the Opposition. The bill was approved by the Legislative Council on December 13, and went into effect on December 31, 1968.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--Rod Stewart

Died on this date
André Morell, 69. U.K. actor. Mr. Morell, born André Mesritz, appeared in numerous plays, films, and television programs in a career spanning 40 years, but was perhaps best known for playing Professor Bernard Quatermass in the television serial Quatermass and the Pit (1958-1959) and Dr. Watson in the movie The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). He was a heavy smoker for many years, but quit two years before his death from lung cancer.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 5 @ Minnesota 3
Chicago 1 @ Vancouver 1

25 years ago
1983

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and U.S. President Ronald Reagan concluded two days of talks in Washington by announcing that a joint military command would be established to coordinate planning and maneuvers. Israel would be allowed to use $550 million in U.S. military aid to develop a new combat aircraft. Mr. Reagan endorsed exempting Israel from repaying military aid for fiscal 1984.

Society
The government of Canada suspended enforcement of metric measurement after an adverse court ruling, resulting in a need to rewrite and clarify the law.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that the U.S. trade deficit had set another one-month record of $8.97 billion in October.

The Dow Jones industrial average hit an all-time high of 1,287.20.

Track and field
Kanchan Stott, 37, reached Halifax 207 days after leaving Victoria, completing the first cross-Canada run by a woman and the longest recorded run (6,688 kilometres) by a woman.

20 years ago
1988

Politics and government
Democrats who would be serving in the United States Senate in the 101st Congress elected George Mitchell of Maine to be their leader, succeeding Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who did not seek re-election to the post.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the nation's economy, as measured by the gross national product, had grown at an annual rate of 2.6% in the third quarter of 1988, a figure higher than the earlier 2.2% estimate.

Disasters
At least 700 people were killed and hundreds of thousands left homeless when a cyclone struck Bangladesh.