July 12, 2009

520 years ago
1489

Died on this date
Bahlul Lodi, 83 (?). Sultan of Delhi, 1451-1489. Bahlul Lodi founded the Lodi dynasty, which ruled Delhi until 1526. He took the throne upon the abdication of Alam Shah, the last claimant from the previous Sayyid rule. A power struggle ensued upon Bahlul Lodi's death, and he was succeeded by his second son Sikander Lodi.

250 years ago
1759

War
British Army General James Wolfe ordered cannons to start firing on Québec from the heights of Levis; that night Jean-Daniel Dumas led 1,600 soldiers, mostly students, in a disastrous night attack on the British forces; the young men panicked and fired on each other.

220 years ago
1789

Politics and government
French revolutionary and radical journalist Camille Desmoulins gave a speech in response to the dismissal of Jacques Necker as France's finance minister the day before. The speech called the citizens to arms and led to the storming of the Bastille two days later.

210 years ago
1799

War
Ranjit Singh conquered Lahore and became Maharaja of the Punjab (Sikh Empire).

190 years ago
1819

Economics and finance
The Bank of Kingston was incorporated in Upper Canada.

Disasters
A plague of locusts devoured every green plant in the Red River district.

160 years ago
1849

Born on this date
William Osler. Canadian-born U.K. physician. Sir William, a native of Bond Head, Canada West (now Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario), taught at various universities, and was one of the founders of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore in 1893. He has been called the "Father of Modern Medicine" for his creation of the first medical residency program and his insistence on getting students out of lecture halls and into wards for bedside training. Sir William died in Oxford, England on December 29, 1919 at the age of 70.

Protest
The annual July 12th Orange Order celebration in Saint John, New Brunswick erupted into violence at York Point. More than 1,000 Protestants and Irish Catholics battled amid chaos as law and order broke down, and 12 deaths were reported.

110 years ago
1899

Labour
British Columbia implemented an eight-hour work day for underground miners throughout the province.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Joe DeRita. U.S. actor and comedian. Mr. DeRita, born Joseph Wardell, was best known as "Curly Joe," who joined the Three Stooges comedy team in 1958 and appeared with them in several feature films through the 1960s. He died on July 3, 1993, 9 days before his 84th birthday.

Herbert Zim. U.S. teacher, author, and editor. Dr. Zim was responsible for introducing laboratory instruction into the teaching of science in elementary schools, but was best known as the founder and editor-in-chief of the Golden Guides series of nature books for children. He died on December 5, 1994 at the age of 85, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

90 years ago
1919

Baseball
Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox tied his own single-season American League record when he hit his 11th home run of the season in a 12-4 win over the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park in Chicago. It was Mr. Ruth’s first home run at Comiskey Park, giving him at least one career home run in every AL park. He also singled and doubled, scoring 2 runs and driving in 4.

Wilbur Cooper pitched a 3-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Fred Toney as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the New York Giants 1-0 before 20,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. The only run was scored in the 2nd inning when George Cutshaw tripled with 1 out and Fritz Mollwitz followed with a single to drive him home.

Jimmy Ring pitched a 5-hitter and Heinie Groh batted 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 runs, and 3 runs batted in for the Cincinnati Reds as they shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 7-0 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.

90 years ago
1929

Aviation
The 12-engine Dornier Do X Flugschiff (flying ship), with a 14-man crew led by Chief Pilot Richard Wagner, made its first test flight, at Altenrhein, Switzerland.

Baseball
Charlie Gehringer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run as the Detroit Tigers scored 4 runs in the 9th inning to defeat the Boston Red Sox 13-12 at Navin Field in Detroit. Red Ruffing started on the mound for Boston and allowed 12 hits and 9 runs--7 earned--in 7 1/3 innings, but batted 4 for 4 with a double, run, and 5 runs batted in.

Lefty Grove and George Earnshaw were the respective winning pitchers and Al Simmons hit a home run in each game for the Philadelphia Athletics as they swept a doubleheader from the St. Louis Browns 10-0 and 8-2 before 8,000 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

In a wild 9th inning before 5,000 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, the St. Louis Cardinals scored 5 runs to take a 7-2 lead, only to have the Brooklyn Robins score 6 with one out in the bottom of the inning to win 8-7. The Cardinals made 3 errors in the 9th, and 2 Brooklyn runs scored on bases-loaded walks from relief pitcher Hal Haid.

Travis Jackson hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning to give the New York Giants a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds in New York. With 2 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th, the Giants had tied the score when Fred Lindstrom singled and Mel Ott followed with a triple to drive him home.

60 years ago
1949

On the radio
Philo Vance, starring Jackson Beck
Tonight's episode: The One-Cent Murder Case

Died on this date
Douglas Hyde, 89. 1st President of Ireland, 1938-1945. Mr. Hyde, an independent politician, was known as a promoter of the Irish language. He sat in the Seanad (Senate) from 1922-1925 and then for a week in 1938 immediately prior to his appointment as President. He opted not to run for re-election in 1945, and died after several years of declining health.

Politics and government
Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities decided against a committee review of the perjury trial of former State Department official Alger Hiss.

Labour
The United Auto Workers of America meeting in Milwaukee overwhelmingly re-elected union President Walter Reuther and his slate against left-wing opposition.

Disasters
13 American news correspondents returning from a tour of Indonesia were killed with 32 other passengers when a Dutch KLM Constellation crashed near Bombay in a blinding rainstorm.

Baseball
Major League All-Star Game @ Ebbets Field, Brooklyn
American League 11 @ National League 7

The National League committed 5 errors, contributing to the win for the American League before 32,577 fans. It was the first All-Star game to include Negro players: Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians.



50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Ce serait dommage--Sacha Distel (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Jim Kjelgaard, 48. U.S. author. Mr. Kjelgaard wrote novels about dogs and wild animals for a young adult audience. The best-known of his more than 40 novels was probably Big Red (1945). Mr. Kjelgaard suffered from chronic pain and depression, leading to his suicide.

World events
Former Honduran army chief of staff Colonel Armando Velasquez led a revolt against the government of President Ramon Villeda Morales, concentrating attacks on police headquarters in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. First Deputy Premier Frol Kozlov said in New York that his U.S. tour had not changed his previous views about the United States.

Law
Italian President Giovanni Gronchi signed a penal amnesty freeing one-third of 40,000 prisoners awaiting trial on charges ranging from customs evasion to political assassination.

Baseball
The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 7-3 before 29,626 fans at Fenway Park in Boston in a televised Game of the Week on NBC. NBC used 80-inch outfield cameras to catch the signals of catchers Yogi Berra of the Yankees and Sammy White of the Red Sox, and announcers Mel Allen and Phil Rizzuto were invariably correct in predicting the pitches. Commissioner Ford Frick quickly requested a halt to the practice for future telecasts. Boston right fielder Jackie Jensen batted 3 for 4 with a home run, 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 runs batted in.

The Chicago White Sox scored 5 runs in the 1st inning of the first game and 4 runs in the 1st inning of the second game as they swept a doubleheader from the Kansas City Athletics 5-3 and 9-7 before 18,426 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

With 2 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th inning, Johnny Temple singled, advanced to third base on a single by Vada Pinson, and scored on a single by Gus Bell to give the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 14,443 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Bob Purkey pitched a 5-hit complete game to win the pitching matchup with Larry Sherry, who allowed 7 hits before being relieved by Roger Craig, who entered the game to face Mr. Bell in the 9th.

The Chicago Cubs scored all their runs in the 4th inning to take a 7-1 lead and held on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 in the first game of a doubleheader before 6,519 fans at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. All the scoring took place in the 1st inning as the Phillies won the second game 4-1. Philadelphia first baseman Ed Bouchee hit a home run in each game.

Roberto Clemente singled home Dick Schofield with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of a doubleheader before 25,530 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Pirates were leading 5-4 with 1 out in the top of the 9th in the second game, when the game was suspended because of a Sunday curfew law in Pennsylvania. The game was resumed on August 19, and the Cardinals scored 2 runs in the 10th inning to break a 6-6 tie, and won 8-6.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Ballad of John and Yoko--The Beatles

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Oh Happy Day--The Edwin Hawkins Singers (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Lisa dagli occhi blu--Mario Tessuto

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): The Ballad of John and Yoko--The Beatles

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Ballad of John and Yoko--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Something in the Air--Thunderclap Newman

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Hair--The Cowsills
2 Get Back/Don't Let Me Down--The Beatles with Billy Preston
3 Bad Moon Rising/Lodi--Creedence Clearwater Revival
4 Love Me Tonight--Tom Jones
5 Israelites--Desmond Dekker and the Aces
6 The Ballad of John and Yoko/Old Brown Shoe--The Beatles
7 The Real Thing--Russell Morris
8 Gitarzan--Ray Stevens
9 My Sentimental Friend--Herman's Hermits
10 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)--The 5th Dimension

Singles entering the chart were Tomorrow Tomorrow by the Bee Gees (#19) and Marley Purt Drive by Jose Feliciano (#36).

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 The Ballad of John and Yoko--The Beatles (4th week at #1)
2 Je t'aime...mon non plus--Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg
3 A Salty Dog--Procol Harum
4 I Want to Live--Aphrodite's Child
5 Tomorrow Tomorrow--The Bee Gees
6 In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley
7 Big Bamboo--The Merrymen
8 Where Will I Be--Golden Earrings
9 Oh Happy Day--The Edwin Hawkins Singers
10 Bad Moon Rising--Creedence Clearwater Revival

Singles entering the chart were Venus by Shocking Blue (#17); Swan Lake by the Cats (#31); Vrijgezellen-Flat by Ria Valk (#34); A Way of Life by the Family Dogg (#35); and Ma Belle Amie by Tee-Set (#40).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)--Zager & Evans
2 Spinning Wheel--Blood, Sweat & Tears
3 Good Morning Starshine--Oliver
4 Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus
5 One--Three Dog Night
6 Crystal Blue Persuasion--Tommy James and the Shondells
7 Bad Moon Rising--Creedence Clearwater Revival
8 The Ballad of John and Yoko--The Beatles
9 Color Him Father--The Winstons
10 What Does it Take (To Win Your Love)--Jr. Walker & the All Stars

Singles entering the chart were Hey Joe by Wilson Pickett (#81); Laughing by the Guess Who (#83); Where Do I Go/Be-in (Hare Krishna) by the Happenings (#85); Stay and Love Me All Summer by Brian Hyland (#87); Willie and Laura Mae Jones by Dusty Springfield (#88); Wake Up by the Chambers Brothers (#92); Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan (#94); Birds of a Feather by Joe South (#96); In the Time of Our Lives by Iron Butterfly (#97); Pass the Apple Eve by B.J. Thomas (#98); and Abergavenny by Shannon (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus (2nd week at #1)
2 One--Three Dog Night
3 In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)--Zager & Evans
4 Good Morning Starshine--Oliver
5 Spinning Wheel--Blood, Sweat & Tears
6 In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley
7 Love Me Tonight--Tom Jones
8 Bad Moon Rising--Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 Color Him Father--The Winstons
10 The Ballad of John and Yoko--The Beatles

Singles entering the chart were Laughing by the Guess Who (#65); Jack and Jill by Tommy Roe (#72); I'm Free by the Who (#73); I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved by David Ruffin (#75); Marrakesh Express by Crosby, Stills & Nash (#84); Your Husband - My Wife by Brooklyn Bridge (#86); Birthday by Underground Sunshine (#89); Everybody Knows Matilda by Duke Baxter (#92); Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan (#95); Did You See Her Eyes by the Illusion (#96); In My Room by Sagittarius (#98); Out of Sight, Out of Mind by Little Anthony and the Imperials (#99); and First Hymn from Grand Terrace by Mark Lindsay (#100).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 The Ballad of John and Yoko--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)
2 In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley
3 Let Me--Paul Revere and the Raiders
4 Baby, I Love You--Andy Kim
5 Bad Moon Rising--Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 One--Three Dog Night
7 Medicine Man (Part I)--Buchanan Brothers
8 Spring--John Tipton
9 The Minotaur--Dick Hyman and his Electric Eclectics
10 Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus
Pick hit of the week: Hey, Little Man--The Happy Feeling

Died on this date
Clarence, 7. African-born U.S. lion. Clarence was the star of the movie Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965) and the televison series it inspired, Daktari (1966-1969). He lived in Homosassa Spring, Florida, where Ivan Tors based his film and television productions, but was in Peoria, Illinois, preparing to appear at the opening of the Illinois State Fair on July 14, but died in his sleep of acute gastritis. Clarence had just finished filming a guest appearance in an episode of Mr. Tors' latest series, Jambo.

Disasters
All 35 aboard a Royal Nepal DC-3 airliner, mostly Indian pilgrims on the flight from Katmandu to Simra, were killed when the plane crashed near its destination.

Golf
Tony Jacklin shot a 1-over-par 72 to win the British Open with a 4-under-par total score of 280 at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, England, 2 strokes ahead of Bob Charles and Christy O'Connor. First prize money was £4,250 ($10,000).



30 years ago
1979

Died on this date
Tom Lovelace, 81. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Lovelace was an outfielder who played 1 game as a pinch hitter with the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 23, 1922, lining out. He played 914 games in at least 11 seasons in the minor leagues from 1920-1932, batting .309. Mr. Lovelace's best season may have been 1926, when he hit .317 with 22 home runs in 113 games with the Corsicana Oilers of the Class D Texas Association.

Carmine Galante, 69. U.S. gangster. Mr. Galante was the boss of the Bonnano crime family in New York. Mr. Galante was believed to have ambitions to succeed Carlo Gambino, who had died in 1976, as "boss of all bosses." He was finishing lunch at Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant in Brooklyn when he was gunned down along with Bonnano family member Leonard Coppola and Giuseppe Turano, owner of the restaurant. Mr. Galante's bodyguards, Baldassare Amato and Cesare Bonventre, did nothing to protect Mr. Galante, and were unharmed by the shooters wearing ski masks, who were later identified as Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato, Dominick Trinchera, Dominick Napolitano, and Louis Giongetti.

Minnie Riperton, 31. U.S. singer and songwriter. Miss Riperton had a five-octave range, and was best known for her single Lovin' You, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in April 1975. She died after a long battle with cancer.

Asiatica
Great Britain granted the protectorate of the Gilbert Islands independence. The new nation was known as the Republic of Kiribati.

Baseball
Chicago White Sox’ owner Bill Veeck’s "Disco Demolition Night" promotion before 47,795 fans at Comiskey Park became a fiasco when, between games of a twi-night doubleheader against the visiting Detroit Tigers, fans came onto the field to burn disco records, as scheduled, but then refused to return to their seats. After a delay of 1 hour 16 minutes, umpire Dave Phillips declared the field unplayable, and the second game was forfeited to the Tigers 9-0. Detroit had won the first game 4-1, with Pat Underwood allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run in 7 2/3 innings to improve his season and career record to 4-0.





The Chicago Cubs scored all their runs in the last 3 innings as they overcame a 7-0 deficit to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 10-8 before 21,804 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

25 years ago
1984

Politics and government
Walter Mondale, former Vice-President of the United States and current Democratic party candidate for President, chose Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his vice-presidential candidate, making her the first woman to be part of a presidential ticket for a major party.

Transportation
New York became the first U.S. state to require drivers, front seat passengers, and children under age 10 to wear seat belts in motor vehicles.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Minä olen muistanut--Kim Lönnholm (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Eternal Flame--Bangles (7th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President George Bush met with Hungary’s leaders in Budapest, and spoke at Karl Marx University. Hungarian Premier Miklos Nemeth presented Mr. Bush with strips of barbed wire removed from the fence that Hungary was removing along the Austrian border. Mr. Bush announced a $25 million investment package, subject to Congressional approval.

Transportation
Canadian National Railways was allowed to abandon Prince Edward Island's only rail service.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (1-0) 24 @ Toronto (0-1) 15
Calgary (0-1) 29 @ Saskatchewan (1-0) 32

Stephen Jordan, playing his first CFL game, returned an interception for a touchdown to help his Tiger-Cats defeat the Argos in the first regular season game ever played at SkyDome.

At Taylor Field in Regina, the Stampeders blew a 26-6 3rd-quarter lead and lost to the Roughriders. Saskatchewan scored 17 points in the last 2 minutes, and won the game on Dave Ridgway’s field goal on the last play. David Den Braber dressed as the backup quarterback for the Stampeders in his only CFL game.



10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Rajendra Kumar, 69. Indian actor. Mr. Kumar appeared in more than 80 movies from 1950-1998, and was one of India's most popular actors in the 1960s, being nominated for four Filmfare Awards from 1963-1965. He died of cancer, eight days before his 70th birthday.

Politics and government
U.S. Vice President and front-running presidential candidate for 2000 Al Gore outlined his anti-crime package. It emphasized gun control measures: a ban on cheap handguns; a limit of one gun purchase per person per month; a safety test for prospective gun owners; and a nationwide system of licensing for gun owners.