July 23, 2009

690 years ago
1319

War
A Knights Hospitaller fleet scored a crushing victory over an Aydinid fleet off Chios.

360 years ago
1649

Born on this date
Clement XI. Roman Catholic Pope, 1700-1721. Clement XI, born Giovanni Francesco Albani, became a cardinal in 1690, and succeeded Innocent XII on the papal throne. Pope Clement was known for his interest in archaeology, and was responsible for saving much of Rome's antiquity. He was also a great benefactor of the Vatican Library. Pope Clement XI died on March 19, 1721 at the age of 71, and was succeeded by Innocent XIII.

180 years ago
1829

Technology
William Burt patented a forerunner of the typewriter.

120 years ago
1889

Economics and finance
The Bank of Nova Scotia opened a branch in Kingston, Jamaica; it was the first branch established by a Canadian bank outside the U.S.A or U.K.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Gustav Heinemann. President of West Germany, 1969-1974. Dr. Heinemann was a law professor whose academic career was thwarted by his opposition to the Nazis. He was a steel company executive during World War II, and aided Jews as a member of the Confessing Church. Dr. Heinemann founded the Gesamtdeutsche Volkspartei (All-German People's Party) in 1952, but dissolved it in 1957 and joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He was Minister of the Interior (1949-1950) and Minister of Justice (1966-1969) before serving one term as President, where he was known as a "people's president," inviting ordinary citizens to his New Year's receptions, and encouraging civil liberties. Dr. Heinemann declined to run for a second term as President because of declining health, and died on July 7, 1976, 16 days before his 77th birthday.

100 years ago
1909

Died on this date
Frederick Holder, 59. Australian politician. Sir Frederick, a Liberal, then Free Trade, then independent politician, was Premier of South Australia (June-October 1892, 1899-1901) before moving into federal politics, representing South Australia (1901-1903) and Wakefield (1903-1909) in the Australian House of Representatives, and serving as Speaker of the House from 1901 until his death, when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while in the House.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Spyridon Lambros, 67 or 68. Prime Minister of Greece, 1916-1917. Professor Lambros, a historian by trade, accepted King Constantine I's request to form a government in September 1916, but he resigned in April 1917 after being blamed for mismanagement of riots in Athens.

70 years ago
1939

Society
In response to the call for marriage and family initiated by Quebec's Young Catholic Workers' Youth (JOC), 106 couples united in front of many celebrants and a crowd gathered at Delorimier Stadium in Montreal.

Baseball
The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Brooklyn Dodgers 12-0 in the first game of a doubleheader before 27,499 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn in a game in which yellow baseballs were used. The Cardinals completed the sweep with an 8-2 win in the second game.

60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! Nyot Nyow!)--Patty Andrews and Bob Crosby (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (11th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (8th week at #1)
2 Some Enchanted Evening--Perry Como
--Bing Crosby
3 Again--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
--Mel Torme
--Vic Damone
--Doris Day and the Mellomen
4 Baby, it's Cold Outside--Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer
--Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark
--Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
--Don Cornell and Laura Leslie
5 Forever and Ever--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Perry Como
6 Bali Ha'i--Perry Como
--Bing Crosby
7 I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore--The Stardusters with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
--Perry Como
8 Careless Hands--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Bing Crosby
--Mel Torme
9 "A" - You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song)--Perry Como with the Fontane Sisters
--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
10 A Wonderful Guy--Margaret Whiting

Singles entering the chart were Weddin' Day, with versions by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters; and the Starlighters (#36); (Just One Way to Say) I Love You by Perry Como (#37); and Maybe it's Because by Dick Haymes (#40).

On the radio
Tales of Fatima, starring Basil Rathbone, on CBS
Tonight’s episode: Memory of Murder

Died on this date
Fritz Hansgirg, 58. Austrian-born metallurgist. Dr. Hansgirg invented a commercially viable method of processing magnesium. He worked in Japan in the 1930s, and moved to the United States in 1940, where he worked with industrialist Henry Kaiser before being interned on December 16, 1941, nine days after the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as "potentially dangerous to the public peace and safety of the United States." Dr. Hansgirg was eventually paroled, and went to work at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. He died "unexpectedly," but it was suspected that Dr. Hansgirg's death was the from hypermagnesemia, resulting from decades of exposure to magnesium.

War
Yugoslavian Foreign Minister Eduard Kardelj announced his country's withdrawal of "moral and political" support from Greek Communist guerrillas, whom he accused of following the Cominform's anti-Tito line.

Defense
U.S. Defense Secretary Louis Johnson signed the final transfer order making the Air Force fully independent of the Army.

Politics and government
Indonesian nationalist leaders conferring in Jakarta agreed on the formation of a United States of Indonesia, to assume sovereignty from the Dutch government after a transitional period.

Disasters
A typhoon struck Okinawa, causing 38 deaths, 252 injuries, and extensive property damage.

Chess
Albert Sandrin of Chicago won the U.S. national open in Omaha.

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Four the Hard Way

World events
A British commission of inquiry issued a White Paper rejecting charges by Colonial Secretary Alan Lennox-Boyd that African nationalist leaders had plotted a massacre of Nyasaland officials and white settlers.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower submitted to Congress the report of his Commission on the U.S. Military Assistance Program, urging the continuation of economic foreign aid with improvements in efficiency.

Agriculture
Wheat farmers in 39 American states voted to continue marketing quotas for the seventh consecutive year, assuring them of government price supports at $1.77 per bushel.

Labour
Cuban workers observed a one-hour work stoppage called by the General Confederation of Labour to demonstrate support of Prime Minister Fidel Castro.

Football
CFL
WIFU
Pre-Season
Saskatchewan (0-1) 14 @ British Columbia (1-0) 30

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Honky Tonk Women--The Rolling Stones

Space
Apollo 11 passed the halfway point of its return journey to Earth. U.S. President Richard Nixon flew to the Pacific Ocean to be on hand for the arrival of the astronauts.

To follow the Apollo 11 mission in real time, go to Apollo 11 in Real Time.

For other news on this date, see The Days of Apollo 11.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Pop Muzik--M (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Omoide-zake--Sachiko Kobayashi

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Súper, Superman--Miguel Bosé

War
The U.S.A. criticized Israel for the previous day’s attacks on three coastal villages in Lebanon.

Diplomacy
The U.S.A. and Vietnam reached an accord on aiding refugees, allowing American consular officials into Ho Chi Minh City to process those seeking to enter the United States.

Crime
Ted Bundy, suspected of murdering several dozen young women, was convicted of the murders of two sorority sisters in Tallahassee, Florida. The women, students at Florida State University in Tallahassee, were also severely beaten, as wee three others who survived. Among the prosecution witnesses were a member of the sorority, who testified that she saw Mr. Bundy leaving the house carrying a wooden club; and a dentist who testified that bite marks found on the body of one of the victims matched impressions of Mr. Bundy’s teeth.

25 years ago
1984

Politics and government
Israel held a general parliamentary election, but results weren’t announced for another three days.

Diplomacy
Jose Napoleon Duarte, President of El Salvador, met with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and leaders of the House of Representatives in Washington.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the real gross national product had risen by 7.5% in the second quarter of 1984.

Health
A British government report found higher than normal levels of leukemia near the nuclear power plant at Sellafield in Cumbria, but said that the cluster was not necessarily linked to the plant.

Scandal
Vanessa Williams, Miss America for 1984, relinquished her title two months before the end of her reign because of publicity concerning nude photographs of her that were about to be published in Penthouse magazine. First runner-up Suzette Charles of New Jersey succeeded Miss Williams as Miss America for the remainder of her term.

Disasters
Two Amtrak trains collided head-on in Queens, New York, killing one passenger and injuring more than 100.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Bring Me Edelweiss--Edelweiss

#1 single in Switzerland: Express Yourself--Madonna

Politics and government
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party trailed the Socialist Party in elections for half the seats in the Japanese House of Councillors. The LDP, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sousuke Uno, held only 109 seats to 143 seats for all opposition parties.

The Israeli cabinet endorsed Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's original peace plan, which called for elections in the occupied territories to choose Palestinians who could discuss autonomy measures and a peace settlement with Israel.

Economics and finance
Mexican President Carlos Salinas announced that negotiations between Mexico and a committee representing 500 creditor banks had resulted in an agreement that would reduce the nation’s $54 billion commercial bank debt. The agreement marked the first success for the strategy of the U.S. administration of President George Bush to head off the debt crisis in backward countries, and the first time that commercial bank creditors had agreed to significant reduction of debt during the crisis. Under the plan, creditors could choose one of three broad options: reduce the principal; reduce interest; or extend more credit.

Cycling
Greg LeMond of the United States won the Tour de France for the second time. His winning margin over runner-up Laurent Fignon of France was just 8 seconds, the closest finish ever.

Golf
Mark Calcavecchia shot a 2-under-par 13 in a 4-hole playoff to finish 3 strokes ahead of Greg Norman and Wayne Grady an win the British Open at Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland. The fourth round had finished with the three tied with 13-under-par total scores of 275. First prize money was £80,000 ($128,000).



10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Hassan II, 70. King of Morocco. King Hassan II, who had reigned since 1961, supported Palestinian independence but also maintained diplomatic ties with Israel, and was on good terms with both his fellow Arabs and the West. He was succeeded by his son Mohammed VI, who continued his father’s policies, including friendliness toward Jews and Israel.

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Columbia launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin mission STS-93, with a five-member crew commanded by Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins, who became the first woman to command a shuttle flight. Col. Collins had previously piloted two shuttle flights. The crew launched into orbit the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which was intended to detect radiation from black holes, quasars, exploding stars, and gas clouds.



Crime
All Nippon Airways Flight 61, a Boeing 747 en route from Tokyo to Chitose, Japan with 503 passenger and 14 crew members aboard, was hijacked 25 minutes after takeoff by Yuji Nishizawa, who stabbed captain Nagashima Naoyuki to death. The crew subdued Mr. Nishizawa, and the plane made an emergency landing at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, where Mr. Nishizawa was charged with murder.

Religion
Chinese authorities began detaining thousands of members of the sect Falun Gong and seizing its publications. 1,200 government officials who were members were among those detained.

Politics and government
In the United States, the Reform Party convention opened in Dearborn, Michigan. Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, the party's highest elected official, addressed the convention, and announced that he would not be a candidate for President of the United States in 2000.

Sport
The Pan-American Games opened in Winnipeg, with over 5,000 athletes from 42 countries participating until August 8; Winnipeg had previously hosted the games in 1967.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (1-2) 21 @ Toronto (1-2) 24
British Columbia (3-0) 32 @ Saskatchewan (0-3) 21