July 29, 2009

910 years ago
1099

Died on this date
Urban II, 64 (?). Roman Catholic Pope, 1088-1099. Urban II, born in France as Eudes of Châtillon-sur-Marne, was from a noble family, and was named Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia circa 1080. He succeeded Victor III, and supported the reforms of his predecessors, and set up the modern Roman Curia. Pope Urban II initiated the First Crusade (1095-1099), and promised forgiveness and pardon for all of the past sins of those who would fight to reclaim the holy land, and free the eastern churches. He died two weeks after the crusaders had taken Jerusalem, but before the news reached Rome. Pope Urban II was succeeded by Paschal II.

400 years ago
1609

War
Quebec colonial leader Samuel de Champlain and his party encountered a large war party of Haudenosaunee Indians heading north near Ticonderoga, New York.

140 years ago
1869

Born on this date
Booth Tarkington. U.S. author. Mr. Tarkington wrote novels, short stories, and plays, usually about his native Indiana. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novels The Magnificent Ambersons (1918) and Alice Adams (1921). Mr. Tarkington was also known for his humourous Penrod series of novels. He died on May 19, 1946 at the age of 76.

120 years ago
1889

Baseball
Matt Kilroy of the Baltimore Orioles had a no-hitter going after 7 innings in the second game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns at Union Park in Baltimore when the game was called because of darkness with the scored tied 0-0. The Browns won the first game 4-3.

120 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Walter Beall. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Beall played with the New York Yankees (1924-1927) and Washington Nationals (1929), compiling a record of 5-5 with an earned run average of 4.43 and 1 save in 36 games. The Yankees purchased him from the Rochester Tribe of the AA International League, where he was 25-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 41 games in 1924. Mr. Beall played at least 7 seasons in the minor leagues from 1920-1931, with a record of 59-46. He was said to have an outstanding curveball, but poor control limited his success. Mr. Beall died on January 28, 1959 at the age of 59.

War
The First Hague Convention was signed.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Chester Himes. U.S.-born author. Mr. Himes, a Negro, experienced racism in his youth and served 7 1/2 years in prison for armed robbery. He began writing in prison, and eventually succeeded in having his short stories and novels published. Mr. Himes' works included the novel If He Hollers Let Him Go (1945) and the nine-novel Harlem Detective series (1957-1993). He emigrated to France in the 1950s and eventually settled in Spain, where he died of Parkinson's disease on November 12, 1984 at the age of 75.

Died on this date
Harry Pulliam, 40. U.S. baseball executive. Mr. Pulliam was a journalist who became secretary and then president of the Louisville Colonels in the 1890s, moving on to become president of the Pittsburg Pirates in 1899. He was unanimously elected President of the National League in December 1902, and oversaw the peace between the National and American Leagues. Mr. Pulliam eventually became convinced that team owners were conspiring against him, and suffered a nervous breakdown in February 1909 at a banquet for National League owners. He was granted an indefinite leave of absence, and returned to work on June 28. On July 28, Mr. Pulliam got up from the dinner table at the New York Athletic Club, walked up to his room on the third floor, stripped to his underwear, laid down on a sofa, and shot himself in the head. He was found alive, but was too severely wounded to be moved to a hospital, and died later that night.

90 years ago
1919

Politics and government
Liberal Party candidate Sarah Ramsland became the first woman ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan when she won a by-election in Pelly, the riding that her husband Max had taken in the general election in 1917. Mr. Ramsland had died in the flu epidemic in November 1918, thus necessitating the by-election.

Baseball
In defiance of American League President Ban Johnson's order that no action be taken until Carl Mays was returned to good standing‚ Boston owner Harry Frazee traded the pitcher to the New York Yankees for pitchers Bob McGraw‚ Allan Russell‚ an unnamed third player to be chosen‚ and a reported $20‚000 (The New York Times listed $40‚000). Mr. Mays was 5-11 with an earned run average of 2.47 in 21 games with Boston in 1919, while Mr. Russell was 5-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 23 games, and Mr. McGraw was 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 6 games with New York in 1919.

The Yankees chased Chicago White Sox ace Eddie Cicotte (19-5) with 12 hits and 8 runs--all earned--in 5 innings and rolled to a 10-1 win before 4,500 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. Hank Thormahlen (8-5) allowed 6 hits. Frank Baker had 4 hits‚ including 2 doubles and a triple‚ and Roger Peckinpaugh added 3 hits for the Yankees.

With 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning at Fenway Park in Boston‚ Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Dutch Leonard walked Braggo Roth in order to pitch to Babe Ruth‚ who already had hit 2 doubles off him. The two had had an argument in early June at Fenway Park. The Babe then hit his 9th home run of the month and his 16th of the year‚ a new American League record. Despite the homer‚ the Tigers topped the Red Sox 10-8.

Fred Toney (9-3) pitched a 3-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Babe Adams (11-6) as the New York Giants shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader before 6,000 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Casey Stengel batted 3 for 4 with a run and 2 runs batted in, singling home Carson Bigbee with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to complete a 3-run rally as the Pirates overcame a 5-1 deficit to win the second game 7-6.

75 years ago
1934

Baseball
Schoolboy Rowe won his second game in as many days against the Chicago White Sox, pitching 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and hitting a game-winning home run to help the Detroit Tigers to a 16-15 win.

60 years ago
1949

At the movies
In the Good Old Summertime, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson, opened in theatres.

World events
The U.S.A. and U.K. announced plans to phase out the Berlin airlift by October 31, 1949.

Defense
U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Omar Bradley and Defense Secretary Louis Johnson testified before the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, urging approval of President Harry Truman's request for military aid for Western Europe.

Politics and government
Argentina's Peronista Party, meeting in Buenos Aires, nominated Juan Peron as its 1952 presidential candidate despite assurances that he would not seek re-election.

U.S. Senator and 1948 Progressive Party U.S. vice presidential nominee Glen Taylor (Democrat--Idaho) quit the Progressive Party because of the poor showing of the Henry Wallace ticket in the 1948 U.S. presidential election.

Energy
The United Nations Atomic Energy Commission voted again to suspend its activity pending private consultations among the Big Five and Canada on atomic control.

Labour
Anti-Communist labour leaders, including American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations representatives, meeting in London, approved a draft constitution for a new international trade union organization.

Mexico signed its seventh short-term agreement with the U.S.A. allowing Mexican labourers to work in the U.S. harvest. The agreement ended Mexico's ban on the movement of Mexican migrant workers into Texas.

50 years ago
1959

At the movies
Last Train from Gun Hill, directed by John Sturges and starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn, opened in theatres.

Defense
The administration of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced that Boston lawyer Charles Coolidge would head a study of "comprehensive and partial measures of arms control and reduction" for the State and Defense Departments.

Politics and government
Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Karim el-Kassem ordered the disbanding of the Communist-dominated Popular Resistance Organization.

Crime
Former New York bookmaker Harry Gross was arraigned in Los Angeles for the murder of his wife's grandfather Harry Black.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Honky Tonk Women--The Rolling Stones

Space
The U.S. probe Mariner 6 began transmitting pictures of Mars, taken from the closest range yet achieved.



War
El Salvador, confronted with the threat of severe economic sanctions, told the Organization of American States that it would withdraw the troops that invaded Honduras two weeks earlier. The announcement was greeted with cheers by the regional foreign ministers meeting in Washington to discuss the emergency.

Politics and government
In a special election held in Greene County, Alabama, Negroes won four of five seats on the county commission and two seats on the five-member school board, which already included one Negro. The results were hailed by Rev. Ralph Abernathy, leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as "the most significant achievement by black men since the Emancipation Proclamation."

Football
CFL
Edmonton (1-0) 33 @ Winnipeg (0-1) 0

Terry Swarn caught 3 touchdown passes in his first Canadian Football League game to lead the attack. Two of Mr. Swarn’s scores came on passes from quarterback Corey Colehour, while the third came on a pass from halfback Jim Thomas. Thermus Butler rushed 15 times for 123 yards, and scored the other Eskimo touchdown. Dave Cutler kicked 2 field goals in 4 attempts, and 2 converts in 4 attempts in his first CFL game. Few would have bet after the game that Mr. Cutler would end up in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, while Mr. Swarn would be out of the CFL by the end of 1971. John Schneider, who had been the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ starting quarterback in 1968, was pulled at halftime after completing just 3 of 10 passes for 13 yards in what turned out to be his last CFL game. Backup Don Weiss played the second half at quarterback for the Blue Bombers, but was no more successful than Mr. Schneider. This game marked the last time (as of the date of this post) that the Blue Bombers were shut out.

Baseball
Duke Sims led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a home run to give the Cleveland Indians a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in the first game of a doubleheader before 10,061 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Pinch hitter Larry Brown hit a 2-run double and Eddie Leon added a 3-run home run--his first homer of the season--as the Indians scored 7 runs in the 7th and won the second game 9-5 to complete the sweep.

Jim Perry (12-4) allowed 8 hits and 2 earned runs in 8 innings and singled and scored the game's first run in the 3rd inning, winning the pitching matchup against Mickey Lolich (14-3), as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 in the first game of a doubleheader before 38,441 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The Twins scored 7 runs in the 5th inning en route to an 11-5 win in the second game to complete the sweep. Rod Carew, Rich Reese, and Leo Cardenas each had 3 hits for the Twins, who amassed 17 hits in the second game. Bob Miller (3-5) allowed 11 hits and 5 earned runs in 7 2/3 innings, but got the win over Denny McLain (15-6), who allowed 11 hits and 9 runs--all earned--in 4 1/3 innings.

The day after his 20th birthday, rookie pitcher Vida Blue received credit for his first major league win as the Oakland Athletics rallied for 3 runs in the botto of the 8th inning against relief pitcher Jack Aker and defeated the New York Yankees 6-5 before 9,167 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mr. Blue allowed 7 hits and 4 runs--all earned--in 8 innings, walking 3 batters and striking out 4, batting 0 for 2 with a base on balls and a run.

With 2 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 10th inning, Carl Taylor drew a base on balls and Willie Stargell followed with a home run to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first game of a doubleheader before 18,436 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Dodgers scored 4 runs in the 6th inning as they overcame a 4-2 deficit and won the second game 6-5.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Ring My Bell--Anita Ward

#1 single in Switzerland: Gloria--Umberto Tozzi (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Herbert Marcuse, 81. German-born U.S. sociologist and political philosopher. Dr. Marcuse was a Marxist who was associated with the Institute for Social Research--later known as the Frankfurt School--and has been called the "Father of the New Left" because of the intellectuals and political activists in the 1960s and '70s who were inspired by his work. Dr. Marcuse emigrated to the United States in 1934, and worked for the U.S. government during World War II, first with the Office of War Information and then with the Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency) from 1943-1950. He taught at four universities, including Columbia and Harvard. Dr. Marcuse was known for incorporating the theories of Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx into his critique of capitalist society and advocacy of social change. His best-known books were Eros and Civilization (1955) and One-Dimensional Man (1964). Dr. Marcuse was visiting West Germany when he suffered a stroke and died, 10 days after his 81st birthday.

Bill Todman, 62. U.S. television producer. Mr. Todman and partner Mark Goodson formed Goodson-Todman Productions, beginning, in 1948, to produce game shows for radio. They were best known for producing television game and quiz shows, including What's My Line?, Beat the Clock, The Price is Right, and Family Feud. Mr. Todman died from a heart condition, two days before his 63rd birthday.

Diplomacy
Israel and Egypt both agreed to send representatives to Washington for talks on a United States proposal for an expanded United Nations truce-monitoring team in the Sinai Peninsula.

Terrorism
Basque separatists bombed the main airport and two railway stations in Madrid, killing 2 and injuring over 100 in a campaign to demand the release of political prisoners.

Disasters
A movie theatre fire in the town of Tuticorin, India killed at least 92 and injured 80.

Baseball
Rick Manning's grand slam highlighted a 7-run 2nd inning as the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-6 before 13,862 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago for their seventh straight win. Rick Wise was the winning pitcher, with Paul Reuschel getting the save.

An error by first baseman Bruce Bochte allowed Mitchell Page and Mike Heath to score unearned runs with 2 out in the 1st inning, which proved to be sufficient for the Oakland Athletics to defeat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 before 2,198 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mike Morgan pitched a 3-hitter for his first major league win, while losing pitcher Floyd Bannister, whose 1979 record dropped to 5-10, allowed just 4 hits and no earned runs in a complete game.

Rusty Staub singled and scored as part of a 4-run 1st inning and singled in a run in the 6th to help the Montreal Expos defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 before 35,245 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal to move back into first place in the National League East Division, 1/2 game ahead of the Pirates. Mr. Staub's hits were his first in a Montreal uniform since 1971, and his first since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers. Steve Rogers pitched an 8-hit complete game victory.

J.R. Richard singled with 1 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th inning and Cesar Cedeno followed with a run-scoring triple to give the Astros a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 46,754 fans at the Astrodome. Mr. Richard pitched a 5-hit complete game victory, with 8 strikeouts.

25 years ago
1984

Died on this date
Fred Waring, 84. U.S. bandleader. Mr. Waring and his band, Waring's Pennsylvanians, were among the most popular artists recording for Victor Records from 1923-1932. Mr. Waring was also a popular performer in person and on radio. He made the move to television in 1948; The Fred Waring Show aired on CBS from 1948-1954. Mr. Waring also achieved success promoting the Waring Blendor, which became an important tool in hospitals for the implementation of specific diets, and was used by Dr. Jonas Salk while developing his polio vaccine. Mr. Waring was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the U.S.A.'s highest civilian honour, by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (1-2-1) 46 @ Ottawa (3-2) 24

Dave Ridgway set a CFL record for a single game with 8 field goals in helping the Roughriders defeat the Rough Riders at Lansdowne Park.



20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Viva la mamma--Edoardo Bennato (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): No More Boleros--Gerard Joling

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)--Soul II Soul

#1 single in France (SNEP): Lambada--Kaoma

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): You'll Never Stop Me Loving You--Sonia (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Toy Soldiers--Martika (2nd week at #1)
2 Batdance--Prince
3 Express Yourself--Madonna
4 So Alive--Love and Rockets
5 On Our Own--Bobby Brown
6 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red
7 Lay Your Hands on Me--Bon Jovi
8 Once Bitten Twice Shy--Great White
9 I Like It--Dino
10 Right Here Waiting--Richard Marx

Singles entering the chart were One by the Bee Gees (#73); Bust a Move by Young M.C. (#81); Pride and Passion by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (#82); Put Your Mouth on Me by Eddie Murphy (#90); You Better Dance by the Jets (#92); Runnin' Down a Dream by Tom Petty (#93); Nature of Love by Waterfront (#95); Love Cries by Stage Dolls (#96); and Nightrain by Guns n' Roses (#97).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Batdance--Prince
2 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red
3 Express Yourself--Madonna
4 Toy Soldiers--Martika
5 On Our Own--Bobby Brown
6 Lay Your Hands on Me--Bon Jovi
7 So Alive--Love and Rockets
8 What You Don't Know--Expose
9 Good Thing--Fine Young Cannibals
10 Baby Don't Forget My Number--Milli Vanilli

Singles entering the chart were Heaven by Warrant (#77); One by the Bee Gees (#79); That's the Way by Katrina and the Waves (#82); Forget Me Not by Bad English (#85); Don't Say You Love Me by Billy Squier (#89); and Put Your Mouth on Me by Eddie Murphy (#90).

Politics and government
Recently-elected Polish President Wojciech Jaruzelski resigned as Communist Party leader; he was replaced by Premier Mieczyslaw Rakowski.

Track and field
Javier Sotomayor of Cuba became the first high jumper to break the 8-foot barrier when he cleared that height, breaking his own world record of 7 feet 11½ inches, at the Caribbean Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Baseball
Texas Rangers’ owner George W. Bush made one of the worst trades in baseball history, obtaining outfielder-designated hitter Harold Baines and infielder Fred Manrique from the Chicago White Sox for shortstop Scott Fletcher, pitcher Wilson Alvarez, and outfielder Sammy Sosa. It was the "biggest mistake of my adulthood," the future President said in 2000. Mr. Baines was batting .321 with 13 home runs and 56 runs batted in in 96 games with the White Sox in 1989, while Mr. Manrique was batting .299 with 2 homer and 30 RBIs in 65 games with Chicago. Mr. Fletcher was batting .239 with no home runs and 22 runs batted in in 83 games with the Rangers in 1989, while Mr. Sosa was batting .238 with 1 homer and 3 RBIs in 20 games with Texas. Mr. Alvarez had made his major league debut with the Rangers just five days earlier in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays; he started and faced 5 batters, allowing, in order: a single, home run, home run, base on balls, and base on balls, with 3 of the runs scoring, leading to Mr. Alvarez being tagged with the loss as Toronto won 6-3.

10 years ago
1999

Scandal
United States District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ordered U.S. President Bill Clinton to pay $89,000 in legal expenses because he had deliberately given false testimony about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case. Most of the money went to lawyers representing Miss Jones, and about $9,480 went to the Rutherford Institute, which had helped to pay Miss Jones' legal expenses. Judge Wright wrote that she took "no pleasure in imposing contempt sanctions against this nation's president."

Crime
Mark Barton, a securities day-trader who had suffered heavy losses, shot 9 people to death and wounded 13 others in Atlanta. The bodies of his wife and two children were found, along with a note from Mr. Barton confessing to their murders, which apparently had occurred a few days earlier. Armed with a handgun and pistol, Mr. Barton entered the offices of two day-trading firms, Momentum Securities and All-Tech Investment Group, where he shot all of his victims. Several hours later, as police closed in on his van outside Atlanta. Mr. Barton stopped at a service station and shot himself to death.

World events
The Chinese government issued a warrant for the arrest of Li Hongzhi, leader of the Buddhist sect Falun Gong, who was living in the United States.

Football
CFL
Calgary (3-1) 38 @ Montreal (3-1) 17
Edmonton (1-3) 8 @ Hamilton (2-2) 54
Winnipeg (2-2) 30 @ British Columbia (3-1) 18

19,443 fans at Molson Stadium saw Henry Burris complete 19 of 28 passes for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Stampeders over the Alouettes. Mr. Burris also rushed 6 times for 45 yards. Anthony Calvillo started at quarterback for the Alouettes, completing 12 of 19 passes for 125 yards. Tracy Ham came on in relief and completed 7 of 10 for 98 yards and a touchdown pass to Ben Cahoon.



The Eskimos’ loss to the Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium was their worst road loss ever, and the second-most lopsided loss in the history of the team. Rookie running back Saladin McCullough carried 3 times for 7 yards and returned 4 kickoffs for 74 yards in his only game as an Eskimo. It was also the only CFL appearance for Edmonton defensive lineman William Mayes, who made 3 defensive tackles. The only Eskimo touchdown came on a pass from Nealon Greene to Terry Vaughn. Former Eskimo Danny McManus completed 16 of 24 passes for 254 yards and 2 touchdown passes to Trevor Shaw. Backup Cody Ledbetter, also a former Eskimo, mopped up with a touchdown pass to Corey Grant. Ronald Williams rushed 14 times for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hamilton defensive end Joe Montford returned a fumble 35 yards for his first CFL touchdown. The Tiger-Cats added Tommy-Joe Coffey to their Wall of Honour, 11 years after he was similarly honoured by the Eskimos.

24,441 at B.C. Place Stadium watched Deland McCullough rush 29 times for 136 yards and a touchdown, and Milt Stegall catch 11 passes for 233 yards--including a 99-yard touchdown reception from Kerwin Bell--to lead the Blue Bombers' attack. Mr. Bell completed 18 of 27 passes for 395 yards.

Labour
13 National League baseball umpires lost their jobs as the resignations they had tendered on July 14 were accepted.