August 21, 2009

320 years ago
1689

War
Orange royalists supporting King William of Orange defeated Jacobite royalist supporters of deposed King James VII in the Battle of Dunkeld in Scotland.

130 years ago
1879

Baseball
Rookie Dan Brouthers, normally a first baseman, tried pitching for the Troy Trojans and was roughed up for 17 hits by the Boston Red Caps. Tommy Bond (8 innings) and Curry Foley (1 inning) combined to shut out Troy 16-0.

125 years ago
1884

Baseball
The Union Association game at Capitol Grounds in Washington between the Washington Nationals and the Wilmington Quicksteps was halted after 8 innings. Charlie Gagus of the Nationals finished with a no-hit 12-1 win.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Laurence Doherty, 43. U.K. tennis player. Mr. Doherty, the younger brother of tennis player Reginald Doherty, won six singles and 10 doubles titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships from 1897-1906, and became the first non-American player to win the U.S. Championship in 1903. He was a member of the team that won the Davis Cup for four straight years (1903-1906), and won gold medals in the men's singles and doubles events, and a bronze medal in mixed doubles, at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris in 1900. Mr. Doherty entered military service in World War I in 1914, but was discharged because of ill health in 1915; he died of toxemia after suffering from tubercular nephritis and cystitis for two years. Mr. Doherty and his brother were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980.

Canadiana
Edward, Prince of Wales arrived in Québec City on an official visit to open the Québec Bridge.

75 years ago
1934

Baseball
At Fenway Park in Boston‚ Schoolboy Rowe of the Detroit Tigers went 9 innings in beating the Red Sox 8-4. The rookie allowed 9 hits in winning his 15th straight decision.

New York Yankees’ first baseman Lou Gehrig hit his 38th and 39th home runs of the season, driving in five runs, but the second place Yankees fell to the visiting St. Louis Browns 8-6 at Yankee Stadium. The Browns’ Ray Pepper had four hits, three RBIs, and two errors.

60 years ago
1949

Diplomacy
U.S. Senators Patrick McCarren (Democrt--Nevada), Kenneth Wherry (Republican--Nebraska), William Knowland (Republican--California), and Styles Bridges (Repubilcan--New Hapshire) issued a statement demanding a stronger U.S. commitment to the Nationalist Chinese government and an end to State Secretary Dean Acheson's "vacillating" Far Eastern policy.

Politics and government
John McCloy named seven assistants to help him administer the American zone of Germany after the creation of the Federal Republic. Among those named were General James Hodges as Military Security Board chairman and American Federation of Labor official Harvey Brown as director of the Labor Affairs Office.

Technology
Philadelphia engineers John Mauchly and J. Presper, Eckert, Jr. demonstrated BINAC (Binary Automatic Computer), a computer capable of calculating 12,000 times faster than a human being.



Baseball
A barrage of bottles from the Philadelphia Phillies fans in Shibe Park in protest of a decision by umpire George Barr over a trapped line drive by Phillies’ outfielder Richie Ashburn resulted in the first forfeiture in the major leagues in 7 years. With 2 out in the top of the 9th inning and Willard Marshall on third base, Mr. Barr ruled that Mr. Ashburn had trapped and not caught Joe Lafata's fly ball, allowing Mr. Marshall to score to give the Giants a 4-2 lead, with Mr. Lafata on second base with a double. Umpires Al Barlick and Lee Ballanfant were hit by flying objects during the 15-minute melee. Per the rules in effect‚ neither pitcher--Larry Jansen nor Schoolboy Rowe--got a decision. As a result of the forfeit‚ Shibe Park officials banned the sale of soft drinks in bottles. Ken Heintzelman pitched a 5-hitter to improve his 1949 record to 15-5 and batted 1 for 4 with a run batted in as the Phillies won the first game 4-0 before 19,742 fans.

Ferris Fain drove in 6 runs with a grand slam and a double to help the Philadelphia Athletics an 8-7 win over the New York Yankees before 64,323 fans at Yankee Stadium. Cliff Mapes singled home 2 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, but Tommy Henrich made an out to shortstop to end the game. Lou Brissie (12-7) allowed 9 hits and 5 bases on balls, with 7 earned runs in a complete game victory.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Living Doll--Cliff Richard and the Drifters (4th week at #1)

At the movies
The Crimson Kimono, written and directed by Samuel Fuller, and starring Victoria Shaw, Glenn Corbett, and James Shigeta, received its premiere screening in Rochester, New York.





Space
Little Joe 1, a rocket carrying a boilerplate Project Mercury capsule with the intention of testing the Mercury spacecraft launch escape and recovery systems, failed when the escape rocket launched a half hour prematurely because of a transient or electrical leak, taking the spacecraft to a height of 2,000 feet over a distance of 2,000 feet in 20 seconds. The test took place at Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia.

Americana
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order at the White House proclaiming Hawaii as the 50th State of the union.

World events
Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier ordered the suspension of the Justice Department's warrant for the arrest of Monsignor Francois Poirier, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, who had criticized Mr. Duvalier's government.

Politics and government
Crown Prince Savang Vathana was invested as Laotian regent, with full powers to command resistance to the Communist-led rebellion. Peking radio broadcast a Chinese warning that "serious consequences" would follow if United Nations observers were sent to Laotian border areas.

Defense
The U.K. National Union of General and Municipal Workers voted to reverse its previous call for unilateral British nuclear disarmament, and to support Labour Party proposals for British leadership of a "non-nuclear club."

Economics and finance
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index had risen to 124.9% of the 1947-49 average, mounting to record highs for four consecutive months.

Football
CFL
IRFU
Ottawa (0-2) 8 @ Montreal (1-1) 23
Hamilton (2-0) 16 @ Toronto (1-1) 7

28,000 were in attendance to see the Tiger-Cats win the first CFL regular season game at CNE Stadium in Toronto.

40 years ago
1969

At the movies
Number One, directed by Tom Gries, and starring Charlton Heston, Jessica Walter, and Bruce Dern, opened in theatres.





Diplomacy
U.S. President Richard Nixon began two days of talks with South Korean President Park Chung Hee, lauding the Koreans’ "self-sustaining prosperity" and their self-reliance in defense against North Korea.

Defense
Citing Congressional austerity pressures and "the economic needs in our country," U.S. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird announced a cut of 100,000 men from the armed forces, and $1.5 billion from the Pentagon’s budget for the year. Mr. Laird added that the cuts, which would reach $3 billion before June 30, 1970, would not reduce combat strengths in Asia or Europe.

Protest
An emotional anti-Soviet demonstration in the central square of Prague was broken up by riot police with tear gas and clubs on the first anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Crime
A fire deliberately set by Australian tourist Denis Michael Rohan severely damaged the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of Islam's most sacred shrines. The incident was a major catalyst of the formation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Oil
Proposed U.S. federal regulations governing offshore oil drilling, after two modifications meeting oil industry objections, were ordered into effect by United States Interior Secretary Walter Hickel. The modifications removed a clause requiring oil companies to pay reparations to people who lost livelihoods because of oil pollution, and a clause giving the government wide latitude to release data on companies’ geological surveys.

Baseball
Joe Niekro (7-11) pitched a 6-hitter and drove in Cito Gaston with a sacrifice fly for the game's only run as the San Diego Padres edged the Montreal Expos 1-0 before 15,334 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal. Jerry Robertson allowed only 5 hits in pitching a complete game, dropping his 1969 record to 4-10.

Relief pitcher Don McMahon pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings to get the win and singled and scored the winning run on a triple by Ken Henderson as the San Francisco Giants scored a run in the top of the 10th inning to break a 6-6 tie and defeated the New York Mets 7-6 before 42,795 fans at Shea Stadium in New York.

Jim Britton pitched a 4-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Bill Hands and Hank Aaron hit a home run to help the Atlanta Braves defeat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 before 29,866 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Johnny Bench hit a 3-run home run in the 6th inning to help the Cincinnati Reds defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 before 24,836 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

Steve Kealey pitched a 7-hitter for his first major league win, outduelling Tom Phoebus as the California Angels shut out the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 before 10,658 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

30 years ago
1979

World events
The Islamic government in Iran executed 18 Kurdish rebels. Western reporters were ordered expelled, and the regime announced the closing of 26 newspapers and magazines in a crackdown on critics of Iran’s Islamic revolution.

Oil
The United States Commerce Department announced a decision to sell $47 million worth of fuel oil to Iran, which was exporting about 3 million barrels of oil per day. President Jimmy Carter said the sale became necessary when a pipeline to the Iranian refinery was sabotaged and serious kerosene shortages developed.

Politics and government
A United States Federal Election Commission report concluded that Gerald Rafshoon’s advertising agency did not make any illegal contributions to Jimmy Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign. The U.S. Justice Department continued a probe of presidential primaries, in which Mr. Rafshoon extended credit to Carter campaign committees.

Transportation
The government of Canada agreed to provide complete bilingual air traffic control inside Québec.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (5-1-1) 22 @ Hamilton (1-6) 16
Winnipeg (1-5) 13 @ Edmonton (4-0-2) 41

The Eskimos broke a 13-13 halftime deadlock with 4 second half touchdowns in front of the usual Commonwealth Stadium sellout crowd of 42,743. One of the Eskimo scores came on a 36-yard pass from wide receiver Waddell Smith to slotback Stu Lang. The referee made a ridiculous call when he ordered Tom Wilkinson off the field because one of his socks didn’t look right--so Warren Moon came in for one play, and threw a touchdown pass. Winnipeg head coach Ray Jauch was in a sour mood; he ordered receiver Gord Paterson to the showers during the game, and sniped at the media afterward.

25 years ago
1984

Politics and government
Geraldine Ferraro, Democratic Party candidate for Vice-President of the United States, held a 90-minute news conference in which she denied any wrongdoing with respect to her financial disclosure statements. Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale praised his running mate for having ‘passed a test of leadership that will strengthen public respect for her."

At the Republican party convention in Dallas, a platform with a strong conservative cast was adopted. It rejected any question of a tax increase; opposed passage of the Equal Rights Amendment; and declared that prospective judges should be nominated for the federal bench only if they opposed abortion.

Terrorism
An Egyptian official said that a Libyan ship was the chief suspect in the distribution of mines in the Red Sea, whichh had killed no one, and which were apparently intended to damage ships and not sink them. So far, 15 ships had been damaged in explosions.

Baseball
Boston rookie Roger Clemens struck out 15 and walked none as the Red Sox whipped the Kansas City Royals 11-1.

Lance Parrish hit a first-inning grand slam off Lary Sorensen as the Detroit Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics 12-6 at Tiger Stadium. Milt Wilcox went six innings for the win.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Lambada--Kaoma

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 So Alive--Love and Rockets (2nd week at #1)
2 Batdance--Prince
3 Right Here Waiting--Richard Marx
4 On Our Own--Bobby Brown
5 The End of the Innocence--Don Henley
6 Cold Hearted--Paula Abdul
7 Toy Soldiers--Martika
8 Rock 'N' Roll Duty--Kim Mitchell
9 Don't Wanna Lose You--Gloria Estefan
10 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red

Singles entering the chart were Crossfire by Stevie Ray Vaughan (#80); Dream of Satin by Colin James (#83); That's the Way by NEO-A4 (#85); Can't Stop the Earth by Brighton Rock (#87); Everything But My Pride by Cutting Crew (#90); Jelly Roll by Blue Murder (#92); and Cheer Down by George Harrison (#94). Cheer Down was from the movie Lethal Weapon 2 (1989).

Died on this date
Raul Seixas, 44. Brazilian musician. Mr. Seixas was sometimes called the "Father of Brazilian Rock." He was heavily influenced by British occultist Aleister Crowley and had problems with drink and drugs. Mr. Seixas died of pancreatitis.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (0-7) 17 @ Toronto (4-3) 22



10 years ago
1999

Baseball
The White Sox swept two games from the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 and 8-5 in 10 innings before respective crowds of 42,901 and 47,735 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Baltimore center fielder Brady Anderson became the third player in major league history to lead off each game with a home run. The White Sox scored 3 runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 5-5 tie.

The Cincinnati Reds used a pair of grand slams to beat the Montreal Expos 9-2 before 33,714 fans at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. Aaron Boone hit one in the 6th inning and Eddie Taubensee in the 7th inning. Juan Guzman pitched an 8-hit complete game victory with 8 strikeouts, and singled home the game's first run in the 2nd inning.