August 29, 2009

1,070 years ago
939

Died on this date
Kangzong. Emperor of China, 935-939; Li Chunyan. Empress of China, 935-939. Kangzong, born Wang Jipeng, aka Wang Chang, succeeded his father Emperor Huizong on the throne of the Min dynasty. He came out on the losing end of a power struggle, and he and Empress Li, their sons, and Wang Jigong were executed. Kangzong was succeeded as Emperor by Jingzong.

1,000 years ago
1009

Disasters
Mainz Cathedral suffered extensive damage from a fire, which destroyed the building on the day of its inauguration.

240 years ago
1769

Died on this date
Edmond Hoyle, 96 or 97. U.K. author. Mr. Hoyle published various books of rules of card games and other games, inspiring the phrase "according to Hoyle."

210 years ago
1799

Died on this date
Pius VI, 81. Roman Catholic Pope, 1775-1799. Pius VI, born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, succeeded Clement XIV. Pius VI was Pope during and after the French Revolution; he condemned the revolution and the resulting suppression of the Gallican Church. Pius VI refused to renounce papal authority in the face of invading French troops in 1798, and was taken prisoner and eventually taken into exile in France, where he died six weeks after his arrival. He was succeeded as Pope by Pius VII.

200 years ago
1809

Born on this date
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. U.S. physician and writer. Dr. Holmes advocated medical reforms such as the improvement of hygiene and the use of the stethoscope, but became better known as one of New England's Fireside Poets. He also wrote prose, including collections of essays such as The Autocrat at the Breakfast-Table (1858). Dr. Holmes died on October 7, 1894 at the age of 85. His son Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902-1932.

140 years ago
1869

Transportation
The Mount Washington Cog Railway opened in Coos County, New Hampshire, making it the world's first mountain-climbing rack railway.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
George Denny. U.S. broadcaster. Mr. Denny was the moderator and producer of the radio program America's Town Meeting of the Air (1935-1952) and was executive director of the League for Political Education (1937-1951). He died of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 11, 1959, at the age of 60.

80 years ago
1929

At the movies
Gold Diggers of Broadway, directed by Roy Del Ruth, and starring Winnie Lightner, Nick Lucas, and others, received its premiere screening in New York City.

75 years ago
1934

Baseball
A capacity crowd at Shibe Park in Philadelphia witnessed Schoolboy Rowe’s winning streak end at 16 games as the Athletics knocked the rookie sensation out of the box in the 7th inning in defeating the Detroit Tigers 13-5 in the second game of a doubleheader.

70 years ago
1939

Baseball
The Detroit Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the 9th inning off Johnny Murphy to beat the New York Yankees 7-6 before 11,397 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, ending the Yankees’ winning streak at 10. Joe DiMaggio, hitting .403, had tied the game with a 3-run home run in the top of the 9th.

60 years ago
1949

On the radio
Murder By Experts, hosted by John Dickson Carr, on MBS
Today’s episode: It’s Luck that Counts

Literature
The novel Call it Treason by George Howe was published in New York by Viking Press.

Abominations
The U.S.S.R. successfully conducted its first nuclear weapons test, detonating the 22-kiloton RDS-1.

Defense
Military leaders from the U.S.S.R. and other Eastern European countries met in Sofia during sessions of the Council for Economic Mutual Assistance, giving rise to rumours of an impending invasion of Yugoslavia.

Medicine
In the first application of a nuclear device in cancer therapy, a 22-volt belatron was used to treat two cancer patients at the University of Illinois at Chicago hospital.

Agriculture
U.S. President Harry Truman signed a bill authorizing limitation of 1950 cotton acreage to 21 million acres.

Labour
A U.S. federal district court in Honolulu upheld the legality of the government's seizure of Hawaiian docks for the duration of the 121-day-old longshoremen's strike.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Battle of New Orleans--Johnny Horton (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Arrivederci--Don Marino Barreto Jr. (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Am Tag, als der Regen kam--Dalida (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Only Sixteen--Craig Douglas

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Three Bells--The Browns
2 There Goes My Baby--The Drifters
3 Sea of Love--Phil Phillips with the Twilights
4 Lavender-Blue--Sammy Turner
5 A Big Hunk o' Love--Elvis Presley
6 Sleep Walk--Santo & Johnny
7 What'd I Say (Part I)--Ray Charles and his Orchestra
8 I'm Gonna Get Married--Lloyd Price
9 My Heart is an Open Book--Carl Dobkins, Jr.
10 Broken-Hearted Melody--Sarah Vaughan

Singles entering the chart were Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin (#65); Mary Lou by Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks (#70); Sal's Got a Sugar Lip by Johnny Horton (#77); Somethin' Else by Eddie Cochran (#83); Don't Tell Me Your Troubles by Don Gibson (#85); True True Happiness by Johnny Tillotson (#89); No Wheels by the Chordettes (#92); Okefenokee by Freddy Cannon (#93); I'm a Hog for You by the Coasters (#95); The Rockin' Lady (From New Orleans) by Penny Candy (#98); Tres Chic by Geoff Gilmore and the Sheiks (#99); and Billy Boy's Tune (Billy Boy’s Funeral March) by the Three Graces (#100).

Died on this date
Charles Fama, 70. Italian-born U.S. physician. Dr. Fama, a native of Sicily, moved to New York with his family at the age of 10. He was a medical examiner for New York City's employee pension system, but was best known as a leader of the city's anti-Fascist Italian-American community during World War II. Dr. Fama was a Protestant who wrote and spoke against the Roman Catholic Church, incurring the wrath of Catholics in New York. His works included the booklet, co-written with Augustine Burle, Mussolini's Persecution of Freemasons (1938).

Diplomacy
Japan established diplomatic relations with Hungary for the first time since World War II.

Detailed "continuing cases of aggression" by Communist China in the Northeast Frontier Agency and the Ladakh region of Jammu-Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru told Parliament that China refused to recognize the 1914 McMahon Line.

Football
CFL
IRFU
Ottawa (0-3) 1 @ Hamilton (3-0) 34

WIFU
Winnipeg (3-2) 61 @ Saskatchewan (0-4) 8

Winnipeg quarterback Jim Van Pelt set a record (since broken) with 7 touchdown passes. He was pulled from the game in favour of Kenny Ploen after his sixth touchdown pass, but when it was brought to Bud Grant’s attention that Mr. Van Pelt had a shot at a record, the Blue Bomber head coach put his starter back in. Mr. Ploen threw a touchdown pass of his own during his time at quarterback. Ernie Pitts caught 5 of the touchdown passes (4 from Mr. Van Pelt, 1 from Mr. Ploen), a record yet unequalled.

ORFU
Kitchener-Waterloo (1-2) 13 @ Sarnia (3-0) 14
Detroit (0-3) 20 @ London (2-1) 30

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Bad Moon Rising--Creedence Clearwater Revival (2nd week at #1)

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Honky Tonk Women--The Rolling Stones (4th week at #1)
2 Sugar, Sugar--The Archies
3 A Boy Named Sue--Johnny Cash
4 Give Peace a Chance--Plastic Ono Band
5 Commotion/Green River--Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 Simple Song of Freedom--Tim Hardin
7 Which Way You Goin' Billy?--The Poppy Family
8 Put a Little Love in Your Heart--Jackie DeShannon
9 My Cherie Amour--Stevie Wonder
10 Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love is Hot)--Donovan with the Jeff Beck Group

Singles entering the chart were Maybe the Rain Will Fall by the Cascades (#23); What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am by Bill Deal & the Rhondels (#27); I'm a Better Man by Engelbert Humperdinck (#28); Lodi by Al Wilson (#29); and This Girl is a Woman Now by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Sugar, Sugar--The Archies
2 Honky Tonk Women--The Rolling Stones
3 A Boy Named Sue--Johnny Cash
4 Give Peace a Chance--Plastic Ono Band
5 That's the Way God Planned It--Billy Preston
6 Lay Lady Lay--Bob Dylan
7 True Grit--Glen Campbell
8 Get Together--The Youngbloods
9 In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)--Zager and Evans
10 Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love is Hot)--Donovan with the Jeff Beck Group

Music
Steppenwolf performed at the Edmonton Gardens.

Terrorism
An Arab man and woman with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked a TWA jet over southern Italy, diverting the Boeing 707, bound for Athens and Tel Aviv, to Damascus. The 113 passengers and crew, including several Israelis and Americans, were reported safe. The hijacking was described as a counterblow against the U.S. sale of Phantom jet fighters to Israel. It was the 42nd hijacking of an American plane since 1961 and the first outside the western hemisphere.

Politics and government
The Progress Party, led by Kofi Abrefa Busia, won 105 of 140 seats in the Ghanaian parliamentary election. The election was Ghana's first since the 1966 coup which had toppled President Kwame Nkrumah. The National Alliance of Liberals was second with 29 seats, with no other party winning more than 2.

The British and Northern Irish governments announced agreement on a series of civil rights reforms designed to ease the causes of religious strife by ending discrimination against the Roman Catholic minority in Northern Ireland.

Baseball
First baseman Joe Pepitone quit the New York Yankees after being fined $500 for leaving the bench during a game. He returned to the team on September 1.

The Oakland Athletics scored 2 runs in the 8th inning and 3 in the 9th to break a 0-0 tie and defeat the Washington Senators 5-0 before 16,780 fans at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. Jim Nash allowed 2 hits in 7 innings and was credited with the win, evening his 1969 record at 7-7. Washington starter Jim Hannan was removed after giving up 6 hits and 6 bases on balls, but no runs in 6 2/3 innings; he was relieved by Barry Moore, who took the loss, dropping to 8-7.

Andy Messersmith (13-8) and Jim McGlothlin (7-12) were the respective winning pitchers as the California Angels swept a doubleheader from the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 and 2-1 before 13,350 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, with Dave McNally (17-5) and Jim Hardin (5-5) taking the losses.

Two sensational catches by rookie outfielder Oscar Gamble in the 9th inning preserved a 2-1 win for the Chicago Cubs over the Atlanta Braves before 36,413 fans at Atlanta Stadium, increasing the Cubs’ lead over the New York Mets in the National League East Division to 3½ games. Bill Hands (16-11) pitched a 6-hitter to win the pitcher's duel over Pat Jarvis (10-9).

Al Oliver doubled home Matty Alou and Roberto Clemente with 2 out in the top of the 10th inning to break a 2-2 tie as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Houston Astros 4-2 before 20,405 fans at the Astrodome. The runs in the 10th inning were unearned, as Mr. Alou had struck out, but reached first base on a passed ball by catcher Johnny Edwards. Bob Moose (9-2) pitched 3 perfect innings in relief of Bob Veale to get the win, while Jim Bouton, in his first start in a Houston uniform since being acquired from the Seattle Pilots, pitched a 9-hit complete game defeat, striking out 11 batters.

Juan Marichal (16-9) pitched a 4-hitter and Bobby Bonds hit a 3-run home run to climax a 4-run 1st inning as the San Francisco Giants shut out the New York Mets 4-0 before 13,843 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Al Santorini (6-12) pitched a 2-hitter and the San Diego Padres scored all their runs in the 3rd inning as they shut out the Montreal Expos 3-0 before 3,822 fans at San Diego Stadium.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Don't Like Mondays--The Boomtown Rats (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The U.S.A. called on Israel to halt its pre-emptive strikes against southern Lebanon, and called on the Palestine Liberation Organization to end its attacks on Israel and withdraw from the border area.

Crime
Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, 35, was convicted of the 1970 killing of his pregnant wife and two young daughters when he was a Green Beret captain at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. According to the prosecution, Dr. MacDonald had a fight with his wife on February 17, 1970, and became so enraged that he killed her in a "brief, tragic moment," killed his older daughter while in the rage, and later decided that he would have to kill the younger daughter in order to establish a defense. Dr. MacDonald had claimed that his apartment had been invaded by at least four young people who chanted, "Acid is groovy, kill the pigs." He said he was wakened by screams and was beaten and stabbed by two young men. The prosecution contended that Dr. MacDonald inflicted wounds upon himself to support his story, and introduced a blood-stained issue of Esquire magazine found in the living room that contained an article about the Charles Manson "family," who had murdered actress Sharon Tate and others in August 1969.

Football
CFL
Montreal (4-3) 29 @ Ottawa (3-3-1) 31

Martin Cox, playing his first game in the Canadian Football League, caught 7 passes for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Rough Riders’ attack as they edged the Alouettes at Lansdowne Park. Defensive back Dickie Harris returned a Gerry Organ punt 59 yards for one of the Montreal touchdowns.

Baseball
Rick Manning singled home Mike Hargrove from second base with 2 out to climax a 5-run 9th-inning rally as the Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle Mariners 5-4 in the first game of a doubleheader before 6,598 fans at Cleveland Stadium. A 2-run home run by Toby Harrah in the 3rd inning held up for a 2-1 win for the Indians in the second game to complete the sweep, as Rick Waits allowed 6 hits and 1 earned run in 7 1/3 innings to win the pitcher's duel over Wayne Twitchell, who allowed 4 hits and 2 earned runs in 6 innings.

The Kansas City Royals scored 5 runs in the 1st inning, 4 in the 3rd, and 8 in the 4th as they blasted the Milwaukee Brewers 18-8 before 22,761 fans at Royals Stadium. Each team hit 3 home runs. Milwaukee third baseman Sal Bando moved to the mound as a relief pitcher for the 4th through 6th innings, followed by second baseman Jim Gantner for an inning, and catcher Buck Martinez for an inning. Mr. Bando, who finished the game at second base, allowed 3 hits and 2 runs--both earned--in 3 innings, while Mr. Gantner allowed 2 hits in a scoreless 7th inning and Mr. Martinez allowed 1 hit, 1 base on balls, and 1 run--earned--in the 8th.

Scott McGregor pitched an 8-hitter for the Baltimore Orioles as they shut out the Minnesota Twins 4-0 in the first game of a doubleheader before 11,470 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. Eddie Murray hit 3 consecutive home runs and drove in all the Baltimore runs in the second game as the Orioles won 7-5 to complete the sweep.

George Scott's 3-run home run opened the scoring in a 5-run 2nd inning for the New York Yankees as they overcame a 3-0 deficit and defeated the Texas Rangers 7-5 before 18,117 fans at Arlington Stadium. Mr. Scott's homer was his first since being acquired from the Kansas City Royals three days earlier, and was the 271st and last of his 14-year major league career.

25 years ago
1984

Died on this date
Tommie Douglas Benefield. U.S. test pilot. Colonel Benefield was killed and two other crewmen injured in the crash of a prototype of the B-1 bomber in the Mojave Desert in California. Although the United States Air Force offered no immediate explanation for the accident, there were reports that the B-1 had veered to avoid a plane filming the test flight, lost power, and crashed. The crew ejected in an escape capsule, which struck the ground hard, causing the death of Col. Benefield. The crash, the first ever in 127 test flights of B-1 prototypes, was not expected to delay the bomber program, although production of the plane was expected to continue to face opposition from some members of Congress.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators fell 0.8% in July--the second straight monthly decline--and that the U.S. trade deficit in July had been a record $14.06 billion.

Baseball
Bob Brenly’s inside-the-park home run in the 11th inning gave the San Francisco Giants a 4-3 win over the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The Giants had tied the game with 2 out in the 9th on an error by Expos’ third baseman Tim Wallach. For the second time in recent games, Expos’ mascot Youppi was ejected.

Rick Sutcliffe won his 11th straight decision as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Mr. Sutcliffe improved his record to 13-1 since joining the Cubs earlier in the season from the Cleveland Indians.

20 years ago
1989

Politics and government
The Iranian parliament approved all 22 cabinet nominees of new President Hojatolislam Hashemi Rafsanjani. The move was seen as a strong endorsement of a shift toward less radical policies.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy grew at a 2.7% annual rate in the second quarter of 1989, much higher than the previous 1.7% estimate.

Football
CFL
Toronto (4-4) 6 @ Winnipeg (4-4) 34

Winnipeg quarterback Sean Salisbury threw 2 touchdown passes to Ken Winey and 1 to Jeff Smith, and backup quarterback Lee Saltz completed a touchdown pass to Perry Tuttle. Argo quarterback Gilbert Renfroe completed just 13 of 34 passes, and threw 4 interceptions; John Congemi was no better in relief, completing 2 of 6 passes with 2 interceptions. Two of the Blue Bomber interceptions were by Rod Hill, giving him 6 for the season. The Blue Bomber defense held Gill Fenerty to 7 yards rushing on 4 carries.

CIAU
Calgary (1-0) 22 @ Manitoba (0-1) 10

Baseball
The Chicago Cubs, trailing 9-0 after 5 innings, came back to beat the Houston Astros 10-9 in 10 innings before 25,829 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Outfielder Dwight Smith, who had entered the game as a defensive replacement, drove in 3 runs, including the tying and winning runs, and threw out a runner at home plate.

10 years ago
1999

Baseball
Albert Belle batted 4 for 5 with 4 doubles, 3 runs, and 3 runs batted in to help the Baltimore Orioles defeat the Detroit Tigers 11-4 before 37,911 fans in the Orioles' last game at Tiger Stadium.

The Montreal Expos scored 5 runs in the 5th inning and 3 in the 6th as they came back from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 8-6 before 10,291 fans at Olympic Stadium.

Chipper Jones hit a solo home run with 1 out in the top of the 12th inning to break a 3-3 tie as the Atlanta Braves defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 before 45,559 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

Phil Nevin led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dave Magadan to give the San Diego Padres a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers before 22,997 fans at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The Padres scored single runs in each of the last 3 innings. Buddy Carlyle made his major league debut as the Padres' starting pitcher, allowing 2 hits and 4 runs--1 earned--in 7 innings, with 2 bases on balls and 5 strikeouts, and batting 1 for 1 with a base on balls and a run.