September 16, 2009

230 years ago
1779

War
The Franco-American Siege of Savannah began.

170 years ago
1839

Journalism
Described as "the poor man's friend," George Fenety started the first penny newspaper in the Maritimes, The Commercial News and General Advertiser-- later called the Morning News--in Saint John, New Brunswick.

150 years ago
1859

Born on this date
Yuan Shikai. 2nd President of the Republic of China, 1912-1915, 1916; Emperor of China, 1915-1916. Mr. Yuan was an influential general in the Chinese army during the later years of the Qing Dynasty, and acted as a mediator during the abdication of Emperor Pu Yi and the creation of the Republic of China. Mr. Yuan assumed the presidency, but eventually decided to restore the monarchy, and became Emperor on December 22, 1915, with the new Empire of China proclaimed effective January 1, 1916. There was much internal and external opposition to this declaration, and Mr. Yuan formally abandoned the Empire on March 22, 1916, reassuming the title of President but refusing to resign. He died of uremia on June 6, 1916 at the age of 56.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
György Pálffy. Hungarian military officer and politician. Lieutenant General Pálffy infiltrated the Independent Smallholders' Party (MKP) on behalf of the Communist Party during World War II, and became head of the MKP's Military Committee in 1944, organizing and leading anti-Nazi resistance in Budapest. After the war, he was head of the Military Policy Department of the Ministry of Defense in the provisional national government, but became increasingly critical of the political police led by Gábor Péter. Lt. Gen. Pálffy was named Deputy Minister of Defense in 1948, but ran afoul of higher authorities, and was one of four officers convicted in a show trial of espionage. On September 24, 1949, eight days after his 40th birthday, Lt. Gen. Pálffy was hanged in the courtyard of the Military Prison of Margaret Boulevard in Budapest, along with three fellow officers convicted of espionage.

Died on this date
Herman Long, 43. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Long was a shortstop with the Kansas City Cowboys (1889); Boston Beaneaters (1890-1902); New York Highlanders (1903); Detroit Tigers (1903); and Philadelphia Phillies (1904), batting .277 with 91 home runs and 1,055 runs batted in in 1,875 games. He played 368 games in the minor leagues from 1887-1888 and 1904-1906. Mr. Long led the National League in home runs in 1900 (12) and in runs in 1893 (149). Mr. Long was considered a brilliant fielder by his contemporaries, but holds the major league career record of 1,096 errors, 1,070 wile playing shortstop. His high error total was explained in part by his great range, which enabled him to attempt to field balls that others wouldn't reach; the conditions of playing fields and fielding gloves were also primitive in Mr. Long's time. He died of tuberculosis.

Baseball
The University of Wisconsin baseball team arrived in Tokyo to begin a series of games against Japanese schools.

U.S. President William Howard Taft was among those in attendance at West Side Park in Chicago to see the New York Giants edge the Chicago Cubs 2-1, as Christy Mathewson pitched a 7-hitter to improve his 1909 record to 24-5, outduelling Three Finger Brown, who allowed 7 hits in falling to 26-9.

90 years ago
1919

Defense
The United States Congress chartered the American Legion, which had been formed in Paris on March 15, 1919.

Baseball
The Cincinnati Reds allowed 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning, but scored 3 in the bottom of the inning, and went on to defeat the New York Giants 4-3 before 20,000 fans at Redland Field, clinching their first National League pennant and the Reds’ first pennant since they had led the American Association in 1882. Dutch Ruether pitched a 12-hit complete game victory to improve his 1919 record to 19-6.

Walter Johnson (20-14) pitched a 6-hit complete game victory, allowing no earned runs, and batted 2 for 3 with a triple, run, and run batted in to lead the Washington Nationals over the St. Louis Browns 5-3 at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Lefty Leifield (5-4) pitched a 10-hit complete game, allowing 4 earned runs in taking the loss.

80 years ago
1929

Died on this date
Robert Brett, 77. Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, 1915-1925. Dr. Brett, a native of Strathroy, Canada West, was a physician with the Canadian Pacific Railway who established a hospital, sanitarium, and spa in Banff National Park and helped to make the hot springs a fashionable location for cures. He helped to establish the Alberta Medical Association in 1906 and became its president. Dr. Brett was president of the Alberta Conservative Party from 1909 until he was appointed Lieutenant Governor, succeeding George Bulyea. He was succeeded by William Egbert, and died in Calgary.

75 years ago
1934

Baseball
The St. Louis Cardinals swept a doubleheader from the New York Giants in front of 62,573 fans, the largest crowd in the history of the Polo Grounds in New York. Dizzy Dean, with relief help from Tex Carleton, won the opener 5-3. Paul Dean went the distance in outduelling Carl Hubbell 3-1 in 11 innings to win the second game. The sweep left the Cardinals 3½ games behind the National League-leading Giants.

In the Pacific Coast League, the Los Angeles Angels swept a doubleheader from the Oakland Oaks, 10-1 and 9-0. Jigger Statz of the Angels stole 6 bases in the first game.

70 years ago
1939

War
The first escorted Royal Canadian Navy convoy left Halifax for England, in formation to protect against German U-boat attacks.

60 years ago
1949

At the movies
Le gros Bill, a comedy produced and filmed in Quebec, produced by Jean-Yves Bigras, directed by René Delacroix, and starring Ginette Letondal, Juliette Béliveau, Maurice Gauvin, and Paul Berval, received its premiere screening.

Popular culture
A Gallup Poll listed Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Jack Benny, and Red Skelton as the most popular American comedians.

World events
Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Rajk, testifying at his espionage trial in Budapest, read a confession admitting to charges that he was collaborating with Western agents in an effort to overthrow the Hungarian government.

Politics and government
The Georgia Supreme Court upheld a state law intended to curb the Negro vote by ordering all voters to re-register.

Economics and finance
World Bank and International Monetary Fund directors ended a four-day meeting in Washington with recommendations that countries suffering from a dollar shortage devalue their currencies.

Labour
8,000 miners struck in Utah and Wyoming as United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis halted payments from the depleted union welfare fund.

50 years ago
1959

War
The United Nations Security Council Subcommittee on Laos began its investigation, meeting in Vientiane with Crown Prince Savang Vathana.

Politics and government
In an address broadcast on radio and television to France and Algeria, French President Charles de Gaulle proclaimed the right of all Algerians to "self-determination," and proposed an Algerian referendum to choose between secession from the French Community, integration with metropolitan France, or internal autonomy.



The U.S. Democratic National Committee adopted a "good faith" resolution intended to commit Southern delegates to support the party's 1960 presidential and vice presidential nominees.

Louis Hector resigned as a member of the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board, charging that civil aviation was being "hobbled by a regulatory system which does not work."

Technology
The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, was introduced in a demonstration on live television from the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York City.

Disasters
A five-storey apartment building in Barletta, Italy collapsed, killing 55 occupants.

Football
CFL
IRFU
Toronto (2-4) 1 @ Ottawa (1-5) 28
Montreal (4-2) 13 @ Hamilton (5-1) 25

Baseball
The Milwaukee Braves moved to within 1 game of the San Francisco Giants for the National League lead when they beat the Giants 2-0 at Seals Stadium in San Francisco. Lou Burdette outduelled Sam Jones to win his 21st game of the season. The Los Angeles Dodgers were also 1 game behind the Giants.

International League
Finals
Richmond @ Havana (postponed, rain) (Havana led best-of-seven series 1-0)

American Association
Semi-Finals
Omaha 3 @ Minneapolis 5 (Minneapolis led best-of-seven series 3-2)
Omaha 2 @ Minneapolis 3 (Minneapolis won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Minneapolis had won the fifth game of the series 4-3 on September 15, but an Omaha protest was upheld.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Je t'aime...mon non plus--Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg (3rd week at #1)

War
U.S. President Richard Nixon announced that about 35,000 American troops would be brought home by December 15, raising the number withdrawn from South Vietnam to 60,000 since June. In Saigon, the South Vietnamese government said the withdrawal conformed with its policy of taking on an increased share of the war effort.

Defense
The United States Senate overwhelmingly rejected a bid to slow down development of a new strategic bomber, and accepted a proposal from the administration of President Richard Nixon to move into full-scale engineering development of the multi-billion dollar program.

Economics and finance
It was reported that the index of production in the United States had turned downward in August for the first time in 1969. The decline was small, but the index had been rising despite the government’s policy of economic restraint.

Law
The United States Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Clement Haynsworth on his fitness to sit on the United States Supreme Court. At the end of a day of hearings into Mr. Haynsworth’s ties with a vending machine company, Senator Joseph Tydings (Democrat--Maryland) said that so far there was no evidence of any conflict of interest.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I was Made For Lovin' You--Kiss

#1 single in Switzerland: Tu sei l'unica donna per me--Alan Sorrenti (5th week at #1)

World events
The Israeli cabinet ended a 12-year-old regulation prohibiting Israeli citizens and businesses from buying land in occupied Arab territories on the West Bank. The decision was presented in moral terms as the elimination of a restriction that had discriminated against Jews since the lands were captured in the Six-Day war in 1967. However, it appeared to many to be an attempt by Israel to build political control over the occupied zones, even while negotiating a self-rule agreement for the people in them. The U.S.A. criticized the decision as being "contrary to the spirit and the intent of the peace process."

Eight people escaped from East Germany to West Germany in a homemade hot air balloon.

Politics and government
Premier Hafizullah Amin replaced Nur Mohammad Taraki as President of Afghanistan. It was initially announced that Mr. Taraki had resigned because of ill health, but subsequent reports said that he was fatally wounded in a gun battle at his official residence. The government was said to have been split over efforts to crush the Muslim rebellion that had gained control of about half of the countryside. Mr. Amin, who was in control of the secret police and had an independent network of informers, had succeeded in preventing cabinet ministers from building their own power bases.

Journalism
In a special edition, the Madison Press Connection published a letter from Charles Hansen to Senator Charles Percy containing information about the hydrogen bomb that the United States government considered "restricted." The Daily Californian, a student-run newspaper at the University of California at Berkeley, had been barred from publishing the letter the previous day.

Football
CFL
Montreal (7-3) 21 @ Hamilton (2-8) 14
Calgary (6-3) 52 @ Saskatchewan (0-10) 10
British Columbia (7-2-1) 8 @ Edmonton (8-0-2) 40

David Green carried 22 times for 126 yards and a touchdown to lead the Alouettes over the Tiger-Cats before 18,511 at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton. Defensive end Junior Ah You scored another Montreal touchdown when he blocked a Zenon Andrusyshyn punt and recovered the ball in the end zone.

Willie Burden scored 3 touchdowns and Kelvin Kirk added 2--one of them on a 63-yard punt return--in the Stampeders’ win. The Roughriders made just 9 first downs to 29 for the Stampeders, but they scored the game’s most spectacular touchdown when former Stampeder Craig Juntunen connected with running back Willie Wilder for a 96-yard score in the second quarter. 20,021 fans at Taylor Field in Regina witnessed the slaughter.



At Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Tom Wilkinson completed a short pass to Brian Kelly on the first play of the game, and he broke it for an 80-yard touchdown to start the Eskimos on their way. Mr. Kelly also caught a touchdown pass from Warren Moon, and Tom Scott also scored 2 touchdowns for the Eskimos. Mr. Wilkinson completed 8 of 9 passes for 214 yards, while Mr. Moon completed 13 of 21 for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns. Mr. Kelly caught 8 passes for 239 yards, and Waddell Smith caught 6 for 123. Early in the fourth quarter, the Lions had a first down on the Eskimo 6-yard line, and were stopped from scoring three times. The Eskimos were penalized on third down, but succeeded in stopping the Lions on three more plays. Oddly, the Lions scored their only touchdown a few minutes later from inside their own 5, when backup quarterback Mike Nott completed a 106-yard touchdown pass to Leon Bright. Mr. Scott’s second touchdown came on a pass from Mr. Moon with just 6 seconds left, after Gregg Butler intercepted a pass from Mr. Nott and returned it 33 yards to the 12-yard line. B.C. head coach Vic Rapp was enraged by what he saw as an attempt to run up the score, and began yelling at Edmonton head coach Hugh Campbell as the teams walked off the field after the game. Lions’ tight end Harry Holt shoved Mr. Campbell from behind, and the players closed in. Eventually, B.C. players Doug Seymour and Sam Britts grabbed Mr. Rapp, and dragged him to the Lions’ dressing room, still kicking and screaming. 42,778 fans were at the game, but this blogger was among the few still there at the end who witnessed the comic conclusion.

25 years ago
1984

Religion
Pope John Paul II continued his Canadian tour with visits to Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Economics and finance
The Israeli government devalued the shekel by 9% and announced plans to make big cuts in the national budget.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (3-7-1) 21 @ Toronto (7-4) 18

Quarterback Joe Paopao crafted a 75-yard drive in the last 22 seconds of the game, culminating in a 14-yard touchdown pass to Craig Ellis on the last play to give the Roughriders the win before 30,025 fans at Exhibition Stadium. They took the ball on their own 35-yard line after Hank Ilesic kicked a 30-yard field goal to give the Argonauts an 18-14 lead. Mr. Paopao completed 26 of 41 passes for 396 yards, while Joe Barnes of Toronto was 30 for 43 for 470 yards. Jan Carinci caught 11 passes for 125 yards for the Argonauts, while Terry Greer caught 6 for 133 and a touchdown.

20 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Viva la mamma--Edoardo Bennato (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Lambada--Kaoma (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): French Kiss--Lil Louis

#1 single in France (SNEP): Lambada--Kaoma (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Ride on Time--Black Box (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard
1 Don't Wanna Lose You--Gloria Estefan
2 Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli
3 Heaven--Warrant
4 Hangin' Tough--New Kids on the Block
5 Shower Me with Your Love--Surface
6 Cold Hearted--Paula Abdul
7 If I Could Turn Back Time--Cher
8 18 and Life--Skid Row
9 Angel Eyes--The Jeff Healey Band
10 Cherish--Madonna

Singles entering the chart were Cover Girl (#62)/Didn't I (Blow Your Mind) (#68) by New Kids on the Block; When I See You Smile by Bad English (#72); Love's About to Change My Heart by Donna Summer (#89); and I Love the Bass by Bardeux (#96).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Don't Wanna Lose You--Gloria Estefan
2 Hangin' Tough--New Kids on the Block
3 Heaven--Warrant
4 Cold Hearted--Paula Abdul
5 Shower Me with Your Love--Surface
6 If I Could Turn Back Time--Cher
7 Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli
8 Keep on Movin'--Soul II Soul
9 The End of the Innocence--Don Henley
10 18 and Life--Skid Row

Singles entering the chart were Congratulations by Vesta (#70); My Heart Skips a Beat by Cover Girls (#90); Sunshine by Dino (#84); Cover Girl by New Kids on the Block (#90); I Don't Want a Lover by Texas (#92); and This One by Paul McCartney (#94).

Disasters
Hurricane Hugo struck Guadeloupe.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (7-4) 24 @ British Columbia (4-7) 20 (OT)

Sean Salisbury’s 49-yard touchdown pass to James Murphy with 24 seconds remaining in the 2nd overtime period gave the Blue Bombers the win (see video). Winnipeg was leading 11-7 when B.C. quarterback Matt Dunigan completed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Eric Streater with 3:03 remaining in regulation time. Lui Passaglia’s convert tied the score, and Mr. Passaglia gave the Lions a 17-14 lead on a 48-yard field goal with 1:08 remaining. The Blue Bombers quickly moved downfield, and Trevor Kennerd sent the game into overtime with a 34-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the fourth quarter. In the first overtime period, Mr. Passaglia kicked a 22-yard field goal at 2:29 to give B.C. a 20-17 lead. Tony Cherry rushed 19 times for 113 yards for the Lions, while Anthony Parker added 44 yards on 6 carries. Ricky Blake led the Blue bombers with 92 yards on 20 carries. 49,093 were at the game at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.

CIAU
British Columbia (2-1) 11 @ Manitoba (0-4) 9
Saskatchewan (2-1) 8 @ Alberta (1-2) 7

The Thunderbirds blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by Stan Pierre in the last minute of the game to preserve their win over the Bisons before 372 fans at Pan-Am Stadium in Winnipeg.

At Varsity Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta kickers Steve Kasowski and John Cutler combined to miss 6 of 7 field goal attempts, including 2 in the last minute. The visiting Huskies scored the game’s only touchdown late in the third quarter on a pass from David Earl that bounced off the shoulder of receiver Jordan Gaertner, and into his hands. He continued downfield for an 81-yard score. It was the most heartbreaking loss this blogger has ever seen in person.

10 years ago
1999

Politics and government
The United States Congress completed action on the appropriations bill for the Department of the Treasury, the Office of the President, and some other agencies. The bill included a salary increase for U.S. presidents, beginning in 2001, from $200,000 to $400,000. The president’s pay had not been increased since 1969.

Disasters
Hurricane Floyd came ashore near Wilmington, North Carolina.