September 4, 2009

1,080 years ago
929

War
In the Battle of Lenzen, Slavic forces (the Redarii and the Obotrites) were defeated by a Saxon army near the fortified stronghold of Lenzen in Brandenburg.

530 years ago
1479

War
The Treaty of Alcáçovas, ending the War of the Castilian Succession, was signed by the Roman Catholic Monarchs of Castile and Aragon on one side and Afonso V and his son, Prince John of Portugal.

260 years ago
1749

Diplomacy
The Chebuctou (Halifax, Nova Scotia) renewal of the Boston Treaty of Peace and Friendship was ratified by Maliseet Chiefs and Captains on the Wolastoq (river St. John), re-affirming Maliseet hunting and fishing rights.

200 years ago
1809

Born on this date
Manuel Montt. 5th President of Chile, 1851-1861. Mr. Montt, a member of the Conservative Party until 1857 and the National Party thereafter, held various offices, including Minister of the Interior and Foreign Affairs (1840-1841, 1845-1846) and President of the Supreme Court (1850-1851) before winning two consecutive presidential elections. He was Chile's first civilian President, and instituted some reforms while still representing the country's conservative oligarchy. After serving two five-year terms as President, Mr. Montt resumed the presidency of the Supreme Court, serving until his death on September 21, 1880, 17 days after his 71st birthday. His son Pedro and nephew Jorge later served as President.

170 years ago
1839

War
In the first armed conflict of the First Opium War, British vessels opened fire on Chinese war junks off the Kowloon Peninsula that were enforcing a food sales embargo on the British community in China.

110 years ago
1899

Baseball
In the New England League, Mansfield (Massachusetts) swept 6 games at home against Portland (Maine), playing 2 games before lunch and 4 afterwards. Portland walked off the field and forfeited after 2 innings in the 6th game to protest an umpire's decision‚ but the first 5 games lasted 9 innings each‚ for a total of 47 innings. This appears to have been the only professional sextupleheader in history.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Eduard Wirths. German physician. Dr. Wirths joined the Nazi Party in 1933 and the SS in 1934, rising to the level of SS-Sturmbannführer (major). He was chief camp physician at the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz (1942-1945) and Mittelbau-Dora (1945), and was formally responsible for the activities of the doctors under him, although he was known to have improved conditions in the camps. Dr. Wirths was captured by Allied forces at the end of World War II and held in British custody. Knowing he would be facing war crimes charges, he committed suicide by hanging himself on September 20, 1945, 16 days after his 36th birthday.

Died on this date
Clyde Fitch, 44. U.S. playwright. Mr. Fitch was the most popular writer for the Broadway stage from 1890-1910, with works such as Beau Brummell (1890); The Girl with the Green Eyes (1902); and Girls (1910). He died in France of blood poisoning, shortly after suffering a heart attack.

Labour
22 arrests resulted when fishermen from Quebec's Gaspé region began a revolt against agents of the companies that had drastically reduced the prices paid for their catches.

90 years ago
1919

Politics and government
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded the Republic of Turkey, gathered a congress in Sivas to make decisions as to the future of Anatolia and Thrace.

75 years ago
1934

Baseball
The Philadelphia Phillies released veteran outfielder (and drunkard) Hack Wilson, ending his 12-year major league career at the age of 34. Mr. Wilson was hitting .245 with 6 home runs in 74 games, but was hitting just .100 (2 singles in 20 at bats, with 3 bases on balls and 3 runs batted in) in 7 games with the Phillies after playing most of the season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mr. Wilson led the National League in home runs 4 times; his best season was 1930, when he hit .356 with 56 home runs and 191 runs batted in with the Chicago Cubs. His home run total from that season remains the National League record for a single season, and his RBI total from 1930 is still the major league record for a single season.

70 years ago
1939

War
A Bristol Blenheim became the first British aircraft to cross the German coast following the U.K.'s declaration of war, and German ships were bombed.



Disasters
The British ocean liner SS Athenia was struck by a German torpedo--apparently in a case of mistaken identity--while on its way to Montreal, resulting in the loss of 118 lives, 54 Canadian.

Football
CRU
WIFU
Winnipeg (3-0) 17 @ Regina (1-2) 1
Calgary (0-2) 12 @ Edmonton (1-1) 16

Andy Bieber and Jeff Nicklin scored touchdowns for the Blue Bombers as they beat the Roughriders before a capacity crowd of 5,000 at Osborne Stadium.

Bob Fritz and Bill Matheny scored touchdowns for the Eskimos as they defeated the Bronks before 3,000 fans at Clarke Stadium for their first win since October 10, 1932, when they had played in the Alberta Rugby Union, and the first win since Mr. Fritz had become the team's head coach when the franchise had been revived in 1938 after a five-year absence. Mr. Matheny scored the winning touchdown on an 18-yard rush with 4 minutes remaining in the game.

60 years ago
1949

Died on this date
Ralph Parker, 61. U.S. physician. Dr. Parker discovered the vaccine for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Aviation
The world's largest civilian aircraft, the British eight-engine Brabazon I, made its first flight, in Bristol.

Protest
1,000 anti-Communist demonstrators picketed an open-air concert by singer Paul Robeson in Peekskill, New York. Violence after the concert resulted in injuries to 145 people.







Baseball
With 2 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th inning, Bill Nicholson doubled and Willie "Puddin' Head" Jones followed with a home run to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 9-8 win over the Boston Braves in the first game of a doubleheader before 18,727 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Bob Elliott's 3-run homer gave the Braves a 4-run lead in the top of the 1st inning of the second game, but the Phillies came back to win 8-7 to complete the sweep and move 1 game ahead of the Braves into third place in the National League. Max Lanier pitched a 13-hit complete game victory to improve his 1949 record to 2-3, while losing pitcher Ken Raffensberger pitched a 10-hit complete game, falling to 14-15.

Rex Barney (8-8) pitched a 6-hitter, Pee Wee Reese led off the game with a home run, and Carl Furillo hit a 3-run homer in the 8th inning to help the Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the New York Giants 6-2 before 39,953 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York.

Marty Marion batted 3 for 4 with a home run, 2 runs, and 4 runs batted in to help the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 in the first game of a doubleheader before 29,133 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The Reds scored 3 runs in the 9th and had a runner on first base with 2 out, but Johnny Pramesa struck out to end the game. Tommy Glaviano’s grand slam highlighted an 8-run 3rd inning for the Cardinals as they won 11-2 to complete the sweep, moving 2½ games in front of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League pennant race. Freddie Martin (5-0) pitched a 7-hit complete game victory in the second game.

Wayne Terwilliger hit a 2-run home run and Andy Pafko added a grand slam as the Chicago Cubs scored 8 runs in the 4th inning as they overcame a 3-2 deficit and defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7 before 18,082 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago in a game that was called because of rain after 6½ innings.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Living Doll--Cliff Richard and the Drifters (6th week at #1)

War
The Laotian government formally appealed to the United Nations for "dispatch of an emergency force" to halt aggression by Pathet Lao guerrillas supported by North Vietnam. Crown Prince Savang Vathana was invested with emergency powers to act as regent for his father King Sisavong Vong.

Diplomacy
King Saud of Saudi Arabia and U.A.R. President Gamal Nasser ended four days of talks in Cairo, agreeing to maintain the Suez Canal blockade against Israel and to resume diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom, broken since 1956.

U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushshev announced plans to visit the People's Republic of China following his return from the United States.

Politics and government
Argentine President Arturo Frondizi dismissed War Minister Elbio Anaya after Mr. Anaya ordered the arrest of 14 top anti-Peronist officers for siding with ousted Army chief of staff Toranzo Montero.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower again vetoed omnibus housing legislation, and the Senate sustained his veto.

40 years ago
1969

Terrorism
C. Burke Elbrick, United States Ambassador to Brazil, was kidnapped by four armed men from a limousine while en route to the American embassy in Rio de Janeiro. In a manifesto left in the limousine, the kidnappers demanded the publication and broadcast of their manifesto throughout Brazil and the release of 15 political prisoners in return for Mr. Elbrick’s release. The document, signed by the National Liberating Action and the Revolutionary Movement of October, two of more than 10 guerrilla and terrorist groups said by the government to be operating in Brazil, stated that if no action were taken within 48 hours, Mr. Elbrick would be killed.

Defense
The United States Justice Department announced that Carl Turner, a retired major general who had been chief of U.S. marshals for the past five months, was resigning for "personal reasons," following reports of laxity in the supervision of enlisted men’s clubs while he was provost marshal of the army.

Economics and finance
In a step to control inflation, U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered a 75% reduction in new contracts for federal government construction, and urged local and state governments to cut back projects funded jointly with federal funds.

A tax bill containing fewer and more limited reforms than the one passed by the U.S. House of Representatives the previous month was presented by the Nixon administration to the Senate Finance Committee. The administration bill reduced the overall amount of tax relief, giving more relief to upper-income individuals and corporations.

Baseball
Down 4-1 in the 9th inning against the Detroit Tigers before 13,799 fans at Tiger Stadium‚ the Baltimore Orioles got consecutive home runs from Frank Robinson‚ Boog Powell‚ and Brooks Robinson off Earl Wilson to tie the score. Tom Timmerman then relieved Mr. Wilson and allowed a double by Dave Johnson, who advanced to third base on an outfield fly by Elrod Hendricks and scored on a Baltimore chop ground out by Mark Belanger as the Orioles won 5-4. Terry Crowley made his major league debut with the Orioles, popping out as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning.

Cesar Tovar's grand slam was the big blow of a 5-run 10th inning for the Minnesota Twins as they broke a 5-5 tie and defeated the Oakland Athletics 10-5 before 11,476 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Athletics led 4-1 before the Twins scored 4 in the 8th to take a 5-4 lead. The Athletics scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 9th to tie the score and had the bases loaded with 1 out, but Gene Tenace struck out and Bert Campaneris lined out to center field.

Sandy Alomar drew a base on balls to lead off the bottom of the 1st inning, advanced to third base on a single by Jay Johnstone, and scored the only run of the game when Jim Fregosi grounded into a force play as the California Angels edged the Chicago White Sox 1-0 before 5,646 fans at Anaheim Stadium. Rudy May allowed 5 hits in 7 1/3 innings to get the win and improve his 1969 record to 7-11, while Ken Tatum, who relieved Mr. May after the White Sox placed runners on first and third with 1 out in the 8th, retired all 5 batters he faced to get the save. Tommy John allowed 2 hits and 1 earned run in 7 innings to fall to 6-11). Jose Ortiz made his major league debut as a pinch hitter with the White Sox in the 8th; he grounded into a force play, and was stranded at third base.

30 years ago
1979

Died on this date
Turkey Stearnes, 78. U.S. baseball player. Norman Thomas Stearnes was an outfielder with seven different Negro League teams (1920-1940), batting .344 with 176 home runs--a Negro League record--in 750 games. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Personal
This blogger spent the day going through the experience of in-person registration at the University of Alberta. Seeing old friends from Yellowknife and Calgary made the ordeal bearable.

Diplomacy
At the conference of non-aligned nations in Havana, Yugoslavia’s President Tito urged third-world nations to remain independent of the superpowers, implicitly criticizing Fidel Castro’s pro-Soviet stance.

Disasters
Hurricane David hit the U.S. mainland a second time, in Georgia and the Carolinas, battering Savannah and Charleston.

Football
CFL
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats sent tight end Lawrie Skolrood to the Saskatchewan Roughriders to complete the trade for quarterback Tom Clements.

Montreal (5-3) 28 @ Toronto (4-4) 25

45,202 fans at Exhibition Stadium saw the Argonauts lose 2 fumbles and give up 2 interceptions. David Green led the Alouettes’ rushing attack with 16 carries for 79 yards, while John O’Leary added 12 carries for 43 yards and 3 touchdowns. Toronto quarterback Tony Adams completed 27 of 39 passes for 297 passes and 3 touchdowns: 2 to Terry Metcalf, and 1 to Dan Huclack in the last minute.

25 years ago
1984

Personal
This blogger registered at the University of Alberta, doing it in-person again. Fortunately, this was the last time I had to do this, and I was in and out in little more than an hour, unlike the all-day experience of a couple of earlier years.

Politics and government
The Progressive Conservatives swept to power in the Canadian federal election, winning their first majority since 1958. Under the leadership of Brian Mulroney, the PCs took 211 of 282 seats in the House of Commons. John Turner, who had called the election only 9 days after taking office as Prime Minister, was one of only 40 Liberals elected. The New Democratic Party won 30 seats, and one independent was elected. The PCs took 50.03% of the vote, the last time in Canadian history that any party received that high a figure. The Liberals received an embarrassing 28.02%, and the NDP 18.81%. Those of us who were sick of what Pierre Trudeau had done to the country were glad to see the Liberals get hammered, in the naive hope that we were going to get something different and better.

U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate Walter Mondale said he was "damned mad" about the tax policies of the Ronald Reagan administration, which, he said, favoured the rich.

Diplomacy
East German Chairman Erich Honecker disappointed many Germans when he postponed a visit to West Germany, apparently bowing to pressures from the U.S.S.R. The visit would have been the first by an East German leader to West Germany. Hungary and Romania had given cautious support to Mr. Honecker’s visit, but Poland and Czechoslovakia had criticized it. The East Germans attributed the postponement to a flurry of statements critical of East Germany by West German political leaders.

U.S. Senator Frank Church, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, postponed hearings on the SALT-II nuclear arms treaty so that his committee could "deal immediately" with reports of the Soviet brigade of 2,000-3,000 men in Cuba.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Lambada--Kaoma (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Right Here Waiting--Richard Marx (2nd week at #1)
2 Cold Hearted--Paula Abdul
3 The End of the Innocence--Don Henley
4 Don't Wanna Lose You--Gloria Estefan
5 So Alive--Love and Rockets
6 On Our Own--Bobby Brown
7 Hangin' Tough--New Kids on the Block
8 Rock 'N' Roll Duty--Kim Mitchell
9 Toy Soldiers--Martika
10 Hard Sun--Indio

Singles entering the chart were Call it Love by Poco (#69); Sowing the Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears (#71); Shower Me with Your Love by Surface (#74); Revolution by Mike + the Mechanics (#84); Partyman by Prince (#86); Love Song by the Cure (#87); No Souvenirs by Melissa Etheridge (#89); and Oh Boy by Louisa Florio (#95).

Died on this date
Georges Simenon, 86. Belgian-born Swiss author. Mr. Simenon was one of the most prolific authors in history, writing several hundred books under his own name and several pseudonyms. He was best known for creating the ficitional policeman Commissaire Maigret.

Protest
In Leipzig, East Germany, the first of weekly demonstrations for the legalization of opposition groups and democratic reforms took place.

Football
CFL
Toronto (4-5) 18 @ Hamilton (6-3) 23
Edmonton (8-1) 31 @ Calgary (5-4) 14

33,139 (including a stadium record walkup ticket sale of 19,500) at McMahon Stadium saw Tracy Ham rush for 1 touchdown and pass to Keith Wright and Reggie Taylor for the other Eskimo majors. Lorenzo Graham rushed 1 yard for the first Stampeder touchdown, and Danny Barrett completed a 12-yard pass to Marshall Toner for the other Calgary touchdown. Mr. Barrett had a miserable day passing, completing just 7 of 24 passes for 110 yards. His backup, Terrence Jones, was no better, going 1 for 5 for 6 yards. The game was the first in the Canadian Football League for two Calgary defensive linemen: Will Johnson, who went on to have a fine CFL career; and Flint Fleming, who didn’t.



Derrick McAdoo rushed 19 times for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Tiger-Cats to their win before 25,968 at Ivor Wynne Stadium. The other Hamilton touchdown came on a pass from Mike Kerrigan to Tony Champion. The Argos’ only touchdown came on a 1-yard rush by quarterback Gilbert Renfroe just 5:38 into the game. Gill Fenerty was Toronto’s top offensive player with 17 carries for 143 yards.

Baseball
Fred Lynn hit his 300th career major league home run to help the Detroit Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals before 17,412 fans at Tiger Stadium.

10 years ago
1999

World events
The United Nations reported that East Timor had voted by a large majority--78.5%--for independence from Indonesia, rather than for the option of remaining within Indonesia with greater autonomy. Indonesian President B.J. Habibie had said he would free East Timor if the autonomy option was defeated. Voter turnout was put at 98.6%. In reaction to the vote, pro-Indonesia militias began going on a rampage, destroying property and killing people in the East Timor capital of Dili.

Terrorism
A car bomb near an apartment complex in Dagestan killed over 60 and injured more than 100.

Football
CIS
Manitoba (1-0) 37 @ Regina (0-1) 28
British Columbia (0-1) 20 @ Saskatchewan (1-0) 28
Alberta (0-1) 21 @ Calgary (1-0) 36

The Golden Bears amassed 444 yards net offense, but turned the ball over 6 times before 2,134 fans at McMahon Stadium. Lincoln Blumell, in his first start at quarterback, threw 2 touchdown passes and ran for a major in leading the Dinos’ attack. Jordan Valgardson caught the touchdown passes from Mr. Blumell, while Alan Giacalone rushed for 2 more Dino touchdowns. Dean Fisher led the Calgary rushing game with 13 carries for 85 yards. Mike Munoz led Alberta with 14 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown. Jamie Stoddard caught 7 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown to lead the Golden Bear receivers, while Alberta quarterback Blair Zahara completed 17 of 30 passes for 271 yards.

Baseball
Down 2-0 after the first inning‚ the Cincinnati Reds scored 9 runs in the 5th inning on the way to a 22-3 blowout over the Philadelphia Phillies before 16,357 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Reds set a National League record by hitting 9 home runs in the contest: 2 by Eddie Taubensee, and 1 apiece by Aaron Boone; Dmitri Young; Jeffrey Hammonds; Greg Vaughn; Pokey Reese; Brian Johnson; and Mark Lewis.



Derek Bell's 2-run home run climaxed a 3-run rally that began after the first 2 batters were retired in the top of the 10th inning as the Houston Astros broke a 2-2 tie and defeated the Montreal Expos 5-2 before 8,471 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Pedro Martinez allowed 2 hits in 8 innings and struck out 15 batters to improve his 1999 record to 20-4 as the Boston Red Sox shut out the Seattle Mariners 4-0 before 44,597 fans at Safeco Field in Seattle.

The New York Yankees scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th inning to break a 6-6 tie and defeat the Anaheim Angels 9-6 before 30,589 fans at Edison International Field of Anaheim.