October 15, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Angela Nixon!

620 years ago
1389

Died on this date
Urban VI, 71. Roman Catholic Pope, 1378-1389. Born Bartolomeo Prignano, Urban VI was the last pope to be elected from outside the College of Cardinals, being hastily chosen to succeed Gregory IX while a mob outside the papal conclave was demanding a Roman pope and not a return of the papacy to Avignon. Urban VI died shortly after falling from his mule, presumably from injuries suffered in the fall, although there were rumours that he had been poisoned. He was succeeded as pope by Boniface IX.

480 years ago
1529

War
The Siege of Vienna ended as the Austrians repelled the invading Turks, turning the tide against almost a century of conquest in Europe by the Ottoman Empire.

200 years ago
1809

Economics and finance
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, Viceroy of the Río de la Plata, opened the port of Buenos Aires to trade with nations other than Spain.

180 years ago
1829

Born on this date
Asaph Hall. U.S. astronomer. Professor Hall worked at the U.S. Naval Observatory from 1872-1891, and was best known for discovering, in 1877, Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars. He died on November 22, 1907 at the age of 78.

140 years ago
1869

Born on this date
Francisco Largo Caballero. Prime Minister of Spain, 1936-1937. Mr. Largo was a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which formed part of the government of the Second Spanish Republic. He led the Marxist wing of the party, and took office as Prime Minister on September 4, 1936, several months into the Spanish Civil War. He was forced to resign on May 17, 1937, and was succeeded by fellow PSOE member Juan Negrín. When the Republic was defeated by the forces of Francisco Franco in 1939, Mr. Largo fled to France. He spent most of World War II in a Nazi concentration camp, but was liberated at the end of the war, and died in exile in Paris on March 23, 1946 at the age of 76.

130 years ago
1879

Born on this date
Jane Darwell. U.S. actress. Miss Darwell, born Patti Woodard, appeared in plays, television programs, and over 170 movies, but is best known for playing Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940), for which she won the Academy Award for her supporting performance. She died of a heart attack on August 13, 1967 at the age of 87.

Disasters
The Segura River in southeastern Spain flooded, killing 1,077 people.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
José Ramón Guizado. 17th President of Panama, 1955. Mr. Guizado, a member of the National Patriotic Coalition (CNP), was Vice President under Arnulfo Arias (1949-1951); Alcibíades Arosemena (1951-1952); and José Antonio Remón (1952-1955). When Mr. Remón was assassinated on January 2, 1955, Mr. Guizado succeeded him as President, serving until March 29, 1955. He died on November 2, 1964, 18 days after his 65th birthday.

Baseball
The Cleveland Spiders closed out the worst season for a team in major league baseball history, and their own 11-year existence in the National League, with a doubleheader loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Redland Field in Cincinnati by scores of 16-1 and 19-3. 19-year-old Eddie Kolb, who ran the cigar stand at the Gibson House hotel, where the Spiders stayed in Cincinnati, was allowed to pitch for them when scheduled starter Jack Harper took ill. Mr. Kolb went the distance, allowing 18 hits in 8 innings, walking 5 and striking out 1, with an earned run average of 10.13. He made an error in his only fielding chance, but did manage 1 hit in 4 at bats. It turned out to be Mr. Kolb’s only major league game. The Spiders, who had given up on playing home games some time earlier, finished the season by playing their last 36 games on the road--they lost 35 of them. They finished with a record of 20 wins and 134 losses, a .130 percentage, 84 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas, and 35 games behind the 11th-place Washington Senators in the 12-team league.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Robert Trout. U.S. journalist. Mr. Trout, born Robert Blondheim, was a newscaster best known for his years with CBS radio (1932-1948, 1952-1965), covering major events, including World War II. He has been credited with being radio's first news anchorman, and has also been credited as the first broadcaster to announce the surrender of Japan in August 1945. Mr. Trout worked with NBC from 1948-1952, and later worked with ABC. He died on November 14, 2000, 30 days after his 91st birthday.

70 years ago
1939

Transportation
New York Municipal Airport (later renamed LaGuardia Airport) was dedicated.

60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World--Buddy Clark; Larry Green (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): That Lucky Old Sun--Frankie Laine (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 You're Breaking My Heart--Vic Damone (5th week at #1)
--The Ink Spots
--Buddy Clark
2 That Lucky Old Sun--Frankie Laine
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
3 Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--The Mills Brothers
4 Jealous Heart--Al Morgan
5 Room Full of Roses--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Dick Haymes
6 Some Enchanted Evening--Perry Como
--Bing Crosby
7 Maybe it's Because--Dick Haymes
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
8 The Huckle-Buck--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
--Frank Sinatra
9 Whispering Hope--Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae
10 Hop-Scotch Polka (Scotch Hot)--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Art Mooney and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were Slipping Around by Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely (#30); A Dreamer's Holiday by Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters (#31); and I Want You to Want Me (To Want You) by Gordon MacRae (#34).

Died on this date
László Rajk, 40. Hungarian politician. Mr. Rajk, a Communist, was Hungary's Minister of the Interior (1946-1948) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1948-1949). Hungarian Communist dictator Mátyás Rákosi regarded Mr. Rajk as a threat to his power, and charged Mr. Rajk and others with treason. The show trials, lasting from September 16-14, 1949, resulted in 15 people being executed and 78 others imprisoned. Among those executed were Mr. Rajk, and Drs. Tibor Szönyi and András Szalai.

War
Chinese Communist forces occupied Canton, capital of the Nationalist government for six months.

Abominations
Czechoslovakian security forces completed a 10-day campaign to "liquidate hostile elements and imperialist agents," arresting an estimated 50,000 suspects from the clergy and middle class.

Defense
The South African government retired Field Marshal Jan Smuts, commander of the country's defense forces since 1940, from military service.

Law
U.S. President Harry Truman nominated U.S. Attorney John McGohey, prosecutor in the New York trial of U.S. Communist leaders, to a federal judgeship.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Montreal (4-4) 24 @ Toronto (5-4) 16
Ottawa (8-1) 12 @ Hamilton (0-8) 7

WIFU
Saskatchewan (6-5) 47 @ Winnipeg (2-9) 0
Edmonton (3-7) 6 @ Calgary (10-0) 31

ORFU
Windsor (4-4) 27 @ Toronto (1-7) 6
Hamilton (6-2) 13 @ Sarnia (5-3) 11

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Art Harris Story



The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Empty Chair, with guest stars Bruce Gordon and Barbara Nichols

This was the first regular episode of the series.



Died on this date
Stepan Bandera, 50. Ukrainian nationalist leader. Mr. Bandera was a leader in the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) who served time in prison in Poland (which then ruled eastern Ukraine) in the 1930s before being freed after the German invasion in 1939. Mr. Bandera, who believed that a German invasion was the best hope for an independent Ukraine, collaborated with the Nazis. In June 1941 Mr. Bandera's faction of the OUN declared independence, but German Chancellor Adolf Hitler was less than enthusiastic about Ukrainian independence, and had Mr. Bandera thrown into prison for the next three years. Mr. Bandera moved to Munich after World War II and organized the OUN abroad. He was assassinated on the orders of the KGB at the entrance to his apartment building by Bohdan Stashynsky. On January 22, 2010, outgoing Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko formally designated Mr. Bandera a Hero of Ukraine.

Diplomacy
Negotiations on Indian-Pakistani border disputes began in New Delhi and Karachi.

World events
Baghdad's military governor General Ahmad Saleh el-Abdi reported the suppression of a second plot to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Karim Abdul el-Kassem.

Medicine
Drs. Severo Ochoa and Arthur Kornberg were awarded the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discovery of the mechanisms in the biological synthesis of ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid."

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Je t'aime...moi non plus--Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg
2 Pretty Belinda--Chris Andrews
3 In the Year 2525--Zager & Evans
4 Honky Tonk Women--The Rolling Stones
5 Give Peace a Chance--Plastic Ono Band
6 Saved by the Bell--Robin Gibb
7 Mendocino--Sir Douglas Quintet
8 In the Ghetto--Elvis Presley
9 Oh Happy Day--The Edwin Hawkins Singers
10 Heather Honey--Tommy Roe

Singles entering the chart were In the Year 2525; Hello, Lady by the Hubbubs (#13); Hello Susie by Amen Corner (#14); It Miek by Desmond Dekker and the Aces (#15); Viva Bobby Joe by the Equals (#19); and La storia di Serafino by Adriano Celentano (#20).

On television tonight
Then Came Bronson, starring Michael Parks, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Where Will the Trumpets Be?

Died on this date
Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, 50. Prime Minister of Somalia, 1960-1964; President of Somalia, 1967-1969. Mr. Shermarke, a member of the Somali Youth League, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1959, becoming Prime Minister when Somalia gained her independence from Great Britain in 1960. As Prime Minister and President, he pursued a non-aligned and neutral foreign policy. Mr. Shermarke was assassinated in the town of Las Anod by one of his bodyguards, whose motive appeared to be personal rather than political.

Politics and government
Rod Sykes was elected Mayor of Calgary, easily defeating incumbent Jack Leslie.

Protest
As many as two million Americans participated in Vietnam Moratorium Day activities across the nation to demonstrate their opposition to the Vietnam War. 30,000 marched past the White House in a candlelight procession led by Mrs. Martin Luther King. Counter-demonstrations were held by supporters of the war.

Religion
Most Reverend Fulton J. Sheen resigned as Bishop of Rochester after a three-year tenure to return to New York City to continue his ministry. Local Roman Catholics in Rochester, New York said that the Bishop’s methods, attuned to reaching millions via television, didn’t allow him to communicate with local parishioners.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (10-2) 38 @ Winnipeg (3-10-1) 31

Margene Adkins scored 2 touchdowns on passes from Russ Jackson to lead the Rough Riders over the Blue Bombers before 12,520 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. Other Ottawa touchdowns were scored by Vic Washington, Wayne Giardino, and Ron Stewart. Butch Pressley of the Blue Bombers rushed 15 times for 132 yards and 3 touchdowns in what may have been the best game of his 6-year CFL career. Quarterback Wally Gabler scored the other Winnipeg touchdown with 1:20 remaining in the game to draw the Blue Bombers within a converted touchdown. The Rough Riders took the ball after the kickoff and were able to use up all but the last 5 seconds, leaving Mr. Gabler just time enough for one last desperation pass. Mr. Washington suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the game, which sent the Rough Riders scrambling to find a replacement.

Baseball
World Series
Baltimore Orioles 1 @ New York Mets 2 (10 innings) (New York led best-of-seven series 3-1)

The Mets scored a disputed unearned run in the bottom of the 10th inning to defeat the Orioles before 57,367 fans at Shea Stadium. Jerry Grote led off with a double off Dick Hall, and Rod Gaspar was sent in to run for him. Al Weis was intentionally walked, and Pete Richert was brought in to relieve Mr. Hall. J.C. Martin, pinch hitting for pitcher Tom Seaver, laid down a bunt; Mr. Richert picked up the ball, but his throw to first base hit Mr. Martin in the left wrist and bounced away, and Mr. Gaspar came around to score on the error. The Orioles contended--correctly--that Mr. Martin was running inside the baseline, and should have been called out. Donn Clendenon’s home run in the 2nd inning, his second of the series, gave the Mets a 1-0 lead that they took into the 9th inning. The Orioles tied it when Frank Robinson singled and went to third base on a single by Boog Powell. Brooks Robinson then followed with a sinking line drive to right field, where Ron Swoboda made a spectacular diving catch to prevent a hit, but Frank Robinson scored on the play. Mr. Seaver gave up just 6 hits in 10 innings, and was credited with the victory. Baltimore manager Earl Weaver was ejected for arguing balls and strikes with umpire Shag Crawford; he became the first manager since 1935 to be ejected from a World Series game.





30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Sexual Violet No. 1--Masahiro Kuwana (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Me Llamas--José Luis Perales

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 El Lute--Boney M. (5th week at #1)
2 Tu sei l'unica donna per me--Alan Sorrenti
3 Bright Eyes--Art Garfunkel
4 Ring My Bell--Anita Ward
5 Boy Oh Boy--Racey
6 Pop Muzik--M
7 I was Made for Lovin' You--Kiss
8 Gloria--Umberto Tozzi
9 Do to Me--Smokie
10 Bomba o non bomba--Antonello Venditti

Singles entering the chart were Boy Oh Boy; I Don't Like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats (#13); Moskau by Dschinghis Khan (#16); My Sharona by the Knack (#19); Don't Bring Me Down by the Electric Light Orchestra (#20); If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Hold it Against Me by the Bellamy Brothers (#21); and We Don't Talk Anymore by Cliff Richard (#24).

World events
General Carlos Humberto Romero, the President of El Salvador, was deposed in a military coup. The armed forces said that they had acted to "restore constitutional order" and appealed to extremists of both left and right to lay down their arms in return for a guarantee of a role in the government. The junta also promised elections and a general amnesty.

Diplomacy
Great Britain issued an ultimatum to the Patriotic Front guerrillas in Zimbabwe Rhodesia that they would be welcome to the talks about the country’s future only if they agreed to British proposals for a new constitution. The Patriotic Front would not agree to any constitutional proposal that would pledge future Zimbabwe Rhodesian governments to compensate whites for seizure of their lands. The British believed that arbitrary land redistribution without compensation would only increase the white exodus from the country with bad effects on the economy.

Protest
Supporters of the Malta Labour Party ransacked and destroyed the Times of Malta building and other locations associated with the Nationalist Party.

Disasters
A large area of southern California and northern Mexico was shaken by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale. At least 70 people were injured and there was extensive damage to buildings, roads, and public utilities.

25 years ago
1984

Diplomacy
Salvadoran President Jose Napoleon Duarte met with rebel leaders in a church in La Palma, and the two sides agreed to form a joint commission to seek an end to the five-year-old civil war that had caused the deaths of more than 50,000 civilians. However, they did not agree to a formal cease-fire.

Politics and government
John J. O’Connor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York, said that bishops of the church expected public officials and candidates for election to oppose "abortion on demand" and to seek "modification" of legalized abortion.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (2nd week at #1)

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

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Lambada--Kaoma
2 The Best--Tina Turner
3 Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
4 Flamenco Turistico--Stefanie Werger
5 French Kiss--Lil Louis
6 Dressed for Success--Roxette
7 Puerto Rico--Vaya con Dios
8 Das Omen (Teil 1)--Mysterious Art
9 French Kiss--Honesty 69
10 Sealed with a Kiss--Jason Donovan

Singles entering the chart were Puerto Rico; Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic featuring Felly (#20); Magic Symphony by Blue System (#24); and Sowing the Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears (#30).

World events
The government of South Africa freed eight prominent Negro nationalist leaders. Seven were affiliated with the banned African National Congress, and all had been imprisoned for many years. The best-known, 77-year-old Walter Sisulu, had been in prison since 1963, serving a life term for treason. After his release, Mr. Sisulu called for the release of Nelson Mandela.

Hockey
NHL
Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings scored his 1,851st point, surpassing Gordie Howe to become the National Hockey League’s career scoring leader. The historic moment came when he scored with 53 seconds remaining in regulation time to tie the Edmonton Oilers 4-4; he then scored in overtime to give the Kings a 5-4 win. Appropriately, the game was played at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, where Mr. Gretzky had played his home games from 1978-1988 as a member of the Oilers. The Great One received a loud and long ovation from the 17,503 in attendance. Bernie Nicholls also scored 2 goals for the Kings and Gaetan Duchesne scored once. Craig Simpson, Jarri Kurri, Craig Muni, and Glenn Anderson scored for the Oilers.







Football
CFL
Winnipeg (7-8) 21 @ Hamilton (9-6) 29
Toronto (6-9) 18 @ Saskatchewan (8-7) 24
Ottawa (2-13) 11 @ Edmonton (13-2) 55

Backup quarterback Todd Dillon, who relieved ineffective starter Mike Kerrigan, threw third-quarter touchdown passes to Jed Tommy and Rocky DiPietro and Paul Osbaldiston kicked 4 field goals as the Tiger-Cats sent the Blue Bombers to their fourth straight loss before 14,399 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Derrick McAdoo led the Hamilton attack with 19 rushes for 111 yards. James Murphy, who caught 7 passes for 115 yards, scored the lone Winnipeg touchdown on a 39-yard pass from Sean Salisbury, who completed just 18 of 41 passes, albeit for 252 yards.

Kent Austin hit Jeff Fairholm with a 72-yard touchdown pass at 7:43 of the fourth quarter to give the Roughriders the win in front of 20,953 at Taylor Field in Regina. Mark Guy caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Mr. Austin in the first quarter. Tim McCray rushed 18 times for 124 yards for Saskatchewan. Toronto touchdowns were scored by running back Gill Fenerty and quarterback John Congemi on 1-yard runs. The Argos produced just 165 yards in net offense, as Mr. Fenerty was held to 38 yards on 12 carries while Mr. Congemi completed just 14 of 34 passes for 142 yards.

30,920 fans showed up on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon at Commonwealth Stadium to see the Eskimos roll up 31 first downs and 492 yards net offense to 8 first downs and 176 yards net offense for the Rough Riders. Mark Mathis, playing his first CFL game, blocked a Tom Schimmer punt, and Don Wilson picked up the ball and ran 20 yards for the first Edmonton touchdown (and the Eskimos’ only defensive touchdown of the season) just 2:05 into the game. Chris Johnstone and Blake Marshall each rushed for 2 touchdowns for the Eskimos, while Tracy Ham threw touchdown passes to Tom Richards and Marco Cyncar. Jerry Kauric converted all 7 majors and added 2 late field goals, including one on the last play, which prompted criticism about running up the score. Edmonton head coach Joe Faragalli defended the move on the grounds that "somebody reminded me that Jerry could use the three points. He’s in a race with Dave Ridgway...[for the scoring title]." That "somebody" may well have been Mr. Kauric’s wife, who, according to Eskimo lore, was not above going down to the front row of the stands to pester Mr. Faragalli for more scoring chances for her husband. Also, Mr. Faragalli and Ottawa head coach Steve Goldman were not known to be the best of friends (they certainly weren’t after this game). Steve Taylor, Edmonton’s third-string quarterback, dressed for his first CFL game and played part of the 4th quarter. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 35 yards and drove the team to its final touchdown (Mr. Marshall’s second). Reggie Taylor led Eskimo rushers with 16 carries for 144 yards. Tony Kimbrough started at quarterback for the Rough Riders and completed just 7 of 30 passes for 136 yards and 3 interceptions. One of his completions was for a 32-yard touchdown strike to David Conrad early in the 2nd quarter. Orville Lee rushed 18 times for 69 yards for Ottawa in one of the better games of a terrible sophomore season for 1988’s outstanding rookie.



Baseball
World Series
San Francisco Giants 1 @ Oakland Athletics 5 (Oakland led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Dave Parker doubled in a run in the 4th inning to break a 1-1 tie, and then Terry Steinbach hit a 3-run home run off Rick Reuschel to give the Athletics a 5-1 lead over the Giants before 49,388 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mike Moore pitched 7 innings to get the win.

10 years ago
1999

Politics and government
General Pervez Musharraf, who had become de facto ruler of Pakistan when the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was overthrown in a bloodless coup three days earlier, imposed martial law, suspended the constitution, and dismissed parliament.

Diplomacy
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), an organization that brought medical care to sick, hungry, and wounded people in many countries, and was also outspoken against human rights abuses and other injustices. The group currently had 2,000 personnel in 80 countries. ¼ of the volunteer workers were French and the rest were from 45 countries. Outspoken members of the organization had been expelled from several countries.

Defense
U.S. President Bill Clinton said that he would abide by the provisions of treaty banning all underground nuclear testing despite its rejection by the Senate two days earlier. The treaty could not become effective until all 44 nations with nuclear capability ratified it. So far, 26 had done so.

Crime
The Metropolitan Police Force in London announced a £50,000 out-of-court settlement to Winston Silcott, wrongly convicted of leading the murderous attack on Police constable Keith Blakelock during the 1985 Broadwater Farm riot in Tottenham, north London.

Economics and finance
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 266.90 points and closed at 10,019.71, some 1,300 points beow its August high of 11,326.04. The DJIA for the week ending October 15 declined 630.05 points--5.9%--the largest weekly point decrease ever, and the worst weekly percentage decline since the week ending October 13, 1989. Analysts cited fears that interest rates might be raised again as apart of an effort to control inflation. The U.S. government reported that wholesale prices had risen 1.1% in September, the highest one-month rise in nine years.

Football
CIAU
Saskatchewan (5-1) 21 @ British Columbia (5-1) 30

Akbal Singh rushed for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Thunderbirds came back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat the defending Vanier Cup champion Huskies at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver.

Baseball
Mike Hargrove was fired after 8½ seasons as manager of the Cleveland Indians despite leading them to 5 straight American League Central Division titles from 1995-1999 and AL pennants in 1995 and 1997. The Indians had finished with a 97-65 record in 1999, but had lost the divisional playoff series to the Boston Red Sox in 5 games after winning the first 2. Mr. Hargrove was apparently blamed for his team’s lack of depth in starting pitching. The Indians haven’t won anything in the 10 years since they fired him.

National League Championship Series
Atlanta 1 @ New York 0 (Atlanta led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Tom Glavine, with relief help from Mike Remlinger and John Rocker, blanked the Mets before 55,911 fans at Shea Stadium. The Braves had only 3 hits against Al Leiter, John Franco, and Armando Benitez, but scored the game’s only run in the 1st inning as the result of 2 errors--the only time all year that the Mets made 2 errors in the same inning. With Gerald Williams on second base and Bret Boone on first, the Braves attempted a double steal, and Mr. Williams scored when Mets’ catcher Mike Piazza threw the ball into center field attempting to nail Mr. Boone.