November 11, 2009

820 years ago
1189

Died on this date
William II, 35. King of Sicily, 1166-1189. "William the Good" acceded to the throne at the age of 12 upon the death of his father William I, and spent the first five years of his reign under the regency of his mother Margaret of Navarre. His nickname was bestowed in the decades after his death, and referred less to his character than to the end of internal strife that had plagued the reign of his father. King William II made treaties with Genoa and Venice, while having less success in wars against Egypt and the Byzantine Empire. King William died without an heir, and was eventually succeeded by Tancred, Count of Lecce.

170 years ago
1839

Defense
The Virginia Military Institute was founded in Lexington.

140 years ago
1869

Born on this date
Victor Emmanuel III. King of Italy, 1900-1946. Victor Emmanuel III came to the throne upon the assassination of his father Umberto I, and promoted constitutional government until the 1920s, when Benito Mussolini became leader of a Fascist dictatorship. King Victor Emmanuel's decisions to assume the titles Emperor of Ethiopia (1936-1941) and King of the Albanians (1939-1943) weren't recognized abroad, and proved unpopular at home. After World War II, a referendum was to be held in Italy on whether to abolish the monarchy; Victor Emmanuel III abdicated the throne in favour of his son Umberto II in an attempt to regain popular support for the monarchy. The move failed, and the royal family was forced to leave the country when the monarchy was abolished. Victor Emmanuel was welcomed into Egypt, and died in Alexandria of pulmonary edema on December 28, 1947 at the age of 78. The remains of King Victor Emmanuel III were repatriated to Italy on December 17, 2017 and interred in sanctuary of Vicoforte, near Turin, next to the remains of his consort, Queen Elena, whose remains had been transferred from France two days earlier.

Law
The Aboriginal Protection Act was enacted in the colony of Victoria, Australia, giving the government control of indigenous people's wages, their terms of employment, where they could live, and of their children, effectively leading to the Stolen Generations.

120 years ago
1889

Americana
Washington entered the Union as the 42nd state.

110 years ago
1899

Theatre
The musical comedy Floradora, starring Evie Greene, Willie Edouin and Ada Reeve, opened at the Lyric Theatre in London.

Born on this date
Pat O'Brien. U.S. actor. Mr. O'Brien was a character actor in movies who was at his busiest in the 1930s and '40s, often playing stereotypically Irish characters, including 12 movies in which he played a priest. He said that his greatest roles were that of Hildy Johnson in The Front Page (1931); the title role in Knute Rockne, All American (1940); and Father Francis Duffy in The Fighting 69th (1940). Mr. O'Brien died of a heart attack on October 15, 1983 at the age of 83, shortly after prostate surgery.

Football
CRU
ORFU
Hamilton (0-5) 2 @ Kingston (4-1) 11
Ottawa (4-1) 15 @ Toronto (2-3) 8

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Robert Ryan. U.S. actor. Mr. Ryan was known for playing tough but often troubled characters in such movies as Crossfire (1947); The Set-Up (1949); I Married a Communist (1949); The Racket (1951); On Dangerous Ground (1952); Clash by Night (1952); The Naked Spur (1953); Bad Day at Black Rock (1955); Odds Against Tomorrow (1959); Billy Budd (1962); The Dirty Dozen (1967); and The Wild Bunch (1969). He died of lung cancer on July 11, 1973 at the age of 63.

90 years ago
1919

War
Latvian forces defeated the West Russian Volunteer Army at Riga in the Latvian War of Independence.

Protest
The Industrial Workers of the World attacked an Armistice Day parade in Centralia, Washington, ultimately resulting in the deaths of five people.

80 years ago
1929

Football
CRU
ORFU
Final
Toronto Balmy Beach 0 @ Sarnia 3

75 years ago
1934

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Today’s episode: The Hebraic Breastplate

This was the first episode of the season, and the first for Louis Hector in the role of Sherlock Holmes. The story was adapted by Edith Meiser from A. Conan Doyle’s story The Jew’s Breast-Plate, one of his non-Sherlock Holmes stories.

70 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Bob Marshall, 38. U.S. wilderness advocate. Dr. Marshall, an official in the U.S. administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was one of the founders of the Wilderness Society, dedicated to preserving large areas of the United States as wilderness. He died of sudden heart failure.

Jan Opletal, 24. Czechoslovakian student. Mr. Opletal was a medical student at Charles University in Prague. He died 14 days after being shot in the stomach by Nazi forces during anti-Nazi demonstrations in Prague on the anniversary of the independence of the Czechoslovak Republic.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Toronto (4-1-1) 6 @ Montreal (0-5-1) 6
Ottawa (5-1) 25 @ Hamilton (2-4) 7

WIFU
Finals
Calgary 13 @ Winnipeg 7 (First game of 2-game, total points series)

ORFU
Peterborough (0-6) 1 @ Montreal (4-1-1) 20
Toronto (3-2-1) 3 @ Sarnia (3-1-2) 7

Paul Rowe rushed for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter and Hal Harrison completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Wolfie Hughes with less than 3 minutes remaining in regulation time as the Bronks defeated the Blue Bombers before 6,000 fans at Osborne Stadium.

Canadian university
Western Ontario (6-0) 13 @ Queen's (3-3) 8
McGill (1-5) 7 @ Toronto (2-4) 19

8,000 fans at Varsity Stadium saw the Varsity Blues defeat the Redmen.

60 years ago
1949

At the movies
Le curé de village (The Village Priest), directed by Paul Gury, and starring Ovila Légaré, Paul Guèvremont, and Denis Drouin, opened in theatres in Quebec.

Died on this date
Loukas Kanakaris-Roufos, 71. Greek politician. Mr. Kanakaris-Roufos held various offices in a career spanning more than 30 years, including Governor General of Crete (1913-1915) and Foreign Minister (1925-1926).

Diplomacy
U.S. State Secretary Dean Acheson, U.K. Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, and French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman concluded a three-day meeting in Paris with an agreement on giving the West German government greater autonomy and fostering the integration of Germany into the European community.

Politics and government
U.S.S.R. General Vasili Chuikov formally abolished the Soviet military government in Germany, replacing it with a Control Commission to supervise the carrying out of the Potsdam Declaration in the Soviet zone.

Poland's United Workers' Party began a purge of members with nationalist and anti-Soviet leanings.

U.S. President Harry Truman accepted the resignation of Interior Secretary Julius Krug, and named Interior Undersecretary Oscar Chapman to succeed him.

Economics and finance
The British House of Commons passed a bill raising the tax on industrial profits from 25%-30%.

Labour
United States Steel, the U.S.A.'s largest steel manufacturer, ended the 42-day United Steel Workers of America strike by settling with the union for a company-financed workers' pension fund and an insurance plan financed jointly by management and workers.

Football
CRU
WIFU
Finals
Saskatchewan 9 @ Calgary 4 (Calgary won 2-game total points series 22-21)

A second-half rally by the Roughriders at Mewata Stadium fell short when a field goal attempt late in the game by Del Wardien was wide and went for a single point. Saskatchewan quarterback Doug Belden completed just 5 of 13 passes but one of his completions went for a touchdown to Johnny Bell in the 4th quarter. Buck Rogers missed the convert, which proved costly. Mr. Rogers had kicked a field goal in the 3rd quarter. Vern Graham kicked a field goal for the Stampeders in the 1st quarter, the ball bouncing in off one of the uprights. Rod Pantages scored a rouge for a Calgary point in the 2nd quarter when he fumbled into the Saskatchewan end zone and the ball was recovered by Mr. Wardien. Calgary quarterback Keith Spaith completed 9 of 15 passes for 80 yards. The Stampeders outrushed the Roughriders 229 yards to 103.

50 years ago
1959

Died on this date
George Denny, 60. 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.

Diplomacy
Spanish Foreign Minister Fernando Maria Castiella and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer concluded two days of talks in Bonn on proposals to link Spain to the European Common Market.

Politics and government
The rightist Rally for a French Algeria declared its opposition to French President Charles de Gaulle's Algerian program.

Labour
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower reconvened his three-member fact-finding board to consider means of ending the steel dispute.

Football
CFL
WIFU
Finals
Winnipeg 19 @ Edmonton 11 (Winnipeg led best-of-three series 1-0)

The Blue Bombers built up an 18-0 halftime lead and held on for the win over the Eskimos at Clarke Stadium. The field was hard after a snowfall, and the Blue Bombers were wearing cleats that the Eskimos complained were illegal. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the Eskimos were correct in this view. Johnny Bright scored the lone Edmonton touchdown, while Jackie Parker kicked a convert and field goal, and Vic Chapman punted for a single.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Grüezi wohl, Frau Stirnimaa--Die Minstrels (3rd week at #1)

At the movies
The Girl Who Knew Too Much, directed by Francis D. Lyon, and starring Adam West, Nancy Kwan, Nehemiah Persoff, and Buddy Greco, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
For the 19th time in 20 years, the United Nations General Assembly rejected a proposal to admit the People’s Republic of China to the UN. 56 members of the General Assembly voted against admitting China, 48 in favour, and 21 obstained. Those in favour of admitting Communist China gained four votes from the previous year.

Protest
Thousands of the "great silent majority" of Americans took the occasion of Veterans Day to demonstrate their support for the policies of President Richard Nixon. Many of the traditional parades were described as "larger than usual." One marcher attributed the increases to the fact that people were "just fed up with all the noisy dissenters."

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: We Don't Talk Anymore--Cliff Richard (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Dimitri Tiomkin, 85. Ukrainian-born U.S. composer and conductor. Mr. Tiomkin moved to the United States after the Bolshevik Revolution, eventually settling in Hollywood, where he achieved great success as a film composer. He was nominated for 22 Academy Awards, winning for his original scores for High Noon (1952); The High and the Mighty (1954); and The Old Man and the Sea (1958), and for composing the music for the song The Ballad of High Noon. He died after a fall.

Terrorism
Israeli military authorities arrested Mayor Bassam Shaka of the West Bank city of Nablus on charges of supporting terrorism. The incident began the week before when the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an account of a private conversation between Mr. Shaka and the Israeli military governor, Major General Danny Matt. The account quoted the mayor as justifying the terrorist raid on Israel in March 1978 in which 35 civilians were killed as a reaction to Israeli occupation and killing. At the time of his arrest, Mr. Shaka was served with a deportation order, but the Israeli Supreme Court temporarily stayed the implementation of the order.

Disasters
Almost 250,000 people were forced to evacuate Mississauga, Ontario when a train laden with toxic chamicals derailed. A tank car carrying chlorine gas was ruptured, releasing tons of the deadly gas into the air. Other cars filled with propane gas exploded and burned, causing officials to speed the evacuation out of fear that the inteense heat from the fire might crack the chlorine tank car and release the gas all at once. Miraculously, there were no fatalities or serious injuries.

At least 14 were killed when a fire swept through a boarding home for the elderly and retarded in Pioneer, Ohio.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 6 @ Edmonton 3

Lanny McDonald scored 3 goals to lead the Maple Leafs to victory in a Sunday afternoon game at Northlands Coliseum. It was the Maple Leafs' first appearance in Edmonton, and it was their last win there until 1990.

Football
CFL
Eastern Semi-Final
Hamilton 26 @ Ottawa 29

Gerry Organ’s fifth field goal of the game, a 32-yard kick with 1:57 remaining in regulation time, gave the Rough Riders the win before a Lansdowne Park crowd of 25,540. Ottawa held a 26-10 lead after 3 quarters, but Hamilton quarterback Tom Clements connected with John Holland for his second and third touchdowns of the game, along with 2-point convert passes to Mr. Holland and Neil Lumsden, to tie the score with less than 6 minutes left. Hamilton defensive back Zac Henderson was called for roughing Ottawa quarterback Condredge Holloway just prior to Mr. Organ’s winning kick. Referee Neil Payne and his crew called 24 penalties, 13 against the Tiger-Cats for 141 yards. The Rough Riders scored both of their touchdowns in the 2nd quarter; Mr. Clements completed a 9-yard pass to Jeff Avery, and then Jonathan Sutton returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown just 19 seconds later. Mr. Organ converted both. Zenon Andrusyshyn converted Mr. Holland’s first touchdown in the 2nd quarter and added a field goal. Gord Paterson of the Tiger-Cats caught 8 passes for 109 yards, while Mr. Holland caught 8 for 67. Martin Cox led the Rough Riders with 5 catches for 69 yards. The Hamilton defense held Richard Crump to 23 yards on 13 carries and Tony Gabriel to 1 reception for 10 yards.



CIAU
Atlantic Bowl @ Halifax
Alberta 3 Acadia 27

The Axemen forced 8 turnovers, held the Golden Bears to 11 yards rushing, and sacked Alberta quarterbacks Forrest Kennerd and Jaimie Crawford 10 times for 77 yards. 5,500 Acadia fans at Huskies Stadium saw the Axemen score 17 points in the second quarter. Bob Stracina opened the scoring for Acadia in the 2nd quarter with a 31-yard field goal. The Axemen then struck for two touchdowns in the last 3 minutes before halftime. An interception by Dave Bemis at the Alberta 21-yard line led to a 2-yard touchdown run by Hubert Walsh at 12:03, and another interception by Ron Martin at the Alberta 53 led to a 37-yard touchdown run by Jed Palmaci at 13:33. Both scores were converted by Mr. Stracina. Trevor Kennerd’s 23-yard field goal on the last play of the half gave the Golden Bears some hope, but Mr. Stracina’s 16-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter restored Acadia’s 17-point lead. Mike Cosgrove completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Don Ross with less than 2 minutes remaining to finish the scoring. Acadia defensive tackle John Stevens, who recorded 3 sacks, was awarded the Don Loney Trophy as the game’s outstanding player. The game was Alberta’s first appearance in post-season play since winning the Vanier Cup in 1972.

25 years ago
1984

Football
CFL
Eastern Final
Hamilton 14 @ Toronto 13 (OT)

Western Final
Winnipeg 31 @ British Columbia 14

Dieter Brock’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Ron Johnson at 8:29 of the 1st overtime period gave the Tiger-Cats a 14-9 lead, and they held on for the win in the CFL’s first overtime game in exactly 11 years. The game was tied 8-8 at the end of regulation time. A punt by Hank Ilesic of the Argonauts, who had his placekicking shoe on instead of his punting shoe, fell short of the goal line on the last play of the 4th quarter. Toronto took an early 8-0 lead on a punt single by Mr. Ilesic and a 2-yard touchdown run by Lester Brown, converted by Mr. Ilesic. The Tiger-Cats came back with a 48-yard field goal by Bernie Ruoff in the 2nd quarter, a 75-yard punt single and playoff record 56-yard field goal by Mr. Ruoff in the 3rd quarter, and a 62-yard punt single by Mr. Ruoff early in the 4th quarter. Mr. Ilesic kicked a single early in the 1st 10-minute overtime period to give the Argonauts the lead, but the Tiger-Cats finally struck for their touchdown. A 2-point convert attempt was unsuccessful, and Mr. Ilesic punted for a single on the last play of the period to reduce the lead to 14-10. A 40-yard field goal by Mr. Ilesic with 2:50 remaining in the 2nd overtime period cut the lead to 14-13, but that’s as close as Toronto got. The game was played in a downpour in front of an Exhibition Stadium crowd of 48,414. Toronto quarterbacks Condredge Holloway and Joe Barnes combined to complete 28 of 50 passes for 293 yards, but also gave up 4 interceptions, all of them made by Felix Wright. Mr. Wright’s total fell one short of the single-game playoff record set by Winnipeg’s Bud Grant in 1953. Mr. Brock completed 23 of 49 passes for just 180 yards. Mr. Ruoff had a magnificent game punting, averaging 50.2 yards on a modern-day record 21 punts. Mr. Ilesic averaged 43.3 yards on 19 punts. Each team made 6 quarterback sacks. Toronto’s Terry Greer led all offensive players with 9 receptions for 127 yards. Among those whose careers ended with this game was Toronto defensive end David Boone, a big part of the Edmonton Eskimos’ five straight Grey Cup champion teams from 1978-1982.



Winnipeg quarterback Tom Clements completed 17 of 24 passes for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Blue Bombers to their first Western championship in 19 years before a disappointed sellout crowd of 59,421 at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. James Murphy, who finished with 4 receptions for 104 yards, had 2 of the touchdowns. Jeff Boyd, who caught 4 for 113 yards, scored the other Winnipeg touchdown. Trevor Kennerd converted all 3 and added 3 field goals and a single off a missed field goal. Mr. Clements left the game with bruised ribs in the 3rd quarter, but veteran John Hufnagel did a fine job in his place, completing 6 of 9 passes for 97 yards. Tim Cowan, who had taken over as the Lions’ starting quarterback late in the season when Roy Dewalt suffered a season-ending injury, completed just 11 of 35 passes for 132 yards. He produced the only B.C. touchdown on the last play of the 3rd quarter, passing 9 yards to Ned Armour. Lui Passaglia converted and added 2 field goals and a single off a missed field goal. Willard Reaves, a finalist for the CFL’s outstanding player, carried 20 times for 86 yards and caught 3 passes for 7. B.C.’s star receiver Merv Fernandez, driving to the stadium with Mr. Dewalt, got stuck in traffic, arrived too late for the pre-game warmup, and managed just 16 yards on 4 receptions.



20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Lambada--Kaoma (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): If Only I Could--Sydney Youngblood (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 When I See You Smile--Bad English
2 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
3 Cover Girl--New Kids on the Block
4 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
5 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
6 Love Shack--The B-52's
7 Miss You Much--Janet Jackson
8 Sowing the Seeds of Love--Tears for Fears
9 Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)--New Kids on the Block
10 Rock Wit'cha--Bobby Brown

Singles entering the chart were Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson (#49); Oh Father by Madonna (#55); Two to Make it Right by Seduction (#78); This One's for the Children by New Kids on the Block (#82); I'm Not the Man I Used to Be by Fine Young Cannibals (#85); Over and Over by Pajama Party (#88); and Back to the Bullet by Saraya (#91).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
2 Sowing the Seeds of Love--Tears for Fears
3 When I See You Smile--Bad English
4 Cover Girl--New Kids on the Block
5 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
6 Love in an Elevator--Aerosmith
7 Rock Wit'cha--Bobby Brown
8 Love Shack--The B-52's
9 Angelia--Richard Marx
10 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli

Singles entering the chart were Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson (#68); Pretending by Eric Clapton (#79); Big Talk by Warrant (#86); You are My Everything by Surface (#90); and Back to the Bullet by Saraya (#93).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Sowing the Seeds of Love--Tears for Fears (2nd week at #1)
2 Miss You Much--Janet Jackson
3 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
4 Cover Girl--New Kids on the Block
5 Mixed Emotions--Rolling Stones
6 Healing Hands--Elton John
7 Cherish--Madonna
8 No Souvenirs--Melissa Etheridge
9 When I See You Smile--Bad English
10 The Best--Tina Turner

Singles entering the chart were Still Lovin' You by Honeymoon Suite (#76); Just Between You and Me by Lou Gramm (#78); With Every Beat of My Heart by Taylor Dayne (#80); Fool for Your Love by Whitesnake (#82); Oh Father by Madonna (#84); Dancing on a Wing by the Works (#86); Still Got this Thing by Alannah Myles (#88); Arms of Orion by Prince and Sheena Easton (#89); House of Love by Veronique Beliveau (#92); and The Maker by Daniel Lanois (#94). Arms of Orion was from the movie Batman (1989).

War
FMLN rebels in El Salvador began an offensive against the Salvadoran government with attacks in San Salvador and other cities.

Hockey
NHL
Detroit 2 @ Toronto 4

Football
CIAU
Atlantic Bowl
Western Ontario 38 @ St. Mary’s 33

Churchill Bowl
Queen’s 10 @ Saskatchewan 40

Duane Forde rushed 22 times for 219 yards at Huskies Stadium in Halifax to lead the Mustangs over the Huskies and into the Vanier Cup. The defeat was the first of the year for St. Mary’s.

Ken Zaparinuk and Jason Huel both returned interceptions for touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to help the Huskies defeat the Golden Gaels at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon. Terry Eisler rushed for 2 Saskatchewan touchdowns while Phil Guebert kicked 4 converts, 3 field goals, and a single. Mike Lazecki added 2 singles. Paul Beresford rushed 6 yards for the only Queen’s touchdown in the last minute of the 3rd quarter. Jamie Galloway converted and added a field goal 3 minutes later.



10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Jacobo Timerman, 76. U.S.S.R.-born Argentine journalist. Mr. Timerman, a native of Ukraine, moved with his family to Argentina at the age of 5. He worked for various news agencies before founding the weekly newsmagazine Primera Plana in 1962 and the newspaper La Opinión in 1971. He opposed Communist and anti-Communist terrorism, and especially opposed the "Dirty War" waged by Argentina's military regime after it seized power in a coup in 1976. Mr. Timerman was arrested and imprisoned from 1977-1978, and then held under house arrest before being relocated to Israel in 1980. His book Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number (1981) attracted international attention to the human rights abuses of the Argentine military regime. Mr. Timerman was an outspoken Zionist, but he made enemies in Israel when he criticized Israel's military invasion of Lebanon in 1982. He wrote books critical of the military regime in Chile and Communist regime in Cuba, and criticized Carlos Menem when he ran for and was elected President of Argentina in the late 1980s. Mr. Menem sued for libel, but Mr. Timerman won twice in court. Mr. Timerman died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires.

Mary Kay Bergman, 38. U.S. actress. Miss Bergman was a voice actress who provided voice-over work for commercials and was the voice of numerous cartoon characters. She was the lead female voice for the television comedy series South Park from 1997 until her death, when she committed suicide by shooting herself after long suffering from anxiety.

Abominations
The House of Lords Act was given royal assent, removing most hereditary peers from the British House of Lords.

Disasters
67 people were killed when a five-storey apartment building collapsed in the southern Italian city of Foggia.