November 5, 2009

550 years ago
1459

Died on this date
John Fastolf, 78. English nobleman and soldier. Sir John was a knight and landowner who fought from 1415-1439 under King Henry V and the Duke of Bedford in the Hundred Years' War. The Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff takes his name from him, but the character was heavily fictionalized. Sir John Fastolf died the day before his 79th birthday.

510 years ago
1499

Literature
The Catholicon, Breton-French-Latin dictionary, was first published in Tréguier, France, 35 years after its compilation by Jehan Lagadeuc. It was the first Breton dictionary, as well as the first French dictionary.

220 years ago
1789

Born on this date
William Bland. U.K.-born Australian physician and politician. Dr. Bland was a surgeon on the Royal navy sloop HMS Hesper who was exiled to Van Diemen's Land after killing purser Robert Case in a duel in 1813. Dr. Bland was a pioneer in the Australian struggle for responsible government. He represented Sydney on the New South Wales Territorial Council (1843-1848, 1849-1850), and sat on the NSW Legislative Council (1858-1861). Dr. Bland died of pneumonia on July 21, 1868 at the age of 78.

130 years ago
1879

Born on this date
Otto Wahle. Austro-Hungarian born swimmer. Mr. Wahle represented the Austrian Empire at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, winning silver medals in the men's 200-metre obstacle and 1,000-metre freestyle events. He moved to New York in 1901, and entered three events at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, winning a bronze medal in the men's 440-yard freestyle competition. Mr. Wahle became an American citizen in 1906, and coached the U.S. swimming team in the 1912 Olympics and the water polo team in the Olympic Games of 1920 and 1924. He died on August 11, 1963 at the age of 83.

Died on this date
James Clerk Maxwell, 48. U.K. physicist. Professor Maxwell was a mathematical physicist whose most notable achievement was to formulate the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. He is regarded as one of the most influential physicists in history, along with Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Professor Maxwell came to saving faith in Jesus Christ at an early age, and submitted his faith to rigorous intellectual examination; he remained strong in faith and scholarship until his death from abdominal cancer.

120 years ago
1889

Abominations
Wyoming Territory voters approved the first constitution in the world granting full voting rights to women.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Harry Gumbert. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Gumbert played with the New York Giants (1935-1941); St. Louis Cardinals (1941-1944); Cincinnati Reds (1944, 1946-1949); and Pittsburgh Pirates (1949-1950), compiling a record of 143-113 with an earned run average of 3.68 and 46 saves in 508 games, batting .184 with 5 home runs and 45 runs batted in in 512 games. He led the National League in saves in 1948 (17), and played on four NL pennant-winning teams, including the 1942 World Series champions. Mr. Gumbert managed the Galveston White Caps of the Class B Gulf Coast League in 1951-1952, compiling a record of 151-157, while finishing his playing career with them in his first season. He died on January 4, 1995 at the age of 85.

80 years ago
1929

Football
NFL
New York (6-0-1) 45 @ Buffalo (0-6-1) 6
Providence (2-2-2) 7 @ Staten Island (1-2-3) 7

70 years ago
1939

On the radio
The National Research Council of Canada first broadcast its official time signal from Ottawa at exactly 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

60 years ago
1949

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Riders in the Sky--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra; Bing Crosby

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): That Lucky Old Sun--Frankie Laine (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 That Lucky Old Sun--Frankie Laine (3rd week at #1)
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
2 You're Breaking My Heart--Vic Damone
--Buddy Clark
--The Ink Spots
3 Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--The Mills Brothers
4 Jealous Heart--Al Morgan
5 I Can Dream, Can't I?--The Andrews Sisters
6 Room Full of Roses--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Dick Haymes
7 Hop-Scotch Polka (Scotch Hot)--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Art Mooney and his Orchestra
8 Don't Cry, Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go)--Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra
9 Whispering Hope--Jo Stafford and Gordon Macrae
10 I Never See Maggie Alone--Kenny Roberts

Singles entering the chart were I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts by Freddy Martin and his Orchestra (#29); Canadian Capers (Cuttin' Capers) by Doris Day (#31); Johnson Rag by the Jack Teter Trio (#37); (There's a) Bluebird on Your Windowsill by Doris Day (#38); And Hep Big Smoke (But No Fire) by Arthur Godfrey and the Too Fat Trio (#39).

Died on this date
Abdul Hussein Hazhir, 47-50. Prime Minister of Iran, 1948. Mr. Hazhir served in various ministries before taking office as Prime Minister on June 13, 1948. He was accused by Shi'ite Muslim leader Ayatollah Kashani of being an agent of British oil interests, and continuing protests forced Mr. Hazhir's resignation on November 9, 1948, after just five months in office. He was then appointed Minister to the Royal Court, and died the day after being stabbed by Hossein Emami, a member of the anti-Shah organization Fedajin-e Islam, while entering Sepahsalar Mosque in Tehran for an official ceremony.

War
Dutch forces began to withdraw from the remaining territory which they occupied in Java.

Diplomacy
Hungary annulled an agreement with Yugoslavia for joint investigation of fronteir incidents, charging Yugoslavian forces with attempting to cross the Hungarian border.

Economics and finance
Argentina resumed imports after a 1½-month suspension.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Toronto (5-7) 2 @ Montreal (8-4) 35
Hamilton (0-12) 11 @ Ottawa (11-1) 19

WIFU
Finals
Calgary 18 @ Saskatchewan 12 (First game of 2-game total points series)

ORFU
Toronto (1-10) 7 @ Hamilton (9-2) 39
Sarnia (8-4) 1 @ Windsor (5-7) 11

The Roughriders had a first-and goal from the Stampeders' 3-yard line late in the game, but fullback Sammy Pierce was stopped on the 1-yard line on third down. The biggest offensive play for the Stampeders came on their first play from scrimmage when Keith Spaith completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to Rod Pantages. 9,000 were in attendance at Taylor Field in Regina.

50 years ago
1959

On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Billy Boy 'Rockabye' Creel Story



The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The George "Bugs" Moran Story, with guest stars Lloyd Nolan and Jack Warden

Aviation
U.S. Air Force test pilot Scott Crossfield guided the X-15 rocket plane to an emergency landing after an explosion damaged the plane during its third powered flight over Edwards Air Force Base, California.

War
Denying that India risked a "real war" over Chinese border claims, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru warned that he was prepared for "strong action" if it became necessary to repel Chinese aggression.

Diplomacy
Philip Noel-Baker, a Quaker and member of the British Labour Party, was named the winner of the 1959 Nobel Peace Prize for his work "to further brotherhood among the people, to abolish or cut down standing armies and to create or further the work of peace congresses."

Defense
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Paul-Henri Spaak met with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd in London to press for recognition of smaller NATO countries' policy views by the U.S.A., U.K., and France.

Environment
U.K. Minister of State David Ormsby-Gore indicated that Britain was satisfied that French nuclear tests would pose "no danger" to Nigeria or other areas of British Africa.

Protest
Panamanian President Ernesto de la Guardia condemned anti-American demonstrations in the Canal Zone, maintaining that Panamanian demands were justified but should be pressed through diplomatic talks.

Crime
A grand jury in Pearl River County, Mississippi adjourned without returning indictments for the lynching of rape suspect Mack Parker, despite an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation naming at least a dozen alleged lynchers.

Scandal
National Broadcasting Company President Robert Kintner testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight, chaired by Rep. Oren Harris (Democrat--Arkansas), that officials of his television network had been deceived by quiz show producers and had accepted their denials that the contest results were predetermined.

40 years ago
1969

On the radio
A Book at Bedtime, on BBC 4
Tonight's episode: The Hound of the Baskervilles, Part 13, read by Nigel Stock

On television tonight
Then Came Bronson, starring Michael Parks, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Old Tigers Never Die--They Just Run Away

Crime
Patrick Dolan, 18, was found shot to death near Sao Paulo, Brazil after he was kidnapped and $12,500 ransom paid.

After six weeks of hearing epithets such as "pig, "racist," and "fascist" hurled at him in the courtroom, U.S. District Court Judge Julius Hoffman cited Chicago Eight defendant Bobby Seale for 16 instances of contempt of court and sentenced him to 4 years in jail. Then, separating the Black Panther leader from the rest of the Chicago Eight, Judge Hoffman declared a mistrial regarding charges against Mr. Seale and slated his trial to begin anew on April 23, 1970.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Born to Be Alive--Patrick Hernandez (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Oyaji no Ichiban Nagai Hi--Masashi Sada (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Que No--Pedro Marín

Died on this date
Al Capp, 70. U.S. cartoonist. Mr. Capp, born Alfred Caplin, created the comic strip L'il Abner in 1934, writing and drawing it until his retirement in 1977. He also wrote the comic strips Abbie an' Slats (1937-1945) and Long Sam (1954). Mr. Capp was awarded the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award as Cartoonist of the Year in 1947, and their Elzie Segar Award posthumously in 1979. He was a longtime heavy smoker who died of emphysema.

25 years ago
1984

Politics and government
The ruling Sandanistas claimed victory in Nicaragua’s first election since the revolution five years earlier.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Lambada--Kaoma (11th week at #1)

Died on this date
Vladimir Horowitz, 85. Russian-born U.S. musician. Mr. Horowitz, one of the most famous pianists of the 20th century, made his American debut with the New York Philharmonic orchestra in 1928 and settled in New York in 1940.

Politics and government
Rene Moawad, a Christian who had the support of Syria, was elected President of Lebanon by that country’s parliament. The Lebanese parliament also approved a plan supported by the Arab league to end Lebanon’s civil war. The plan called for a balancing of political offices among the religious factions and would require militias to disband and Syrian troops to withdraw within two years. General Michel Aoun, the Christian army commander, rejected the plan because Syrian troops would not leave at once.

Jean-Paul L'Allier was elected Mayor of Québec, defeating former Parti québecois cabinet minister Jean-François Bertrand by 13,000 votes. Mr. L'Allier's Rassemblement populaire elected 17 of 21 city councillors.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (7-11) 10 @ Ottawa (4-14) 24
Saskatchewan (9-9) 17 @ Edmonton (16-2) 49

Ken Hobart rushed for one touchdown and passed to Ray McDonald for another to lead the Rough Riders to their second win over the Blue Bombers in as many games. David Conrad rushed 3 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter to give Ottawa a 21-5 halftime lead, and the Rough Riders coasted from there. Lee Saltz, making his first start at quarterback for Winnipeg since Sean Salisbury had been released several days earlier, completed 20 of 41 passes for 178 yards. Ottawa’s Robert Reid led all rushers with 10 carries for 75 yards, while teammate Anthony Stafford carried 15 times for 62. Mr. McDonald caught 2 passes for 73 yards in his final CFL game. 13,757 were at Lansdowne Park to see the home team hand the defending Grey Cup champion Blue Bombers their seventh straight loss, handing second place in the East Division to the Toronto Argos.

Edmonton quarterbacks Tracy Ham and Rick Worman combined to throw 6 touchdown passes as the Eskimos became the first team in CFL history to win 16 regular season games. Mr. Ham, who also rushed 7 times for 92 yards to become the first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, completed 14 of 24 passes for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mr. Worman was 4 for 5 for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. Blake Marshall and Walter Murray each scored 2 touchdowns for the Eskimos, with the others coming from Craig Ellis, Keith Wright, and Tom Richards. Jerry Kauric converted all 7. Tim McCray scored Saskatchewan’s lone touchdown on a pass from backup quarterback Tom Burgess with 1:12 remaining in the game. Dave Ridgway converted and added 3 field goals, while Terry Baker punted for a single. 27,472 were at Commonwealth Stadium to see the Eskimos roll up 651 yards in net offense. Reggie Taylor led Edmonton rushers with 9 carries for 76 yards; Craig Ellis caught 8 passes for 118 yards, while Tom Richards had 114 on just 2 catches. Mr. McCray rushed 14 times for 79 yards and caught 5 passes for 82 to lead the Roughriders.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
James Goldstone, 68. U.S. film and television director. Mr. Goldstone directed movies such as Winning (1969) and Red Sky at Morning (1971), but was probably better known for his work in television, directing numerous made-for-television movies and episodes of programs from 1955-1990. Mr. Goldstone won an Emmy Award for his direction of the made-for-television movie Kent State (1981). He was known for his "15-minute cliffhangers," and for pioneering "thirty-second attention span" pacing over detailed content. Mr. Goldstone spent his later years in Vermont, and was active in creating the Vermont Arts Council.

Business
U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruled that Microsoft Corporation was using "monopoly power" to the disadvantage of rivals and consumers. He announced his preliminary "findings of facts" in an antitrust lawsuit that the U.S. Justice Department and 19 states had brought against the company. Judge Jackson concluded that Microsoft had bundled its Windows operating system (which enjoyed near-monopoly status) with its Internet Explorer software--which he found to be a separate entity--to smother competition. Judge Jackson also determined that Microsoft had sought to dissuade competitors from developing competing software. His findings did not constitute a final verdict, which he would render later.

Onex Corporation scrapped its $2.1-billion bid to restructure Canada’s airline industry after a Quebec court ruled that its hostile attempt to buy Air Canada was illegal.

Economics and finance
Cigarette taxes in parts of central and eastern Canada were hiked in an attempt to cut smoking.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (3-15) 18 @ British Columbia (13-5) 19

The Lions, down 17-0 in the second quarter, rallied for 19 straight points to clinch first place in the West Division. Curtis Mayfield returned a punt 47 yards for the game's first touchdown, and Steve Sarkisian threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to offensive lineman Jeremy O'Day to make the score 14-0. Damon Allen threw a touchdown pass to Don Blair in the second quarter and handed off to Robert Drummond in the third quarter for another score. Lui Passaglia's 18-yard field goal in the fourth quarter put B.C. ahead, and Paul McCallum of Saskatchewan missed a 46-yard field goal with 8 seconds left that would have put the Roughriders ahead. The game was the 9th loss in a row for Saskatchewan and marked the end of the line for both head coach Cal Murphy and Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Pless.

CIAU
Western Semi-Final
Calgary 14 @ British Columbia 27

Akbal Singh rushed for 131 yards and Sean Dovre for 73 to lead the Thunderbirds to victory over the Dinosaurs on a muddy field at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver. UBC defensive back Simon Quinto intercepted a Lincoln Blumell pass and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown with just over 2 minutes left in the second quarter to make the score 20-0. The score was 27-0 when Mr. Blumell, who completed 29 of 43 passes for 279 yards, connected with Sean Kelly for 2 touchdown passes 46 seconds apart late in the game.