July 24, 2010

220 years ago
1790

Diplomacy
Spain agreed to compensate Britain for ships seized in Nootka Sound, British Columbia.

130 years ago
1880

Born on this date
Ernest Bloch. Swiss-born U.S. composer. Mr. Bloch moved to the United States in 1916 and became an American citizen in 1924. He taught at various schools before settling in Agate Beach, Oregon. Mr. Bloch composed orchestral, instrumental, chamber, and other works, often expressing his Jewish religious beliefs. He died of cancer on July 15, 1959, nine days before his 79th birthday.

110 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Zelda Fitzgerald. U.S. socialite and authoress. Mrs. Fitzgerald, born Zelda Sayre, was married to author F. Scott Fitzgerald from 1920 until his death in 1940. They were celebrated in the early 1920s for their high living, and were seen as emblematic of the "Jazz Age." The couple eventually separated as a result of Scott's excessive drinking and Zelda's descent into schizophrenia, which resulted in her being in and out of mental institutions from 1930 on. She published the autobiographical novel Save Me the Waltz (1932), which sold poorly. The Fitzgeralds seldom saw each other in the last decade of Scott's life, but never divorced. Zelda was one of nine women in the Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina who died in a fire on March 10, 1948 that started in the kitchen; she was 47 at the time of her death.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Harry Horner. Bohemian-born U.S. director, producer, and production designer. Mr. Horner began his career in Vienna as a stage manager working with director Max Reinhardt, and followed Mr. Reinhardt to the United States in the 1930s. He soon moved into art, costume, and lighting direction in both theatre and cinema. Mr. Horner won Academy Awards for Art Direction-Set Decoration (Black-and-White) for The Heiress (1949) and The Hustler (1961), and was nominated for an Oscar for Art Direction-Set Decoration for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). Mr. Horner died of pneumonia on December 5, 1994 at the age of 84. He was the father of film composer James Horner.

War
Ottoman Empire forces captured the city of Scutari (now known as Shkodër), putting down the Albanian Revolt of 1910.

90 years ago
1920

War French troops defeated Syrian troops in the four-hour Battle of Maysalun, about 16 miles west of Damascus.

80 years ago
1930

Baseball
The Chicago Cubs scored 6 runs in the 1st inning and 7 in the 2nd to take a 13-3 lead as they outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 19-15 before 2,500 fans at National League Park in Philadelphia. Claude Willoughby (2-10) started on the mound for Philadelphia and failed to retire a batter, allowing 2 hits, 3 bases on balls, and 5 earned runs. Bob Osborn started on the mound for Chicago and also failed to retire a batter, allowing 1 hit, 2 bases on balls, and 3 earned runs; he was relieved by Bud Teachout (5-3), who was credited with the win despite allowing 5 hits, 4 bases on balls, and 3 runs--all earned--in 4 innings. The teams combined for 34 hits and 17 walks, but the game was played in just 2 hours 29 minutes.

Jimmie Foxx hit his 27th home run of the season, a 2-run shot in the 9th inning, to break a 6-6 tie and give the Philadelphia Athletics an 8-6 win over the Cleveland Indians before 6,000 fans at League Park in Cleveland.

70 years ago
1940

War
Italian planes shelled the city and port of Haifa.

Diplomacy
The Pan-American Consultative Conference in Havana considered protective measures against fifth column activities.

Defense
Assistant U.S. Secretary of War Louis Johnson said that the United States should aim to reach the capacity to equip one million men every three months.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator James Byrnes (Democrat--South Carolina) declined an offer to become the Democratic Party's national chairman.

Grandal MacKay announced the creation of the Southern Committee for Jeffersonian Democracy to conduct a radio campaign in 12 Southeastern states against the New Deal economic policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

U.S. President Roosevelt's son Elliott said that Republican Party presidential candidate Wendell Willkie would present the American people with a clear alternative to the New Deal.

Economics and finance
The fall of France caused a 30¢/bushel drop in the Winnipeg wheat price.

Egyptian Prime Minister Hasan Sabry Pasha ordered that cotton be shipped to world markets via the Red Sea due to difficulties encountered in the Mediterranean Sea.

Medicine
The British Health Ministry announced a discovery through which blood may be kept for transfusion indefinitely by separating the plasma.

Baseball
Walt Judnich hit a home run, 2 doubles, and 2 singles to lead the St. Louis Browns to a 14-12 win over the New York Yankees before 1,580 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey, Joe Gordon, and Tommy Henrich each homered for the Yankees, who scored 6 runs in the top of the 1st inning to take an early lead. The Yankees used 6 pitchers and the Browns 5, tying a major league record for the most pitchers used by both teams in a 9-inning game.

The Chicago White Sox led 6-1 after 1 inning and 8-1 after 3, but barely hung on to defeat the Boston Red Sox 12-10 before 4,000 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The White Sox hit 4 of the game's 6 home runs, including one by starting pitcher "Bullfrog" Bill Dietrich, who also hit 2 singles, and allowed 8 hits and 7 runs--all earned--in 5 2/3 innings, but was still credited with the win. Boston center fielder Dom DiMaggio singled, doubled, and tripled.

60 years ago
1950

Space
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station began operations with the launch of a Bumper WAC B-8 rocket.





War
North Korean forces reached Haenam and the port of Mokpo on the southwestern coast, restricting U.S. and South Korean forces to a small triangle of territory in the southeast. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists said that the "utter uselessness" of the atomic bomb at this stage of the Cold War had been proven in Korea:

Flattening the capital of North Korea with or without killing tens of thousands of its inhabitants would not destroy the fighting capacity of the Communist army.

Politics and government
A five day Socialist Unity Party (i.e., Communist Party) congress in East Berlin ended after choosing Walter Ulbricht as the party's secretary-general.

U.S. Senator Homer Ferguson (Republican--Michigan) produced a secret memorandum from a Senate subcommittee in 1947 warning then-Secretary of State George Marshall that "a deliberate, calculated program" to protect Communist personnel was flourishing in the State Department "under the administration of Dean Acheson."

Labour
Maritime unions and shipowners concluded an agreement barring Communists and subversives from serving on U.S. merchant ships.

Baseball
The Boston Red Sox beat the New York Giants 8-5 in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown.

50 years ago
1960

Died on this date
Hans Albers, 68. German actor and singer. Mr. Albers was the most popular male star in German cinema from 1930-1945, a period which encompassed the Nazi reign in Germany. Mr. Albers starred in movies such as Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (1930); Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war (The Man Who was Sherlock Holmes) (1937); and Carl Peters (1941). Many of the songs from his movies became hits.

Golf
Jay Hebert shot an even par 70 in the final round to win the PGA Championship at Firestone Country Club South Course in Akron, Ohio with a 1-over-par total score of 281, 1 stroke ahead of Jim Ferrier. It was Mr. Hebert's only win in a major tournament. First prize money was $11,000.

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Rachel--Russell Morris

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry (3rd week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
2 Yellow River--Christie
3 Cottonfields--The Beach Boys
4 Working on a Good Thing--Outlet
5 Which Way You Goin' Billy?--The Poppy Family
6 Come Softly to Me--Percy Sledge
7 Little Green Bag--George Baker Selection
8 The Wonder of You--Elvis Presley
9 Question--The Moody Blues
10 Groovin' with Mr. Bloe--Mr. Bloe

Singles entering the chart were Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha by Cliff Richard (#19); and The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown) by Fleetwood Mac (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 (They Long to Be) Close to You--Carpenters
2 Band of Gold--Freda Payne
3 Hitchin' a Ride--Vanity Fare
4 Spill the Wine--Eric Burdon and War
5 Are You Ready?--Pacific Gas & Electric
6 Tighter, Tighter--Alive and Kicking
7 Make it with You--Bread
8 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
9 Ride Captain Ride--Blues Image
10 Lay a Little Lovin' on Me--Robin McNamara

Singles entering the chart were Summertime Blues by the Who (#25); Wigwam by Bob Dylan (#27); Sugar Sugar by Wilson Pickett (#29); and Ten Pound Note by Steel River (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Spill the Wine--Eric Burdon and War (2nd week at #1)
2 Hitchin' a Ride--Vanity Fare
3 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
4 Teach Your Children--Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Ohio--Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
5 (They Long to Be) Close to You--Carpenters
6 Crazy Jane--Tom Northcott
7 Cinnamon Girl--Neil Young with Crazy Horse
8 Are You Ready?--Pacific Gas & Electric
9 Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours--Stevie Wonder
10 Canned Ham--Norman Greenbaum

Singles entering the chart were Silver Bird by Mark Lindsay (#24); Snowbird by Anne Murray (#26); Glory Glory by the Rascals (#28); and 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Gimme Dat Ding--The Pipkins (4th week at #1)
2 Mama Told Me (Not to Come)--Three Dog Night
3 A Song of Joy (Himno a la Alegria)--Miguel Rios
4 A Little Bit of Soap--Paul Davis
5 Hitchin' a Ride--Vanity Fare
6 As the Years Go By--Mashmakhan
7 Big Yellow Taxi--Joni Mitchell
8 The Long and Winding Road--The Beatles
9 Crazy Jane--Tom Northcott
10 Canned Ham--Norman Greenbaum

Died on this date
Harvey Green, 55. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Green played 2 games with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1935, allowing 2 hits and 1 run--earned--in 1 inning, with an earned run average of 9.00. He was 49-45 in 5 seasons in the minor leagues (1934-1939).

Diplomacy
Egyptian President Gamal Nasser went on television and radio to announce that the previous day’s Egyptian acceptance of the Middle East peace proposal of U.S. Secretary of State William Rogers was not qualified and not conditional.

Terrorism
Two Jordanians were tried for the murder of a Greek child in a November 27, 1969 grenade attack against the Athens office of El Al Airline.

Crime
A deputy district attorney in Los Angeles opened the murder trial of Charles Manson by describing the 5’ 2" hippie cult leader as a "megalomaniac." Mr. Manson appeared with a self-inflicted "X" cut in his forehead, signifying his divorcement from society.



Protest
A curfew was imposed in New Brunswick, New Jersey after five days of racial disturbances.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Montreal (2-1-1) 19 @ Toronto (4-0) 20

This was the only game as an Argonaut for defensive end Bill Whisler, who had been obtained from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after an excellent 8-year career with them. It was the final CFL game for Montreal receiver Jake Scott, who had been obtained from the British Columbia Lions in a trade for another receiver, Tom Cassese. Mr. Scott was released by the Alouettes and went to the National Football League, where he went on to a successful career as a defensive back with the Miami Dolphins, including the Super Bowl championship teams of 1972 and 1973.

Baseball
Tommie Agee reached first base on a fielders' choice with none out in the bottom of the 10th inning, stole second base with 2 outs, taking third base when the throw to second was wild. After two bases on balls loaded the bases, Mr. Agee stole home plate to give the Mets a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 53,657 fans at Shea Stadium in New York.

Pinch hitter Oscar Gamble singled home Larry Hisle with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to climax a 2-run rally, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres before 5,078 fans at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Mr. Gamble was batting for Grant Jackson (2-8), who pitched an 8-hit complete game.

Jim Rooker (7-9) allowed 8 hits and 2 earned runs in 7.2 innings and opened the scoring with a 2-run home run in the 2nd inning to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Indians in the first game of a doubleheader before 12,076 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Tony Horton hit a solo home run as a pinch hitter in the 6th inning and remained in the game at first base and added a 3-run homer in the 7th to help the Indians win the second game 9-6. Cleveland leadoff hitter Vada Pinson homered in the 3rd and 5th innings against Wally Bunker (0-7). Dean Chance (5-5) allowed 10 hits and 5 runs--all earned-- in 7.1 innings, but got the win.

The Chicago White Sox hit 6 straight singles and scored 5 runs in the top of the 9th inning to overcome a 2-0 deficit and defeat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 in the first game of a doubleheader before 36,621 fans at Tiger Stadium. Wilbur Wood (4-10) walked Don Wert with none out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th to give the Tigers a 5-4 win in the second game. Chicago right fielder Bill Melton tied a major league record by striking out 7 times in the doubleheader.

The Washington Senators scored 8 runs in the 6th inning to come back from a 6-0 deficit, but needed a solo home run by Mike Epstein with 1 out in the top of the 10th inning to break an 8-8 tie and defeat the California Angels 9-8 before 15,486 fans at Anaheim Stadium. The Angels scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st.

30 years ago
1980

Died on this date
Peter Sellers, 54. U.K. actor. Mr. Sellers achieved fame on British radio as one of the stars of The Goon Show (1951-1960), and began acting in movies in the 1950s, gradually building an impressive resume of comic performances in films such as The Mouse That Roared (1959); I’m All Right Jack (1960); The Wrong Arm of the Law (1962). He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1959 as a producer in the category of live action short for The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film, in which he starred. Mr. Sellers achieved his greatest fame for playing the bumbling French police inspector Jacques Clouseau in The Pink Panther (1963); A Shot in the Dark (1964); The Return of the Pink Panther (1975); The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976); and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). My favourite Peter Sellers movie is The Party (1968). Other notable movies to feature Peter Sellers include Heavens Above! (1963); The World of Henry Orient (1964); What’s New, Pussycat? (1965); and Being There (1979), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He was reportedly a very unpleasant and unbalanced person off stage, and suffered several heart attacks, the last of which proved fatal. Mr. Sellers' last completed work consisted of playing conman Monty Casino in three commercials for Barclays Bank; he took ill before a scheduled four commercial could be filmed.



Protest
Three days of racial violence in Chattanooga, Tennessee, sparked by the acquittal of two members of the Ku Klux Klan on charges of shooting and wounding four Negro women, continued with the wounding of seven police officers by birdshot fired from an ambush. Mayor Charles Rose, a white, imposed a curfew.

Scandal
The U.S. administration of President Jimmy Carter revealed that first lady Rosalynn Carter had suggested to President Carter’s brother Billy that he use his ties to the Libyan government to help try to free the American hostages at the U.S. embassy in Iran. The White House further revealed that National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, Billy Carter, and Ali el-Houderi, Libya’s chief representative to the United States, had met on November 19, 1979 to discuss the hostage situation. After the meeting, Libya sent a leader to Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urging the hostages’ release. These disclosures, which contradicted previous White House disavowals of any ties with the Billy Carter-Libya connection, spurred the U.S. Senate to set up a special panel to investigate Billy Carter’s role as a paid agent for Libya.

Business
General Motors Corporation reported a record $412-million loss for the second quarter of 1980, its first loss since the Depression in a quarter in which there was no strike.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Whose Law (Is it Anyway?)--Guru Josh (3rd week at #1)

Personal
This blogger was in Toronto, enjoying the company of a certain lovely lady in Neil McLellan Park.

World events
Iraq massed tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks along its border with Kuwait.

Terrorism
The explosion of a land mine, apparently detonated from a nearby house, killed three Northern Irish policemen in a car near Armagh. A Roman Catholic nun travelling in another car was also killed in the blast, which was attributed to the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

10 years ago
2000

Abominations
Ulster Freedom Fighter terrorist Michael Stone, who in 1989 had been given a 684-year sentence for six murders and five attempted murders, was freed from Maze Prison in Northern Ireland as part of the Good Friday peace agreement.

Politics and government
Georgia Governor Roy Barnes (Democrat) appointed--pending a special election in November--his predecessor, Zell Miller (Democrat), to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death on July 18 of Paul Coverdell, a Republican. The appointment reduced the Republican majority in the Senate to 54-46.