August 23, 2010

160 years ago
1850

Born on this date
John Cockburn. U.K.-born Australian politician. Sir John, a native of Scotland, trained as a physician, and emigrated to South Australia in the late 1870s. He represented Burra in the S.A. House of Assembly from 1884-1898, holding several cabinet posts and serving as Premier for 14 months from 1889-1890 before losing a non-confidence vote. Sir John moved to England after leaving politics, serving as Agent-General for South Australia until Federation in 1901, and unofficially continuing to represent Australia and South Australia afterward. He died on November 26, 1929 at the age of 79.

130 years ago
1880

Born on this date
Aleksandr Grin. Russian author. Mr. Grin, whose real name was Aleksandr Grinevsky, was a socialist revolutionist who was imprisoned and escaped before becoming a writer. He was known for romantic novels and short stories set in an unnamed fantasy land that his fans called "Grinlandia." Mr. Grin suffered from tuberculosis, drink, and poverty in his later years, and died of stomach cancer on July 8, 1932 at the age of 51.

120 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Harry Frank Guggenheim. U.S. philanthropist, diplomat, and publisher. Mr. Guggenheim, the son of mining magnate Daniel Guggenheim, financed Robert Goddard's private research into liquid fuel rocketry and space flight; became president of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics in 1926; and served on the National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics (1929-1938). He served as U.S. Ambassador to Cuba (1929-1933), and with his then-wife Alicia Patterson, founded the Long Island newspaper Newsday in 1940, serving as its publisher until 1967. Mr. Guggenheim died of cancer on January 22, 1971 at the age of 80.

Canadiana
Moncton, New Brunswick officially became a city.

110 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Malvina Reynolds. U.S. musician. Dr. Reynolds, whose doctorate was in English, was a singer-songwriter who was best known for writing folk songs such as Little Boxes; What Have They Done to the Rain; and Morningtown Ride. She died on March 17, 1978 at the age of 77.

Ernst Krenek. Austrian-born composer. Mr. Krenek wrote symphonies, chamber music, and instrumental and vocal works, but was perhaps best known for his "jazz opera" Jonny spielt auf (1926). He moved to the United States in 1938, and became an American citizen in 1945. Mr. Krenek died on December 22, 1991 at the age of 91.

Died on this date
Kuroda Kiyotaka, 59. Prime Minister of Japan, 1888-1889, 1896. Count Kiyotaka was born into a Samurai family. He served in the Anglo-Satsuma War in 1863, and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. Count Kiyotaka oversaw the promulgation of the Meiji Constitution during his time as Prime Minister, but was forced to resign as a result of inability to secure revision of the unequal treaties with China. He was Japan's Minister of Communications in 1892; Prime Minister again from August 31-September 18, 1896; and President of the Privy Council from 1894 until his death from a brain hemorrhage.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Lonny Frey. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Frey was a second baseman and shortstop with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1933-1936); Chicago Cubs (1937, 1947); Cincinnati Reds (1938-1946); New York Yankees (1947-1948); and New York Giants (1948), batting .269 with 61 home runs and 549 runs batted in in 1,535 games. He was with the Reds when they won the National League pennant in 1939 and the World Series in 1940, and led the NL in stolen bases (22) that year. Mr. Frey was with the Yankees when they won the World Series in 1947, and batted 0 for 20 with 1 run batted in in 8 World Series games (1939-1940, 1947). He died on September 13, 2009, three weeks after his 99th birthday.

90 years ago
1920

Theatre
The Bat, written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, co-produced and directed by Collin Kemper, and starring Effie Ellsler, Ricahrd Barrows, May Vokes, and Harrison Hunter, opened at the Morosco Theatre on Broadway in New York.

70 years ago
1940

War
German forces completed their first mass nighttime air raid on London. Nationalist forces in China ended an eight-month lull in fighting by attacking Japanese forces at three points in northern China, severing railroad lines.

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department delivered a note warning Japan to halt its aggression in Asia.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked that Congress enact a military conscription bill within two weeks.

Politics and government
Roberto M. Ortiz submitted his resignation as President of Argentina, several weeks after delegating his powers to Vice President Ramón Castillo. Mr. Ortiz had recently fallen seriously ill with diabetes.

Medicine
The British Medical Journal reported successful experimentation with a bacillus for an anti-tuberculosis vaccination.

60 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Dionisio Anzilotti, 83. Italian jurist. Mr. Anzilotti taught international law from 1892-1937, and was a member of the Permanent Court of International Justice from 1921-1946, serving as its president from 1928-1930.

Frank Phillips, 76. U.S. oil executive. Mr. Phillips and his brother L.E. founded Phillips Petroleum--marketed as Phillips 66--in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1917. Frank Phillips served as the company's president until 1939, and then as chairman of the board until his retirement in 1949. He died while on vacation in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

War
U.S. Representative John C. Davies (Democrat--New York) said, after a conference with President Harry Truman, that Mr. Truman had "not yet decided in his own mind" whether United Nations forces should stop at the 38th Parallel in Korea once they had broken the Communist drive.

Defense
West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Social Democratic Party leader Kurt Schumacher urged the U.S.A. to bolster its forces in West Germany. Mr. Schumacher endorsed West German participation in a Western European military force, but opposed Mr. Adenauer's call for a West German police force.

Society
The city of Chicago banned the film No Way Out, for fear that its theme of racial conflict "could cause trouble."

Labour
The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and the Order of Railway Conductors called a nationwide strike to begin five days hence, after White House mediation efforts ended in a deadlock.

Sport
The International Amateur Athletic Federation readmitted West Germany and Japan, clearing the way for both countries to participate in the 1952 Olympics.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Please Don't Tease--Cliff Richard and the Shadows

Died on this date
Jack Leiper, 92. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Leiper played 6 games with the Columbus Solons of the American Association in 1891, posting a record of 2-2 with an earned run average of 5.40, batting .143 with no home runs and 3 runs batted in. He was 22-24 in 56 games in 3 seasons in the minor leagues (1890, 1892-1893).

Oscar Hammerstein II, 65. U.S. songwriter and librettist. Mr. Hammerstein wrote lyrics for 850 songs, and books for numerous musicals in a 40-year career. He teamed with composers such as Otto Harbach and Jerome Kern, but was best known for replacing the late Lorenz Hart as the lyricist for composer Richard Rodgers. Mr. Hammerstein collaborated with Mr. Kern to write Show Boat (1927), and with Mr. Rodgers on Oklahoma! (1943); Carousel (1945); South Pacific (1949); The King and I (1951); and The Sound of Music (1959). Mr. Hammerstein died of stomach cancer.

Baseball
When starting pitcher Billy Pierce pulled a muscle while warming up on the mound before the first pitch was thrown, Early Wynn (10-8) replaced him and allowed just 4 hits in 9 innings of relief for the Chicago White Sox as they beat the New York Yankees 5-1 before 43,275 fans at Yankee Stadium, moving to within ½ game of the American League-leading Yankees. Losing pitcher Eli Grba (3-2) provided the New York scoring with his first major league home run, in the 4th inning.



Mudcat Grant doubled with 1 out in the top of the 10th inning and scored on a 2-out double by Mike de la Hoz to break a 2-2 tie as the Cleveland Indians edged the Boston Red Sox 3-2 before 29,232 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. The Red Sox had runners on fist and second bases with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th, but Russ Nixon flied out to center field to end the game.

Charlie Maxwell singled to begin a 2-run rally to tie the game in the 9th inning and hit a 2-run home run with none out in the top of the 11th to break a 3-3 tie as the Detroit Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 before 16,665 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

40 years ago
1970

Died on this date
Red Smith, 78. U.S. baseball player. Willard Jehu Smith was a catcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1917-1918), batting .156 with no home runs and 5 runs batted in in 26 games. He played at least 747 games in 12 seasons in the minor leagues (1910-1928).

Doc Gautreau, 69. U.S. baseball player. Walter Paul Gautreau was a second baseman with the Philadelphia Athletics (1925) and Boston Braves (1925-1928), batting .257 with no home runs and 52 runs batted in in 261 games. He played 936 games in 7 seasons in the minor leagues (1928-1934), mostly with the Montreal Royals of the International League, whom he managed in 1932-1933. Mr. Gautreau served as a scout with the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, and later with the Los Angeles/California Angels. He died four weeks after his 69th birthday.

Religion
The Vatican said that it had suspended a practice under which some Roman Catholic convents in Europe paid high prices to bring poor peasant girls from India to fill their declining staffs. The suspension followed press reports that some of the girls had suffered nervous breakdowns and others had been mistreated.

Auto racing
USAC
The day after winning the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield, Illinois, Al Unser won the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at the Milwaukee Mile. Roger McCluskey finished second and Mel Kenyon third. It was Mr. Unser’s fifth win of the year, and third straight.

Canadian-American Challenge Cup Series
Denis Hulme of New Zealand won a race at Mansfield, Ohio in a McLaren-Chevrolet. Peter Revson of the United States finished second in a Lola-Chevrolet. It was Mr. Hulme’s third straight win.

Baseball
The day after collecting 5 hits in a 16-inning game, Roberto Clemente had 5 more hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates whipped the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-0 before 20,678 fans at Dodger Stadium. Mr. Clemente became the first player in the 20th century to have 10 hits in 2 consecutive games. Steve Blass (8-10) pitched a 4-hit shutout and had 2 of the Pirates' 23 hits. Every Pittsburgh batter had at least 1 hit.

Joe Foy drew a bases-loaded walk with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to conclude a 3-run rally for the New York Mets as they beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in the first game of a doubleheader before 43,712 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. New York leadoff hitter Tommie Agee batted 4 for 4 with a base on balls and 2 solo home runs. Pinch hitter Jimmy Stewart hit a 3-run home run off Tom Seaver (17-9) in the 7th inning and Don Gullett (3-2) struck out 8 while pitching 4 perfect innings of relief as the Reds won the second game 7-5.



Pinch hitter Frank Johnson singled home Frank Reberger and John Stephenson with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs before 12,222 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Juan Marichal (8-9) pitched a 5-hit complete game victory over Milt Pappas (9-6).

The St. Louis Cardinals scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th inning and defeated the San Diego Padres 8-7 before 5,797 fans at San Diego Stadium.

Paul Blair singled home Mark Belanger from second base with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 6-5 win over the California Angels before 12,745 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Mike Cuellar (19-7) pitched a 9-hit complete game victory.

Dick McAuliffe drew a base on balls to lead off the bottom of the 6th inning and scored the game's only run on a 2-out double by Jim Northrup as the Detroit Tigers edged the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 before 15,323 fans at Tiger Stadium. Mickey Lolich (12-14) pitched a 2-hitter to outduel Marty Pattin (9-11), who pitched a 5-hitter.

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Luna--Gianni Togni (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Xanadu--Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Winner Takes it All--ABBA (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Ashes to Ashes--David Bowie

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 The Winner Takes it All--ABBA
2 Xanadu--Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra
3 Could You Be Loved--Bob Marley & the Wailers
4 Peter Gunn--ELP: Emerson, Lake & Palmer
5 Upside Down--Diana Ross
6 D.I.S.C.O.--Ottawan
7 Doin' La Bamba--Pussycat
8 More than I Can Say--Leo Sayer
9 Ik Weet Niet Hoe--Benny Neyman
10 Late at Night--Maywood

Singles entering the chart were Rockin' the Trolls by BZN (#17); All Over the World by Electric Light Orchestra (#28); Head Up to the Sky by Spargo (#29); Anak by Freddie Aguilar (#34); and One Love by Sniff 'n' the Tears (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Magic--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)
2 Sailing--Christopher Cross
3 Take Your Time (Do it Right) Part 1--The S.O.S. Band
4 Emotional Rescue--The Rolling Stones
5 Upside Down--Diana Ross
6 It's Still Rock and Roll to Me--Billy Joel
7 Fame--Irene Cara
8 All Out of Love--Air Supply
9 Let My Love Open the Door--Pete Townshend
10 More Love--Kim Carnes

Singles entering the chart were Look What You've Done to Me by Boz Scaggs (#69); I'm Almost Ready by Pure Prairie League (#79); My Prayer by Ray, Goodman & Brown (#83); Girl, Don't Let it Get You Down by the O'Jays (#84); Thunder and Lightning by Chicago (#86); Good Morning Girl/Stay Awhile by Journey (#87); I Got You by Split Enz (#88); You Can Call Me Blue by Michael Johnson (#89); and Switchin' to Glide/This Beat Goes On by the Kings (#90).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Take Your Time (Do it Right) Part 1--The S.O.S. Band
2 Sailing--Christopher Cross
3 Emotional Rescue--The Rolling Stones
4 Magic--Olivia Newton-John
5 It's Still Rock and Roll to Me--Billy Joel
6 Upside Down--Diana Ross
7 Little Jeannie--Elton John
8 Tired of Toein' the Line--Rocky Burnette
9 More Love--Kim Carnes
10 Fame--Irene Cara

Singles entering the chart were Look What You've Done to Me by Boz Scaggs (#64); The Legend of Wooley Swamp by the Charlie Daniels Band (#73); Midnight Rocks by Al Stewart (#76); My Prayer by Ray, Goodman & Brown (#86); I Got You by Split Enz (#87); Girl, Don't Let it Get You Down by the O'Jays (#88); and Switchin' to Glide by the Kings (#89).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Magic--Olivia Newton-John (3rd week at #1)
2 Sailing--Christopher Cross
3 Take Your Time (Do it Right) Part 1--The S.O.S. Band
4 All Out of Love--Air Supply
5 Emotional Rescue--The Rolling Stones
6 It's Still Rock and Roll to Me--Billy Joel
7 Shining Star--Manhattans
8 Fame--Irene Cara
9 Empire Strikes Back (Medley)--Meco
10 More Love--Kim Carnes

Singles entering the chart were Look What You've Done to Me by Boz Scaggs (#51); I'm Almost Ready by Pure Prairie League (#77); Girl, Don't Let it Get You Down by the O'Jays (#82); Midnight Rocks by Al Stewart (#84); Out Here on My Own by Irene Cara (#85); Switchin' to Glide by the Kings (#86); You Can Call Me Blue by Michael Johnson (#87); I Got You by Split Enz (#88); My Prayer by Ray, Goodman & Brown (#89); Love Don't Make it Right by Ashford & Simpson (#90); Searching by Change (#99); and Leaving L.A. by Deliverance (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Emotional Rescue--The Rolling Stones
2 Misunderstanding--Genesis
3 It's Still Rock and Roll to Me--Billy Joel
4 Tired of Toein' the Line--Rocky Burnette
5 Magic--Olivia Newton-John
6 Echo Beach--Martha & the Muffins
7 The Rose--Bette Midler
8 Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)--Paul McCartney & Wings
9 Little Jeannie--Elton John
10 Let My Love Open the Door--Pete Townshend

Singles entering the chart were Late in the Evening by Paul Simon (#87); Upside Down by Diana Ross (#91); Drugs in My Pocket by the Monks (#92); Take Your Time (Do it Right) Part 1 by the S.O.S. Band (#96); Lookin' for Trouble by Toronto (#97); You Better Run by Pat Benatar (#98); and Lookin' for Love by Johnny Lee (#100).

Protest
Polish Communist leader Edward Gierek granted his first major concession to striking shipyard workers when the government agreed to negotiate directly with the strikers’ representatives, whom the government had previously called "illegal."

Diplomacy
The New York Times reported that Chinese officials said that they were insulted by pro-Taiwan statements made by Republican Party U.S. Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan.

Technology
Professor Calvin Quate of Stanford University announced the development of a new microscope that used very short sound waves. The new tool would enable scientists to examine alloys, computer components, and living cells in new ways. With an acoustic microscope, the image depends on the elastic properties of the material being scanned, and not on its reactions to light, as in the case of an optical microscope. Prof. Quate noted that much of the material of living cells is transparent to light, but reacts to acoustic scanning in revealing ways. The new microscope would also have the ability to examine the properties of specimens a short way below their surface. When the sound waves hit the specimen at a certain "critical" angle, they caused internal vibrations resulting in observable effects on the image.

Business
Charlie Finley sold the Oakland Athletics baseball team to the Haas family of San Francisco, owners of the Levi Strauss clothing empire, for $12.7 million, thus keeping the team in Oakland. Mr. Finley had bought the team in 1961 when it was still based in Kansas City and had moved the franchise to Oakland after the 1967 season.

25 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)--Tina Turner (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): (I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena--Sandra

Scandal
Hans-Joachim Tiedge, the head of West German counter-intelligence, was unmasked as an East German spy.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (4-3) 42 @ Edmonton (3-4) 34

Roughrider quarterback Homer Jordan had the best game of his CFL career, completing 25 of 34 passes for 375 yards and 1 touchdown, while rushing 1 yard for another touchdown. Craig Ellis, who caught Mr. Jordan’s touchdown pass, rushed 19 times for 50 yards and scored twice on short runs. Denny Ferdinand picked up 79 yards on just 4 carries for the Roughriders; his 50-yard touchdown run early in the 3rd quarter, gave Saskatchewan a 25-13 lead. Dave Ridgway added 5 converts, 2 field goals, and a single. Matt Dunigan played the entire game for the Eskimos, the first of seven straight games in which he played every down at quarterback. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns, but gave up an interception in the 4th quarter that set up Mr. Jordan’s 14-yard scoring pass to Mr. Ellis, giving the Roughriders a 42-27 lead after the convert. Mr. Dunigan also rushed 12 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. Brian Kelly caught 3 passes for 95 yards--giving him 428 career receptions, 2 more than Tom Scott's club record--and caught 2 of Mr. Dunigan’s touchdown passes, while Neil Lumsden caught a 5-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game. Tom Dixon added 4 converts and 2 field goals. 45,894 fans at Commonwealth Stadium saw the Eskimos cut the deficit from 25-13 early in the 3rd quarter to 28-27 early in the 4th. However, just when it seemed as though the Eskimos would complete the comeback, Jeff Treftlin fumbled a punt at his own 54-yard line, and Saskatchewan’s Scott Redl recovered, setting up Mr. Jordan’s touchdown. The Eskimos made major changes on defense after this game. The 3-4 alignment that they had been using since the beginning of the 1984 season was scrapped in favour of the more traditional 4-3. Defensive tackle Skip Hamilton was cut, replaced by James Zachery. Other changes were made in time for the Labour Day game in Calgary on September 2.



Baseball
The New York Mets released relief pitcher Joe Sambito. Mr. Sambito played with the Houston Astros from 1976-1984 and had once been one of the top relievers in baseball, but his last three seasons there had been ruined by arm problems. In 8 games with the Mets in 1985, he had a record of 0-0, allowing 21 hits and 8 bases on balls in 11 innings, with an earned run average of 12.66.

Joaquin Andujar of the St. Louis Cardinals became the major leagues’ first 20-game winner of 1985, beating the Atlanta Braves 6-2 before 19,958 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The Los Angeles Dodgers scored 4 runs in each of the 6th and 7th innings as they beat the Montreal Expos 8-4 before 21,124 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Pedro Guerrero's grand slam accounted for the Los Angeles runs in the 6th inning. Andres Galarraga made his major league debut with the Expos, striking out as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th and making a putout in the field at first base in the 9th.



The Toronto Blue Jays swept a twi-night doubleheader from the Chicago White Sox 6-3 and 10-3 before 22,021 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Jesse Barfield had 2 singles and a double for Toronto in the first game. Tom Filer pitched 5 innings to get the win, improving his 1985 record to 7-0. Toronto catcher Gary Allenson batted 0 for 4 in the 416th and last game of his 7-year major league career. Lloyd Moseby had 2 singles and a triple for the Blue Jays in the second game. Jim Acker pitched 4 innings of relief for Toronto to get the win, while Toronto starting pitcher Ron Musselman allowed 5 hits and 3 earned runs in 4+ innings in the 48th and last game of his 4-year major league career.

The Detroit Tigers scored 3 runs in each of the first 2 innings to take a 6-0 lead, but the California Angels scored 2 in the 6th and then 5 with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to win 7-6 before 39,932 fans at Anaheim Stadium. The last 2 runs were unearned as the result of errors by Detroit center fielder Kirk Gibson and third baseman Tom Brookens. The game ended when Brian Downing came to bat with the bases loaded, and Mr. Brookens booted his ground ball, allowing Gary Pettis to score the winning run.

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Put 'em Under Pressure--The Republic of Ireland Football Squad (13th week at #1)

Died on this date
David Rose, 80. U.K.-born U.S. songwriter and composer. Mr. Rose won four Emmy Awards for his compositions for television programs, but was best known for the single The Stripper, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in July 1962.

World events
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sparked a storm of outrage when he appeared on television with a group of western--mainly British--hostages and told them that they had been detained to prevent war and that Iraq wanted to see that they were safe.

Germanica
The East German parliament voted 294-62 to set October 3 as the date for reunification with West Germany. Under the West German constitution, any former German territory could declare its wish to unify, and the West German parliament was not required to take any action. The October date would fall about two months before scheduled all-German elections.

Europeana
The Armenian parliament voted 183-2 to declare the republic’s independence from the U.S.S.R. and also claimed control over the disputed area Nagorno-Karabakh, located within the republic of Azerbaijan.

Economics and finance
The U.S. dollar was trading at 1.56 deutschemarks, the lowest since the mark was introduced in 1948. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones industrial average closed at 2483.42, a 14% drop over three weeks.

10 years ago
2000

Died on this date
John Anthony Kaiser, 67. U.S. clergyman. Rev. Kaiser was a Roman Catholic priest who worked for many yers in Kenya. In 1998, he testified before the Akiwumi Commission of Inquiry into Tribal Clashes, blaming President Danial arap Moi and several cabinet ministers for violence against refugees. Fr. Kaiser also supported two girls who claimed to have been raped by cabinet minister Julius Sunkuli. Rev. Kaiser was carrying documents that he intended to present to the Akiwumi Commission when he was shot in the back of the head by assassins who remain unidentified.

Disasters
Gulf Air Flight 072, an Airbus A320 carrying 143 passengers and crew from Cairo, crashed off the coast of Bahrain, killing all aboard. The plane had circled Bahrain International Airport twice before plunging into the Persian Gulf on an apparent third landing attempt.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, in its final report on the 1996 crash of a TWA jetliner off Long Island, offered no absolute conclusion on the cause of the disaster, which killed all 230 aboard. However, the report said that the most likely explanation was that a short circuit in electrical wiring outside the centre fuel tank caused vapours in the tank to explode. The report found no evidence that the plane had been downed by a missile and said that a bright streak that some had seen in the sky was the plane itself after the explosion. Hundreds of eyewitnesses reported seeing something that looked like a missile heading from the ground toward the plane before it exploded, but obviously, their views counted for nothing.