July 18, 2011

630 years ago
1391

War
Timur defeated Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde in the Battle of the Kondurcha River in present-day southeastern Russia.

510 years ago
1501

Born on this date
Isabella of Austria. Queen consort of Denmark and Norway (1515-1523). Isabella, the daughter of King Philip I and Queen Joanna of Castile, was married by proxy to King Christian II of Denmark in 1513; the marriage was ratified in 1513. Christian II took the throne of Sweden in 1520, and Queen Isabella acted as regent until King Christian was deposed in 1521. He was deposed from his other thrones in 1523, and the couple lived in exile in several countries. Queen Isabella became seriously ill in the spring of 1525, and she died on January 19, 1526 at the age of 24.

420 years ago
1591

Died on this date
Jacobus Gallus, 40-41. Slovenian composer. Mr. Gallus represented the Counter-Reformation, and wrote as many as 500 sacred and secular works, most notably the six-part Opus musicum (1587), a collection of 374 motets that would eventually cover the liturgical needs of the entire ecclesiastical year.

290 years ago
1721

Died on this date
Jean-Antoine Watteau, 36. French artist. Mr. Watteau was a painter who revitalized the Baroque style, shifting it to Rococo. He was credited with inventing the genre of fêtes galantes, scenes of bucolic and idyllic charm, suffused with a theatrical air. Mr. Watteau long suffered from poor health, and died from what may have been tuberculous laringytis.

200 years ago
1811

Born on this date
William Makepeace Thackeray. Indian-born U.K. author. Mr. Thackeray wrote fiction and non-fiction, and was best known for his novels The Luck of Barry Lyndon (1844) and Vanity Fair (1848). He died from a stroke on December 24, 1863 at the age of 52.

170 years ago
1841

Braziliana
Pedro II was acclaimed, crowned, and consecrated Emperor of Brazil.

130 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Larry McLean. Canadian-born U.S. baseball player. Mr. McLean, a native of Fredericton, New Brunswick, grew up in the Boston area. He was a catcher with the Boston Americans (1901); Chicago Cubs (1903); St. Louis Cardinals (1904, 1913); Cincinnati Reds (1906-1912); and New York Giants (1913-1915), batting .262 with 6 home runs and 298 runs batted in in 862 games. Mr. McLean batted .500 (6 for 12) with 2 runs batted in the Giants' 5-game loss to the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1913 World Series. He was a heavy drinker, and his career ended in a mid-season hotel brawl with Giants' manager John McGraw and scout Dick Kinsella. Mr. McLean was 39 when he was fatally shot in a speakeasy in Boston on March 24, 1921 by a bartender who claimed that Mr. McLean was attempting to attack him. Mr. McLean was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

War
Sitting Bull and about 200 Sioux crossed the Saskatchewan border and surrendered to the U.S. Army at Fort Buford, Dakota Territory, after living in Canada for over four years.

100 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Hume Cronyn. Canadian-born U.S. actor. Mr. Cronyn, a native of London, Ontario, was known for his stage and screen appearances with his wife Jessica Tandy. His movies included Shadow of a Doubt (1943); Lifeboat (1944); The Seventh Cross (1944); The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946); The Beginning or the End (1947); Brute Force (1947); and Cocoon (1985). Mr. Cronyn won an Emmy Award for his performance in the made-for-television movie Age-Old Friends (1989). He died of prostate cancer on June 15, 2003 at the age of 91.

90 years ago
1921

Politics and government
The United Farmers of Alberta won 38 of 61 seats in the Legislative Assembly in the Alberta provincial election, unseating the governing Liberals of Premier Charles Stewart. The UFA were led by party president Henry Wise Wood, who wasn't running for a seat. Their total was an increase of 36 from their total in the most recent election in 1917. The Liberals dropped from 32 seats to 15, while the Dominion Labour Party won 4 seats, the Conservatives won 1, and 3 independent candidates were elected. UFA candidate Irene Parlby was elected in Lacombe, becoming the first woman elected to the Legislature.

Scandal
The trial of the "Black Sox," the Chicago White Sox baseball players accused of conspiring fix the 1919 World Series, began in Chicago.

80 years ago
1931

Politics and government
J.W.F. Johnson was appointed Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia; he took office on August 1.

75 years ago
1936

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Harry West, on MBS
Tonight’s episode: The Giant Rat of Sumatra

War
The Spanish Civil War continued as General Francisco Franco led an uprising of army troops based in Spanish Morocco.

Baseball
The Chicago White Sox swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics 7-4 and 21-14 before 11,000 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

The St. Louis Browns scored all their runs in the 5th inning as they defeated the New York Yankees 7-2 in the first game of a doubleheader before 25,000 fans at Yankee Stadium. Seven New York players, including winning pitcher Monte Pearson, each had 2 hits as the Yankees won the second game 15-4; the Browns once again scored all their runs in one inning--the 9th.

Hal Trosky drove in 5 runs with a pair of home runs as the Cleveland Indians beat the Washington Nationals 10-3 at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Winning pitcher Lloyd Brown pitched a complete game, allowing 13 hits, but just 2 earned runs, while losing pitcher Bobo Newsom also pitched a complete game despite allowing 16 hits and 10 earned runs. Each pitcher struck out just 1 batter.

The Brooklyn Dodgers scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th inning and held on for a 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 8,000 fans at Forbes Field in Pitsburgh.

Tommy Thompson led off the top of the 11th inning with a double, advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an outfield fly by Wally Berger to give the Boston Bees a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 3,500 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

70 years ago
1941

War
U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin wrote U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, urging the establisment of a second front in France and Norway.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that the United States would keep the sea lanes open against attack or threat of attack not only to Iceland but to all other American bases in the Atlantic and Caribbean.

Diplomacy
Czechoslovakian Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk and U.S.S.R. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia Ivan Maisky signed an agreement in London under which both governments exchanged ministers and gave mutual aid against Germany.

Five accused spies pled guilty in Brooklyn for conspiring to transmit defense information to Germany. 23 others pled not guilty.

Politics and government
Japanese Prime Minister Prince Fumimaro Konoye ousted Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka and replaced him with Admiral Teijiro Toyoda. Prime Minister Konoye and Adm. Toyoda were pro-American and pro-Britain, and were trying to avoid war with those countries, while Mr. Matsuoka was very anti-American in his views.

Weather
Alberta's highest recorded termperature was reached at Fort Macleod: 110 F (43.3 C).

60 years ago
1951

On the radio
Pete Kelly's Blues, starring Jack Webb, on NBC

Died on this date
Joe Klugmann, 56. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Klugmann played second base with the Chicago Cubs (1921-1922); Brooklyn Robins (1924); and Cleveland Indians (1926), batting .251 with no home runs and 17 runs batted in in 77 games. He played more than 1,320 games in 14 seasons in the minor leagues (1914, 1921-1933), and managed the Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association (1931-1932). Mr. Klugmann was a police officer and state official in Missouri in later years.

War
U.S. truce negotiators reported from Kaesong that the issue of United Nations troop withdrawal from Korea remained unresolved after six sessions.

Defense
U.K. Foreign Secretary Herbert Morrison told the House of Commons that the government of Prime Minister Clement Attlee now favoured the admission of Greece and Turkey to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Press reports said that U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Forrest Sherman and Spanish dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco had agreed in principle on American use of sea and air bases in Spain. U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson responed to British and French protests by pointing out that military reports considered Spain to be "of strategic importance to the general defense os Western Europe."

Society
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that U.S. farm population had fallen to 24.3 million in the 1950 census, the lowest total since 1910.

Oil
Communist China took over the properties of three American-owned oil companies after forcing the firms to sell all their stock to the government.

Boxing
Jersey Joe Walcott (50-16-2), at 37 years of age, became the oldest man to date to win the world heavyweight title when he knocked out defending champion Ezzard Charles (69-6-1) 55 seconds into the 7th round at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.



Baseball
Ralph Kiner hit 3 home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in 7 runs for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they edged the Brooklyn Dodgers 13-12 before 7,083 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Carl Furillo drove in 4 runs for the Dodgers. Dan Bankhead, the second of three Brooklyn pitchers, allowed 8 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in 4 innings, walking 3 batters and striking out 2, striking out in his only plate appearance in the 62nd and last game of his 3-year major league career.

Grady Hatton and Joe Adcock hit consecutive run-scoring singles with 2 out in the top of the 1st inning to provide all the scoring as the Cincinnati Reds shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader before 15,810 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Willie Ramsdell (8-9) pitched a 4-hitter to outduel Bubba Church (10-5). Eddie Pellagrini reached first base on an error by Connie Ryan to lead off the bottom of the 3rd inning and scored on a 1-out single by Eddie Waitkus for the game's only run as the Phillies won the second game 1-0. Ken Johnson (1-1) pitched a 5-hitter to outduel Herm Wehmeier (1-4), who allowed just 3 hits and no earned runs in 7 innings.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Hello Mary Lou/Travelin' Man--Ricky Nelson (2nd week at #1)

Space
The Mercury-Redstone 4 mission, with Gus Grissom aboard, was scrubbed until the following day.

Canadiana
John Diefenbaker began a tour of northern Canada, visiting Prince Albert and Uranium City before arriving in Yellowknife. He thus became the first sitting prime minister to visit the modern Northwest Territories.

40 years ago
1971

Asiatica
Six persian Gulf Emirates announced that they would merge into a single federation in 1971.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Enola Gay--OMD (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Only Crying--Keith Marshall

#1 single in Ireland: When You were Sweet Sixteen--The Fureys and Davy Arthur

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Ghost Town--The Specials

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Ghost Town--The Specials (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 How 'bout Us--Champaign (8th week at #1)
2 Chequered Love--Kim Wilde
3 Only Crying--Keith Marshall
4 You Drive Me Crazy--Shakin' Stevens
5 Rio--Maywood
6 One Day in Your Life--Michael Jackson
7 Going Back to My Roots--Odyssey
8 Stand & Deliver--Adam and the Ants
9 Caribbean Disco Show--Lobo
10 I've Seen That Face Before--Grace Jones

Singles entering the chart were More Stars by Stars on 45 (#19); A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) by Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio (#26); Tick-A-Thumps My Heart by Babe (#29); and Slow Hand by the Pointer Sisters (#34).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Bette Davis Eyes--Kim Carnes (9th week at #1)
2 All Those Years Ago--George Harrison
3 The One that You Love--Air Supply
4 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield
5 You Make My Dreams--Daryl Hall & John Oates
6 Elvira--The Oak Ridge Boys
7 Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe it or Not)--Joey Scarbury
8 I Don't Need You--Kenny Rogers
9 Slow Hand--The Pointer Sisters
10 Boy from New York City--The Manhattan Transfer

Singles entering the chart were Fire and Ice by Pat Benatar (#64); Who's Crying Now by Journey (#70); Medley II by Stars on 45 (#82); Love Light by Yutaka (#85); Jolé Blon by Gary U.S. Bonds (#87); and Pay You Back with Interest by Gary O' (#90).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The One That You Love—Air Supply
2 Bette Davis Eyes--Kim Carnes
3 Elvira--The Oak Ridge Boys
4 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield
5 Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe it or Not)--Joey Scarbury
6 Medley--Stars on 45
7 You Make My Dreams--Daryl Hall & John Oates
8 I Don't Need You--Kenny Rogers
9 All Those Years Ago--George Harrison
10 Slow Hand--The Pointer Sisters

Singles entering the chart were Fire and Ice by Pat Benatar (#57); Who's Crying Now by Journey (#60); Jolé Blon by Gary U.S. Bonds (#85); Pay You Back with Interest by Gary O' (#88); Square Biz by Teena Marie (#89); Love Light by Yutaka (#90); and I was Country When Country Wasn't Cool by Barbara Mandrell (#97).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe it or Not)--Joey Scarbury
2 The One that You Love--Air Supply
3 Elvira--The Oak Ridge Boys
4 Bette Davis Eyes--Kim Carnes
5 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield
6 I Don't Need You--Kenny Rogers
7 Medley--Stars on 45
8 You Make My Dreams--Daryl Hall & John Oates
9 All Those Years Ago--George Harrison
10 Boy from New York City--The Manhattan Transfer

Singles entering the chart were Fire and Ice by Pat Benatar (#41); Who's Crying Now by Journey (#49); That Old Song by Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio (#57); Jolé Blon by Gary U.S. Bonds (#88); Square Biz by Teena Marie (#89); and Breaking Away by Balance (#94).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
RPM didn't publish from July 11-August 22, 1981 because of a postal strike.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Gemini Dream--The Moody Blues
2 Arc of a Diver--Steve Winwood
3 You Make My Dreams--Daryl Hall & John Oates
4 Winning--Santana
5 Sukiyaki—A Taste of Honey
6 A Life of Illusion--Joe Walsh
7 Boy from New York City--The Manhattan Transfer
8 The Waiting--Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
9 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield
10 Modern Girl--Sheena Easton

Singles entering the chart were Don't Let Him Go by REO Speedwagon (#26); and Fire and Ice by Pat Benatar (#28).

Protest
A march in Dublin in support of hunger strikers in Northern Ireland's Maze Prison turned violent, and 200 people ended up in hospital--in other words, it was a typical Irish social event.

Baseball
Joe Gates hit the first inside-the-park home run in Edmonton Trappers' history as the Trappers edged the Portland Beavers 2-1 before 3,216 fans on a sunny Saturday night at Renfrew Park in Edmonton in a Pacific Coast League game. Edmonton manager Gord Lund, coaching at third base, signalled for Mr. Gates to stop, but he ignored the sign and slid safely into home plate for his 5th home run of the season. Reggie Patterson (9-7) gave up 7 hits as he pitched a complete game for the Trappers; Santo Alcala (6-8) went the distance for the Beavers, giving up 5 hits in 8 innings. The game was over in just 1 hour and 40 minutes.

25 years ago
1986

Football
CFL
Hamilton (1-3) 21 @ Calgary (2-2) 23



Baseball
The Kansas City Royals announced that manager Dick Howser would take the rest of the season off for treatment of a brain tumour. Third base coach Mike Ferraro was named to manage the team in Mr. Howser's absence.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (3rd week at #1)

Edmontonia
This blogger attended the annual parade to open Klondike Days.

Politics and government
Rita Johnston won the British Columbia Social Credit Party leadership, edging Grace McCarthy 941-881 on the second ballot. Mrs. Johnston had been Minister of Transportation and Highways at the time she had succeeded Bill Vander Zalm as Premier on April 2, 1991, becoming British Columbia's first female Premier. A provincial election was due to be held in October 1991.

Scandal
Newfoundland Roman Catholic Archbishop Alphonsus Penny offered his resignation after the release of a report blaming church officials for covering up sexual abuse by Catholic priests at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John's.

Economics and finance
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney told U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev in London that Canada would lift a freeze on $150 million in food credits imposed during the Baltic crackdown. He also offered a $10-million technical assistance package.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (0-2) 18 @ Toronto (2-0) 41



Saskatchewan (0-2) 28 @ Calgary (2-0) 48

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Barry Shetrone, 63. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Shetrone was an outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles (1959-1962) and Washington Senators (1963), batting .205 with 1 home run and 7 runs batted in in 60 games. He played 1,157 games in 11 seasons in the minor leagues (1956-1967). Mr. Shetrone worked as an insurance agent in later years, and died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 12 days after his 63rd birthday.

Mimi Fariña, 56. U.S. musician. Mrs. Fariña followed her older sister Joan Baez as a folksinger, songwriter, and guitarist. She married fellow folk musician Richard Fariña in 1964, and they performed and recorded together until his death in a motorcycle accident in 1966. Mrs. Fariña performed on her own and with others, supporting the usual fashionable causes, until her death from neuroendocrine cancer.

Baseball
Jeff Bagwell hit for the cycle, scoring 4 runs and driving in 5 for the Houston Astros, as they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 17-11 before 33,016 fans at Enron Field in Houston.

The New York Yankees, helped by home runs by Alfonso Soriano and Tino Martinez, scored 3 runs in the 6th inning and 2 in the 7th as they overcame a 5-3 deficit and defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-5 before 14,800 fans in the first of two games at Comerica Park in Detroit. Roger Cedeno batted 4 for 5 with 2 home runs, a double, triple, 4 runs, and 6 runs batted in to help the Tigers win the second game 12-4 before 33,216 fans.