August 8, 2011

225 years ago
1786

Adventure

Dr. Michael-Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat became the first people to climb Mont Blanc, which at 15,771 feet is the highest peak in France and the second-highest in Europe.

180 years ago
1831

Diplomacy
In the Treaty of Wapakoneta, 400 Shawnee Indians agreed to relinquish their lands in Ohio in exchange for land west of the Mississippi River.

120 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Adolf Busch. German-born musician and composer. Mr. Busch was a violinist and founder of the Busch Quartet. He was an early opponent of the Nazi Party, and left Germany for Switzerland, evenutally settling in the United States. His compositions included works for violin and for organ. Mr. Busch died on June 9, 1952 at the age of 60.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Ernest O. Lawrence. U.S. physicist. Dr. Lawrence was awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the invention and development of the cyclotron and for results obtained with it, especially with regard to artificial radioactive elements." He worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II and became a leading advocate of "Big Science," involving big machines and laboratories, with big money from government. Dr. Lawrence was in Geneva in August 1958 to help negotiate a Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the U.S.S.R. when his chronic ulcerative colitis made it impossible to continue; he was flown back to Stanford University, where he died on August 27, 19 days after his 57th birthday. The element lawrencium (atomic number 103) was named in his honour in 1961.

100 years ago
1911

Died on this date
William P. Frye, 80. U.S. politician. Mr. Frye, a Republican, sat in the Maine House of Representatives (1861-1862, 1867), and was the state's Attorney General (1867-1871). He represented Maine's 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1871-1881), and represented Maine in the U.S. Senate from 1881 until his death. Senator Frye supported American annexation of Hawaii and acquisition of the Philippines; he was appointed by President William McKinley to the peace commission it negotiated the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898.

90 years ago
1921

Died on this date
Juhani Aho, 59. Finnish author. Mr. Aho, born Johannes Brofeldt, wrote novels and short stories, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 12 times, but never won.

Baseball
Walter Johnson (10-10) pitched a 10-hit complete game victory and batted 2 for 5 with a double and 2 runs batted in as the Washington Nationals routed the St. Louis Browns 16-5 before 2,500 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington. St. Louis second baseman Luke Stuart hit a 2-run inside-the-park home run off Mr. Johnson in the 9th inning in his first major league plate appearance, becoming the first American League player to accomplish the feat; it turned out to be his only major league homer.

Bill Wambsganss hit a home run in each game for the Cleveland Indians as they swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics 4-3 and 7-6 in 13 innings at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The Indians scored the winning run in the second game when Elmer Smith led off the 13th with a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Doc Johnston.

Bob Shawkey (11-8) pitched a 4-hitter, while Babe Ruth and Frank Baker hit home runs as the New York Yankees shut out the Chicago White Sox 7-0 in the first game of a doubleheader before 27,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. Mr. Ruth's homer was his 40th of the season. He added his 41st in the second game, which the White Sox won 5-4.

80 years ago
1931

Baseball
Bobby Burke (8-2) pitched a no-hitter for the Washington Nationals as they shut out the Boston Red Sox 5-0 before 5,000 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington.

Paul Waner doubled with 1 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th inning and scored from third base on a 2-out single by Earl Grace to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds before 3,000 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

The St. Louis Cardinals scored 7 runs in the 5th inning of a 14-7 win over the Chicago Cubs before 10,000 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. St. Louis second baseman Frankie Frisch batted 4 for 5 with 3 runs, 3 runs batted in, and a stolen base.

75 years ago
1936

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

Baseball
The World International Baseball Federation, a 16-nation group to be based in Miami, Florida, was founded. The announcement was made in Berlin, where the Olympic Games were taking place.

70 years ago
1941

War
German forces began a "final" offensive against the Russians. The German command claimed that the Soviet 6th and 12th Armies and parts of the 18th Army in Ukraine had been destroyed. British authorities in Beirut announced that General Henri Dentz and 35 French officers had been interned and would be held until British prisoners sent to France were released under the terms of the armistice.

Defense
Berlin press published a statement accusing the United States of employing "dollar imperialism," political threats, and aggression to obtain air, naval, and military bases in Latin America. U.S. Representative Daniel Reed (Republican--New York) denounced the Senate-approved draft extension bill as "evidence" that another American expeditionary force was being planned.

Diplomacy
Japanese cabinet spokesman Koh Ishii said in Tokyo that the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands East Indies, and China were attempting to encircle Japan. U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull said that Japan was in no danger of encirclement except by itself.

Labour
American Federation of Labor machinists went on strike at the Curtiss-Wright propeller plant near Caldwell, New Jersey.

Baseball
Paul Erickson gave up just a single by Bob Elliott in the 7th inning as he pitched the Chicago Cubs to a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 5,846 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago for his first major league win. Johnny Lanning took the loss.

Babe Young hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning to give the New York Giants a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 2,388 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. Bill Lohrman pitched a 6-hit complete game to win the pitchers' duel over Cy Blanton, who also went the distance, allowing 8 hits.

The Boston Red Sox scored 6 runs in each of the 1st and 7th innings as they beat the Washington Nationals 15-8 before 3,959 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Washington right fielder Buddy Lewis had 2 singles and 4 RBIs.

Taffy Wright drove in 6 runs with 2 home runs and a double, Bob Kennedy had 3 hits and 4 RBIs, and pinch hitter George Dickey hit a 3-run homer as the Chicago White Sox routed the St. Louis Browns 16-2 before just 541 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

60 years ago
1951

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

War
A 130-year-old border dispute between Ecuador and Peru flared up again as Ecuador reported Peruvian attacks on its frontier garrisons in the Zumba district.

Politics and government
The French National Assemlby gave former Prime Minister Rene Pleven a vote of confidence after he agreed to form a centrist coalition cabinet.

Economics and finance
United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency head J. Donald Kingsley estimated war damage in Korea at $2 billion and said that the country's economy would have to be rebuilt "almost from scratch" after the war.

U.S. Economic Stabilization Agency director Eric Johnston predicted that living costs would rise 5%-8% within 12 months as a result of weaknesses in the new economic controls law.

U.S. President Harry Truman allocated an additional $3.5 million to flood-stricken Kansas for emergency relief, raising the total amount sent to the Midwest flood area to $7.8 million.

Baseball
Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, and Carl Furillo hit home runs for the Brooklyn Dodgers as they beat the New York Giants 7-2 in the first game of a doubleheader before 27,004 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. With 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning of the second game, Andy Pafko, Roy Campanella, and Gil Hodges singled to load the bases, and Billy Cox singled home Mr. Pafko to give the Dodgers a 7-6 win to complete the sweep, taking an 11½-game lead over the second-place Giants in the National League. Messrs. Furillo and Snider also homered in the second game.

Eddie Waitkus tripled home Putsy Caballero and Eddie Pellagrini with 2 out in the bottom of the 8th inning to enable the Philadelphia Phillies to defeat the Boston Braves 3-2 before 12,759 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

The Cincinnati Reds scored 4 runs in the to of the 2nd inning and withstood a 4-run 8th inning rally to defeat the Chicago Cubs 7-5 in the first game of a doubleheader before 14,829 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Gene Hermanski drove in 4 Chicago runs, hitting a 3-run home run in the 8th. Virgil Stallcup's 3-run homer climaxed a 4-run 4th for the Reds as they withstood a 2-run 8th inning rally and won the second game 4-3 to complete the sweep.

Gus Bell batted 3 for 5 with a home run, triple, 2 runs, and 3 runs batted in to help the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 before fans at 7,482 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. St. Louis left fielder Stan Musial was 3 for 5 with a home run and 4 RBIs.

Pinch hitter Bud Souchock doubled home Jerry Priddy with the tying run, advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Johnny Lipon, and scored on a single by George Kell with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox before 3,765 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Mr. Priddy had tripled to lead off the inning, after the White Sox had scored a run in the top of the inning to take a 5-4 lead. Losing pitcher Saul Rogovin (7-7) allowed 17 hits and 6 earned runs in 10.1 innings.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Hello Mary Lou/Travelin' Man--Ricky Nelson (5th week at #1)

Football
AFL-CFL Pre-season
Buffalo Bills (AFL) (0-1) 21 @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL) (2-2) 38

12,000 attended the game at Civic Stadium.

40 years ago
1971

Died on this date
Henry D. "Homer" Haynes, 51. U.S. comedian and musician. Mr. Haynes, a country and jazz guitarist, performed with Kenneth "Jethro" Burns as the country music comedy duo Homer and Jethro from 1936 until Mr. Haynes' death from a heart attack, 11 days after his 51st birthday. The duo recorded more than 50 albums, and won a Grammy Award in 1959 for Best Comedy Performance – Musical for The Battle of Kookamonga, a spoof of Johnny Horton's hit The Battle of New Orleans. They were inducted as a duo into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Enola Gay--OMD (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Only Crying--Keith Marshall (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: The Streets of New York--Wolfe Tones (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Green Door--Shakin' Stevens

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Green Door--Shakin' Stevens (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 One Day in Your Life--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)
2 Caribbean Disco Show--Lobo
3 Rio--Maywood
4 More Stars--Stars on 45
5 Going Back to My Roots--Odyssey
6 De Nederlandse Sterre Die Strale Overal!--Rubberen Robbie
7 A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)--Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio
8 No Me Hables--Juan Pardo
9 Wordy Rappinghood--Tom Tom Club
10 Chequered Love--Kim Wilde

Singles entering the chart were Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart) by Ottawan (#26); Happy Birthday by Stevie Wonder (#30); Who Let the Heartache In by Patricia Paay (#31); Tingalingaling by Luv' (#32); Pull Up to the Bumper by Grace Jones (#35); Zeeman by Ciska Peters (#36); and 'k Zal Je Heb by Benny Neyman (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield (2nd week at #1)
2 Endless Love--Diana Ross and Lionel Richie 3 Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe it or Not)--Joey Scarbury
4 I Don't Need You--Kenny Rogers
5 Elvira--The Oak Ridge Boys
6 Slow Hand--Pointer Sisters
7 Boy from New York City--The Manhattan Transfer
8 Hearts--Marty Balin
9 Queen of Hearts--Juice Newton
10 The One that You Love--Air Supply

Singles entering the chart were The Voice by the Moody Blues (#56); Draw of the Cards by Kim Carnes (#72); Super Freak (Part I) by Rick James (#74); Straight from the Heart by the Allman Brothers Band (#79); In Your Letter by REO Speedwagon (#82); A Heart in New York by Art Garfunkel (#83); Falling in Love Again by Michael Stanley Band (#84); It's Just the Sun by Don McLean (#85); Just Like Paradise by Larry John McNally (#86); Dedicated to the One I Love by Bernadette Peters (#87); Shake it Up Tonight by Cheryl Lynn (#88); Hold Tight by Change (#89); and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore by Nielsen/Pearson (#90).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Theme from "Greatest American Hero"--Joey Scarbury
2 Elvira--Oak Ridge Boys
3 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield
4 Slow Hand--Pointer Sisters
5 I Don't Need You--Kenny Rogers
6 Endless Love--Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
7 The One That You Love—Air Supply
8 Boy from New York City--The Manhattan Transfer
9 Hearts--Marty Balin
10 Queen of Hearts--Juice Newton

Singles entering the chart were The Voice by the Moody Blues (#62); Draw of the Cards by Kim Carnes (#72); Super Freak (Part I) by Rick James (#80); In Your Letter by REO Speedwagon (#82); Falling in Love Again by Michael Stanley Band (#83); The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore by Nielsen/Pearson (#84); A Heart in New York by Art Garfunkel (#85); Shake it Up Tonight by Cheryl Lynn (#86); Dedicated to the One I Love by Bernadette Peters (#87); We Can Get Together by Icehouse (#89); Teardrops by George Harrison (#90); and Just Be My Lady by Larry Graham (#97).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield (2nd week at #1)
2 Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe it or Not)--Joey Scarbury
3 The One that You Love--Air Supply
4 Slow Hand--Pointer Sisters
5 I Don't Need You--Kenny Rogers
6 Queen of Hearts--Juice Newton
7 Elvira--The Oak Ridge Boys
8 Boy from New York City--The Manhattan Transfer
9 Endless Love--Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
10 Bette Davis Eyes--Kim Carnes

Singles entering the chart were The Voice by the Moody Blues (#49); Super Freak (Part I) by Rick James (#77); Draw of the Cards by Kim Carnes (#78); Burnin' for You Blue by Blue Oyster Cult (#88); and In Your Letter by REO Speedwagon (#89).

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 Boy from New York City--The Manhattan Transfer
2 A Life of Illusion--Joe Walsh
3 Jessie's Girl--Rick Springfield
4 Slow Hand--Pointer Sisters
5 In the Air Tonight--Phil Collins
6 Gemini Dream--The Moody Blues
7 Hearts--Marty Balin
8 The Stroke--Billy Squier
9 Fire and Ice--Pat Benatar
10 The One that You Love--Air Supply

Singles entering the chart were Nothing Goes as Planned by Styx (#24); and A Woman in Love (It's Not Me) by Tom Petty (#28).

Died on this date
Thomas McElwee, 23. U.K. terrorist. Mr. McElwee was an independent Northern Irish republican who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for manslaughter after a woman was killed during a bombing attack in Ballymena. He was one of the convicted terrorists who participated in a hunger strike, dying after 62 days.

Football
CFL
Calgary (2-3) 16 @ Hamilton (4-2) 28
Montreal (1-5) 2 @ Winnipeg (4-1) 58

Baseball
Intercontinental Cup @ Renfrew Park, Edmonton
Canada (2-1) 6 @ Australia (0-3) 0
U.S.A. (2-0) 10 @ Dominican Republic (2-1) 5
Panama (0-3) 8 @ South Korea (1-1) 13
Cuba (2-0) 10 @ Japan (1-1) 8

The game between South Korea and Panama was played at South Side Industrial Park. Japan scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning against veteran Cuban ace and winning pitcher Braudilio Vinent, who gave up all 8 Japanese runs.

25 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Lessons in Love--Level 42 (5th week at #1)

At the movies
Stand By Me, directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland, opened in theatres in limited release.



Football
CFL
Calgary (3-4) 31 @ Toronto (4-3) 26

Rick Johnson completed 26 of 41 passes for 366 yards to lead the Stampeders over the Argonauts before 25,752 fans at Exhibition Stadium. Ray Alexander was Mr. Johnson's favourite target, catching 8 passes for 159 yards.



20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
James Irwin, 61. U.S. astronaut. Colonel Irwin was a pilot with the United States Air Force when he was selected to join the fifth group of NASA astronauts in 1966. He was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 15 in 1971, and was the eighth man to walk on the Moon. Col. Irwin showed signs of a heart condition during the mission, and suffered a heart attack several months later. He retired from the USAF and the astronaut corps a year after Apollo 15, and became a prominent Christian spokesman, fond of saying, "Jesus walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon." Col. Irwin went to be with his Lord and Saviour after another heart attack, becoming the first of the men who walked on the Moon to die.

Julissa Gomez, 18. U.S. gymnast. Miss Gomez was a prospect for the United States Olympic team in 1988 when she broke her neck in a vaulting accident at the World Sports Fair in Tokyo, leaving her a quadriplegic. She became disconnected from her ventilator in a Tokyo hospital, suffering severe brain damage and catatonia, from which she never recovered.

Terrorism
British hostage John McCarthy was freed after almost five years in captivity in Lebanon.

Business
Ron Joyce sold Tim Hortons, Canada's biggest doughnut chain, to Wendy's International Inc.; the $300-million deal made the Tim Hortons co-founder the U.S. burger giant's largest single shareholder.

Disasters
The Warsaw Radio Mast, the tallest structure in the world at the time of its construction in 1974, collapsed. There were no fatalities, and adjacent buildings were undamaged.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (2-3) 31 @ Ottawa (1-4) 41

The Rough Riders' win over the Blue Bombers before 23,414 fans at Lansdowne Park was their first under Joe Faragalli, in his first game as head coach since replacing the fired Steve Goldman. Winnipeg slotback Perry Tuttle caught 11 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns.



British Columbia (3-2) 30 @ Calgary (5-0) 34 (OT)

Andy McVey rushed 14 yards in overtime for his second touchdown of the game to give the Stampeders their win over the Lions before 31,159 fans at McMahon Stadium.

10 years ago
2001

Divorced on this date
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The U.S. actor and Australian actress became legally divorced hours after separately attending screenings of her new movie, The Others.

Baseball
Nate Cornejo of the Detroit Tigers and Joaquin Benoit of the Texas Rangers made their major league debuts starting against each other before 30,016 fans at the Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, but neither pitcher got a decision. The Tigers scored 13 runs in the top of the 9th inning to break a 6-6 tie and win 19-6. Damion Easley led the Tigers with 6 hits, including 2 in the 9th. Mr. Cornejo allowed 9 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in 3 innings, striking out 3 batters, walking 1, and hitting 1. Mr. Benoit allowed 8 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in 5 innings, striking out 4 batters and walking 3.

The New York Yankees scored 7 runs in the top of the 8th inning of a 16-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before 18,830 fans at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

The Cleveland Indians scored 6 runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 2-2 tie as they beat the Minnesota Twins 8-2 before 38,444 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Magglio Ordonez batted 3 for 6 with 2 home runs and 4 runs batted in to help the Chicago White Sox rout the Anaheim Angels 15-1 before 18,864 fans at Edison International Field of Anaheim.

Geoff Blum led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a double and Michael Barrett followed with a double to score Mr. Blum, giving the Montreal Expos a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 6,611 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.