July 1, 2012

150 years ago
1862

War
In the American Civil War, General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate forces suffered 5,000 casualties at the hands of General George McClellan’s Union forces at Malvern Hill, Virginia. Despite his success, Gen. McClellan withdrew his troops to Harrison’s Landing. In the previous week’s fighting, the Union army casualties had been 1,734 dead; 8,062 wounded; and 6,053 missing out of an available force of 115,000. Out of a force of 95,000, Confederate casualties had been 3,478 dead; 16,261 wounded; and 875 missing.

110 years ago
1902

Born on this date
William Wyler. Geman-born U.S. movie director. Mr. Wyler was a native of Alsace-Lorraine, which reverted to France after World War I. He emigrated to the United States in the early 1920s, and was in Hollywood by 1923. Mr. Wyler became one of the most successful directors in history, receiving 12 Academy Award nominations for Best Director, winning for Mrs. Miniver (1942); The Best Years of Our Lives (1946); and Ben-Hur (1959). His movies received 36 Oscar nominations in acting categories, winning 14. Mr. Wyler died of a heart attack on July 27, 1981 at the age of 79, three days after filming an interview for a television doucumentary about him.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Fifty Beautiful Girls, starring Joseph Anthony, Brian Keith, Grace Kelly, and Rusty Lane

50 years ago
1962

World events
Burundi and Rwanda both achieved independence from Belgium.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Take Me Bak 'Ome--Slade

Rhodesia's Top 10 (Lyons Maid)
1 Beautiful Sunday--Daniel Boone (2nd week at #1)
2 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
3 Beg, Steal or Borrow--The New Seekers
4 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
5 Pasadena--John Edmond
6 Son of My Father--Chicory Tip
7 How Do You Do?--The Rising Sons
8 A Horse with No Name--America
9 Amazing Grace--Murray Campbell
10 American Pie--Don McLean

Singles entering the chart were Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O'Sullivan (#15); A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum (#19); and Imagine by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (#20).

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack
2 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
3 Hurting Each Other--Carpenters
4 Vincent--Don McLean
5 Alone Again (Naturally)--Gilbert O'Sullivan
6 Without You--Nilsson
7 Most People I Know Think that I'm Crazy--The Aztecs
8 Sylvia's Mother--Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
9 Song Sung Blue--Neil Diamond
10 A Horse with No Name--America

Singles entering the chart were Tumbling Dice by the Rolling Stones (#23); Run Run Run by Jo Jo Gunne (#31); and Rocket Man by Elton John (#37).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Song Sung Blue--Neil Diamond

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Song Sung Blue--Neil Diamond
2 Outa-Space--Billy Preston
3 Nice to Be with You--Gallery
4 Lean on Me--Bill Withers
5 Troglodyte--The Jimmy Castor Bunch
6 (Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All--The 5th Dimension
7 The Candy Man--Sammy Davis, Jr. with the Mike Curb Congregation
8 Too Late to Turn Back Now--Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
9 I Need You--America
10 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

Singles entering the chart were Breaking Up is Hard to Do by the Partridge Family (#68); I'm Still in Love with You by Al Green (#70); Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma by Ray Charles (#76); Power of Love by Joe Simon (#81); Pop that Thang by the Isley Brothers (#92); Mother Nature by the Temptations (#87); Circus by the Mike Quatro Jam Band (#91); Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me by Mac Davis (#92); Jesahel by English Congregation (#94); What a Wonderful Thing We Have by the Fabulous Rhinestones (#97); Butterfly by Danyel Gerard (#98); Popcorn by Hot Butter (#99); and I Refuse to Smile by Mandrill (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Nice to Be with You--Gallery
2 Song Sung Blue--Neil Diamond
3 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
4 Sylvia's Mother--Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
5 The Candy Man--Sammy Davis, Jr. with the Mike Curb Congregation
6 (Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All--The 5th Dimension
7 Troglodyte--The Jimmy Castor Bunch
8 I Need You--America
9 Wild Eyes--Stampeders
10 Morning has Broken--Cat Stevens

Singles entering the chart were Coconut by Nilsson (#79); Old Man by Matt Lucas (#87); Jesus Please Don't Save Me by Murray McLauchlan (#90); Motorcycle Mama by Sailcat (#91); Riverboat Ladies by Timothy (#93); and Jesus by Cliff Richard (#94).

30 years ago
1982

Politics and government
Major General Reynaldo Bignone, a retired army officer, was sworn in as President of Argentina. In his inaugural address, Maj. Gen. Bignone said that the ban on political activity, which had been in force for six years, would end. He promised to consult regularly with civilian leaders, and expressed hope that Argentina would be a true democracy by March 1984. His first task was to negotiate the release of 650 prisoners of war captured by the United Kingdom during the war in the Falkland Islands from April-June.

Health
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that starch blockers, currently popular diet aids, were unapproved and possibly dangerous, having prompted complaints of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pains. Experts argued that if, as advertised, the tablets worked to block the digestion of starch, large amounts of undigested starch would reach the large intestine; intestinal bacteria would then digest the starch and cause the symptoms mentioned. The companies manufacturing the tablets were given 10 days to file a plan for discontinuing manufacture of the pills.

Religion
2,000 couples were married in a mass wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York staged by the Unification Church, the cult founded and led by South Korean pseudo-Messiah Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The marriages were not exactly made in heaven, as this article by Let Us Reason Ministries points out.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston (5th week at #1)

Personal
This blogger enjoyed the holiday formerly known as Dominion Day, which, this year, was on a Wednesday, providing a welcome break in the middle of the week. I was one of many people experiencing a warm summer night in Harris Park in downtown London, Ontario.

Politics and government
South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan announced that the next president would be chosen by direct popular vote and that he would step down on February 25, 1988. Mr. Chun acknowledged the public’s “ardent desire” for direct democracy in place of the indirect system that virtually ensured continued rule by his Democratic Justice Party.

Crime
Geoffrey Collier, former head of securities at the U.K. investment house Morgan Grenfell, became the first person convicted of insider dealing since the practice had been made illegal in Britain in 1980.

Law
U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judge Robert Bork was his choice to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by the retirement of Justice Lewis Powell. Mr. Bork had been U.S. Solicitor General from 1973-1977, and had been appointed to his current position by Mr. Reagan in 1982. President Reagan called Judge Bork a “prominent and intellectually powerful advocate of judicial restraint.” U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Joe Biden (Democrat—Delaware) predicted that the fight over Judge Bork’s nomination would be contentious, while U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat—Massachusetts) attacked Judge Bork as an extremist.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (2-0) 40 @ Calgary (1-2) 15

B.C. linebacker Kevin Konar recovered 2 fumbles—1 in the Calgary end zone for a touchdown—and forced a third fumble, which was recovered for a touchdown in the Calgary end zone by teammate John Ulmer. The Stampeders turned the ball over 7 times, losing 3 fumbles, 4 interceptions, and 2 turnovers on downs. Terry Irvin, who had been a star defensive back with the Stampeders from 1977-1983 before playing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes, returned to the Calgary lineup for what turned out to be his last CFL game. He ended his career with 62 interceptions, second in league history to that time behind Larry Highbaugh’s 66. Because the CFL schedule had been reworked after the June 24 folding of the Alouettes, the Stampeders were playing their third game in 11 days.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Abba-esque (EP)--Erasure (2nd week at #1)

Canadiana
Queen Elizabeth II paid a brief visit to Canada to help celebrate the holiday formerly known as Dominion Day.

Economics and finance
Provincial personal income tax rates rose 1% in British Columbia; 1.5% in Ontario; and 2.5% in Newfoundland.