August 10, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Grant Devitt!

Born on this date
Arne Tiselius. Swedish biochemist. Dr. Tiselius was awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research on electrophoresis and adsorption analysis, especially for his discoveries concerning the complex nature of the serum proteins." He died of a heart attack on October 29, 1971 at the age of 69.

100 years ago
1912

Born on this date
Jorge Amado. Brazilian author. Mr. Amado was a modernist novelist whose career spanned more than 60 years, and included works such as Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands) (1966). He was a Communist when he was a Federal Deputy for São Paulo (1947-1951), but spent most of his time in office in exile in France after the party was banned in Brazil. Mr. Amado returned to Brazil in 1954, and left the Communist Party a year later. He chaired the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1961 until his death on August 6, 2001, four days before his 89th birthday.

80 years ago
1932

Olympics
Buster Crabbe of the United States won the gold medal in the men's 400-metre freestyle swimming event in Los Angeles in an Olympic record time of 4 minutes, 48.4 seconds.

75 years ago
1937

Baseball
The Washington Nationals swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics 15-7 and 8-6. The Nationals scored 9 runs in the 3rd inning of game 1, getting just 3 hits, but drawing 6 bases on balls and benefiting from 3 errors. Washington third baseman Buddy Lewis tied a major league single-game record in game 1 with 4 errors.

60 years ago
1952

Baseball
41-year-old relief pitcher Al Benton picked up the win as the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 3-1 in 10 innings at Yankee Stadium to move within 1½ games of the American league-leading Yankees. Dick Gernert and Dom DiMaggio hit home runs off losing pitcher Johnny Sain to win the game for the Red Sox. Mr. Benton relieved starter Mel Parnell with 1 out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th inning and quelled the threat. Mr. Benton retired Mickey Mantle to lead off the bottom of the 10th and thus became th only pitcher to face both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle in his career.

50 years ago
1962

Died on this date
Ted Husing, 60. U.S. sportscaster. Mr. Husing was one of the pioneers of American radio and television sportscasting, working from the mid-1920s until 1954, when he was forced to retire because of blindness following surgery for a brain tumour. He spent most of his career with CBS, and was known for a commanding voice, rapid-fire speech, and editorial opinions, and his method of calling play-by-play for college football set a pattern for generations of future broadcasters. Mr. Husing died after years of declining health; he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1963 and the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1984.

Football
CFL
Montreal (1-0) 28 @ Toronto (0-1) 15

Former University of Minnesota star quarterback Sandy Stephens, making his professional debut, threw touchdown passes to George Dixon and Marv Luster and then rushed 1 yard for a touchdown of his own as the Alouettes built a 21-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter and held on to defeat the Argonauts in front of a CNE Stadium crowd of 26,391. Don Clark rushed for the other Montreal touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Tobin Rote passed to Gerry Philp for the first Toronto touchdown, and backup quarterback Tom Dublinksi passed to Pete O'Garro for the second Argonaut touchdown with 33 seconds remaining in the game.

Baseball
Bob Veale of the Columbus Jets struck out 22 batters in 9 innings, as the Jets edged the Buffalo Bisons 6-5 in 12 innings in an International League game at War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo.

40 years ago
1972

War
The United States House of Representatives voted 228-178 to defeat a proposal calling for the withdrawal of all American forces from Indochina by October 1. The defeat of the motion was seen as a major victory for the administration of President Richard Nixon, and was considered the last opportunity for opponents of the Vietnam war to push such legislation through Congress in 1972.

Boxing
George Chuvalo (67-18-2) retained his Canadian heavyweight title with a 1-round knockout of Tommy Burns (9-8) in Nelson, British Columbia. The bout was broadcast on CBC radio.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (2-0) 28 @ Montreal (1-1) 19

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): I Love Rock 'N' Roll--Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (2nd week at #1)

Baseball
Bill Virdon, who had managed the Houston Astros since 1975, was fired and replaced by coach Bob Lillis. Under Mr. Virdon, the Astros had won the National League West Division pennant in 1980.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): The Loco-Motion--Kylie Minogue

Died on this date
Clara Peller, 85. U.S. actress. Ms. Peller achieved brief fame in 1984 when she appeared in commercials for the Wendy's fast food chain, shouting "Where's the beef?"

Baseball
Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher Kevin Gross was ejected for scuffing the ball when umpires discovered sandpaper in his glove during an inspection in the 5th inning of the Phillies' 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Mr. Gross was suspended for 10 games.

10 years ago
2002

Baseball
Sammy Sosa hit home runs in 3 consecutive innings as the Chicago Cubs routed the Colorado Rockies 15-1.

Randy Johnson struck out 14 batters, moving past Tom Seaver into 5th place on the career list, to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-2 win over the Florida Marlins.