August 7, 2012

270 years ago
1742

Born on this date
Nathanael Greene. U.S. military leader. Mr. Greene, a general under George Washington in the American Revolutionary War, replaced Benedict Arnold as commander at West Point and contributed to the defeat of British General Lord Cornwallis's forces at Cowpens, South Carolina in 1781.

110 years ago
1902

Born on this date
Ann Harding. U.S. actress. Miss Harding, born Dorothy Walton Gatley, was a popular leading lady in the early years of sound films, receiving an Academy Award nomination for her starring role in Holiday (1930). Her popularity declined in the late 1930s as she became typecast as the beautiful, innocent, self-sacrificing woman. Miss Harding appeared in relatively few movies after 1947, but had a notable supporting role in The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1956). She died on September 1, 1981, 25 days after her 79th birthday.

80 years ago
1932

Olympics
The women's high jump event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ended in a jump-off between American teammates Babe Didriksson and Jean Shiley. Both set a world record by clearing a height of 5' 5¾", but the judges ruled that Miss Didrikson had used an illegal "western roll," diving across the bar head first, torso second. Miss Shiley was given the gold medal, Miss Didrikson the silver. The rules were soon changed.

70 years ago
1942

Born on this date
Carlos Monzon. Brazilian boxer. Mr. Monzon was world middleweight champion from 1970-1977, when he retired. He compiled a professional record of 87-3-9 in a career that began in 1963. Convicted in 1989 of killing his common-law wife the previous year, he died in a car accident on January 8, 1995 at the age of 42 while on prison furlough.

50 years ago
1962

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley, on BBC Light Programme
Tonight’s episode: The Golden Pince-Nez

Politics
The provisional Algerian government of Premier Ben Youssef Ben Khedda surrendered power to the political bureau headed by Vice-Premier Ahmed Ben Bella.

40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Tom Neal, 59. U.S. actor. Mr. Neal was best known as the star of the film noir classic Detour (1945). Other movies he appeared in included Another Thin Man (1939) and The Brute Man (1946). An amateur boxer with a law degree from Harvard University, Mr. Neal beat up actor Franchot Tone in a dispute over party girl Barbara Payton in 1951, and was in prison from 1965-1971 for involuntary manslaughter after shooting his wife Gale in the back of the head.

Joi Lansing, 43. U.S. actress. Miss Lansing made regular appearances in the television series The Bob Cummings Show (1955-1959) and Klondike (1960-1961), and appeared in movies--usually in bit parts--such as Singin' in the Rain (1952) and Touch of Evil (1958). She died of breast cancer.

World events
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin ordered 60,000 Asians to leave the country within 90 days, and signed a decree revoking entry permits and residence certificates held by Asians of foreign nationality.

Disasters
The death toll from five weeks of floods in the Philippines had reached 454.

Baseball
Eddie Mathews replaced the fired Lum Harris as manager of the Atlanta Braves. It didn't help, because the Braves lost 9-1 to the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Ted Sizemore's inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the 13th inning gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 3-2 win over the New York Mets at Busch memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Come on Eileen--Dexys Midnight Runners & the Emerald Express

#1 single in the U.S.A.: (Billboard): Eye of the Tiger--Survivor (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Eye of the Tiger--Survivor (2nd week at #1)
2 Abracadabra--Steve Miller Band
3 Hold Me--Fleetwood Mac
4 Hurts So Good--John Cougar
5 Hard to Say I'm Sorry--Chicago
6 Don't You Want Me--The Human League
7 Rosanna--Toto
8 Only the Lonely--The Motels
9 Even the Nights are Better--Air Supply
10 Keep the Fire Burnin'--REO Speedwagon

Singles entering the chart were I Keep Forgettin' by Michael McDonald (#67); Make Believe by Toto (#74); Let it Be Me by Willie Nelson (#84); Your Daddy Don't Know by Toronto (#86); How Can I Live Without Her by Christopher Atkins (#87); Dance Floor (Part 1) by Zapp (#90); and Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force (#95).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Eye of the Tiger--Survivor (2nd week at #1)
2 Abracadabra--Steve Miller Band
3 Hurts So Good--John Cougar
4 Going to a Go-Go--Rolling Stones
5 I've Never Been to Me--Charlene
6 Body Language--Queen
7 Eyes of a Stranger--Payolas
8 Who Can it Be Now?--Men at Work
9 Caught Up in You--.38 Special
10 Your Daddy Don't Know--Toronto

Singles entering the chart were Only Time Will Tell by Asia (#46); Your Imagination by Daryl Hall & John Oates (#48); and Jack & Diane by John Cougar (#49).

Terrorism
Terrorists with the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia opened fire with submachine guns at the airport in the Turkish capital of Ankara, killing 6 people and wounding about 72. The ASALA said the attack was a protest against the Turkish occupation of Armenia, and warned there would be violence in the U.S.A., U.K., Canada, France, Switzerland, and Sweden unless 85 Armenians imprisoned in those countries were freed.

War
Iran announced that it had captured two Iraqi outposts inside Iran, killing 200 Iraqi troops near the border town of Qasr-i-Shirin.

Politics and government
The government of Prime Minister Giovanni Spadolini resigned, the day after the Socialists had withdrawn their support, ending the 41st Italian government since the end of World War II.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (2-3) 22 @ Toronto (3-1-1) 30

Condredge Holloway completed touchdown passes of 30 yards to Terry Greer in the 2nd quarter and 61 yards in the 4th quarter to lead the Argonauts to their first win over the Eskimos in eight years before a loud crowd of 37,985 at Exhibition Stadium. Mr. Holloway also threw a 14-yard TD pass to Martin Cox in the 2nd quarter; Cedric Minter scored the first Toronto touchdown on a 7-yard rush in the 1st quarter. Mr. Holloway completed just 17 of 31 passes, but accumulated 359 yards passing. The Argonauts led 22-4 at halftime, but the Eskimos narrowed the gap to 23-21 in the 4th quarter on touchdown passes of 14 yards to Waddell Smith and 10 yards to Mike Levenseller by quarterback Warren Moon. Mr. Levenseller, who caught 9 passes for 116 yards, made a spectacular falling catch for his touchdown. Mr. Greer led all receivers with 177 yards on 6 receptions.



25 years ago
1987

Diplomacy
The presidents of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Guatemala signed a preliminary peace agreement in Guatemala City. The accord incorporated the main points of a proposal set forth in February by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, and provided for a 90-day time frame for implementing its provisions. The plan called for a dialogue between governments and unarmed internal opposition groups in each country; cease-fires where guerrillas were operating; a cessation of states of emergency; and an end to regional or outside aid to anti-government forces.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had declined to 5.9% in July.

Swimming
Lynne Cox became the first person to swim from the U.S.A. to the U.S.S.R., going 2.7 miles across the Bering Strait from Alaska to Siberia.

Disasters
Up to 100 people died when a bus crashed into a canal in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (4-3) 20 @ Toronto (4-2-1) 23

Ken Joiner’s fingertip catch of Gilbert Renfroe’s pass in full flight for a 44-yard touchdown with 3:22 remaining in regulation time was the difference as the Argonauts edged the Eskimos before 30,264 fans (including this blogger) at Exhibition Stadium. The Eskimos scored touchdowns on their first and last possessions of the game, but could manage only 2 Jerry Kauric field goals in between. The Eskimos scored first on a 4-yard touchdown rush by Milson Jones in the 1st quarter, but the Argonauts answered with a 1-yard touchdown rush by Gill Fenerty. Lance Chomyc kicked 3 field goals to Mr. Kauric’s 2 before Mr. Joiner’s touchdown. Edmonton quarterback Damon Allen completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Brian Kelly with 39 seconds remaining in regulation time, and Mr. Kauric’s convert drew the Eskimos to within 3 points, but Mr. Kauric’s short kickoff was recovered by the Argonauts. Mr. Kelly’s score, a spectacular grab on the goal line with two defensive backs draped on him, was the 89th of his CFL career, giving him the CFL career record for touchdown receptions, one more than former teammate Tom Scott. Mr. Allen entered the game in the 3rd quarter in relief of starter Matt Dunigan, who pulled his right hamstring and was out of the lineup for the next month.

20 years ago
1992

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had declined from 7.8% to 7.7% in July. The number of payroll jobs was reported to be up by 198,000 in July.

Football
CFL
Calgary (4-1) 21 @ Saskatchewan (2-3) 30

The Saskatchewan defense made 3 interceptions against Calgary quarterback Doug Flutie and sacked him 4 times as the Roughriders beat the Stampeders before 21,100 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Saskatchewan quarterback Kent Austin completed touchdown passes to Don Narcisse and Lucius Floyd in the 2nd quarter and handed off to Milson Jones for a touchdown run early in the 3rd quarter. Mr. Flutie completed 31 of 63 passes for 487 yards and rushed 5 times for 42 yards, but the Stampeders scored just 1 touchdown, a 15-yard pass from Mr. Flutie to Carl Bland with 12:29 remaining in regulation time.

10 years ago
2002

Football
CFL
Hamilton (3-4) 5 @ Edmonton (5-2) 33

Ricky Ray completed touchdown passes of 18 yards to Ed Hervey in the 1st quarter and 15 yards to Terry Vaughn in the 3rd quarter as the Eskimos routed the Tiger-Cats in front of a Commonwealth Stadium crowd of 38,852. John Avery scored the other touchdown on a 1-yard rush with 2:59 remaining in the game. Mr. Vaughn led all receivers with 11 receptions for 145 yards, and reached the mark of 300 career receptions as an Eskimo. The Edmonton defense limited the Hamilton offense to 11 first downs and 176 net yards. Hamilton head coach Ron Lancaster apologized for his team’s poor showing.

Baseball
Toronto shortstop Chris Woodward hit 3 home runs, but the Blue Jays lost 5-4 to the Seattle Mariners.