November 15, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Ken Powless!

150 years ago
1862

Born on this date
Gerhart Hauptmann. German author and playwright. Mr. Hauptmann, a major figure in the movement of literary naturalism, was awarded the 1912 Nobel Prize in Literature "primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art." He died on June 6, 1946 at the age of 83.

110 years ago
1902

Football
CRU
Dominion Final @ Lansdowne Park, Ottawa
Ottawa Rough Riders 5 Ottawa College 0

Quarterback Hal Walters accounted for all the scoring with a try (touchdown) and a single as the Rough Riders blanked Ottawa College on a muddy field before a Lansdowne Park record crowd of 6,000. There was much betting taking place openly at the stadium, with the Rough Riders as the favourites.

Canadian university
Queen's 1 @ McGill 10

McGill scored 2 unconverted tries (touchdowns as they defeated Queen's to win the Yates Cup championship.

Toronto city championship @ Varsity Field
University of Toronto 22 Argonauts 9

Biddy McClennan scored 2 tries (touchdowns), Harold Beatty drop-kicked a field goal (then worth 5 points), and Casey Baldwin added 2 converts as the U of T took a 15-0 halftime lead and defeated the Argonauts before 2,000 fans in the first game of senior-level Canadian football played under the Burnside rules. Former U of T captain Thrift Burnside had devised new rules to open up the game; the most notable innovation was to put the ball into play by snapping it back from the centre rather than by the traditional rugby practice of heeling it out. The fans enjoyed the changes, especially since the ball was visible on every play. Mr. Grant scored a try for the Argonauts, which he converted. Varsity scored 5 rouges and the Argonauts scored a rouge and a safety touch.

80 years ago
1932

At the movies
Midnight Warning, directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, and starring William "Stage" Boyd, Claudia Dell, and Johnny Harron, opened in theatres.



70 years ago
1942

Weather
In one of the worst days in Edmonton's history, the city was hit by 19.5 inches of snow as the temperature dropped to -13 F.

60 years ago
1952

Hit Parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Went to Your Wedding--Patti Page (Best seller--4th week at #1; Juke Box--7th week at #1); You Belong to Me--Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his Orchestra (Disc Jockey--9th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Went to Your Wedding--Patti Page (4th week at #1)
2 You Belong to Me--Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his Orchestra
--Patti Page
--Dean Martin
3 Jambalaya--Jo Stafford
4 Wish You Were Here--Eddie Fisher
5 Trying--The Hill Toppers
6 The Glow-Worm--The Mills Brothers
7 It's in the Book (Parts 1 and 2)--Johnny Standley
8 Meet Mister Callaghan--Les Paul
9 Because You're Mine--Mario Lanza
10 Takes Two to Tango--Pearl Bailey

Singles entering the chart were My Favorite Song by the Ames Brothers (#12, with the version by Georgia Gibbs, which was in its fourth week on the chart); I (#26)/Be Fair (#29) by Don Cornell; Blue Violins by Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra (#36); Now by Al Martino (#37); and April in Paris by the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra (#42).

Football
CRU
IRFU
Finals
Toronto 22 @ Hamilton 6 (1st game of 2-game total points series)

Uly Curtis rushed 10 yards for a touchdown, Steve Karrys returned a fumble 40 yards for another TD, and Nobby Wirkowski completed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Al Bruno as the Argonauts defeated the Tiger-Cats at Civic Stadium. Red Ettinger added 3 converts and a single, and Joe Krol punted for a single. Hal Waggoner scored Hamilton's only touchdown in the 3rd quarter when he took a Bill Mackrides pass and went 80 yards, although the Argonauts insisted he had gone out of bounds at least once on the play. Tip Logan comverted. Mr. Karrys' touchdown, which made the score 16-6 after the convert, came in the 3rd quarter when Mr. Mackrides threw a lateral over the head of halfback Bernie Custis. Mr. Custis was apparently so frustrated at the result that he soon slugged Mr. Karrys in the mouth, sending him bleeding to the sidelines for the rest of the game. Hamilton's Ralph Toohy slugged Toronto's Zeke O'Connor in the mouth, seriously loosening two teeth.



ORFU
Finals
Toronto 7 @ Sarnia 24 (Sarnia won 2-game total points series 65-19)

George Curtis completed 7 of 15 passes, including touchdowns of 5 and 11 yards to Jon Florence,as the Imperials defeated Balmy Beach to win their second straight ORFU title. Corky Duchene scored the other Sarnia touchdown. Dutch Davey converted two of the touchdowns and added 2 field goals and a single. Johnny Pont led Balmy Beach with 23 rushes for 165 yards and a 2-yard touchdown, Mr. Doland converted and Mr. Ellis punted for a single, which opened the scoring. Mr. Pont, playing with a hand that had been fractured a month earlier, fumbled 5 times, but was Toronto's outstanding player.

Canadian university
McGill (3-3) 9 @ Queen's (1-5) 5
Western Ontario (4-1-1) 8 @ Toronto (3-2-1) 1

Mr. Kenney scored a touchdown and Fred Wilmot converted and added a field goal as the Redmen scored all their points in teh 2nd quarter to defeat the Golden Gaels at Richardson Stadium in Kingston. Mr. Bell scored a touchdown for Queen's in the 3rd quarter.

Jacques Belec recovered a blocked punt in the Toronto end zone in the 2nd quarter for the game's only touchdown as the Mustangs defeated the Varsity Blues to clinch the Yates Cup championship before 21,008 fans at Varsity Stadium. Ray Truant converted the TD and added a single, and Jimmy Carroll kicked another single for UWO. Steve Oneschuk scored the only Toronto point on a single in the 4th quarter.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Lovesick Blues--Frank Ifield (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Black Curtain, starring Richard Basehart, Lola Albright, and Harold J. Stone

This was an adaptation of a Cornell Woolrich story that had been broadcast a number of times on the CBS radio series Suspense.

Boxing
Cassius Clay (16-0) knocked former world light heavyweight champion Archie Moore (184-23-10) down three times in the 4th round, recording a technical knockout at 1:35 of the 4th round of the heavyweight bout at Los Angeles Sports Arena. Mr. Clay had predicted that Mr. Moore would "fall in four."



40 years ago
1972

Terrorism
Australia’s first domestic hijacking ended when the hijacker—a young man with a rifle—was killed in a gun battle with police at an Alice Springs airstrip while trying to escape with a hostage stewardess. A police official posing as a navigator was wounded in the shootout. The shooting occurred while the hijacker, who had seized a plane with 40 people aboard, was transferring to a lighter craft after requesting a
parachute to escape to a remote area of Australia.

Disasters
The Greek troop ship Merlin collided with a giant tanker off the port of Piraeus and sank within minutes with the loss of 46 lives.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Where the Streets Have No Name--U2 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: La Bamba--Los Lobos (5th week at #1)

Football
CFL
Eastern Semi-Final
Hamilton 13 @ Toronto 29

Western Semi-Final
Calgary 16 @ Edmonton 30

Lance Chomyc kicked 6 field goals and a convert, while Hank Ilesic punted for 4 singles as the Argonauts ended the Tiger-Cats’ reign as Grey Cup champions before 21,339 fans—including this blogger—at Exhibition Stadium. The Argonauts led 11-0 until the Tiger-Cats blocked one of Mr. Ilesic’s punts, and Terry Lehne recovered the ball in the Toronto end zone with 4:13 remaining in the 2nd quarter for the only Hamilton touchdown. Gill Fenerty, who rushed 23 times for 150 yards, ran 1 yard for the only Toronto touchdown with 37 seconds remaining until halftime. The Tiger-Cats quickly moved into position for a 52-yard field goal by Bernie Ruoff with 1 second left to reduce the Argonauts’ halftime lead to 18-10. There were no touchdowns in the 2nd half, with Messrs. Chomyc and Ilesic doing all the Toronto scoring and Mr. Ruoff kicking another field goal. The Argonaut defense limited the Tiger-Cats to 10 first downs and 193 yards of net offense, while recording 3 quarterback sacks. Tom Porras played most of the game at quarterback for Hamilton, completing just 10 of 27 passes for 104 yards and 3 interceptions. Tiger-Cats’ owner Harold Ballard, resplendent in a fur coat, was enjoying himself outside the stadium before the game.



Jerry Kauric kicked 5 field goals, 2 converts, and a single as the Eskimos defeated the Stampeders before 26,809 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Edmonton quarterback Matt Dunigan completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Brian Kelly to open the scoring in the 1st quarter. The Eskimos didn’t score another touchdown until the game’s final minute, when the Stampeders turned the ball over on downs, and Blake Marshall rushed 1 yard for the major score with 4 seconds remaining. The Stampeders’ only touchdown came on a 106-yard interception return by safety Greg Peterson at 6:45 of the 3rd quarter. J.T. Hay’s convert tied the game 13-13. Mr. Hay also kicked 3 field goals. Milson Jones of the Eskimos led all rushers with 16 carries for 94 yards, while Mr. Kelly caught 4 passes for 134 yards. Gary Allen, playing his last game in a Calgary uniform, rushed 7 times for 51 yards. Larry Willis led the Stampeder receivers with 96 yards on 7 receptions. Mr. Dunigan completed 15 of 31 passes for 280 yards and 3 interceptions. Calgary quarterback Rick Worman completed 21 of 37 passes for 247 yards and rushed 6 times for 20 yards, but left with a broken ankle in the 4th quarter. Carl Fodor replaced him, and was 0 for 4 in passing.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): End of the Road--Boyz II Men (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Birthday Song--Power Pack (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Don't You Want Me--Felix

Auto racing
Richard Petty ended his 35-year career in stock car racing ended with a fiery crash at the Hooters 500 in Atlanta. He salvaged his car for a final lap. Mr. Petty won seven NASCAR championships and seven Daytona 500s, both records.

Football
CFL
Eastern Semi-Final
Ottawa 28 @ Hamilton 29

Western Semi-Final
Saskatchewan 20 @ Edmonton 22

Paul Osbaldiston’s 46-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in regulation time climaxed a stunning late comeback as the Tiger-Cats scored 16 points in the last 5 minutes to defeat the Rough Riders before 21,412 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. The Tiger-Cats led 10-3 after the 1st quarter on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Damon Allen to Lee Knight and a convert and field goal by Mr. Osbaldiston, countered by a Terry Baker field goal for Ottawa. Mr. Baker kicked a single and converted a touchdown by defensive lineman John Kropke, who returned a fumble 24 yards in the 2nd quarter. The Rough Riders scored a safety touch before Mr. Osbaldiston kicked a 37-yard field goal with 2:05 remaining to tie the game 13-13 heading into the 2nd half. Mr. Baker added another single and converted Tom Burgess’ 1-yard touchdown run with 6 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter, putting the Rough Riders ahead 21-13. They made it 28-13 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Mr. Burgess to Jock Climie, converted by Mr. Baker with just 6:47 remaining in the 4th quarter. Don McPherson, who had relieved Mr. Allen at quarterback, brought the Tiger-Cats back with a 5-yard TD pass to Ken Evraire, converted by Mr. Osbaldiston, with 4:47 remaining. The Tiger-Cats made it 28-26 on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Mr. McPherson to Earl Winfield with 1:31 remaining, but a 2-point convert attempt was unsuccessful. The Rough Riders couldn’t move the ball and the Tiger-Cats forced them to punt, setting the stage for Mr. Osbaldiston’s winning kick. He kicked the winning field goal with the laces on the ball facing him, which usually makes it more difficult for a kick to be successful. Ottawa running back Reggie Barnes led all rushers with 151 yards on 31 carries. The Tiger-Cats fumbled 7 times, losing 2, while the Rough Riders fumbled 3 times and lost them all.



Dave Ridgway’s 40-yard field goal attempt on the last play of regulation time was blocked, allowing the Eskimos to advance to the Western Final. Edmonton rookie Sean Fleming had kicked a 44-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining to give the Eskimos the lead, but Saskatchewan quarterback Kent Austin had quickly moved the Roughriders into position for Mr. Ridgway to attempt a winning field goal. Mr. Ridgway slipped on the grass during the kick, and Edmonton linebacker DeWayne Odom was officially credited with blocking the kick. The Eskimos took a 7-0 lead just 3:33 into the game on a 103-yard punt return touchdown by Henry “Gizmo” Williams, converted by Mr. Fleming. Saskatchewan struck back with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Mr. Austin to Byron Williams. Mr. Ridgway converted and added a 15-yard field goal on the last play of the 1st quarter to give the Roughriders a 10-7 lead. A single on a missed field goal by Mr. Fleming and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tracy Ham to Craig Ellis, converted by Mr. Fleming, put the Eskimos in front, and Mr. Ridgway kicked a 27-yard field goal on the last play of the 1st half to make the score 15-13 in favour of the Eskimos. It remained that way until another single on a missed field goal attempt by Mr. Fleming early in the 4th quarter. Mr. Fleming finally kicked a 38-yard field goal with 6:38 remaining to give the Eskimos a 19-13 lead, but Mr. Austin connected with Don Narcisse for a 55-yard touchdown just 48 seconds later, converted by Mr. Ridgway, to give the Roughriders a 20-19 lead. Mr. Ham completed 18 of 27 passes for just 163 yards and 3 interceptions, while leading all rushers with 91 yards on 10 carries. Mr.
Narcisse led all receivers with 182 yards on 10 receptions, while teammate Jeff Fairholm caught 6 for 103. Mr. Austin completed 31 of 46 passes for 468 yards and an interception. It was the final CFL game for Edmonton running back Robert Hardy, who carried 6 times for just 9 yards. Only 25,565 fans—including this blogger—attended the game on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Commonwealth Stadium.



10 years ago
2002

Politics and government
At the 16th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and parliamentary leader Li Peng resigned their party council posts. Six of the seven members of the party’s inner council were stepping down, while the council was being expanded to nine members.

Terrorism
A sniper in Hebron ambushed and killed 12 Israelis.