July 14, 2013

790 years ago
1223

Died on this date
Philip II, 57. King of France, 1180-1223. Philip II became junior king in 1179, and senior king the following year upon the death of his father Louis VII. There was conflict with England, Flanders, and the Holy Roman Empire during Philip's reign. Philip also persecuted Jews, and finally expelled them from France. Philip II was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VIII.

160 years ago
1853

Americana
The Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, the first major world's fair to be held in the United States, opened in New York City.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Gerald R. Ford. 38th President of the United States of America, 1974-1977; 40th Vice-President of the United States of America, 1973-1974. Born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., Mr. Ford eventually took the name of his stepfather. He represented Michigan's 5th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1949-1973, and was House Minority Leader from 1965-1973, when he became Vice-President, replacing Spiro Agnew, who had resigned as a result of a scandal. Mr. Ford became President on August 9, 1974 upon the resignation of Richard Nixon. Mr. Ford remains the only American president who was never elected to that office or to the vice-presidency. Early in his presidency, Mr. Ford pardoned Mr. Nixon for his actions regarding the cover-up of the 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. The pardon hurt Mr. Ford's hopes for election in 1976, and he barely held off a strong challenge from former California Governor Ronald Reagan for the Republican presidential nomination. Mr. Ford trailed Democratic party nominee Jimmy Carter in the polls throughout the campaign, but narrowed the gap considerably as election day approached. Mr. Carter eventually won, but had the campaign gone on a little longer, Mr. Ford may have been elected. Mr. Ford died on December 26, 2003 at the age of 93 years and 165 days, making him the longest-lived president in American history. His 895-day presidency is the shortest of any president who didn't die in office.

80 years ago
1933

Abominations
In Germany, all political parties were outlawed except the Nazi Party.

The Nazi eugenics program began with the proclamation of the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring that called for the compulsory sterilization of any citizen who suffered from alleged genetic disorders.

75 years ago
1938

Aviation
Howard Hughes, flying a Lockheed 14 Super Electra with a four-man crew, returned to New York City to conclude a successful attempt to break Wiley Post's record, set in 1933, for the fastest fight around the world. He stopped at Paris, Moscow, Omsk, Yakutsk, Fairbanks, and Minneapolis before arriving back in New York after a flight of 91 hours (3 days, 19 hours, 17 minutes).

70 years ago
1943

Hit parade
Variety reported the most popular songs in the United States as:
1 Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer
2 You'll Never Know
3 Don't Get Around Much Anymore

At the movies
For Whom the Bell Tolls, produced and directed by Sam Wood, and starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, opened in theatres.

War
Soviet forces recaptured several villages in the Belgorod sector, killing about 2,000 Germans and destroying many tanks and planes. U.S. troops on the Sicilian west flank captured the Biscari airport and occupied Campobello and Riesi. Chinese troops repulsed Japanese drives in the Tanihang Mountains and on the Burma border.

Defense
The U.S. Alien Property Custodian's Office demonstrted a ship propeller that could move a ship forward, backward, or sideways.

Politics and government
Polish President-in-Exile Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz announced a new cabinet in London, with Stanislaw Mikolajzyk as Prime Minister.

Americana
The George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri became the first United States National Monument in honour of a Negro American.

Transportation
Canadian National Railways opened Central Station in Montréal.

Economics and finance
The U.S. War Food Administration announced that 213 million cases of canned vegetables would be allocated for civilian use within the next 12 months, 22% below the 1942 consumption level.

Baseball
The Brooklyn Dodgers traded pitcher Bobo Newsom to the St. Louis Browns for pitchers Archie McKain and Fritz Ostermueller. Mr. Newsom was 9-4 with an earned run average of 3.02 in 22 games with Brooklyn in 1943, but had recently been suspended. Mr. McKain was 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA in 10 games with the Browns in 1943, while Mr. Ostermueller was 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA in 11 games with the Browns.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Dutch Schultz Story, starring Harry Bellaver and Rod Steiger

Baseball
Major League All-Star Game @ Crosley Field, Cincinnati
National League 5 American League 1

Enos Slaughter of the St. Louis Cardinals singled and scored twice, drove in a run, stole a base, and made an outstanding catch in right field as the NL won for the fourth straight year. 30,846 fans saw the AL limited to 2 hits and no runs through the first 8 innings. Robin Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies struck out 5 and gave up just 1 hit in 3 innings, but Warren Spahn, who pitched the next 2 innings, was credited with the win. Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox was the starting pitcher for the AL. He also gave up just 1 hit and no runs through 3 innings before being relieved by Allie Reynolds of the New York Yankees, who gave up 2 runs in the 5th inning and took the loss.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Do You Love Me?--Sharif Dean

#1 single in the U.K.: Skweeze Me Pleeze Me--Slade (3rd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Daisy a Day--Jud Strunk
2 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
3 Heaven is My Woman's Love--Col Joye
4 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
5 Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan
6 The Twelfth of Never--Donny Osmond
7 Suzie Darling--Barrie Crocker
8 My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings
9 Venus--Jamie Redfern
10 Daniel--Elton John

Singles entering the chart were I Knew Jesus by Glen Campbell (#27); And I Love You So by Perry Como (#33); If We Try by Don McLean (#36); Wind and Rain by Bluestone (#39); and It Sure Took a Long, Long Time by Lobo (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Will it Go Round in Circles--Billy Preston (2nd week at #1)

U.S. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Will it Go Round in Circles--Billy Preston
2 Kodachrome--Paul Simon
3 Shambala--Three Dog Night
4 Give Me Love--(Give Me Peace on Earth)--George Harrison
5 Playground in My Mind--Clint Holmes
6 Natural High--Bloodstone
7 Bad, Bad Leroy Brown--Jim Croce
8 Yesterday Once More--Carpenters
9 Smoke on the Water--Deep Purple
10 Long Train Runnin'--The Doobie Brothers

Singles entering the chart were Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (#59); Gypsy Man by War (#75); Young Love by Donny Osmond (#76); You Light Up My Life (#79)/Believe in Humanity (#83) by Carole King; Sylvia by Focus (#89); Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne by Looking Glass (#91); Love, Love, Love by Donny Hathaway (#92); Baby I've Been Missing You by the Independents (#93); Glamour Boy by the Guess Who (#94); Sunshine by Mickey Newbury (#98); (Should I Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree?) The Answer by Connie Francis (#99); and L.A. Freeway by Jerry Jeff Walker (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Will it Go Round in Circles--Billy Preston
2 Playground in My Mind--Clint Holmes
3 Kodachrome--Paul Simon
4 Yesterday Once More--Carpenters
5 My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings
6 Shambala--Three Dog Night
7 Right Place Wrong Time--Dr. John
8 Rosalie--Michael Tarry
9 Give Me Love--(Give Me Peace on Earth)--George Harrison
10 I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby--Barry White

Singles entering the chart were Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (#92); Highway Driving by Alabama (#93); You Light Up My Life by Carole King (#97); Could You Ever Love Me Again by Gary & Dave (#98); Holding Your Hands by SeaDog (#99); and Love is a Beautiful Song by Dave Mills (#100). Alabama was a Canadian group, not the American group by the same name that became successful several years later.

#1 single in Calgary: Kodachrome--Paul Simon (3rd week at #1)

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Canada's top 10 (Weekly Music Magazine)
1 Every Breath You Take--The Police
2 I'm Still Standing--Elton John
3 Come Dancing--The Kinks
4 Total Eclipse of the Heart--Bonnie Tyler
5 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)--Eurythmics
6 Hot Girls in Love--Loverboy
7 Our House--Madness
8 Baby Jane--Rod Stewart
9 Never Gonna Let You Go--Sergio Mendes
10 Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara

Scandal
The United States House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official Conduct announced the results of a long investigation. Rep. Daniel Crane (Republican--Illinois) admitted to having been involved with a 17-year-old female page in 1980, and Rep. Gerry Studds (Democrat--Massachusetts) acknowledged a similar relationship with a 17-year-old male page in 1973. Committee documents said that Mr. Studds had made advances to two other male pages in 1973. The committee also reported that James Howarth, former supervisor of the pages, had had a sexual relationship with a female page, and had bought cocaine in the House Democratic cloakroom. Mr. Howarth denied the charges.

Economics and finance
U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker told the U.S. Senate Banking Committee that the FRB was acting to slow the growth of the money supply as a curb on inflation. During testimony on his nomination to serve a second term, Mr. Volcker warned that the huge projected federal deficit and the consequent increase in federal borrowing sould force some businessmen out of the credit markets.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (0-1) 14 @ Toronto (2-0) 17

The Argonauts' win over the Lions at Exhibition Stadium was the first regular season game for B.C.'s Don Matthews as a head coach in the CFL.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gimme Hope Jo’anna--Eddy Grant (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Afrikka, sarvikuonojen maa--Eppu Normaali (5th week at #1)

Economics and finance
Leading U.S. banks raised their prime lending rate from 9% to 9.5%, the second increase of the year and the highest rate since March 1986.

Football
CFL
Calgary (0-1) 0 @ Edmonton (1-0) 33

Chris Skinner's 60-yard touchdown rush early in the 1st quarter provided the winning margin as the Eskimos routed the Stampeders at Commonwealth Stadium. Damon Allen started the game as Edmonton's quarterback, but suffered a knee injury and was relieved by Tracy Ham. Of the 5 shutouts in the CFL in the 1980s, this was the only one produced by a team other than the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You--UB40 (3rd week at #1)

World events
Mexico agreed to be responsible for 659 Chinese refugees aboard three ships intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard 60 miles off the Mexican coast while headed for the United States.

Disasters
79 were reported dead and hundreds missing after Japan was hit by its strongest earthquake in 25 years.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (2-0) 40 @ Toronto (0-2) 27

Jon Volpe rushed 17 times for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Danny Barrett threw touchdown passes to Mike Trevathan and Ray Alexander as the Lions beat the Argonauts before 26,759 fans at SkyDome.

10 years ago
2003

Journalism
In an effort to discredit U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, who had written an article critical of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Washington Post columnist Robert Novak revealed that Mr. Wilson's wife Valerie Plame was a CIA "operative".

Defense
The United States government reported that North Korea had informed the U.S. of plans to use weapons-grade plutonium from spent fuel rods to build six nuclear weapons. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency could not confirm the claim.