July 18, 2013

160 years ago
1853

Transportation
Trains started running over first North American international railroad between Portland, Maine and Montreal.

The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railroad began operating from Toronto to Brantford, Ontario.

150 years ago
1863

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the first formal Negro military unit, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, supported by several white regiments, attempted an unsuccessful assault on Confederate-held Battery Wagner in the Second Battle of Fort Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina.

120 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Richard Dix. U.S. actor. Mr. Dix, born Ernst Carlton Brimmer, appeared in silent and sound movies from 1917-1947. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his starring performance in Cimarron (1931), and starred in the first seven films in The Whistler series (1944-1947). Mr. Dix was a heavy drinker for years, and died on September 20, 1949 at the age of 56, the day after suffering a heart attack while a passenger on a train.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Red Skelton. U.S. comedian and actor. Richard Bernard Skelton acted in movies in the 1940s and 1950s, and had his own radio shows from 1941-1944; 1945-1953; and 1954-1957. He's probably best remembered for his long time in television, hosting his own variety programs from 1951-1971. Mr. Skelton was famous for his ability to do pantomime. He died on September 17, 1997 at the age of 84.

Protest
Sikh immigration from India inspired race riots in Vancouver, British Columbia.

75 years ago
1938

Died on this date
Marie of Romania, 62. Queen consort of Romania, 1914-1927. Marie, a native of England, was the wife of King Ferdinand I.

60 years ago
1953

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Oh Happy Day--Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart)--Percy Faith and his Orchestra (Best seller--10th week at #1); I'm Walking Behind You--Eddie Fisher (Disc Jockey--1st week at #1; Jukebox--3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I'm Walking Behind You--Eddie Fisher (2nd week at #1)
2 The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart)--Percy Faith and his Orchestra
3 April in Portugal--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
4 Terry's Theme from "Limelight"--Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra
--[Richard Hayman and his Orchestra]
5 Ruby--Richard Hayman and his Orchestra
--[Les Baxter and his Orchestra]
6 No Other Love--Perry Como
7 Vaya Con Dios (May God Be with You)--Les Paul and Mary Ford
8 Say You're Mine Again--Perry Como
9 Anna--Silvana Mangano
10 Allez-Vous-En--Kay Starr

Singles entering the chart were Crying in the Chapel, with versions by Darrell Glenn and June Valli (#26); Tropicana by Monty Kelly and his Orchestra (#27); C'est Si Bon (It's So Good) by Eartha Kitt (#32); and Eternally (The Song from Limelight) by Vic Damone (#39).

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)--Frank Ifield

Space
The mission of the U.S. satellite Lofti 2A, launched June 15, ended.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Winnipeg Blue Bombers intrasquad game
Gold 34 Blue 26

Saskatchewan Roughriders intrasquad game 2
Green 20 White 20

40 years ago
1973

Died on this date
Jack Hawkins, 62. U.K. actor. Mr. Hawkins was one of Britain's most popular actors, appearing in movies such as The Cruel Sea (1953); The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); Ben-Hur (1959); Lawrence of Arabia (1962); and Zulu (1964). He was a heavy smoker, developed throat cancer, and underwent a laryngectomy in 1966. Mr. Hawkins was able to act after that, with vocals dubbed by others. An experimental operation to insert an artificial voice box was unsuccessful, and Mr. Hawkins suffered a couple of serious hemorrhages, the last of which proved fatal.

Christine Demeter, 33. Austrian-born Canadian murder victim. Mrs. Demeter, formerly Christine Ferrari, was a former fashion model who was found bludgeoned to death in the garage of her home in Mississauga, Ontario. Her husband Peter Demeter, a wealthy property developer, was convicted in December 1974 of hiring an assailant to kill her to collect on an insurance policy of more than $1 million. The story was told in the book By Persons Unknown (1977) by Barbara Amiel and George Jonas.

Diplomacy
After an apparent breakdown in unity talks between Egypt and Libya, 30,000 Libyans began a 1,500-mile trek to Cairo to demand immediate merger of the two countries.

Scandal
Frederick LaRue, a former official with the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP), told the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Campaign Activities that he had concluded that authority for the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. had come from "some high level." Admitting that he had distributed $230,000 to "satisfy commitments" to the Watergate conspirators, Mr. LaRue said he didn't know who had been the ultimate authority behind the payments. Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox requested Watergate-related tapes of White House conversations, arguing that his request did not raise the issue of separation of powers.

War
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird denied the previous day's accusation by Pentagon spokesman Jerry Friedheim that he and President Richard Nixon had ordered and authorized the falsification of reports about secret raids in Cambodia from March 1969 through April 1970. Mr. Laird denied that he or any other Defense Department officials had authorized the "special security reporting procedure."

Economics and finance
U.S. President Richard Nixon issued a statement announcing an end to the freeze on health care and food prices that had been in effect since June 13 and outlining Phase 4 of his economic control program, the basis of which was to be mandatory price controls. He said that despite the tougher price rules under Phase 4, price increases in the remainder of 1973 "will be less than in the first half of the year but greater than anyone would like." With the exceptions of health care and food, the price freeze would remain in effect until August 12. Beef prices were to remain under March 29 price ceilings until September 12.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
British Columbia (1-2) 7 @ Winnipeg (1-1-1) 22
Calgary (0-3) 15 @ Edmonton (2-1) 17

Dave Cutler's field goal on the last play of the game gave the Eskimos their win over the Stampeders at Clarke Stadium.

Baseball
Steve Rogers made his major league debut on the mound for the Montreal Expos against the Houston Astros at the Astrodome on the regular Expos Baseball telecast on CBC, giving up 2 earned runs in 9 innings in an excellent performance and leaving with the score tied 2-2. The Expos scored a run in the 10th and won 3-2.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that he would create a commission to recommend long-term U.S. policies in Central America, and that it would be headed by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan authorized an airlift of food, clothing, fuel, and vehicles to the regime of Chadian President Hissene Habre, which was under attack by rebels supported by Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi. The rebels, led by former Chadian President Goukouni Oueddei, controlled about one-third of Chad.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Got to Be Certain--Kylie Minogue (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
José Manuel Joly Braga Santos, 64. Portuguese composer and conductor. Mr. Joly Braga Santos wrote six symphonies, and was regarded as the leading Portuguese symphonist of the 20th century.

Nico, 49. German singer-songwriter, actress, and model. Born Christa Päffgen, Nico worked as a fashion model and appeared in several movies in Europe in the 1950s, and later became part of the social and work circle of U.S. artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol. She sang with the Velvet Underground on their first album and later recorded several albums as a solo artist. Nico suffered a heart attack while cycling in Ibiza, and hit her head on the road, causing a fatal cerebral hemorrhage.

World events
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet voted to reject demands by the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region to split from the republic of Azerbaijan and join the Armenian republic. Armenians constituted an ethnic majority in the region. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev opposed the territorial realignment and rebuked officials in the two republics for putting local needs ahead of national considerations. In keeping with the new policy of openness, the Soviet people were allowed to watch the Presidium's debate on television.

War
Iran accepted a proposal from the United Nations to end its eight-year war against Iraq.

Politics and government
The U.S. Democratic National Convention opened at the Omni in Atlanta. Presumptive U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, his running mate Lloyd Bentsen, and unsuccessful presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson met that morning and agreed that Rev. Jackson and his staff would play a major role in the fall campaign. Texas Governor Ann Richards, delivering that night's keynote address, said that Vice-President and presumptive Republican presidential candidate George Bush "was born with a silver foot in his mouth."

Golf
Seve Ballesteros shot a 6-under-par 65 in the final round to win the British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, England with an 11-under-par total of 273, 2 strokes ahead of Nick Price. It was the first time that the final round of the British Open had been played on a Monday, after rain had washed out Saturday's third round. First prize money was £80,000 ($136,000).

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You--UB40 (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You--UB40

#1 single in Switzerland: Mr. Vain--Culture Beat

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): What's Up?--4 Non Blondes

Politics and government
The governing Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa won a plurality of seats in the Japanese general election, but lost their majority. With 256 seats needed for a majority in the 511-seat House of Representatives, the LDP dropped from 275 seats to 223. The Socialists, led by Sadao Yamahana, were second with 70 seats, followed by the new Shinseito Party, led by Tsutomo Hata, with 55. Mr. Miyazawa proved unable to form a government, and the LDP lost its 38-year hold on power on August 9, as an eight-party coalition formed a government, with New Party leader Morihiro Hosokawa as Prime Minister.

Auto racing
Toronto's Paul Tracy won the Molson Indy on his hometown track, becoming the first Canadian driver to win the race.

Golf
Greg Norman shot a 6-under-par 64 in the final round to win the British Open at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England with a 13-under-par total of 267, 2 strokes ahead of Nick Faldo. First prize money was £100,000 ($154,000).

10 years ago
2003

Crime
Basketball star Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was charged with one count of sexual assault. A young woman had filed a complaint against him on July 1, following their meeting at a lodge in Edwards, Colorado. Mr. Bryant, who was married and the father of an infant daughter, admitted to having sex with the woman, but said the sex was consensual.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (3-2) 48 @ Ottawa (2-3) 14

Baseball
The eight-team Canadian Baseball League announced that it would cease operations halfway through its first season following the all-star game in Calgary on July 23.