July 27, 2013

350 years ago
1663

Economics and finance
The English Parliament passed the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports.

160 years ago
1853

Born on this date
Vladimir Korolenko. Russian journalist and author. Mr. Korolenko wrote fiction and non-fiction expressing criticism of Russia's czarist regime; his best-known work was the short novel The Blind Musician (1886). Mr. Korolenko suffered from progressive heart disease in later years, and died of pneumonia on December 25, 1921 at the age of 68.

120 years ago
1893

Politics and government
Lawrence Vankoughnet resigned, under pressure from Minister of the Interior Mayne Daly, as Canadian Deputy Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs. He was succeeded by Hayter Reed.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Gérard Côte. Canadian runner. Mr. Côté, a native of Saint-Barnabé-Sud, Quebec, won the Boston Marathon in 1940, 1943, 1944, and 1948. His 1940 win was in record time, and helped him to win the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year in 1940, becoming the first francophone to win the trophy. Mr. Côté was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1956. He died on June 13, 1993 at the age of 79.

70 years ago
1943

Died on this date
Ernest Lynn Waldorf, 67. U.S. clergyman. Mr. Waldorf, elected a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1920, became head of the church in the Chicago area in 1932, and was a leader of the movement to unite all Methodists. He delivered invocations at the Republican National Conventions in 1928 and 1936.

War
Preliminary peace negotiations were reported to be under way in Vatican City between U.S. and U.K. representatives and delegates of the Italian government of Marshal Pietro Badoglio. Allied troops advanced toward the northern sector of the Etna line and captured Collesano, Polizzi, Petralia, and Alimena in northeastern Sicily. Allied planes bombed Japanese positions in the Salamaua sector of New Guinea.

Business
The Argentine government assumed supervision of eight foreign firms accused of violating price laws, including Ford Motor Company; General Motors; Goodyear, Firestone, and Michelin tire companies; and International Harvester Company.

60 years ago
1953

War
Fighting in the Korean War ended when the United States, China, and North Korea signed an armistice agreement. Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea, refused to sign, but pledged to observe the armistice.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Move Baby Move/You'll Never Cherish a Love So True--Johnny O'Keefe

#1 single in France: Pauvre Petite Fille Riche--Claude François (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Cuore--Rita Pavone (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Barcarole in der Nacht--Connie Francis (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)--Frank Ifield (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Surf City--Jan & Dean (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Surf City--Jan & Dean
2 So Much in Love--The Tymes
3 Easier Said than Done--The Essex
4 Fingertips - Part 2--Little Stevie Wonder
5 Wipe Out--The Surfaris
6 (You're the) Devil in Disguise--Elvis Presley
7 Memphis--Lonnie Mack
8 Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport--Rolf Harris
9 Blowin' in the Wind--Peter, Paul and Mary
10 Pride and Joy--Marvin Gaye

Singles entering the chart were Frankie and Johnny by Sam Cooke (#71); Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp) by Allan Sherman (#75); If I Had a Hammer by Trini Lopez (#79); My Boyfriend's Back by the Angels (#80); Everybody Monkey by Freddy Cannon (#86); These Foolish Things by James Brown & the Famous Flames (#89); Dum Dum De Dum by Johnny Cymbal (#89); Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas (#94); I Want to Stay Here by Steve & Eydie (#97); My Daddy Knows Best by the Marvelettes (#98); and Leave Me Alone by Baby Washington (#100). Vic Dana's vocal version of More was, with those of Steve Lawrence and Danny Williams, listed with the instrumental version by Kai Winding & Orchestra, which charted at #30. Barbara Chandler's version of It Hurts to Be Sixteen was listed with the version by Andrea Carroll, which charted at #91.

Calgary's Top 10
1 Easier Said than Done--The Essex (2nd week at #1)
2 My Whole World is Falling Down--Brenda Lee
3 Green, Green--The New Christy Minstrels
4 (You're the) Devil in Disguise--Elvis Presley
5 Surf City--Jan & Dean
6 Memphis--Lonnie Mack
7 Denise--Randy & the Rainbows
8 Sukiyaki--Kyu Sakamoto
9 Abilene--George Hamilton IV
10 Wipe Out--The Surfaris
Pick hit of the week: The Dreamer--Neil Sedaka

Died on this date
Hooks Dauss, 73. U.S. baseball pitcher. George August Dauss played with the Detroit Tigers (1912-1926), compiling a record of 223-182 with an earned run average of 3.30 in 538 games, batting .189 with 6 home runs and 107 runs batted in in 545 games. He had three seasons of more than 20 wins, with his best season being 1915, when he was 24-13 with a 2.50 ERA in 46 games. Mr. Dauss died after a long illness.

Boxing
Ernie Terrell (32-4) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Zora Folley (63-7-3) in a heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (9th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Hell Raiser--The Sweet (2nd week at #1)

30 years ago
1983

Terrorism
18 Tamil political prisoners at the Welikada high security prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka were massacred by Sinhalese prisoners, the second such massacre in two days.

Economics and finance
The United States Senate voted 84-16 to confirm Paul Volcker for a second term as chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.

25 years ago
1988

Died on this date
Frank Zamboni, 87. U.S. inventor. Mr. Zamboni invented the ice resurfacing machine that bears his name in 1949, and founded the Zamboni Company in 1950.

Music
America, Three Dog Night, and the Beach Boys performed two shows at the Agricom in Edmonton. This blogger attended the second concert, which featured a slightly longer set by the Beach Boys than the first show. It was the first time I ever heard the song Kokomo, which hadn't yet appeared in Edmonton record stores, and was from the movie Cocktail, which was just about to open in theatres.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the gross national product had grown at a somewhat slow rate of 3.1% in the second quarter of 1988.

Politics and government
The Burmese parliament named retired general U Sein Lwin as the country's new President, succeeding General Ne Win, who had resigned in the wake of student-led riots.

Disasters
It was reported that 157 people had died in a cholera and gastroenteritis epidemic in New Delhi.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (2-1) 35 @ Ottawa (0-3) 28

Edmonton quarterback Tracy Ham rushed for a touchdown in the last minute to give the Eskimos the win over the Rough Riders at Lansdowne Park. The Rough Riders put up a great effort, but it wasn't enough to save the job of head coach Fred Glick, who was fired after this game. He compiled a record of 3-18, losing 17 of his last 18 games. Mr. Glick was replaced by his brother-in-law, Ottawa assistant coach Bob Weber.

20 years ago
1993

Died on this date
Reggie Lewis, 27. U.S. basketball player. Mr. Lewis played forward with the Boston Celtics from 1987-1993. He collapsed and died of a heart condition while practicing during the off-season at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Terrorism
A car bomb exploded and killed at least 5 in downtown Milan. Shortly afterward, another car bomb exploded and injured 24 in the heart of Rome and damaged the basilica of St. John Lateran, the pope's See.

Abominations
Seven sodomite and lesbian members of the U.S. armed forces brought a suit in U.S. Federal Court in an attempt to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuality in the military, contending that their treatment violated the Constitution.

Business
New IBM chairman Louis Gerstner announced an $8.9 billion program to revive the world's largest computer maker. The program included plans to eliminate 60,000 jobs and reduce the number of factories.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Bob Hope, 100. U.K.-born U.S. entertainer. Mr. Hope was one of the most famous comedians of the 20th century, a star of vaudeville, radio, films, and television. He's perhaps best remembered for his series of "Road" movies with Bing Crosby from 1940-1962 and his trips overseas to entertain U.S. troops in various wars.

World events
In an attempted coup, about 50 junior military officers in the Philippines called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the defense secretary. The mutiny ended peacefully.

The Israeli cabinet of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to free several hundred jailed Islamic terrorists, but none with "blood on their hands."

Economics and finance
France and Germany called for a more flexible interpretation of the European Union's stability and growth pact rules, which required countries using the euro to keep their public deficits to less than 3% of gross domestic product. Most of the EU's smaller governments disagreed with the proposal.

Protest
As the World Trade Organization began a three-day meeting in Montreal, thousands of demonstrators protesting against globalization clashed with riot police, resulting in hundreds of arrests over the three days.

Cycling
Lance Armstrong became the second man to win the Tour de France five straight times. He finished in 83 hours, 41 minutes, 12 seconds, 81 seconds ahead of Jan Ullrich of Germany.