July 29, 2013

1,775 years ago
238

Died on this date
Balbinus, 73 (?); Pupienus, 60 (?).Roman Emperors, April 22-July 29, 238. Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus and Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus were co-Emperors of Rome, elected by the Senate on April 22, 238 after the failure of Gordian I and Gordian II to defeat the usurper Maximinus Thrax. They were reportedly in the middle of an argument when the Praetorian Guard stormed the palace and captured them. They were dragged through the streets of Rome and executed. On the same day, Gordian III, age 13, was proclaimed emperor.

425 years ago
1588

War
English naval forces under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake defeated the Spanish Armada off the coast of Gravelines, France.

380 years ago
1633

Diplomacy
The Franco-Huron Council took place in Quebec.

320 years ago
1693

War
France won a Pyrrhic victory over Allied forces in the Netherlands in the Battle of Landen.

220 years ago
1793

Canadiana
John Graves Simcoe decided to build a fort and settlement at Toronto, having sailed into the bay there.

180 years ago
1833

Died on this date
William Wilberforce, 73. U.K. politician. Mr. Wilberforce, a member of the House of Commons from 1780-1825, was known for his opposition to slavery, a battle he fought for about 40 years in the House of Commons. He lived just long enough to achieve ultimate success, dying three days after hearing that the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 through Parliament was assured; it passed a month later.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Vladimir K. Zworykin. Russian-born U.S. scientist. Dr. Zworykin, a native of St. Petersburg who moved to the United States in 1918, was one of the pioneers in the development of television, beginning with the invention of a transmitting and receiving system using cathode ray tubes. He died on his 94th birthday on July 29, 1982.

100 years ago
1913

Died on this date
Tobias Asser, 75. Dutch jurist. Mr. Asser shared the 1911 Nobel Prize for Peace for the formation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the first Hague peace conference in 1899.

75 years ago
1938

Died on this date
Nikolai Krylenko, 53. U.S.S.R. politician. Mr. Krylenko was a Bolshevik who served as Prosecutor General of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic from 1929-1931 and People's Commissar for Justice from 1936-1938. He participated in show trials and supported punishment based on political considerations rather than evidence, but ran afoul of higher authorities, confessed under duress to anti-Soviet agitation, and was summarily executed after being convicted in a trial that lasted 20 minutes.

70 years ago
1943

War
As Canadian troops occupied Algira, American troops in Italy captured Nicosia, an advance German position in the centre of the Etna line. Soviet troops advanced 3-6 miles on the Orel front, taking 40 villages and occupying a Nazi base containing 16 ammunition dumps. The U.S. Navy revealed the sinking of 10 Japanese ships--two transports, six cargo, and two tanker--by submarines in the Pacific Ocean.

Defense
The U.S. Army announced that officers who had passed age limits of 64 for ranks above brigadier general, 62 for brigadier generals, and 60 for lower ranks would be retired on September 1, 1943, with some exceptions.

Diplomacy
Mexican Foreign Minister Ezequiel Padilla made public his protest to Texas Governor Coke Stevenson (Democrat) concerning discrimination against Mexican farm labourers.

Politics and government
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Amos Taylor as director of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce.

60 years ago
1953

On the radio
I Was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews
Tonight’s episode: The Line is Busy

50 years ago
1963

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Toronto (2-1) 26 @ Winnipeg (0-3) 12
Ottawa (2-0) 26 @ Edmonton (0-3) 24

40 years ago
1973

Died on this date
Roger Williamson, 25. U.K. auto racing driver. Mr. Williamson was a Formula One driver who died in the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort Circuit when his car flipped over on the 8th lap and caught fire. He was trapped underneath and died from asphyxiation by the fumes. Fellow driver David Purley tried to flip the car over, but nobody else stopped to help, and fans who did were interrupted by police.



Abominations
Following a one-sided government-monolpolized campaign, 78.4% of voters in a referendum in Greece endorsed the military-backed government's decision to abolish the Greek monarchy and install George Papadopoulos as President. In his campaign, Mr. Papadopoulos had said the referendum would provide the framework for a gradual transition of power to the people. He had also promised parliamentary elections and the restoration of civil liberties. Former politicians led by Panayotis Canellopoulous, Greece's last elected prime minister, had denounced the campaign, charging that large-scale harassment had prevented them from carrying their campaign to the people.

Terrorism
Libya announced that the three Palestinians and one Japanese member of the "Red Japanese Army" who had hijacked a Japan Air Lines jet from Amsterdam to Dubai, then to Damascus and finally to Benghazi on July 24 would go on trial.

Environment
As France detonated the second in a series of explosions of nuclear devices over the South Pacific atoll of Mururoa, New Zealand Prime Minister Norman Kirk announced in Honolulu that scientists had already detected a slight increase in radioactive fallout over the South Pacific islands. The first blast had taken place on July 21.

Auto racing
Jackie Stewart won the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort Circuit. The win was his fourth of the season and the 26th of his Formula 1 career, breaking Jim Clark's record. Francois Cevert finished second and James Hunt third, but nobody felt like celebrating because of the death of Roger Williamson.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Baby Jane--Rod Stewart (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Raymond Massey, 86. Canadian-born U.S. actor. Mr. Massey, a native of Toronto, was perhaps best known for starring in the movie Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940). His other films included The Speckled Band (1931); Things to Come (1936); The Prisoner of Zenda (1937); Arsenic and Old Lace (1944); A Matter of Life and Death (1946); and East of Eden (1955). He co-starred as Dr. Gillespie in the television series Dr. Kildare (1961-1966). Mr. Massey died of pneumonia.

Luis Buñuel, 83. Spanish-born Mexican film director. Mr. Buñuel was the most famous director to be associated with the surrealist movement. His films included Un Chien Andalou (1929); L'Age d'Or (1930); Las Hurdes: Tierra Sin Pan (1933); Los olvidados (1950); Belle de Jour (1967); The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972); and That Obscure Object of Desire (1977). Mr. Buñuel died from cirrhosis of the liver.

David Niven, 73. U.K. actor. Mr. Niven won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Separate Tables (1958). His other movies included The Prisoner of Zenda (1937); The Dawn Patrol (1938); Wuthering Heights (1939); Raffles (1939); A Matter of Life and Death (1946); The Moon is Blue (1953); Around the World in 80 Days (1956); The Pink Panther (1963); and Casino Royale (1967). Mr. Niven died in Switzerland after a three-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Economics and finance
The United States, seeking to stabilize world currency markets, began selling U.S. dollars. The dollar had reached historically high levels against other currencies, creating problems for many nations, including the U.S.A.

The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had risen 1.0% in June, the 10th straight monthly increase. The department also announced that the U.S. trade deficit in June had fallen to $4.96 billion from its record high in May.

Disasters
About 160 workers at a dam site near Bogota, Colombia were killed when tons of mud and rocks slid down a mountainside during a driving rain.

Football
CFL
Toronto (4-0) 40 @ Saskatchewan (1-3) 21

Saskatchewan quarterback Joe Adams set a CFL record for a single game with 62 passes, surpassing the record of 54 set by Toronto's Tobin Rote in 1960 and tied by Mr. Adams in 1982.



25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Im Nin'Alu--Ofra Haza (7th week at #1)

At the movies
Cocktail, directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, and Elizabeth Shue, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
Canadian External Affairs Minister Joe Clark announced that Canada would deny visas to all South African athletes, amateur and professional, wishing to compete in events in Canada. The action was consistent with the 1977 Gleneagles agreement which encouraged Commonwealth countries to combat the South African policy of apartheid in this way.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (1-2) 18 @ Saskatchewan (3-0) 46



20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Mr. Vain--Culture Beat (2nd week at #1)

Crime
The Supreme Court of Israel overturned the conviction of alleged Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk of all charges because of reasonable doubt that he had been a guard known as "Ivan the Terrible" at the Treblinka death camp in Poland in World War II.

Charges against two youths were dropped in connection with the April 1993 murder of Negro teenager Stephen Lawrence in London.

Politics and government
A coalition of opposition parties chose conservative populist Morihiro Hosokawa to become Japan's next prime minister. He pledged to reduce the government's role.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (3-1) 40 @ Hamilton (3-1) 11

Matt Dunigan completed 23 of 37 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown, and ran for a touchdown of his own as the Blue Bombers routed the Tiger-Cats before 16,198 fans on a rainy night at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Michael Richardson caught a 26-yard TD pass from Mr. Dunigan and rushed 4 yards for another touchdown.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Foday Sankoh, 65. Sierra Leonean revolutionary leader. Mr. Sankoh was leader of the Revolutionary United Front from 1991-2000 during Sierra Leone's civil war. He died of a stroke while awaiting trial on 17 charges of war crimes.

War
In searching for deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, U.S. troops raided dozens of sites in Mr. Hussein's home town of Tikrit, capturing about 175 people believed to be Hussein loyalists.

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and U.S. President George W. Bush met in Washington. Mr. Sharon rebuffed calls to halt construction of a security fence cutting into the West Bank, and called for progress by Palestinans in reducing terrorism. Mr. Bush reaffirmed U.S. commitment to Israel's security, while calling for Mr. Sharon to show restraint.

Law
A provincial court judge in British Columbia threw out a controversial federal program that allowed three Indian bands along the lower Fraser River to fish commercially while others could not, saying that the program discriminated on the basis of race. The federal government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien subsequently halted the 11-year-old pilot project, angering native leaders.

Economics and finance
The three-day meeting of the World Trade Organization ended in Montreal. Hundreds of demonstrators protesting against globalization were arrested after clashing with riot police.

Responding to increasingly vocal public concern about high automobile insurance rates, the New Brunswick legislature passed a law forcing a 20% reduction in premiums, retroactive to July 1.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (4-3) 27 @ Montreal (6-1) 37

Baseball
Switch hitter Bill Mueller of the Boston Red Sox became the first major league player to hit grand slam home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game.