August 11, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Audrianna De Sousa!

540 years ago
1473

War
Troops led by Mehmed the Conqueror of the Ottoman Empire decisively defeated those led by Uzun Hassan of Aq Qoyunlu. in the Battle of Otlukbeli.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Bob Scheffing. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Scheffing was a catcher with the Chicago Cubs (1941-1942; 1946-1950); Cincinnati Reds (1950-1951); and St. Louis Cardinals (1951), batting .263 with 20 home runs and 187 runs batted in in 517 games. He managed the Cubs (1957-1959) and Detroit Tigers (1961-1963); his best season was 1961, when the Tigers were 101-61 but still finished second in the American League, 8 games behind the New York Yankees. Mr. Scheffing was the general manager of the New York Mets from 1970-1975. The Mets won the National League pennant in 1973 and lost the World Series to the Oakland Athletics in 7 games, but Mr. Scheffing is probably best remembered for executing one of the worst trades in history--young pitcher Nolan Ryan, who went on to set career, single season, and single game records for strikeouts, to the California Angels after the 1971 season for Jim Fregosi, a shortstop whose best years were behind him, and whom the Mets unsuccessfully tried to convert into a third baseman. Mr. Scheffing died on October 26, 1985 at the age of 72.

80 years ago
1933

Boxing
World heavyweight champion Primo Carnera (76-6) won a 4-round unanimous decision over Harold Mays (30-13) in a non-title bout before 5,000 fans at the Syracuse Arena in Syracuse, New York.

70 years ago
1943

War
Allied war strategy discussions opened at the Chateau Frontenac Hotel in Quebec City, with U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill conferring with the Canadian war caninet. U.K. Royal Air Force planes bombed Nuremberg for the sixth time, dropping 1,680 tons of explosinves on industrial targets. Soviet forces deove 9-12 miles further into Ukraine, passing the peak point of the previous winter's campaign by capturing Krasnokutsk and Parkhomovka. The Italian government ordered a halt to the shipment of war materials to Germany and food shipments to German forces in northern Italy. U.S. heavy bombers made their second raid on the Kuril Islands, making numerous hits on the Kataoka Bay naval base on Shimushu and the Kashiabara Bay military base on Paramushiru.

Protest
Michigan Governor Harry Kelly's fact-finding committee reported that the Detroit race riot in June was caused by "false rumors and irresponsible leadership."

Health
U.S. Public Health Service officials reported 2,753 cases of polio through August 7, compared to 1,148 in 1942, saying that the epidemic was limited to California and Texas.

Track and field
Gunder Haegg of Sweden, in the final appearance of his American tour, won the one-mile race at Randalls Island, New York in a time of 4:06.9.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Point Blank, starring Janis Carter and Chester Morris

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Do You Love Me?--Sharif Dean (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!)--Gary Glitter (3rd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Heaven is My Woman's Love--Col Joye (2nd week at #1)
2 Daisy a Day--Jud Strunk
3 And I Love You So--Perry Como
4 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
5 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
6 Never, Never, Never (Grande, Grande, Grande)--Shirley Bassey
7 My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings
8 Delta Dawn--Helen Reddy
9 Suzie Darling--Barrie Crocker
10 Give Me Love--(Give Me Peace on Earth)--George Harrison

Singles entering the chart were Behind Closed Doors by Charlie Rich (#30); See My Baby Jive by Wizzard (#34); You Don't Own Me by The Ormsby Brothers (#39); and Frankenstein by the Edgar Winter Group (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Morning After--Maureen McGovern (2nd week at #1)

U.S. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Touch Me in the Morning--Diana Ross
2 Live and Let Die--Wings
3 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
4 Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan
5 Brother Louie--Stories
6 Let's Get it On--Marvin Gaye
7 Yesterday Once More--Carpenters
8 Smoke on the Water--Deep Purple
9 I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)--Johnnie Taylor
10 Feelin' Stronger Every Day--Chicago

Singles entering the chart were Billion Dollar Babies by Alice Cooper (#79); Make Up Your Mind by the J. Geils Band (#84); To Know You is to Love You by B.B. King (#85); In the Midnight Hour by Cross Country (#87); I've Got So Much to Give by Barry White (#88); Muskrat Love by America (#89); Just Don't Want to Be Lonely by Ronnie Dyson (#92); (I Don’t Want To Love You But) You Got Me Anyway by the Sutherland Brothers and Quiver (#93); Touch of Magic by James Leroy (#98); and Don't Let it End ('Til You Let it Begin) by the Miracles (#99).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Monster Mash--Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt Kickers (2nd week at #1)
2 Smoke on the Water--Deep Purple
3 Bad, Bad Leroy Brown--Jim Croce
4 Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan
5 Shambala--Three Dog Night
6 Behind Closed Doors--Charlie Rich
7 Young Love/A Million to One--Donny Osmond
8 Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy--Bette Midler
9 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
10 Yesterday Once More--Carpenters

Singles entering the chart were Let's Get it On by Marvin Gaye (#85); Poor People by Alan Price (#92); Gonna Hustle You by Legendary Masked Surfers (#93); The Last Thing on My Mind by Neil Diamond (#94); (I Don’t Want To Love You But) You Got Me Anyway by the Sutherland Brothers and Quiver (#95); Ashes to Ashes by the 5th Dimension (#96); You've Never Been This Far Before by Conway Twitty (#97); Darlin' by Zylan (#98); China Grove by the Doobie Brothers (#99); and Baby Wanna Boogie by Five Man Electrical Band (#100). Poor People was from the movie O Lucky Man! Legendary Masked Surfers was an alias for Jan and Dean; Gonna Hustle You had been the original title of the song when it was written in 1964, but the title and lyrics were considered too suggestive at the time. Less suggestive new lyrics were written, and the song was issued under the title The New Girl in School and became a hit as the B-side of Dead Man's Curve. Gonna Hustle You, under that title and with its original lyrics, was relesed as an album track in 1966.

Calgary's top 10
1 Live and Let Die--Wings
2 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
3 Dreams are Ten a Penny--Kincade
4 Will it Go Round in Circles--Billy Preston
5 Brother Louie--Stories
6 Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan
7 Feelin' Stronger Every Day--Chicago
8 Playground in My Mind--Clint Holmes
9 It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference--Tom Middleton
10 Swamp Witch--Jim Stafford
Pick hit of the week: Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando

At the movies
American Graffiti, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ronny Howard, Charlie Martin Smith, Paul Le Mat, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Harrison Ford, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack opened in theatres. It's this blogger's favourite movie.

Abominations
Clive Campbell, later known as DJ Cool Herk, acted as disc jockey at his sister's back-to-school party in the recreation room of an apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York, and his friend Coke La Rock demonstrated an innovation called rapping. This event is recognized by many as the "birth of hip-hop."

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Canada's top 30
1 Never Gonna Let You Go--Sergio Mendes
2 1999--Prince
3 Maniac--Michael Sembello
4 Every Breath You Take--The Police
5 Is There Something I Should Know--Duran Duran
6 China Girl--David Bowie
7 Baby Jane--Rod Stewart
8 It's a Mistake--Men at Work
9 Rock and Roll is Kning--Electric Light Orchestra
10 Hot Girls in Love--Loverboy
11 Video Kids--Prototype
12 Human Touch--Rick Springfield
13 Change--Tears for Fears
14 All This Love--Debarge
15 She Works Hard for the Money--Donna Summer
16 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)--Eurythmics
17 Tell Her About It--Billy Joel
18 Wanna Be Starting Something--Michael Jackson
19 Stop in the Name of Love--The Hollies
20 Human Nature--Michael Jackson
21 Stand Back--Stevie Nicks
22 Mistake--Michael Sembello
23 Take Me to Heart--Quarterflash
24 Come Dancing--The Kinks
25 Rise Up--Parachute Club
26 Wishing--A Flock of Seagulls
27 Through the Years--Tim Finn
28 I'm Still Standing--Elton John
29 20 Questions--Tic Toc
30 Best Years of Our lives--Mens Room

War
Chadian insurgents, with the help of Libyan soldiers and weaponry, captured the key Chadian outpost of Faya-Largeau. U.S. President Ronald Reagan seemed to rule out further U.S. involvement in Chad, noting that the country was in France's sphere of influence.

Technology
The Milwaukee Sentinel reported that a group of young men aged 15-22 had hacked into computer systems such as those operated by the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, whose administrative records were left in disarray. The hackers had also gained access to a system at the U.S. government nuclear research centre in New Mexico, but no classified information was uncovered.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gimme Hope Jo’anna--Eddy Grant (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Yé ké yé ké--Mory Kanté (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Anne Ramsey, 59. U.S. actress. Miss Ramsey was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting performance in Throw Momma from the Train (1987).

Agriculture
U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill providing relief of up to $100,000 to farmers who had lost 35% or more of their crops in the recent drought. The law, overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Congress, also raised milk price supports. The United States Agriculture Department predicted that corn production would drop 31% because of the drought and foresaw other sharp declines in production of soybeans, barley, sorghum, and oats.

Politics and government
The United States Senate voted 85-0 in favour of the confirmation of former Pennsyvania Governor Dick Thornburgh as the next U.S. Attorney General, replacing the departing Edwin Meese.

Economics and finance
Leading U.S. banks increased their prime lending rate from 9.5% to 10%, the highest level in three years.

Football
CFL
Toronto (4-1) 24 @ British Columbia (2-3) 12

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): What's Up?--4 Non Blondes

Crime
Former Concordia University professor Valery Fabrikant was convicted of first-degree murder and given an automatic life sentence for the shooting deaths of four fellow professors at the Montreal university.

Diplomacy
Pope John Paul II, on his 60th overseas tour as pope, arriving in Mexico, where he criticized injustice against native peoples.

Defense
U.S. President Bill Clinton named NATO commander General John Shalikashvili to succeed General Colin Powell as head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Shalikashvili was a critic of Western inaction on Bosnia.

Journalism
The Montreal newspaper Le Devoir resumed publication after a bailout.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (1-5) 28 @ Saskatchewan (4-3) 45

Kent Austin threw 5 touchdown passes to lead the Roughriders over the Rough Riders before 20,254 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Don Narcisse caught 2 of Mr. Austin's passes, while Saskatchewan running back Mike Saunders caught a touchdown pass and rushed for another TD.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Herb Brooks, 66. U.S. hockey player and coach. Mr. Brooks played with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1955-1959, and went on to play for eight U.S. national or Olympic teams from 1960-1970. He coached the Golden Gophers from 1972-79--winning NCAA championhsips in 1974, 1976, and 1979--and became famous for coaching the U.S. team to the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Mr. Brooks was head coach of four NHL teams from 1981-2000, but was never able to lead a team past the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the French team to an 11th-place finish at the Olympics in Nagano in 1998, and returned to coach the U.S. to a silver medal at the Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002. Mr. Brooks was killed in a car accident in Minnesota while working as head scout and director of player personnel with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990; the International Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999; and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.

World events
As peacekeeping troops attempting to stop fighting between government and rebel troops moved into Monrovia, Charles Taylor abandoned the presidency of Liberia and fled into exile in Nigeria. He was replaced as President of Liberia by Vice-President Moses Blah.

Scandal
In Britain, the inquiry into the July 18 death of British scientist and former United Nations weapons inspector David Kelly began, chaired by Lord Hutton.

Defense
In its first mission outside Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization assumed formal command of peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, with a force of 5,000 troops.

Weather
Switzerland recorded its highest temperature ever: 107.6 F.