August 16, 2013

500 years ago
1513

War
In the Battle of Guinegate (Battle of the Spurs) in France, King Henry VIII of England and his Imperial allies under Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I defeated French cavalry commanded by Jacques de La Palice.

175 years ago
1838

Politics and government
The British Parliament passed a bill of indemnity disavowing the policies of Canadian Governor General Lord Durham in suggesting assimilation of the French Canadians.

160 years ago
1853

Transportation
The Ontario Simcoe and Huron Railroad Union Company changed its name to the Northern Railway of Canada.

150 years ago
1863

War
The Dominican Restoration War began when Gregorio Luperón raised the Dominican flag in Santo Domingo after Spain had recolonized the country.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
T.E. Lawrence. U.K. military officer. "Lawrence of Arabia" became famous after leading Arab troops in revolt against Ottoman Empire forces during World War I. He died on May 19, 1935 at the age of 46, six days after being injured in the crash of his motorcycle.

Died on this date
John Pemberton, 57. U.S. pharmacist. Dr. Pemberton is best known for creating Coca-Cola in 1886 in Atlanta.

120 years ago
1893

Died on this date
Jean-Martin Charcot, 67. French neurologist. Dr. Charcot was known as the "Father of French neurology," primarily known for his work on hypnosis and hysteria. Among the conditions with which his name is associated with is the hereditary condition Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease.

Baseball
Bill Hawke pitched a no-hitter for the Baltimore Orioles as they blanked the Washington Nationals 5-0 at Union Park in Baltimore. Charlie Abbey made his major league debut in the outfield with the Nationals.

The Louisville Colonels routed the Chicago Colts 11-0 in Chicago.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Menachem Begin. Prime Minister of Israel, 1977-1983. Mr. Begin, a native of Brest-Litovsk (then part of the Russian Empire), led the Irgun terrorist movement in Palestine in the mid-1940s, eventually earning a "wanted dead or alive" notice from the British intelligence agancy MI5. He entered politics as founder of the Herut party in 1948; when several parties combined in 1973 to form the Likud party, Mr. Begin assumed the leadership, and became Prime Minister following a landslide electoral victory in 1977. Mr. Begin shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for negotiating a peace treaty between the countries. Mr. Begin left office on October 10, 1983 and died on March 9, 1992 at the age of 78.

Defense
Construction was completed on the Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary.

Academia
Tōhoku Imperial University of Japan (modern day Tohoku University) became the first university in Japan to admit female students.

75 years ago
1938

Died on this date
Robert Johnson, 27. U.S. musician. Mr. Johnson was one of the major figures in American blues music. He's regarded as one of the greatest guitarists ever, influencing rock musicians such as Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. According to legend, Mr. Johnson made a deal with the Devil to acquire his skill. His songs included Cross Road Blues and Terraplane Blues. Among the many mysteries surrounding Mr. Johnson are accounts of his death, which reportedly resulted from drinking whiskey that had been poisoned.

70 years ago
1943

War
U.S.S.R. troops gained up to 9 miles east of Bryansk, capturing more than 130 towns, including Malye Luki, only 18 miles from the German base at Bryansk. U.S. and U.K. forces advanced against dwindling opposition in Sicily. Allied bombers attacked Japanes airports at Wewak, New Guinea, destroying 120 grounded enemy aircraft.

Politics and government
Japan announced an "autonomy program" for Java, with native advisers assisting military authorities.

Labour
Strikes ended at three aircraft plants in Toronto and Montréal.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order empowering the National War Labor Board to withhold dues of unions which refused to comply with its decisions to cancel draft deferments of strikers.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): (You're the) Devil in Disguise--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Lester Pearson announced a Canada-United States agreement on nuclear warhead storage.

Football
CFL
Toronto (1-1) 16 @ Edmonton (1-2) 17

Don Getty's 79-yard touchdown pass to Tommy-Joe Coffey with 3:01 remaining in the game and the subsequent convert by Bill Mitchell game the Eskimos the victory over the Argonauts at Clarke Stadium. The game marked the return to Edmonton of Jackie Parker, who was quarterbacking the Argonauts after 9 years with the Eskimos, and he was reported to be the game's best player, completing 17 of 28 passes. Mr. Mitchell was one of five players the Eskimos had acquired in a trade for Mr. Parker on February 18. Larry Hickman and Butch Laroue scored Toronto touchdowns. Mr. Laroue scored on a 36-yard return of an interception of a pass thrown by rookie Edmonton quarterback James Earl Wright, who was being promoted in Edmonton as the "next" Jackie Parker. Mr. Wright, who had been signed by the Eskimos in 1962 but hadn't reported to the team because of an injury to his left knee, tore a ligament in his right knee in this game and never played in the CFL again.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Welcome Home--Peters and Lee (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Selman Waksman, 85. Ukrainian-born U.S. biochemist and inventor. Dr. Waksman discovered over 20 antibiotics and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discovery of "streptomycin," the first antibiotic active against tuberculosis."

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Earl Averill, 81. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Averill, a native of Snohomish, Washington, was a center fielder with the Cleveland Indians (1929-1939); Detroit Tigers (1939-1940); and Boston Braves (1941), batting .318 with 238 home runs (including one in his first major league at bat) and 1,164 runs batted in in 1,669 games. His best season was 1936, when he batted .378 with 28 homers and 126 RBIs and led the American League in hits (232) and triples (15). Mr. Averill was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans' Committee in 1975.

Scandal
The U.S. Justice Department issued an official report containing an admission that the United States had employed Klaus Barbie, who had been chief of the Nazi Gestapo in Lyons, France during World War II, as a spy after the war and had helped him escape to Bolivia. The report recounted how Mr. Barbie, who had been convicted in absentia in France of war crimes and had been returned to France earlier in 1983, had been recruited by the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) in 1947, but said that Mr. Barbie's war crimes had not become known until 1949. According to the report, the CIC then sought to conceal its relationship with Mr. Barbie, and then helped him escape to South America. The U.S.A. sent a note of apology to France.

Diplomacy
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens met with Lebanese Christian Phalanagists to discuss a planned Israeli withdrawal from the Shouf Mountains. The meeting angered the Lebanese government.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced that industrial production had increased 1.8% in July. The U.S. Commerce Department reported that housing starts had declined 0.6% in July.

25 years ago
1988

Politics and government
At the Republican National Convention in New Orleans, U.S. Vice-President and presumptive 1988 presidential nominee George Bush announced that his vice-presidential candidate would be U.S. Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana. A conservative platform was approved, and New Jersey Governor Tom Kean and former President Gerald Ford addressed the convention.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the U.S. deficit on merchandise trade had increased to $12.5 billion in June.

Disasters
A hurricane hit the St-Zotique region in Québec.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (3-3) 5 @ Toronto (5-1) 19



20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Mr. Vain--Culture Beat (9th week at #1)

Died on this date
Stewart Granger, 80. U.K.-born U.S. actor. Mr. Granger, born James Stewart, was known for his starring roles in period dramas and adventure films such as The Man in Grey (1943); Blanche Fury (1948); King Solomon's Mines (1950); Scaramouche (1952); The Prisoner of Zenda (1952); Bhowani Junction (1956); and North to Alaska (1960).

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Idi Amin, 78 (?). President of Uganda, 1971-1979. Mr. Amin was named head of Uganda's army and navy under President Milton Obote in 1966, but seized power in a coup five years later, and reigned as one of Africa's most bloodthirsty dictators until he was deposed in 1979. He died in exile in Saudi Arabia.

Football
CFL
Montreal (8-1) 28 @ Hamilton (0-9) 10 (rescheduled from August 15)
British Columbia (6-3) 30 @ Calgary (2-7) 7

The game between the Alouettes and Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium had been postponed because of the power blackout affecting the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.