August 18, 2013

510 years ago
1503

Died on this date
Alexander VI, 72. Roman Catholic Pope, 1491-1503. Born Roderic Llançol i de Borja (Rodrigo Borgia) in Valencia, Alexander took the papacy--amid allegations of bribery and corruption--after the death of Innocent VIII. He died after taking ill with a fever and was succeeded by Pius III.

175 years ago
1838

Exploration
The six-ship United States Exploring Expedition, exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands, weighed anchor at Hampton Roads, Virginia.

130 years ago
1883

Politics and government
Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marquis of Lansdowne was appointed Governor General of Canada, to take office on October 23.

110 years ago
1903

Aviation
German engineer Karl Jatho allegedly flew his self-made, motored gliding airplane at Vahrenwalder Heide outside Hanover, four months before the first flight of the Wright brothers.

75 years ago
1938

Transportation
The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York with Ontario over the St. Lawrence River, was dedicated at Gananoque, Ontario by Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

70 years ago
1943

Literature
Betty Smith's novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was published by Harper & Brothers.

War
U.K. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden arrived in Quebec City to attend the Allied war conferences. Allied North African headquarters announced that all resistance in Sicily had stopped and that through August 10 135,000 Axis prisoners had been taken and 32,000 enemy soldiers had been killed or wounded. U.S. warships made their first direct attacks on the Italian mainland, shelling bridges and power stations at Gioia Tauro and Palmi on the southwest coast. The Soviet Red Army resumed its offensive in Ukraine, capturing more than 50 villages and killing 3,500 Germans. A second series of attacks on the Japanese airfield at Wewak completed its destruction, wiping out 215 of the original 225 planes there.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Nightmare at Ground Zero, starring O.Z. Whitehead, Louise Larabee, Calvin Thomas, and Pat Hingle

This episode was written by Rod Serling.



Scandal
Richard Rossall, 17, an American jockey, was ruled off the track at Exhibition Park in Vancouver for life after an "unsatisfactory ride" in the 7th race. His horse, Valley Band, had finished second, and it was alleged that Mr. Rossall had pulled his horse because he had bet money on the winner. The suspension applied to all racetracks in North America.

50 years ago
1963

Died on this date
Clifford Odets, 57. U.S. playwright and screenwriter. Mr. Odets, a founding member and primary playwright with the Group Theatre company in New York, was known for such plays as Waiting for Lefty (1935); Awake and Sing! (1935); Golden Boy (1937); Rocket to the Moon (1938); Clash by Night (1941); The Big Knife (1949); The Country Girl (1950); and The Flowering Peach (1954). His screenplays included The General Died at Dawn (1936); None But the Lonely Heart (1944, which he also directed); Deadline at Dawn (1946); Humoresque (1946); Sweet Smell of Success (1957); The Story on Page One (1959, which he also directed); and Wild in the Country (1961). Mr. Odets died of stomach cancer.

Society
James Meredith became the first Negro student to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Rote Rosen--Freddy Breck

#1 single in the U.K.: I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!)--Gary Glitter (4th week at #1)

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

Singles entering the chart were Kodachrome by Paul Simon (#21); Reeling in the Years by Steely Dan (#32); The World's Greatest Mum by Johnny Chester (#35); Hearts of Stone by the Blue Ridge Rangers (#36); Peter Gunn by Kush (#37); and Wind and Rain by Bluestone (#39).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Touch Me in the Morning--Diana Ross

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Live and Let Die--Wings
2 Brother Louie--Stories
3 Let's Get it On--Marvin Gaye
4 Touch Me in the Morning--Diana Ross
5 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
6 Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan
7 Delta Dawn--Helen Reddy
8 Feelin' Stronger Every Day--Chicago
9 I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)--Johnnie Taylor
10 Monster Mash--Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt Kickers

Singles entering the chart were China Grove by the Doobie Brothers (#67); Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder (#69); The Last Thing on My Mind by Neil Diamond (#70); Hey Girl (I Like Your Style) by the Temptations (#74); Ghetto Child by the Spinners (#75); Stoned Out of My Mind by the Chi-Lites (#81); Yes We Can Can by the Pointer Sisters (#83); Tonight by Raspberries (#84); Keep on Truckin' (Part 1) by Eddie Kendricks (#86); You've Never Been This Far Before by Conway Twitty (#88); Summer (The First Time) by Bobby Goldsboro (#89); Hang Loose by Mandrill (#92); Daydream by David Cassidy (#94); Ramblin' Man by the Allman Brothers Band (#96); Make Me Twice the Man by New York City (#97); All I Need is Time by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#98); Rhapsody in Blue by Deodato (#99); and The King of Rock 'N' Roll by Cashman and West (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Monster Mash--Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt Kickers (3rd week at #1)
2 Smoke on the Water--Deep Purple
3 Get Down--Gilbert O'Sullivan
4 Bad, Bad Leroy Brown--Jim Croce
5 Young Love/A Million to One--Donny Osmond
6 Brother Louie--Stories
7 Behind Closed Doors--Charlie Rich
8 Minstrel Gypsy--Stampeders
9 Live and Let Die--Wings
10 Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy--Bette Midler

Singles entering the chart were Rhapsody in Blue by Deodato (#96); Half-Breed by Cher (#97); Twistin' the Night Away by Rod Stewart (#98); Happy Dreamer by Jack Cornell (#99); and In the Midnight Hour by Cross Country (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 Live and Let Die--Wings (2nd week at #1)
2 Yesterday Once More--Carpenters
3 Dreams are Ten a Penny--Kincade
4 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
5 Feelin' Stronger Every Day--Chicago
6 Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
7 Everyone's Agreed that Everything Will Turn Out Fine--Stealers Wheel
8 Diamond Girl--Seals and Crofts
9 Brother Louie--Stories
10 Will it Go Round in Circles--Billy Preston
Pick hit of the week: Could You Ever Love Me Again--Gary & Dave

Terrorism
A bomb was discovered in Harrods department store in London, the first in a series of mail and fire bombs that plagued the city over the following week.

Disasters
Flood damage in northern and central Mexico killed at least 20 people, left nearly 50 missing, and forced 100,000 to flee their homes.

Boxing
Roberto Anaya (37-3-1) retained his WBA world bantamweight title with a 3-round knockout of former champion Enrique Pinder (35-6) at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Mr. Anaya had knocked out Mr. Pinder in 3 rounds in Panama City on January 20, 1973 to win the title.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Canada's Top 30
1 1999--Prince
2 Maniac--Michael Sembello
3 Never Gonna Let You Go--Sergio Mendes
4 China Girl--David Bowie
5 Rock and Roll is King--Electric Light Orchestra
6 Every Breath You Take--The Police
7 Is There Something I Should Know--Duran Duran
8 It's a Mistake--Men at Work
9 Hot Girls in Love--Loverboy
10 She Works Hard for the Money--Donna Summer
11 Video Kids--Prototype
12 Human Touch--Rick Springfield
13 Change--Tears for Fears
14 All This Love--Debarge
15 Baby Jane--Rod Stewart
16 Tell Her About It--Billy Joel
17 Human Nature--Michael Jackson
18 Take Me to Heart--Quarterflash
19 Through the Years--Tim Finn
20 Mistake--Michael Sembello
21 Stand Back--Stevie Nicks
22 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)--Eurythmics
23 Wanna Be Startin' Something--Michael Jackson
24 Rise Up--Parachute Club
25 (She's) Sexy and Seventeen--The Stray Cats
26 I'll Tumble 4 Ya--Culture Club
27 Fascination--The Human League
28 20 Questions--Tic Toc
29 Wishing--A Flock of Seagulls
30 Burning Down the House--The Talking Heads

World events
450 French paratroopers left France for the Central African Republic, which bordered on Chad. Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar el-Gaddafi denied that Libyan troops were operating in Chad, and said that U.S. involvement in Chad constituted an "imperialist threat" to Libya.

Diplomacy
At a meeting in the Kremlin with nine United States Senators, Soviet President Yuri Andropov announced a "unilateral moratorium" on the deployment of anti-satellite weapons. He said that the superpowers should agree to eliminate existing anti-satellite systems and refreain from developing new ones.

Disasters
Hurricane Alicia struck southern Texas, claiming 17-22 lives and causing about $1 billion in damage. The city of Galveston, in the Gulf of Mexico, was heavily damaged, and the glass facades of tall office buildings in Houston were also damaged.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Gimme Hope Jo’anna--Eddy Grant (11th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Im Nin'alu--Ofra Haza

Politics and government
At the U.S. Republican National Convention at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, U.S. Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana was officially nominated as the party's candidate for Vice President of the United States of America in the November 1988 election. Referring to himself as "one humble Hoosier," Sen. Quayle rejected Democratic Party presidential nominee Michael Dukakis's assertion that the campaign was about competence rather than ideology, saying that competence "makes the trains run on time but doesn't know where they're going."

Hockey
NHL
Guy Lafleur, who had starred with the Montreal Canadiens from 1971-1984 before retiring, signed with the New York Rangers.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (3-3) 27 @ Ottawa (1-5) 20

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): What's Up?--4 Non Blondes (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
Manhattan Murder Mystery, co-written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Mr. Allen, Alan Alda, Angelica Huston, and Diane Keaton, opened in theatres.

Terrorism
Egypt's new security chief survived an assassination attempt by Muslims in a bombing attack in the centre of Cairo. 4 people were killed and at least 15 wounded.

Law
A judge in Florida upheld a lawsuit by a teenager who had been switched at birth to sever contact with the biological parents.

Transportation
Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell and Prince Edward Island Premier Catherine Callbeck pledged to go ahead with the proposed bridge across the Northumberland Strait connecting Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, despite last-ditch attempts to block the project.

Bowling
Walter Ray Williams, Jr., the most dominant Professional Bowlers Association star since Mark Roth in 1978 and a five-time world horseshoe champion as well, rolled four perfect games in the Greater Harrisburg (Pennsylvanis) Open, tying the mark of seven in a year by Amleto Monacelli in 1989.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (4-3) 45 @ Toronto (1-7) 14
Winnipeg (4-3) 28 @ British Columbia (6-2) 48

The Eskimos set a CFL single-game record with 13 sacks as they routed the Argonauts before 20,563 fans at SkyDome. Edmonton quarterback Damon Allen rushed for a touchdown, handed off to Michael Soles for another, and passed to Eddie Brown for 3 touchdowns. Mike "Pinball" Clemons of the Argonauts returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown. Edmonton running back Blake Marshall carried once for -1 yard in what turned out to be the final game of his 7-year CFL career.

Danny Barrett rushed for 2 touchdowns and passed for 2 more as the Lions jumped to a 21-0 lead and beat the Blue Bombers before 28,541 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. B.C. scored the game's first touchdown when Ray Alexander blocked a Troy Westwood field goal attempt and Less Browne returned it 85 yards. Winnipeg linebacker Corian Freeman scored a TD when he returned an interception 96 yards in the 4th quarter.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Tony Jackson, 65. U.K. musician. Mr. Jackson played bass guitar with the Searchers in the early 1960s. He left the group in July 1964 and formed another group called the Vibrations, later known as the Tony Jackson Group.

Diplomacy
In Ghana, representatives of the Liberian government, two rebel armies, and unarmed opposition groups signed a peace agreement providing for an interim government to be established in Liberia in October.