August 3, 2013

430 years ago
1583

Exploration
English explorer Humphrey Gilbert arrived off St. John's, Newfoundland with his ships Delight; Golden Hind; Swallow; and Squirrel.

125 years ago
1888

Politics and government
Edgar Dewdney, who had served as Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories from December 3, 1881-July 1, 1888, was elected as a Conservative candidate to the Canadian House of Commons in Assiniboia East. Hayter Reed succeeded Mr. Dewdney as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with Amédée Forget appointed as his assistant.

110 years ago
1903

Born on this date
Habib Bourguiba. 1st President of Tunisia, 1957-1987. Mr. Bourguiba co-founded the independence movement Neo Destour in 1934, and was exiled and imprisoned several times before France granted Tunisia its independence in 1956. He took office as Prime Minister in 1956, and became President upon the declaration of a republic in 1957. Mr. Bourguiba's reign remains a subject of debate; while he's regarded as the founder of independent Tunisia, he's also denounced as a dictator who abused human rights, with at least 1,000 political opponents dying or disappearing during his time in office. Mr. Bourguiba was deposed by Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on November 7, 1987, and spent the remainder of his life under house arrest. He died on April 6, 2000 at the age of 96.

World events
Rebels from the Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization in Kruševo proclaimed the Kruševo Republic, headed by Bulgarian socialist Nikola Karev. The republic existed for only 10 days before Ottoman Turks laid waste to the town.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Maury Van Vliet. U.S.-born Canadian academic. Dr. Van Vliet was educated in the United States, but went to Canada, serving as director of physical education at the University of British Columbia (1935-1945) and moving on to the University of Alberta, where he was Head (1945-1954), Director (1954-1964), and Dean (1964-1975) of Physical Education. He was the president and chief executive officer of the organizing committee of the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. Dr. Van Vliet died on April 4, 2001 at the age of 87.

Died on this date
William Lyne, 69. Australian politician. Sir William began his career in New South Wales politics as a member of the Protectionist Party, and was elected party leader in 1895, serving as N.S.W. Leader of the Opposition before serving as Premier from 1899-1901. With the Australian colonies due to unite in a federation in January 1901, Governor General Lord Hopetoun asked Sir William to become Prime Minister of an interim government; however, Sir William was unable to form a government, and returned the commission to Lord Hopetoun. Sir William resigned as Premier of New South Wales to enter federal politics, and represented Hume in the Australian Parliament from 1901-1913, holding several cabinet posts. He died a few months after losing his seat in the 1913 federal election.

Labour
A strike by agricultural workers in Wheatland, California degenerated into the Wheatland Hop Riot, one of the first major farm labour confrontations in California.

90 years ago
1923

Politics and government
Calvin Coolidge, Vice President of the United States until the death of President Warren G. Harding the night before, took the oath of office as 30th President of the United States of America.

70 years ago
1943

War
Soviet troops broke into Orel, the German stronghold on the Russian front, engaging in street fighting with German defenders. U.S. forces advanced on the northern flank of the Sicilian front and captured Caronia, as Canadian and British forces continued their advances. American troops drove to the eastern end of the Munda airfield on New Georgia Island and occupied the northeastern slope of Bibolo Hill.

Abominations
U.S. Army Lieutenant General George Patton struck Private Charles Herman Kuhl at an Army hospital in Sicily, after charging Pvt. Kuhl that he had no business being in hospital. It was later revealed that Pvt. Kuhl was suffering from malaria and chronic diarrhea, and had a temperature of 102.2 F.

The American state of Georgia voted its approval of an amendment to the state constitution lowering the voting age to 18.

Labour
The U.S. Office of Price Administration reported that wages in manufacturing industries were 28.9% higher than in January 1941.

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 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Pauvre Petite Fille Riche--Claude François (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Quelli della mia eta--Françoise Hardy (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ich will 'nen Cowboy als Mann--Gitte

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Sweets for My Sweet--The Searchers

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): So Much in Love--The Tymes

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Fingertips - Part 2--Little Stevie Wonder
2 Surf City--Jan & Dean
3 So Much in Love--The Tymes
4 Easier Said than Done--The Essex
5 Wipe Out--The Surfaris
6 (You're the) Devil in Disguise--Elvis Presley
7 Blowin' in the Wind--Peter, Paul and Mary
8 Judy's Turn to Cry--Lesley Gore
9 Just One Look--Doris Troy
10 Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport--Rolf Harris

Singles entering the chart were Surfer Girl (#74)/Little Deuce Coupe (#98) by the Beach Boys; Drownin' My Sorrows by Connie Francis (#76); Desert Pete by the Kingston Trio (#78); Man's Temptation by Gene Chandler (#86); Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) by the High Keyes (#87); The Dreamer by Neil Sedaka (#89); Martian Hop by the Ran-Dells (#95); Still No. 2 by Ben Colder (#96); Can't Nobody Love You by Solomon Burke (#97); The Lonely Surfer by Jack Nitzche (#99); Tell Me the Truth by Nancy Wilson (#100); It Won't Be This Way (Always) by the King Pins (also #100); and Saturday Sunshine by Burt Bacharach (also #100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (The Music Reporter)
1 Fingertips--Little Stevie Wonder
2 Wipe Out--The Surfaris
3 (You're the) Devil in Disguise--Elvis Presley
4 Just One Look--Doris Troy
5 Judy's Turn to Cry--Lesley Gore
6 Blowin' in the Wind--Peter, Paul and Mary
7 Hopeless--Andy Williams
8 Ring of Fire--Johnny Cash
9 Detroit City--Bobby Bare
10 I Wonder--Brenda Lee

Singles entering the chart included If I Had a Hammer by Trini Lopez (#52); Drownin' My Sorrows by Connie Francis (#59); Frankie and Johnny by Sam Cooke (#60); These Foolish Things by James Brown & the Famous Flames (#61); My Boyfriend's Back by the Angels (#69); Heat Wave by Martha & the Vandellas (#70); Hello, Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp) by Allan Sherman (#75); Surfer Girl by the Beach Boys (#81); Another Fool Like Me by Ned Miller (#86); My Daddy Knows Best by the Marvelettes (#90); Birthday Party by Pixies Three (#92); Martian Hop by the Ran-Dells (#96); Dum Dum De Dum by Johnny Cymbal (#98); Pay Back by Etta James (#99); and Laura's Wedding by Barbara Lynn (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 Easier Said than Done--The Essex (3rd week at #1)
2 Surf City--Jan & Dean
3 My Whole World is Falling Down--Brenda Lee
4 Memphis--Lonnie Mack
5 Abilene--George Hamilton IV
6 Wipe Out--The Surfaris
7 Green, Green--The New Christy Minstrels
8 Denise--Randy & the Rainbows
9 (You're the) Devil in Disguise--Elvis Presley
10 Judy's Turn to Cry--Lesley Gore
Pick hit of the week: Donna Means Heartbreak--Gene Pitney

Donna Means Heartbreak was the B-side of True Love Never Runs Smooth.

Albertana
The Whistlers Motor Hotel, with 41 rooms and room for 110 people, officially opened in downtown Jasper.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (10th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye--Demis Roussos

Scandal
Testifying before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Campaign Activities, former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director L. Patrick Gray stated that he had examined files taken from the safe of E. Howard Hunt--one of the men connected with the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.--before he burned them with his own Christmas trash. Mr. Gray said the files were not evidence in the Watergate case. He also testified that on July 6, 1972, he had told President Richard Nixon that some White House personnel were trying to "mortally wound" him "by using the CIA and FBI and by confusing the question of CIA interest in...people the FBI wishes to interview."

30 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Carolyn Jones, 53. U.S. actress. Miss Jones was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting performance in The Bachelor Party (1957), but was best known for playing Morticia Addams in the television comedy series The Addams Family (1964-1966).

Defense
The U.S.A. ordered the aircraft carrier Coral Sea to postpone its departure from the Mediterranean Sea, and said that it had sent antiaircraft weapons to Chad as well as three military advisers to train Chadian soldiers in their use.

Politics and government
U.S. President Ronald Reagan addressed the convention of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women in Washington, but made a poor impression with such comments as "if it wasn't for women, us men would still be walking around in skin suits carrying clubs."

25 years ago
1988

World events
Matthias Rust, the young West German who had flown a plane into Moscow's Red Square in 1987, was released from a Soviet prison. He was officially expelled by the U.S.S.R. and flown to Frankfurt. His release was reportedly orderd by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.

Defense
U.S. President Ronald Reagan vetoed the $299.6-billion defense authorization bill for fiscal 1989, charging that it would weaken the country's defenses. Mr. Reagan particularly objected to cutbacks in authorization of funds for the Strategic Defense Initiative and MX missile program.

Scandal
The United States House of Representatives voted 413-3 to impeach U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings of Florida for high crimes and misdemeanors. The principal charge was that Judge Hastings had conspired to obtain a $150,000 bribe from defendants in a racketeering case before his court. Though he had been acquitted in a criminal trial, a panel of a federal appeals court later concluded that Judge Hastings had been guilty and that he had won his acquittal through perjury. Mr. Hastings, the 11th judge to be impeached, now faced trial by the United States Senate.

20 years ago
1993

Football
CFL
Calgary (5-0) 40 @ Winnipeg (3-2) 35

Doug Flutie completed 31 of 51 passes for 481 yards and 5 touchdowns and rushed for over 100 yards as the Stampeders overcame a 29-17 3rd-quarter deficit to defeat the Blue Bombers before 23,869 fans at Winnipeg Stadium.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Roger Voudouris, 48. U.S. musician. Mr. Voudouris was known for his single Get Used to It, which reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in June 1979. He died of liver disease.

Abominations
The Episcopal Church in the United States gave further evidence of its apostasy when the House of Deputies voted its approval of the church's first openly sodomite bishop, Vicky Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Mr. Robinson was married with a family, but he put the fulfillment of his homosexual lusts above his responsibilities to his wife and family, and the leaders of this so-called church didn't object.