August 8, 2013

510 years ago
1503

Married on this date
King James IV of Scotland married Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland.

425 years ago
1588

War
The Battle of Gravelines concluded with the English defeat of the Spanish Armada, ending Spain's ambitions of conquering England.

70 years ago
1943

Music
Karl Krueger, conductor of the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, was named conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

War
Soviet forces advanced 7-9 miles in the Kharkov sector, claiming the capture of 60 more villages. U.S. troops made an "unopposed landing" behind Axis lines near Torrenova on the northern coast of Sicily and took 300 prisoners. 11 crew members of the U.S. Navy Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109, including Lieutenant--and future U.S. President--John F. Kennedy--were rescued by naval units, six days after the boat had been rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri off the Solomon Islands. Three Japanese destroyers were sunk and one escaped in an hour-long battle with U.S. fleet units in Vella Gulf in the central Solomons. U.S. Army Lieutenant General Hugh Drum announced an extension of restricted and prohibited defense zones in 16 states along the Atlantic coast.

Defense
The former French liner Normandie, now the U.S. defense transport SS Lafayette, on its side in a New York Hudson River slip since a fire in February 1942, rose to 43.6 feet and was reported as "essentially afloat."

Politics and government
The governing Liberal Party of Prime Minister Mackenzie King lost four seats in by-elections for the Canadian House of Commons.

Argentine President General Pedro Ramirez declared that his military regime had no plans for a permanent dictatorship, adding "freedom is too precious to abandon."

Transportation
Patents for a new type of cargo plane, which could be loaded as easily as a motor van, were granted to the Glenn L. Martin Company of Baltimore.

60 years ago
1953

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?--Patti Page

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Vaya Con Dios (May God Be with You)--Les Paul and Mary Ford (Best seller--1st week at #1; Disc Jockey--1st week at #1); I'm Walking Behind You--Eddie Fisher (Jukebox--6th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I'm Walking Behind You--Eddie Fisher (5th week at #1)
2 No Other Love--Perry Como
3 Vaya Con Dios (May God Be with You)--Les Paul and Mary Ford
4 The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart)--Percy Faith and his Orchestra
5 April in Portugal--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
6 Crying in the Chapel--Darrell Glenn
--June Valli
--Rex Allen
--The Orioles
7 Allez-Vous-En--Kay Starr
8 Terry's Theme from "Limelight"--Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra
9 With These Hands--Eddie Fisher
10 Ruby--Richard Hayman and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were the versions of Crying in the Chapel by Rex Allen and the Orioles; My Love, My Love by Joni James (#30); and Chick-A-Boom by Guy Mitchell (#36).

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Sweets for My Sweet--The Searchers

Crime
In what became known as the Great Train Robbery, thieves ambushed the Glasgow to Euston mail train in Buckinghamshire, England and stole an estimated £2.6 million.

Politics and government
In Rhodesia, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was formed by a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).

Football
CFL
British Columbia (1-0) 16 @ Saskatchewan (1-1) 7

Willie Fleming rushed 14 times for 154 yards and Nub Beamer carried 20 times for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Lions defeated the Roughriders before 12,065 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Peter Kempf kicked a convert and 3 field goals in his first CFL game to aid the B.C. cause. Saskatchewan halfback Bill Gray rushed 75 yards to the B.C. 3-yard line in the 1st quarter, and followed with a 3-yard run for the only Saskatchewan touchdown, converted by Reg Whitehouse. In addition to playing quarterback, Saskatchewan's Bob Ptacek made 2 inerceptions.

40 years ago
1973

Died on this date
Dean Corll, 33. U.S. serial killer. Mr. Corll, yet another fine upstanding sodomite, kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered at least 28 boys and young men in Houston, Texas and vicinity. He was killed by one of his accomplices, Wayne Henley, who confessed to police.

Law
In the last of a series of rulings, stays, and appeals, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the July 25 ruling by Federal District Court Judge Orrin Judd in Brooklyn that U.S. bombing in Cambodia was "unatuthorized and unlawful." The suit had been filed on April 19 by Representative Elizabeth Holtzman (Democrat--New York) and four United States Air Force officers. At the request of the U.S. government, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals had issued a stay of Judge Judd's decision on July 27. On August 1, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall issued a stay of the order halting bombing. Rep. Holtzman appealed to Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, and on August 4 he ordered an immediate halt to bombing of Cambodia. Several hour later, Justice Marshall, supported by the other seven members of the U.S. Supreme Court, issued an order overruling Justice Douglas.

Disasters
About 40 people were feared drowned when a motor boat caught fire and capsized in Lake Volta, Ghana.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (0-2) 6 @ Toronto (2-0) 19
British Columbia (0-2) 19 @ Saskatchewan (2-1) 38

Joe Theismann and Mike Rae each threw a touchdown pass and the Toronto defense held the Ottawa offense without a touchdown as the Argonauts defeated the Rough Riders before 33,135 fans at CNE Stadium. Mr. Theismann completed a 63-yard touchdown pass to Eric Allen with 1:10 remaining in the 1st half, and Mr. Rae threw his first CFL TD pass, 40 yards to Mike Eben with 2:29 remaining in the game.

Ron Lancaster threw touchdown passes to Bob Pearce, Tom Campana and Rick Eber, and George Reed passed Jim Brown on the professional football career touchdown list as the Roughriders beat the Lions at Taylor Field in Regina. Mr. Reed's 2-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter was the 107th rushing touchdown of his 11-year CFL career. Mr. Brown rushed for 106 touchdowns with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1957-1965. Rookie Saskatchewan running back Terry Bulych rushed 1 yard for his first CFL touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the game. Johnny Musso rushed for 2 B.C. touchdowns, while rookie quarterback Karl Douglas threw his first CFL touchdown pass, 23 yards to Monroe Eley in the 4th quarter. Ted Gerela missed the convert attempt on the first B.C. touchdown, so head coach Eagle Keys allowed Bob Friend to try the converts on the last 2 B.C. touchdowns. He missed both attempts.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (5th week at #1)

World events
The Guatemalan military government of President Efrain Rios Montt was overthrown by Defense Minister Brigadier General Oscar Humberto Mejia Victores, who replaced General Rios Montt as President. Gen. Rios Montt, who claimed to be a born-again Christian, had come to power in a military coup in 1982. He had refused to set a firm date for elections and had raised taxes, and there were widespread reports of abuses of human rights under his regime. The coup that put Brig. Gen. Mejia in power was swift and almost bloodless, and the new president lifted restrictions on civil liberties associated with the "state of alarm" imposed by Gen. Rios Montt.

Economics and finance
Citibank, followed by other leading U.S. banks, raised its prime interest rate from 10.5% to 11%, the first such increase in more than a year.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Age of Reason--John Farnham (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Alan Napier, 85. U.K.-born U.S. actor. Mr. Napier appeared as a character actor in many movies and television programs, but is best remembered as Alfred the butler on the television series Batman (1966-1968).

War
United Nations Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar announced that a cease-fire between Iran and Iraq would go into effect on August 20 and that both parties would begin to discuss a final settlement.

Angola, Cuba, and South Africa issued a joint statement announcing a truce in Angola, with South Africa to begin withdrawing its troops from Angola on August 10.

Protest
The 8888 Uprising, a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots against the one-party state of the Burma Socialist Programme Party in Burma, began.

Baseball
Wrigley Field, which had been known as Weeghman Park when it opened in 1914 as the home of the Chicago Whales of the Federal League, hosted its first night game. The game between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies was rained out in the 4th inning.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You--UB40 (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You--UB40 (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Mr. Vain--Culture Beat (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): What's Up?--4 Non Blondes (4th week at #1)

War
Four U.S. soldiers who were part of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Somalia were killed in an explosion, which was followed by attacks on other soldiers.

Disasters
The 7.8-Mw Guam earthquake shook the island with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), causing around $250 million in damage and injuring up to 71 people.

10 years ago
2003

Scandal
A week after tape recordings made from July 30-August 1 appeared to reveal that Baylor University head basketball coach Dave Bliss had advised assistant coaches and players to depict Patrick Dennehy (a Baylor basketball player whose body, with two bullet wounds, had been found on July 25, more than a month after he'd been reported missing) as a drug dealer in an apparent attempt to conceal the fact that Mr. Bliss had paid money to Mr. Dennehy, Baylor President Robert Sloan accepted the resignations of Mr. Bliss and Athletic Director Tom Stanton, after learning that players had used drugs and failed drug tests. Mr. Dennehy's roommate and former teammate Carlton Dodson had been charged on July 21 with Mr. Dennehy's murder.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (0-8) 17 @ Montreal (7-1) 30
Calgary (2-6) 4 @ British Columbia (5-3) 48