August 9, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Kavita Duggal!

840 years ago
1173

Italiana
Construction of the campanile of the cathedral of Pisa (later known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) began. It took two centuries to complete.

530 years ago
1483

Italiana
The Sistine Chapel in Rome opened with the celebration of a Mass.

225 years ago
1788

Born on this date
Adoniram Judson. U.S. missionary. Mr. Judson was the first North American Protestant missionary to go to Burma, where he spent almost all of his 37 years on the mission field. He inspired the founding of the first Baptist association in America and inspired many Americans to become missionaries or support them. It took many years of work, but eventually thousands of Burmese people came to saving faith in Jesus Christ, and about 100 Baptist churches had been founded by the time of Mr. Judson's death on April 12, 1850 at the age of 61. Mr. Judson's translation of the Bible into Burmese remains the most popular translation in that nation, now known as Myanmar.

110 years ago
1903

Born on this date
Tom Tyler. U.S. actor. Mr. Tyler, born Vincent Markowski, appeared in numerous low-budget Western movies from 1924-1953. He played Kharis in The Mummy's Hand (1940), and played the title character in the serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941). Mr. Tyler suffered from rheumatoid arthritis in later years, and was nearly destitute when he died from a heart attack and scleroderma on May 1, 1954 at the age of 50.

70 years ago
1943

Literature
Burma Surgeon by Dr. Gordon S. Seagrave was published.

War
The Swiss government reported that the Verona conferences between representatives of the German government and those of the new Italian government of Marshal Pietro Badoglio had concluded with Marshal Badoglio agreeing to continue the war on the side of the Axis. U.K. and U.S. troops joined near Maletto as they advanced toward Randozzo in the centre of the Sicilian line. With the capture of Slatino, U.S.S.R. troops moved to within 12 miles of the German base at Kharkov.

Protest
Police arrested hundreds of demonstrators in India on the anniversary of Hindu nationalist leader Mohandas Gandhi's arrest, and broke up a march on the villa of the Aga Khan in Poona, where Mr. Gandhi was interned.

Politics and government
The U.S. Office of War Information announced that 777 employees had been dropped from its domestic branch, reducing personnel from 1,269 to 492 to meet the $5.5 million budget cut by Congress.

Economics and finance
A Lend-Lease agreement was signed in Washington by U.S. State Secretary Cordell Hull and Ethiopian Vice Finance Minister Yilma Deressa.

50 years ago
1963

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

Died on this date
Patrick Kennedy, 2 days. Patrick, the second son and third child of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline, was born prematurely on August 7 at Otis Air Force Base Hospital, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He weighed just 4 pounds and 10 ounces and was flown to Children's medical Center in Boston, where he died of hyalone membrane disease, a lung condition that keeps oxygen from entering the blood.

Music
The Canada Youth Orchestra performed at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton as part of its cross-country tour. An article in The Edmonton Journal on July 25 had reported that the tour might be their last because of a precarious financial position. 50 years later, the orchestra, now known as National Youth Orchestra Canada, performed at the Winspear Centre for Music in Edmonton on August 7 as part of its annual cross-country tour. The orchestra is alive and well in its 53rd season.

Edmontonia
Canadian National Railways Vice-President G.R. Graham announced plans for the $8-million 25-storey CN Tower to be built downtown, with construction to begin in the spring of 1964.

World events
It was reported that Egypt had begun withdrawing troops from Yemen. 2,000 of 30,000 Egyptian troops had left Yemen since the beginning of the month.

Environment
Famed U.S. firefighter Red Adair put out a fire at a gas well in northern British Columbia, 60 miles north of Fort St. John.

Business
That day's edition of The Edmonton Journal carried an ad announcing that Mid-Western Industrial Gas Ltd. president Robert Campbell had appointed Don Getty as the company's assistant general manager. Mr. Getty was still employed as the starting quarterback of the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (0-1) 5 @ Toronto (1-0) 8

Jackie Parker, playing his first regular season game for the Toronto Argonauts since being acquired in a February 18 trade from the Edmonton Eskimos for 5 players and $15,000, was booed for much of the game, but completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dick Shatto on a third-down gamble late in the game to give the Argonauts the win over the Rough Riders before 27,557 fans at CNE Stadium.

Baseball
Jim Hickman hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the New York Mets a 7-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds in New York. Mr. Hickman's home run allowed Roger Craig to become the winning pitcher, ending his personal 18-game losing streak.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Welcome Home--Peters and Lee (4th week at #1)

Disasters
At least 70 people were believed drowned when their bus crashed into a deep irrigation canal near Minshat Faisal, Egypt.

Football
CFL
Calgary (1-1) 7 @ Winnipeg (1-2) 30

The Blue Bombers held the Stampeders without a touchdown and scored 2 TDs in the 4th quarter as they won at Winnipeg Stadium. Winnipeg led 17-7 midway through the 4th quarter, with the only touchdown coming on a 6-yard rush by Stan Brown in the 1st quarter. Defensive back Doug Strong returned an interception 61 yards for a Winnipeg touchdown with 6:22 left in the game, and Paul Williams scored on a 30-yard pass from Don Jonas with 1:01 remaining.

30 years ago
1983

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

War
France announced that it would send 180 paratroopers to Chad, whose government was involved in a civil war with rebels who were being helped by neighbouring Libya.

25 years ago
1988

Politics and government
U.S. President Ronald Reagan nominated Texas Technical University President Laura Cavazos to succeed William Bennett, who had announced his resignation as Decretary of Education. Ms. Cavazos, if confirmed, would become the first U.S. cabinet minister of Hispanic ancestry.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board raised the discount rate--the rate on loans that it charged to financial institutions--to its highest level in two years, from 6% to 6.5%. The Fed said it acted "to reduce inflationary pressures." The increase, in turn, triggered increases in rates for U.S. Treasury bills, bank certificates and commercial paper, as well as pushing up the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies.

Hockey
NHL
Peter Pocklington, owner of the Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers, traded centre Wayne Gretzky--the game's biggest star--to the Los Angeles Kings with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley in exchange for Jimmy Carson; Martin Gelinas; Los Angeles's 1989, 1991, and 1993 first round draft choices; and a reported $15 million (see also here). Mr. Gretzky had been purchased by Mr. Pocklington from the Indianapolis Racers early in the 1978-79 season, and had recently led the Oilers to their fourth Stanley Cup championship in the past five years.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Mr. Vain--Culture Beat (8th week at #1)

Politics and government
The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan lost its 38-year hold on national leadership, 22 days after failing to secure a majority of seats in the House of Representatives in the general election. An eight-party coalition formed a government, with New Party leader Morihiro Hosokawa as Prime Minister.

Protest
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested more than 250 opponents of Clayoquot Sound clear-cut logging in the largest mass arrest in British Columbia history.

Disasters
Two months of flooding in the midwestern United States had resulted in the deaths of 50 people, 70,000 left homeless, and an estimated $12 billion in damage to property and agriculture.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Gregory Hines, 57. U.S. dancer and actor. Mr. Hines, who began dancing around the age of 3, took over from Sammy Davis, Jr. as the most famous tap dancer of his time. His movies included The Cotton Club (1984); White Nights (1985); and Tap (1989). Mr. Hines won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for Jelly's Last Jam (1992), and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program in 2003 for Little Bill. He starred in the television situation comedy series The Gregory Hines Show on CBS (1997-1998), and also had a hit record, singing the duet There's Nothing Better than Love with Luther Vandross, which reached #1 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart in 1986. Mr. Hines died of liver cancer in Los Angeles, but was buried in Saint Volodymyr's Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery in Oakville, Ontario.

Protest
British soldiers fired rubber bullets into a crowd of people in Basra, Iraq who were protesting shortages of power and fuel.

Football
CFL
Toronto (4-4) 20 @ Edmonton (5-3) 49

Ricky Ray completed 20 of 23 passes for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Eskimos to a rout of the Argonauts before 44,189 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Terry Vaughn led Edmonton receivers with 8 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown, while Mike Pringle rushed 20 times for 97 yards. Jason Maas, seeing his first action at quarterback of the season, mopped up for the Eskimos by completing his only pass for 12 yards and rushing twice for 19 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown. The Argonauts' biggest play was a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Bashir Levingston on the first play of the 2nd quarter.