September 13, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Mary Tere Martinez!

1,480 years ago
533

War
Belisarius of the Byzantine Empire defeated Gelimer and the Vandals at the Battle of Ad Decimum near Carthage in North Africa.

270 years ago
1743

Diplomacy
Great Britain, Austria, and the Kingdom of Sardinia signed the Treaty of Worms.

225 years ago
1788

Politics and government
The Philadelphia Convention of the Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election and declared New York City the temporary national capital.

210 years ago
1803

Died on this date
John Barry, 58. U.S. military officer. Commodore Barry, known as the "Father of the American Navy," was appointed a captain in the Continental Navy in 1775, and served in the Revolutionary War. In 1797, he became the first commissioned U.S. Navy officer, receiving Commission No. 1 and the rank of commodore, backdated to June 4, 1794, from President George Washington.

200 years ago
1813

Born on this date
John Sedgwick. U.S. military officer. General Sedgwick became the higest-ranking Union Army casualty in the U.S. Civil War. He was commanding forces in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in Virginia on May 9, 1864, when artillerymen and members of his staff began ducking for cover with Confederate sharpshooters firing from 1,000 yards away. Gen. Sedgwick was shot blow the left eye seconds after uttering the famous last words, "I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

Died on this date
Hezqeyas. Emperor of Ethiopia, 1789-1794. Hezqeyas, the son of Iyasu III, was removed from prison and made Emperor while the current Emperor, Tekle Giyorgis I, was in the field fighting against several revolts. Tekle Giyoris regained the throne from Hezqeyas in 1794.

170 years ago
1843

Protest
The Greek Army rebelled against the autocratic rule of King Otto, demanding the granting of a constitution.

130 years ago
1883

Baseball
Hugh "One Arm" Daily pitched a no-hitter for the Cleveland Blues as they edged the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 at Recreation Park in Philadelphia.

110 years ago
1903

Born on this date
Claudette Colbert. French-born U.S. actress. Miss Colbert, born Emilie Chauchoin, won the Academy Award as Best Actress for It Happened One Night (1934), and was nominated for Oscars for her starring performances in Private Worlds (1935) and Since You Went Away (1944). She died on July 30, 1996 at the age of 92.

90 years ago
1923

Politics and government
Following a military coup, Miguel Primo de Rivera took office as President of Spain, setting up a dictatorship.

80 years ago
1933

Abominations
Elizabeth McCombs became the first woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament.

70 years ago
1943

War
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King ordered two home-defense divisions disbanded. The U.S. Selective Service System ordered state directors to induct all available non-fathers before calling pre-Pearl Harbor fathers regardless of local board October quotas. U.S. forces encountered the heaviest fighting of the Mediterranean campaign around Salerno, Italy, facing repeated German counterattacks. Soviet troops stormed through German defenses in the Bryansk area and reached the east bank of the Desna River.

Politics and government
The central executive committee of China's governing Kuomintang party named Chiang Kai-shek to a three-year term as President of China, succeeding Lin Sen, who had died on August 1.

60 years ago
1953

Politics and government
Nikita Khrushchev was appointed secretary-general of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Kiss Me Quick--Brendan Bowyer (2nd week at #1)

40 years ago
1973

Died on this date
Betty Field, 60. U.S. actress. Miss Field appeared in such movies as The Southerner (1945); The Great Gatsby (1949); Picnic (1955); Bus Stop (1956); Peyton Place (1957); and Coogan's Bluff (1968).

Politics and government
Two days after a military junta had seized power in Chile and President Salvador Allende had comitted suicide, General Augosto Pinochet took office as President and swore in a 15-man cabinet predominantly consisting of military personnel. Ge. Pinochet announced that the junta would "exterminate Marxism." The Christian Democrats and National Party expressed support for the junta.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Young Love--Donny Osmond (2nd week at #1)

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Flashdance...What a Feeling--Irene Cara (6th week at #1)

War
The U.S. administration of President Ronald Reagan announced that onshore U.S. Marines in Lebanon could call for U.S. naval artillery and air strikes either to protect themselves or to aid the Lebanese army if it was protecting U.S. personnel.

25 years ago
1988

Archaeology
Discovery of a 1,500-year-old burial site 420 miles northwest of Lima, Peru was announced and described as the most significant of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. The site contained the remains of a high-ranking warrior-priest of the Moche people and of several of his wives and servants. The Moche were a great civilization that pre-dated the Inca. Dr. Christopher Donnan of the University of California said that the discovery ranked in importance with that of King Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt.

Diplomacy
In a reversal of policy, the U.S. administration of President Ronald Reagan said that the United States would make an overdue payment of $44 million in dues to the United Nations, with an additional $144 million in dues to be paid October 1.

Weather
Hurricane Gilbert hit the Cayman Islands with winds of 130 miles per hour. It was the strongest recorded hurricane in the Western Hemisphere until Hurricane Wilma in 2005 (based on barometric pressure).

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): What's Up?--4 Non Blondes (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Carl Voss, 86. U.S. hockey player and official. Mr. Voss, a native of Chelsea, Massachusetts, moved to Canada as a teenager. He played for Queen's University and the Toronto Marlboros before turning professional in 1926. He played briefly with the Toronto Maple Leafs before spending several years in the minors. Mr. Voss began the 1932-33 season with the New York Rangers before moving to the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the first winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. Early the following season he was dealt to the Ottawa Senators and played for the team when they became the St. Louis Eagles a year later. He played with the New York Americans, Montreal Maroons, and Chicago Black Hawks, scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Black Hawks in 1938. A knee injury in training camp the following season ended Mr. Voss's playing career. He went on to serve as an executive and official, eventually spending 15 years from 1950-1965 as the NHL's Referee-in-Chief. Mr. Voss was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1974. Mr. Voss also played football, and was a member of the Queen's University team that won the Grey Cup in 1924.

Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shook hands on the lawn of the White House to mark the signing of a Declaration of Principles for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Frank O'Bannon, 73. U.S. politician. Mr. O'Bannon, a Democrat, was Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1989-1997 and Governor of Indiana from 1997 until his death, which occurred five days after suffering a stroke while attending a trade conference in Chicago. He was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan.

Diplomacy
Meeting in Geneva with the four other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell continued to push for a resolution calling for the creation of a multinational force in Iraq. No agreement was reached; France continued to show great reluctance to endorse any resolution appearing to give retroactive blessing to the war.

Law
Overturning a lower court decision, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal ruled that Joshua Bernard, a Mi'kmaq Indian logger, had the right to harvest and sell trees from Crown lands that had been historically occupied by Indians.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (9-4) 34 @ British Columbia (7-5) 30

Ricky Ray completed 28 of 36 passes for 339 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Eskimos edged the Lions before 27,070 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. Ed Hervey caught 8 passes for 126 yards and 2 touchdown passes from Mr. Ray, and his 30-yard TD reception at 2:54 of the 4th quarter held up as the winning score. Troy Mills and Winston October also caught touchdown passes from Mr. Ray, both in the 1st quarter. B.C. quarterback Dave Dickenson completed 27 of 39 passes for 496 yards and 2 touchdowns, both to Geroy Simon, who also caught a 2-point convert pass from Mr. Dickenson. Mr. Dickenson also threw 3 interceptions. Mr. Simon led all receivers with 238 yards on 10 receptions. Edmonton's Mike Pringle led all rushers with 17 carries for 96 yards.