September 18, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Olga Kravtsova!

220 years ago
1793

Americana
The first cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building was laid by President George Washington.

200 years ago
1813

War
In the War of 1812, U.S. forces led by General William Henry Harrison forced British forces commanded by Major-General Henry Proctor to evacuate Detroit and withdraw up the Thames River toward Lake Ontario.

175 years ago
1838

Economics and finance
The Anti-Corn Law League was established in by Richard Cobden. The league was dedicated to abolishing British trade laws that imposed steep import duties on grain, making it impossible to import grain into the United Kingdom from other countries, even in times of famine.

140 years ago
1873

Economics and finance
The U.S. brokerage firm Jay Cooke & Company declared bankruptcy, triggering a series of bank failures known as the Panic of 1873 that produced a five-year depression in North America. The firm was trying to compete with the Canadian Pacific Railway, and meddled in Canadian politics.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Grey Owl. U.K.-born Canadian conservationist. Born Archibald Belaney near Hastings, England, he emigrated to Canada as a teenager, and ended up in northern Ontario, where he adopted an Indian identity, including the name Grey Owl. Grey Owl married a Native Canadian girl, who led him to abandon trapping and become a conservationist. Books such as The Men of the Last Frontier (1931) and magazine articles that he wrote while he was working with the Dominion Parks Service were influential in leading Canadians to view their land and animals as resources to be protected rather than exploited. Grey Owl, who was a heavy drinker, died in his cabin near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on April 13, 1938 at the age of 49. The day after his death, the North Bay Nugget, which had been sitting on the story for three years, became the first newspaper to expose the fact that Canada's leading "Native" conservationist was a white Englishman.

110 years ago
1903

Baseball
Chick Fraser pitched a no-hitter as the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the Chicago Cubs 10-0 in the second game of a doubleheader at West Side Grounds in Chicago.

70 years ago
1943

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Sunday, Monday, or Always--Bing Crosby and the Ken Darby Singers (2nd week at #1)

War
German resistance on the Salerno front was reported weaker, as the Allies recaptured Battipaglia and Altavilla. Soviet troops advanced in 10 important sectors along a 600-mile front. U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur announced that his Australian and American forces were now occupying the important Japanese base of Lae, New Guinea.

Abominations
German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler ordered the deportation of Danish Jews.

60 years ago
1953

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Look at That Girl--Guy Mitchell (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
The Joe Louis Story, directed by Robert Gordon, and starring Coley Wallace, Hilda Simms, Paul Stewart, and James Edwards, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Charles de Tornaco, 27. Belgian auto racing driver. Mr. de Tornaco was a Formula One driver who suffered serious head and neck injuries while practicing for the Modena Grand Prix, and died in a private saloon car on his way to the hospital.

Literature
The September 18 issue of Collier's magazine contained the short story The Adventure of the Deptford Horror by Adrian Conan Doyle, the eleventh in a series known as The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes.

Football
CRU
ORFU-university
Exhibition
Toronto Balmy Beach 23 @ University of Toronto 16

Only 500 fans attended the game at Varsity Stadium.

50 years ago
1963

Boxing
Hiroyuki Ebihara (39-1-1) knocked out Pone Kingpetch (26-5) at 2:07 of the 1st round to win the WBA and WBC world flyweight titles at Metropolitan Gym in Tokyo.

Football
CFL
Quarterback Frank Tripucka, who had quit the Denver Broncos the previous day, signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Mr. Tripucka had played with the Roughriders from 1953-1958 before being traded to the Ottawa Rough Riders. Midway through the 1959 season, he was dealt back to Saskatchewan to replace the fired George Terlep as head coach, and played the last 2 games of the season, although he was ineligible to play because of late-season restrictions on imports. Mr. Tripucka joined the Broncos as their starting quarterback for their first 3 seasons in the American Football League, but threw 5 interceptions in just 15 passes in the first 2 games of 1963, prompting his decision to leave.

Baseball
Only 1,752 fans were in attendance to see the Phildelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 5-1 in the last game ever played at the Polo Grounds in New York.

40 years ago
1973

Diplomacy
The 28th General Assembly of the United Nations admitted East and West Germany and the Bahamas as members. The admission vote went quickly and was hailed as a major achievement in improving East-West relations.

Following a meeting in Cairo with Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, King Hussein of Jordan granted amnesty to 754 political prisoners, including Palestinian guerrillas jailed since 1970, in a move toward Arab reconciliation.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (2-7) 33 @ British Columbia (3-6) 13

John Bledsoe rushed for 2 touchdowns and Don Jonas passed for 2 more as the Blue Bombers ended a 5-game losing streak by beating the Lions before 21,084 fans at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. Mr. Jonas completed a 103-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Willie Miller in the 2nd quarter and a 7-yard TD pass to Bob LaRose with 33 seconds remaining in the game. B.C.'s only touchdown came with 38 seconds remaining in the 1st half on a 73-yard pass from Don Moorhead to Lefty Hendrickson.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland: I Like Chopin--Gazebo

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, starring Graham Armitage and Kerry Jordan, on Springbok Radio
Tonight's episode: The Shrunken Head

Football
CFL
Toronto (8-2) 50 @ Hamilton (4-6) 16
Edmonton (6-4) 46 @ Saskatchewan (3-7) 21

Condredge Holloway threw touchdown passes of 66 and 80 yards to Emanuel Tolbert and another of 21 yards to Cedric Minter, and rushed 6 yards for a TD of his own--all in the 1st half--as the Argonauts built a 33-2 halftime lead and routed the Tiger-Cats before 25,128 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Carl Brazley intercepted a Tom Clements pass and returned it 62 yards for a Toronto touchdown, and Joe Barnes completed an 87-yard TD pass to Greg Holmes with 1:06 remaining in the game for the final Toronto touchdown. Keith Baker caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Mr. Clements in the 4th quarter and caught a pass from Jeff Tedford for a 2-point convert on Rufus Crawford's 2-yard touchdown run later in the 4th quarter. Mr. Holloway completed 17 of 28 passes for 381 yards, while Mr. Clements, playing his last game in a Hamilton uniform, was 16 of 31 for 166 yards. Mr. Tolbert caught 4 passes for 180 yards, while teammate Terry Greer caught 6 for 100. Mr. Clement was traded several days later to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for quarterback Dieter Brock, then under suspension for walking out on the team in a contract dispute.

Warren Moon completed 23 of 33 passes for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Eskimos over the Roughriders before 28,377 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Tom Scott, Brian Kelly, and Marco Cyncar caught Mr. Moon's touchdown passes, while Scott Stauch and Neil Lumsden rushed for Edmonton TDs. Rookie quarterback Matt Dunigan finished the game in relief of Mr. Moon and rushed twice for 20 yards and completed all 3 of his passes for 35 yards, including his first CFL touchdown pass, 19 yards to Mr. Kelly on a third-down gamble with 38 seconds remaining. Homer Jordan, who relieved starting quarterback John Hufnagel in the 2nd half, threw touchdown passes to Chris DeFrance and Ron Robinson. It was the first appearance in an Edmonton uniform for defensive back Jerry Philip, running back Milson Jones, and defensive lineman James Hunter. Mr. Hunter, who knocked Mr. Hufnagel out of the game with a sack, was chosen the defensive star of the game, while Mr. Jones, who had been acquired from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers several days earlier in a trade for offensive linemen Ken Walter and Pieter Vanden Bos, didn't touch the ball. One of the game's key plays was a 55-yard quick kick by Neil Lumsden with a 40-miles-per-hour wind behind him on a second down and 15 yards to go play from the Edmonton 31-yard line in the 2nd quarter.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Cecilia--Times Two

#1 single in Switzerland: Hand in Hand--Koreana

Died on this date
Alan Watt, 87. Australian diplomat. Sir Alan served in the Department of External Affairs from 1937-1962, holding numerous ambassadorial posts, including that of the first Australian Ambassador to the U.S.S.R. (1948-1950).

World events
A bloody military coup in Burma by the State Law and Order Restoration Council under the leadership of General Saw Maung toppled President Maung Maung from power after just one month in office. Gen. Saw Maung was reported to be an ally of former President Ne Win, who had resigned in July after 26 years in power. The coup sparked several days of clashes between civilians and the army, resulting in the deaths of a large number of civilians--263, according to the government. Others put the death toll at thousands, mostly monks and civilians (primarily students) killed by the Tatmadaw.

Henri Namphy, deposed the day before as President of Haiti by a coup of noncommissioned military officers, flew into exile in the Dominican Republic. It wasn't clear if the new President, Lieutenant General Prosper Avril, could control the military, and it was reported that four people had died in fighting within the ranks of the military.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (1-10) 25 @ Hamilton (7-4) 35
Toronto (7-4) 21 @ Edmonton (8-3) 38

Backup quarterback Greg Vavra completed a touchdown pass to defensive end Brett Williams on a fake field goal attempt to help the Eskimos defeat the Argonauts at Commonwealth Stadium. Ron Ingram, playing his second and last game as an Eskimo, entered the game in place of Henry "Gizmo" Williams and caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Tracy Ham on the ensuing play.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Mr. Vain--Culture Beat

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Life--Haddaway

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): What's Up?--4 Non Blondes (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Mets de l'huile--Regg'Lyss

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): What's Up?--4 Non Blondes (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Mr. Vain--Culture Beat (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Dreamlover--Mariah Carey (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A (Cash Box): (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You--UB40 (8th week at #1)

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Dreamlover--Mariah Carey
2 Rain--Madonna
3 Runaway Train--Soul Asylum
4 The River of Dreams--Billy Joel
5 If--Janet Jackson
6 Will You Be There--Michael Jackson
7 Reason to Believe--Rod Stewart
8 (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You--UB40
9 Believe--Lenny Kravitz
10 I'm Free--Jon Secada

Singles entering the chart were Right Here/Human Nature by SWV (#82); Already Gone by Blue Rodeo (#85); I'm the Only One by Melissa Etheridge (#86); Everybody Hurts by R.E.M. (#89); Freedom Train by Wild T and The Spirit (#90); The Moment You were Mine by Beth Neilson Chapman (#91); The Wish by Mae Moore (#94); and Sunday Morning by Earth, Wind and Fire (#98).

Americana
Kimberly Clarice Aiken, representing South Carolina, was named Miss America 1994 at the annual pageant at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.



Football
CFL
British Columbia (8-4) 21 @ Calgary (11-1) 40

Dave Sapunjis caught 10 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown as the Stampeders beat the Lions before 29,110 fans at McMahon Stadium. Calgary quarterback Doug Flutie also threw 2 touchdown passes to Will Moore and another to Derrick Crawford, and rushed for another TD himself. B.C. quarterback Danny Barrett threw touchdown passes to Sean Millington and Mike Trevathan.

10 years ago
2003

Disasters
Hurricane Isabel struck the coast of North Carolina and moved inland, causing at least 40 deaths and $5 billion of damage to property. Virginia had the highest death toll, at least 23. Isabel had winds in excess of 150 miles per hour at sea, but the winds had declned to less than 100 mph by the time the storm made land. Extensive flooding occurred in many coastal cities, including Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland. Four million people lost electric power and most federal government offices in Washington, D.C. closed.