October 4, 2013

650 years ago
1363

War
Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeated those of his rival, Chen Youliang, in the conclusion of the five-week-long Battle of Lake Poyang, one of the largest naval battles in history.

320 years ago
1693

War
French forces commanded by Marshal Nicolas Catinat defeated Piedmontese troops led by Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy in the Battle of Marsaglia in Italy.

140 years ago
1873

Canadiana
Sigtryggur Jonasson led the first group of Icelanders to found a new settlement on Lake Winnipeg. They named it "Gimli," which means "Paradise," or "The Great Hall of Heaven" in Icelandic.

130 years ago
1883

Transportation
The Orient Express train made its first run from Paris to Giurgiu, Romania via Munich and Vienna.

100 years ago
1913

Born on this date
Martial Célestin. 1st Prime Minister of Haiti, 1988. Mr. Célestin was appointed Prime Minister under provisions of the 1987 Constitution, taking office on February 9, 1988, and adding the justice portfolio to his duties three days later. He was deposed from both positions by a coup on June 20, 1988. Mr. Célestin died on February 4, 2011 at the age of 97.

Football
ARU
Calgary (2-0) 8 @ University of Alberta (0-2) 0

The Tigers scored 2 safety touches and 4 singles in their win at Diamond Park in Edmonton.

80 years ago
1933

Baseball
World Series
Washington Nationals 1 @ New York Giants 6 (New York led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Goose Goslin's home run in the top of the 3rd inning gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead, but the Giants erupted for 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th, knocking Washington starting pitcher General Crowder out of the box, before 35,461 fans at the Polo Grounds. Hal Schumacher pitched a 5-hit complete game to get the win. 43-year-old Sam Rice, in his 19th season with the Nationals, played his last game in a Washington uniform, singling as a pinch hitter in the 7th inning.

70 years ago
1943

Died on this date
Irena Iłłakowicz, 37. Polish military officer and spy. Mrs. Iłłakowicz was a lieutenant and spy with the Polish resistance movement who was murdered in Warsaw under unknown circumstances.

War
An Allied amphibious landing outflanked German forces on Italy's east coast and brought the seizure of Termoli. After repulsing a German counterattack, U.K. forces continued their advance along the Italian east coast. The Yugoslavian armey of liberation announced the capture of the Montenegran towns of Bjelo Polge and Kolasin, as well as the fortified base of Tuzla in eastern Bosnia. U.S. forces captured the Solomon Islands. Australian troops continued their drive through the Ramu River Valley, occupying Dumpu, New Guinea.

Diplomacy
In presenting his credentials to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S.S.R. Ambassador to the United States Andrei Gromyko said that "friendly relations and closest collaboration" with America was desired by the Soviet Union.

60 years ago
1953

Football
CRU
IRFU
Toronto @ Montreal (postponed to October 18)

The game between the Argonauts and Alouettes was postponed because Delorimier Stadium was being used for baseball's Little World Series, with the International League champion Montreal Royals playing the American Association champion Kansas City Blues.

Baseball
World Series
New York Yankees 11 @ Brooklyn Dodgers 7 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-2)

The Yankees scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning and 3 in the 7th as they held on to win before a sellout crowd of 36,775 at Ebbets Field. New York led 10-2 after 7½ innings, but Brooklyn rallied for 4 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 8th inning to cut the deficit to 10-6. The Dodgers outhit the Yankees 14-11. Gene Woodling, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, and Gil McDougald hit home runs for the Yankees, while Billy Cox and Jim Gilliam homered for the Dodgers. Jim McDonald pitched 7 2/3 innings to get the win, with Bob Kuzava quelling the Dodgers' comeback in the 8th and Allie Reynolds quelling another Dodger comeback in the 9th to get the save, inducing Jackie Robinson to ground into a double play to end the game. Johnny Podres lasted just 2 2/3 innings in taking the loss.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Kiss Me Quick--Brendan Bowyer (5th week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Three Rows Over--Bobby Curtola (3rd week at #1)
2 Blue Bayou--Roy Orbison
3 Blue Velvet--Bobby Vinton
4 Sugar Shack--Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs
5 Martian Hop--The Ran-dells
6 Then He Kissed Me--The Crystals
7 Little Deuce Coupe--The Beach Boys
8 Mean Woman Blues--Roy Orbison
9 Wham--Lonnie Mack
10 Blue Guitar--Richard Chamberlain

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Steel, starring Lee Marvin

The Alfred Hitchock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: A Nice Touch, starring Anne Baxter and George Segal

Labour
3,800 longshoremen in Montreal went on strike at three St. Lawrence Seaway ports, delaying the shipment of wheat to the Soviet Union.

Disasters
Hurricane Flora killed 6,000 people in Cuba and Haiti.

Football
CFL
Montreal (5-5) 29 @ Toronto (2-8) 13

Ferd Burket, Warren Rabb, George Dixon, and Dave Hoppmann each scored a touchdown for the Alouettes as they beat the Argonauts before 23,587 fans at CNE Stadium.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Ballroom Blitz--The Sweet (2nd week at #1)

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Moonlight Shadow--Mike Oldfield (3rd week at #1)

Defense
U.S. President Ronald Reagan formally gave his support to the build-down concept in which old nuclear warheads would be destroyed as new ones were deployed. In the new proposal, emphasis would be placed on less threatening and less vulnerable sea-based and mobile land-based missiles.

Business
The big three U.S. automakers--General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler--reported that sales had increased 16.7% during the 1983 model year, the first gain from the previous year since 1978.

Auto racing
Richard Noble set a new land speed record of 633.468 miles per hour (1,019 kilometres per hour), driving Thrust 2 at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.

Baseball
National League Championhsip Series
Philadelphia 1 @ Los Angeles 0 (Philadelphia led best-of-five series 1-0)



25 years ago
1988

Scandal
Nine Canadians victimized by U.S. Central Intelligence Agency brainwashing experiments at McGill University in the 1950s reached an out-of-court settlement, sharing a $750,000 award.

Economics and finance
The United States House of Representatives voted 272-152 in favour of restricting imports of textiles, apparel, and shoes, but the result was 11 votes short of the number required to override President Ronald Reagan's veto of the bill which he had called "protectionism at its worst" in his veto message. He hailed the failure to override the veto, saying that the House had "once again reaffirmed America's commitment to the free market and free international trade."

Baseball
National League Championship Series
New York 3 @ Los Angeles 2 (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)

The Mets scored all their runs in the top of the 9th inning, ending Orel Hershiser's streak of scoreless innings at 67 1/3. Jay Howell, who relieved Mr. Hershiser, was the losing pitcher before 55,582 fans at Dodger Stadium.





20 years ago
1993

Died on this date
Josh Ashton, 44. U.S. football player. Mr. Ashton was a running back at the University of Tulsa who was drafted in the 9th round by the New England Patriots in 1971. He went to the Canadian Football League instead, joining the British Columbia Lions. Mr. Ashton played the first 6 games of the season, rushing 25 times for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns, catching 9 passes for 112 yards, and returning 10 kickoffs for 291 yards. He suddenly announced that he no longer wanted to play football, and returned to the United States. Having presumably been released by the Lions, Mr. Ashton joined the Patriots in 1972, and played 38 games with New England through 1974 and 2 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975, rushing 257 times for 994 yards and 3 touchdowns, catching 33 passes for 320 yards and 1 touchdown, and returning 15 kickoffs for 309 yards. His best season was 1972, when he scored all his touchdowns, rushing 128 times for 546 yards, catching 22 passes for 207 yards, and amassing all his kickoff returns, for 1,062 combined yards.

Protest
In Moscow, tanks bombarded the White House, a government building that housed the Russian parliament, while demonstrators against President Boris Yeltsin rallied outside. The standoff, which had begun on September 24, ended when the dissident members of parliament finally surrendered.

Politics and government
The English-language debate of the four major Canadian political party leaders took place as part of the federal election campaign.



Law
British Columbia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, described as one of the strongest in the world, was proclaimed.

10 years ago
2003

Terrorism
21 Israelis, Jews and Arabs, were killed, and 51 others wounded in a suicide bomb attack on the Maxim restaurant in Haifa, Israel.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (6-10) 18 @ Toronto (7-8) 27
Winnipeg (8-6) 31 @ British Columbia (9-6) 35