October 6, 2013

600 years ago
1413

Died on this date
Dawit I. Emperor of Ethiopia, 1382-1413. Dawit I succeeded his elder brother Newaya Maryam on the throne. He campaigned against Muslims in Egypt and on his eastern border, and had diplomatic contact with Europe. Dawit I died after being kicked in the head by his horse, and was succeeded by his son Tewodros I.

130 years ago
1883

Died on this date
Duc Duc, 31. Emperor of Vietnam, 1883. Duc Duc was named Emperor by three regents on July 20, 1883, but was deposed by the same regents just three days later. Reports differ as to whether he was executed or left to die in captivity.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Roland Garros. French aviator. Mr. Garros set a world altitude record in 1911 of 18,410 feet, and two years later made the first nonstop flight across the Mediterranean Sea. He became a flying ace in the French army during World War I, and was killed when he was shot down on October 5, 1918, the day before his 30th birthday.

Football
ORFU
Hamilton (1-0) 8 @ London (0-1) 1

120 years ago
1893

Died on this date
Ford Madox Brown, 62. French-born U.K. artist. Mr. Brown was a painter of portraits and historical and moral subjects in a career spanning more than 50 years. His last major work was The Manchester Murals, 12 paintings for Manchester Town Hall depicting the city's history.

110 years ago
1903

Law
The High Court of Australia sat for the first time.

Baseball
World Series
Boston Americans 4 @ Pittsburgh Pirates 5 (Pittsburgh led best-of-nine series 3-1)

Deacon Phillippe pitched his third complete game victory of the series for the Pirates, but barely withstood a 3-run rally in the top of the 9th inning before 7,600 fans at Exposition Park in the first World Series game to be played in Pittsburgh. Ginger Beaumont and Honus Wagner of the Pirates each batted 3 for 4, while teammate Tommy Leach was 2 for 4 with 3 runs batted in. Bill Dinneen was the losing pitcher.

90 years ago
1923

Football
CRU
IRFU
Toronto (1-0-1) 11 @ Ottawa (0-2) 1
Montreal (1-1) 2 @ Hamilton (1-0-1) 12

ORFU
Hamilton (1-0) 9 @ University of Toronto (0-1) 6

Canadian university
Queen's (1-0) 24 @ McGill (0-1) 3

MRU
University of Manitoba (1-1) 28 Winnipeg Tammany Tigers (1-2) 22

SRU
Saskatoon (0-2) 5 @ Regina (2-0) 15

80 years ago
1933

Died on this date
Orville W. Mosher, 79. U.S. politician. Mr. Mosher, a Republican, was a high school principal and school board president before sitting in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1899-1901) and representing the 10th District in the Wisconsin State Senate (1901-1905).

Baseball
World Series
New York Giants 2 @ Washington Nationals 1 (11 innings) (New York led best-of-seven series 3-1)

Blondy Ryan singled home Travis Jackson with 1 out in the top of the 11th inning as Carl Hubbell went the distance to win the pitchers' duel with Monty Weaver, who lasted 10 1/3 innings, before 26,762 fans at Griffith Stadium.

75 years ago
1938

Baseball
World Series
New York Yankees 6 @ Chicago Cubs 3 (New York led best-of-seven series 2-0)

The Cubs, behind the pitching of Dizzy Dean, led 3-2 after 7 innings, but Frank Crosetti hit a 2-run home run in the 8th inning, and Joe DiMaggio hit a 2-run homer off Mr. Dean with none out in the 9th before 42,108 fans at Wrigley Field. Lefty Gomez pitched 7 innings for the Yankees and was credited with the win, while Johnny Murphy pitched 2 scoreless innings to get the save.



70 years ago
1943

War
U.S.S.R. troops from White Russia improved their positions in the Gomel area and repulsed German counterattacks around Vitebsk and Mogilev.

Abominations
German Wehrmacht forces led by Sonderführer Fritz Schubert burned 12 women and an elderly man to death in the village of Kali Sykia in Crete.

Politics and government
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to authorize him to "proclaim the independence of the Philippines as soon as feasible."

The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Robert Hannegan as commissioner of internal revenue.

Journalism
A U.S. District Court in New York ordered Associated Press to amend its bylaws to prevent a member newspaper from barring the news service to a direct competitor in the same city.

Economics and finance
U.S. War Food Administrator Administrator Marvin Jones revealed that the 1944 food program would cut civilian allotments from 86% to 75% of available foodstuffs.

Baseball
World Series
St. Louis Cardinals 4 @ New York Yankees 3 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

The St. Louis battery of pitcher Mort Cooper and his brother, catcher Walker, suffered the death of their father on game day, but Mort, helped by home runs by teammates Marty Marion and Ray Sanders, pitched a complete game to win the pitchers' duel with Ernie "Tiny" Bonham before 68,578 fans at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees rallied for 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th, but Joe Gordon was retired on a foul pop fly to Walker Cooper.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Death at Skirkerud Pond, narrated by Quentin Reynolds

World events
The British government sent naval and military forces to British Guiana in response to what the government claimed was a threat to the administration of the British colony.

50 years ago
1963

Baseball
World Series
New York Yankees 1 @ Los Angeles Dodgers 2 (Los Angeles won best-of-seven series 4-0)

An error by New York first baseman Joe Pepitone led to the winning run as the Yankees suffered the first World Series sweep in their history. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning, Jim Gilliam led off for the Dodgers with a ground ball to New York third baseman Clete Boyer, who threw to Mr. Pepitone. The first baseman lost sight of the ball in the background of white shirts worn by Los Angeles fans, and the ball hit his arm and rolled into right field, allowing Mr. Gilliam to go all the way to third base. The next batter, Willie Davis, hit a sacrifice fly to Mickey Mantle in center field, driving in Mr. Gilliam with the go-ahead run. The Yankees managed to put runners on first and second bases with 2 out in the 9th against Los Angeles ace Sandy Koufax, but Hector Lopez grounded to shortstop Maury Wills, who threw to first baseman Bill Skowron, an ex-Yankee, to end the series. Losing pitcher Whitey Ford gave up just 2 hits, both to Frank Howard. Mr. Howard's first hit was a home run in the bottom of the 5th inning that travelled 420 feet into the eighth row of the second tier of the grandstand, as 55,912 fans saw the first fair ball ever hit into that spot at Dodger Stadium. Mr. Mantle tied the score on a homer with 1 out in the 7th. Mr. Koufax, who pitched 2 complete game victories, was named the series' Most Valuable Player. Veteran Yankees' broadcaster Mel Allen, who had been suffering from laryngitis, lost his voice in the late innings while calling the game on television; Dodgers' broadcaster Vin Scully, who had been sharing the duties with Mr. Allen on television, filled in for him.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): My Friend the Wind--Demis Roussos

#1 single in the U.K.: Eye Level (Theme From The Thames TV Series "Van Der Valk")--Simon Park Orchestra (2nd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Never, Never, Never (Grande, Grande, Grande)--Shirley Bassey (8th week at #1)
2 Delta Dawn--Helen Reddy
3 Can the Can--Suzi Quatro
4 And I Love You So--Perry Como
5 You Don't Own Me--The Ormsby Brothers
6 Live and Let Die--Wings
7 Yesterday Once More--Carpenters
8 Touch Me in the Morning--Diana Ross
9 Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose--Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
10 Monster Mash--Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt Kickers

Singles entering the chart were Half-Breed by Cher (#24); Diamond Girl by Seals and Crofts (#32); I'm the Leader of the Gang by Gary Glitter (#33); and Brother Louie by Hot Chocolate (#34).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Half-Breed--Cher

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Half-Breed--Cher
2 Higher Ground--Stevie Wonder
3 Ramblin' Man--Allman Brothers Band
4 Loves Me Like a Rock--Paul Simon with the Dixie Hummingbirds
5 Let's Get it On--Marvin Gaye
6 We're an American Band--Grand Funk
7 That Lady (Part 1)--The Isley Brothers
8 My Maria--B.W. Stevenson
9 Angie--Rolling Stones
10 China Grove--The Doobie Brothers

Singles entering the chart were Photograph by Ringo Starr (#68); Cheaper to Keep Her by Johnnie Taylor (#80); Gotta Find a Way by the Moments (#88); Stealin' by Uriah Heep (#91); You're in Good Hands by Jermaine Jackson (#94); Redneck Friend by Jackson Browne (#96); Show and Tell by Al Wilson (#98); All the Way Down by Etta James (#99); and Dream On by Aerosmith (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Half-Breed--Cher
2 Delta Dawn--Helen Reddy
3 My Maria--B.W. Stevenson
4 Loves Me Like a Rock--Paul Simon with the Dixie Hummingbirds
5 We're an American Band--Grand Funk
6 Brother Louie--Stories
7 The Morning After--Maureen McGovern
8 Ramblin' Man--Allman Brothers Band
9 China Grove--The Doobie Brothers
10 Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter--Chester

Singles entering the chart were Just You and Me by Chicago (#69); Woman from Tokyo by Deep Purple (#78); Pretty Lady by Lighthouse (#83); Raised on Rock/For Old Times' Sake by Elvis Presley (#84); Top of the World by the Carpenters (#85); Liza by Joey Gregorash (#89); Jesse by Roberta Flack (#93); Friends by Bette Midler (#94); I Got a Name by Jim Croce (#95); Welcome Home by Peters and Lee (#96); Painted Ladies by Ian Thomas (#97); Oh No Not My Baby by Rod Stewart (#98); The Most Beautiful Girl by Charlie Rich (#99); and Photograph by Ringo Starr (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 Half-Breed--Cher (2nd week at #1)
2 Delta Dawn--Helen Reddy
3 Loves Me Like a Rock--Paul Simon with the Dixie Hummingbirds
4 Could You Ever Love Me Again--Gary & Dave
5 Free Ride--The Edgar Winter Group
6 Holding Your Hand--Seadog
7 Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting--Elton John
8 Let Me In--The Osmonds
9 Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne--Looking Glass
10 Monster Mash--Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt Kickers
Pick hit of the week: All I Know--Garfunkel

Died on this date
Sidney Blackmer, 78. U.S. actor. Mr. Blackmer was a stage and screen actor for more than 50 years. He won a Tony Award in 1950 for his performance in Come Back, Little Sheba, and portrayed Theodore Roosevelt in more than a dozen films, including Teddy, the Rough Rider (1940). Perhaps Mr. Blackmer's most memorable performance--to this blogger, at least--was that of fictitious U.S. President William Lyon Selby in an episode of The Outer Limits titled The Hundred Days of the Dragon (1963).

Dennis Price, 58. U.K. actor. Mr. Price was best known for his co-starring role in the film Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and for his portrayal of Jeeves in television adaptations of P.G. Wodehouse's stories.

François Cevert, 29. French auto racing driver. Mr. Cevert, born Albert François Cevert Goldenberg, was a Formula One driver who won the 1971 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, New York. He had six second-place finishes in 1973, three of them behind teammate Jackie Stewart. Mr. Cevert was killed the day before the U.S. Grand Prix in a qualifying session when he crashed in a part of the Watkins Glen track known as the "Esses." Just before the session, he and Mr. Stewart engaged in a debate over how to handle that part of the track, and Mr. Cevert turned out to be wrong.

War
The Yom Kippur War began when Egyptian forces attacked the Israeli border on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, while Syrian forces attacked the Golan Heights, which Israel had captured in the Six-Day War of 1967.

Football
CFL
Calgary (5-6) 10 @ Toronto (6-3-2) 37

Joe Theismann threw touchdown passes to Kerry Marbury, Ray Langcaster, and Mike Eben as the Argonauts easily beat the Stampeders before a capacity crowd of 33,135 at CNE Stadium. Gerry Shaw scored the only Calgary touchdown on a 29-yard pass from Jim Lindsey in the 3rd quarter. The CBC telecast of the game was interrupted in the 4th quarter--much to the displeasure of this blogger--by news of the invasion of Israel by Egyptian and Syrian forces, meaning that viewers didn't see the final Toronto touchdown, scored by Bill Symons on a 6-yard rush.

Baseball
American League Championship Series
Oakland 0 @ Baltimore 6 (Baltimore led best-of-five series 1-0)

Jim Palmer pitched a 5-hitter and the Orioles knocked Oakland starting pitcher Vida Blue out of the box with 4 runs in the 1st inning at Memorial Stadium.



National League Championship Series
New York 1 @ Cincinnati 2 (Cincinnati led best-of-five series 1-0)

The Reds scored a run in each of the 8th and 9th innings against New York ace Tom Seaver to edge the Mets at Riverfront Stadium.

30 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Terence Cooke, 62. U.S. Roman Catholic cardinal. Rev. Cooke was Archbishop of New York from 1968 until his death; he was elevated to the cardinalate in 1969. Cardinal Cooke was a strong pro-life advocate, and was especially forceful in expressing such views while dying of leukemia.

Politics and government
British Columbia New Democratic Party leader and former Premier Dave Barrett was ejected from the B.C. Legislature for defying a ruling by Speaker Walter Davidson over fiscal restraint bills, becoming the first leader of a Canadian political party to be forcefully ejected from a legislature.

Baseball
American League Championship Series
Chicago 0 @ Baltimore 4 (Best-of-five series tied 1-1)

Mike Boddicker pitched a 5-hitter for the Orioles as they beat the White Sox at Memorial Stadium. Floyd Bannister started on the mound for Chicago and took the loss.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Domino Dancing--Pet Shop Boys

Baseball
American League Championship Series
Oakland 4 @ Boston 3 (Oakland led best-of-seven series 2-0)

The Athletics scored the winning run in the top of the 9th inning on consecutive singles by Ron Hassey, Tony Phillips, and Walt Weiss against Red Sox' relief pitcher Lee Smith before 34,605 fans at Fenway Park.





20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Living on My Own '93--Freddie Mercury (2nd week at #1)

Protest
Non-natives erected a barricade at Oka, Quebec to protest actions of Kanesatake Mohawks.

Basketball
NBA
Michael Jordan announced his retirement from the Chicago Bulls after leading the team to three straight NBA titles.

Baseball
American League Championship Series
Toronto 3 @ Chicago 1 (Toronto led best-of-seven series 2-0)

Dave Stewart won the pitchers' duel over Alex Fernandez before 46,101 fans at Comiskey Park.

National League Championship Series
Atlanta 3 @ Philadelphia 4 (10 innings) (Philadelphia led best-of-seven series 1-0)

John Kruk doubled with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th inning and Kim Batiste followed with a double to score him with the winning run before 62,012 fans at Veterans Stadium.