November 22, 2013

370 years ago
1643

Born on this date
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. French explorer. Sieur de La Salle explored the North American regions of the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mississippi River. He was 43 when he was murdered by one of his own men, Pierre Duhaut on March 19, 1687.

120 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Harley Earl. U.S. automotive designer and executive. Mr. Earl, the son of a coach builder, was the chief designer at General Motors and became vice president of the company in a career at GM spanning more than 30 years. He's perhaps best remembered for introducing tail fins, which became popular on GM cars and those of other cars in the 1950s and '60s. Mr. Earl died of a stroke on April 10, 1969 at the age of 75.

Lazar Kaganovich. U.S.S.R. politician. Mr. Kaganovich was a Bolsehevik Communist who helped Josef Stalin seize power in the Soviet Union, and remained loyal to him. Mr. Kaganovich played a large role in the Ukrainian famine of 1932-1933, and even refused to defend his brother, also a Communist, when he was accused of disloyalty. Mr. Kaganovich gradually lost influence within the Communist Party after the death of Mr. Stalin in 1953, and was expelled from the party in 1961. He was the last surviving Old Bolshevik, and died on July 25, 1991 at the age of 97.

100 years ago
1913

Literature
This week's issue of Collier's Weekly included the new Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Dying Detective by A. Conan Doyle.

Football
CRU
ORFU
Final
(Toronto) Parkdale Canoe Club 8 @ Toronto Rugby & Athletic Association 3

70 years ago
1943

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: Murder in the Park

Died on this date
Henry B. Steagall, 70. U.S. politician. Mr. Steagall, a Democrat, represented Alabama's 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1915 until his death, and was Chairman of the Hosue Committee on Banking and Currency from 1931 until his death. In 1933 he co-sponsored the Glass-Steagall Act that introduced banking reforms and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

William Warren Barbour, 55. U.S. politician. Mr. Barbour, a Republican, represented New Jersey in the United States Senate from 1931-1937 and 1938 until his death from a cerebral hemorrhage at his home. He was known for supporting the cause of Jews who were being persecuted by the Nazi regime in Germany during World War II.

Lorenz Hart, 48. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Hart was the lyricist half of a songwriting team with composer Richard Rodgers for almost 25 years. Their many songs included Blue Moon; My Funny Valentine; and Manhattan. Mr. Hart was under five feet tall, was a closeted homosexual, suffered from depression, and drank himself to death, dying of pneumonia from exposure.

War
U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek met in Cairo to discuss measures for defeating Japan. Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force crews started air bombing of Berlin. Soviet troops repulsed new heavy German attacks in the Zhitomir-Korostyshev sector west of Kiev, while U.S.S.R. troops north of Gomel in White Russia deepened their bridgehead across the Sozh River, taking Sherstin and Staroye. U.S. troops landed on Abemema atoll in the Gilbert Islands, while fighting on Makin and Tarawa atolls continued.

Asiatica
Lebanon gained her independence from France.

Defense
Czechoslovakian President-in-exile Eduard Benes arrived in Moscow to sign a treaty with the U.S.S.R. for a 20-year defensive alliance.

Politics and government
The U.S. State Department placed Robert D. Murphy on the Allied Control Commission for Italy.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled National Railway Mediation Board and not the courts had the authority to settle jurisdictional disputes and select voting groups among employees for collective bargaining.

60 years ago
1953

Football
U.S.-Canadian intermediate (exhibition)
Seattle Ramblers 6 @ Vancouver Cubs (2-2) 7 @ Brockton Point, British Columbia

Marv Cross scored a touchdown for the Cubs and Vic Chapman converted and punted for a single as the Cubs played their last game as an intermediate team before joining the Western Interprovincial Football Union in 1954 as the British Columbia Lions. The 1st half was played under Canadian rules and the 2nd half under American rules.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): You'll Never Walk Alone--Gerry and the Pacemakers (3rd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Johnny Liar--Molly Bee
2 It's All in the Game--Cliff Richard
3 Bossa Nova Baby--Elvis Presley
4 She's a Fool--Lesley Gore
5 Four Strong Winds--The Brothers Four
6 Sugar Shack--Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs
7 Midnight Mary--Joey Powers
--Jerry Cole
8 I'm Leaving it Up to You--Dale & Grace
9 Forget Him--Bobby Rydell
10 Be True to Your School--The Beach Boys
Pick hit of the week: Shindig--The Shadows
New this week: I Can't Stop Talking About You--Steve & Eydie
Pretty Paper--Roy Orbison
Be Mad Little Girl--Bobby Darin
Lonely Lonely Lonely Me--Brenda Lee
Baby What's Wrong--Lonnie Mack

Died on this date
Aldous Huxley, 69. U.K. author. Mr. Huxley, who was best known for his novel Brave New World (1932), was an agnostic who was keenly interested in Eastern mysticism, and advocated and practiced the use of psychedelic drugs.

C.S. Lewis, 64. U.K. author and theologian. Mr. Lewis, a professor at Oxford University and later at Cambridge University, was an agnostic who converted to Christianity at the age of 32. He became famous for non-fiction books such as The Problem of Pain (1940); The Abolition of Man (1943); and Mere Christianity (1952); and for fiction such as The Screwtape Letters (1942); the Space Trilogy (three novels published from 1938-1944); and The Chronicles of Narnia (seven novels published from 1950-1956).

John F. Kennedy, 46. 35th President of the United States of America, 1961-1963. Mr. Kennedy, a Democrat, was the son of U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joe Kennedy and grandson of U.S. Representative and Mayor of Boston John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, after whom he was named. John F. Kennedy was a decorated U.S. Navy officer in World War II; he represented Massachusetts' 11th District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1947-1953), and represented the state in the Senate (1953-1960). He won a close and disputed election against Vice President and Republican Party candidate Richard Nixon in 1960, and succeeded Dwight D. Eisenhower as President in 1961. Mr. Kennedy's time as President included tense relations with the U.S.S.R.--culminating in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962; the beginning of the manned space race with the Soviet Union; and increasing demands by Negroes for civil rights in the United States. Mr. Kennedy, on the second day of a two-day visit to Texas, began the day by addressing a rally outside the Texas Hotel in Fort Worth, followed by an address to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, before flying to Dallas, where he was killed by gunshots (see also here and here) as he rode in an open-air motorcade toward the Dallas Trade Mart, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech that included warnings against nonsenical views being expressed, and an emphasis on defense and economic aid to foreign countries endangered by Communism. President Kennedy was scheduled to travel to Austin to address the Texas Democratic State Committee at Municipal Auditorium, boasting of the state's historic connection to the Democratic Party and the achievements of his Administration. President and Mrs. Kennedy were then scheduled to stay overnight at the LBJ ranch. A self-proclaimed Marxist, Lee Harvey Oswald, was arrested for the murders of President Kennedy and Dallas policeman J.D. Tippit. Vice President Lyndon Johnson assumed the office of 36th President of the United States of America. Conspiracy theories abound.























J.D. Tippit, 39. U.S. policeman. An 11-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, Mr. Tippit was gunned down by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas 45 minutes after the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Music
The album With the Beatles was released in the United Kingdom on Parlophone Records.

Space
The mission of the Soviet satellite Cosmos 22 ended, six days after its launch.

Economics and finance
The assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy led to the closing of the Toronto Stock Exchange in mid-session for the first time ever.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Helicopter Song--Wolfe Tones

Politics and government
U.K. Secretary of State for Ulster William Whitelaw disclosed to the House of Commons the details of the previous day's announcement of a compromise plan to create an 11-man executive body to govern Northern Ireland. Six seats in the cabinet would go to the Unionist party, representing about half of the Protestant seats in the Assembly. Four seats would go to the Social Democratic and Labour party, representing Roman Catholics. One seat would go to the small non-sectarian Alliance party. The cabinet would also include four non-voting members. Unionist party leader Brian Faulkner would head the body, and Social Democratic and Labour leader Gerald Fitt would become deputy chief. The body would be entrusted with all of Northern Ireland's affairs except security, justice, foreign relations, and some financial matters.

War
A month after the end of hostilities in the Yom Kippur War, Israel and Egypt completed an exchange of prisoners. 241 Israelis and 8,301 Egyptians returned to their countries.

30 years ago
1983

Canadiana
Statistics Canada reported that Canada's population would reach 25,000,000 on this day or the next.

Defense
The West German Bundestag voted 286-226 in favour of the deployment of U.S. medium-range missiles in West Germany. The Christian Democrats and their coalition allies supported the deployment, while the Social Democratic Party opposed it.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that corporate profits had risen 11.6% during the third quarter of 1983.

25 years ago
1988

Diplomacy
The government of South Africa approved the November 15 agreement with Cuba, Angola, and the U.S.A. on a timetable for the withdrawal of Cuba's 50,000 troops from Angola and independence for Namibia.

Politics and government
The day after failing to defeat the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney in the Canadian federal election, Liberal Party leader John Turner said that his party would no longer seek to prevent approval of the free-trade agreement with the United States.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that consumer prices had increased 0.4% in October.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf

Abominations
Michigan mad scientist "Dr." Jack Kevorkian assisted in another suicide, the 20th in a series of such crimes perpetrated by him.

Economics and finance
The Mexican Senate voted 56-2 in favour of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the U.S.A. and Canada. The agreement had already been approved by the legislatures of the other two countries.

Scandal
In Toronto, Justice Horace Krever started his public hearings into Canada's blood supply, and the AIDS-tainted blood and blood products given to Canadians in the 1980's, before the Canadian Red Cross began testing for HIV.

10 years ago
2003

Sport
England defeated Australia 20-17 in Sydney to win the Rugby World Cup.



Football
CIS
Vanier Cup @ SkyDome, Toronto
Laval 14 St. Mary's 7