July 21, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Garland Grayston!

350 years ago
1664

Born on this date
Matthew Prior. U.K. poet and diplomat. Mr. Prior wrote satirical poems at a time when satirists could be sure or patronage and promotion. He served in the court of King William III and represented East Grinstead in the House of Commons in 1701, voting with the Tories on the First Partition Treaty. Mr. Prior served as Ambassador to France during the reign of Queen Anne, but fell into disfavour after she died in 1714 and the Whigs returned to power. He was impeached by de facto Prime Minister Robert Walpole and kept in close custody from 1715-1717; he was forced into retirement, but made enough money from his poems to live comfortably. Mr. Prior did on September 18, 1721 at the age of 57.

240 years ago
1774

War
Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, ending the Russo-Turkish War.

225 years ago
1789

Died on this date
William Harrison, Jr., 39 (?). U.S. politician. Mr. Harrison was a planter from Maryland who was a respresentative to the state’s revolutionary assembly, the Annapolis Convention, in 1775. He was a justice of the peace in Charles County from 1778-1785, and of the state’s revolutionary assembly, the Annapolis Convention.

125 years ago
1889

Died on this date
Nelson Dewey, 75. U.S. politician. Mr. Dewey, a Democrat was the 1st Governor of Wisconsin from 1848-1852.

120 years ago
1894

Died on this date
Frederick F. Low, 66. U.S. politician and diplomat. Mr. Low, a Republican Unionist, represented California in the U.S. House of Representatives (1862-1863) and was Governor of California (1863-1867) before serving as U.S. Minister to China (1869-1873). He died three weeks after his 66th birthday.

110 years ago
1904

Transportation
Louis Rigolly of France became the first man to break the 100 miles per hour barrier on land. He drove a 15-litre Gobron-Brille in Ostend, Belgium.

100 years ago
1914

War
The Crown Council of Romania decided for the country to remain neutral in World War I.

70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Claus von Stauffenberg, 36. German military officer. Colonel Stauffenberg and fellow conspirators were executed in Berlin for the July 20 attempt to assassinate German dictator Adolf Hitler.

War
Soviet troops enveloped Ostrov in their drive toward the Latvian border. U.S. troops on the west coast of Guam repulsed two Japanese attacks and took Mount Allan, more than a mile inland.

Politics and government
At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt selected U.S. Senator Harry Truman (Missouri) as his vice presidential running mate. The final ballot gave Sen. Truman 1,031 votes to 105 for incumbent Vice President Henry Wallace.



60 years ago
1954

Diplomacy
The Geneva Conference partitioned Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam, ending eight years of war in Indochina between France and the Viet Minh.

50 years ago
1964

Died on this date
Mary Sherman, 51. U.S. physician. Dr. Sherman was an orthopedic surgeon who eventually worked at Tulane University in New Orleans and became an internationally-known researcher in bone cancer. She was found dead in her apartment, burned and stabbed. Dr. Sherman's murder has been linked with a number of conspiracy theories, including those of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

40 years ago
1974

War
Heavy fighting continued in northern Cyprus between Turkish forces on one side and Greeks and Greek Cypriots on the other. A naval clash in the Mediterranean Sea ended with Turkish claims that it had halted a Greek landing on Cyprus.

Protest
More than 10,000 Greek-Cypriots and left-wing activists took to the streets of London in support of an independent Cyprus and the restoration of Archbishop Makarios as Cyprus's President.

Football
WFL
Detroit (0-3) 16 @ Hawaii (1-2) 36

Baseball
Eddie Mathews was fired as manager of the Atlanta Braves, almost two years after replacing Lum Harris. The Braves had a record of 50-49 and were in fourth place in the National League West Division, 14 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers at the time of Mr. Mathews' firing, and had lost 6 of their last 7 games. Clyde King replaced Mr. Mathews as the Braves' manager.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Self Control--Raf (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Wake Me Up Before You Go Go--Wham!

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Wake Me Up Before You Go Go--Wham!

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Two Tribes--Frankie Goes To Hollywood (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Two Tribes--Frankie Goes to Hollywood (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): When Doves Cry--Prince (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 When Doves Cry--Prince (2nd week at #1)
2 Dancing in the Dark--Bruce Springsteen
3 Ghostbusters--Ray Parker, Jr.
4 The Reflex--Duran Duran
5 Eyes Without a Face--Billy Idol
6 Jump (For My Love)--The Pointer Sisters
7 Almost Paradise...Love Theme from Footloose--Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
8 Infatuation--Rod Stewart
9 State of Shock--The Jacksons with Mick Jagger
10 Doctor! Doctor!--Thompson Twins

Singles entering the chart were If This is It by Huey Lewis and the News (#56); She Bop by Cyndi Lauper (#60); Dynamite by Jermaine Jackson (#66); Right By Your Side by Eurythmics (#86); Happy Ending by Joe Jackson (#87); and Cruel Summer by Bananarama (#89).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Self Control--Laura Branigan
2 Oh Sherrie--Steve Perry
3 Dancing in the Dark--Bruce Springsteen
4 Sister Christian--Night Ranger
5 Let's Hear it for the Boy--Deniece Williams
6 Eyes Without a Face--Billy Idol
7 Time After Time--Cyndi Lauper
8 Almost Paradise...Love Theme from Footloose--Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
9 Jump (For My Love)--Pointer Sisters
10 State of Shock--The Jacksons with Mick Jagger

Singles entering the chart were She Bop by Cyndi Lauper (#44); She's Mine by Steve Perry (#46); and All of You by Julio Iglesias and Diana Ross (#47).

World events
The Polish government proclaimed an amnesty, approved by parliament, that would release 652 political prisoners within 30 days. the amnesty would also apply to 35,000 criminals serving short sentences. Premier Wojciech Jaruzelski called the amnesty "a humanitarian act" and an "expression of the strength of the state," while warning political prisoners not to engage in anti-state activities in the future. The United States State Department said that it would study the amnesty before deciding whether to lift sanctions established after the imposition of martial law in Poland in 1981.

Politics and government
Walter Mondale, Democratic party candidate for President of the United States, alleged that President Ronald Reagan had a "secret plan" to raise taxes after the election.

Defense
The United States House of Representatives released a study asserting that the U.S. military was unprepared for major conventional warfare despite sharp increases in defense spending. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger rejected the report’s major finding of combat unreadiness, saying that the findings were "dangerously wrong" and perhaps politically motivated. The U.S.S.R. called on the U.S.A. to join in a formal statement pledging both countries to begin talks on banning spece weapons.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (3-1) 31 @ Montreal (1-2) 28

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Das Omen (Teil I)--Mysterious Art (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Dean H. Petersen, 85. U.S. politician. Mr. Petersen, a Republican, was Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska from 1963-1967.

Boxing
It took Mike Tyson (37-0) just 1 minute and 33 seconds of the 1st round to knock out Carl "The Truth" Williams (22-3) at the Atlantic City Convention Center and retain his world heavyweight title.



Football
CFL
Edmonton (2-0) 54 @ Calgary (0-2) 4

Tracy Ham and Rick Worman split the quarterbacking for the Eskimos, who overcame an early 3-0 deficit. The rout, which occurred on a night when former Eskimo star and current Stampeder president Norm Kwong was honoured, remains the most lopsided road win in Edmonton Eskimos’ history. Things got so bad in the 2nd half for the Stampeders that when quarterback Tom Porras (who entered the game in relief in his first appearance with the Stampeders after several years with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats) directed the team to a first down, the fans gave their team a standing ovation. This blogger watched the game with his brother from the front row behind the Calgary Stampeders’ bench, and enjoyed the rout immensely. Among those who didn’t enjoy the game were a couple of young male yahoos who came down to the front row to yell obscenities at the Stampeders during the fourth quarter.





20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Find Me (Odyssey to Anyoona)--Jam & Spoon

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Riverdance--Bill Whelan (12th week at #1)

Died on this date
Hugh Scott, 93. U.S. politician. Mr. Scott, a Republican, represented Pennsylvania's 7th District (1941-1945) and 6th District (1947-1959) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1948-1949. He represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate from 1959-1977, and was Senate Minority Leader from 1969-1977. Mr. Scott was known as a moderate and an internationalist.

Charles Lynch, 74. U.S.-born Canadian journalist. Mr. Lynch, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Canadian parents, moved to Saint John, New Brunswick and began his career there before working in Halifax and then Vancouver. He worked with Reuters as a correspondent during World War II, and in South America, Canada, and New York City after the war. Mr. Lynch was the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's United Nations correspondent from 1956-1958, and then returned to Canada permanently, serving as Ottawa Bureau Chief of Southam News from 1958 until his retirement in 1984. He was a freelance writer in his later years, and was inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame in 1981.

Dorothy Collins, 67. Canadian-born U.S. singer and actress. Miss Collins, born Marjorie Chandler in Windsor, Ontario, began performing on the television program Your Hit Parade in the 1950's, singing "Be happy, go Lucky" for the sponsor, Lucky Strike cigarettes, and later singing weekly top hits. In the 1960's she helped set up gags on unwitting victims for Allen Funt's Candid Camera.

Space
China's APT Satellite Company launched Apstar-1, its first satellite, without consultation with international bodies who monitored satellites to make sure they did not interfere with each other. The launch raised concerns that the two satellites closest to Apstar-1--Japan's Sakura-3A and Tonga's Rimsat-1--would have their operations disrupted by static from the new satellites and that Amstar-1 itself would not be fully functional, either.

Politics and government
Tony Blair, 41, became the youngest leader in the history of the British Labour Party when he was chosen to replace the late John Smith, who had died of a heart attack two months earlier. Mr. Blair was expected to continue Mr. Smith's policy of moving the party, the U.K.'s official Opposition, toward the political centre.

The Inuit of Quebec signed a self-government agreement with the government of Quebec, setting up a framework to create an elected assembly that would take on existing powers as well as policing, wildlife management, education, and social services.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (0-3) 25 @ British Columbia (3-0) 42 (OT)

Less Browne returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown in overtime as the Lions overcame a 22-10 3rd-quarter deficit to defeat the Tiger-Cats before 18,976 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. B.C. kicker and punter Lui Passaglia set a CFL record by appearing in his 289th career regular season game.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Edward B. Lewis, 86. U.S. geneticist. Dr. Lewis shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Eric Wieshaus "for their discoveries concerning the genetic control of early embryonic development."

Jerry Goldsmith, 75. U.S. composer. Mr. Goldsmith wrote scores for many movies and television programs, too numerous to list here. He won the Academy Award for his original score for The Omen (1976).

Football
CFL
Ottawa (3-3) 25 @ Toronto (4-2) 28