July 8, 2014

175 years ago
1839

Born on this date
John D. Rockefeller. U.S. oil magnate. Mr. Rockefeller co-founded Standard Oil Company and the University of Chicago, becoming the first American billionaire and the world's richest man. He was known for philanthropy in his later years and died on May 23, 1937 at the age of 97.

140 years ago
1874

Canadiana
The North-West Mounted Police began their march west from Fort Dufferin, Manitoba.

125 years ago
1889

Journalism
The Wall Street Journal began publication in New York.

Boxing
In the first American sporting event to receive national press coverage, John L. Sullivan retained his world heavyweight title with a 75-round knockout over Jake Kilrain in Richburg, Mississippi. 3,000 spectators arrived on special trains to witness the last bare-knuckle heavyweight title fight, fought under the London Prize Ring rules. The fight, refereed by John Fitzpatrick, started at 10:30 A.M. Mr. Sullivan vomited in the 44th round and appeared to be on the way to losing, but he got a second wind, and began to get the better of the fight after that. Mr. Kilrain’s second, Mike Donovan, threw the sponge into the ring after the 75th round. Mr. Kilrain thought he could outlast Mr. Sullivan, but Mr. Donovan thought his fighter may have died if the fight had continued.

Baseball
The New York Giants opened the new Polo Grounds at 155th Street and 8th Avenue with a 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Billy Eckstine. U.S. singer. Mr. Eckstine joined Earl Hines' Grand Terrace Orcheestra in 1939, singing and playing trumpet, before leading his own band in the mid-1940s. He was best known as a romantic balladeer, with his peak period of popularity running from 1947-1954; Mr. Eckstine and country singer Hank Williams were the most popular artists with MGM Records during this time. Perhaps his best-known hit was I Apologize, released in 1948 as the B-side of Bring Back the Thrill. Mr. Eckstine died on March 8, 1993 at the age of 78.

Jyoti Basu. Indian politician. Mr. Basu, a member of the Communist Party of India from 1940-1964 and a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) after an ideological split in 1964, represented Baranagar in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from 1951-1972 and 1977-2001, and was the state's Premier from 1977-2000. He died on January 16, 2010 at the age of 95.

80 years ago
1934

Music
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performed in the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park for the first time.

Baseball
The Boston Red Sox swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics 7-4 and 7-2 before 24,000 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Jimmie Foxx hit his 25th and 26th home runs of the season in the first game, while Bob Johnson hit his 25th for the Athletics in the same game. Boston leadoff hitter Max Bishop tied his own major league record by drawing 8 bases on balls in the doubleheader.

75 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Havelock Ellis, 80. U.K. physician. Dr. Ellis was a pioneering researcher in sexology, and wrote the first medical textbook on homosexuality. He was also a supporter of eugenics.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)--Harry James and his Music Makers with Dick Haymes (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Jukebox--4th week at #1)

War
The 3rd Canadian Division and 1st British Corps moved into Caen, France, while the 9th Canadian took both Buron and Authie, the 7th Brigade captured Cussy and Ardenne, and the 8th Brigade completed its capture of Carpiquet as the German forces were pulled back. Soviet units fought their way into the streets of Vilna, Lithuania. U.S. troops completed the capture of Saipan Island after defeating a Japanese effort to break out of their penned-in position on the northern end of the island. U.S. casualties totalled 15,053, with 2,359 dead. Japanese dead numbered 11,948, many of whom committed suicide by jumping off cliffs.

Diplomacy
U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Boaz Long announced U.S. recognition of the Guatemalan government of General Federico Ponce.

Politics and government
The Virginia Democratic convention adopted a resolution instructing delegates to the Democratic National Convention to oppose the renomination of U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace as running mate for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the November 1944 election.

50 years ago
1964

Music
As part of the entertainment at the Calgary Stampede, Bobby Curtola performed for 2,000 fans at the Stampede Corral. Mr. Curtola was backed up by Chad Allan and the Reflections, a group from Winnipeg. Because of the existence of an American group called the Reflections, the group soon became known as Chad Allan and the Expressions. A year later they recorded Shakin' All Over, and a Winnipeg radio station held a contest for its listeners to guess who the artist was. The group then became known as the Guess Who?.

Diplomacy
The Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference opened in London.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Billy - Don't Be a Hero--Paper Lace (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Ayudadme--Camilo Sesto (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
The Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, which had been governing as a narrow minority with the help of the New Democratic Party, won a majority of seats in the House of Commons in the Canadian federal election. The Liberals won 141 of 264 seats to 95 for the Progressive Conservative opposition, led by Robert Stanfield for the third straight election. The New Democrats, who had elected 31 Members of Parliament in the election of October 30, 1972, were reduced to 16 MPs, and party leader David Lewis lost his seat, ending his political career. Social Credit, led by Real Caouette, won 11 seats, and former Moncton mayor Leonard Jones, who had been dumped as a PC candidate by Mr. Stanfield because of Mr. Jones' opposition to official bilingualism, was elected as an independent candidate.

In elections for the upper house of the Japanese parliament, the Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, suffered considerable losses, holding 126 seats in the 252-seat house. The LDP would be able to hold power with the support of at least 2 independent conservatives.

Isabel Peron, who had replaced her husband Juan Peron as President of Argentina upon his death a week earlier, vowed to continue his policies "without an iota of change," and announced that workers would get a bonus of one month's pay to compensate for rising prices and the prohibition on strikes.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
British Columbia (1-1) 23 @ Hamilton (1-1) 25

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Susanna--The Art Company

#1 single in Switzerland: Self Control--Laura Branigan (2nd week at #1)

Personal
This blogger worked the afternoon for Scheme-a-Dream, wearing a gorilla suit on a hot afternoon at Storyland Valley Zoo in Edmonton.

Abominations
In his Sunday morning sermon, Archbishop of York John Habgood declined to rebuke David Jenkins, who had been newly consecrated as the Church of England's Bishop of Durham, after Mr. Jenkins had publicly expressed opinions that constituted a denial of the Christian faith. Later in the day, a strange cloud began hanging over York Minster cathedral.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (0-1-1) 27 @ Hamilton (1-0-1) 27
Toronto (1-1) 26 @ Winnipeg (1-1) 28

The Tiger-Cats tied the game against the Roughriders at Ivor Wynne Stadium on a 2-point convert pass from Dieter Brock to Rocky DiPietro. The reason they needed a touchdown and 2-point convert to tie the game was because Hamilton head coach Al Bruno had foolishly gone for a 2-point convert after the Tiger-Cats’ previous touchdown had reduced the Roughriders’ lead from 27-13 to 27-19. If he’d just gone for the 1-point convert then, Saskatchewan’s lead would have been reduced to 7 points, and the Tiger-Cats could have gone with a 1-point convert to tie the game or a 2-point convert to win at the end. The first 2-point attempt was unsuccessful, making it necessary to go for a 2-point convert on the last touchdown just to get the tie. There was no overtime in regular season games in those days.



25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Express Yourself--Madonna

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Marina (Remix 89)--Rocco Granata & the Carnations (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): No More Boleros--Gerard Joling (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Johnny, Johnny Come Home--Avalanche (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)--Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Good Thing--Fine Young Cannibals
2 Baby Don't Forget My Number--Milli Vanilli
3 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red
4 Express Yourself--Madonna
5 Toy Soldiers--Martika
6 I Drove All Night--Cyndi Lauper
7 Miss You Like Crazy--Natalie Cole
8 Satisfied--Richard Marx
9 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry
10 What You Don't Know--Expose

Singles entering the chart were Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx (#44); Don't Wanna Lose You by Gloria Estefan (#55); If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher (#89); 18 and Life by Skid Row (#91); Open Letter (To a Landlord) by Living Colour (#92); Love Has Taken its Toll by Saraya (#93); Turned Away by Chuckii Booker (#95); and (You're My One and Only) True Love by Seduction (#97).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Good Thing--Fine Young Cannibals
2 Baby Don't Forget My Number--Milli Vanilli
3 Satisfied--Richard Marx
4 Express Yourself--Madonna
5 I Drove All Night--Cyndi Lauper
6 This Time I Know it's for Real--Donna Summer
7 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red
8 Miss You Like Crazy--Natalie Cole
9 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry
10 Every Little Step--Bobby Brown

Singles entering the chart were Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx (#53); Don't Wanna Lose You by Gloria Estefan (#63); The Prisoner by Howard Jones (#77); Keep on Movin' by Soul II Soul (#79); All I Want is You by U2 (#82); Shower Me with Your Love by Surface (#90); and Come Home with Me Baby by Dead or Alive (#95).

World events
Former Nigerian cabinet minister Umaru Dikko, who had been freed by British authorities after being kidnapped and drugged in London, was taken to an undisclosed location after being examined in a hospital. Mr. Dikko, who fled Nigeria after a military coup in December 1983, had been accused by Nigeria’s new government of stealing millions of dollars.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Baby, I Love Your Way--Big Mountain (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Kim Il Sung, 82. North Korean dictator, 1948-1994. The "Great Leader" held various titles as the Soviet-approved head of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its inception in 1948 until assuming office as "Eternal President" upon his death. He turned North Korea into a Communist hellhole while creating a cult of personality known as Juche. Mr. Kim was succeeded by his son Kim Jong Il.

Dick Sargent, 64. U.S. actor. Mr. Sargent, born Richard Cox, replaced Dick York in the role of Darrin Stephens in the television comedy series Bewitched, playing the character from 1969-1972.

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Columbia, carrying a seven-man crew commanded by Robert Cabana, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin mission STS-65. The 15-day mission carried the International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2), which included a number of Canadian experiments in space medicine and physiology.

Economics and finance
The United States dollar dipped to 97.77 Japanese yen after U.S. President Bill Clinton said that he would not seek to stop the dollar's decline against other currencies for fear of blocking economic growth.

The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had held at 6.0% in June. A survey of business payrolls revealed that nonfarm employment had increased by 379,000 in June.

Football
CFL
Calgary (0-1) 21 @ Saskatchewan (1-0) 22
Winnipeg (0-1) 20 @ British Columbia (1-0) 24
Las Vegas (1-0) 32 @ Sacramento (0-1) 26

The Stampeders blew a 21-0 halftime lead, and Tom Burgess threw a touchdown pass to Don Narcisse on the last play of the game to give the Roughriders their win over the Stampeders before 23,342 fans at Taylor Field in Regina.

The Lions overcame a 13-0 deficit to defeat the Blue Bombers before 20,069 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.

Linebacker Greg Battle recovered a fumble by Sacramento quarterback David Archer at the Las Vegas 2-yard line in the dying seconds of the game to preserve the win for the Posse over the Gold Miners before 14,816 fans at Hornet Field. It was the first regular season game ever for the Posse and the first CFL regular season game between two American teams. Rookie Las Vegas quarterback Anthony Calvillo, playing the first game of a 20-year Hall of Fame career, completed 2 touchdown passes to Prince Wimbley and another to Curtis Mayfield, and handed off to Torrey Wright for another TD.

10 years ago
2004

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (0-3) 15 @ Winnipeg (1-1) 32