August 14, 2014

550 years ago
1464

Died on this date
Pius II, 58. Roman Catholic Pope, 1458-1464. Pius II, born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini, succeeded Callixtus III. He was known for his autobiography and erotic writings done before he became a priest. Pius II was succeeded by Paul II.

300 years ago
1714

Born on this date
Claude Joseph Vernet. French artist. Mr. Vernet, one of several painters in the Vernet family and a relative of Sherlock Holmes, was known for his paintings of French seaports. He died on December 3, 1789 at the age of 75.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Otto Tief. Prime Minister of Estonia, 1944. Mr. Tief formed a government in September 1944 during the brief time between the departure of occupying German troops and the arrival of occupying Soviet troops. He was arrested and spent 10 years in the gulag in Siberia before returning to Estonia in 1956. He was deported to Ukraine in 1965, but was eventually permitted to settle in Latvia, just across the border from Estonia. Mr. Tief is widely regarded as a national hero in Estonia; he died on March 5, 1976 at the age of 86.

Baseball
The Chicago White Stockings scored 10 runs in the 8th inning to put away the Philadelphia Phillies 19-7 at West Side Park in Chicago.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Poul Hartling. Prime Minister of Denmark, 1973-1975. Mr. Hartling, the son of Education Minister Mads R. Hartling, was a pastor before entering politics. As a member of the Left, he sat in Parliament (1957-1960, 1964-1977), leading his party from 1965-1977. Mr. Hartling led a coalition government from December 1973-February 1975, despite his party holding just 22 of 179 seats in Parliament; the main achievement of his government was the passage of the Social Assistance Act in 1974, which instructed municipal authorities to provide day-care and recreation centres for children and young people. Mr. Hartling left politics to work with the United Nations, and was UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 1978-1985. He died on April 30, 2000 at the age of 85.

War
The Battle of Lorraine, a French offensive designed to recover the lost province of Moselle from Germany, began. Volunteers of the Princess Patricia's Own Light Infantry, first contingent from western Canada, left for the European front.

80 years ago
1934

Crime
Millionaire brewer John Labatt was abducted at gunpoint from his home in London, Ontario by three men, who asked for a ransom of $150,000 in Canada's first recorded kidnapping for ransom.

Baseball
The largest weekday crowd in history--79,000--saw the Detroit Tigers sweep a doubleheader from the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium by scores of 9-5 and 7-3. Schoolboy Rowe’s win in the second game was his 13th in a row. He allowed just 4 hits, including Lou Gehrig’s 37th home run of the season.

75 years ago
1939

Baseball
30,000 were in attendance to see the Chicago White Sox defeat the St. Louis Browns 5-2 in the first night game ever played at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

The Cincinnati Reds scored 4 runs in the 9th inning to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-8 before 23,044 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati and complete a comeback from a 7-0 deficit. Lew Riggs singled in the winning run with the bases loaded after Dick West had driven in 2 runs with his first major league hit.

70 years ago
1944

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

Literature
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer announced that the winner of its first annual prize novel competition was Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge.

War
Canadian forces finally drove German troops from the French town of Falaise; Allied forces closed the German escape route to 12 miles between Argentan and Falaise, and subjected the gap to artillery fire, slowing the escape of an estimated 100,000 German troops. Almost 3,000 U.S. and U.K. planes attacked German targets.

Politics and government
Former Montreal mayor Camillien Houde was liberated from Camp Petawawa, Ontario after four years of detention for openly expressing Fascist sympathies.

Diplomacy
The Soviet delegation in Washington rejected a postwar police force and instead proposed an international police air force made up of volunteers from all nations, subject to the authority of the U.S.S.R., U.S.A., U.K., and France.

Economics and finance
U.S. War Production Board chairman Donald Nelson ordered production of civilian goods resumed "where local conditions" permitted, to use manpower and plants where war production had been reduced.

Labour
An estimated 25,000 drivers and handlers returned to work in eight Midwestern U.S. states, following the U.S. government's seizure of 103 motor freight lines which had refused a National War Labor Board directive to give them a wage increase of 7c per hour.

60 years ago
1954

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Happy Wanderer--Frank Weir and his Orchestra; Obernkirchen Children's Choir (3rd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Sh-Boom--The Crew-Cuts (Best Seller--2nd week at #1; Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1); Little Things Mean a Lot--Kitty Kallen (Jukebox--7th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Sh-Boom--The Crew-Cuts (2nd week at #1)
--The Chords
2 The Little Shoemaker--The Gaylords
--Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra
3 Little Things Mean a Lot--Kitty Kallen
4 Hernando's Hideaway--Archie Bleyer
5 Three Coins in the Fountain--The Four Aces
6 The High and the Mighty--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
--LeRoy Holmes and his Orchestra
--Victor Young and his Orchestra
--Johnny Desmond
7 Hey There--Rosemary Clooney
8 The Happy Wanderer--Frank Weir and his Orchestra
9 In the Chapel in the Moonlight--Kitty Kallen
10 Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight--The McGuire Sisters
--Sunny Gale

Singles entering the chart were Angels in the Sky by Tony Martin (#19); Italian Hucklebuck by Lou Monte (#32); Cara Mia by David Whitfield with Mantovani and his Orchestra (#38); and To Ev'ry Girl--To Ev'ry Boy (The Meaning Of Love) by Johnnie Ray (#40).

Died on this date
Hugo Eckener, 86. German aviator. Dr. Eckener became famous throughout the world in the 1920s and '30s as commander of the Graf Zeppelin and a designer of other airships. He opposed the Nazis and fell into disfavour and obscurity when they came to power in Germany in 1933. Dr. Eckeer died four days after his 86th birthday.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): A Hard Day's Night--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 A Hard Day's Night--The Beatles (5th week at #1)
2 Lucky Star--Rick Nelson
3 Such a Night--Elvis Presley
4 The House of the Rising Sun--The Animals
5 Ain't She Sweet--The Beatles
6 Everybody Loves Somebody--Dean Martin
7 It Hurts to Be in Love--Gene Pitney
8 I Should Have Known Better--The Beatles
9 Come Home Little Girl--Bobby Curtola
10 C'mon Everybody--Elvis Presley
Pick hit of the week: It Hurts to Be in Love--Gene Pitney
New this week: Lonely Corner--Rick Nelson
Huntington Beach--Van Doren
Welcome Welcome Home--Anita Bryant
Willie and the Hand Jive--Cliff Richard and the Shadows
Pretty Woman--Roy Orbison
Where Did Our Love Go--The Supremes

Died on this date
Johnny Burnette, 30. U.S. musician. Mr. Burnette, a rockabilly performer, was best known for his hit singles Dreamin' and You're Sixteen, both from 1960. He was killed when his unlit fishing boat was struck by a cabin cruiser on Clear Lake, California, and he was knocked overboard and drowned.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the satellite Cosmos 37.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (0-2) 10 @ Ottawa (1-1) 13
British Columbia (2-0-1) 17 @ Saskatchewan (2-1) 2

Russ Jackson completed 2 touchdown passes to Ted Watkins and the Ottawa defense made two goal-line stands as the Rough Riders edged the defending Grey Cup champion Tiger-Cats before 21,665 fans at Lansdowne Park. Hamilton tight end Stan Crisson scored his first CFL touchdown on a 64-yard pass from Bernie Faloney.

Bob Swift and Ron Morris scored touchdowns as the Lions beat the Roughriders before 17,787 fans, a record crowd for Taylor Field in Regina. The Roughriders offense drove inside the Lions' 25-yard line five times, only to be prevented from scoring. The only Saskatchewan points came late in the 1st quarter when B.C. punter Neal Beaumont was tackled in his own end zone by Larry Dumelie for a safety touch. Saskatchewan punter Martin Fabi left the field on a stretcher late in the game after being hit by Mr. Beaumont, prompting Saskatchewan head coach Bob Shaw to accuse the B.C. defensive back of deliberately kneeing Mr. Fabi.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland: Sugar Baby Love--The Rubettes (5th week at #1)

War
The second Turkish invasion of Cyprus began. Greece withdrew her military forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, claiming that NATo had done nothing to curb Turkish aggression.

Politics and government
Robert Stanfield announced that he would resign as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canda after a leadership convention. Mr. Stanfield had led the party since 1967, but had failed to lead them to victory in three consecutive federal elections, most recently on July 8, 1974.

Disasters
49 of 50 people aboard a Venezuelan airliner were killed when it crashed on the Caribbean island of Margarita during a violent rainstorm.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (1-3) 6 @ Toronto (2-2) 17
British Columbia (3-1) 18 @ Calgary (1-3) 20

The Toronto defense sacked Hamilton quarterback Chuck Ealey 9 times as the Argonauts beat the Tiger-Cats before 33,157 fans at CNE Stadium. The Argonauts scored the game's only touchdown on a 31-yard pass from Mike Rae to Peter Muller in the 3rd quarter.

Howard Starks intercepted a Don Moorhead pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown to enable the Stampeders to defeat the Lions before a capacity crowd at McMahon Stadium. Calgary quarterback Peter Liske completed 19 of 32 passes for over 320 yards, and Gene Thomas rushed for 64 yards. B.C. running back Lou Harris rushed for 111 yards and caught a touchdown pass from Mr. Moorhead.

WFL
Jacksonville (2-4) 26 @ Florida (5-1) 33
Portland (0-5-1) 16 @ New York (4-2) 38
Memphis (4-2) 37 @ Detroit (0-6) 7
Hawaii (1-5) 0 @ Birmingham (6-0) 39
Philadelphia (3-3) 29 @ Chicago (5-1) 32



30 years ago
1984

Died on this date
J.B. Priestley, 89. U.K. author and playwright. Mr. Priestley was known for novels such as Benighted (1928) and The Good Companions (1929) and plays such as Dangerous Corner (1932) and An Inspector Calls (1945).

Spud Davis, 79. U.S. baseball player. Virgil Davis was a catcher with the St. Louis Cardinals (1928, 1934-1936); Philadelphia Phillies (1929-1933, 1938-1939); Cincinnati Reds (1937-1938); and Pittsburgh Pirates (1940-1941, 1944-1945), batting .308 with 77 home runs and 647 runs batted in in 1,458 games. His best season was 1933, when he batted .349 with 9 homers and 65 RBIs, finishing second to teammate Chuck Klein for the batting title.

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department formally opened an investigation of the U.S. citizenship of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who had just been elected to Israel’s Knesset. Rabbi Kahane’s citizenship would be jeopardized by membership in a foreign government.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): The Look--Roxette (8th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 So Alive--Love and Rockets
2 Batdance--Prince
3 On Our Own--Bobby Brown
4 Express Yourself--Madonna
5 Toy Soldiers--Martika
6 Right Here Waiting--Richard Marx
7 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Simply Red
8 The End of the Innocence--Don Henley
9 Cold Hearted--Paula Abdul
10 Rock 'N' Roll Duty--Kim Mitchell

Singles entering the chart were Girl I'm Gonna Miss You by Milli Vanilli (#74); Kisses on the Wind by Neneh Cherry (#77); Cherish by Madonna (#80); America is Sexy by Paul Hyde (#83); It's Not Enough by Starship (#86); Spell by Deon Estus (#89); 18 and Life by Skid Row (#91); Healing Hands by Elton John (#94); and When the Night Comes by Joe Cocker (#96).

Died on this date
Ricky Berry, 24. U.S. basketball player. Mr. Berry, a forward, was the first draft choice of the Sacramento Kings in 1988, and averaged 11 points per game in his rookie season with the Kings in 1988-89. He shot himself at his home in Fair Oaks, California after an argument with his wife.

Politics and government
12 days after being confirmed as Premier of Poland, Czeslaw Kiszczak announced that he was unable to form a government.

South African President P.W. Botha called an emergency cabinet meeting, and clashed with rebellious ministers. That evening he announced his resignation in a nationwide address. He criticized F.W. de Klerk, his successor as leader of the National Party, and said, "I am being ignored by ministers serving in my cabinet."

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Swear--All-4-One (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Eins, zwei, polizei--Mo-Do (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: I Swear--All-4-One (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Love is All Around--Wet Wet Wet (12th week at #1)

Died on this date
Elias Canetti, 89. Bulgarian-born author. Mr. Canetti, who wrote in German, lived in the United Kingdom for many years and became a British subject, but spent his last 20 years in Switzerland. He was awarded the 1981 Nobel Prize in Literature "for writings marked by a broad outlook, a wealth of ideas and artistic power." Mr. Canetti's works included a trilogy of memoirs of childhood and pre-Anschluss Vienna. He died 20 days after his 89th birthday.

Alice Childress, 77. U.S. actress and writer. Mrs. Childress acted in plays, and was nominated for a Tony Award for her starring performance in Anna Lucasta (1944). She was better known as a playwright, with works such as Trouble in Mind (1955), which won the Obie Award for best off-Broadway play for 1955-56. Mrs. Childress also achieved success as a novelist for teenagers, most notably A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich (1973). She died of cancer.

Music
A three-day concert commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair concluded on an 840-acre farm at Saugerties, New York. As many as 350,000 attended the event. Some of the artists who had performed at Woodstock also performed at the 1994 concert, including Joe Cocker and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Terrorism
Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, the Venezuelan-born terrorist better known as "Carlos the Jackal", was captured in Sudan. He was wanted in France for the 1975 murders of two French counterintelligence agents and a French government informant.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Czesław Miłosz, 93. Polish writer. Mr. Miłosz wrote poetry and prose, and was awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.

War
Negotiations between the Iraqi government and Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Muslim cleric who had been leading an uprising against the government since August 5, broke down. Iraqi and U.S. troops prepared to attack the insurgents.

Football
CFL
Calgary (2-6) 16 @ Saskatchewan (4-5) 46