August 16, 2014

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
George Meany. U.S. labour leader. Mr. Meany was a union leader for almost 60 years, and was known for his opposition to labour corruption and Communism. He was President of the American Federation of Labor from 1952-1955, and proposed and saw through the AFL's merger with the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Mr. Meany then served as the first President of the AFL-CIO from 1955 until his retirement in November 1979, two months before his death from cardiac arrest on January 10, 1980 at the age of 85.

110 years ago
1904

Born on this date
Wendell M. Stanley. U.S. biochemist and virologist. Dr. Stanley worked with the National Research Council and the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research before becoming a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of California, where he built the Virus Laboratory. He and John H. Northrop were awarded a share of the 1946 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for their preparation of enzymes and virus proteins in a pure form." Dr. Stanley died on June 15, 1971 at the age of 66.

75 years ago
1939

Popular culture
The Hippodrome Theater in New York City closed for the last time, after 34 years of operation.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
Variety reported the most popular songs in the United States as:
1 Swinging on a Star
2 I'll Be Seeing You
3 I'll Walk Alone

War
Allied troops were reported to be firmly entrenched on France's southern coast, penetrating up to 8 miles at various points. Soviet troops in Poland entered Ossow, 7 miles northeast of Warsaw, but retreated in the face of strong German counterattacks.

Defense
The first test flights of the German Junkers Ju 287 bomber prototype took place.

Politics and government
New York Governor and Democratic Party U.S. presidential candidate Thomas Dewey said that the Soviet plan for postwar world domination by the U.S.S.R., U.S.A., U.K., and China was one of "imperialism which would coerce smaller nations."

Economics and finance
The U.S. State Department ordered the freezing of Argentine gold stocks.

Law
The U.S. House of Representatives approved and sent to the White House an amendment to the Soldier Vote Act ending censorship of reading matter.

Academia
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education named Dr. Francis Brown to head a committee of 12 educators to survey the needs of American colleges and recommend legislation to provide aid.

60 years ago
1954

Journalism
The first issue of Sports Illustrated was published by Time, Inc.

Football
WIFU-IRFU
Pre-season
Edmonton (1-1) 18 @ Ottawa (1-1) 19
Toronto (0-2) 2 @ Winnipeg (2-0) 19
Montreal (2-1) 11 @ Saskatchewan (0-2) 1
Hamilton (1-1) 5 @ Calgary (2-0) 12

50 years ago
1964

World events
A coup d'état replaced Dương Văn Minh with General Nguyễn Khánh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution was established, with aid from the U.S. Embassy.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Sugar Baby Love--The Rubettes (5th week at #1)

World events
Turkish military forces completed a division of Cyprus, declared a unilateral cease-fire, and announced readiness to resume talks in Geneva with the United Kingdom and Greece on the political future of Cyprus. Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit declared that Turkey was now in a position "where the foundations have been laid for a new federal state of Cyprus in which the rights and security of the Turkish Cypriots would be guaranteed." Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis rejected Turkey's proposal to resume peace talks and also rejected an invitation to go to the United Sttes to discuss the Cyprus crisis with U.S. President Gerald Ford. Referring to Turkey's military division of the island, Mr. Karamanlis stated that it would be naive for anyone to think Greece would "negotiate under the pressure of a fait accompli."

Politics and government
Ethiopia's armed forces, who had taken virtual control of Addis Ababa on June 28, stripped 82-year-old Emperor Haile Selassie of more of his powers. As a squadron of jets flew over the capital city and tanks, armoured cars, and troop carriers paraded through the streets, the military abolished the emperor's crown council, court of justice, and military council as arrests of his closest associates continued.

Scandal
U.S. President Gerald Ford, acting through counsel Philip Buchen, ordered that documents and tapes of White House conversations during the administration of President Richard Nixon be held in White House custody until all legal issues were resolved regarding the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. and the subsequent cover-up.

Swimming
Cindy Nicholas crossed Lake Ontario in 15 hours, breaking the old record by nearly three hours.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (0-3) 13 @ Saskatchewan (3-1) 24

Pete Watson rushed for 99 yards--including a 79-yard touchdown--and George Reed added 95 to lead the Roughriders over the Blue Bombers before 16,552 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. The 4th quarter featured 2 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles, a fake field goal attempt, and a blocked field goal, with the most spectacular play being a 112-yard interception return for a touchdown by rookie Winnipeg defensive back Merv Walker with 3:05 remaining in the game.

Baseball
Mexican League
Semi-Finals
Mexico City Reds 0 @ Jalisco 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)
Gomez Palacio 7 @ Saltillo 1 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Marcos Sevillano pitched into the 9th inning before Manuel Lugo came in to finish the game as the Charros blanked the Reds in Guadalajara.

Romel Canada hit 2 home runs and Bobby Brooks added a homer in support of the pitching of Antonio Pollorena as the Cottongrowers beat the Saraperos.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
Edmonton's top 30 (CHED)
1 Ghostbusters--Ray Parker, Jr. (2nd week at #1)
2 She Bop--Cyndi Lauper
3 Sad Songs (Say So Much)--Elton John
4 Stuck on You--Lionel Richie
5 Missing You--John Waite
6 What's Love Got to Do with It--Tina Turner
7 When Doves Cry--Prince
8 Drive--The Cars
9 If This is It--Huey Lewis and the News
10 Lights Out--Peter Wolf
11 I'm Free--Kenny Loggins
12 Rock Me Tonight--Billy Squier
13 She's Mine--Steve Perry
14 The Warrior--Scandal
15 Let's Go Crazy--Prince and the Revolution
16 Legs--ZZ Top
17 I Can Dream About You--Dan Hartman
18 Dancing with Tears in My Eyes--Ultravox
19 Run Runaway--Slade
20 Must I Always Remember--The Box
21 Right By Your Side--Eurythmics
22 Panama--Van Halen
23 Go for Soda--Kim Mitchell
24 My Oh My--Slade
25 Lovers in a Dangerous Time--Bruce Cockburn
26 Two Tribes--Frankie Goes to Hollywood
27 Infatuation--Rod Stewart
28 Cover Me--Bruce Springsteen
29 Only When You Leave--Spandau Ballet
30 Hard Habit to Break--Chicago

Diplomacy
Poland, in a diplomatic note, asked the United States to begin direct talks on the lifting of sanctions, which the note said had "harmed the entire people of Poland.’

Scandal
A sensational trial in Los Angeles concluded with the acquittal of automobile executive John DeLorean on charges that he had conspired to distribute cocaine worth $24 million.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Minä olen muistanut--Kim Lönnholm (12th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Licence to Kill--Gladys Knight (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Amanda Blake, 60. U.S. actress. Miss Blake played Miss Kitty on the long-running CBS television series Gunsmoke from 1955-1974.

Technology
A solar flare created a geomagnetic storm that affected microchips, leading to a halt of all trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Scandal
New York Yankees’ outfielder Luis Polonia was arrested in his hotel room for having sex with a 15-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail after the season.

Football
CFL
Calgary (3-3) 24 @ Winnipeg (3-3) 27

Sean Salisbury completed 27 of 39 passes for 355 yards, and threw 2 touchdown passes to Terry Cochrane to lead the Blue Bombers over the Stampeders at Winnipeg Stadium. James Murphy of Winnipeg led the receivers with 6 receptions for 156 yards.

Baseball
Tom Drees pitched his third no-hitter of the season for the Vancouver Canadians‚ beating Las Vegas 5-0 in the 7-inning opener of a Pacific Coast League doubleheader. He had pitched consecutive 1-0 no-hitters‚ beating the Calgary Cannons in 9 innings (May 23rd) and the Edmonton Trappers in 7 (May 28th). After the game tonight, his record for the season stood at 12-11.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Carl Mydans, 97. U.S. photographer. Mr. Mydans worked for the U.S. Farm Security Administration during the Depression of the 1930s, but became famous after becoming one of Life magazine's first photographers in 1936. He and his wife Shelley covered World War II, and were both interned by the Japanese in the Philippines, and later China, from 1941-1943. Mr. Mydans remained with Life for the remainder of that magazine's existence as a newsmagazine (through 1972), and was listed as a contributing photographer when Life was relaunched as a monthly magazine several years later.

Ivan Hlinka, 54. Czech hockey player and coach. Mr. Hlinka, a centre, was one of Czechoslovakia's top players in the 1970s, helping Czechoslovakia to world championships in 1972, 1976, and 1977. He played with the Vancouver Canucks from 1981-1983 before returning to Europe. Mr. Hlinka coached the Czech Republic to the gold medal in the Winter Olympics in 1998 and the men's world championship in 1999. He returned to the National Hockey League as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000-2001 and led the team to the Eastern Conference finals, but was fired after the Penguins lost their first 4 games the following season. Mr. Hlinka was killed in a car accident on a highway in the Czech Republic.

Robert Quiroga, 34. U.S. boxer. Mr. Quiroga compiled a record of 20-2 in a professional career that ran from 1987-1995, and was the International Boxing Federation world super flyweight champion from 1990-1993. He was stabbed to death by Richard Merla, with whom he had been playing cards that night.

Defense
U.S. President George W. Bush announced that he would withdraw about one-third of U.S. forces stationed overseas--about 70,000 troops--from Europe and Asia over the next decade.

Politics and government
More than 1,000 delegates elected an Iraqi congress, and selected a 100-member committee to oversee elections. The assembly would have veto power over decrees enacted by the interim government.

Disasters
Dozens of residents were left stranded after flash floods struck the village of Boscastle in Cornwall, England.