August 24, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sabbah Rose!

1,620 years ago
394

Literature
The Graffito of Esmet-Akhom, the latest known inscription in Egyptian hieroglyphs, was written.

200 years ago
1814

War
Major General Robert Ross led 4,000 British troops in an attack on Washington, D.C. They burned the Capitol, White House, National Library, and other U.S. government buildings in retaliation for the American burnings of York (Toronto) and Newark (Niagara) earlier in the War of 1812.

170 years ago
1844

Died on this date
John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, 63. U.K. military officer and politician. Lieutenant General Keane, a native of Ireland, served with the British Army for almost 50 years, climaxing his career as Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army (1834-1840). He served as colonial Governor of Saint Lucia (1818-1819), and was elevated to the peerage in 1839.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Jewel Ens. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Ens was an infielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1922-1925), batting .290 with 1 home runs and 24 runs batted in in 67 games. He played at least 13 seasons in the minor leagues (1908-1921). Mr. Ens managed the Pirates from 1929-1931, compiling a record of 176-167. He coached in the National League for several years before managing the Indianapolis Indians (1941) of the American Association and Syracuse Chiefs (1942-1949) of the International League, leading the Chiefs to Governors' Cup championships in 1942, 1943, and 1947. Mr. Ens was still managing the Chiefs at the time of his death from pneumonia on January 17, 1950 at the age of 60; he was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame later in 1950.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Jimmy Cooney, Jr. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Cooney, the son of National League shortstop Jimmy Cooney, Sr., was a shortstop with the Boston Red Sox (1917); New York Giants (1919); St. Louis Cardinals (1924-1925); Chicago Cubs (1926-1927); Philadelphia Phillies (1927); and Boston Braves (1928), batting .262 with 2 home runs and 150 runs batted in in 448 games. On May 30, 1927, he became the sixth major league player in the modern era to make an unassisted triple play: in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mr. Cooney caught a line drive by Paul Waner, stepped on second base to retire Lloyd Waner, and tagged Clyde Barnhart coming from first base. Mr. Cooney made 12 consecutive hits while playing with the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in 1923. He and his brother Johnny, a pitcher, were teammates with the Braves. Jimmy Cooney, Jr. died on August 7, 1991, 17 days before his 97th birthday.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Winnie. Canadian-born U.K. bear. Winnie, short for Winnipeg, was a female black bear cub that was purchased in White River, Ontario by Canadian Army Lieutenant Harry Colebourn of the Winnipeg-based Fort Garry Horse cavalry regiment, and smuggled to Britain, where she served as the regiment's unofficial mascot. When Lt. Colebourn left for France in 1915, he donated Winnie to the London Zoo, where she spent the rest of her life as one of the zoo's most popular attractions, especially for children. One of the children who admired Winnie was Christopher Robin Milne, who renamed his teddy bear after her, inspiring his father A.A. Milne to create the fictional character Winnie-the-Pooh. Winnie the bear died on May 12, 1934 at the age of 19.

War
German troops captured the Belgian city of Namur. The Battle of Cer in Serbia ended as the first Allied victory in the war, with Serbian forces defeating Austro-Hungarian forces.

80 years ago
1934

Baseball
Dizzy Dean recorded his 22nd win of the season as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Giants 5-0 before 4,900 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Mr. Dean also had 2 singles and a stolen base as the Cardinals reduced the Giants’ lead in the National League to 6 games.

70 years ago
1944

War
The Battle of Normandy ended; the battle cost the Canadian Army 18,444 casualties, including over 5,021 dead. Soviet drives in Romania brought the Moldavian capital of Kishinev under Soviet control, while other units reached the Black Sea at Zolokary. U.S. Navy Secretary James Forrestal quoted Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower as warning against expectations of collapse on the German home front. British troops cleared more than 10 miles of the Tiddim Road inside western Burma.

Diplomacy
At the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in Washington, the U.K. proposed that a United Nations Military Staff Committee be set up to prevent and repel aggression.

The government of Argentina announced that it had placed 100,000 tons of wheat and 5,000 tons of beef at the disposal of French authorities as a gift.

Politics and government
Alberto Baldrich, a man of pro-Axis sympathies, resigned as Argentina's Minister of Justice and Education, following demonstrations in Buenos Aires celebrating the liberation of Paris.

Economics and finance
Charles E. Wilson resigned as vice chairman of the U.S. War Production Board, charging that his usefulness had been impaired by attacks in the press by aides of WPB chairman Donald Nelson.

Oil
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt submitted to the Senate for ratification a U.S.A.-U.K. agreement on world petroleum resources.

Medicine
Science magazine reported that a mold of the penicillin group inhibited the growth of tuberculosis germs.

60 years ago
1954

Died on this date
Getúlio Vargas, 72. President of Brazil, 1930-1945; 1951-1954. Mr. Vargas, who had seized power in a coup in 1930 and then won a democratic election in 1945, shot himself through the heart hours after resigning from office amid an economic crisis. He was succeeded by Vice President João Café Filho.

Law
U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law the Communist Control Act, outlawing the Communist Party of the United States.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Tú Serás Mi Baby (Be My Baby)--Les Surfs (4th week at #1)

Football
CFL
Calgary (3-2) 14 @ Saskatchewan (2-3) 13

Lovell Coleman scored the only Calgary touchdown as the Stampeders came from behind to edge the Roughriders before 16,443 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Larry Robinson added a convert and 2 field goals for Calgary, while Jim Furlong punted for a single.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Rock Your Baby--George McCrae (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: When Will I See You Again--The Three Degrees (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
2 The Night Chicago Died--Paper Lace
3 Tell Me Something Good--Rufus
4 I Shot the Sheriff--Eric Clapton
5 Wildwood Weed--Jim Stafford
6 Feel Like Makin' Love--Roberta Flack
7 Please Come to Boston--Dave Loggins
8 Rock Me Gently--Andy Kim
9 Takin' Care of Business--Bachman-Turner Overdrive
10 I'm Leaving it (All) Up to You--Donny and Marie Osmond

Singles entering the chart were Papa Don't Take No Mess (Part 1) by James Brown (#75); Never My Love by Blue Swede (#84); Travelin' Prayer by Billy Joel (#85); The Need to Be by Jim Weatherly (#96); Boogie Bands and One Night Stands by Kathy Dalton (#97); Fallin' in Love by the Souther, Hillman, Furay Band (#98); and Love is the Answer by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Feel Like Makin' Love--Roberta Flack
2 (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
3 Takin' Care of Business--Bachman-Turner Overdrive
4 Please Come to Boston--Dave Loggins
5 Sideshow--Blue Magic
6 The Night Chicago Died--Paper Lace
7 I Shot the Sheriff--Eric Clapton
8 Rock Me Gently--Andy Kim
9 Call on Me--Chicago
10 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--Elton John

Singles entering the chart were Throw a Penny by the Bee Gees (#91); Love You Back to Georgia by Bolt Upright (#93); I Honestly Love You by Olivia Newton-John (#94); Surfin' U.S.A. by the Beach Boys (#95); Freedom for the Stallion by Edward Bear (#96); Tell Her Love has Felt the Need by Eddie Kendricks (#97); Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight) by Tony Orlando and Dawn (#98); Letters by Ron Nigrini (#99); and Cliches by Les Emmerson (#100). RPM began publication in 1964, a year after the original release of Surfin' U.S.A., so the song had never been listed on the RPM singles chart before its 1974 re-release.

Calgary's top 10
1 Wildwood Weed--Jim Stafford
2 The Night Chicago Died--Paper Lace
3 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--Elton John
4 Please Come to Boston--Dave Loggins
5 (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
6 Wild Thing--Fancy
7 Feel Like Makin' Love--Roberta Flack
8 I Shot the Sheriff--Eric Clapton
9 Sure as I'm Sittin' Here--Three Dog Night
10 Rock the Boat--The Hues Corporation
Pick hit of the week: I Honestly Love You--Olivia Newton-John

Journalism
Go-Set, an Australian pop music magazine that been published weekly since February 2, 1966, published its last issue.

Diplomacy
Greek Foreign Minister George Mavros announced Greece's acceptance of a U.S.S.R. proposal for a 15-nation conference to find a political solution to the Cyprus crisis and for withdrawal of all foreign troops.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Gerald Ford signed a bill establishing the Council on Wage and Price Stability, which he promised would not be a preliminary step to reintroducing a system of mandatory wage and price controls. He also warned that the council could not be expected to provide "an instant answer or immediate panacea" for inflation. Mr. Ford further promised that he would keep government spending under $300 billion for fiscal 1975.

Baseball
Jim Buckner hit a home run to led off the bottom of the 8th inning, and after 2 outs were made, Rich Dauer, Terry Clapp, and Kiko Garcia hit consecutive home runs--all off Pete Williams--as the Asheville Orioles blanked the Knoxville White Sox 7-0 in a Southern League game in Asheville, North Carolina. Messrs. Buckner and Dauer had homered earlier in the game, also off Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams set a league record for pitchers for home runs allowed in a game and an inning.

Mexican League
Finals
Mexico City Reds 5 @ Gomez Palacio 1 (Mexico City led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Enrique Romo pitched a 6-hitter for the Reds as they beat the Cottongrowers before an overflow crowd of 15,000 at Estadio Laguna. The stadium had seating capacity for only 8,000, and fans with seats whose views were obstructed got into fights with fans standing in front of them, necessitating police intervention. Adolfo de la Torre started on the mound for Gomez Palacio and took the loss.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): One Love/People Get Ready--Bob Marley (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): High Energy--Evelyn Thomas (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Wake Me Up Before You Go Go--Wham! (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
United States Democratic party presidential candidate Walter Mondale said that President Ronald Reagan, if re-elected, would raise taxes for the workers and "leave his rich friends alone."

Football
CFL
Hamilton (1-6-1) 14 @ Edmonton (4-4) 35

This blogger was on the sidelines taking pictures, and I had the pleasure of seeing my friend Chris Woods return a Bernie Ruoff punt 90 yards for the game’s first touchdown. It was the first kick return for a touchdown by an Edmonton player in 8 years. Brian Kelly caught his 13th touchdown pass of the season, and Neil Lumsden rushed for another Eskimo touchdown. The final points of the game came on a field goal by Dave Cutler of the Eskimos; he kicked the ball low but over the crossbar, and it was only after a long discussion that referee Jake Ireland confirm that the kick was good. For Hamilton defensive back Less Browne, it was the first game of an 11-year career in which he became the CFL’s career interception leader, and ended up in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Eskimo running back Greg Marshall, who was due to come off the injured list, had announced his retirement the day before after 2½ seasons of battling serious knee injuries. He was on the sidelines, and was kind enough to pose for one last picture for me while wearing his Eskimo jersey #38. For the Tiger-Cats, the loss was their 6th in a row.

30 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): London Nights--London Boys

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Lion in a Cage--Dolores Keane

Terrorism
Colombian drug lords issued a communiqué vowing "total and absolute war" on the government, and began a new wave of bombings and arson. The Extraditables, a paramilitary group (not, apparently, a rock group), said that 10 judges would be killed for every Colombian extradited to the United States.

Economics and finance
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at an all-time high of 2734.64, completely erasing the plunge in stock values that had begun two years earlier.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (2-5) 37 @ Saskatchewan (4-3) 25

Baseball
Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti announced that Cincinnati Reds’ manager Pete Rose was being banned from major league baseball for life for gambling on games, including those played by the Reds while Mr. Rose was managing them.

20 years ago
1994

Football
CFL
Sacramento (3-5) 28 @ Winnipeg (6-2) 31

Troy Westwood's field goal with less than 6 minutes remaining in regulation time gave the Blue Bombers the win over the Gold Miners before 21,804 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. Sacramento quarterback David Archer threw 3 touchdown passes, while Blaise Bryant scored 2 touchdowns for Winnipeg.



10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, 78. Swiss-born U.S. psychiatrist. Dr. Kübler-Ross was known for her pioneering research into dying and grief. Her best-known book was On Death and Dying (1969).

Terrorism
89 passengers died after two airliners exploded after flying out of Domodedovo International Airport, near Moscow. The explosions were caused by suicide bombers (reportedly female) from the Russian Republic of Chechnya.

Scandal
A report of the independent panel led by former U.S. Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, investigating abuse of prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, criticized senior commanders and top administration officials for failures in oversight. The panel said that failures reached as high as the Pentagon, and that interrogation techniques used at Abu Ghraib violated military rules.