August 27, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Brenda Kiema!

620 years ago
1394

Died on this date
Chōkei, 50 or 51. Emperor of Japan, 1368-1383. Chōkei acceded to the throne upon the death of his father Go-Murakami, and abdicated in 1383 in favour of his younger brother Go-Kameyama.

290 years ago
1724

Born on this date
John Joachim Zubly. Swiss-born American clergyman and politician. Rev. Zubly, born Hans Joachim Züblin, was a Presbyterian minister in London before moving to South Carolina and then to Savannah, Georgia, where he began leading the Independent Presbyterian Church in 1760. He initially supported the grievances of colonists against British colonial authorities, and was a delegate from Georgia to the Second Continental Congress in 1775. Rev. Zubly supported reconciliation with Great Britain; his views made him unpopular with supporters of revolution, and he fled into exile in South Carolina in 1776. Rev. Zubly was able to return to Savannah after British troops recaptued the city in 1778, and he died there on July 23, 1781 at the age of 56, after writing a series of essays opposing the American Revolution.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Stephen Early. U.S. journalist and bureaucrat. Mr. Early worked with Stars and Stripes, Associated Press, and Paramount News before serving as White House Press Secretary for Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) and Harry Truman (1950). He was Deputy Secretary of Defense (1949-1950). Mr. Early died on August 11, 1951, 16 days before his 62nd birthday, and a week after suffering a heart attack.

Baseball
Jocko Milligan had 4 hits and 6 runs batted in to lead the St. Louis Browns to a 19-1 rout of the Kansas City Cowboys in an American Association game at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

100 years ago
1914

War
British troops fought a rearguard action against the German Royal Munster Fusiliers in the Battle of Étreux as part of the British Expeditionary Force's Great Retreat across France.

80 years ago
1934

Died on this date
Linda Agostini, 28. U.K.-born Australian murder victim. Mrs. Agostini was identified as the "Pyjama Girl," whose badly-burned body was found in a culvert near Asbury, New South Wales. She remained unidentified for 10 years until her husband confessed to killing her. A more recent account casts doubt on whether Mrs. Agostini was in fact the "Pyjama Girl."

Boxing
Joe Louis (5-0) scored a technical knockout of Buck Everett (38-17-3) in the 2nd round of a heavyweight bout at Marigold Gardens Outdoor Arena in Chicago.

75 years ago
1939

Aviation
Erich Warsitz piloted the German turbojet-powered Heinkel He 178, the world's first jet aircraft, on its first flight.

70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Georg von Boeselager, 29. German military officer. Colonel Boeselager was a cavalry officer who participated in the July 20, 1944 assassination plot against German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler, but was killed leading an assault against a heavily-fortified Russian position near Łomża on the Narew River.

War
U.S. troops in France reached the Marne River at Lagny, 15 miles east of Paris. Soviet forces captured Galati, Romania, while other units pushed through Foscani to take Ramnicul-Sarat. Chinese troops in the province of Hunan occupied Chuting on the Siang River, 45 miles north of Japanese-held Hengyang. Japanese troops opened a new drive in the Chinese province of Honan, moving westward from the Peking-Hankow railroad.

Society
The U.S. National Urban League announced plans for community projects to combat racial friction by organizing and educating civic leadership to recognize and eliminate its causes.

Politics and government
The U.S. Army announced that beginning in September, shortwave radio facilities would be available on an equal basis to U.S. presidential candidates to speak to U.S. troops overseas.

Swimming
Keo Nakama, a Hawaiian with Ohio State University, won the men's 400-metre, 800-metre, and 1,500-metre freestyle events at the Amateur Athletic Union championships in Great Lakes, Illinois.

60 years ago
1954

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Cara Mia--David Whitfield with Mantovani and his Orchestra (9th week at #1)

At the movies
Shield for Murder, directed by Howard W. Koch and Edmond O'Brien, and starring Mr. O'Brien, Marla English, and John Agar, received its premiere screening in New York City.





50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Everybody Loves Somebody--Dean Martin

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Have I the Right?--The Honeycombs

Died on this date
Gracie Allen, 68 (?). U.S. comedienne. Miss Allen had one of the most successful partnerships in show business with her husband George Burns from 1926 until her retirement in 1958. The couple were popular in vaudeville and later on radio and television, where they had long-running programs. Miss Allen died of a heart attack.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (2-2) 32 @ Montreal (3-1) 1

Johnny Counts scored 2 touchdowns as the defending Grey Cup champion Tiger-Cats routed the Alouettes before 27,477 fans at Molson Stadium to avenge their 33-5 loss at home to Montreal in the season opener on August 8.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Pot pour rire Mr le Président--Patrick Green & Olivier Lejeune (13th week at #1)

Diplomacy
Turkey rejected the U.S.S.R's proposal of a 15-nation conference to find a political solution for the Cyprus crisis, and called for Greece to resume negotiations at Geneva "without delay."

Football
CFL
British Columbia (4-2) 21 @ Edmonton (3-2) 15

Don Moorhead completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown to Jim Young in the 2nd quarter, as the Lions defeated the Eskimos before 22,477 fans at Clarke Stadium. Lou Harris rushed 2 yards for the other B.C. touchdown in the 3rd quarter. The Eskimos scored their only touchdown in the 2nd quarter on a 5-yard pass from Tom Wilkinson to Tyrone Walls. It was the last CFL game for Edmonton linebacker Marty Huff, who was released several days later, reportedly for refusing to sign a new contract.

Baseball
Mexican League
Finals
Gomez Palacio 3 @ Mexico City Reds 4 (Mexico City led best-of-seven series 3-0)

The Reds scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to overcome a 3-2 deficit and defeat the Cottongrowers before a sellout crowd of 25,000 at Social Security Stadium. Pete Bonfils started on the mound for Gomez Palacio and carried a 3-2 lead into the 8th inning, but was relieved by Enrique Castillo when he allowed 2 batters to reach base. Rafael Barron then singled home the tying run, and the eventual winning run came around to score when Gomez Palacio center fielder Victor Manuel Felix bobbled the ball for an error. Winning pitcher Alfredo Ortiz left the game after being hit by a line drive by the leadoff hitter in the 9th inning; Aurelio Lopez relieved and retired the last 3 batters to get the save.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Wake Me Up Before You Go Go--Wham! (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Colegiala--Gary Low (3rd week at #1)

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Toy Soldiers--Martika (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Lambada--Kaoma

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): I Swear--All-4-One (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: The Rhythm is Magic--Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Johnny Techno Ska--Paco Pil (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Love is All Around--Wet Wet Wet

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Love is All Around--Wet Wet Wet (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): 7 Seconds--Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Love is All Around--Wet Wet Wet (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Love is All Around--Wet Wet Wet (13th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 I'll Make Love to You--Boyz II Men
2 Stay (I Missed You)--Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
3 Fantastic Voyage--Coolio
4 Wild Night--John Mellencamp with Me'Shell Ndegeocello
5 I Swear--All-4-One
6 Can You Feel the Love Tonight--Elton John
7 Don't Turn Around--Ace of Base
8 Funkdafied--Da Brat
9 When Can I See You--Babyface
10 Stroke You Up--Changing Faces

Singles entering the chart were Far Behind by Candlebox (#58); Juicy/Unbelievable by the Notorious B.I.G. (#62); Another Night by Real McCoy (#77); Your Love is a 187 by Whitehead Bros. (#84); Circle of Life by Elton John (#85); New Age Girl by Deadeye Dick (#89); and But it's Alright by Huey Lewis and the News (#91). New Age Girl was from the movie Dumb and Dumber (1994).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Stay (I Missed You)--Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories (2nd week at #1)
2 I'll Make Love to You--Boyz II Men
3 When Can I See You--Babyface
4 Can You Feel the Love Tonight--Elton John
5 Any Time, Any Place/And On and On--Janet Jackson
6 Don't Turn Around--Ace of Base
7 Wild Night--John Mellencamp with Me’shell Ndegeocello
8 Shine--Collective Soul
9 Back and Forth--Aaliyah
10 Anytime You Need a Friend--Mariah Carey

Singles entering the chart were Body and Soul by Anita Baker (#75); Another Night by Real McCoy (#82); December 1963 (Oh, What a Night) by the 4 Seasons (#86); and Games People Play by Inner Circle (#87). December 1963 (Oh, What a Night), listed as a continuation of its earlier 1975-1976 chart run, was actually a new remix of the earlier hit. The 1994 cassette single contained a "dance version," and two "radio edits."

Football
CFL
Baltimore (5-3) 28 @ Hamilton (2-6) 17
Shreveport (0-8) 15 @ British Columbia (7-1) 67

Tracy Ham's 20-yard touchdown pass to Mike Pringle in the 4th quarter put the game out of reach as the Baltimore Football Club defeated the Tiger-Cats before 15,227 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Sheldon Canley scored the other Baltimore TD when he recovered a blocked punt in the Hamilton end zone. Hamilton quarterback Timm Rosenbach scored the Tiger-Cats' only touchdown on a 9-yard rush.

Mike Trevathan, Darren Flutie, and Merv Fernandez each caught 2 touchdown passes as the Lions routed the Pirates before 20,398 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. Tony Collier returned an interception 71 yards for a B.C. touchdown, and Cory Philpot rushed 92 yards for another. Backup quarterback Giulio Caravatta rushed 2 yards for the other B.C. touchdown. The Gold Miners actually opened the scoring on a touchdown pass from Tom Muecke to Tony Moss. For Mr. Fernandez, the touchdowns were his first in the CFL since 1986--and his last.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Willie Crawford, 57. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Crawford was a right fielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1964-1975); St. Louis Cardinals (1976); Houston Astros (1977); and Oakland Athletics (1977), batting .268 with 86 home runs and 419 runs batted in in 1,210 games. His best seasons were 1973 and 1974, when he batted .295 in both years, hitting a home run for the Dodgers in the third game of the 1974 World Series. Mr. Crawford was an outstanding high school athlete, and was signed to a contract by Dodger scout Tom Lasorda two days after graduating from Freemont High School in Los Angeles, becoming one of major league baseball's last "bonus babies." In addition to the clubs mentioned above, Mr. Crawford played with the San Francisco Giants in spring training of 1977 and with the Dodgers in a final attempt at a comeback in spring training of 1978. This blogger saw Mr. Crawford play in person with the Athletics in 1977, when he was the only (and maybe the first) major league player at the time to wear jersey #99. He died in Los Angeles of kidney disease, 11 days before his 58th birthday.

War
The Mahdi Army, the Iraqi rebel force commanded by Shiite Mulsim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, withdrew from Imam Ali Shrine, where it had been based for the previous three weeks.

Football
CFL
Calgary (2-8) 7 @ Hamilton (5-5) 26
Toronto (6-4) 10 @ British Columbia (7-3) 31