August 31, 2014

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Lois & Lee Morrow!

700 years ago
1314

Europeana
King Håkon V moved the capital of Norway from Bergen to Oslo.

200 years ago
1814

Died on this date
Arthur Phillip, 75. U.K. admiral and politician. Mr. Phillip, an admiral in the Royal Navy, was the first Governor of the penal colony of New South Wales from 1788-1795.

War
In the War of 1812, British forces commanded by John Sherbrooke captured Castine, Maine, with a force from Halifax.

150 years ago
1864

War
In the U.S. Civil War, Union forces led by General William T. Sherman launched an assault on Atlanta, Georgia.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Richard Basehart. U.S. actor. Mr. Basehart was best known as the star of the television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-1968). He died on September 17, 1984 at the age of 70, just a month after serving as the announcer for the closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

90 years ago
1924

Died on this date
Todor Aleksandrov, 43. Ottoman-born Macedonian revolutionist. Mr. Aleksandrov, a native of present-day Macedonia, was a member of the Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees (BMARC) and later of the Central Committee of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation (IMRO). He supported an independent Macedonia and resisted overtures from the U.S.S.R., and was assassinated when a member of his cheta (armed band) shot him in the Pirin Mountains.

80 years ago
1934

Football
79,432 were in attendance at Soldier Field in Chicago to see the first Chicago Charities College All-Star Game, pitting the best graduating college players against the defending National Football League champions. The All-Stars and Chicago Bears played to a 0-0 tie. The game was the creation of Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward, who had also conceived the major league baseball all-star game the previous year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_College_All-Star_Game

75 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Franciszek Honiok, 43. Polish farmer. Mr. Honiok was arrested by the SS on August 30 in the Polish village of Polomia, dressed in a Polish army uniform, shot through the head, and left on the steps of the entrance to the radio station in Gleiwitz (then in Germany, just inside the border with Poland--now Gliwice, in Poland) as part of a fabrication by the Nazis of Polish aggression in order to justify their impending invasion of Poland. Mr. Honiok may accurately be referred to as the first person killed in World War II.

Baseball
The Cincinnati Reds purchased Al Simmons from the Boston Bees. The 37-year old outfielder was hitting .282 in 93 games with the Bees.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Happy in Love--Dinah Shore; Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (1st month at #1)

War
British forces in France seized Amiens and crossed the Somme River, as U.S. units bridged the Meuse River and stormed Mezieres, Charleville, and Sedan. British humourist P.G. Wodehouse, who had made a series of radio broadcasts from Berlin urging British capitulation, was discovered in Paris, and said he had "made a terrible mistake." Canadian troops in Italy broke through the Gothic Line south of Rimini, entering the Po Valley, while Polish troops captured Pesaro on the Adriatic Sea.

Diplomacy
Polish Prime Minister Stanislaw Mikolajczyk said that the Polish government in exile in London had forwarded to Mosco proposals for a settlement of the Polish problems.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Harry Truman (Democrat--Missouri) accepted his party's nomination in a speech in Lamar, Missouri, saying that the voters "should trust experienced leaders."

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives passed and returned to the Senate a revised version of the George reconversion bill, calling for an Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion to replace the present OWM.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the takeover of 10 Pennsylvania coal mines that had been closed by strikes.

60 years ago
1954

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Heideröslein--Friedel Hensch und die Cyprys (3rd month at #1)

Died on this date
Elsa Barker, 85. U.S. author. Miss Barker was an occultist who was best known for producing three books through "automatic writing" that were supposedly messages from recently-deceased David P. Hatch, a judge in Los Angeles. The books were Letters from a Living Dead Man (1914); War Letters from the Living Dead Man (1915); and Last Letters From the Living Dead Man (1919).

Disasters
Hurricane Carol hit the northeastern United States, resulting in nearly 70 deaths and millions of dollars in damage.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Tú Serás Mi Baby (Be My Baby)--Les Surfs (5th week at #1)

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Rock Your Baby--George McCrae (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Love Me for a Reason--The Osmonds

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Tell Me Something Good--Rufus
2 (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
3 I Shot the Sheriff--Eric Clapton
4 The Night Chicago Died--Paper Lace
5 Wildwood Weed--Jim Stafford
6 Rock Me Gently--Andy Kim
7 Feel Like Makin' Love--Roberta Flack
8 I'm Leaving it (All) Up to You--Donny and Marie Osmond
9 Then Came You--Dionne Warwick and the Spinners
10 Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe--Barry White

Singles entering the chart were Jazzman by Carole King (#76); Love Me for a Reason by the Osmonds (#81); Higher Plane by Kool & The Gang (#82); Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing by Aretha Franklin (#83); Carefree Highway by Gordon Lightfoot (#88); Straight Shootin' Woman by Steppenwolf (#92); One Day at a Time by Marilyn Sellars (#93); Suzie Girl by Redbone (#96); You Can Have Her by Sam Neely (#97); and 1984 by David Bowie (#100).

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

Singles entering the chart were You Little Trustmaker by the Tymes (#57); Never My Love by Blue Swede (#79); Can't Get Enough by Bad Company (#93); Carefree Highway by Gordon Lightfoot (#94); Travelin' Prayer by Billy Joel (#96); Another Love by Ian Lloyd and Stories (#97); Skin Tight by the Ohio Players (#98); Stop and Smell the Roses by Mac Davis (#99); and Wombling Summer Party by the Wombles (#100).

Calgary's top 10
1 Wildwood Weed--Jim Stafford (2nd week at #1)
2 I Shot the Sheriff--Eric Clapton
3 Please Come to Boston--Dave Loggins
4 The Night Chicago Died--Paper Lace
5 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--Elton John
6 (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
7 Feel Like Makin' Love--Roberta Flack
8 Nothing from Nothing--Billy Preston
9 I Honestly Love You--Olivia Newton-John
10 Sure as I'm Sittin' Here--Three Dog Night
Pick hit of the week: Keep on Smilin'--Wet Willie

Died on this date
William Pershing Benedict, 56. U.S. aviator. Mr. Benedict, with U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Fletcher as co-pilot, made the first U.S. aircraft landing at the North Pole, in a USAF C-47 on May 3, 1952. With scientist Albert Crary, they became the first Americans to set foot on the exact geographical North Pole. Mr. Benedict was killed in a plane crash while dropping fire retardant in the Ukiah area of California.

Norman Kirk, 51. Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1972-1974. Mr. Kirk, a member of the New Zealand Labour Party, was first elected to Parliament in 1957, and became the party's leader in 1965. Soon after Labour formed the government in December 1972, New Zealand withdrew all her troops from the Vietnam War and ended compulsory military training. Mr. Kirk was a strong monarchist, and his government introduced legislation in 1974 to declare Queen Elizabeth II Queen of New Zealand. Mr. Kirk died suddenly of heart failure, likely resulting from overwork.

Economics and finance
West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Italian Prime Minister Mariano Rumor announced that West Germany had agreed to grant a $2-billion credit to Italy to bail the country of its financial crisis. Mr. Schmidt said he would also support a plan for a European Economic Community loan to Italy. The $2-billion loan was aimed at strengthening the Italian lira, which had been battered by a huge balance of payments deficit.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): One Love/People Get Ready--Bob Marley (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Reach Out--Giorgio Moroder

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Sounds Like A Melody--Alphaville

Died on this date
Audrey Wagner, 56. U.S. baseball player. Miss Wagner was an outfielder with the Kenosha Comets of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943-1949, batting .254 with 29 home runs and 281 runs batted in in 694 games. She led or tied for the league lead in home runs in 1946, 1947, and 1949, and was Player of the Year in 1948, when she won the batting title. Miss Wagner, who became a physician after her baseball career, was killed in a plane crash near Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Politics and government
It was reported that Israeli Labor Party leader Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, leader of the Likud bloc, had agreed on a national unity government in which first Mr. Peres and then Mr. Shamir would serve as Prime Minister for 25 months. Under the plan, Labor and Likud would have 12 ministers each in the 24-member cabinet.

Television
The Canadian cable network MuchMusic began broadcasting.

Disasters
The state of Montana, which was experiencing, dry, windy, and hot weather, was afflicted by more than a dozen large fires covering 250,000 acres during the last days of August. The flames claimed $10.5 million in damages, and U.S. President Ronald Reagan provided disaster relief. 1,000 volunteers from seven states fought a fire on Houghton Creek in the extreme northwestern corner of the state.

Football
CFL
Toronto (7-2) 23 @ Ottawa (3-6) 20

The teams were going in opposite directions: it was the sixth straight win for the Argonauts, and the fifth straight loss for the Rough Riders. Lester Brown scored 3 touchdowns for Toronto, while Tim McCray, playing his first CFL game, rushed for both Ottawa touchdowns; his second score covered 81 yards. Rough Rider quarterback J.C. Watts was sacked 8 times, while Argonaut quarterbacks Condredge Holloway and Joe Barnes were sacked a total of 6 times. 25,708 were in attendance at Lansdowne Park.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): London Nights--London Boys (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Lion in a Cage--Dolores Keane (2nd week at #1)

Personal
This blogger put in his final day as librarian at the University of Alberta School of Native Studies.

Britannica
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips were separating.

Labour
Arbitrator Thomas Roberts ordered the major league baseball owners to pay $10.5 million in damages as a result of their collusion against free agents after the 1985 season.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (3-5) 39 @ Ottawa (0-8) 30

The first defensive convert in Canadian Football League history proved to be the deciding play as the Lions won their third straight game. Rookie Tony Kimbrough’s third touchdown pass of the game, to Don Johnston, had pulled the Rough Riders into a 30-30 tie with 5:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. On the convert attempt, holder Tom Schimmer fumbled the snap, B.C. defensive back Keith Gooch recovered, and lateralled to linebacker Alondra Johnson, who raced the length of the field to score 2 points for the Lions to give them a 32-30 lead. It was the first such score since a rule change in 1988 had made a fumbled or missed convert attempt a live ball. The Lions put the game away 4 minutes later with a 20-yard touchdown run by Anthony Parker, who finished with 124 yards on 12 carries. B.C. quarterback Matt Dunigan threw 3 touchdown passes, 2 of them to David Williams. Gerald Alphin caught 2 of Mr. Kimbrough’s scoring passes. 18,576 witnessed an entertaining game at Lansdowne Park.

20 years ago
1994

War
The Provisional Irish Republican Army declared a ceasefire, saying it was now time to seek a political solution to its desire to see an end to British rule in Northern Ireland. U.K. Prime Minister John Major said that his government had made no concessions to the IRA.

Defense
Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltic states after nearly 50 years.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators was unchanged in July.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Carl Wayne, 61. U.K. musician. Mr. Wayne, born Colin David Tooley, played keyboards, guitar, and bass guitar, but was mainly a vocalist with the British rock groups the Vikings, the Move, and finally, the Hollies, whom he joined in 2000. He died of cancer of the esophagus less than two months after his last performance with the Hollies.

Terrorism
The Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas took responsibility when two buses blew up in Beersheba, Israel, killing 16.

A female suicide bomber detonated a bomb outside a subway station in Moscow, killing 9 people and injuring more than 50.

Iraqi insurgents executed a dozen Nepalese hostages.

Politics and government
U.S. First Lady Laura Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger were among the speakers at the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York.