August 8, 2014

175 years ago
1839

Born on this date
Nelson A. Miles. U.S. military officer. Lieutenant General Miles served in the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War. During the latter, he was appointed Commanding General of the United States Army, and was the last to hold the office, as it was abolished after his retirement in 1903. Lt. Gen. Miles died on May 15, 1925 at the age of 85.

170 years ago
1844

Religion
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, headed by Brigham Young, was reaffirmed as the leading body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Mr. Young was named to succeed the church's founder, Joseph Smith, as "Prophet, Seer and Revelator."

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Hans Egede Budtz. Danish actor. Mr. Budtz appeared in plays and films in a 50-year career. He died on June 29, 1968 at the age of 79.

Margery Lawrence. U.K. authoress. Miss Lawrence wrote romantic, horror, fantasy, and detective fiction, specializing in ghost stories. She died on November 13, 1969 at the age of 80.

Baseball
Jack Glasscock batted 5 for 6 and hit for the cycle against Mickey Welch as the Indianapolis Hoosiers whipped the New York Giants 14-4 in Indianapolis.

80 years ago
1934

Died on this date
Wilbert Robinson, 71. U.S. baseball player and manager. In a major league career that ran from 1886-1902, "Uncle Robbie," a catcher, hit .273 in 1,371 games, with 18 home runs. The highlight of his playing career occurred on June 12, 1892, when he had a record 7 hits in 7 at bats, and drove in 11 runs. He managed the Baltimore Orioles for part of the 1902 season, then the Brooklyn team (named the Robins, in his honour) from 1914-1931, compiling a record of 1,399 wins, 1,398 losses, 21 ties, and 1 no decision. The Robins won the National League pennant in 1916 and 1920. Mr. Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

Aviation
J. R. Ayling and L. Reid left Wasaga Beach, Ontario for London in first non-stop transatlantic flight from Canada to England, arriving the following day.

70 years ago
1944

War
German U-boats sank the Canadian Corvette HMCS Regina. British and Canadian troops in France gained 4-6 miles in a new drive southeast of Caen. German forces made desperate counterattacks along most of the 1,000-mile Russian front, but were being "bled white," according to reports from Moscow. Japanese forces occupied Hengyang in the Chinese province of Hunan after a siege of more than six weeks.

World events
Eight German army officers, including Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben and Commander Michael Wittmann, were hanged after being convicted by a "people's tribunal" of treason in connection with the July 20 assassination attempt against Fuehrer Adolf Hitler.

Politics and government
In the Alberta provincial election, Ernest Manning, who had taken office as Premier upon the death of William Aberhart in 1943, led his Social Credit government to victory, taking 51 of 57 seats in the provincial legislature, with 51.8% of the vote. The Independent Citizens of Alberta, an opposition coalition, captured 16.7% of the vote but just 3 seats, while the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation took 24.9% of the vote but just 2 seats. The remaining seat was reserved for a Veterans' Candidate. Three members-at-large from the armed services were to be elected in January 1945. The Labour-Progressive Party took 4.3% of the vote, but failed to win a seat. At the time of the dissolution of the legislature Social Credit held 35 seats; ICA 15; Liberal 3; CCF 1; Labour 1: Independent SC 1; and there was 1 vacancy.

The Union Nationale, led by Maurice Duplessis, returned to power by winning the Quebec provincial election. The UN captured 48 of 91 seats in the Legislative Assembly, up from 15 in the most recent election in 1939. The Liberals led by Premier Adélard Godbout, won 37 seats, down from 70 in 1939. The Bloc Populaire, led by André Laurendeau, won 4 seats, and Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif candidate David Côté was elected in Rouyn-Noranda. It was the first Quebec election in which women were allowed to vote.

Oil
Representatives of the U.K. and U.S.A. signed an agreement establishing principles for future development of world petroleum resources.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): A Hard Day's Night/Things We Said Today--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: J'y Pense et Puis J'oublie--Claude François (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): In ginocchio da te--Gianni Morandi (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht--Siw Malmkvist (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): A Hard Day's Night--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): A Hard Day's Night--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 A Hard Day's Night--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)
2 Rag Doll--The 4 Seasons
3 Everybody Loves Somebody--Dean Martin
4 Where Did Our Love Go--The Supremes
5 Wishin' and Hopin'--Dusty Springfield
6 The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)--Jan & Dean
7 Dang Me--Roger Miller
8 I Get Around--The Beach Boys
9 Under the Boardwalk--The Drifters
10 Keep on Pushing--The Impressions

Singles entering the chart were You Never Can Tell by Chuck Berry (#55); The House of the Rising Sun by the Animals (#61); A House is Not a Home (#62)/You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart) (#99) by Dionne Warwick; Clinging Vine by Bobby Vinton (#68); Bread and Butter by the Newbeats (#70); When You Loved Me by Brenda Lee (#79); Hello, Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter From Camp—1964 Version) by Allan Sherman (#80); I Want You to Meet My Baby by Eydie Gorme (#81); If I Fell by the Beatles (#82); Funny by Joe Hinton (#89); Out of Sight by James Brown and his Orchestra (#90); I'm Happy Just to Dance with You by the Beatles (#91); I Stand Accused by Jerry Butler (#100); and (There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me by Lou Johnson (also #100). Dionne Warwick's version of A House is Not a Home charted with the version by Brook Benton. If I Fell and I'm Happy Just to Dance with You were from the movie A Hard Day's Night. If I Fell, this blogger's favourite song ever, was the B-side of And I Love Her, charting at #35. I'm Happy Just to Dance with You was the B-side of I'll Cry Instead, charting at #31.

Football
CFL
Montreal (1-0) 33 @ Hamilton (0-1) 5

Vernon Cole, playing his first regular season game in four years, completed touchdown passes of 81 yards to Marv Luster and 49 yards to George Dixon and rushed for 2 TDs of his own to lead the Alouettes in their upset of the defending Grey Cup champion Tiger-Cats before 25,000 fans at Civic Stadium. Mr. Cole had backed up Kenny Ploen at quarterback with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1960 before spending the next three years in the United States Army. Hamilton quarterback Bernie Faloney threw 4 interceptions. It was the only CFL game for Hamilton halfback Charlie Calhoun, and the 60th and last regular season game for Montreal linebacker Ross Buckle, who was in his 6th season.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): If Ma Could See Me Now--The Times (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Baldur von Schirach, 67. German Nazi official. Mr. Schirach led the Hitler-Jugend (Hitler Youth) from 1931-1940. He was convicted of crimes against humanity for deporting Jewish children from Vienna to German death camps during World War II, and was imprisoned in Spandau Prison, Berlin, from 1946-1966.

Howie Pollet, 53. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Pollet played with five teams from 1941-1943 and 1946-1956, compiling a record of 131-116, but had his best years with the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he spent his first 9 seasons. In 1946 he posted a record of 21-10 and an earned run average of 2.10, leading the National League in wins and ERA. Mr. Pollet was 20-9 in 1949. He died of adenocarcinoma.

Politics and government
In an internationally-televised 16-minute address, Richard Nixon announced that he would resign as President of the United States of America effective 12 noon Eastern Time the following day, to be succeeded in office by Vice President Gerald Ford.



Disasters
A Japanese-American mountain-climbing team discovered the frozen bodies of seven female Soviet climbers from a team of eight on an expedition in the Soviet Pamirs. The eighth woman was believed to have been blown over a summit ridge. The women had been attempting to traverse the 23,400-foot Mount Lenin when they were caught in a severe snowstorm and died August 7.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (0-2) 6 @ British Columbia (3-0) 26

Lou Harris set a team record with 202 yards rushing on 19 carries, including touchdowns of 1 and 62 yards, as the Lions beat the Blue Bombers at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. B.C. quarterback Don Moorhead completed 14 of 26 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown to Slade Willis. Tom Scott scored the Winnipeg touchdown on a 56-yard pass from quarterback Don Jonas with 1:53 remaining in the 2nd quarter. It was the first CFL game for Winnipeg running back Jim Poulos, nicknamed the "Greek Streak."

WFL
Hawaii (1-4) 14 @ Jacksonville (2-3) 21

Baseball
Barry Foote singled in the tying run with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning and pinch hitter Hal Breeden singled in the winning run with 2 out in the bottom of the 13th as the Montreal Expos edged the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 before 17,205 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal.

30 years ago
1984

Died on this date
Richard Deacon, 63. U.S. actor. A character actor in many films and television shows, the bald and bespectacled Mr. Deacon was best-known for his role as Mel Cooley on the television comedy series The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966). His most memorable movie appearance was probably in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Mr. Deacon died from cardiovascular disease.

Defense
The United States Senate voted 69-29 in favour of President Ronald Reagan’s request for $117 million in additional military aid to El Salvador.

25 years ago
1989

Space
The U.S.space shuttle Columbia lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin mission STS-28, a secret five-day military mission. The five-man crew was commanded by Brewster Shaw.



Politics and government
Former Education Minister Toshiki Kaifu, one of the few prominent people in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party untouched by scandal, was chosen as party leader.

Estonia’s parliament approved legislation establishing residency requirements for voting and running for office. Clearly aimed at non-Estonians, the law provoked a strike by ethnic Russians in Estonia.

Scandal
The sixth corruption trial involving Wedtech Corporation resulted in the convictions of three more men. One of those convicted by a jury in the federal district court in New York City was E. Robert Wallach, a longtime friend of former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese. Mr. Wallach, a San Francisco lawyer, was convicted of racketeering for accepting $425,000 in payoffs from Wedtech executives in exchange for using his influence with Mr. Meese and others in government in order to win defense contracts for Wedtech. W. Franklin Chinn and Rusty Kent London were convicted of defrauding the company’s stockholders.

Baseball
Mauro Gozzo pitched 8 shutout innings in his major league debut as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers 7-0 before 48,689 fans at SkyDome in Toronto.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): I Swear--All-4-One (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Can You Feel the Love Tonight--Elton John
2 Wild Night--John Mellencamp with Me’shell Ndegeocello
3 Stay (I Missed You)--Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
4 Crazy--Aerosmith
5 If You Go--Jon Secada
6 Love is Strong--Rolling Stones
7 Prayer for the Dying--Seal
8 I Swear--All-4-One
9 Anytime You Need a Friend--Mariah Carey
10 Fall Down--Toad the Wet Sprocket

Singles entering the chart were Think Twice by Celine Dion (#73); Breathe by Collective Soul (#84); Healing Hands by Alan Frew (#88); Daydream by the Earthtones (#89); I'll Stand by You by the Pretenders (#90); So Gently We Go by I Mother Earth (#93); Hold My Hand by Hootie & the Blowfish (#95); and Waiting for More by Big Blue Bun (#96).

World events
It was estimated that 40,000 Rwandan refugees had died, mostly from cholera and dysentery, in refugee camps in Zaire.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Fay Wray, 96. Canadian-born U.S. actress. Miss Wray, a native of Cardston, Alberta, was best known for her co-starring role in King Kong (1933), in which she set the standard for movie screaming.

Gypsy Boots, 89. U.S. health advocate. Mr. Boots, born Robert Bootzin, was the leader of the "Nature Boys," a group of people in California in the 1940s who lived off the land, adopted a vegetarian diet, and advocated practices such as yoga. He ran a health food store in Hollywood called Health Nut, and frequently made appearances on television talk shows. Mr. Boots died 11 days short of his 90th birthday.

Law
Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi reinstated the death penalty for a wide range of crimes.

Crime
An Iraqi magistrate issued a warrant for Iraqi exile leader Ahmad Chalabi, wanted on counterfeiting charges.

Track and field
The Canadian Paralympic trials, which included athletes from Mexico and Argentina, concluded at Foote Field in Edmonton. Four world records were set in the three days of competition.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (3-4) 14 @ Toronto (5-2) 39