September 1, 2014

150 years ago
1864

War
In the U.S. Civil War, Confederate Army General John Bell Hood ordered the evacuation of Atlanta, Georgia, ending a four-month siege by Union troops under General William Tecumseh Sherman.

Politics and government
Five delegates each from the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island convened the Charlottetown Conference to discuss union; they would welcome representatives from the government of the province of Canada to discuss the union of British North America.

140 years ago
1874

Born on this date
Talaat Pasha. Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, 1917-1918. Mehmed Talaat, commonly known as Talaat Pasha, was one of the leaders of the Young Turks, serving as Minister of the Interior (1913-1918) and Minister of Finance (1914-1917); in the former position, he initiated the genocide of Armenians in 1915. Talaat Pasha and Young Turk leader Enver Pasha fled the Ottoman Empire on the night of November 2-3, 1918, and were taken to Berlin aboard a German battleship. The Ottoman Military Tribunal sentenced Talaat Pasha to death in absentia for his role in the genocide; he was assassinated in Berlin at the age of 46 on March 15, 1921 by Soghomon Tehlirian, 23, as part of Operation Nemesis, a campaign by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) of revenge against perpetrators of the Armenian genocide. Talaat Pasha is regarded in Turkey as a founding father of the country.

125 years ago
1889

Politics and government
The Quebec Legislative Assembly building in Quebec City was officially opened. A member of the assembly earned $800 per session.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Red Baldwin. U.S. baseball player. Earl Phillips Baldwin was a catcher in the minor leagues for 15 seasons from 1916-1931, batting .261 with at least 32 home runs in more than 1,339 games. He spent his entire playing career in the western United States, playing his last 13 seasons among four teams in the Pacific Coast League after having an unsuccessful tryout with the New York Yankees in 1919. Mr. Baldwin's brother-in-law William Lawrence Plummer was a pitcher who was Mr. Baldwin's teammate with the Seattle Indians, and Mr. Baldwin's nephew William Francis Plummer was a catcher for 10 seasons in the major leagues (1968-1978), mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. Mr. Baldwin died on January 1, 1956 at the age of 61.

Disasters
Over 400 people died in the Great Hinckley Fire, a forest fire in Hinckley, Minnesota.

100 years ago
1914

Died on this date
Martha, 29 (?). U.S. passenger pigeon. Martha, the last known passenger pigeon, died in captivity in the Cincinnati Zoo. The species, once the most abundant bird in North America, if not the world, had been hunted to extinction over the previous half-century.

Literature
The September 1914 issue of The Strand Magazine began publishing The Valley of Fear, the fourth and last Sherlock Holmes novel by A. Conan Doyle, as a serial.
In this issue: Part I: The Tragedy of Birlstone: Chapter I. The Warning; Chapter II. Mr. Sherlock Holmes Discourses

Europeana
St. Petersburg, Russia, changed its name to Petrograd.

80 years ago
1934

Baseball
Jimmie Foxx had 3 hits and 4 runs batted in, and it was his 39th home run of the season, a 2-run blow in the 9th inning off former teammate Lefty Grove, that gave the Philadelphia Athletics an 8-7 win over the Boston Red Sox at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

75 years ago
1939

At the movies
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Ida Lupino, and George Zucco, opened in theatres.



The Women, starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Joan Fontaine, Rosalind Russell, and Paulette Goddard, opened in theatres.



War
German and Slovakian forces invaded Poland, beginning the European phase of World War II.







Defense
General George C. Marshall became Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

Switzerland mobilized its forces, and the Swiss Parliament elected Henri Guisan to head the Swiss Army (an event that can happen only during war or mobilization).

The Wound Badge for German Wehrmacht, SS, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe soldiers was instituted, as was the final version of the Iron Cross.

Abominations
German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler signed an order to begin the systematic euthanasia of mentally ill and disabled people.

Football
CRU
WIFU
Regina (1-1) 6 @ Winnipeg (2-0) 20

Andy Bieber scored 2 touchdowns and Wayne Sheley scored another as the Blue Bombers beat the Roughriders at Osborne Stadium.

70 years ago
1944

At the movies
Arsenic and Old Lace, starring Cary Grant, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre, Josephine Hull, and Jean Adair, received its premiere screening in New York City.



Music
Reports from Helsinki stated that the manuscripts of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius had been destroyed during an Allied bombing raid on Leipzig, Germany.

War
The Second Division of the First Canadian Army liberated Dieppe, the French port that had been the site of a disastrous Canadian landing two years earlier. U.S. forces in France advancing from Sedan reached the Belgian border. U.S. forces liberated the French cities of Verdun, St. Mihiel, Joinville, and Commercy as they pushed eastward toward Metz and the German Saar. British troops in Italy attacked a section of the German Gothic Line near the Adriatic Sea. A U.S. Navy task force operating against the Bonin and Volcano Islands reported sinking 13 Japanese ships and destroying 85 planes. U.S. bombers made their heaviest raid on the Philippines, hitting the Davao airfields and the principal port of Mindanao Island. The U.S. Selective Service told the Senate and House of Representatives Military Affairs Committees that few men beyond the age of 25 would be drafted during the rest of 1944.

Defense
U.S. Army General George Marshall advised subordinates working on postwar plans that he favoured a small professional army supported by trained citizen reserves chosen by a draft system.

Diplomacy
Cuban President-elect Dr. Ramon Grau San Martin arrived in Washington for meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

Politics and government
Hermino Ahumada, President of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, was voted out of office after attacking the annual report to the Chamber by Mexican President Avila Camacho.

50 years ago
1964

Football
CFL
Toronto (1-3) 21 @ Ottawa (3-1) 23

Moe Racine's 20-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining in the game gave the Rough Riders their win over the Argonauts before 20,221 fans at Lansdowne Park.

40 years ago
1974

Television
The Edmonton station CITV began broadcasting on channel 13 (cable channel 8).

Aviation
A Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird U.S. Air Force reconnaissance jet set a record that still stands for flying from New York to London in the time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds, at a speed of 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h).

Auto racing
Tom Klausler won the Formula Atlantic race at Circuit Trois-Rivières in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

Football
WFL
Houston (3-5-1) 15 @ Hawaii (2-7) 33

Baseball
Sal Bando and Gene Tenace hit home runs to help the Oakland Athletics defeat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 before 17,235 fans at Tiger Stadium. Detroit first baseman Reggie Sanders, making his major league debut, hit a home run off winning pitcher Catfish Hunter in the 2nd inning in his first major league plate appearance. Mr. Tenace tied a major league record for first basemen with no putouts or fielding chances. For Mr. Hunter, the win was his 21st of the season.

Pinch hitter Pat Bourque, making his first appearance with the Minnesota Twins since being acquired from the Oakland Athletics, hit a 3-run home run off Diego Segui with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Twins a 9-6 win over the Boston Red Sox before 11,769 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Red Sox led 6-1 after 6 1/2 innings.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Fotoromanza--Gianna Nannini (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Two Tribes--Frankie Goes To Hollywood (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Smalltown Boy--Bronski Beat (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Careless Whisper--George Michael (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Careless Whisper--George Michael (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): What's Love Got to Do with It--Tina Turner

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 What's Love Got to Do with It--Tina Turner (2nd week at #1)
2 Ghostbusters--Ray Parker, Jr.
3 Stuck on You--Lionel Richie
4 When Doves Cry--Prince
5 Missing You--John Waite
6 I Can Dream About You--Dan Hartman
7 Sunglasses at Night--Corey Hart
8 She Bop--Cyndi Lauper
9 The Warrior--Scandal featuring Patty Smyth
10 State of Shock--The Jacksons with Mick Jagger

Singles entering the chart were Shine Shine by Barry Gibb (#68); Swept Away by Diana Ross (#73); and A Girl in Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing) by Romeo Void (#87).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Ghostbusters--Ray Parker, Jr. (2nd week at #1)
2 What's Love Got to Do with It--Tina Turner
3 When Doves Cry--Prince
4 Stuck on You--Lionel Richie
5 Sad Songs (Say So Much)--Elton John
6 She Bop--Cyndi Lauper
7 Romancing the Stone--Eddy Grant
8 Self Control--Laura Branigan
9 If Ever You're in My Arms--Peabo Bryson
10 All of You--Julio Iglesias and Diana Ross

Singles entering the chart were Flesh for Fantasy by Billy Idol (#89); Torture by the Jacksons (#92); She Got the Radio by Corey Hart (#94); Some Guys Have All the Luck by Rod Stewart (#95); Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by Nik Kershaw (#96); and Hard Habit to Break by Chicago (#97).

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Donna and Will Morrow!

Television
The Toronto-based and Toronto-centric Canadian cable sports network TSN began broadcasting.

World events
Two American citizens who were members of an anti-Communist group were killed when their helicopter was shot down by Nicaraguan forces during a rebel raid on a military camp at Santa Clara, Nicaragua. The U.S.-made helicopter was apparently providing support for ground forces involved in the raid.

Baseball
The Seattle Mariners, in seventh place in the American League West Division with a record of 59-76, fired manager Del Crandall and replaced him with third base coach Chuck Cottier.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers

Austria's top 10 (Ö3)
1 A Cry in the Night--Lory "Bonnie" Bianco (3rd week at #1)
2 Das Omen (Teil 1)--Mysterious Art
3 Love is Free--Bilgeri
4 Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
5 Lullaby--The Cure
6 Sealed with a Kiss--Jason Donovan
7 Flamenco Turistico--Stefanie Werger
8 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
9 Eternal Flame--Bangles
10 Americanos--Holly Johnson

Singles entering the chart were Swing the Mood; Flamenco Turistico; Atomic City by Holly Johnson (#19); Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) by Soul II Soul (#22); Love is a Shield by Camouflage (#23); Turn Me Loose by Fahrenheit (#25); and French Kiss by Honesty 69 (#27).

Died on this date
A. Bartlett Giamatti, 51. U.S. academic and baseball executive. Dr. Giamatti was a professor at Yale University and served as the university’s president from 1978-1986, when he vacated that position in order to become president of major league baseball’s National League. In September 1988 Dr. Giamatti was the unanimous choice to succeed Peter Ueberroth as commissioner of baseball. A heavy smoker, he died of a heart attack just 8 days after announcing that Cincinnati Reds’ manager Pete Rose had been banned from major league baseball for life for illegal gambling. In 1988, while National League president, Dr. Giamatti had suspended Mr. Rose for 30 days for misconduct on the field.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had risen 0.2% in July after two months of decline.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Welcome to Tomorrow--Snap! (2nd week at #1)

Crime
Quebec provincial police raided Chambly, arresting over 100, including the town's entire police force, on suspicion of smuggling, prostitution and racketeering. Most suspects were later released.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Ahmed Kuftaro, 88. Syrian religious leader. Mr. Kuftaro was Grand Mufti of Syria--the country's highest-ranking Sunni Muslim official--from 1964-2004.

Terrorism
More than 1,100 people were taken hostage by 30 heavily armed Chechen terrorists at a school in Beslan, North Ossetia in southern Russia, beginning a three-day ordeal in which more than 330 people, most of them children, were killed.

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan reported that the Sudanese government had failed to disarm the Janjaweed Arab militias or stop attacks on civilians in Darfur, despite the UN Security Council's directive to do so or face sanctions. Despite the report, Russia, which wielded a veto in the Security Council, refused to impose sanctions.

Politics and government
U.S. President George W. Bush was renominated as his party's candidate for President of the United States at the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York, receiving 2,508 of 2,509 votes cast; there was one abstention. Principal speakers included U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, his wife Lynne, and U.S. Senator Zell Miller (Georgia), a conservative Democrat who was critical of his party's 2004 presidential nominee, fellow Senator John Kerry (Massachusetts).