October 4, 2014

1,270 years ago
744

Died on this date
Yazid III, 42 or 43. Umayyad Caliph, 744. Yazid III, the son of Caliph Al-Walid I, deposed his cousin Al-Walid II in April 744, but soon fell ill with a brain tumour, which proved fatal. He was succeeded as Caliph by his brother Ibrahim ibn al-Walid.

725 years ago
1289

Born on this date
Louis X. King of France, 1314-1316. Louis X was the eldest son of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre, and succeeded his father as King of France. King Louis died on June 5, 1316 at the age of 26 after a strenuous game of tennis, followed by the consumption of much wine. His wife was pregnant at the time of his death, leaving the succession in doubt.

190 years ago
1824

Law
Mexico adopted a new constitution and became a federal republic.

150 years ago
1864

Died on this date
Joseph Montferrand, 61. Canadian strongman. Mr. Montferrand, born Joseph Favre in Montreal, was a logger whose feats of strength served as the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw.

130 years ago
1884

Baseball
Sam Kimber of the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers pitched a no-hitter against the Toledo Blue Stockings at Washington Park in Brooklyn in a game that was called because of darkness with the score tied 0-0 after 11 innings.

90 years ago
1924

Baseball
World Series
New York Giants 4 @ Washington Nationals 3 (12 innings) (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Art Nehf pitched a complete game, batted 3 for 5, and scored the go-ahead run in the 12th inning as the Giants outlasted the Nationals before 35,760 fans at Griffith Stadium, including U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. Losing pitcher Walter Johnson also went the distance, allowing 14 hits. It was the first World Series game in the Nationals' history, and the first ever played in Washington.

Little World Series
St. Paul Saints (AA) 6 @ Baltimore Orioles (IL) 6 (13 innings, darkness) (Best-of-nine series tied 1-1-1)

The Saints scored a run in the 1st inning, fell behind 3-1 after 3 innings, scored 5 in the 4th to take a 6-3 lead, and allowed 3 in the 6th to tie the score, but there was no further scoring before the game was called on account of darkness before 4,919 fans at Oriole Park. With 1 out in the top of the 13th, St. Paul's Chuck Dressen doubled, but shortstop Joe Boley robbed Bill Wade of a hit with a great play, and Hap Morse followed with a low line drive that was caught by second baseman Dick Porter. The Orioles outhit the Saints 14-8, with Baltimore's Tommy Thomas and St. Paul's Paul Fittey pitching complete games. Baltimore third baseman Fritz Maisel hit the game's only home run.

80 years ago
1934

Baseball
World Series
St. Louis Cardinals 2 @ Detroit Tigers 3 (12 innings) (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Goose Goslin singled in Charlie Gehringer with the winning run with 1 out in the 12th inning as the Tigers edged the Cardinals before 43,451 fans at Navin Field. The Tigers sent the game into extra innings when Gee Walker singled in the tying run after Cardinals’ first baseman Ripper Collins and catcher Bill DeLancey failed to catch his foul pop fly. Schoolboy Rowe went the distance for the Tigers, shutting out the Cardinals over the last 9 innings and retiring 22 batters in a row.

75 years ago
1939

Baseball
World Series
Cincinnati Reds 1 @ New York Yankees 2 (New York led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Charlie Keller tripled to start the bottom of the 9th inning, and after an intentional walk to Joe DiMaggio, scored on a single by Bill Dickey with 1 out to give the Yankees the win over the Reds before 58,541 fans at Yankee Stadium. Red Ruffing won the pitchers' duel over Paul Derringer.



70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Al Smith, 70. U.S. politician. Mr. Smith, a Democrat, was Governor of New York from 1919-1920 and 1923-1928. He was the Democratic party's candidate for President of the United States in 1928, losing to Republican nominee Herbert Hoover.

War
With tank and mobile artillery support, the American advance north of Aachen moved ahead slowly against stiff German resistance. Soviet forces in Yugoslavia reached within 14 miles of Belgrade. British troops in Greece took Patras, the country's third-largest city. Japanese troops captured Foochow in the Chinese province of Fukien.

Law
A French military court permitted the Paris police to gather information concerning the activities of Marshal Henri Petain, accused of treason.

Labour
A grand jury in Philadelphia indicted 30 employees of the Philadelphia Transportation Company on charges of violating the Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act in connection with a six-day walkout in August.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a telegram to American Federation of Musicians leader James Petrillo urging him to comply with a National War Labor Board order and lift the Music Federation's ban on making recordings.

Economics and finance
The U.S. War Production Board announced that it had authorized seven manufacturers to produce 664,500 pieces of aluminum household utensils during the fourth quarter of 1944.

Baseball
World Series
St. Louis Browns 2 @ St. Louis Cardinals 1 (Browns led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Gene Moore singled and George McQuinn followed with a 2-run home run in the 4th inning as the Browns, playing their first World Series game ever, held on to edge the Cardinals before 33,242 fans at Sportsman's Park in the first game of the "Trolley Series." Denny Galehouse pitched a complete game for the win, losing the shutout in the 9th inning when Marty Marion doubled and scored on an outfield fly by pinch hitter Ken O'Dea. Losing pitcher Mort Cooper allowed just 4 hits in 7 innings.

60 years ago
1954

Football
CRU
WIFU
British Columbia (1-9) 6 @ Winnipeg (7-3-2) 24
Calgary (5-7) 6 @ Edmonton (6-4) 21

Pete Thodos, recently traded from B.C. to Winnipeg, scored 2 touchdowns as the Blue Bombers beat the Lions before 15,273 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. Jack Jacobs started at quarterback for Winnipeg and completed a 68-yard touchdown pass to Billy Bye before being ejected late in the 2nd quarter. Joe Zaleski and Geoff Crain shared the Winnipeg quarterback duties for the rest of the game. Floyd Huggins scored the other Winnipeg touchdown. Quarterback Johnny Mazur scored the B.C. touchdown after recovering a teammate's fumble.

The Eskimos took advantage of 7 interceptions against Calgary quarterback Eddie LeBaron as they defeated the Stampeders before 17,000 fans at Clarke Stadium. Linebacker Bill Briggs returned one of the interceptions for a touchdown; Bernie Faloney and Rollie Miles also scored Edmonton TDs. Howard Waugh scored the Calgary touchdown.

50 years ago
1964

On television tonight
This Hour Has Seven Days, on CBC

This was the first broadcast of the public affairs program hosted by Patrick Watson and Laurier LaPierre.

Died on this date
Dorothy Lawrence, 68. U.K. journalist. Miss Lawrence was a freelance war correspondent who disguised herself as a soldier in order to report from the front line in France during World War I. She was befriended by a British soldier, but after just 10 days in the trenches, fearing discovery if she needed medical attention, Miss Lawrence turned herself in to the commanding sergeant, who placed her under military arrest. She was interrogated and eventually sent back to England, and legally prevented from writing about her experiences during the war. Miss Lawrence succeeded in publishing Sapper Dorothy Lawrence: The Only English Woman Soldier (1919), which was heavily censored. She developed mental problems over the next few years, and was declared insane and institutionalized until her death on her 68th birthday.

Space
The United States launched the satellite Explorer 21, whose mission was to conduct measurements of magnetic fields, cosmic rays, and solar winds.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (7-4) 15 @ Hamilton (6-3-1) 17
Calgary (8-4) 24 @ Winnipeg (1-10-1) 16

Don Sutherin's 54-yard wind-aided field goal provided the winning margin as the Tiger-Cats edged the Roughriders before 25,095 fans at Civic Stadium. It was the last CFL game for centre Milt Crain, who had been activated by the Roughriders after being cut by the Montreal Alouettes. Saskatchewan also added rookie tight end Jim McNaughton to the lineup, who had played the first 4 games of the season with the British Columbia Lions. Mr. McNaughton suffered a shoulder separation on the opening kickoff, and never played again. It was the first CFL game for Hamilton backup centre Johnny Metras, son of University of Western Ontario head coach John Metras, and the only CFL game for Hamilton halfback Dwayne Bean.

An interception by Jesse Branch led to a 45-yard touchdown rush by Lovell Coleman with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game as the Stampeders beat the Blue Bombers before 11,300 fans at Winnipeg Stadium.

Baseball
On the last day of the regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 11-5 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to clinch their first National League pennant in 18 years. They finished 1 game ahead of both the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds; the Phillies beat the Reds 10-0 before 28,535 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.

The Milwaukee Braves scored 1 run in the 2nd inning and 5 in the 3rd as they blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 before 10,079 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Winning pitcher Bob Sadowksi allowed just 2 hits in 8 innings; Warren Spahn, in the final game of his 20-year career as a Brave, pitched a scoreless 9th inning to pick up his second straight save. It was the third and last major league game for 18-year-old Milwaukee third baseman Bill Southworth, who hit a 2-run home run--his only major league homer--in the 3rd inning.



Vic Davalillo scored the winning run on a ground out by Leon Wagner as the Cleveland Indians edged the New York Yankees 2-1 in 13 innings before 10,809 fans at Yankee Stadium. Luis Tiant pitched the first 6 innings for Cleveland and hit his first major league home run in the 3rd inning. New York left fielder Elvio Jimenez batted 2 for 6 and made 5 putouts in his only major league game; he grounded out to shortstop Larry Brown for the game's final out. Sam McDowell pitched the last 2 innings for Cleveland and was the winning pitcher; Stan Williams, the sixth New York pitcher, allowed 1 run--earned--in 5 innings in taking the loss.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies--The Drifters (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Rock Your Baby--George McCrae (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Radio & Records)
1 I Honestly Love You--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)
2 Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe--Barry White
3 Nothing from Nothing--Billy Preston
4 Sweet Home Alabama--Lynyrd Skynyrd
5 Can't Get Enough--Bad Company
6 Then Came You--Dionne Warwick and the Spinners
7 The Bitch is Back--Elton John
8 You Haven't Done Nothin'--Stevie Wonder
9 I Shot the Sheriff--Eric Clapton
10 (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka

Singles entering the chart were Do It Baby by the Miracles (#28) and Steppin' Out by Tony Orlando and Dawn (#29).

Personal
This blogger enjoyed participating in "Greaser Day" at Sir John Franklin Territorial High School in Yellowknife.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary William Simon announced that the administration of President Gerald Ford had put a hold on two contracts for sales of 125 million bushels of grain to the U.S.S.R. The action was explained as an anti-inflation move to discourage speculation in grain markets at a time when U.S. crop prospects had been damaged by bad weather. The announcement also stated that no such major contracts could be signed in the future without specific prior approval of the White House.

Politics and govnerment
The New Democracy party was founded in Greece.

30 years ago
1984

Terrorism
Officials of the United States administration of President Ronald Reagan said that U.S. intelligence agencies had evidence that a Muslim militant group called the Party of God was responsible for the September 20 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut as well as for attacks in 1983 on the embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut.

Baseball
National League Championship Series
Chicago 1 @ San Diego 7 (Chicago led best-of-five series 2-1)

Ed Whitson gave up 5 hits over 8 innings to lead the Padres over the Cubs at Jack Murphy-San Diego Stadium. Kevin McReynolds helped the Padres’ cause with a 3-run home run in the 6th inning.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Ehtaa tavaraa (80-luvun tykki)--Bat & Ryyd (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Jag mår illa--Magnus Uggla (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Graham Chapman, 48. U.K. comedian. Mr. Chapman was one of the members of the Monty Python comedy troupe. He died after a year-long battle with cancer.

Secretariat, 19. U.S. race horse. The greatest horse of his day, Secretariat became the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown when he managed the feat in 1973, winning the Belmont Stakes by a record 31 lengths and setting records that still stand for the fastest time in all three races. U.S. sportscaster Howard Cosell chose Secretariat as the greatest athlete he'd ever seen.

World events
Trains carrying thousands of East German refugees from the West German embassy in Prague to West Germany began passing through East Germany as thousands more crowded into train stations and sought to get aboard.

Officials of the United States administration of President George Bush said that there had not been a full-fledged military effort on behalf of the previous day's unsuccessful coup attempt against Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega because of the possibility that it might be a trap devised by Gen. Noriega to embarrass the United States.

Baseball
American League Championship Series
Toronto 3 @ Oakland 6 (Oakland led best-of-seven series 2-0)

National League Championship Series
San Francisco 11 @ Chicago 3 (San Francisco led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Rickey Henderson’s 4 stolen bases helped the Athletics defeat the Blue Jays at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Dave Parker hit a solo home run for the Athletics.

Will Clark went 4 for 4 with a solo home run, a grand slam, and 6 runs batted in, to lead the Giants over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It was the first post-season game ever played in Wrigley Field at night.



20 years ago
1994

Music
The Rolling Stones made their first appearance in Edmonton, performing before a crowd of 60,000 on a cool Tuesday night at Commonwealth Stadium.

World events
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Michel Francois, chief of police in Port-au-Prince and leader of the group of enlisted men who had overthrown President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991, left Haiti for the Dominican Republic, the day after Mr. Aristide had returned to power, with U.S. military support.

Diplomacy
South African President Nelson Mandela met with U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washington to begin two days of talks.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Gordon Cooper, 77. U.S. astronaut. Mr. Cooper was one of the original seven American astronauts selected in 1959, and made the last flight of Project Mercury, Mercury 9, aboard his spacecraft Faith 7, on May 15-16, 1963. He commanded the Gemini 5 mission from August 21-28, 1965. Mr. Cooper resigned from the astronaut program on July 31, 1970.

Space
SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, as the first private craft to fly into space.

War
Paul Bremer, former U.S. Administrator in Iraq, criticized U.S. President George W. Bush for failing to send enough U.S. soldiers to secure Iraq.

Terrorism
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the Council on Foreign Relations that he saw no "strong hard evidence" of a connection between Iraq and the al-Qaeda organization.