November 25, 2014

175 years ago
1839

Disasters
A cyclone struck India with high winds and a 40-foot storm surge, destroying the port city of Coringa. The storm wave swept inland, taking with it 20,000 ships and thousands of people. An estimated 300,000 deaths resulted.

170 years ago
1844

Born on this date
Karl Benz. German automotive engineer. Mr. Benz invented the first practical automobile--the Benz Patent Motorcar--in 1885. His company merged with Daimler in 1926, with the brand name becoming known as Mercedes-Benz. Mr. Benz died of a bronchial inflammation on April 4, 1929 at the age of 84.

150 years ago
1864

War
In the U.S. Civil War, a group of Confederate operatives calling themselves the Confederate Army of Manhattan started fires in more than 20 locations in an unsuccessful attempt to burn down New York City.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Reşat Nuri Güntekin. Turkish author, playwright, and politician. Mr. Güntekin wrote short stories, novels, and plays in a career spanning more than 35 years. His best-known novel was Çalıkuşu (The Wren) (1922). Mr. Güntekin represented Çanakkale in the Turkish Grand National Assembly from 1933-1943. He died of lung cancer at the age of 67 on December 7, 1956.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Joe DiMaggio. Mr. DiMaggio, nicknamed "The Yankee Clipper," was the second of three brothers who were major league outfielders, and was one of the greatest players of his era (1936-1942, 1946-1951), playing center field with the New York Yankees for his entire career. He batted .325 with 361 home runs and 1,537 runs batted in 1,736 games. Joltin' Joe's achievements are too numerous to mention here, but perhaps his most amazing statistic is that he had just 8 more strikeouts than home runs in his career. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. Mr. DiMaggio died on March 8, 1999 at the age of 84.

80 years ago
1934

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Today’s episode: The Adventure of the Syrian Mummy

75 years ago
1939

Football
CRU
IRFU
Finals
Ottawa 28 @ Toronto 6 (Ottawa won 2-game total points series 39-6)

ORFU
Finals
Sarnia 18 @ Montreal 13 (Sarnia won 2-game total points series 31-14)

Ottawa's Arnie McWatters recovered his own 45-yard punt to the Toronto end zone for a touchdown to open the scoring as the Rough Riders routed the Argonauts before 20,000 fans at Varsity Stadium. Andy Tommy rushed 78 yards in the 3rd quarter to set up his own 1-yard touchdown rush; Tony Golab rushed 1 yard for a touchdown; and Orville Burke completed a pass to Tommy Daley for the other Ottawa TD. Doug McPherson scored the only Toronto touchdown on a 21-yard fumble return in the 3rd quarter.

The Westmounts amassed 20 first downs and 356 yards total offense to just 1 first down and 40 yards total offense for the Imperials, but Sarnia took advantage of Montreal fumbles to win the game and the series. Montreal's Ray Mullins was a notable goat: he fumbled the opening kickoff, which Sarnia's Ike Norris recovered for a touchdown, and lost a fumble on his 1-yard line, leading to a 1-yard touchdown rush by Mike Hedgewick on the next play. Lyle Withers scored the Imperials' final touchdown when the Westmounts fumbled a punt in their own end zone and Mr. Withers recovered.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): You Always Hurt the One You Love--The Mills Brothers (Best Seller--4th week at #1); I'll Walk Alone--Dinah Shore (Juke Box--1st week at #1)

Theatre
The Man Who Had All the Luck, written by Arthur Miller and starring Karl Swenson, closed at the Forrest Theatre on Broadway in New York City after just four performances. It was Mr. Miller's first play to be performed on Broadway, and its failure just about finished his career.

Died on this date
Kenesaw Mountain Landis, 78. Commissioner of Baseball, 1920-1944. Mr. Landis was a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 1905-1922, and was appointed baseball's first Commissioner in the wake of the "Black Sox" scandal, when members of the Chicago White Sox conspired with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. He banned eight White Sox players for life, which remained the signature act of his reign, the achievements of which are too numerous to mention here. Judge Landis died five days after his 78th birthday.

Abominations
The U.S. War Refugee Board revealed the first details of Nazi atrocities at the death camps of Birkenau and Auschwitz in Poland, stating that 1.7 million Jews had been murdered there.

War
The Canadian corvette HMCS Shawinigan was lost in Newfoundland's Cabot Strait. Soviet units in Hungary captured Hatvan, 30 miles northeast of Budapest, while other units landed on Csepel Island in the Danube River.

Protest
Anti-conscription riots took place in Montreal and Quebec City after Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King's announcement that 16,000 conscripts would be sent to England.

Labour
The U.S. National War Labor Board agreed to permit some adjustments in the steel wage formula, but rejected a Congress of Industrial Organizations demand for a guaranteed annual wage.

Football
CRU
Grey Cup @ Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Montreal St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona 7 Hamilton Wildcats 6

Dutch Davey completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Taylor in the 2nd quarter and then punted for the winning point in the 4th quarter as the "Combines" edged the Wildcats before 3,871 fans to become the last armed services team to win the Grey Cup. Mr. Taylor's touchdown gave the Navy club a 6-0 halftime lead, which stood until the Wildcats tied the game in the 4th quarter on a touchdown by Paul Miocinovich, converted by Joe Krol. This was the last Grey Cup between two eastern teams.

50 years ago
1964

Football
CFL
The Schenley Awards for the CFL's most outstanding players of 1964 were handed out in Toronto. Calgary Stampeders' fullback Lovell Coleman was named Most Outstanding Player over Toronto Argonauts' halfback Dick Shatto; Hamilton Tiger-Cats' flanker Tommy Grant was named Most Outstanding Canadian Player over Calgary Stampeders' defensive back and kicker Larry Robinson; and British Columbia Lions' middle guard Tom Brown was named Most Outstanding Lineman over Hamilton Tiger-Cats' defensive tackle John Barrow.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Honestly Love You--Olivia Newton-John (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Rock Your Baby--George McCrae (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
U Thant, 65. Burmese diplomat. Mr. Thant was 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1961-1971, dealing with world events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the independence of African colonies.

Nick Drake, 26. Burmese-born U.K. musician. Mr. Drake was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who recorded three albums from 1969-1972. He was ignored during his lifetime, but since his death from an antidepressant overdose, has become an influence on a number of British musicians.

Football
NFL
Pittsburgh (8-2-1) 28 @ New Orleans (4-7) 7

Baseball
The California Angels released outfielder Tony Conigliaro, more than three years after he had played his last game. Mr. Conigliaro had played with the Boston Red Sox from 1964-1970 before being traded to California. Eye trouble left over from a severe 1967 beaning returned, and he had quit the Angels in July 1971.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France (SNEP): Besoin de rien, envie de toi--Peter and Sloane (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: When the Rain Begins to Fall--Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora

Music
36 top British musicians gathered in a Notting Hill studio and recorded the song Do They Know It's Christmas? under the name Band Aid in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Lambada--Kaoma (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): If Only I Could--Sydney Youngblood (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Lily was Here--David A. Stewart and Candy Dulfer

#1 single in France (SNEP): Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
2 When I See You Smile--Bad English
3 Love Shack--The B-52's
4 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
5 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
6 Angelia--Richard Marx
7 Poison--Alice Cooper
8 Back to Life--Soul II Soul
9 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
10 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins

Singles entering the chart were Downtown Train by Rod Stewart (#54); Steamy Windows by Tina Turner (#83); Janie's Got a Gun by Aerosmith (#85); Principal's Office by Young M.C. (#88); Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue (#90); Wait for You by Bonham (#91); Hide Your Heart by Kiss (#92); I Didn't Mean to Stay All Night by Starship (#94); and Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me) by Fiona (Duet with Kip Winger) (#95).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
2 Angelia--Richard Marx
3 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
4 Love Shack--The B-52's
5 When I See You Smile--Bad English
6 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
7 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
8 Poison--Alice Cooper
9 Get on Your Feet--Gloria Estefan
10 Back to Life--Soul II Soul

Singles entering the chart were Downtown Train by Rod Stewart (#54); Tender Lover by Babyface (#70); I Remember You by Skidrow (#75); Was it Nothing at All by Michael Damian (#77); Lullaby by the Cure (#80); and Janie's Got a Gun by Aerosmith (#87).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
2 Sowing the Seeds of Love--Tears for Fears
3 When I See You Smile--Bad English
4 Miss You Much--Janet Jackson
5 Angelia--Richard Marx
6 No Souvenirs--Melissa Etheridge
7 Cover Girl--New Kids on the Block
8 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
9 The Best--Tina Turner
10 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel

Singles entering the chart were Too Hot by Loverboy (#78); Free Fallin' by Tom Petty (#82); White Hot by Tom Cochrane & Red Rider (#84); Janie's Got a Gun by Aerosmith (#87); Devolution Workin' Man Blues by the Alarm (#89); Sacrifice by Elton John (#91); A Girl Like You by the Smithereens (#92); and 500 Miles by the Hooters (#96). White Hot was a new version of the song that had originally been a hit for Red Rider in 1980.

Died on this date
Alva Fitch, 82. U.S. military officer. Lieutenant General Fitch commanded an artillery battalion during the Battle of Bataan during World War II, and was a prisoner of war from 1942-1945. He was assistant chief of staff for intelligence, Headquarters, Department of the Army (1961-1964) and deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (1964-1966).

Protest
Czechoslovakian playwright and dissident Vaclav Havel, addressing 800,000 people in Prague, dismissed the previous day’s personnel shift within the country’s Communist government as a trick.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Old Pop in an Oak--Rednex

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Spanish Lady--Dustin (2nd week at #1)