September 12, 2015

125 years ago
1890

Africana
Salisbury, Rhodesia was founded by the Pioneer Column--a small military force of the British South Africa Company--and named Fort Salisbury after U.K. Prime Minister Lord Salisbury.

120 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Freymóður Jóhannsson. Icelandic playwright, artist, and songwriter. Mr. Jóhannsson wrote plays for the Reykjavík Theatre Company, painted landscapes, and wrote popular songs. He died on March 3, 1973 at the age of 77.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Billy Daniels. U.S. singer. Mr. Daniels was best known for his recordings of the songs Diane (1941) and That Old Black Magic (1950) and for his television program The Billy Daniels Show (1952). He died on October 7, 1988 at the age of 73.

75 years ago
1940

War
Two million British troops were reportedly dispersed along the coastline in anticipation of a German invasion. German bombs hit Buckingham Palace in London, but the royal family was uninjured.

Diplomacy
A Japanese diplomatic and trade mission, seeking greater access to raw materials, especially oil, arrived in the Netherlands East Indies. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew urged the State Department to apply greater economic pressure on Japan, calling her "one of the predatory powers."

Art
Cave paintings were discovered in Lascaux, France.

Disasters
An explosion at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Kenvil, New Jersey killed 51 people and injured over 200.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Hajime Sugiyama, 65. Japanese military officer. Field Marshal Sugiyama was chief of the Army General Staff and Minister of War in the Imperial Japanese Army from 1937-1944. He committed suicide by shooting himself in his office, although he was not on the list of Japanese officials to be tried by the Allies as war criminals. His wife committed suicide at their home the same day.

Literature
The Age of Jackson by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. was published by Little, Brown & Company.

War
The original Japanese surrender documents were put on public exhibition in the U.S. National Archives Building in Washington. Allied Southeast Asia Chief Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted in Singapore the formal Japanese surrender of her southern armies from Lieutenant General Seishiro Itagaki. Nationalist Chinese troops completed the occupation of Canton, while the Chinese government took control of Shanghai.

Defense
U.S. Undersecretary of War Robert Patterson said that the Army was demobilizing at the rate of 10,000 men per day.

Asiatica
The People's Republic of Korea was proclaimed, bringing an end to Japanese rule over Korea.

World events
Allied Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur ordered the arrest of seven leaders of the Black Dragon Society in Japan, including Koki Hirota, Kingoro Hashimoto, and Taketora Ogata.

Politics and government
The U.S.S.R. established a civilian government for her occupation zone in Germany, with 11 departments functioning under Soviet "advisers." The departments had few initial tasks, but were intended to secure Soviet influence in the future government of a reunited Germany.

Law
U.S. President Harry Truman named former Attorney General Francis Biddle as a judge at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg to try accused Nazi war criminals.

Society
The United States House of Representatives passed a resolution to return the country to standard time effective September 30, 1945.

Economics and finance
The U.S.S.R. and Romania reached an agreement that included the return of several ships to Romania, Romanian control of railroads, and reduction of Romanian indebtedness to the U.S.S.R.

The Mexican government nationalized all deposits of uranium, actinium, and other radioactive minerals that could be used to make atomic bombs.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank approved a $20-million loan to Chile for construction of a steel mill.

Business
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reported that the combined assets of 199 leading gas and electric companies were $12.8 billion in 1944, or 80% of the total assets of all registered holding companies.

60 years ago
1955

Football
CRU
WIFU
Saskatchewan (4-3) 0 @ Winnipeg (1-5) 25
Calgary (2-5) 12 @ Edmonton (6-0) 24

Buddy Leake completed 13 of 24 passes for 267 yards and touchdowns of 45 yards to Leo Lewis and 62 yards to Bud Grant as the Blue Bombers defeated the Roughriders before 16,133 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. George Elliott and Billy Hooper scored the other Winnipeg touchdowns.

The Eskimos rushed for 269 yards in their win over the Stampeders before 17,000 fans at Clarke Stadium. Rollie Miles, Earl Lindley, and Bill Briggs scored Edmonton touchdowns, while Bob Dean added 3 converts and 2 field goals. Don Luft and Bob Meyers scored Calgary touchdowns.

50 years ago
1965

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (5-3-1) 11 @ Montreal (1-5) 9

Jack Abendschan's 14-yard field goal late in the game gave the Roughriders the win over the Alouettes before 19,226 fans at Molson Stadium.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Paloma Blanca--George Baker Selection (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): S O S--ABBA

#1 single in Switzerland: Torneró--I Santo California (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Gene Ronzani, 66. U.S. football player and coach. Mr. Ronzani was a halfback and quarterback with the Chicago Bears (1933-1938, 1944-1945), playing with their National Football League championship team in 1933. He was head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1950-1953, compiling a record of 14-31-1 before resigning with 2 games remaining in the 1953 season. Mr. Ronzani changed the Packers' colours from blue and gold to green and gold.

Music
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass performed at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, with tickets priced from $4.50-$7.50.

Football
NFL
Pre-season
Kansas City (3-3) 9 @ Buffalo (3-3) 7
Washington (4-3) 24 @ Baltimore (2-4) 10

Baseball
Junior World Series
Evansville Triplets (AA) @ Tidewater Tides (IL) (postponed, rain) (Evansville led best-of-seven series 1-0)

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): U Can't Touch This--MC Hammer (3rd week at #1)

At the movies
Reversal of Fortune, starring Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, and Ron Silver, received its premiere screening at the Festival of Festivals in Toronto.



Died on this date
Jim Romano, 63. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Romano appeared in 3 games with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950, posting a record of 0-0 with an earned run average of 5.68 in 6 1/3 innings. In a minor league career from 1947-1952, Mr. Romano was 48-50 with an ERA of 3.93.

Diplomacy
Representatives of the U.S.S.R.; U.S.; U.K.; France; East Germany; and West Germany met in Moscow to sign the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany. The World War II allies pledged to "terminate their rights and responsibilities relating to Berlin and to Germany as a whole." The united Germany was thus granted full sovereignty over its internal and external affairs.

The Red Cross organizations of mainland China and Taiwan signed the Kinmen Agreement on repatriation of illegal immigrants and criminal suspects after two days of talks in Kinmen, Fujian Province in response to the two tragedies in repatriation in the previous two months. It was the first agreement reached by private organizations across the Taiwan Strait.

Politics and government
John Buchanan resigned as Premier of Nova Scotia to accept an appointment to the Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Mr. Buchanan was appointed in order to vote in favour of the Mulroney government's Goods and Services Tax. The appointment was heavily criticized not only as a patronage appointment, but because Mr. Buchanan's government was under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police over allegations of corruption. Mr. Buchanan was replaced as interim Premier by Minister of Housing and Deputy Premier Roger Bacon.

Oil
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board allowed a $565-million project in the Cohasset & Panukle fields south of Sable Island to go ahead, producing an estimated six million barrels.

Baseball
Steve Adkins of the New York Yankees, making his major league debut with a start against the Texas Rangers, was pulled after 1 1/3 innings despite not giving up a hit. Mr. Adkins walked the first 3 batters to face him, but managed to retire the side in the 1st inning. After a fly ball out to begin the 2nd, he gave up 5 consecutive bases on balls before being pulled. Texas won the game 5-4 before 18,624 fans at Yankee Stadium.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Hideaway--De'Lacy (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Jeremy Brett, 61. U.K. actor. Mr. Brett, born Peter Jeremy William Huggins, played a supporting role in the movie My Fair Lady (1964), but was best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in 41 adaptations of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories for the Granada television network from 1984-1994. He died of heart failure.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that prices charged by manufacturers and farmers for finished goods had declined 0.1% in August.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Honey Bruce Friedman, 78. U.S. entertainer. Mrs. Friedman, born Harriett Jolliff, was a stripper and showgirl who performed under the name Honey Harlow. She was married to comedian Lenny Bruce from 1951 until their divorce in 1957, and sometimes appeared with him on stage, and in the movie Dance Hall Racket (1953).

Politics and government
U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown resigned, three days after losing his onsite command of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

Popular culture
Hong Kong Disneyland opened in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

Sport
England defeated Australia 2-1 to win the Ashes cricket series for the first time since 1987.