September 4, 2015

125 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Gunnar Sommerfeldt. Danish actor, director, and screenwriter. Mr. Sommerfeldt acted in more than 30 movies, writing and directing several more. He produced, directed, wrote, and acted in Borgslægtens historie (Sons of the Soil) (1921), the first movie to be filmed in Iceland. He was best known for writing, directing, and starring in his last film, Markens grøde (Growth of the Soil) (1921). Mr. Sommerfeldt died on August 30, 1947, five days before his 57th birthday.

100 years ago
1915

War
The Canadian Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion was mobilized at Montreal.

80 years ago
1935

Died on this date
Dan Cotter, 68. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Cotter pitched 1 game for the Buffalo Bisons of the Players League on July 16, 1890, allowing 18 hits, 7 bases on balls, and 14 earned runs while pitching a complete game in a 19-0 loss to the Boston Reds.

Baseball
Carl Hubbell picked up his 20th win of the season as the New York Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 before 3,000 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati to remain 2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League pennant race.

75 years ago
1940

Died on this date
Hans Zinsser, 61. U.S. physician. Dr. Zinsser was a bacteriologist who was the world's leading authority on typhus. His best-known book was Rats, Lice and History (1935). Dr. Zinsser died of leukemia.

War
German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler threatened to raze British cities unless the Royal Air Force halted its attacks upon Germany. British planes bombed concentrations of German war materials concealed in the Black Forest, Oberharz Mountains, and the forests of Thuringia. Tahiti, capital of the French Society Islands, declared support for General Charles de Gaulle. French authorities in Indochina officially rejected the Japanese request for passage of troops en route to China.

Politics and government
General Auguste Nogues announced the reorganization of the Moroccan government in an effort to control dissidents.

Education
The U.S. Office of Education announced that approximately one-quarter of the American population--32,580,000 children--would attend school this year.

Economics and finance
The U.S. National Defense Advisory Commission told Congress that it should not extend government control over private industry beyond the defense emergency period.

Football
NFL
Pre-season
Eastern College All-Stars upset the defending Eastern Division champion New York Giants at Yankee Stadium.

70 years ago
1945

War
The Allied occupation zone in Japan spread to over 720 square miles, as the U.S. 8th Army crossed the Tama River outside Tokyo. Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan General Douglas MacArthur issued directions for the complete occupation of Japan, indicating that Tokyo would be occupied on September 8. He ordered all Japanese prisoner of war camps turned over to the highest-ranking Allied officer among the prisoners. The U.S. War Department announced further liberalization of service rules that would keep 665,000 from going overseas.

Diplomacy
The Polish government denounced its concordat with the Holy See, charging that the Roman Catholic Church had turned over administration of Polish dioceses to German bishops in 1940.

Politics and government
Emperor Hirohito opened the first post-World War II session of the Japanese Diet in Tokyo with a speech urging "reconstruction in every field" and a rehabilitation policy designed to "win the confidence of the world, establish...a peaceful state and contribute to the progress of mankind."

A new Tangier agreement was announced providing for a control commission composed of the U.S.S.R., U.S.A., U.K., Spain, and France, but most of the administrative burdens would fall to the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Sweden.

Argentine Ambassador to the U.S.A. Oscar Ibarra Garcia was recalled to take over duties in the foreign ministry.

Labour
1,800 Roman Catholic schoolteachers in Montreal threatened to go on strike.

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Help!/I'm Down--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Mes Mains Sur Tes Hanches--Salvatore Adamo (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Il mondo--Jimmy Fontana (7th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Il Silenzio--Nini Rosso (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Help!--The Beatles (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction--The Rolling Stones

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Help!--The Beatles

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Help!--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)
2 I Got You Babe--Sonny and Cher
3 Like a Rolling Stone--Bob Dylan
4 California Girls--The Beach Boys
5 Eve of Destruction--Barry McGuire
6 It's the Same Old Song--Four Tops
7 Unchained Melody--The Righteous Brothers
9 You were On My Mind--We Five
9 Nothing But Heartaches--The Supremes
10 Down in the Boondocks--Billy Joe Royal

Singles entering the chart were I'll Make All Your Dreams Come True by Ronnie Dove (#70); Home of the Brave by Jody Miller (#75); Ain't it True by Andy Williams (#77); Some Enchanted Evening by Jay & the Americans (#79); Respect by Otis Redding (#84); High Heel Sneakers by Stevie Wonder (#87); Home of the Brave by Bonnie and the Treasures (#88); There But for Fortune by Joan Baez (#95); If You Wait for Love by Bobby Goldsboro (#97); Keep on Dancing by the Gentrys (#98); The Way of Love by Kathy Kirby (#99); The World Through a Tear by Neil Sedaka (#100); and Steppin' Out by Paul Revere and the Raiders (also #100).

Died on this date
Albert Schweitzer, 90. French-born Gabonese physician, theologian, and musician. Dr. Schweitzer was an organist and writer of books such as The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1906) and The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle (1931), but was best known as a medical missionary in Gabon, where he spent his last 50 years. Dr. Schweitzer was awarded the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize for his philosophy of "reverence for life."

Boxing
Oscar Bonavena (15-1) won the Argentine heaqvyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over defending champion Gregorio Peralta (48-5-5) at Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires.



40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)--The Stylistics (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
Opening Soon at a Theater Near You, on WTTW

This was the first of what was then a monthly program on Chicago's Public Broadcasting Service affiliate, and launched the television partnership of Chicago Tribune movie critic Gene Siskel and Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert. The program was renamed Sneak Previews in 1977.

Diplomacy
Representatives of Israel and Egypt signed the Sinai Interim Agreement in Geneva, calling for further withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and a United Nations buffer zone, and peaceful negotiations to resolve conflicts between the two nations.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (4-4) 17 @ British Columbia (2-5) 29

Peter Liske completed 12 of 21 passes for 3 touchdowns and a 2-point convert to lead the Lions over the Blue Bombers before 17,073 fans at Empire Stadium in Vancouver in their first game under head coach Cal Murphy, who had replaced the fired Eagle Keys six days earlier. Mr. Liske connected on TD passes of 58 yards to Ross Clarkson; 53 yards to Terry Bailey; and 51 yards to Jim Young, all in the 2nd half. Mr. Liske also completed a pass to Mr. Bailey for a 2-point convert. Lou Harris rushed 20 times for 142 yards for B.C., and Wayne Moseley added 37 yards on 8 carries. Mr. Clarkson caught 4 passes for 116 yards and Mr. Young 3 for 89. Winnipeg led 9-1 at halftime, but didn't score a touchdown until 31 seconds into the 4th quarter, when Chuck Ealey connected with Steve Beaird from 49 yards. Jim Washington led the Winnipeg rushing game with 17 carries for 89 yards, with Richard Crump adding 37 on 7 carries. Mr. Washington also caught 6 passes for 49 yards. Doug Carlson, playing his first CFL game at defensive back for B.C., broke his arm in the 3rd quarter when tackling Mr. Beaird on a kickoff return, and missed the rest of the season.

Baseball
The New York Yankees released outfielder and designated hitter Alex Johnson. The 1970 American League batting champion was batting .261 with 1 home run and 15 runs batted in in 52 games in 1975.

The Chicago Cubs released veteran relief pitcher Eddie Watt. Mr. Watt was 0-1 with an earned run average of 13.50 in 6 games with the Cubs; with the Wichita Aeros of the AAA American Association, he was 4-5 with 7 saves and a 3.89 ERA in 44 games in 1975.

The Atlanta Braves traded veteran pitcher Ray Sadecki to the Kansas City Royals to complete the June 30, 1975 trade in which the Braves had traded cash and a player to be named later to the Royals for pitcher Bruce Dal Canton and two players to be named later. The Braves received minor league pitchers Norm Angelini and Al Autry. Mr. Sadecki had started the season with the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Braves, for whom he appeared in 25 games, posting a record of 2-3 with an earned run average of 4.21. Mr. Angelini was 3-8 with 20 saves and a 4.43 ERA in 54 games with the Omaha Royals of the American Association, while Mr. Autry was 9-7 with a 3.94 ERA in 23 games with Omaha.

Rudy May pitched a 5-hitter and the New York Yankees scored 5 runs in the 5th inning as they beat the Detroit Tigers 8-1 before 6,341 fans at Tiger Stadium.

Paul Splittorff pitched a 7-hitter as the Kansas City Royals shut out the Chicago White Sox 7-0 before 1,569 fans at White Sox Park. Left fielder Jim Wohlford drove in 3 runs with a pair of singles. Ken Kravec made his major league debut, starting on the mound for Chicago and allowing 1 hit, 7 bases on balls, and 3 runs--all earned--in 2 1/3 innings to take the loss. Two more players made their major league debuts in the top of the 9th inning: Chris Knapp pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the White Sox, and Jamie Quirk pinch hit for Kansas City third baseman George Brett and drew a base on balls. Mr. Quirk remained in the game at third base and made an assist in the bottom of the 9th.

The Atlanta Braves scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to edge the San Diego Padres 2-1 before 1,062 fans at Atlanta Stadium.

Willie Crawford's 2-run home run was the key hit of a 3-run 1st inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers held on to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 before 29,512 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Doug Rau pitched a 4-hit complete game victory.

30 years ago
1985

Died on this date
George O'Brien, 86. U.S. actor. Mr. O'Brien was best known for his starring role in Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927).

Art Bramhall, 76. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Bramhall was a third baseman who batted 0 for 1 in 2 games with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1935.

Archaeology
The first pictures of the wreck of the Titanic were released, 73 years after the ship sank, and three days after a joint American-French expedition led by Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the wreck.

Science
Chemists at Rice University first generated buckminsterfullerene, a spherical molecule of carbon.

Baseball
Otis Nixon hit a 2-run home run with 1 out in the top of the 9th inning to break a 3-3 tie and provide the winning margin as the Cleveland Indians edged the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 before 25,361 fans at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Jesse Barfield led off the bottom of the 9th with a homer, and the Blue Jays loaded the bases with nobody out, but relief pitcher Jamie Easterly induced Garth Iorg to hit into a double play, and retired George Bell on a ground ball to end the game.

All the runs were scored in the first 6 innings as the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Minnesota Twins 11-10 before 14,216 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Luis Salazar, who had just moved from center field fo left field, dropped a fly ball by Pat Sheridan with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning, allowing Darryl Motley to score the winning run as the Kansas City Royals edged the Chicago White Sox 6-5 before 19,940 fans at Royals Stadium.

Rob Deer hit a 3-run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 2,067 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Rick Reuschel pitched a 3-hitter as the Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the Atlanta Braves 2-0 before 4,613 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Losing pitcher Pascual Perez allowed 4 hits and 1 earned run in 4 1/3 innings, dropping his 1985 record to 1-9.

An error by shortstop Dave Concepcion on a ground ball by Terry Pendleton allowed Andy Van Slyke to score the tying run, and Mr. Pendleton then scored the winning run on a single by Mike Jorgensen as the St. Louis Cardinals scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 before 25,425 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium.

Gary Carter hit 2 home runs to lead the New York Mets to a 9-2 win over the San Diego Padres before 15,676 fans at Jack Murphy-San Diego Stadium. Mr. Carter tied a record with 5 home runs in 2 games.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Jos haluu saada--MC Nikke T (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Irene Dunne, 91. U.S. actress. Miss Dunne was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Cimarron (1931); Theodora Goes Wild (1936); The Awful Truth (1937); Love Affair (1939); and I Remember Mama (1948).

Politics and government
The Quebec National Assembly passed Bill 90, a bill initiated by the Liberal government of Premier Robert Bourassa, constituting the Commission on the political and constitutional future of Quebec. This would bring together representatives of the government, the Official Opposition, and various organizations (unions, employers' associations, municipal unions, etc.).

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Play this Song--2 Fabiola (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): A Kind of Christmas Card--Morten Harket (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Boom Boom Boom--The Outhere Brothers

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Wish You Well--Tom Cochrane
2 Only Wanna Be with You--Hootie & the Blowfish
3 Kiss from a Rose--Seal
4 I'll Be There for You--The Rembrandts
5 A Higher Place--Tom Petty
6 I Can Love You Like That--All-4-One
7 Can't Cry Anymore--Sheryl Crow
8 Misery--Soul Asylum
9 This Ain't a Love Song--Bon Jovi
10 Roll to Me--Del Amitri

Singles entering the chart were I Wish You Well; You Feel the Same Way Too by the Rankin Family (#85); Wait 'Til My Heart Finds Out by Carol Medina with Billy Newton-Davis (#89); Tomorrow by Silverchair (#90); Smashing Young Man by Collective Soul (#91); and Forever Tonight by Peter Cetera (#92).

Died on this date
William Kunstler, 76. U.S. lawyer. Mr. Kunstler was known for defending politically unpopular clients, and was best known for defending the "Chicago Seven" protesters who had been charged with inciting a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Music
This blogger, with enjoyable female company, attended the last of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's annual series of Labour Day weekend concerts at Hawrelak Park. The orchestra ended the concert with its customary performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture; however, because of budgetary difficulties, the usual cannons were unavailable, and paper bags were passed out to the audience, to be popped in unison when directed to do so. Unfortunately, audience members began popping the bags on their own, and the result sounded like a popcorn popper. The fiasco was reported the following day on Paul Harvey News on ABC radio.

Football
CFL
San Antonio (6-5) 48 @ Toronto (2-8) 27
Edmonton (7-4) 26 @ Calgary (9-1) 51

Mike Saunders caught 2 touchdown passes from David Archer and rushed for another TD as the Texans beat the Argonauts before 14,593 fans at SkyDome. Troy Mills rushed for 2 San Antonio TDs, and Mr. Archer completed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Mark Stock. Marvin Graves passed 43 yards to Paul Masotti for a Toronto touchdown and rushed 1 yard for a TD of his own, while Duane Forde rushed 1 yard for the other Toronto touchdown.



Jeff Garcia passed for 546 yards and 6 touchdowns to lead the Stampeders over the Eskimos before a sellout crowd of 37,317 at McMahon Stadium. Allen Pitts caught 3 of Mr. Garcia's TD passes, PeeWee Smith caught 2, and linebacker Marvin Pope caught the other. Calgary led 29-5 before Kerwin Bell, relieving starting quarterback Chris Vargas, rallied the Eskimos with touchdown passes of 98 yards to Eric Blount, 48 yards to C.J. Davis, and 4 yards to Nick Mazzoli. The Edmonton defense then fell apart after the ejection of two defensive backs for arguing with the officials, leaving the Eskimos to put running back Lucius Floyd in the defensive backfield.



10 years ago
2005

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (3-8) 26 @ Saskatchewan (4-6) 45