September 29, 2015

130 years ago
1885

Transportation
The world's first practical public electric tramway opened in Blackpool, England.

120 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Roscoe Turner. U.S. aviator. Mr. Turner served with the United States Army during World War I, but didn't begin flying until after the war. He won numerous trophies in the 1930s, including the Bendix Trophy (1933) and Thompson Trophy (1934, 1938, 1939). Mr. Turner was perhaps best known for flying on behalf of Gilmore Oil Company in the early 1930s, accompanied by a cub named Gilmore. When Gilmore grew big to fly in the mid-'30s, Mr. Turner placed him with the World Jungle Compound in California, paying for his food and visiting him whenever possible. Mr. Turner operated Roscoe Turner Aeronautical Corporation (RTAC) in the 1940s, but his ideas for air defense were repeatedly rejected by the U.S. government. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1952, and was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1975, five years after his death on June 23, 1970 at the age of 74.

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Oscar Handlin. U.S. historian. Dr. Handlin taught at Harvard University for more than 50 years, specializing in immigration history. His book The Uprooted (1951) won the Pulitzer Prize for History, and his testimony before the United States Congress in 1965 was said to "have played an important role" in passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that abolished the discriminatory immigration quota system in the U.S., and which has done so much to destroy the nation. Dr. Handlin died on September 20, 2011, nine days before his 96th birthday.

90 years ago
1925

Died on this date
Léon Bourgeois, 74. Prime Minister of France, 1895-1896. Mr. Bourgeois wasn't a member of any party, but his progressive policies influenced the Radical Party. Mr. Bourgeois was a Freemason and he packed his cabinet with eight Freemasons. Mr. Bourgeois was awarded the 1920 Nobel Peace Prize "[for his participation] in both the Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907" and for his work toward "what became the League to such an extent that he was frequently called its "spiritual father."

80 years ago
1935

Baseball
Jimmie Foxx hit 3 home runs, giving him 37 for the season, as the Philadelphia Athletics defeated the Washington Nationals 11-8 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Washington’s Buddy Myer batted 4 for 5 to edge Joe Vosmik of the Cleveland Indians for the American League batting title .349 to .348. Mr. Vosmik batted once as a pinch hitter in the first game of the Indians’ doubleheader and made an out. When he heard that Mr. Myer was having a big game, Mr. Vosmik decided to play in the second game of the doubleheader, and batted 1 for 3. Mr. Foxx finished at .346. Philadelphia second baseman Bernie Snyder batted 2 for 4 with 3 runs and a run batted in in his 10th and last major league game. Sammy Holbrook entered the game in a 6th inning as a pinch hitter for the Nationals and caught the last 3 innings, batting 3 for 3 with an RBI in his 52nd and last major league game.

75 years ago
1940

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Empty House

Disasters
Two Avro Ansons of the Royal Australian Air Force No. 2 Service Flying Training School collided in mid-air over Brocklesby, New South Wales, remained locked together after colliding, and then landed safely.

Football
NFL
Brooklyn (1-1) 10 @ Pittsburgh (1-1-2) 3
Cleveland (1-1) 0 @ Detroit (1-1-1) 6
Chicago Cardinals (1-1-2) 6 Green Bay (2-1) 31 @ Milwaukee

Baseball
Johnny Rucker hit a grand slam and drove in 7 runs in 2 consecutive innings as the New York Giants routed the Boston Bees 14-0 before 2,839 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York in the Bees' last game after five years under that name before reverting to the name Braves for 1941. Boston catcher Sig Broskie batted 1 for 3 in his 11th and last major league game.

Lee Grissom pitched a 2-hitter as the Brooklyn Dodgers blanked the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 before 2,000 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Six Philadelphia players played their final major league game: catcher Bill Atwood (5 seasons, 342 games); third baseman Sam File (7 games); first baseman Art Mahan (1 season, 146 games); center fielder Mel Mazzera (5 seasons, 207 games); second baseman Ham Schulte (1 season, 120 games); and left fielder Neb Stewart (10 games).

70 years ago
1945

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Till the End of Time--Perry Como with Russ Case and his Orchestra (Best Seller--3rd week at #1; Airplay--3rd week at #1; Juke Box--1st week at #1; Honor Roll of Hits--2nd week at #1)

At the movies
The Shanghai Cobra, directed by Phil Karlson, and starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, opened in theatres.



Football
CRU
IRFU
Hamilton (1-0) 5 @ Montreal (0-1) 0
Ottawa (1-1) 8 @ Toronto (1-1) 6

The Hornets' loss to the Tigers at Molson Stadium was the first game for Lew Hayman as Montreal coach, and the Hornets' first game under that name.

60 years ago
1955

Disasters
An Avro York freighter piloted by Joseph Cermak, 40, and Jerry Lozie, 27, crashed in a lake 80 miles north of Beaverlodge, Saskatchewan. The men had dropped supplies at a Distant Early Warrning (DEW)-line site in the Northwest Territories and were on their way back to Edmonton via Yellowknife, but got off course. Captain Cermak, formerly of the Czech Air Force and British Royal Air Force, died two days later. Mr. Lozie was discovered and rescued on October 9.

Boxing
Floyd Patterson (25-1) knocked out Dave Whitlock (35-15-2) 52 seconds into the 2nd round of a heavyweight bout at Winterland Arena in San Francisco.

Baseball
World Series
Brooklyn Dodgers 2 @ New York Yankees 4 (New York led best-of-seven series 2-0)

The Yankees scored all their runs in the 4th inning as they beat the Dodgers before 64,707 fans at Yankee Stadium. Winning pitcher Tommy Byrne pitched a 5-hit complete game and singled in the last 2 New York runs.

50 years ago
1965

Americana
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill creating the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Love Will Keep Us Together--The Captain and Tennille (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni--Kenji Sawada (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Melina--Camilo Sesto (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Casey Stengel, 85. U.S. baseball player and manager. Charles Dillon Stengel, who acquired his nickname from the initials of his birthplace of Kansas City, Missouri, was one of the most colourful characters in baseball history. He was an outfielder with the Brooklyn Dodgers/Superbas/Robins (1912-1917); Pittsburgh Pirates (1918-1919); Philadelphia Phillies (1920-1921); New York Giants (1921-1923); and Boston Braves (1924-1925), batting .284 with 60 home runs and 535 runs batted in in 1,277 games. He played in the World Series of 1916, 1922, and 1923, with the highlight probably being the first game of the 1923 World Series, when he hit an inside-the-park home run in the top of the 9th inning to give the Giants a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees in the first World Series game ever played at Yankee Stadium. As a manager, Mr. Stengel acquired the nickname "The Old Perfessor;" he managed the Dodgers (1934-1936) and Boston Bees and Braves (1938-1943) without success, but led the Milwaukee Brewers to the American Association pennant in 1944 and accomplished the same thing with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League in 1948. He was then hired to manage the New York Yankees, and led them to 10 pennants and 7 World Series championships in 12 seasons from 1949-1960, including a record 5 straight World Series victories from 1949-1953. Mr. Stengel managed the expansion New York Mets from 1962-1965, but the untalented team posted the worst record in the major leagues every season, and he announced his retirement late in August 1965, a month after breaking his hip in a fall. Mr. Stengel retired with a major league managerial record of 1,905 wins and 1,842 losses in 25 seasons. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.

Television
WGPR in Detroit became the world's first Negro-owned-and-operated station.

Football
NFL
Green Bay (0-2) 13 @ Denver (2-0) 23

30 years ago
1985

Politics and government
Pierre-Marc Johnson was elected leader of the Parti Quebecois, succeeding Rene Levesque as Premier of Quebec. Mr. Johnson decided to keep sovereignty on the back burner and called an election to get a new mandate.

Football
CFL
Montreal (6-6) 7 @ Ottawa (5-7) 23
Hamilton (5-7) 30 @ Calgary (2-9) 13

Tim McCray rushed 16 times for 67 yards and touchdowns of 2 and 1 yards as the Rough Riders held the Concordes without a touchdown before 24,909 fans on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Lansdowne Park. Dean Dorsey kicked 2 converts, 2 field goals, and a single, while punter Ken Clark added 2 singles. Roy Kurtz kicked 2 field goals and a single for the Concordes, who lost their third straight game. Montreal quarterbacks Turner Gill, Mark Stevens, and Gerry Dattilio produced just 130 yards net offense, while the Ottawa offense, led by quarterback J.C. Watts, wasn’t much better, producing just 213 yards net offense.

Bernie Ruoff kicked 5 field goals, 2 converts, and a single as the Tiger-Cats made 6 interceptions off Stampeder quarterbacks Rick Johnson and Joe Barnes before a McMahon Stadium crowd of 14,061. Less Browne led the Hamilton defense with 2 interceptions. Hamilton quarterback Ken Hobart rushed 11 yards for a touchdown and passed 4 yards to Dave Graffi for the other Tiger-Cat major score. The only Calgary touchdown came in the 2nd quarter on a 50-yard pass from Mr. Johnson to Emanuel Tolbert. J.T. Hay converted and added 2 field goals. George Works of the Tiger-Cats led all rushers with 16 carries for 94 yards, while Mr. Tolbert led all receivers with 113 yards on 5 receptions. Mr. Barnes, who replaced Mr. Johnson late in the 3rd quarter, led the Calgary rushing "attack" with 25 yards on 3 carries, and completed 4 of 8 passes for 57 yards and 2 interceptions in his final game as a Stampeder. Several days later he was traded to the Montreal Concordes for wide receiver Spencer Jackson.



25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Blaze of Glory--Jon Bon Jovi (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Sotto Questo Sole--Francesco Baccini; Ladri di Biciclette (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): I Can't Stand It--Twenty 4 Seven (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Ritmo de la noche--Lorca

#1 single in France (SNEP): Maldòn--Zouk Machine (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Show Me Heaven--Maria McKee

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 I've Been Thinking About You--Londonbeat (4th week at #1)
2 Verdammt - Ich Lieb' Dich--Matthias Reim
3 It's on You--M.C. Sar & the Real McCoy
4 Tom's Diner--DNA featuring Suzanne Vega
5 Nah Neh Nah--Vaya con Dios
6 Mooi Was Die Tijd--Corry Konings
7 Tonight--New Kids on the Block
8 Summer of '69--Bryan Adams
9 Hé Suzie--Henk Wijngaard
10 Praying for Time--George Michael

Singles entering the chart were Suicide Blonde by INXS (#23); Heel Alleen by Clouseau (#24); Cult of Snap by Snap! (#27); The Space Jungle by Adamski (#29); and Out of Love by Toto (#36).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 (Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection--Nelson
2 Close to You--Maxi Priest
3 Release Me--Wilson Phillips
4 Blaze of Glory--Jon Bon Jovi
5 Praying for Time--George Michael
6 Something Happened on the Way to Heaven--Phil Collins
7 Do Me!--Bell Biv DeVoe
8 Thieves in the Temple--Prince
9 Oh Girl--Paul Young
10 My, My, My--Johnny Gill

Singles entering the chart were Pray by M.C. Hammer (#44); The Boomin' System by LL Cool J (#54); So Close by Daryl Hall John Oates (#69); On the Way Up by Elisa Fiorillo (#89); Days Like These by Asia (#90); and Livin' in the Light by Caron Wheeler (#98).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Thieves in the Temple--Prince (2nd week at #1)
2 (Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection--Nelson
3 Blaze of Glory--Jon Bon Jovi
4 Something Happened on the Way to Heaven--Phil Collins
5 Close to You--Maxi Priest
6 Praying for Time--George Michael
7 Release Me--Wilson Phillips
8 Have You Seen Her--M.C. Hammer
9 Oh Girl--Paul Young
10 Can’t Stop Fallin’ Into Love--Cheap Trick

Singles entering the chart were So Close by Daryl Hall John Oates (#70); The Way You Do the Things You Do by UB40 (#78); I Don't Love You Anymore by London Quireboys (#80); On the Way Up by Elisa Fiorillo (#85); and Think by Information Society (#87).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Blaze of Glory--Jon Bon Jovi
2 Release Me--Wilson Phillips
3 Something Happened on the Way to Heaven--Phil Collins
4 Oh Girl--Paul Young
5 Can't Stop Fallin' Into Love--Cheap Trick
6 Unskinny Bop--Poison
7 Come Back to Me--Janet Jackson
8 Have You Seen Her--MC Hammer
9 Thieves in the Temple--Prince
10 All the Lovers in the World--Gowan

Singles entering the chart were Stranded by Heart (#49); The World Just Keeps on Turning by Candi and the Backbeat (#51); Love Takes Time by Mariah Carey (#64); Rock and Bird by Cowboy Junkies (#66); Mansion on the Hill by Neil Young and Crazy Horse (#68); Sense of Purpose by the Pretenders (#74); Tell Diane by Eight Seconds (#78); Keep on Lovin' Me Baby by Colin James (#79); Down on the Riverbed by Los Lobos (#84); Justice in Ontario by Steve Earle (#85); and I Don't Want to Talk About It by Rod Stewart (#89).

On the radio
The Adventure of the Pimlico Poisoner, starring William Chubb and Crawford Logan, on BBC 4

This was a Sherlock Holmes pastiche. Go here and here to download the program.

Defense
The Lockheed YF-22 fighter plane, which would later become the F-22 Raptor, made its first flight at Palmdale, California.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (4-9) 39 @ Toronto (8-5) 60

Rickey Foggie completed 18 of 28 passes for 395 yards and 7 touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 112 yards as the Argos won their fifth straight game and the Tiger-Cats lost their sixth straight. Darrell K. Smith caught 4 passes for 71 yards, with all of his receptions going for touchdowns. Mike "Pinball" Clemons caught 6 for 130 and 2 touchdowns, with the other touchdown pass going to Paul Masotti. Jeff Boyd caught 5 passes for 149 yards for the Argos. The other Toronto touchdown was scored by defensive tackle Rodney Harding when he recovered a Tiger-Cat fumble in the Hamilton end zone. Hamilton quarterback Mike Kerrigan completed 28 of 43 passes for 353 yards and 3 touchdowns--2 to Earl Winfield and 1 to Richard Nurse. Derrick McAdoo rushed for touchdowns of 4 and 1 yard. Richard Estell led Hamilton’s receivers with 9 receptions for 130 yards. A SkyDome crowd announced at 30,793 saw the head coaching debut of Dave Beckman, who had replaced Al Bruno at the Hamilton helm. The Argos had scored 286 points in their last 5 games--an average of 57.2--and 130 in their last 2.



Baseball
The Cincinnati Reds, who held at least a share of first place in the National League West Division from opening day, clinched the division title when the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 before 31,483 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The Reds lost 3-1 to the San Diego Padres before 37,133 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati in a game that was called after 6 1/2 innings because of rain.

Tom Brunansky hit 3 home runs and batted in 5 runs as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 before 35,444 fans at Fenway Park in Boston, withstanding a 5-run 9th-inning Toronto rally in extending their lead over the Blue Jays to 2 games with 4 games remaining for both teams in the American League East Division pennant race. Roger Clemens pitched the first 6 innings for Boston, allowing 4 hits and no runs, striking out 5, improving his 1990 record to 21-6. Todd Stottlemyre took the loss, dropping to 13-17. Rick Luecken, the fourth and last Toronto pitcher, allowed 2 hits and 1 run--earned--in 1 inning in the 56th and last game of his 2-year major league career.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Fiskarna i haven--Idde Schultz (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Boombastic--Shaggy

Died on this date
Madalyn Murray O'Hair, 76; Jon Garth Murray, 40; Robin Murray O'Hair. U.S. atheists. Mrs. O'Hair founded American Atheists in 1963; she was best known for initiating the case Murray v. Curlett, resulting in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1963 that compulsory Bible-reading in public schools was unconstitutional. Her son Bill, the named plaintiff in the case, became a Christian in 1980 and was disowned by his mother. Jon Garth, Bill's half-brother, was named president of American Atheists in 1986, although his mother still effectively ran the organization. Mrs. O'Hair, Jon Garth Murray, and her granddaughter Robin disappeared from Austin, Texas. Former American Atheists employee and convicted felon David Roland Waters was convicted of the murders, and led authorities to the bodies in 2001. It's ironic that the deceased spent their lives fighting against God and His people, and were murdered by one of their own.

Defense
The United States Navy disbanded Fighter Squadron 84 (VF-84), nicknamed the "Jolly Rogers."

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (5-10) 24 @ Hamilton (7-7) 20

Reggie Slack passed to Gerald Wilcox for a touchdown and rushed for another TD of his own, and Milt Stegall returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown as the Blue Bombers scored all their points in the 1st half in defeating the Tiger-Cats before 20,727 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Hamilton quarterback Steve Taylor connected with Barry Rose and Earl Winfield for touchdowns before halftime, but the Tiger-Cats scored just 5 points in the 2nd half.

10 years ago
2005

Law
John Roberts was sworn in as the 17th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (5-9) 18 @ Toronto (8-5) 29