November 2, 2015

220 years ago
1795

Born on this date
James K. Polk. 11th President of the United States, 1845-1849. Mr. Polk, a Democrat, represented Tennessee's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1825-1839, serving as Speaker of the House from 1835-1839. He was Governor of Tennessee from 1839-1841, and was elected President of the United States in 1844. Mr. Polk served just one term as President, but he fulfilled all of his campaign promises, something which no president has done since. The major accomplishments of the United States during Mr. Polk's administration included winning the war with Mexico and acquiring the state of California. He did not seek re-election, and died on June 15, 1849 at the age of 53, just three months after leaving office. The cause of death was officially listed as "diarrhea."

Politics and government
The French Directory, a five-man revolutionary government, was created.

200 years ago
1815

Born on this date
George Boole. U.K. mathematician and philosopher. Professor Boole was known for his work in the fields of algebra and logic, and particularly for his book An Investigation of the Laws of Thought, on Which are Founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities (1854). He died on December 8, 1864 at the age of 39 after catching a severe cold as a result of walking for two hours in pouring rain and wearing wet clothes. His wife thought that what caused his illness should resemble what cured it, so she poured buckets of water on him.

150 years ago
1865

Born on this date
Warren G. Harding. 29th President of the United States, 1921-1923. Mr. Harding, a Republican, was Lieutenant Governor of Ohio from 1904-1906 and represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 1915-1921, leaving the Senate upon the completion of his term and his election as President. Mr. Harding's presidency became characterized by scandal in 1923, and he worried to the extent that on August 2, 1923, at the age of 57, he took ill and died in his room at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco after a tour up the Pacific coast. He was succeeded as President by Vice-President Calvin Coolidge, who took the oath of office from his father, a notary public in Vermont, where Mr. Coolidge was vacationing.

120 years ago
1895

Football
ORFU
Finals
Queen's University 2 @ University of Toronto 19 (First game of 2-game, total points series)

80 years ago
1935

Football
CRU
IRFU
Montreal (0-7) 3 @ Ottawa (3-4) 15
Toronto (6-1) 8 @ Hamilton (5-2) 21

75 years ago
1940

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Only Forever--Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra (3rd week at #1)

War
The Battle of Elaia-Kalamas began between Greek and Italian forces in Greece. British and Greek flyers bombed the Albanian capital of Tirana. According to unconfirmed reports from Bucharest, the U.S.S.R. had massed 31 divisions (558,000 men) and mechanized equipment in Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that his foreign policy was to keep the U.S. out of war and give all possible material aid to the nations that resisted aggression.

Defense
Alexander P. Seversky obtained a patent for a new type of pursuit plane having a tricycle landing gear, four propellers, a sealed cabin, an engine in the rear, and mounting six machine guns and one cannon.

Aviation
G.T. Baker, president of National Airlines, flew a Lockheed-Lodestar plane with five passengers from Burbank, California to Jacksonville, Florida in 9 hours, 29 minutes, 30 1/2 seconds, claiming a transcontinental speed record for transport planes with passengers.

World events
Mexican rebels and their leaders, including the self-styled slayer of Pancho Villa, surrendered in the state of Chihuahua, ending all rebellious activities, according to an official military announcement.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Ottawa (4-1) 7 @ Montreal (1-4) 4
Toronto (3-2) 0 @ Hamilton (2-3) 5

WIFU
Finals
Winnipeg 7 @ Calgary 0 (Winnipeg led best-of-three series 1-0)

Art Stevenson scored the game's only touchdown. Greg Kabat converted and punted for a single. Fewer than 3,000 fans braved cold temperatures at Mewata Stadium.

Canadian university
Hardy Cup
Saskatchewan 5 @ Alberta 27 (1st game of 2-game total points series)

Don Johnson led the Golden Bears with 3 touchdowns, with Lloyd Grisdale and Bud Foley scoring a touchdown each in their win over the Huskies on a snow-covered field before 1,500 fans at Varsity Stadium in Edmonton. Norm McCallum added 1 convert, and the Golden Bears scored a single when Ed Lewis and Jack Flavin combined to rouge Jim Miley. Skipper Hall scored the Saskatchewan touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

70 years ago
1945

At the movies
Confidential Agent, directed by Herman Shumlin, and starring Charles Boyer and Lauren Bacall, opened in theatres in New York City (see video).



Bugambilia, co-written and directed by Emilio Fernández, and starring Dolores del Rio, Pedro Armendáriz, Julio Villarreal, and Alberto Galán, opened in theatres in Mexico.



Died on this date
Hélène de Pourtalès, 77. U.S.-born Swiss yachtswoman. Countess de Pourtalès, born Helen Barbey, married Hermann Alexander, Count von Pourtalès in 1891. She represented Switzerland in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, winning a gold medal in the 1-2 ton first race and a silver medal in the 1-2 ton second race.

Thyra, 65. Princess of Denmark and Iceland. Princess Thyra was the sixth child and third daughter of Frederick VIII of Denmark and his wife Princess Louise of Sweden and Norway. Princess Thyra never married or had children.

Abominations
42 members of the Dachau concentration camp staff were indicted in Nuremberg for trial on November 15 for war crimes.

War
The Chinese government in Chungking reported that 20,000 Communists were attacking Kwisui, capital of the province of Suiyuan.

Diplomacy
The 43-party central committee of the Korean provisional parliament, meeting in Seoul, called on the United Nations to end the U.S.A.-U.S.S.R. division of Korea and to grant the nation independence.

The Belgian government published the official German version of Belgian King Leopold III's conversation with German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler in November 1940, saying the two men agreed on linking their countries' fortunes.

U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes directed the U.S. embassy in Rio de Janeiro to carry on normal relations with the new Brazilian government of President Jose Linhares, as official recognition was extended.

Politics and government
British Colonial Secretary George Hall announced the resignation of Viscount Gort as high commissioner for Palestine and Transjordan because of ill health.

U.S. Army General George Kenney, commander of the Far East Air Forces, asked for U.S. Senate approval of a bill to merge the armed forces.

Economics and finance
Cuban President Ramon Grau San Martin placed the 1946 national budget at a record high of $163,880,000.

Labour
The U.S. National War Labor Board returned 1,000 pending disputes to the parties concerned for further collective bargaining, thus clearing its dockets.

About 18,000 members of the Textile Workers Union in 21 New England textile mills went on strike for a union shop and wage increase.

United Auto Workers of America airline mechanics voted to end their two-week strike against American Export Airlines and return to work November 3.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Les Lavandières du Portugal--Jacqueline François (5th week at #1)

50 years ago
1965

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: An Apple a Day, with guest stars Arthur O'Connell, Sheree North, and Kim Darby

Died on this date
Norman Morrison, 31. U.S. activist. Mr. Morrison, a devout Quaker, doused himself in kerosene and set himself on fire below U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara's office in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. to protest U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the satellite Proton 2.

Politics and government
Mohammed Hashim Maiwandal took office as Prime Minister of Afghanistan, replacing Mohammed Yousof.

40 years ago
1975

Died on this date
Pier Paolo Pasolini, 53. Italian film director. Mr. Pasolini, a Marxist, professing atheist, and sodomite, was known for films such as Mamma Roma (1962); Il vangelo secondo Matteo (The Gospel According to Matthew) (1964); Il Decameron (1971); and I racconti di Canterbury (The Canterbury Tales) (1972). He was murdered by being run over by his own car several times on a beach. Giuseppe "Pino" Pelosi confessed to killing Mr. Pasolini after rejecting his sexual advances, but recanted his confession almost 30 years later, and other evidence uncovered in 2005 suggested that Mr. Pasolini may have been murdered by an extortionist.

Politics and government
All 244 candidates of the Popular Movement of the Revolution were acclaimed as winners in what passed for parliamentary elections in Zaire.

Football
CFL
Montreal (9-7) 6 @ Ottawa (10-5-1) 46
Winnipeg (6-8-2) 26 @ Calgary (6-10) 35

The Rough Riders took quarter leads of 13-0, 25-0, and 46-0 as they routed the Alouettes before a record Lansdowne Park crowd of 33,342 to clinch first place in the Eastern Football Conference. Ottawa quarterback Tom Clements completed 16 of 24 passes, including 2 touchdowns to Tony Gabriel. Art Green opened the scoring with a 41-yard touchdown rush, while Molly McGee, playing his first CFL game, rushed 13 times for 32 yards and a touchdown, caught 3 passes for 13 yards, and returned 1 kickoff for 34 yards. Dick Adams returned an interception 38 yards for the final Ottawa touchdown. Gerry Organ added 3 converts and 4 field goals. Steve Ferrughelli rushed 3 yards for the Montreal touchdown with 6:10 remaining in the game.

Willie Burden rushed 34 times for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns to set a league record for yards rushing in a season as the Stampeders beat the Blue Bombers before 21,106 fans at McMahon Stadium. Mr. Burden finished the season with 1,896 yards, breaking the record of 1,794 yards set in 1961 by Earl Lunsford, then a Calgary Stampeder, and general manager of the Blue Bombers at the time of Mr. Burden's achievement. Mr. Burden also finished the season with 332 rushing attempts, 9 more than the record set a week earlier by George Reed of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Karl Douglas, playing the last game of his 3-year CFL career, started at quarterback for Calgary, but was relieved by Joe Pisarcik, who threw 2 touchdown passes to Tom Forzani in the 2nd half. Cyril McFall added 3 converts and 2 field goals, and Mr. Douglas rushed for a 2-point convert. Steve Beaird rushed for 2 Winnipeg touchdowns, and Dieter Brock completed a 35-yard pass to Mark McDonald for the other Blue Bomber TD.

NFL
Buffalo (5-2) 24 @ New York Jets (2-5) 23
Atlanta (2-5) 7 @ New Orleans (2-5) 23
Pittsburgh (6-1) 30 @ Cincinnati (6-1) 24
Minnesota (7-0) 28 @ Green Bay (1-6) 17
Miami (6-1) 46 @ Chicago (1-6) 13
New England (2-5) 17 @ St. Louis (5-2) 24
Houston (6-1) 17 @ Kansas City (3-4) 13
Cleveland (0-7) 7 @ Baltimore (3-4) 21
Oakland (5-2) 42 @ Denver (3-4) 17
Detroit (4-3) 28 @ San Francisco (2-5) 17
Dallas (5-2) 24 @ Washington (5-2) 30 (OT)

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Into the Groove--Madonna (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Only Love--Nana Mouskouri (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Only Love--Nana Mouskouri

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Power of Love--Jennifer Rush (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: The Power of Love--Jennifer Rush (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Part-Time Lover--Stevie Wonder

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Part-Time Lover--Stevie Wonder
2 Miami Vice Theme--Jan Hammer
3 Take on Me--A-Ha
4 Money for Nothing--Dire Straits
5 Head Over Heels--Tears for Fears
6 Saving All My Love for You--Whitney Houston
7 We Built This City--Starship
8 You Belong to the City--Glenn Frey
9 Oh Sheila--Ready for the World
10 Cherish--Kool & The Gang

Singles entering the chart were Small Town by John Cougar Mellencamp (#49); Tonight She Comes by the Cars (#55); Burning Heart by Survivor (#56); Walk of Life by Dire Straits (#58); Freedom by the Pointer Sisters (#80); Sun City by Artists United Against Apartheid (#81); and Welcome to Paradise by John Waite (#90).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Part-Time Lover--Stevie Wonder
2 Money for Nothing--Dire Straits
3 Miami Vice Theme--Jan Hammer
4 Cherish--Kool & The Gang
5 Oh Sheila--Ready for the World
6 I Got You Babe--UB40 with Chrissie Hynde
7 Lonely Ol' Night--John Cougar Mellencamp
8 Dancing in the Street--Mick Jagger and David Bowie
9 Take on Me--A-Ha
10 Saving All My Love for You--Whitney Houston

Singles entering the chart were Election Day by Arcadia (#73); Sun City by Artists United Against Apartheid (#83); The Big Money by Rush (#86); And We Danced by the Hooters (#89); Tears are Falling by Kiss (#92); Perfect Way by Scritti Politti (#93); Do You Think They Can Tell by Body Electric (#94); and Respect Yourself by the Kane Gang (#96).

Football
CFL
Calgary (3-13) 17 @ Hamilton (8-8) 21

Ken Hobart rushed for 104 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Steve Stapler as the Tiger-Cats clinched first place in the Eastern Division. Mr. Hobart’s rushing total for the season was 928 yards, setting a league record for yards rushing in a season by a quarterback. Bernie Ruoff converted Mr. Stapler’s touchdown and added 4 field goals and 2 singles. Calgary quarterback Rick Johnson completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Tolbert just 3:06 into the game, but that was the only touchdown produced by the Stampeders’ offense. Calgary’s other touchdown came late in the 2nd quarter on a 23-yard fumble return by Darrell Moir. J.T. Hay converted both and added a field goal. Both teams had trouble handling a slippery ball on a very wet night at Ivor Wynne Stadium. 14,052 fans braved the elements. It was the last game as a CFL head coach for Bud Riley, who had led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1974-1977 and the Tiger-Cats in 1982-1983, and had replaced the fired Steve Buratto after 5 games of the 1985 season.

CIAU
St. Mary's (2-5) 52 Acadia (5-2) 10
Mount Allison (4-3) 11 St. Francis Xavier (3-4) 5
Queen's (6-1) 21 Carleton (5-2) 19
Bishop's (4-3) 27 Concordia (2-4-1) 24
Ottawa (2-4-1) 13 McGill (1-5) 7
Western Ontario (6-1) 32 York (5-2) 20
Wilfrid Laurier (6-1) 48 Waterloo (0-7) 0
McMaster (3-4) 41 Windsor (1-6) 18
Alberta (3-4) 5 @ Manitoba (3-4) 28

Larry Santin's 1-yard touchdown rush early in the game provided the scoring necessary for the Bisons to defeat the Golden Bears before 200 fans at University Stadium in Winnipeg and keep their playoff hopes alive.

25 years ago
1990

Television
British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky Television plc merged to form BSkyB as a result of heavy losses.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that unemployment had held steady at 5.7% in October, but that the number of payroll jobs had declined by 68,000. The Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had fallen 0.8% in September.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V.

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Tør du la' vær'?--Timm & Gordon (4th week at #1)

Crime
Former South African Defence Minister General Magnus Malan and 10 other former senior military officers were charged with murdering 13 black people in 1987 as part of a conspiracy to create war between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Zulu Inkhata Freedom Party.
Business
A U.S. jury hit Canadian funeral services firm Loewen Group Inc. with $500 million in damages in nuisance civil dispute, leading to the near-collapse of the company.


Baseball
Joe Torre, former manager of the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, was named manager of the New York Yankees, replacing Buck Showalter. The Yankees had finished second in the American League East Division in 1995 with a record of 79-65, losing 3 games to 2 to the Seattle Mariners in the AL Division Series.