July 12, 2016

825 years ago
1191

War
Saladin's garrison surrendered to Philip Augustus, ending the two-year siege of Acre.

210 years ago
1806

Europeana
16 German imperial states left the Holy Roman Empire and formed the Confederation of the Rhine.

90 years ago
1926

Died on this date
Charles Wood, 60. Irish composer. Mr. Wood was known for his Anglican Church music; he was also a music teacher, and his pupils included Ralph Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells.

Gertrude Bell, 57. U.K. archaeologist and spy. Miss Bell conducted numerous archaeological and mountaineering expeditions in the Middle East, where she developed a long list of contacts, which proved useful to the Allies in World War I, when she served as a spy. She died of an overdose of sleeping pills--it's uncertain if it was intentional or not--two days before her 58th birthday.

75 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Daddy--Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye (vocal refrain by the Kaye Choir) (2nd week at #1)

War
A Gallup Poll reported that 72% of Americans recently questioned said that they preferred to see the U.S.S.R. win the war against Germany, but 47% thought Germany would win. A U.K.-U.S.S.R. agreement for "joint action" was signed in Moscow by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and British Ambassador to the U.S.S.R. Sir Stafford Cripps, barring any separate peace with Germany. Germany claimed that "the Stalin Line has been broken at all decisive points," but the Soviet Union denied that such a breakthrough had taken place. Armistice documents between the U.K.-Free French allies and the Vichy French command in Syria were initialled in Acre, Palestine. A Japanese news agency reported that the United Kingdom and Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek had agreed on, but not yet signed, a military alliance, to become effective when Japan started a southward drive in the Pacific.

Ecuador announced its acceptance of a mediation proposal made by the United States, Brazil, and Argentina to settle its border conflict with Peru.

Diplomacy
The U.S. Maritime Commission took over 16 more Danish cargo ships in American ports.

Labour
The U.S. National Maritime Union rejected a resolution by Joseph J. Doyle for an outside trial board to investigate charges of Communism against NMU President Joseph Curran. Only two votes were cast in favour of the resolution.

70 years ago
1946

Died on this date
Ray Stannard Baker, 76. U.S. writer. Mr. Baker wrote fiction (under the name David Grayson), but was best known for journalistic writing. He became close friends with U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, and served as Mr. Wilson's press secretary during the Versailles peace conference in 1919. Mr. Baker published 15 books about Mr. Wilson and international relations.

War
Yugoslavian patrols clashed with U.S. forces on the Yugoslav-Italian border, resulting in the deaths of two Yugoslavs.

The Belgrade war crimes trial of Yugoslavian Chetnik leader Draja Mikhailovich ended as Mr. Mikhailovich and 23 co-defendants made their final speeches.

World events
Iraqi police fired on striking oil workers in Kirkuk, killing 5 and wounding 14.

The Egyptian government reported that Egyptian police had made 220 arrests in nationwide anti-Communist raids.

Diplomacy
The Paris conference of foreign ministers ended with an agreement on the division of 125,000 tons of Italian shipping between Greece and Yugoslavia, but failed to reach accord on Germany and Austria.

Agriculture
U.S. President Harry Truman released Agriculture Secretary Clinton Anderson's report on American food shipments, stating that the United States had exported 16.5 million tons of food relief in 1945-46.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Je vais revoir ma blonde--Darío Moreno (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Lorna Lindsley, 67. U.S. journalist. Miss Lindsley wrote for various newspapers and magazines, covering the Spanish Civil War from a pro-Republican perspective and reporting sympathetically on the early efforts of the French resistance during World War II. Her only book was War is People (1943). Miss Lindsley died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. rejected a U.S. plan for increased East-West cultural and information exchanges, claiming that the proposals "pursue the rather poorly concealed aim of interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states."

Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes said that his government would make no proposals for the Cyprus situation until "terrorism" and "the pressure of Greece" had ended.

Defense
Sources in Washington reported controversy within the U.S. military establishment over a proposal by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Arthur Radford that the armed forces reduce their manpower by 800,000 men due to advances in weapons development.

Politics and government
U.S. Republican Party National Chairman Leonard Hall, after a conference with President Dwight Eisenhower in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, said that Mr. Eisenhower would retain Vice President Richard Nixon as his running mate for the November 1956 election.

50 years ago
1966

Died on this date
D.T. Suzuki, 95. Japanese author. Professor Suzuki was known for books promoting Zen and Shin Buddhism, and was a significant figure in promoting those beliefs in the West.

Protest
Negroes began three days of rioting on the south side of Chicago.

Baseball
Major League All-Star Game @ Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis
American League 2 @ National League 3 (10 innings)

Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers singled home Tim McCarver of the St.Louis Cardinals with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the NL the win before 49,936 fans in a game that was played with the temperature at 105 °F (41 °C).



40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Howzat--Sherbet

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Yokosuka Story--Momoe Yamaguchi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Échame A Mí La Culpa--Albert Hammond (3rd week at #1)

Politics and government
The European Council of the Common Market agreed on a distribution plan for the 410 elected seats in a new European parliament.

Protest
Over two million workers in Australia went on strike for 24 hours to protest proposed changes in Medibank, the country's health plan.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Winnipeg (2-1) 30 @ Edmonton (1-3) 32

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Papa Don't Preach--Madonna

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): J'aimie le Vie--Sandra Kim (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): The Edge of Heaven--Wham!

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh

#1 single in the U.K.: Papa Don't Preach--Madonna

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Holding Back the Years—Simply Red

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)-—Billy Ocean (2nd week at #1)
2 Invisible Touch--Genesis
3 No One is to Blame—Howard Jones
4 Holding Back the Years—Simply Red
5 Sledgehammer--Peter Gabriel
6 Nasty--Janet Jackson
7 Who's Johnny--El DeBarge
8 Danger Zone--Kenny Loggins
9 Crush on You—The Jets
10 On My Own--Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald

Singles entering the chart were Do You Remember Me? by Jermaine Jackson (#75); Love of a Lifetime by Chaka Khan (#78); Walk Like a Man by Mary Jane Girls (#80); Before I Go by Starship (#85); Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) by Glass Tiger (#86); Friends and Lovers by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson (#87); I'm Your Man by Barry Manilow (#88); Headlines by Midnight Star (#89); Loving You's a Dirty Job but Somebody's Gotta Do It by Bonnie Tyler (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Can't Wait--Nu Shooz
2 On My Own—Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
3 Who's Johnny--El DeBarge
4 There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)-—Billy Ocean
5 No One is to Blame—Howard Jones
6 Live to Tell--Madonna
7 Sledgehammer--Peter Gabriel
8 A Different Corner—George Michael
9 Invisible Touch--Genesis
10 Holding Back the Years—Simply Red

Singles entering the chart were The Edge of Heaven by Wham! (#79); Mad About You by Belinda Carlisle (#82); Yankee Rose by David Lee Roth (#87); All the Love in the World by the Outfield (#89); Taken In by Mike & the Mechanics (#91); Is it a Crime by Sade (#95); Suzanne by Journey (#96); and Take My Breath Away by Berlin (#98).

Crime
Dozens were injured in the second night of rioting in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (1-2) 11 @ Hamilton (1-2) 28
Edmonton (3-0) 31 @ Saskatchewan (1-2) 19

25 years ago
1991

Football
CFL
Edmonton (1-0) 34 @ Saskatchewan (0-1) 25

Albert Brown returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, and the Roughriders jumped out to a 20-0 lead at Taylor Field in Regina before the Eskimos came back to win their first regular season game under new head coach--and former Saskatchewan quarterback and head coach--Ron Lancaster. Roughrider quarterback Kent Austin suffered a bruised sternum when hit by Eskimo linebacker Larry Wruck in the 2nd quarter, and missed the rest of that game and the next six, which had a devastating effect on the Roughriders' playoff chances. Blake Marshall scored a touchdown for the Eskimos on the last play as they won their first game at Taylor Field in four years.



20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
John Chancellor, 68. U.S. broadcaster. Mr. Chancellor was best known for anchoring NBC Nightly News from 1970-1982. He died two days before his 69th birthday.

Jonathan Melvoin, 34. U.S. musician. Mr. Melvoin played keyboards with the rock group the Smashing Pumpkins, and had been fired because of drug use, but had been allowed to remain until the end of the current leg of their tour. They were in New York City when he died of a heroin overdose.

Terrorism
The second bomb in as many days detonated in a Moscow trolley car; the two blasts injured 32 people.

Scandal
A judge in Milan ordered 12 defendants, including former Italian Prime Ministers Benito Craxi and Silvio Berlusconi, to stand trial on charges of violating funding rules for political parties.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (0-3) 31 @ Ottawa (1-2) 32

10 years ago
2006

War
Hezbollah guerrillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in a cross-border raid; Israel sent ground troops into Lebanon in response.