July 15, 2016

725 years ago
1291

Died on this date
Rudolf I, 73. King of Germany, 1273-1291. Rudolf I, the son of Count Albert IV of Habsburg, was elected as the first king from the House of Habsburg, ending the Great Interregnum following the death of Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II in 1250. He defeated King Ottokar II of Bohemia in the Battle of Marchfeld in 1278, acquiring the duchies of Austria and Styria, which remained under Habsburg rule for more than 600 years. Rudolf I was succeeded on the throne by Adolf.

275 years ago
1741

Exploration
Aleksei Chirikov sighted land in southeastern Alaska. He sent men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska.

220 years ago
1796

Born on this date
Thomas Bulfinch. U.S. mythologist. Mr. Bulfinch was known for Bulfinch's Mythology (1881), a collection of three earlier books. He died on May 27, 1867 at the age of 70.

170 years ago
1846

Journalism
The first edition of the Hamilton Spectator and Journal of Commerce was published.

140 years ago
1876

Baseball
George Bradley of the St. Louis Brown Stockings pitched the first no-hitter in major league history as the Brown Stockings blanked the Hartford Dark Blues 2-0 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

125 years ago
1891

Transportation
James Ross drove the last spike on the Calgary and Edmonton Railway (C&E) at Strathcona, Alberta on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River opposite Edmonton.

120 years ago
1896

Sport
The Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club yacht Glencairn, skippered by G. Herrick Duggan of Montreal, won the Seawanhaka Cup at Newport, Rhode Island, the oldest running yachting trophy originating in the U.S.A., beginning a nine-year winning streak for the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club.

100 years ago
1916

War
The Battle of Delville Wood, which was to last until September 3, 1916, began as an action within the Battle of the Somme.

Business
In Seattle, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporated Pacific Aero Products (later renamed Boeing).

75 years ago
1941

War
The government of Ecuador claimed that Peruvian Army units had twice crossed the Zaramilla River that day along the disputed boundary, but had been beaten back.

Chinese War Minister General Ho Ying-chin said that China now had an army of 15.8 million men.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt warned that unless Congress extended the one-year service of draftees, National Guardsmen, and reserve officers, two-thirds of the Army would have to be disbanded in the next few months.

Diplomacy
A U.S. federal grand jury in Brooklyn indicted 33 people on charges of violating the espionage laws by sending defense information to the German government.

Politics and government
A U.S. federal grand jury in St. Paul, Minnesota indicted 29 officers and members of the Socialist Workers Party on charges of advocating the overthrow of the United States government by revolution.

Oil
Canadian oil controller G.R. Cottrelle issued an order banning the sale of gasoline and lubricants from 7 P.M. to 7 A.M. weekdays and thoughout Sunday for all of Canada.

Labour
Republic Steel Corporation ended its 4 1/2-year fight with the Congress of Industrial Organizations Steel Workers Organizing Committee and the U.S. National Labor Relations Board by agreeing to sign a CIO contract if the NLRB certified that the CIO had a majority.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Gypsy--The Ink Spots (9th week at #1)
--Dinah Shore
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
2 Prisoner of Love--Perry Como
--The Ink Spots
3 They Say it's Wonderful--Perry Como
--Frank Sinatra
4 Doin' What Comes Natur'lly--Dinah Shore and Spade Cooley and his Orchestra
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra
5 Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)--Dinah Shore
--Andy Russell
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
6 Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra
7 Surrender--Perry Como
--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
8 All Through the Day--Frank Sinatra
--Perry Como
9 Cement Mixer (Put-ti Put-ti)--Alvino Rey and his Orchestra
--Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra
10 I'm a Big Girl Now--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were My Fickle Eye, with versions by Betty Hutton; Jack Smith and the Five DeMarco Sisters; and Judy Canova (#18); I Don't Know Why (I Just Do), with versions by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra; and the Andrews Sisters (#20); I Know, with versions by Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra; and Andy Kirk and his Orchestra and the Jubalaires (#24); and Boogie Blues by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra (#25).

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Gale Gordon and Carl Harbord, on MBS
Tonight's episode: South of the Border

War
Fighting between Chinese Communists and Nationalists intensified at numerous points in Manchuria and northern China.

The Military Section of the People's Supreme Court in Belgrade convicted Yugoslavian Chetnik leader General Draja Mikhailovich and 23 co-defendants guilty of treason for actions during World War II, and sentenced Gen. Mikhailovich to death by firing squad.

Diplomacy
The United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, and United States agreed to the formation of the Caribbean Commission, an advisory body intended to promote cooperative planning and economic development among colonies and independent states in the area.

Siam formally submitted its border dispute with French Indochina to the United Nations Security Council.

Scandal
The government of Venezuela ordered the heirs of former President Antonio Pimentel to surrender their entire fortune--estimated at $15 million--to a special tribunal investigating graft.

Protest
Over 4,000 Jewish war veterans ended a two-day demonstration in Washington, demanding that 100,000 European Jews be admitted to Palestine.

Education
General Motors research head Charles Kettering was elected president of the newly-established Thomas Alva Edison Foundation, whose aim was to promote "educational advancement" in the sciences.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman signed the Anglo-American Trade and Financial Agreement, extending a $3.75-billion credit to the United Kingdom.

The U.S. Treasury announced that it would reduce the national debt by $1.25 billion on August 1, 1946 by retiring short-term loans.

Labour
Members of Local 1005 of the United Steelworkers of America at the Stelco plant in Hamilton, Ontario, meeting at the Playhouse Theatre, marched to the plant gates to start a strike over union recognition, a 40-hour work week and wages. Their victory forced employers to accept collective bargaining, and helped to start a mass trade union movement in Canada.

60 years ago
1956

Defense
U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Dmitri Shepilov offered to open immediate negotiations with the U.S.A. and U.K. on a tripartite agreement to ban further nuclear weapons tests.

Health
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration study group reported that coal-tar dyes used to colour food, cosmetics, and medicines may cause cancer.

Auto racing
Carroll Shelby won the Mount Washington Hillclimb in New Hampshire in a record time of 10 minutes 21.8 seconds.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Paperback Writer--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Paperback Writer--The Beatles (5th week at #1)
2 Brainwashed--David Clayton-Thomas
3 Red Rubber Ball--The Cyrkle
4 I Saw Her Again--The Mamas and the Papas
5 Hanky Panky--Tommy James and the Shondells
6 Hungry--Paul Revere & the Raiders
7 Wild Thing--The Troggs
8 One Too Many Mornings--The Beau Brummels
9 The Pied Piper--Crispian St. Peters
10 Sweet Pea--Tommy Roe
Pick hit of the week: 5 D (Fifth Dimension)--The Byrds
New this week: Sunshine Superman--Donovan
They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!--Napoleon XIV
Angelica--Barry Mann
A Million and One--Vic Dana

War
The United States and South Vietnam began Operation Hastings to push the North Vietnamese out of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone.

Protest
Three days of rioting by Negroes in Chicago concluded as National Guardsmen patrolled the streets.

Labour
Managers at Euston Station in London overturned a ban on Negro workers.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Winnipeg 28 @ Edmonton (0-2) 27

Bill Redell, Butch Pressley, Garry Lefebvre, and Mike Haffner scored touchdowns for the Eskimos in their loss to the Blue Bombers at Clarke Stadium. Tommy-Joe Coffey converted 3 of the TDs.

40 years ago
1976

Died on this date
Paul Gallico, 78. U.S. journalist and author. Mr. Gallico was a sportswriter in New York in the 1920s and '30s, but was primarily known for the novella The Snow Goose (1941) and the novel The Poseidon Adventure (1969). He died in Europe 11 days before his 79th birthday.

Politics and government
Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter addressed the closing night of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York, the night after being chosen as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate for the November 1976 election.



Football
CFL
Pre-season
British Columbia (3-1) 24 @ Winnipeg (2-2) 19

30 years ago
1986

Baseball
Major League All-Star Game @ Astrodome, Houston
American League 3 @ National League 2

Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox pitched 3 perfect innings and was named the game's Most Valuable Player as the AL edged the NL before 45,774 fans. Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers struck out Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken, Jr., Jesse Barfield, Lou Whitaker, and Teddy Higuera in order to tie the All-Star Game record set by Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants in 1934. Frank White of the Kansas City Royals pinch hit for Mr. Whitaker in the 7th inning and hit a home run, which proved to be the deciding run. For AL manager Dick Howser of the Kansas City Royals, it was his final game; he was feeling ill before the game, and was soon diagnosed with a brain tumour, which caused his death 11 months later.



25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Anata ni aete yokatta (あなたに会えてよかった)--Kyōko Koizumi (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Lensin matalalla--Eppu Normaali (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Wind of Change--Scorpions (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Bert Convy, 57. U.S. actor and television personality. Mr. Convy was best known for appearing as a host and panelist on numerous television game shows. He died of a brain tumour eight days before his 58th birthday.

Politics and government
Harry LaForme, Indian Commissioner of Ontario, was appointed head of the newly-created Indian Claims Commission, a Canadian federal commission to settle land claims from breaches of treaty.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Forever Love--Gary Barlow (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 The Only Thing that Looks Good on Me is You--Bryan Adams
2 You Learn--Alanis Morissette
3 Ahead by a Century--The Tragically Hip
4 Give Me One Reason--Tracy Chapman
5 Change the World--Eric Clapton
6 Killing Me Softly--The Fugees
7 Flood--Jars of Clay
8 You Still Touch Me--Sting
9 Fastlove--George Michael
10 I Don't Want to Think About It--Wild Strawberries

Singles entering the chart were Big Time by Neil Young (#90); Gift Shop by the Tragically Hip (#92); Don't You Get It by Mark Knopfler (#93); Where it's At by Beck (#97); Morale by Treble Charger (#98); St. Teresa by Joan Osborne (#99); and Shut Up by the Watchmen (#100).

On television today
MSNBC, an American 24-hour all-news network, made its debut on cable and the Internet.



Died on this date
Dana Hill, 32. U.S. actress. Miss Hill appeared in numerous television programs and movies such as National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). She died two months after slipping into a diabetic coma, which was followed a month later by a paralytic stroke.

Diplomacy
Russian President Boris Yeltsin abruptly cancelled a meeting with visiting U.S. Vice President Al Gore and took a two-week break, fuelling speculation about the state of his health.

Abominations
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien extended pension and other benefits to same-sex partners of government employees.

Disasters
A Belgian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying the Royal Netherlands Army marching band crashed on landing at Eindhoven Airport, killing 34 of the 41 people on board.

10 years ago
2006

Communications
Twitter was launched on the Internet, becoming one of the largest social media platforms in the world.

Football
CFL
Montreal (4-0) 44 @ Winnipeg (3-2) 16