July 19, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Chris Woods!

120 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Bob Meusel. U.S. baseball player. "Long Bob" Meusel played left field and right field with the New York Yankees (1920-1929) and Cincinnati Reds (1930), batting .309 with 156 home runs and 1,067 runs batted in in 1,407 games, leading the American League in 1925 in games (156), home runs (33), and RBIs (138). Mr. Meusel was known for his strong throwing arm, and helped the Yankees win American League pennants in 1921-1923 and 1926-1928, winning the World Series in 1923, 1927, and 1928. He combined with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to form the famous "Murderer's Row" of sluggers. Mr. Meusel died on November 28, 1977 at the age of 81.

A. J. Cronin. U.K. physician and author. Dr. Archibald Joseph Cronin, a native of Scotland, practiced medicine in the Royal Navy, in South Wales, and on Harley Street in London. His experiences served as the basis for novels and novellas such as Country Doctor (1935); The Stars Look Down (1935); and The Citadel (1937), the latter of which has been credited with helping to inspire the creation of the National Health Service. Dr. Cronin wrote novels on other subjects, including The Keys of the Kingdom (1941); The Green Years (1944); and The Spanish Gardener (1950). He spent the last 25 years of his life in Switzerland, and died on January 6, 1981 at the age of 84.

Reginald Baker. U.K. film producer. Mr. Baker and his brother Leslie founded Ealing Studios in 1930, which was a major studio, known especially for comedies, until 1959. His son Peter became a Conservative Member of Parliament, but was expelled for forgery, and Mr. Baker was a creditor for many of Peter's companies. Reginald Baker retired to Australia, where he died on January 31, 1985 at the age of 88.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Phil Cavarretta. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Cavarretta was a first baseman and outfielder with the Chicago Cubs (1934-1953) and Chicago White Sox (1954-1955), batting .293 with 95 home runs and 920 runs batted in in 2,030 games. He led the National League in 1945 with a .355 batting average and .449 on base percentage, and was named the National League's Most Valuable Player as the Cubs won their most recent NL pennant. Mr. Cavarretta managed the Cubs from 1951-1953, compiling a record of 169-213. He became the first major league manager to be fired during spring training when he told a writer in 1954 that he didn't expect the Cubs to finish higher than fifth in the eight-team league; he was replaced by Stan Hack, to led the Cubs to their second straight seventh-place finish. Mr. Cavarretta died on December 18, 2010 at the age of 94.

War
British and Australian troops attacked German trenches in the Battle of Fromelles.

80 years ago
1936

Baseball
The Cleveland Indians and Washington Nationals split a doubleheader before 18,000 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington, with the Indians winning the opener 11-3 and the Nationals the nightcap 9-5. Bob Feller made his major league debut on the mound for the Indians in the 8th inning of the second game, giving up 2 hits and 2 bases on balls, while striking out 1 and holding the Nationals without a run.

Red Ruffing pitched a 10-hit complete game for his 12th win of the season and hit his 5th home run of the season as the New York Yankees beat the St. Louis Browns 10-3 in the first game of a doubleheader before 36,700 fans at Yankee Stadium. The Browns overcame a 4-0 deficit after 2 innings to win the second game 5-4. New York first baseman Lou Gehrig homered in each game, giving him 28 for the season. During the doubleheader, actor Joe E. Brown presented rookie New York left fielder Joe DiMaggio with the award as the Most Valuable Player in the Pacific Coast League for 1935, which Mr. DiMaggio had earned as a member of the San Francisco Seals.

Every man in the lineup had at least 1 hit for the Chicago White Sox as they beat the Philadelphia Athletics 11-5 in the first game of a doubleheader at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The White Sox scored 9 runs in the last 3 innings. Zeke Bonura batted 4 for 5 with a triple, 3 runs, and 3 runs batted in as the White Sox completed the sweep with an 8-2 win in the second game.

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) (3rd week at #1)

War
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill began using the two-finger "V for Victory" sign. German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler issued secret orders to the Kriegsmarine not to attack American merchant ships except within the internationally-accepted blockade zone around the British isles. A Gallup Poll reported that 45% of a cross-section of people in Who's Who in America questioned in a survey favoured war against the Axis, compared with 21% of the general public.

Chinese authorities announced that Communist army units had attacked Nationalist troops at three places in the province of Shantung and two places in southeast Shansi.

World events
Bolivian President Enrique Penaranda de Castillo proclaimed a state of siege because of the discovery of subversive activities directed by the German legation.

Americana
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the average American lived 62.5 years.

Labour
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt named a six-man committee chaired by Mark Etherridge to investigate complaints of discrimination against Negroes who were seeking defense and government employment.

70 years ago
1946

Radio
Network Hooperatings listed the most popular programs in the United States as Mr. District Attorney; Walter Winchell; Screen Guild Players; and Kay Kyser.

Politics and government
The French Constituent Assembly voted to seat former Prime Minister Edouard Daladier--elected on the Popular Republican ticket--over Communist objections.

Law
An Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution, barring sex discrimination in all jobs, failed to gain the two-thirds majority necessary for passage in the Senate.

Scandal
The U.S. Senate War Investigating Committee subpoenaed Representative Andrew May (Democrat--Kentucky) to testify about alleged bribe-taking in connection with war contracts, but Rep. May claimed congressional immunity.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations asked U.S. President Harry Truman and the U.S. Labor Department to seize nine Allis-Chalmers and J.L. Case plants closed by a wildcat strike, "in the interest of producing needed farm equipment" to relieve the world food shortage.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Je vais revoir ma blonde--Darío Moreno (3rd week at #1)

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Chris Walker!

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold and Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion conferred in Jerusalem.

The United States formally rejected U.S.S.R. charges of American flights over Soviet territory.

Environment
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission claimed that under methods used during recent U.S. nuclear tests in the Pacific, fallout from nuclear explosions could be localized "to an extent not heretofore appreciated."

Energy
The United States withdrew a projected $56-million grant for construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.

The U.S. Senate defeated a Democratic Party-sponsored bill authorizing federal construction of a high dam in Hell's Canyon in the Snake River on the Oregon-Idaho border.

Football
NFL
The Detroit Lions signed Ohio State University halfback Howard "Hopalong" Cassady to a two-year contract for $14,500 per season.

50 years ago
1966

Married on this date
U.S. singer and actor Frank Sinatra, 50, married U.S. actress Mia Farrow, 21, in Las Vegas at the home of hotel executive Jack Entratter. It was his third marriage, her first.

Space
Gemini 10 Pilot Michael Collins performed his first extravehicular activity, standing in the hatch of the spacecraft and photographing stars.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Howzat--Sherbet (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Yokosuka Story--Momoe Yamaguchi (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Échame A Mí La Culpa--Albert Hammond (4th week at #1)

Asiatica
Sagarmatha National Park was created in Nepal.

Economics and finance
British fishermen urged Foreign Secretary Anthony Crosland to secure a 50-mile fishing zone around the U.K.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Papa Don't Preach--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): J'aimie le Vie--Sandra Kim (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): The Edge of Heaven--Wham! (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Papa Don't Preach--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Invisible Touch--Genesis

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Invisible Touch--Genesis
2 Sledgehammer--Peter Gabriel
3 There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)—-Billy Ocean
4 Nasty--Janet Jackson
5 Holding Back the Years—-Simply Red
6 Danger Zone--Kenny Loggins
7 Who's Johnny--El DeBarge
8 Glory of Love--Peter Cetera
9 No One is to Blame—-Howard Jones
10 Love Touch--Rod Stewart

Singles entering the chart were Dancing on the Ceiling by Lionel Richie (#39); Oh, People by Patti LaBelle (#77); Money's Too Tight by Simply Red (#79); If Looks Could Kill by Heart (#81); Anotherloverholenyohead by Prince and the Revolution (#83); Two of Hearts by Stacey Q (#85); One Way Love by TKA (#86); Missionary Man by Eurythmics (#87); What Does it Take by Honeymoon Suite (#89); and Somebody Like You by 38 Special (#90).

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

Singles entering the chart were Dancing on the Ceiling by Lionel Richie (#69); Missionary Man by Eurythmics (#94); Before I Go by Starship (#96); Love of a Lifetime by Chaka Khan (#97); and No Promises by Icehouse (#98).

Football
CFL
Montreal (0-3) 20 @ British Columbia (3-1) 27

This was probably the best game in the brief career of Alouettes' quarterback Brian Ransom, who suffered a serious injury after the season and never returned to the CFL.

25 years ago
1991

Football
CFL
British Columbia (1-1) 26 @ Winnipeg (1-1) 23 (OT)



Baseball
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr., playing his 1,500th consecutive game, hit his 20th home run of the season--becoming the 8th player in major league history to accomplish the feat in each of his first 10 full seasons--as the Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1 before 39,384 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

The Detroit Tigers handed the Kansas City Royals the worst loss in their history, routing them 17-0 before 30,587 fans at Royals Stadium. Bill Gullickson was the winning pitcher over Tom Gordon. Scott Livingstone made his major league debut for the Tigers at third base, batting 3 for 5 with 4 runs, a run batted in, 1 putout, and 1 assist.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (6th week at #1)

Politics and government
Bosnian Serb President and wanted war criminal Radovan Karadzic was forced by Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic to resign after marathon talks with U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke.

Olympics
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali lit the flame to climax the opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.



Football
CFL
Montreal (1-3) 44 @ British Columbia (0-4) 24

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Jack Warden, 85. U.S. actor. Mr. Warden, born John Warden Lebzelter, Jr., was a character actor in numerous films and television programs from the 1950s through the 1990s. He won an Emmy Award for his supporting performance in the made-for-television movie Brian's Song (1971), and was nominated for Academy Awards for his suporting performances in Shampoo (1975) and Heaven Can Wait (1978).