July 21, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Garland Grayston!

1,475 years ago
541

Born on this date
Wen. Emperor of China, 581-604. Wen, born Yang Jian, succeeded Jing on the throne, and established the Sui dynasty. He encouraged the spread of Buddhism, and reunified China in 589 after centuries of division since the fall of the Western Jin dynasty in 316. Construction of the Grand Canal began during Wen's reign. He died of an illness on August 13, 604, 23 days after his 63rd birthday, and was succeeded by his second son Yang.

220 years ago
1796

Died on this date
Robert Burns, 37. U.K. poet and lyricist. Mr. Burns was a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as the national poet of Scotland. His birthday is celebrated annually by those of Scottish ancestry. Mr. Burns is probably best known for writing the song Auld Lang Syne. He died of a rheumatic heart condition, perhaps exacerbated by an allegedly intemperate lifestyle.

200 years ago
1816

Born on this date
Paul Reuter. German-born U.K. journalist. Mr. Reuter, born Israel Josaphat, moved to England in 1845 and founded Reuters News Agency in 1851. He eventually became a baron, and died on February 25, 1899 at the age of 82.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Julius Saaristo. Finnish javelin thrower. Mr. Saaristo won several Finnish national championships in the 1910s. At the 1912 Summer Olympic Games in Stockholm, he won a gold medal in the two-handed javelin throw, and a silver medal in the conventional javelin throw. Mr. Saaristo died of throat cancer on October 12, 1969 at the age of 78.

120 years ago
1896

At the movies
John Green showed the first Canadian display of Thomas Edison's Vitascope at the Ottawa Electric Railway Company's West End Park near the intersection of Holland Avenue and Carling Avenue in Ottawa. 1,200 spectators enjoyed a magic show, following by a series of short films. The hit of the evening was The Kiss (1896), a brief film featuring Canadian actress May Irwin and actor John Rice, co-stars of the popular Broadway play The Widow Jones, from which the film was an excerpt.

Born on this date
Sophie Bledsoe Aberle. U.S. anthropologist. Dr. Aberle was known for her work among the Pueblo people of the southwestern United States from the 1930s through the 1950s. She was one of the first two women appointed to the National Science Board in 1951. Dr. Aberle died in October 1996 at the age of 100.

Politics and government
Arthur Hardy was sworn in as Premier of Ontario, replacing the retiring Sir Oliver Mowat. Mr. Hardy also replaced Sir Oliver as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.

75 years ago
1941

War
German bombers pounded Moscow for the first time. The U.S.S.R. announced that dictator Josef Stalin was "now officially the commander-in-chief of the Red Army."

Diplomacy
The Bolivian government announced that Germany had given the Bolivian charge d'affaires 72 hours to leave Germany in retaliation for the ouster of German Minister to Bolivia Ernst Wendler.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a special message, asked Congress to extend the one-year service of draftees, National Guardsmen, and reserve officers. He said that demobilization "would be a tragic error." The U.S. Office for Civilian Defense reported a highly successful opening day in its nine-day aluminum collection drive.

70 years ago
1946

Died on this date
Gualberto Villarroel López, 37. 46th President of Bolivia, 1943-1946. Major Villaroel took power as de facto President of Bolivia in a coup in 1943 that toppled General Enrique Peñaranda. Major Villaroel proclaimed himself a constitutional president in 1944 and instituted economic reforms, but was suspected of Fascist sympathies. Protests from workers led to a government crackdown, and hostilities escalated into a nationwide revolt that culminated in rebels taking control of the Plaza Murillo in La Paz, the location of the Palacio Quemado (Palace of Government). Major Villaroel resigned, but was assassinated anyway; his body was thrown over the balcony into a public square and hung from a lamppost. The opposition took control of the government for the next six years.

Literature
The New York Herald Tribune listed The Hucksters by Frederic Wakeman as the bestselling non-fiction book, and The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald as the bestselling non-fiction book.

Politics and government
The ruling Republican People's Party gained a large majority of seats in Turkey's first multiparty parliamentary elections.

Auto racing
Elbert Booker set a big-car world speed record of 21.35 seconds on a half-mile track in Dayton, Ohio.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Great Pretender--The Platters

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock--Bill Haley and his Comets (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Wayward Wind--Gogi Grant (Best Seller--6th week at #1; Disc Jockey--5th week at #1; Jukebox--4th week at #1; Top 100--5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Wayward Wind--Gogi Grant (5th week at #1)
2 I Almost Lost My Mind--Pat Boone
3 Moonglow and Theme from "Picnic"--Morris Stoloff and the Columbia Pictures Orchestra
--George Cates and his Orchestra
4 My Prayer--The Platters
5 I'm in Love Again--Fats Domino
6 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You--Elvis Presley
7 Be-Bop-A-Lula--Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps
8 More--Perry Como
9 On the Street Where You Live--Vic Damone
10 Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)--Doris Day

Singles entering the chart were You're Sensational by Frank Sinatra (#41); Dreamer by the Four Aces (#43); Can't We Be Sweethearts? by the Cleftones (#45); Daydreams by Art Mooney and his Orchestra (#48); and Voices by the Fontane Sisters (#49). Dreamer was the other side of I Only Know I Love You, charting at #40.

Married on this date
Archduchess Charlotte of Austria and Duke George of Mecklenburg were married in Munich.

Popular culture
Carol Morris, 20, a junior at Drake University, won the Miss Universe pageant in Long Beach, California.

Defense
The United States exploded a high-yield nuclear device in its Pacific testing area.

Society
Following a meeting in Chicago, 60 Negro Democratic Party leaders issued a statement charging U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower with "abdication of effective leadership" on the issue of desegregation.

Energy
U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Dmitri Shepalov said that his government would "consider favourably any Egyptian requests" for Soviet aid in the Aswan High Dam project.

Disasters
An earthquake struck the Kutch Peninsula in northwestern India, killig 109 people and leaving 12,000 people homeless in Anjar.

17 people died in Tamalameque, Colombia after attending a party and drinking cocktails made with pure alcohol.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Get Away--Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames

Space
The Gemini 10 crew of John Young and Michael Collins splashed down to conclude their three-day mission, and were recovered by the amphibious ship USS Guadalcanal.

Defense
The United States Navy launched USS Will Rogers at Groton, Connecticut. It was the U.S.A.'s 41st and last Polaris submarine.

40 years ago
1976

Died on this date
Christopher Ewart-Biggs, 54. U.K. diplomat. Mr. Ewart-Biggs, the British ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, was assassinated by a land mine in Dublin planted by the Irish Republican Army.

Music
The Beach Boys performed two concerts at Edmonton Coliseum as part of the "Coliseum of Stars" during the annual Klondike Days exhibition.

Defense
Canada signed a $1-billion contract with Lockheed Aircraft for 18 long-range Orion patrol aircraft.

Disasters
An American Legion convention opened in Philadelphia, running through July 24. Within weeks, numerous attenders died from what became known as Legionnaire's disease.

Olympics
14-year-old Nadia Comaneci of Romania recorded her fourth and fifth perfect 10 scores in women's gymnastics competition in Montreal.

Football
CFL
Ottawa (1-0) 42 @ Hamilton (0-1) 16

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Touch Me (I Want Your Body)--Samantha Fox (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Puerta de Alcalá--Víctor Manuel y Ana Belén (2nd week at #1)

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): I Wanna Sex You Up--Color Me Badd (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)--Crystal Waters

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Wind of Change--Scorpions (3rd week at #1)
2 Bobby Brown--Frank Zappa
3 The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in his Kiss)--Cher
4 Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee La Da Da)--Crystal Waters
5 Jesus Loves You--Bow Down Mister
6 Sailing on the Seven Seas--OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
7 Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)--Roxette
8 Senza una donna (Without a Woman)--Zucchero & Paul Young
9 Last Train to Trancentral--The KLF
10 The One and Only--Chesney Hawkes

Singles entering the chart were More than Words by Extreme (#22); Sit Down by James (#27); and Love is a Wonderful Thing by Michael Bolton (#28).

Died on this date
Paul Warwick, 22. U.K. auto racing driver. Mr. Warwick was killed in a crash at Oulton Park in Cheshire, England. He was leading the race and was posthumously awarded the victory, clinching the 1991 British Formula 3000 championship.

Golf
Ian Baker-Finch won the British Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England with an 8-under-par score of 272, 2 strokes ahead of fellow Australian Mike Harwood. First prize money was £90,000.



20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Tha Crossroads--Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Coco Jamboo--Mr. President (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Scotland (OCC): Wannabe--Spice Girls

Died on this date
Herb Edelman, 62. U.S. actor. Mr. Edelman was a character actor in 20 movies and numerous television programs in a career spaning more than 30 years, and was mainly known for comic roles. He co-starred in the television comedy series The Good Guys (1968-1970), and had recurring roles in St. Elsewhere (1984-1988) and The Golden Girls (1985-1992), receiving two Emmy Award nominations for the latter. Mr. Edelman died of emphysema.

Disasters
72 hours of torrential rain in the Chicoutimi/Charlevoix region of Quebec ended. Flooding and landslides killed 10 and left 10,000 homeless, with an estimated $365 million in damage.

Olympics
Cyclist Clara Hughes won Canada's first medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, taking the bronze in the women's road race in a time of 2:36.44; Jeannie Longo of France won gold, and Italian Imelda Chiappa the silver, just holding off Miss Hughes. It was the first ever medal for Canada in Olympic women's cycling. Curtis Myden swam to a Canadian and Commonwealth record, winning the bronze medal in the 400-metre individual medley, finishing in 4:16:28 seconds, about .7 of a second better than his previous personal best. Tom Dolan of the United States won the gold, and teammate Eric Namesnik the silver.

Golf
Tom Lehman won the British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, England with a 13-under-par score of 271, 2 strokes ahead of Ernie Els and Mark McCumber. First prize money was £200,000.





Hockey
NHL
Free agent centre Wayne Gretzky signed a 2-year contract with the New York Rangers for $8 million plus incentives. He had split the 1995-96 season between the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues, scoring 15 goals and 66 assists in 62 games with the Kings, and 8 goals and 13 assists in 18 regular season games, and 2 goals and 14 assists in 13 playoff games with the Blues.

Baseball
Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Rod Carew, Tony Lazzeri, and Bill Veeck were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Mr. Jenkins, a native of Chatham, Ontario, was the first Canadian to be so honoured.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Mako Iwamatsu, 72. Japanese-born U.S. actor. Mr. Iwamatsu, who often acted under just his first name, appeared in numerous movies and television programs, was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting performance in The Sand Pebbles (1966).

Francisco Gomez; Jason Patrick Warren. Canadian soldiers. Corporals Gomez and Warren were killed when their convoy was attacked by suicide bombers in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

J. Madison Wright, 21. U.S. actress. Miss Wright appeared in several television programs as a child before pursuing a university education. She married fellow university student Brent Morris when she died of a heart attack eight days before her 22nd birthday, and the day after returning to Kentucky from their honeymoon in Hawaii.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (3-3) 43 @ Calgary (3-3) 20