July 29, 2016

370 years ago
1646

Born on this date
Johann Theile. German composer. Mr. Theile was an organist who composed choral works, most notably the opera Adam und Eva (1678). He died on June 24, 1724 at the age of 77.

170 years ago
1846

Born on this date
Sophie Menter. German musician and composer. Miss Menter was Franz Liszt's favourite female student, and had a successful career as a concert pianist from the 1860s to the 1880s. She wrote several works for piano, and died on February 23, 1918 at the age of 71.

Isabel. Brazilian royal family member. Princess Isabel, the eldest daughter of Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina, became Princess Imperial (heir presumptive to the throne) in 1847 and again in 1850 after the deaths in infancy of her two brothers. She acted as regent for her father during his absences abroad, and in 1888 signed the Lei Áurea (Golden Law) abolishing slavery in Brazil. Emperor Pedro was deposed by a military coup in 1889 and the family went into exile in France. Princess Isabel became head of the Imperial House of Brazil upon her father's death in 1891, and remained so until her own death in France on November 14, 1921 at the age of 75.

150 years ago
1866

Born on this date
Sam Dungan. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Dungan was an outfielder with the Chicago Colts/Orphans (1892-1894, 1900); Louisville Colonels (1894); and Washington Senators (1901), batting .301 with 3 home runs and 197 runs batted in in 382 games. He played at least 900 games in at least 9 seasons in the minor leagues from 1890-1905; early in the 1900 season he was sold by the Colts to the Kansas City Blues of the American League, playing first base and batting .337 with 1 homer in 117 games, winning the batting title in the AL's only season as a minor league. Mr. Dungan died of a heart attack, following uremic poisoning, on March 14, 1939 at the age of 72.

140 years ago
1876

Born on this date
Maria Ouspenskaya. Russian-born U.S. actress and teacher. Miss Ouspenskaya acted in plays and silent films in Russia, and was with the Moscow Art Theatre when the company visited New York City in 1922. She decided to stay in New York, and became an acting teacher. Needing money, Miss Ouspenskaya went to Hollywood and became a character actress, playing ethnic European characters in various movies. She was nominated for Academy Awards for her supporting performances in Dodsworth (1936) and Love Affair (1939). Miss Ouspenskaya died on December 3, 1949 at the age of 73, several days after suffering a stroke and receiving severe burns in a house fire, which reportedly started after she fell asleep while smoking a cigarette.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Fred Smith. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Smith was a third baseman and shortstop with the Boston Braves (1913); Buffalo Blues (1914-1915); Brooklyn Tip-Tops (195); and St. Louis Cardinals (1917), batting .226 with 8 home runs and 158 runs batted in in 438 games. He hit .244 with at least 14 homers in 939 games in 8 seasons in the minor leagues (1909-1921). Mr. Smith died on May 28, 1961 at the age of 69.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Charlie Christian. U.S. musician. Mr. Christian was a swing and jazz guitarist with the Benny Goodman Sextet from 1939-1941. He was one of the first electric guitarists, and has been credited as one of the founders of bebop. Mr. Christian died of tuberculosis on March 2, 1942 at the age of 25.

Budd Boetticher. U.S. movie director. Oscar Boetticher, Jr. was a bullfighter in Mexico before going into the movie business, producing and directing Bullfighter and the Lady (1951). He became known for directing low-budget Westerns starring Randolph Scott, including Seven Men from Now (1956); Buchanan Rides Alone (1958); and Ride Lonesome (1959). Mr. Boetticher died on November 29, 2001 at the age of 85.

Disasters
Lightning ignited a large forest fire in northern Ontario; it destroyed the towns of Cochrane and Matheson, and killed 223 people.

80 years ago
1936

Baseball
The Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals split a doubleheader before 12,000 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, with the Dodgers winning the first game 22-7 and the Cardinals taking the second game 5-4. Buddy Hassett hit 2 triples and drove in 5 runs for Brooklyn in the first game, while Joe Medwick hit 2 home runs for St. Louis in the second game.

Lou Gehrig batted 3 for 4 with a home run, 2 runs and 3 runs batted in, while Joe DiMaggio was 3 for 6 with a triple, 3 runs, and 4 runs batted in as the New York Yankees routed the Detroit Tigers 13-3 before 13,000 fans at Navin Field in Detroit. It was the 227th and last career major league game for Detroit relief pitcher Chad Kimsey, who pitched 3 scoreless innings, and doubled and scored in his only plate appearance.

The Cleveland Indians swept a doubleheader from the Washington Nationals 11-6 and 6-5 at League Park in Cleveland.

75 years ago
1941

War
The U.S.S.R. claimed to have begun an offensive at Smolensk.

Diplomacy
U.S. Senator Worth Clark (Democrat--Idaho) said that the United States "should take over control" of all Latin America and Canada and set up "puppet governments" because "the Good Neighbor Policy has been a failure."

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King told his war cabinet that he would rather resign than support conscription.

Arthur Klein (Democrat) defeated George Hastings (Republican) in a special election for the New York's 14th District in the United States House of Representatives.

Law
Paraguayan President Higinio Morinigio decreed the death penalty for revolutionaries.

Economics and finance
Japan froze assets of the Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.

Labour
A strike of 8,000 American Federation of Labor electrical workers tied up construction jobs in New York City and stopped work on defense projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Boxing
Freddie Cochrane (63-31-8) won the world welterweight title with a 15-round decision over defending champion Fritzie Zivic (110-26-5) at Ruppert Stadium in Newark, New Jersey.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Gypsy--The Ink Spots (11th week at #1)
--Dinah Shore
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
2 They Say it's Wonderful--Perry Como
--Frank Sinatra
3 Doin' What Comes Natur'lly--Dinah Shore and Spade Cooley and his Orchestra
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra
4 Prisoner of Love--Perry Como
--The Ink Spots
5 Surrender--Perry Como
--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
6 Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)--Dinah Shore
--Andy Russell
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
7 My Fickle Eye--Betty Hutton
--Jack Smith and the Five DeMarco Sisters
--Judy Canova
8 In Love in Vain--Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest
--Margaret Whiting
9 Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra
10 I'm a Big Girl Now--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were Who Do You Love I Hope by Elliot Lawrence and his Orchestra (#26) and Along with Me by Margaret Whiting (#28).

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Gale Gordon and Howard McNear, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Forgetful Murderer

War
Chinese Communist troops attacked a U.S. Marine convoy between Tientsin and Peking, killing 3 Marines and wounding 12.

Diplomacy
French Prime Minister Georges Bidault opened the 21-nation Paris Peace Conference in Luxembourg Palace, and was chosen temporary chairman of the conference.

World events
A Panamanian court acquitted former President Arnulfo Arias of charges of participating in an abortive coup in December 1945.

Politics and government
India's Muslim League withdrew its acceptance of British independence proposals, accusing the British government and the Congress Party of going back on their original pledge to guarantee certain posts for Muslims in the new government.

New York State revoked the Ku Klux Klan charter, while the U.S. Justice Department revealed that it was investigating Klan activities in seven states.

Scandal
U.S. Controller General Lindsay Warren told the Senate War Inviestigating Committee that loopholes in war contracts had cost the government "untold millions."

Oil
The Bahamian subsidiary of Standard Oil Company of New Jersey announced that it would use radar and a diving chamber to search for oil under the Caribbean Sea floor.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Senate passed and sent to President Harry Truman a bill extending the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to June 30, 1947.

Business
United Aircraft Corporation made history's first commercial helicopter sale, a $48,500-delivery to Helicopter Air Transport, Inc.

Labour
The French government decreed a general wage increase for public servants averaging 18%.

Boxing
Bruce Woodcock (27-1) knocked out Albert Renet (28-18-4) in the 6th round at King's Hall in Manchester, England to win the vacant European Boxing Union heavyweight title. Mr. Woodcock knocked down Mr. Renet in the 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds before knocking him out.

Ezzard Charles (40-4-1) knocked out Lloyd Marshall (58-15-3) at 57 seconds of the 6th round of a heavyweight bout at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.



60 years ago
1956

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey (Minnesota), in a letter to Representative Eugene McCarthy (Democrat--Minnesota), authorized his friends to "work actively in my behalf" for the 1956 Democratic Party nomination for Vice President of the United States.

Economics and finance
Egypt banned all exports to the United Kingdom and its colonies, and halted shipment of all steling trade goods through the Suez Canal. The French government froze $1.285 billion worth of Egyptian assets in France.

Auto racing
Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson of Scotland won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, avergaing 104.3 miles per hour in a Jaguar.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Pretty Flamingo--Manfred Mann

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Hanky Panky--Tommy James and the Shondells
2 Wild Thing--The Troggs
3 Sweet Pea--Tommy Roe
4 Summer in the City--The Lovin' Spoonful
5 I Saw Her Again--The Mamas and the Papas
6 This Door Swings Both Ways--Herman's Hermits
7 Little Girl--Syndicate of Sound
8 Mother's Little Helper/Lady Jane--The Rolling Stones
9 Along Comes Mary--The Association
Pick hit of the week: God Only Knows--The Beach Boys
New this week: Chapel in the Field--The Knickerbockers
The Joker Went Wild--Brian Hyland
Bus Stop--The Hollies
Campfire Girls--Billy Joe Royal
Blowin' in the Wind--Stevie Wonder

World events
A counter-coup in Nigeria led by Lieutenant Colonel Murtala Muhammed resulted in the murders of Head of State Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, 42, and military Governor of Western Nigeria Adekunle Fajuyi, 40.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (1-0) 40 @ Edmonton (0-1) 13

Ron Lancaster threw 3 touchdown passes to Hugh Campbell and 1 each to Ed Buchanan and Paul Dudley as the Roughriders routed the Eskimos before 16,400 fans at Clarke Stadium in the earliest CFL regular season opening game to date. Jim Thomas scored both Edmonton touchdowns.

40 years ago
1976

Died on this date
Mickey Cohen, 62. U.S. gangster. Mr. Cohen was involved in organized crime in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles in 1939, eventually leading the Cohen crime family. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1951 and served four years in prison. Upon his release, Mr. Cohen became a media celebrity. He died of stomach cancer.

Crime
In New York City, David Berkowitz--later to become infamous as"Son of Sam"--killed one person and seriously wounded another in the first of a series of attacks.

Olympics
Alberto Juantorena of Cuba won the gold medal in the men's 400-metre run at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. He had won the 800-metre run four days earlier, and thus became the first man to win the gold medal in both events.

Football
CFL
Montreal (1-0-1) 20 @ Calgary (0-1-1) 20
Hamilton (0-2) 14 @ British Columbia (1-1) 39

The Alouettes had a chance to defeat the Stampeders on the last play of the game at McMahon Stadium, but Don Sweet was wide on a 34-yard field goal attempt, and Larry Cates returned the ball out of the Calgary end zone.

The Lions' win over the Tiger-Cats Empire Stadium in Vancouver marked the end of George Dickson's tenure as head coach of the Tiger-Cats after 4 pre-season and 2 regular season games, all of which were Hamilton losses, and none of them by fewer than 15 points. He was replaced by general manager Bob Shaw.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Donna Toki Mo. (どんなときも)--Noriyuki Makihara

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): You Could Be Mine--Guns N' Roses (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Wind of Change--Scorpions (9th week at #1)

Died on this date
Christian de Castries, 88. French military officer. General de brigade de Castries served with the French Army from 1921-1959, fighting in World War II, and leading the French defense of Dien Bien Phu in French Indochina against Viet Minh forces in 1954. He died 13 days before his 89th birthday.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Freedom--Robbie Williams

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Gud! Hvor du er deilig--Bjelleklang

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (5th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 You Learn--Alanis Morissette (3rd week at #1)
2 Change the World--Eric Clapton
3 Flood--Jars of Clay
4 The Only Thing that Looks Good on Me is You--Bryan Adams
5 Give Me One Reason--Tracy Chapman
6 Ahead by a Century--The Tragically Hip
7 Looking for It--Jann Arden
8 Wrong--Everything But the Girl
9 Jealousy--Natalie Merchant
10 Killing Me Softly--The Fugees

Singles entering the chart were Instinct by Crowded House (#93); Good Friday by the Black Crowes (#95); Sitting on Top of the World by Amanda Marshall (#96); Symbolistic White Walls by the Matthew Good Band (#97); and Lies to Me by 54-40 (#98).

Died on this date
Ric Nordman, 76. Canadian politician. Mr. Nordman, a native of Cypress River, Manitoba, represented the ward of St. Charles on Winnipeg City Council (1974-1981) before entering provincial politics as a Progressive Conservative, representing Assiniboia (1981-1988).

Defense
China conducted an underground nuclear test and then announced that it was their last, declaring a moratorium on future testing.

Law
The child protection portion of the Communications Decency Act was struck down by a U.S. federal court as too broad.

Olympics
On his third attempt in the long jump at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Carl Lewis, 35, leapt 27 feet 10¾ inches to win his fourth Olympic long jump, tying him with former discus thrower Al Oerter of the United States as the only athletes to win four gold medals in the same event. Mr. Oerter won his medals in the 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympics; Mr. Lewis won in 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996.



Michael Johnson of the United States won the gold medal in the men's 400-metre run in 43.49 seconds at Olympic Stadium in Atlanta.



Football
CFL
Calgary (4-1) 36 @ Winnipeg (3-3) 38

10 years ago
2006

Abominations
About 40,000 people attended opening ceremonies for the Outgames at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, an event with 12,000 competitors whose main purpose was the promotion of sodomy and lesbianism.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (4-3) 28 @ Toronto (2-4) 8



Calgary (3-4) 9 @ Saskatchewan (3-3) 19