August 12, 2016

320 years ago
1696

Born on this date
Maurice Greene. U.K. musician and composer. Mr. Greene was the organist at St. Paul's Cathedral in London before being appointed to the Chapel Royal (1727), Professor of Music at Cambridge University (1730), and Master of the King's Musick (1735). He wrote sacred and secular vocal music, and was known for his long Verse Anthems. Professor Greene died on December 1, 1755 at the age of 59.

210 years ago
1806

War
Argentine forces commanded by Santiago de Liniers recaptured Buenos Aires after the first British invasion of the River Plate.

150 years ago
1866

Born on this date
Jacinto Benavente y Martinez. Spanish playwright. Mr. Benavente wrote 172 works. He was awarded the 1922 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the happy manner in which he has continued the illustrious traditions of the Spanish drama." Mr. Benavente died on July 14, 1954 at the age of 87.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
C.E.M. Joad. U.K. philosopher. Mr. Joad was a popular philosopher who became famous in Britain as a panelist on the BBC radio program The Brains Trust during World War II. He was fired by the BBC when he boasted about cheating railways by riding trains without purchasing tickets, and was then caught aboard a train without a ticket, resulting in a fine. A Fabian socialist and sexual degenerate for much of his life, Mr. Joad renounced agnosticism in his later years and came to faith in Jesus Christ. He died on April 9, 1953 at the age of 61.

Johnny McDermott. U.S. golfer. Mr. McDermott turned professional in 1908, and the Philadelphia native became the first American-born golfer to win the U.S. Open, winning it in 1911 and 1912. He was 19 when he won in 1911, and remains the youngest to win the tournament, while his 1912 U.S. Open win marked the first time a golfer was able to break par over 72 holes in a significant event. Mr. McDermott won five more tournaments through 1913, and in 1914 attempted to play in the British Open, but was delayed by travel difficulties, and arrived too late to play. On the return voyage aboard the SS Kaiser Wilhelm II, the ship collided with an English grain carrier in fog in the English Channel and was forced to return to port. There were no fatalities and the passengers made the trip aboard another ship the next day, but the incident, combined with other concerns such as failed investments, apparently so upset Mr. McDermott that he had a mental breakdown shortly afterward, and never recovered, spending the rest of his life in and out of mental hospitals. He attended the 1971 U.S. Open near Philadelphia, six weeks before his death from heart failure on August 1, 1971, 11 days before his 80th birthday, and a day after playing nine holes at Valley Forge Golf Club.

Died on this date
James Russell Lowell, 72. U.S. writer and diplomat. Mr. Russell was a Romantic poet associated with the New England group known as the Fireside Poets. He was also an essayist and critic, and was the first editor of The Atlantic Monthly (1857-1861). Mr. Lowell was U.S. Minister to England from 1880-1885, and supported various social reforms, including abolition of slavery.

75 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon, 74. Governor General of Canada, 1926-1931; Viceroy and Governor-General of India, 1931-1936. Viscount Willingdon, a Liberal, was a member of the British House of Commons from 1900-1913, when he received a peerage and joined the House of Lords. He served as Governor of Bombay from 1913-1918 and Governor of Madras from 1919-1924. Viscount Willingdon was the last Governor General of Canada to be appointed by the monarch, and the first to travel by air and make official visits abroad. He continued the Canadian tradition of vice-regal patronage of sports by donating the Willingdon Cup to the Royal Canadian Golf Association for annual Canadian interprovincial amateur golf competition. Viscount Willingdon died a month before his 75th birthday.

War
German government spokesmen asserted that German troops had pushed southward east of Odessa to the Black Sea, indicating that the seaport had been partially encircled.

The Peruvian government claimed that Ecuadorian troops had attacked a Peruvian border post at Pantoja on the Napo River the previous day.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill concluded their meeting aboard the U.S. cruiser Augusta at Argentia, Newfoundland, and both men sailed to their respective home countries.

Politics and government
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King ordered all Japanese Canadians to carry a registration card.

Defense
Vichy French Prime Minister Marshal Philippe Pétain declared that France must collaborate with Germany, and appointed François Darlan minister of national defense. Marshal Pétain added that Germany was fighting "in defense of civilization" in the east.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 203-202 to extend Army service for draftees, reserve officers, and National Guardsmen to 30 months. A Japanese spokeman said that Japan was "urgently concerned" over the shipment of American supplies to the U.S.S.R. via Vladivostok.

Medicine
The California Institute of Technology reported that Drs. Clyde Emery, S.R. Baker, and Melville Jacobs had completed the world's most powerful X-ray tube--expected to generate 2-3 million volts--for cancer treatment and research.

Economics and finance
U.S. Price Administrator Leon Henderson fixed a ceiling of 3 1/2c per pound on 96-degree raw sugar, effective August 14.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 To Each His Own--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Tony Martin
--The Modernaires with Paula Kelly
2 Doin' What Comes Natur'lly--Dinah Shore and Spade Cooley and his Orchestra
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra
3 The Gypsy--The Ink Spots
--Dinah Shore
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
4 They Say it's Wonderful--Perry Como
--Frank Sinatra
5 Prisoner of Love--Perry Como
--The Ink Spots
6 Surrender--Perry Como
--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
7 I Don't Know Enough About You--The Mills Brothers
--Peggy Lee
8 In Love in Vain--Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest
--Margaret Whiting
9 One More Tomorrow--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
10 Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)--Dinah Shore
--Andy Russell
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were the version of To Each His Own by Tony Martin; and If You Were the Only Girl by Perry Como (#29). If You Were the Only Girl was the B-side of They Say it's Wonderful.

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

World events
Yugoslavia admitted that it was holding eight U.S. soldiers and two civilians, three days after Yugoslavian fighter planes forced down their C-47 transport.

The body of former Italian Duce Benito Mussolini was found in a trunk in the Pavia Monastery near Milan.

Diplomacy
The British government announced a halt to unscheduled immigration to Palestine, and stated that all Jews seeking entry would be sent to Cyprus or elsewhere for detention.

Politics and government
U.K. Viceroy in India Sir Archibald Wavell revealed that the All-India Congress Party had accepted an invitation to form a government pending the drawing up of a new constitution.

Americana
U.S. President Harry Truman signed bills to convert New York's Aquarium into the Castle Clinton National Monument and to establish a national air museum in Washington under Smithsonian Institution supervision.

Scandal
The U.S. Army Criminal Division in Berlin announced that it had arrested former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Oscar Warner and former Army Air Forces Lt. Lewis Warner, who with their father and two other brothers had operated a worldwide black market ring.

Labour
Six South African gold mines shut down as 50,000 miners went on strike for a daily wage of two dollars, four times their present wage.

Disasters
Minor tremors continued in the Dominican Republic after a week of serious earthquakes, as malaria and intestinal diseases swept through camps set up to house those made homeless.

60 years ago
1956

Died on this date
Charles "Doc" Winner, 70. U.S. cartoonist. Mr. Winner drew the comic strips Tubby (1923-1926); Elmer (1926-1956); and The Katzenjammer Kids (1947-1956). He died of cancer.

Defense
The British government of Prime Minister Anthony Eden announced an airlift of 5,000 troops to the Middle East. U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, and other administration officials met with Democratic and Republican Party congressional leaders for an emergency briefing on the Suez crisis.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Pretty Flamingo--Manfred Mann (3rd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Lil' Red Riding Hood--Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
2 Wild Thing--The Troggs
3 Sweet Pea--Tommy Roe
4 Summer in the City--The Lovin' Spoonful
5 This Door Swings Both Ways--Herman's Hermits
6 Sunny--Bobby Hebb
7 Mother's Little Helper/Lady Jane--The Rolling Stones
8 They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!--Napoleon XIV
9 Born a Woman--Sandy Posey
10 I Couldn't Live Without Your Love--Petula Clark
Pick hit of the week: Look Out Girls--Dino, Desi and Billy
New this week: Cast Your Fate to the Wind--Shelby Flint
I Put a Spell on You--Alan Price Set
To Show I Love You--Peter and Gordon
Waco--Lorne Greene

Music
The Beatles began their final concert tour with two shows at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. At a news conference in Chicago, John Lennon apologized for saying in an interview a few months earlier, "the Beatles are more popular than Jesus."

Economics and finance
The British government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson enacted a prices and incomes law for a six-month freeze on increases, followed by a six-month period of "severe restraint."

Football
CFL
Montreal (1-1) 17 @ Toronto (0-2) 6
British Columbia (1-2) 14 @ Saskatchewan (3-0) 16
Winnipeg (2-1) 10 @ Edmonton (1-3) 9

Peter Kempf score a touchdown, 2 converts, and a field goal as the Alouettes beat the Argonauts before 24,139 fans at CNE Stadium. Bob Paremore scored the other Montreal touchdown, while John Vilunas kicked 2 field goals for Toronto.

Ron Lancaster completed touchdown passes to Ed Buchanan and George Reed as the Roughriders edged the Lions before 20,379 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Joe Kapp rushed for the first B.C. touchdown and passed to Pat Claridge for the other. The Lions recovered a short kickoff after Mr. Claridge's touchdown late in the game, but Bill Mitchell was short on a 50-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds.

Norm Winton kicked a 40-yard field goal in the last minute of play to give the Blue Bombers their win over the Eskimos before 17,557 fans at Clarke Stadium. Mr. Winton also converted a touchdown by Noel Dunford, who scored on a pass from Kenny Ploen. Trent Walters scored his first CFL touchdown for the Eskimos.

40 years ago
1976

War
Between 1,000 and 3,500 Palestinians were killed in the Tel al-Zaatar massacre, one of the bloodiest events of the Lebanese Civil War.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (1-3) 12 @ Montreal (1-2-1) 11

The Tiger-Cats intercepted 5 passes from Montreal quarterback Sonny Wade as they upset the Alouettes before 21,285 fans at Autostade.

Baseball
Howard Webster, chairman of Toronto's new American League baseball team, said that the team would be called the Toronto Blue Jays.

Larvell Blanks singled home John Lowenstein to tie the game and then scored the winning run on a single by pinch hitter Frank Robinson as the Cleveland Indians scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Texas Rangers 5-4 before 3,786 fans at Cleveland Stadium. Cleveland first baseman Boog Powell hit a 3-run home run in the 3rd inning.

The New York Yankees scored 4 runs in the 4th inning and 5 in the 6th as they beat the Minnesota Twins 12-5 before 20,597 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. New York designated hitter Carlos May had a single, double, triple, base on balls, run, and 2 runs batted in. Catfish Hunter allowed 9 hits and 5 earned runs in pitching a complete game victory to improve his 1976 record to 13-12.

Gene Tenace singled home pinch runner Larry Lintz with 2 out in the bottom of the 8th inning to break a 3-3 tie and give the Oakland Athletics a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers before 3,730 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Brewers placed runners on second and third bases with 1 out in the 9th, but Oakland relief pitcher Rollie Fingers was able to get the last 2 outs without the tying run scoring.

Fred Lynn singled home Butch Hobson with 2 out in the top of the 10th inning to break a 1-1 tie and give the Boston Red Sox a 2-1 win over the California Angels before 15,242 fans at Anaheim Stadium. With 2 out and Leroy Stanton on second base in the bottom of the 10th, pinch hitter Tommy Davis singled, but Boston left fielder Jim Rice threw to catcher Carlton Fisk at home plate, who tagged out Mr. Stanton to end the game. Luis Tiant pitched a 6-hit complete game victory to improve his record for the season to 12-10, winning the pitchers' duel over Nolan Ryan, who also went the distance, allowing 9 hits and striking out 9 as he dropped to 9-15.

Rick Sawyer pitched an 8-hit shutout to improve his record for the season to 3-0 and Fred Kendall singled home 2 runs to climax a 3-run 2nd inning as the San Diego Padres blanked the New York Mets 3-0 before 18,806 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Mr. Sawyer won the pitchers' duel over Tom Seaver, who allowed 5 hits and 3 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings, dropping his 1976 record to 9-8.

George Foster hit a solo home run in the 8th inning and added a 3-run homer in the 9th as the Cincinnati Reds scored 7 runs in the last 2 innings to defeat the Chicago Cubs 12-5 before 17,863 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs led 3-1 after 7 innings, but Joe Morgan led off the top of the 8th with a home run off Chicago starting pitcher Rick Reuschel, who was then ejected, along with pitching coach Marv Grissom, by umpire Frank Pulli for arguing balls and strikes. Mr. Reuschel was relieved by Bruce Sutter, who promptly surrendered Mr. Foster's first home run. Johnny Bench also homered for the Reds in the 9th inning.
http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1976/B08120CHN1976.htm

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Say Yes--Chage and Aska (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Wind of Change--Scorpions (11th week at #1)

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Freedom--Robbie Williams (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Gud! Hvor du er deilig--Bjelleklang (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (7th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Change the World--Eric Clapton (2nd week at #1)
2 You Learn--Alanis Morissette
3 Give Me One Reason--Tracy Chapman
4 Tucker's Town--Hootie & the Blowfish
5 Jealousy--Natalie Merchant
6 Ahead by a Century--The Tragically Hip
7 The Only Thing that Looks Good on Me is You--Bryan Adams
8 Looking for It--Jann Arden
9 Jerk--Kim Stockwood
10 Free to Decide--The Cranberries

Singles entering the chart were Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) by John Mellencamp (#64); Who You Are by Pearl Jam (#87); Burden in My Hand by Soundgarden (#91); It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion (#95); Hit Me Off by New Edition (#96); Nowhere to Go by Melissa Etheridge (#97); Crawl by Tom Cochrane (#98); and So Much to Say by the Dave Matthews Band (#99).

Died on this date
Victor Ambartsumian, 87. U.S.S.R. astrophysicist. Dr. Ambartsumian, a native of Georgia, founded the Soviet Union's first department of astrophysics at Leningrad State University in 1934. He moved to Soviet Armenia and in 1946 founded the Byurakan Observatory, a major centre of astronomical research. Dr. Ambartsumian also co-founded the Armenian Academy of Sciences and led it for almost half a century—the entire post-war period. He's widely regarded as the founder of theoretical astrophysics in the Soviet Union, and worked until he was 80.

10 years ago
2006

Football
CFL
Toronto (3-5) 20 @ Hamilton (2-7) 2
Montreal (7-1) 24 @ Calgary (5-4) 27

Damon Allen passed for 319 yards and a touchdown to lead the Argonauts over the Tiger-Cats before 29,010 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Sandro DeAngelis kicked a 52-yard field goal with 48 seconds remaining in regulation time to tie the score and then kicked a 53-yard FG on the final play to win the game for the Stampeders as they upset the Alouettes before 29,452 fans at McMahon Stadium.