August 2, 2016

320 years ago
1696

Born on this date
Mahmud I. Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1730-1754. Mahmud the Hunchback took over the throne after the Patrona Halil rebellion. He maintained good relations with the Mughal and Safavid Empires until his death on December 13, 1754 at the age of 58, after a period of declining health.

240 years ago
1776

Americana
The signing of the Declaration of Independence took place; the number of delegates who actually signed it on this date is in dispute.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Arthur Bliss. U.K. composer. Sir Arthur composed various choral and orchestral works. He became music director of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the 1940s, and served as Master of the Queen's Music from 1953 until his death on March 27, 1975 at the age of 83.

100 years ago
1916

War
Austrian saboteurs were blamed for the sinking of the Italian dreadnought Leonardo da Vinci in Taranto, with the loss of 21 officers and 227 enlisted men.

80 years ago
1936

Baseball
The Chicago White Sox swept a doubleheader from the Boston Red Sox 9-1 and 12-11 in 12 innings before 28,000 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The Red Sox led the second game 10-1 after 4½ innings.

The Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees played to a 4-4 tie in a game called because of darkness after 16 innings. 65,342 attended the Indians' first home game at Municipal Stadium in three years. New York first baseman Lou Gehrig had 3 hits in 6 at bats before Jack Saltzgaver substituted for him in the 14th inning.

The St. Louis Cardinals swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Phillies 13-4 and 11-8 before 25,000 fans at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. Herb Harris pitched the 9th inning of the first game for the Phillies, allowing 6 hits, 2 bases on balls, and 5 runs--all earned--in his fourth and last major league 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) (5th week at #1)

War
The U.S.S.R. reported fighting in the Byelaya Tserkov sector of Ukraine for the first time, indicating that the Germans had broken through the Stalin line south of Kiev. Philippine President Manuel Quezon ordered up 10 Philippine infantry reserve regiments totalling 15,000 men to be inducted into the U.S. Army on September 1.

Peru announced that sporadic fighting had occurred at two points on the Peruvian-Ecuadorian border during the day despite the truce that had begun two days earlier.

Diplomacy
U.S. acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles issued a formal statement denouncing the Vichy government for signing an agreement with Japan for the "joint defense" of Indochina. In a note to U.S.S.R. Ambassador to the U.S.A. Konstantin Umansky, Mr. Welles pledged economic assistance to the Soviet Union in the interest of U.S. national defense.

The Peruvian government informed the German legation that German diplomatic pouches would be subject to customs registry, because German officials had used them for carrying non-official correspondence.

World events
The Norwegian government announced that Reich Commissioner Josef Terboven had been given authority to declare a state of emergency in order to preserve peace in Norway.

Defense
A Gallup Poll reported that 51% of Americans recently questioned favoured a U.S. check on Japanese expansion even at the risk of war.

Economics and finance
U.S. Lend-Lease Administrator Edward Stettinius placed copper under 100% priority control.

Labour
American Federation of Labor construction employees at two government munitions plants at Weldon Springs, Missouri failed to report for work in a dispute over overtime pay.

70 years ago
1946

At the movies
Black Angel, directed by Roy William Neill, and starring Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre, and Broderick Crawford, opened in theatres.



Politics and government
Camille Huysmans formed a provisional Belgian cabinet composed of Socialists, Liberals, and Communists.

U.S. President Harry Truman signed the congressional reorganizational bill, which reduced House of Representatives standing committees, required lobbyists to register, and provided that four major committees would meet each year to draw up a national budget. House and Senate leaders appointed an 18-member Permanent Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy. President Truman appointed William Clayton as Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs.

A group of Georgia voters filed a federal suit attacking the constitutionality of the unit election system under which Eugene Talmadge had won the Democratic Party gubernatorial nomination. Athens, Tennessee Sheriff Pat Mansfield surrendered impounded ballot boxes to armed war veterans in a ballot count dispute following a Democratic primary contest between a GI reform slate and the local entrenched political machine. The vote count showed a large victory for the veterans.

Law
The U.S. Senate voted 60-2 in favour, and sent to President Truman, the Morse resolution, giving the World Court jurisdiction in international disputes involving the United States.

Transportation
Bermuda dropped its 38-year ban on private automobiles.

Medicine
The U.S. nuclear plant at Oak Ridge, Tennessee sold one millicurie of Carbon 14 to the Barnard Free Skin and Cancer Hospital in St. Louis for use in cancer research. It was the first sale of radioactive isotopes to a private institution.

Oil
The U.S. House of Representatives sustained President Truman's veto of the tidelands oil bill.

Disasters
The steamer Vitya sank in Lake Nyassa, Tanganyika, drowning 295 followers of the Aga Khan travelling to a celebration of his golden jubilee.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): La Ballade de Davy Crockett--Annie Cordy

50 years ago
1966

Football
CFL
Edmonton (0-2) 7 @ Winnipeg (1-0) 26

Kenny Ploen completed 16 of 26 passes for 246 yards, and Dave Raimey, Norm Rauhaus, and Ken Nielsen scored touchdowns for the Blue Bombers as they beat the Eskimos before 15,112 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. The Eskimos broke up the shutout in dramatic fashion on the last play of the game when Jim Thomas took a pitchout and ran 100 yards for a touchdown, becoming the only player in CFL history to have two rushing plays of 100 yards or more; he rushed 104 yards for a touchdown against the British Columbia Lions on October 9, 1965.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Howzat--Sherbet (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Yokosuka Story--Momoe Yamaguchi (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Échame A Mí La Culpa--Albert Hammond (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Fritz Lang, 85. Austro-Hungarian-born U.S. film director. Mr. Lang, a native of Vienna, began his career in Germany, but fled shortly after the Nazis came to power, going to Paris, and eventually Hollywood, where he spent the remainder of his career. His movies included Metropolis (1927); M (1931); The Woman in the Window (1944); Scarlet Street (1945); and The Big Heat (1953).

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Papa Don't Preach--Madonna (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): The Edge of Heaven--Wham! (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Holiday Rap--MC Miker G & DJ Sven

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Glory of Love--Peter Cetera

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Sledgehammer--Peter Gabriel (2nd week at #1)
2 Glory of Love--Peter Cetera
3 Invisible Touch--Genesis
4 Danger Zone--Kenny Loggins
5 Papa Don't Preach--Madonna
6 Nasty--Janet Jackson
7 Love Touch--Rod Stewart
8 There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)-—Billy Ocean
9 Opportunities--Pet Shop Boys
10 Modern Woman--Billy Joel

Singles entering the chart were Stuck with You by Huey Lewis and the News (#39); Dreamtime by Daryl Hall (#46); Press by Paul McCartney (#66); Heaven in Your Eyes by Loverboy (#75); Ruthless People by Mick Jagger (#77); Every Little Kiss by Bruce Hornsby and the Range (#85); Private Number by the Jets (#86); All Cried Out by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force (#87); Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent by Gwen Guthrie (#88); Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain) by INXS (#89); and Spirit in the Sky by Doctor and the Medics (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Sledgehammer--Peter Gabriel (2nd week at #1)
2 Who's Johnny--El DeBarge
3 We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off--Jermaine Stewart
4 I Can't Wait--Nu Shooz
5 Papa Don't Preach--Madonna
6 Invisible Touch--Genesis
7 Love Touch--Rod Stewart
8 On My Own—-Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
9 No One is to Blame—Howard Jones
10 Crush on You--The Jets

Singles entering the chart were Press by Paul McCartney (#80); Dreamtime by Daryl Hall (#92); Money's Too Tight by Simply Red (#94); Me, Myself and I by Chalk Circle (#95); and When I Fall in Love Again by Zappacosta (#97).

Died on this date
Roy Cohn, 59. U.S. lawyer. Mr. Cohn played a prominent role in the 1951 espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, but was best known as an aide to U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin) in his investigations into Communist infiltration into the United States government. Mr. Cohn was a sodomite who died of AIDS.

25 years ago
1991

Football
CFL
Ottawa (0-4) 19 @ Winnipeg (2-2) 26
Calgary (4-0) 21 @ Hamilton (0-4) 11

The Rough Riders' loss to the Blue Bombers at Winnipeg Stadium was the last game for Steve Goldman as Ottawa's head coach. He had been hired in 1989, and was fired after compiling a regular season record of 11-29. His replacement was former Saskatchewan Roughriders' and Edmonton Eskimos' head coach Joe Faragalli.

Baseball
Texas Rangers' relief pitcher Mike Jeffcoat became the first American League pitcher to drive in a run in a regular season game since the introduction of the designated hitter in 1973 when he doubled in a run in the 9th inning of the Rangers' 15-1 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers before 22,323 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Mr. Jeffcoat became the first AL pitcher to have a hit in a regular season game since Ferguson Jenkins of the Rangers had gone 1 for 2 on October 2, 1974. Texas first baseman Rafael Palmeiro batted 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a home run, 3 runs, and 4 runs batted in.

Tim Teufel hit a grand slam and Darrin Jackson had 2 singles, a double, and a homer to help the San Diego Padres rout the Atlanta Braves 13-3 before 34,466 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

Dickie Thon led off the top of the 11th inning with his second home run of the game to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 win over the Montreal Expos before 18,638 fans at Olympic Stadium. Montreal shortstop Bret Barberie batted 3 for 4 with 2 solo homers.

Ryne Sandberg hit a 2-run home run with none out in the top of the 10th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 4-2 win over the New York Mets before 35,361 fans at Shea Stadium in New York.

The St. Louis Cardinals scored 2 runs in the 7th inning and 2 in the 9th as they overcame a 3-0 deficit to edge the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 before 36,228 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

The Houston Astros blew a 7-0 lead, allowed 8 straight runs--including 2 in the top of the 9th inning-and then rallied for 2 in the bottom of the 9th to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-8 before 26,079 fans at the Astrodome.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): e.p.--Gyllene Tider (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Lemon Tree--Fool's Garden

At the movies
Emma, written and directed by Douglas McGrath, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and based on the novel by Jane Austen, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Michel Debré, 84. Prime Minister of France, 1959-1962. Mr. Debré held various offices in the Fifth Republic and was its first Prime Minister, serving under President Charles de Gaulle. Mr. Debré is regarded as the "father" of the present French Constitution.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (1-5) 30 @ Hamilton (4-2) 25

Damon Allen threw 3 touchdown passes to lead the Lions over the Tiger-Cats before 20,551 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Mr. Allen's former Edmonton Eskimo teammate Matt Dunigan started at quarterback for Hamilton, but suffered a career-ending concussion. He was replaced by Anthony Calvillo, who completed a pass to Earl Winfield for a 49-yard gain to the B.C. 6-yard-line on the last play of the game.