August 31, 2016

220 years ago
1796

Died on this date
John McKinly, 75. U.K.-born U.S. politician. Dr. McKinly, a physician, emigrated to Delaware in 1742. He served in the militia during the French and Indian War, and represented New Castle County in the Assembly of the Delaware or Lower Counties (1771-1777). Dr. McKinly was elected by the Assembly as its first President, serving from February-September 1777, when he was captured by British forces. He was eventually taken to Flatbush, New York, and was returned to Delaware in August 1778 in exchange for Benjamin Franklin's son William, the Loyalist Governor of New Jersey. Dr. McKinly never sought political office again.

175 years ago
1841

Disasters
The New Zealand ship Sophia Pate was wrecked on a sandbar at the entrance to Kaipara Harbour with the loss of 21 lives. The ship had been chartered by three Irish Wesleyan (Methodist) families to carry 23 settlers from Sydney, via Auckland, to the Kaipara district, where they planned to establish a settlement in the Kaihu Valley.

140 years ago
1876

World events
Ottoman Sultan Murad V was deposed and succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid II.

130 years ago
1886

Disasters
The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake struck southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). 60 people were killed, and damage was estimated at $5–6 million.

120 years ago
1896

At the movies
The first motion pictures to be shown in Toronto were screened at Robinson's Musee at 81 Yonge Street.

110 years ago
1906

Exploration
Roald Amundsen reached Alaska in his vessel Gjoa, the first ship to sail the Northwest Passage.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Daniel Schorr. U.S. journalist. Mr. Schorr was a reporter with CBS radio and television from 1953-1976, and won three Emmy Awards. He was with CNN from 1979-1985 and then joined National Public Radio, with whom he worked until a couple of week before his death on July 23, 2010 at the age of 93.

Danny Litwhiler. U.S. baseball player and coach. Mr. Litwhiler was an outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies (1940-1943); St. Louis Cardinals (1943-1946); Boston Braves (1946-1948); and Cincinnati Reds (1948-1951), batting .281 with 107 home runs and 451 runs batted in in 1,057 games. He was credited as the first player to sew the fingers of his glove together, which resulted in him playing the 1942 season without an error in 317 chances. Mr. Litwhiler was a member of the Cardinals' National League championship team in 1943 and their World Series championship team in 1944. He was better known for his years as a coach at Florida State University (1955-1963) and Michigan State University (1964-1982), where his achievements included technological innovations such as the use of a radar gun to measure pitching velocity and a method of drying fields after rain. Mr. Litwhiler died on September 23, 2011 at the age of 95.

80 years ago
1936

Radio
Radio Prague, now the official international broadcasting station of the Czech Republic, began broadcasting.

75 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square--Vera Lynn; West End Players (4th month at #1)

Died on this date
Thomas Bavin, 67. N.Z.-born Australian politician. Sir Thomas moved to Australia at the age of 15, became a barrister at the age of 23, and was Australian correspondent for the London Moring Post (1907-1911). He failed in attempts to enter federal politics, but as a member of the Nationalist Party, represented Albury (1917-1920, 1927-1935) and Ryde (1920-1927) in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. Sir Thomas was Attorney General of New South Wales (1921-1925), and became leader of the N.S.W. Nationalist Party and Leader of the Opposition after the Labour Party won the 1925 state election. The Nationalist and Country parties formed a coalition that won the 1927 N.S.W. election, with Sir Thomas serving as Premier of New South Wales (1927-1930). His government introduced tax reforms that angered conservative supporters, and he suffered from poor health. Labour won the 1930 state election, and Sir Thomas remained as Nationalist Party leader until 1932, when he joined the new United Australia Party. He sat on the N.S.W. Supreme Court from 1933 until his death from cancer.

Marina Tsvetaeva, 58. Russian poetess. Miss Tsvetaeva is regarded as one of Russia's greatest lyric poets. Her husband Sergei Efron joined the White Army in the Russian Civil War, and she and their two daughters suffered economic hardships, and the youngest daughter died of hunger. Miss Tsvetaeva and her family fled Russia for Paris in 1922, eventually settling there from 1925-1939. Mr. Efron and their daughter Alya developed Soviet sympathies, and Sergei became an NKVD agent. They were arrested for espionage in 1941; Mr. Efron was executed by shooting, aand Alya Efron served eight years in prison. Miss Tsvetaeva, reportedly under pressure to work for the NKVD, committed suicide by hanging herself.

War
The Canadian Privy Council issued an Order-in-Council authorizing the formation of the Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC). Serbian paramilitary forces defeated German forces in the Battle of Loznica. Newspapers in London published reports from Stockholm that U.S.S.R.-Finland peace negotiations were under way.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a certificate under his unlimited emergency powers revoking a 1904 ban on shipping gasoline and fuel oil in foreign vessels, permitting British and Dutch tankers, operating from the Netherlands East Indies, to supply U.S. troops in the Philippines with vital lubricants.

Golf
Ben Hogan won the Hershey (Pennsylvania) Open with a 17-under-par score of 275.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe--Bing Crosby; Judy Garland (1st month at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): To Each his Own--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with Stuart Wade (Best Seller--1st week at #1); To Each his Own--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra with Eddy Howard and Trio (Airplay--5th week at #1; Juke Box--1st week at #1); To Each his Own (Honor Roll of Hits--3rd week at #1)

Journalism
The New Yorker devoted its entire August 31 issue to John Hersey's account of the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima, emphasizing "the terrible implications" of the atomic bomb.

War
The nine-month Nuremberg trial of accused Nazi war criminals ended after the 21 defendants made their final pleas. The judges announced that a verdict would be handed down on September 23.

Diplomacy
U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov left the Paris Peace Conference after being summoned to Moscow without explanation.

Defense
The United States Navy ended its demobilization program, reporting 3,070,581 discharges since V-J Day in 1945.

Chinese Premier T.V. Soong and U.S. Foreign Liquidation Commissioner Thomas McCabe announced the conclusion of a surplus property agreement which would give the Nationalist Chinese government more than $800 million in U.S. war goods.

Protest
The Greek government announced that 31 arrests had been made in two days of clashes between Communists and royalists.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Senate War Investigating Committee issued its annual report, recommending an industrial mobilization plan kept up to date with technological developments and a clear government production control system.

Football
CRU
WIFU
Saskatchewan (0-1) 0 @ Calgary (1-0) 9

The Roughriders' loss to the Stampeders at Mewata Stadium was their first game as the Saskatchewan Roughriders after having been known as the Regina Roughriders since their inception in 1910.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)--Doris Day (4th week at #1)

At the movies
Bus Stop, starring Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray, received its premiere screening in New York City.



Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department charged that the Communist Chinese downing of a U.S. Navy patrol plane was "unjustified," saying that the United States would demand damages for the incident.

Two British diplomats accused of espionage by the Egyptian government left Cairo under "strong" protest by the U.K. Foreign Office.

Economics and finance
Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek suspended the export of thorium and radium to the United States and denounced a Brazil-U.S. agreement for joint uranium prospecting on Brazilian territory.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Montreal (2-0) 42 @ Ottawa (1-1) 10

WIFU
British Columbia (2-2) 1 @ Winnipeg (2-1) 3

Tom Miner's field goal gave the Blue Bombers their win over the Lions at Winnipeg Stadium. The Lions had the ball inside the Winnipeg 10-yard line on one occasion, but passed up the opportunity to try a field goal, and a third-down pass was unsuccessful.

50 years ago
1966

Football
CFL
Montreal (3-2) 4 @ Winnipeg (4-2) 2

Peter Kempf, who had just missed a 21-yard field goal attempt, connected on a 25-yard field goal with 1:36 remaining in the game to give the Alouettes their win over the Blue Bombers before 20,510 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. The winning kick came after Winnipeg's Dick Wozney fumbled a punt on his own 25-yard line, and Montreal defensive end Billy James Doss, playing his first CFL game, recovered. Ed Ulmer punted twice for singles for the Blue Bombers. It was the final game of the Hall of Fame career of Montreal defensive end Kaye Vaughan, who had come out of a two-year retirement to play with the Alouettes in 1966 after a decade with the Ottawa Rough Riders.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Dancing Queen--ABBA (2nd week at #1)

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Lee and Lois Morrow!

Economics and finance
The Mexican government of President Jose Lopez Portillo floated the peso, which plummeted 40% in value. The action ended 22 years of parity with the U.S. dollar.

Track and field
Carallyn Bowes arrived in Burnaby, British Columbia after running the 6,180 kilometres from Halifax, Nova Scotia in 133 days. She became the first woman to run across Canada, and wore out 13 pairs of shoes.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (2-5) 1 @ Edmonton (5-2) 5

Dave Cutler kicked a field goal and 2 singles on wide field goal attempts (one of which appeared to be good) as the Eskimos beat the Tiger-Cats in a dull game before 25,461 fans at Clarke Stadium. Edmonton defensive back Joe Hollimon returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter, but it was called back on a penalty.

25 years ago
1986

Died on this date
Henry Moore, 88. U.K. sculptor and illustrator. Mr. Moore was best known for his large bronze semi-abstract sculptures which are exhibited in various cities throughout the world, including Toronto, as public works of art.

Urho Kekkonen, 85. Prime Minister of Finland, 1950-1953, 1954-1956; President of Finland, 1956-1982. Mr. Kekkonen was a member of the Agrarian League from 1933-1965 and the Centre Party from 1965-1982. He held various cabinet posts before serving as Prime Minister and then becoming the country's longest-serving President, where he continued his predecessor Juho Kusti Paasikivi's policy of "active neutrality," maintaining friendly relations with North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries as well as those of the Warsaw Pact. Mr. Kekkonen died three days before his 86th birthday.

Disasters
Aeroméxico Flight 498, a McDonnell-Douglas DC-9, collided with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Cerritos, California, killing 67 people in the air and 15 on the ground.

The Soviet passenger liner SS Admiral Nakhimov sank in the Black Sea after colliding with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev, killing 423.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (5-4) 30 @ Saskatchewan (4-5) 34

Ray Elgaard's second touchdown reception of the game, a 56-yard pass from Joe Paopao with 22 seconds remaining in regulation time, gave the Roughriders their win over the Blue Bombers before 25,274 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. The Roughriders scored 27 points in the 2nd half. Winnipeg quarterback Tom Clements suffered a shoulder separation and was lost for the rest of the season.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Rapput (Senza Fiato)--Claudio Bisio; Rocco Tanica (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): You Could Be Mine--Guns N' Roses (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): La Zoubida--Lagaf' (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (8th week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (3rd week at #1)
2 Now that We Found Love--Heavy D and the Boyz
3 Always There--Incognito featuring Jocelyn Brown
4 Send Me an Angel--Scorpions
5 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
6 Baila Me--Gipsy Kings
7 Winter in July--Bomb the Bass
8 Burbujas de Amor--Juan Luis Guerra y 4;40
9 Zomer--André Hazes
10 Love And Understanding--Cher

Singles entering the chart were Calling Elvis by Dire Straits (#19); Gett Off by Prince and the New Power Generation (#27); Generations of Love by Jesus Loves You (#29); Lekker Op De Trekker - 'n Boerinnen-Wervingslied by Mannenkoor Karrespoor (#30); Love...Thy Will Be Done by Martika (#31); It Happened 25 Years Ago by BZN (#34); and Rave the Rhythm by Channel X (#37).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (6th week at #1)
2 Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)--Roxette
3 It Ain't Over 'til it's Over--Lenny Kravitz
4 Wind of Change--Scorpions
5 The Promise of a New Day--Paula Abdul
6 Every Heartbeat--Amy Grant
7 3 A.M. Eternal--The KLF
8 I Can't Wait Another Minute--Hi-Five
9 Motownphilly--Boyz II Men
10 Things that Make You Go Hmmm...--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams

Singles entering the chart were Emotions by Mariah Carey (#35); Straight to Your Heart by Bad English (#90); She's Gone (Lady) by Steelheart (#91); Gonna Catch You by Lonnie Gordon (#96); The Devil Came Up to Michigan by K.M.C. KRU (#97); and Everyotherday by Or-N-More (featuring Father M.C.) (#98). Gonna Catch You was from the movie Cool as Ice (1991).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (5th week at #1)
2 Every Heartbeat--Amy Grant
3 The Promise of a New Day--Paula Abdul
4 Fading Like a Flower--Roxette
5 Temptation--Corina
6 It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over--Lenny Kravitz
7 Time, Love and Tenderness--Michael Bolton
8 Crazy--Seal
9 Wind of Change--Scorpions
10 Things that Make You Go Hmmm...--C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams

Singles entering the chart were Emotions by Mariah Carey (#36); My Blue Angel by Michael Learns to Rock (#82); For You by Michael W. Smith (#87); Just Ask Me To by Tevin Campbell (#88); and Straight to Your Heart by Bad English (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (5th week at #1)
2 Fading Like a Flower--Roxette
3 The Motown Song--Rod Stewart (with the Temptations)
4 It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over--Lenny Kravitz
5 Something to Talk About--Bonnie Raitt
6 Learning to Fly--Tom Petty
7 Every Heartbeat--Amy Grant
8 Superman's Song--Crash Test Dummies
9 Hole Hearted--Extreme
10 Time, Love and Tenderness--Michael Bolton

Singles entering the chart were Real, Real, Real by Jesus Jones (#57); Slowly Slipping Away by Harem Scarem (#71); Just Another Day by Keven Jordan (#72); Faithlessly Yours by Art Bergmann (#84); Standing Push and Fall by World on Edge (#86); The Ghosts that Haunt Me by Crash Test Dummies (#93); Nothing Can Be Done by Joni Mitchell with David Baerwald (#94); Stranger than Fiction by Joe Jackson (#95); and You Come to My Senses by Chicago (#98).

Died on this date
Cliff Lumsdon, 60. Canadian swimmer. Mr. Lumsdon was a marathon swimmer from the late 1940s until his retirement in 1965. He won the 15-mile world marathon championship at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in 1949, and was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's outstanding athlete of 1949. Mr. Lumsdon was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.

Asiatica
Kyrgyzstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

Defense
The United Nations awarded UN service medals to 226 Canadian peacekeepers for their work in Yugoslavia with the Bosnian Serbs.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Macarena--Los Del Río

#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (5th week at #1)

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

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (4th week at #1)

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

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Aquarius--Party Animals (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Wannabe--Spice Girls (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)--Los Del Rio (5th week at #1)
2 I Love You Always Forever--Donna Lewis
3 Hit Me Off--New Edition
4 Twisted--Keith Sweat
5 Loungin--LL Cool J
6 C'mon n' Ride It (The Train)--Quad City DJ's
7 Change the World--Eric Clapton
8 You're Makin' Me High/Let it Flow--Toni Braxton
9 I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)--R. Kelly
10 Give Me One Reason--Tracy Chapman

Singles entering the chart were Hit Me Off; If Your Girl Only Knew by Aaliyah (#34); Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) by John Mellencamp (#47); Let's Make a Night to Remember by Bryan Adams (#68); Tell Me by Dru Hill (#91); Dirty South by Goodie Mob (#92); Guys Do it All the Time by Mindy McCready (#94); and Can You Feel Me by Dru Down (#95). Tell Me was from the movie Eddie (1996).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)--Los Del Rio (2nd week at #1)
2 I Love You Always Forever--Donna Lewis
3 Loungin--LL Cool J
4 Twisted--Keith Sweat
5 C'mon n' Ride It (The Train)--Quad City DJ’s
6 Change the World--Eric Clapton
7 Who Will Save Your Soul--Jewel
8 You're Makin' Me High/Let it Flow--Toni Braxton
9 I Can't Sleep (If I)--R. Kelly
10 Jealousy--Natalie Merchant

Singles entering the chart were Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) by Maxwell (#53); Missing You by Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight & Chaka Khan (#58); Gettin' It by Too Short featuring Parliament Funkadelic (#67); and Nowhere to Go by Melissa Etheridge (#82).

Music
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Under the Sky series continued at Hawrelak Park. This blogger was in attendance with enjoyable female company. The performances included a recital by Canadian soprano Tracy Dahl.

War
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's troops seized Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK.

Terrorism
Marxist rebels in Colombia concluded two days of attacks against military bases and police stations throughout the country, killing 100 people and taking at least 60 hostages. The attacks were believed to be in support of local coca growers, suppliers for the cocaine trade.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Derrick Wayne Frazier, 29. U.S. criminal. Mr. Frazier, who claimed his innocence to the end, was executed by lethal injection at Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville for the 1997 murder of Betsy Nutt, 41, and her 15-year-old son. Mr. Frazier's co-defendant Jermaine Herron, was executed on May 17, 2006.

Art
Edvard Munch's painting The Scream, stolen on August 22, 2004, was recovered in a raid by Norwegian police.

Energy
Iran defied a United Nations deadline to stop enriching uranium.