August 4, 2016

225 years ago
1791

War
The Treaty of Sistova was signed in present-day Bulgaria, ending the last Austro-Turkish War.

220 years ago
1796

War
Napoleon Bonaparte led the French Army of Italy to victory over Austrian forces commanded by Lieutenant General Peter Quasdanovich in the Battle of Lonato.

110 years ago
1906

Transportation
Central railway station opened in Sydney, Australia.

100 years ago
1916

Americana
Denmark ceded the Danish West Indies, including the Danish Virgin Islands, to the United States for $25 million.

80 years ago
1936

Politics and government
Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas suspended parliament and the constitution and established the 4th of August Regime.

Olympics
Led by Jesse Owens, American athletes dominated the day's track and field action at the Berlin Olympics.

75 years ago
1941

War
German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler ordered that Leningrad be the primary objective of the German attack in Russia. Soviet authorities reported fighting in the Kholm sector between Pskov and Polotsk, indicating a 65-mile German advance eastward from Novorzhev.

Ecuadorian President Carlos Arroyo del Rio said that Peruvian troops had occupied the Ecuadorian town of Pasaje the day before, despite the truce between the countries in their border war.

Diplomacy
As the Japanese liner Tatuta Maru sailed home from San Francisco, Japan suspended all steamship service to the U.S.A., stranding 654 Americans in the Japanese Empire.

Defense
The Vichy French government asserted that it had signed its agreement with Japan because "enemy concentrations were threatening" Indochina.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate the $3,206,200,000 defense tax bill.

Politics and government
Colombian War Minister Jose Castro Martinez announced that a number of people had been arrested on charges of attempting to incite non-commissioned army officers to revolt.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation of possible violations of antitrust laws in the iron and steel scrap industry.

70 years ago
1946

War
Vietnamese nationalists ambushed a French truck convoy in Bac Ninh, near Hanoi, killing 12 French soldiers and wounding 41.

The Soviet press agency Tass revealed that the U.S.S.R. had increased its reparation demands on Hungary by $19.8 million raising the total to $219.8 million.

Politics and government
Primaries in Kentucky resulted in the nomination of Democrat John Brown and Republican John Cooper to compete for the United States Senate seat vacated by Happy Chandler (Democrat) earlier in the year when he had accepted the position of Commissioner of Baseball.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Reconstruction Finance Corporation released enough woolen fabrics from military stockpiles to make one million men's suits and coats.

Disasters
An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 hit the northern Dominican Republic; 100 were killed, and 20,000 were left homeless.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Great Pretender--The Platters (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Heimweh--Freddy Quinn (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (3rd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): My Prayer/Heaven on Earth--The Platters (Best Seller--1st week at #1); The Wayward Wind--Gogi Grant (Disc Jockey--7th week at #1); I Almost Lost My Mind--Pat Boone (Jukebox--2nd week at #1; Top 100--1st week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 My Prayer--The Platters
2 I Almost Lost My Mind--Pat Boone
3 Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)--Doris Day
4 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You--Elvis Presley
5 The Wayward Wind--Gogi Grant
6 Hound Dog--Elvis Presley
7 Be-Bop-A-Lula--Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps
8 Allegheny Moon--Patti Page
9 More--Perry Como
10 Stranded in the Jungle--The Cadets
--The Jayhawks

Singles entering the chart were The Flying Saucer (Parts 1 and 2) by Buchanan and Goodman (#28); Ape Call by Nervous Norvus (#41); After the Lights Go Down Low by Al Hibbler (#45); Mama, Teach Me to Dance by Eydie Gorme (#48); and St. Therese of the Roses by Billy Ward and his Dominoes (#49).

Diplomacy
Syrian Ambassador to the United States Farid Zeinedine charged that Western policy in the Suez crisis was "leading headlong toward war."

War
French military authorities halted official casualty reports on the fighting in Algeria to avoid shocking the French public.

World events
Former Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh was released from prison after serving three years in solitary confinement.

Transportation
The International Chamber of Shipping reported that it had taken no measures to reroute ships away from the Suez Canal.

Economics and finance
Indonesia repudiated $1.06 billion in debts to the Netherlands.

Protest
A Georgia legislative committee investigating conditions at Rock Quarry State Prison, where 36 convicts had recently broken their own legs with sledgehammers, reported that it had found nothing to substantiate "allegations of cruelty and brutality."

Crime
A United States Navy court-martial sentenced Marine Sergeant Matthew McKeon to a bad-conduct discharge and nine months' imprisonment in connection with the drowning of six recruits the previous April.

Religion
The World Council of Churches Central Committee, meeting in Hungary, approved a report urging efforts to bring the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church into the WCC.

Football
WIFU
Pre-season
Edmonton (1-0) 35 @ British Columbia 21

Johnny Bright scored 2 touchdowns, and Bo Bolinger, Jackie Parker, and Bill Rowekamp each scored a TD for the Eskimos in their win over the Lions at Empire Stadium in Vancouver.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): With a Girl Like You--The Troggs

Politics and government
Sadiq al-Mahdi took formed a cabinet as the new Prime Minister of Sudan.

40 years ago
1976

Died on this date
Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet, 82. Canadian-born U.K. newspaper magnate. Lord Thomson, a native of Toronto, began acquiring newspapers in Ontario in the 1930s, and eventually moved to the United Kingdom, where his holdings included The Scotsman, The Sunday Times, and The Times.

Energy
The U.S. Congress overrode the veto of President Gerald Ford on new regulations for leasing federal lands with coal reserves.

Football
CFL
Montreal (1-1-1) 10 @ Toronto (2-1) 23
British Columbia (1-2) 12 @ Edmonton (3-0) 19

Doyle Orange and Mike Eben scored touchdowns and the Toronto defense limited the Montreal offense to 109 net yards as the Argonauts beat the Alouettes before a CFL record crowd of 44,920 fans at Exhibtion Stadium.

George McGowan caught a pass for one touchdown and Larry Highbaugh returned a fumble for another TD as the Eskimos built a 15-0 halftime lead and held on to defeat the Lions in a dull game before 25,295 fans at Clarke Stadium.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Papa Don't Preach--Madonna

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Puerta de Alcalá--Víctor Manuel y Ana Belén (4th week at #1)

Football
CFL
Ottawa (2-4) 14 @ Saskatchewan (3-3) 33

Bobby Johnson rushed for 2 touchdowns and Dave Ridgway kicked 3 converts and four field goals as the Roughriders beat the Rough Riders before 18,024 fans at Taylor Field in Regina in, if I'm not mistaken, the first CFL game to be played on the Civic Holiday afternoon.



Baseball
The Texas Rangers scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning and 6 in the 7th as they beat the Kansas City Royals 11-4 in the annual Hall of Fame Game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Everybody Plays the Fool--Aaron Neville

#1 single in Switzerland: (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Wind of Change--Scorpions (5th 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 Baby Baby--Amy Grant
8 Losing My Religion--R.E.M.
9 Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)--Roxette
10 The One and Only--Chesney Hawkes

Singles entering the chart were (Everything I Do) I Do it for You by Bryan Adams (#23); Do the Limbo Dance by David Hasselhoff (#25); and (Sing Shi-Wo-Wo) Stop the Pollution by Dr. Alban (#30).

Disasters
The Greek cruise ship MTS Oceanos sank off the Wild Coast of South Africa while en route from East London, South Africa to Durban; all 571 people on board were saved.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Chains--DLT featuring Che Fu

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Scotland (OCC): Freedom--Robbie Williams

Baseball
Jim Bunning, Bill Foster, Ned Hanlon, and Earl Weaver were inducted into the Baseballl Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

10 years ago
2006

Abominations
Sri Lankan government forces massacred 17 employees of the French international non-governmental organization Action Against Hunger (known internationally as Action Contre la Faim, or ACF).