August 7, 2016

225 years ago
1791

War
In the Northwest Indian War, American troops destroyed the Miami town of Kenapacomaqua, near the site of present-day Logansport, Indiana.

75 years ago
1941

On television today
WNBT in New York broadcast the first audience-participation show. Studio guests played charades as part of the fun.

Died on this date
Rabindranath Tagore, 80. Indian poet. Sir Rabindranath was awarded the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West." He was the first non-European to win the prize.

Bruno Mussolini, 23. Italian military aviator. Captain Mussolini, son of Italian Duce Benito Mussolini, was killed with three crew members near San Giusto Airport in Pisa when their plane flew too low and crashed into a house.

War
German troops reached Kunda on the Gulf of Finland, cutting off Soviet troops in western Estonia. U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin became commander-in-chief of Soviet armies. Australian Navy Minister W.M. Hughes said that the question of peace or war in the Pacific depended on Japan. A Japanese spokesman in Tokyo asserted that U.S. and U.K. warnings concerning Thailand were "unwarranted."

Diplomacy
Peruvian President Manuel Prado telegraphed U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt that his government would attempt to re-establish normal relations with Ecuador.

Defense
The U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring that "the national interest is imperiled," and authorizing President Roosevelt to extend the military service of draftees, reservists, and National Guardsmen to a total of 30 months. The U.S. House of Representatives fell two votes short of overriding President Roosevelt's veto of the $320-million defense highway bill.

Academia
City College of New York tutor Arthur Braunlich was found guilty of Communist activity by a trial committee of the Board of Higher Education, which recommended his dismissal.

Labour
Members of the Congress of Industrial Organizations Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America went on strike at the Kearny, New Jersey shipyards of the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, affecting 16,000 workers and tying up work on the $450 million worth of defense contracts.

70 years ago
1946

At the movies
The Inner Circle, directed by Phil Ford, and starring Adele Mara, Warren Douglas, William Frawley, and Ricardo Cortez, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
The government of the U.S.S.R. presented a note to the Turkish Foreign Ministry which refuted the latter's sovereignty over the Turkish Straits, thus beginning the Turkish Straits crisis.

Allied foreign ministers at the Paris Peace Conference agreed to invite five former Axis countries to attend plenary sessions of the conference. The Procedure Committee approved a British proposal allowing the conference to recommend treaty amendments by either a two-thirds vote (as demanded by the U.S.S.R.) or a simple majority.

Agriculture
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization proposed the creation of a World Food Board to establish an emergency world food reserve, stabilize world agricultural prices and finance the purchase of surplus food by needy countries.

Politics and government
Mariano Ospina Perez was inaugurated as President of Colombia.

Americana
U.S. President Harry Truman signed a bill authorizing the coining of five million half-dollars in honour of Negro educator Booker T. Washington.

Labour
Beginning a campaign to increase industrial efficiency, the Soviet trade union newspaper Trud attacked some union leaders for allowing low job standards and poor living conditions among workers.

60 years ago
1956

Defense
Announcing that defense budget estimates submitted by the service secretaries totalled $48.5 billion, U.S. Defense Secretary Charles Wilson said that he had returned them for downward revision as "unrealistic" and posing an "unconscionable burden" on American taxpayers.

Disasters
As many as 1,000 people were killed in Cali, Colombia when a military truck convoy carrying gasoline and dynamite exploded, levelling eight city blocks and causing $10 million in damage.

Baseball
Boston Red Sox general manager Joe Cronin fined left fielder Ted Williams $5,000 for "bad conduct on the field" after Mr. Williams spat at critical fans and newspapermen during a game against the New York Yankees.

50 years ago
1966

Politics and government
Carlos Lleras Restrepo, elected May 1, was inaugurated as President of Colombia.

Protest
Race riots occurred in Lansing, Michigan.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (1-1) 14 @ Saskatchewan (2-0) 38

Ron Lancaster threw 3 touchdown passes to Hugh Campbell for the second straight game as the Roughriders easily beat the Blue Bombers before 20,009 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Al Benecick recovered a fumbled punt for another Saskatchewan touchdown, and George Reed rushed 42 yards for a Roughrider TD. Art Perkins and Dave Raimey scored Winnipeg touchdowns, with Mr. Raimey scoring on a 96-yard pass from quarterback Kenny Ploen.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Non si puo' morire dentro--Gianni Bella (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Nice and Slow--Jesse Green (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Don't Go Breaking My Heart--Elton John and Kiki Dee (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Don't Go Breaking My Heart--Elton John and Kiki Dee

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Don't Go Breaking My Heart--Elton John and Kiki Dee
2 Afternoon Delight--Starland Vocal Band
3 Got to Get You Into My Life--The Beatles
4 Let 'Em In--Wings
5 Kiss and Say Goodbye--The Manhattans
6 Moonlight Feels Right--Starbuck
7 Let Her In--John Travolta
8 Get Closer--Seals and Crofts
9 You Should Be Dancing--Bee Gees
10 You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine--Lou Rawls

Singles entering the chart were If You Leave Me Now by Chicago (#76); I Can't Hear You No More by Helen Reddy (#77); Superstar by Paul Davis (#78); Don't Stop Believin' by Olivia Newton-John (#82); We're All Alone by Frankie Valli (#89); and Can You Do It by Grand Funk (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Afternoon Delight--Starland Vocal Band (2nd week at #1)
2 Got to Get You Into My Life--The Beatles
3 Moonlight Feels Right--Starbuck
4 You're My Best Friend--Queen
5 Never Gonna Fall in Love Again--Eric Carmen
6 Love is Alive--Gary Wright
7 Let Her In--John Travolta
8 You Should Be Dancing--Bee Gees
9 The Boys are Back in Town--Thin Lizzy
10 Baby, I Love Your Way--Peter Frampton

Singles entering the chart were Try Me, I Know We Can Make It by Donna Summer (#91); Sing Me by Sonora (#92); New York to L.A. by Patsy Gallant (#93); See You on Sunday by Glen Campbell (#94); Shower the People by James Taylor (#95); Hard Times by Shooter (#96); Say You Love Me by Fleetwood Mac (#97); Getaway by Earth, Wind & Fire (#98); With Your Love by Jefferson Starship (#99); and One Love in My Lifetime by Diana Ross (#100).

Space
The U.S. probe Viking 2, launched September 9, 1975, entered Martian orbit.

Economics and finance
Iran announced plans to buy $50 billion worth of American goods by 1980.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (3-1) 24 @ Hamilton (0-3) 8

Ron Lancaster threw touchdown passes to Rhett Dawson and Leif Pettersen as the Roughriders beat the Tiger-Cats before 18,126 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium in the first game for Bob Shaw as Hamilton's head coach, replacing the fired George Dickson. Angelo Santucci rushed 30 yards for the Hamilton touchdown in the 4th quarter.

30 years ago
1986

Football
CFL
Edmonton (4-2) 6 @ Montreal (2-4) 17
Hamilton (1-5) 30 @ Winnipeg (4-2) 36

Before 11,203 fans at Olympic Stadium, the Alouettes became the first team to hold the Eskimos without a touchdown for the first time in almost 8 years. The Eskimos' streak of 133 games (including post-season) scoring at least one touchdown had begun on October 15, 1978.

The Blue Bombers' win over the Tiger-Cats before 25,982 fans at Winnipeg Stadium was costly, as Willard Reaves, the CFL's rushing leader in 1984 and 1985, suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action for the rest of the regular season.

25 years ago
1991

Died on this date
Jimmy Cooney, Jr., 96. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Cooney, the son of National League shortstop Jimmy Cooney, Sr., was a shortstop with the Boston Red Sox (1917); New York Giants (1919); St. Louis Cardinals (1924-1925); Chicago Cubs (1926-1927); Philadelphia Phillies (1927); and Boston Braves (1928), batting .262 with 2 home runs and 150 runs batted in in 448 games. On May 30, 1927, he became the sixth major league player in the modern era to make an unassisted triple play: in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mr. Cooney caught a line drive by Paul Waner, stepped on second base to retire Lloyd Waner, and tagged Clyde Barnhart coming from first base. Mr. Cooney made 12 consecutive hits while playing with the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in 1923. He and his brother Johnny, a pitcher, were teammates with the Braves. Jimmy Cooney, Jr. died 17 days before his 97th birthday.

Billy T. James, 43. N.Z. entertainer. Mr. James, born William Taitoko, was a musician and comedian known for doing impressions, and starred in the television variety program The Billy T. James Show (1981-1986). He died of heart failure, three years after suffering a major heart attack.

Baseball
Darren Lewis, leading off the game, hit his first major league home run to give the San Francisco Giants a 1-0 win over the Atlanta Bravesbefore 24,428 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Bud Black won the pitching duel over Charlie Leibrandt.

Wes Chamberlain singled home Randy Ready with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs before 26,294 fans at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

Bob Ojeda, Kevin Gross, and Roger McDowell combined to pitch a 3-hit shutout as the Los Angeles Dodgers scored 2 runs in the 7th inning and defeated the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 before 37,016 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Mark Gardner allowed 5 hits in 8.1 innings and Barry Jones got the final 2 outs as the Montreal Expos edged the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 before 25,591 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Gil Reyes scored the game's only run in the 6th inning when he doubled off Omar Olivares and scored on a single by Delino DeShields.

Kevin Appier pitched a 4-hitter, striking out 9 batters and walking just 1, to win the pitchers' duel over Roger Clemens as the Kansas City Royals blanked the Boston Red Sox 2-0 before 32,226 fans at Royals Stadium. Mr. Clemens pitched a complete game, allowing 7 hits and 2 earned runs in 8 innings.

The Texas Rangers, trailing 8-2 after 3½ innings, rallied to defeat the Cleveland Indians 12-10 before 23,943 fans at Arlington Stadium.

Wally Joyner drove in 5 runs with a pair of home runs and Dave Parker added a 2-run homer as the California Angels easily beat the Minnesota Twins 8-1 before 30,726 fans at Anaheim Stadium. Jim Abbott allowed just 3 hits and 1 earned run in 8.1 innings to win the pitching matchup with Jack Morris, who allowed 6 hits and 5 runs--all earned--in 5 innings.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (4th week at #1)

Football
CFL
Hamilton (4-3) 22 @ Montreal (3-4) 29

Norman Bradford scored 2 touchdowns for the Alouettes, including the winner in the 4th quarter, as they beat the Tiger-Cats before 25,210 fans at Olympic Stadium.