August 8, 2016

230 years ago
1786

Adventure
Dr. Michael-Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat became the first people to climb Mont Blanc, which at 15,771 feet is the highest peak in France and the second-highest in Europe.

140 years ago
1876

Technology
Thomas Edison received a patent for his mimeograph.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Adolf Busch. German-born musician and composer. Mr. Busch was a violinist and founder of the Busch Quartet. He was an early opponent of the Nazi Party, and left Germany for Switzerland, evenutally settling in the United States. His compositions included works for violin and for organ. Mr. Busch died on June 9, 1952 at the age of 60.

120 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. U.S. authoress and journalist. Mrs. Rawlings was born in Washington, D.C., and was a journalist with the Louisville Courier-Journal and Rochester (New York) Journal before moving to Cross Creek, Florida. She wrote about the area in novels such as The Yearling (1938) and Cross Creek (1942), the former of which was awarded the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and became a popular movie in 1946. Mrs. Rawlings died of a cerebral hemorrhage on December 14, 1953 at the age of 57.

100 years ago
1916

Disasters
12 miners died in three explosions at Michel's New No.3 East Mine in Michel, British Columbia.

80 years ago
1936

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Harry West, on MBS
Tonight’s episode: The Creeping Man

Baseball
The World International Baseball Federation, a 16-nation group to be based in Miami, Florida, was founded. The announcement was made in Berlin, where the Olympic Games were taking place.

75 years ago
1941

War
German forces began a "final" offensive against the Russians. The German command claimed that the Soviet 6th and 12th Armies and parts of the 18th Army in Ukraine had been destroyed. British authorities in Beirut announced that General Henri Dentz and 35 French officers had been interned and would be held until British prisoners sent to France were released under the terms of the armistice.

Defense
Berlin press published a statement accusing the United States of employing "dollar imperialism," political threats, and aggression to obtain air, naval, and military bases in Latin America. U.S. Representative Daniel Reed (Republican--New York) denounced the Senate-approved draft extension bill as "evidence" that another American expeditionary force was being planned.

Diplomacy
Japanese cabinet spokesman Koh Ishii said in Tokyo that the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands East Indies, and China were attempting to encircle Japan. U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull said that Japan was in no danger of encirclement except by itself.

Labour
American Federation of Labor machinists went on strike at the Curtiss-Wright propeller plant near Caldwell, New Jersey.

Baseball
Paul Erickson gave up just a single by Bob Elliott in the 7th inning as he pitched the Chicago Cubs to a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 5,846 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago for his first major league win. Johnny Lanning took the loss.

Babe Young hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning to give the New York Giants a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 2,388 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. Bill Lohrman pitched a 6-hit complete game to win the pitchers' duel over Cy Blanton, who also went the distance, allowing 8 hits.

The Boston Red Sox scored 6 runs in each of the 1st and 7th innings as they beat the Washington Nationals 15-8 before 3,959 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Washington right fielder Buddy Lewis had 2 singles and 4 RBIs.

Taffy Wright drove in 6 runs with 2 home runs and a double, Bob Kennedy had 3 hits and 4 RBIs, and pinch hitter George Dickey hit a 3-run homer as the Chicago White Sox routed the St. Louis Browns 16-2 before just 541 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

70 years ago
1946

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. rejected Greek charges that Albania was holding Greek territory in northern Epirus as irrelevant to the question of Albania's admission to the United Nations.

Defense
The first flight of the prototype of the U.S. bomber Convair B-36 took place. It was the world's first mass-produced nuclear weapon delivery vehicle, the heaviest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft, with the longest wingspan of any military aircraft, and the first bomber with intercontinental range.

Politics and government
Arab Higher Commission leader Jamal el Husseini rejected the British Palestine federalization proposal and refused to attend a conference to be held in London on the Palestine problem.

Medicine
Temple University Medical School announced the development of the electrokymograph by Dr. Bert Boone, allowing doctors to detect heart disease in early stages by photographing heart motion.

Economics and finance
In retaliation to a U.S. order halting reparations deliveries to the U.S.S.R. from western Germany, Soviet authorities announced that they would seize and operate 200 key industries in their own occupation zone of Germany.

U.S. President Harry Truman signed a bill extending the life of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation through June 1947.

60 years ago
1956

Protest
Ecuadorian troops recaptured Portoviejo, capital of the province of Manabi, after a day-long revolt by political dissidents who opposed conservative President-elect Camilio Ponce Enriquez.

Diplomacy
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru charged that Anglo-French military moves had "aggravated the situation" surrounding Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal and had aroused "great resentment" in "Asia as a whole, with its colonial memories."

Communist Chinese authorities released Bishop Henry Ambrose Pinger, the last U.S. Roman Catholic official still held in China.

Energy
Power Reactor Development Corporation began construction of a privately-financed "fast neutron breeder" nuclear power plant at Lagoon Beach, Michigan.

Business
U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill authorizing automobile dealers to sue manufacturers over selling quotas and otehr coercive practices.

Disasters
The worst mining disaster in Belgian history took the lives of 262 miners when a fire at the Casier du Bois coal mine in Marcinelle trapped men working 3,000 feet below the surface and filled the passageways with carbon monoxide gas.

Football
WIFU-IRFU
Pre-season
Edmonton (1-1) 0 @ Montreal 33

In a rematch of the previous two Grey Cups, Edmonton coach Pop Ivy decided to leave many of his regular players at home, much to the displeasure of the 22,806 fans at Molson Stadium, for whom it was their first chance to see the Eskimos play in person.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Juanita Banana--Luis Aguilé (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): More Than Yesterday--Gregory and the Cadets (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Saw Her Again--The Mamas and the Papas
2 Wild Thing--The Troggs
3 Lil' Red Riding Hood--Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
4 Hungry--Paul Revere & the Raiders
5 Pretty Flamingo--Manfred Mann
6 Sweet Pea--Tommy Roe
7 They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!--Napoleon XIV
8 Hanky Panky--Tommy James and the Shondells
9 Little Girl--Syndicate of Sound
10 Over Under Sideways Down--The Yardbirds

Singles entering the chart were Alfie by Cher (#81); Bring Back the Time by B.J. Thomas (#82); A Million and One by Dean Martin (#84); My Heart's Symphony by Gary Lewis and the Playboys (#85); To Show I Love You by Peter and Gordon (#87); Open the Door to Your Heart by Darrell Banks (#88); Money Won't Change You (Part 1) by James Brown and the Famous Flames (#89); Land of 1000 Dances by Wilson Pickett (#90); Guantanamera by the Sandpipers (#91); Nothin' by the Ugly Ducklings (#92); Wade in the Water by Ramsey Lewis (#93); You Make Me Feel So Good by the McCoys (#94); Let's Call it a Day Girl by the Razor's Edge (#95); How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved by You) by Jr. Walker and the All Stars (#97); The Philly Freeze by Alvin Cash and the Registers (#98); World of Fantasy by the Five Stairsteps (#99); Merry Ploughboy by the Carlton Showband/Off to Dublin in the Green by the Abbey Tavern Singers (#100).

Died on this date
Ed "Strangler" Lewis, 75. U.S. wrestler. Mr. Lewis, born Robert Herman Julius Friedrich, won the world heavyweight championship six times in a professional career that spanned 40 years.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (1-2) 27 @ British Columbia (1-1) 7

With Randy Kerbow replacing Bill Redell as the Eskimos' starting quarterback, Garry Lefebvre, Butch Pressley, and Jim Thomas scored touchdowns, and Tommy-Joe Coffey added 3 converts and 2 field goals as the Eskimos upset the Lions before 32,284 fans at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. Willie Fleming scored the B.C. touchdown, converted by former Eskimo Bill Mitchell. All the scoring took place in the 1st half.

40 years ago
1976

Baseball
This blogger and his parents were in attendance as the New York Mets scored 4 runs in the 1st inning and 3 in the 7th to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4 before 16,538 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh catcher Duffy Dyer made an unassisted double play to end the 1st inning when New York pitcher Mickey Lolich struck out on an attempted squeeze bunt, and Roy Staiger was out at home plate attempting to score from third base.

Steve Renko, who had played with the Montreal Expos from 1969-1975, pitched a 5 hitter, singled, and scored a run to beat his former team as the Chicago Cubs beat the Expos 7-1 before 12,598 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal. Mr. Renko struck out 7 batters and walked none.

Jerry Royster singled home Darrell Chaney with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Atlanta Braves a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants in the first game of a doubleheader before 9,912 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Winning pitcher Dick Ruthven pitched a 5-hit complete game; Ed Halicki started on the mound for San Francisco, but injured a bicep on his first pitch and was replaced by Charlie Williams, who pitched 6 innings. John Montefusco pitched a 4-hit complete game as the Giants won the second game 4-1.

Jerry Martin's sacrifice fly scored Johnny Oates with the winning run in the top of the 9th inning as the Philadelphia Phillies edged the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 before 27,448 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Steve Carlton allowed 8 hits in 8 innings to get the win and improve his 1976 record to 13-4.

Jack Billingham allowed 5 hits in 8 2/3 innings and doubled home Bill Plummer with the winning run as the Cincinnati Reds scored 2 runs in the 5th inning and another in the 6th to edge the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 before 43,184 fans at Dodger Stadium. Dusty Baker and Ron Cey hit solo home runs for the Dodgers, who had runners on first and second bases with 2 out in the 9th inning before relief pitcher Rawly Eastwick entered the game and retired pinch hitter Manny Mota on a fly to right fielder Ken Griffey to end the game.

Pinch hitter Willie McCovey hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the score and Hector Torres singled home Tito Fuentes with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to give the San Diego Padres a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros before 11,205 fans at San Diego Stadium. Mr. McCovey's home run was his 7th of the season and his last in a San Diego uniform. Losing pitcher J.R. Richard pitched a complete game, allowing just 5 hits, striking out 8 and walking 9.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Lessons in Love--Level 42 (5th week at #1)

At the movies
Stand By Me, directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland, opened in theatres in limited release.



Football
CFL
Calgary (3-4) 31 @ Toronto (4-3) 26

Rick Johnson completed 26 of 41 passes for 366 yards to lead the Stampeders over the Argonauts before 25,752 fans at Exhibition Stadium. Ray Alexander was Mr. Johnson's favourite target, catching 8 passes for 159 yards.



25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Everything I Do (I Do it for You)--Bryan Adams (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
James Irwin, 61. U.S. astronaut. Colonel Irwin was a pilot with the United States Air Force when he was selected to join the fifth group of NASA astronauts in 1966. He was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 15 in 1971, and was the eighth man to walk on the Moon. Col. Irwin showed signs of a heart condition during the mission, and suffered a heart attack several months later. He retired from the USAF and the astronaut corps a year after Apollo 15, and became a prominent Christian spokesman, fond of saying, "Jesus walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon." Col. Irwin went to be with his Lord and Saviour after another heart attack, becoming the first of the men who walked on the Moon to die.

Julissa Gomez, 18. U.S. gymnast. Miss Gomez was a prospect for the United States Olympic team in 1988 when she broke her neck in a vaulting accident at the World Sports Fair in Tokyo, leaving her a quadriplegic. She became disconnected from her ventilator in a Tokyo hospital, suffering severe brain damage and catatonia, from which she never recovered.

Terrorism
British hostage John McCarthy was freed after almost five years in captivity in Lebanon.

Business
Ron Joyce sold Tim Hortons, Canada's biggest doughnut chain, to Wendy's International Inc.; the $300-million deal made the Tim Hortons co-founder the U.S. burger giant's largest single shareholder.

Disasters
The Warsaw Radio Mast, the tallest structure in the world at the time of its construction in 1974, collapsed. There were no fatalities, and adjacent buildings were undamaged.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (2-3) 31 @ Ottawa (1-4) 41

The Rough Riders' win over the Blue Bombers before 23,414 fans at Lansdowne Park was their first under Joe Faragalli, in his first game as head coach since replacing the fired Steve Goldman. Winnipeg slotback Perry Tuttle caught 11 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns.



British Columbia (3-2) 30 @ Calgary (5-0) 34 (OT)

Andy McVey rushed 14 yards in overtime for his second touchdown of the game to give the Stampeders their win over the Lions before 31,159 fans at McMahon Stadium.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Nevill Mott, 90. U.K. physicist. Sir Nevill shared the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics with Philip Anderson and John Van Vleck of the United States "for their fundamental theoretical investigations of the electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems."

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien named former Prime Minister Kim Campbell as Canadian consul general in Los Angeles. Mr. Chrétien also named Senator Jean-Louis Roux as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.

Economics and finance
The Canadian government granted approval to Canada's first diamond mine; the billion dollar mega-project by BHP Diamonds and Dia Met Minerals was 300 kilometres north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Disasters
Nearly 100 vacationers died when a mudslide swept through a crowded campsite in the mountains of northern Spain.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (4-3) 21 @ Toronto (6-1) 24

Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 38-yard field goal with 1:01 remaining in regulation time to give the Argonauts their win over the Eskimos before 20,030 fans at SkyDome. Toronto receiver Jimmy "The Jet" Cunningham amassed 242 yards in receiving and kick returns. Edmonton quarterback Danny McManus completed 21 of 35 passes for 274 yards and touchdowns of 9 yards to Eddie Brown and 56 yards to Shalon Baker. Linebacker Willie Pless rushed 1 yard for the other Edmonton touchdown, all of which were converted by Sean Fleming.



10 years ago
2006

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman lost the Connecticut Democratic primary to political newcomer Ned Lamont; Sen. Lieberman subsequently won re-election as an independent.