September 3, 2016

140 years ago
1876

Disasters
Fire destroyed over 500 houses in St-Hyacinthe, Québec.

100 years ago
1916

War
Allies finally turned back the Germans in the Battle of Verdun. British Royal Flying Corps Lieutenant Leefe Robinson destroyed the German airship Schütte-Lanz SL 11 over Cuffley, north of London; it was the first German airship to be shot down on British soil.

75 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Edward T. Taylor, 83. U.S. politician. Mr. Taylor, a Democrat, represented Colorado in the United States House of Representatives from 1909 until his death.

War
The U.S.S.R. claimed that counterattacks in the Smolensk-Gomel area on the central front had driven German forces back more than 30 miles and recaptured 22 towns and villages during the past 10 days. The Chinese government in Chungking claimed that Chinese forces had driven the Japanese out of the port of Foochow, Fukien. The Japanese claimed to have evacuated the port voluntarily.

Abominations
Karl Fritzsch, Nazi deputy camp commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, experimented with the use of Zyklon B in the gassing of Soviet prisoners of war.

Diplomacy
A letter from Japanese Prime Minister Prince Fujimaro Konoye to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt offering to come to the United States to have talks aimed at preventing war was leaked to the New York Herald-Tribune. The letter was presented to Mr. Roosevelt by the Japanese ambassador on August 28, who pleaded that it not be kept secret, lest Prince Konoye's government be placed in jeopardy of defeat.

U.S. President Roosevelt appointed Major General James Burns, Major General George Brett, Admiral William Standley, and William Batt to accompany Averell Harriman to the three-power conference in Moscow.

Three defendants pled guilty to being unregistered foreign agents just before a German spy ring trial opened in Brooklyn.

Politics and government
The Japanese Imperial Rule Assistance Association, meeting in Tokyo, adopted a resolution stating that Japan must speedily complete "the wartime structure in order to force the establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere."

Crime
The U.S. government sued Al Capone and 14 officers of his former gang in Chicago for $250,000 in taxes and penalties on beer confiscated during Prohibition.

Oil
500 delegates to the Eastern Filling Station Proprietors' Conference in Philadelphia adopted a resolution urging the U.S. government to permit gasoline price increases to compensate for the diminished amount sold.

Labour
Anti-Communist James B. Carey was defeated by Albert J. Fitzgerald 635-539 for the presidency of the Congress of Industrial Organizations United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers at the union's convention.

70 years ago
1946

Albertana
Calgary welcomed renowned World War II British military leader Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery on his first visit to the city.

Diplomacy
After 18 hours of debate, the United Nations Security Council voted to consider Ukrainian charges that the Greek royalist government was endangering peace in the Balkans.

Acting U.S. Secretary of State William Clayton denied Yugoslavian government charges that the United States had repeatedly violated Yugoslavian air space, noting that U.S. Army Air Forces records indicated no flights near Yugoslavian territory.

The Egyptian government reported that Syria had refused to discuss oil and transport agreements with the United States because of American sympathy toward Zionism.

Politics and government
Strom Thurmond won the South Carolina gubernatorial nomination in a Democratic Party runoff election.

Defense
The Paris Peace Conference Military Commission fixed Italy's armed forces at 297,500 men, and adopted a British proposal permitting former Fascist officers to serve in their new army provided they had been "exonerated by the appropriate body under Italian law.

The National War College opened in Washington, D.C. with a student body of 100 U.S. State Department, Army, and Navy officers.

Economics and finance
Leading stocks fell 2-17 points on the New York Stock Exchange, the biggest drop in 16 years.

60 years ago
1956

Diplomacy
Egyptian President Gamal Nasser and an international commission headed by Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies began talks in Cairo on proposals for international control of the Suez Canal.

Politics and government
Democratic Party U.S. presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, addressing a Labor Day rally in Detroit's Cadillac Square, endorsed such labour goals as repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act and a guaranteed annual wage.

Disasters
The four-day Labor Day weekend in the United States concluded with 435 traffic fatalities.

Horse racing
Jockey Johnny Longden posted his 4,871st career victory to break the world record formerly held by Sir Gordon Richards of England.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Ottawa (1-2) 20 @ Montreal (3-0) 22
Toronto (0-3) 27 @ Hamilton (2-1) 31

WIFU
British Columbia (2-3) 10 @ Saskatchewan (2-3) 24
Winnipeg (2-2) 20 @ Edmonton (4-0) 21

Jackie Parker completed a touchdown pass to Normie Kwong on the final play of the game and Joe Mobra kicked his third convert of the game to give the Eskimos their win over the Blue Bombers at Clarke Stadium. The Blue Bombers appeared to have won the game when Mr. Parker's pass was batted down in the end zone as time expired, the Winnipeg was called for pass interference. Mr. Parker then threw another incomplete pass, but Winnipeg was penalized for being offside, giving the Eskimos yet another chance, which resulted in the winning score. Jim Shipka scored the other 2 Edmonton touchdowns.

ORFU
Toronto (2-0) 49 @ Rochester (0-2) 13
London (0-1) 12 @ Sarnia (2-1) 25

Ron Murray scored 2 touchdowns and Bernie Custis, Maurice O'Callaghan, Tom Urowitz, Don Robison, and Bill Rankin added TDs for Balmy Beach as they routed the Rockets before 3,000 fans at Aquinas Stadium in the first Ontario Rugby Football Union game to be played in the United States. Mr. Robison added a convert, while Gino Cappelletti kicked 2 converts, a field goal, and a single. Roy King scored the first Rochester touchdown on a 93-yard kickoff return in the 1st quarter, and passed 41 yards to LeRoy Holmes in the 4th quarter on a halfback option play for the other Rocket touchdown, while Frank Spino added a convert. Rochester quarterback Charlie Maloy completed just 13 of 30 passes for 185 yards and 7 interceptions.

Gene Robillard scored 2 touchdowns for the second straight game in leading the Golden Bears over the Lords at Norm Perry Park in the first game for the new London franchise, and the first game for Jack Jacobs as London's head coach. Andy Sokol and Bill McKeever scored the other Sarnia touchdowns. Jack Conway scored both London touchdowns.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby

#1 single in France: Ton Nom--Salvatore Adamo (11th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Notte di ferragosto--Gianni Morandi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Strangers in the Night--Frank Sinatra (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Sunshine Superman--Donovan

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Sunshine Superman--Donovan
2 Yellow Submarine--The Beatles
3 You Can't Hurry Love--The Supremes
4 See You in September--The Happenings
5 Sunny--Bobby Hebb
6 Summer in the City--The Lovin' Spoonful
7 Wouldn't it Be Nice--The Beach Boys
8 Summertime--Billy Stewart
9 Bus Stop--The Hollies
10 Guantanamera--The Sandpipers

Singles entering the chart were Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra (#58); Flamingo by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (#61); Last Train to Clarksville by the Monkees (#68); I've Got You Under My Skin by the 4 Seasons (#71); Reach Out I'll Be There by the Four Tops (#75); She Drives Me Out of My Mind by the Swingin' Medallions (#85); Blue Side of Lonesome by Jim Reeves (#86); I Really Don't Want to Know by Ronnie Dove (#88); Fiddle Around by Jan & Dean (#89); In the Arms of Love by Andy Williams (#92); Love is a Hurtin' Thing by Lou Rawls (#98); and Bad Little Woman by the Shadows of Knight (#100).

Diplomacy
South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd and Lesotho Prime Minister Chief Leabua Jonathan at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Following the meeting, a joint communique was issued by the two governments, with special emphasis on "co-operation without interference in each others' internal affairs."

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Don't Go Breaking My Heart--Elton John and Kiki Dee (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Ein Bett im Kornfeld--Jürgen Drews (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Verde--Ricky King

Space
The U.S. probe Viking 2 landed at Utopia Planitia on Mars and took the first close-up colour photographs of the planet's surface.



Protest
A 67-hour riot at the top-security prison in Hull, England ended peacefully after negotiations.

Hockey
Canada Cup
Czechoslovakia 5 U.S.S.R. 3

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)--Samantha Fox (2nd week at #1)

25 years ago
1991

Died on this date
Frank Capra, 94. Italian-born U.S. movie director. Mr. Capra, a native of Sicily, moved with his family to the United States at the age of 5. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for It Happened One Night (1934); Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); and You Can't Take it with You (1938). His most popular film today is probably It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Mr. Capra produced the seven-episode Why We Fight (1942-1945) series of propaganda films for the U.S. Army, which were eventually released to the public, and one of which--Prelude to War (1942)--won an Academy Award.

Hockey
NHL
Eric Lindros, selected first overall by the Québec Nordiques in the 1991 NHL entry draft, announced that he was refusing to join the team; he chose to stay with his junior hockey team, the Oshawa Generals, while his agents found a larger-market team willing to trade.

20 years ago
1996

Crime
The star witnesses in the extradition hearing for Taiwanese officers accused of killing three Romanian stowaways aboard a ship in Halifax harbour refused to appear, citing concern over safety of families at home in the Philippines.

10 years ago
2006

Tennis
Andre Agassi, 36, announced his retirement after losing to Benjamin Becker in the third round of the U.S.Open tournament. Mr. Agassi won eight Grand Slam singles titles from 1992-2003 and a gold medal in men's singles at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (5-6) 12 @ Saskatchewan (6-5) 39

Kerry Joseph passed for 2 touchdowns and rushed for 2 more to lead the Roughriders over the Blue Bombers before 30,900 fans at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.