June 21, 2017

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Reinhold Niebuhr. U.S. theologian. Mr. Niebuhr, one of the most influential American theologians of the 20th century, taught at the liberal Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. He denied fundamental Christian doctrines and originally was just as liberal in his political views, but eventually, as a "Christian realist," opposed Communism and pacifism, and supported U.S. involvement in World War II and the development of nuclear weapons. Mr. Niebuhr's books included Moral Man and Immoral Society (1932); The Nature and Destiny of Man (1943); and The Irony of American History (1952). Mr. Niebuhr died on June 1, 1971, 20 days before his 79th birthday.

110 years ago
1907

Golf
Arnaud Massy of France became the first non-Briton to win the British Open, with a total score of 312, 2 strokes ahead of J.H. Taylor at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England.

Alec Ross shot a 3-over-par 76 to win the U.S. Open at Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania with a 10-over-par total of 302, 2 strokes ahead of Gilbert Nicholls. First prize money was $300.

100 years ago
1917

Politics and government
Aubin-Edmond Arsenault was sworn in as Premier of Prince Edward Island, replacing John Mathieson. Mr. Arsenault had been Attorney General in Mr. Mathieson's Conservative government since 1912. Mr. Mathiseon had left politics to accept a judicial appointment.

Economics and finance
William Hanna was appointed Food Controller of Canada to control wartime supplies.

75 years ago
1942

War
Tobruk, Libya fell to Italian and German forces after a 26-hour assault, with the Germans claiming 25,000 prisoners. A Japanese submarine surfaced near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at nearby Fort Stevens in one of a handful of attacks by Japan against the United States mainland. U.K. Minister for Aircraft Production Lodrd Beaverbrook said in Birmingham that the British government was now committed to a second front. German forces drove a wedge in Soviet defenses at Sevastopol. The U.S. Navy Department announced that, despite bad weather, long-range bombers had sunk a Japanese transport and hit a Japanese cruiser at Kiska in the western Aleutian Islands, 650 miles west of Dutch Harbor.

Diplomacy
King Peter II of Yugoslavia arrived in Washington to discuss anti-Axis opposition and Lend-Lease aid for Yugoslavian guerrillas.

Golf
Ben Hogan won the Hale America tournament in Chicago with a record low four-round score of 271.

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Peg o' My Heart--The Harmonicats

Married on this date
This blogger's parents were married in Edmonton.

Economics and finance
Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State in charge of American republic affairs Nelson Rockefeller signed an agreement in Caracas providing capital for Venezuelan agricultural and industrial development.

Medicine
The U.S. War Department announced plans to build a $40-million medical research centre--reportedly the world's largest--at Forest Glen, Maryland.

Horse racing
Assault, with Eddie Arcaro up, won the $38,000 Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, becoming the career money-winning leader.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Bambino--Dalida (12th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Yes Tonight, Josephine--Johnnie Ray (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Johannes Stark, 83. German physicist. Dr. Stark was awarded the 1919 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his discovery of the Doppler effect in canal rays and the splitting of spectral lines in electric fields." He was a strong supporter of the Nazis, and supported the Deutsche Physik movement.

War
The United Nations Command for Korea informed North Korea and the People's Republic of China that it would no longer be bound by the 1953 Korean armistice provisions controlling importation of military equipment into Korea.

Defense
Following three days of talks in Washington, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi issued a communique promising the "prompt withdrawal" from Japan of all U.S. "ground combat forces."

Diplomacy
Polish Communist Party First Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka and East German Communist Party First Secretary Walther Ulbricht signed a declaration in East Berlin affirming the independent development and equality of all Communist states.

Politics and government
Progressive Conservative Party leader John Diefenbaker was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada, succeeding Louis St. Laurent and ending 22 consecutive years of Liberal Party rule. Ellen Fairclough was sworn in as Secretary of State, becoming Canada's first female cabinet minister.

Cambodian Prime Minister Price Norodom Sihanouk resigned in protest against graft in his administration.

Track and field
Glenn Davis of Ohio State University set a world record of 50.9 seconds in the men's 440-yard hurdles competition at the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union championships in Dayton, Ohio.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 This is My Song--Petula Clark (3rd week at #1)
2 When I was Young--Eric Burdon & the Animals
3 Puppet on a String--Sandie Shaw
4 Somethin' Stupid--Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
5 The Girls in Paris--Lee Hazlewood
6 New York Mining Disaster 1941--Bee Gees
7 A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You--The Monkees
8 You Made Me What I Am--Cheryl Gray
9 The Happening--The Supremes
10 Ha! Ha! Said the Clown--Manfred Mann

Singles entering the chart were Silence is Golden by the Tremeloes (#32); Exit Stage Right by Ronnie Burns (#33); Do it Again a Little Bit Slower by Jon & Robin and the In Crowd (#37); and But I Know/Sunshine Secret by Normie Rowe (#40).

Londonia
Centennial Hall, a concert and entertainment auditorium, opened in London, Ontario with a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra; the hall was the city's project for Canada's centennial year.

40 years ago
1977

Politics and government
A coalition of Likud Party, National Religious Party, and Agudat Israel members led by Likud leader Menechem Begin received the approval of 63 of the Knesset's 120 members to form Israel's new government. Former Labour Party Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, now with Likud, became Foreign Minister. Three of the 15 ministerial posts were left vacant in the hope that the Democratic Movement for Change would join the coalition.

A new government took office in Turkey, led by Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit of the Republican People's Party (CHP).

Scandal
H.R. Haldeman, former chief of staff to U.S. President Richard Nixon, entered a federal minimum security prison at Lompoc, California to begin a 30-month to 8-year sentence for his role in the cover-up of the 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. Mr. Haldeman had been convicted in 1975 of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury.

Disasters
A flash fire killed 21 prisoners and injured 7 more, as well as 6 police officers and a fireman, in police lockup at City Hall in Saint John, New Brunswick. The fire started in the detention area, in a padded maximum security cell; surviving prisoner John Kenney was later convicted of arson and sentenced to five years in prison.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Real Wild Child (Wild One)--Iggy Pop

#1 single in Switzerland: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Viens boire un p'tit coup à la maison--License IV (11th week at #1)

Died on this date
Earl "Madman" Muntz, 73. U.S. engineer and businessman. Mr. Muntz designed consumer electronics and sold them and cars from the 1930s until his death from lung cancer. He based his business in the Los Angeles area starting in the 1940s, and was a pioneer in the use of entertaining television commercials to promote himself and his business. He founded the Muntz Car Company, which manufactured sports cars from 1951-1953.

Politics and government
Multi-party elections in the U.S.S.R. became a reality when contests were permitted for 76 of 52,000 Communist party soviets around the nation.

Golf
Scott Simpson won the U.S. Open at the Lake Course of the Olympic Club in San Francisco with a 3-under-par total of 277, 1 stroke ahead of Tom Watson. First prize money was $150,000.



Football
CFL
Calgary (1-0) 29 @ Saskatchewan (0-1) 28

Rick Worman, seeing his first regular season game action after spending his rookie season of 1986 standing on the sidelines, completed a touchdown pass to Emanuel Tolbert in the last minute, and J.T. Hay’s convert gave the Stampeders the win over the Roughriders at Taylor Field in Regina in the earliest Canadian Football League regular season opener to date. The Roughriders blew an early 16-0 lead, and their kicker, former Stampeder Mike McTague, missed a convert on the CFL’s first touchdown of the regular season. Not only did the miss prove costly in the game, but it was the only convert missed by a kicker all season. It was the first regular season game for John Gregory as head coach of the Roughriders, and the first game ever televised on the Canadian Football Network, which included various stations across the country.



25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Jump--Kris Kross (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): It's My Life--Dr. Alban (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Jump--Kris Kross

Died on this date
Li Xiannian, 82. 3rd President of the People's Republic of China, 1983-1988. Li Xiannian joined the Communist Party of China in 1927, and became a member of the Politburo in 1956. He was Minister of Finance from 1954-1970, and first-ranking Vice Premier from 1976-1977, and was regarded as one of the most influential architects of China's economic policy from the mid-1970s through the 1980s. Li succeeded Ye Jianying as President, an office that was mainly ceremonial. He retired to take the position of Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which he held until his death, two days before his 83rd birthday.

Weather
At 3 C. (37.4 F.), it was the coldest June 21 in Toronto in 72 years, and this blogger was there to experience it.

Humour
96-year-old George Burns performed at O’Keefe Centre in Toronto: “First time I played Toronto was 1927; they must have enjoyed it, because only 65 years later, they invited me back.” This blogger paid $21 for his ticket.

Politics and government
Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Havel urged that the issue of the possible division of Czechoslovakia into two separate countries be decided in a national referendum.

Golf
Tom Kite won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California with a 3-under-par total of 285, 2 strokes ahead of Jeff Sluman; it was Mr. Kite's only win in a major tournament. First prize money was $275,000.



Football
CFL
Pre-season
Calgary (0-1) 18 @ Hamilton (1-0) 20

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Around the World--Daft Punk (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Midnight in Chelsea--Bon Jovi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Alane--Wes (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Ecuador--Sash! (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): María--Ricky Martin (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): MMMBop--Hanson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): MMMBop--Hanson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Arthur Prysock, 68 or 73. U.S. singer. Mr. Prysock ws a jazz and rhythm and blues singer whose deep baritone voice was influenced by Billy Eckstine. Mr. Prysock was the vocalist with Buddy Johnson's band before going solo in 1952. He specialized in ballads, recording more than 30 albums through 1988. Mr. Prysock's hit singles included I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night (1952); It's Too Late, Baby, Too Late (1965); and When Love is New (1976). His brother Red played saxophone on many of Arthur's later records. Arthur Prysock died of an aneurysm after years of declining health.

Abominations
The Women's National Basketball Association made its debut.

10 years ago
2007

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Toronto (1-1) 26 @ Montreal (1-1) 34
British Columbia (0-2) 12 @ Edmonton (1-1) 18