July 17, 2017

300 years ago
1717

Music
George Frideric Handel's Water Music received its premiere performance as King George I of Great Britain sailed down the River Thames in London with a barge of 50 musicians.

150 years ago
1867

Academia
Harvard School of Dental Medicine was established in Boston as the first dental school in the U.S.A. that was affiliated with a university.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Lou Boudreau. U.S. baseball player, manager, and executive. Mr. Boudreau was a shortstop with the Cleveland Indians (1938-1950) and Boston Red Sox (1951-1952), batting .295 with 68 home runs and 789 runs batted in in 1,646 games. He led the American League in 1944 with a .327 batting average, and hit .355 in 1948 with 18 homers and 106 runs batted in. Mr. Boudreau managed the Indians (1942-1950); Red Sox (1951-1954); Kansas City Athletics (1955-1957); and Chicago Cubs (1960), compiling a record of 1,162-1,224-18 (.483), leading the Indians to the World Series championship in 1948. Mr. Boudreau broadcast Cubs games on radio from 1958-1987, switching positions with manager Charlie Grimm for part of the 1960 season. Mr. Boudreau, who had played basketball with the University of Illinois from 1936-38 and the Hammond Ciesar All-Americans of the National Basketball League from 1939-40, also broadcast Chicago Bulls' games on radio from 1966-1968. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970, and died on August 10, 2001 at the age of 84.

Phyllis Diller. U.S. comedienne and actress. Mrs. Diller, born Phyllis Driver, was a housewife who didn't begin her career in show business until the age of 37 in 1955, when she became one of the first female standup comics. She became known for her self-deprecating content, wild hair and clothes, and a distinctive cackle. Mrs. Diller made numerous television appearances over the years, and made her movie debut in a small role in Splendor in the Grass (1961). Her most notable movies were turkeys such as Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966); Eight on the Lam (1967); and The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968), in all of which she co-starred with Bob Hope. Mrs. Diller died on August 20, 2012 at the age of 95.

Kenan Evren. 7th President of Turkey, 1980-1989. General Evren was Commander of the Turkish Army from 1977-1978 and Chief of the General Staff from 1978-1983, taking the presidency through his leadership of a military coup that toppled Fahri Korutürk. Gen. Evren won a presidential election under a new constitution in 1982, and was accused of suppressing civil liberties before his retirement in 1989. Gen. Evren died on May 9, 2015 at the age of 97.

Britannica
Amid anti-German sentiment during World War I, King George V issued a proclamation stating that the Royal Family was changing its name from the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.

75 years ago
1942

Died on this date
Daniel Alomía Robles, 71. Peruvian composer and ethnomusicologist. Mr. Alomía Robles collected Andean folk songs, many of which formed the basis of his more than 700 works, the best-known of which was the song El Cóndor Pasa (1913). He lived in the United States from 1919-1933 before returning to Peru to serve as head of the Section of Fine Arts with Peru's Ministry of Education. Mr. Alomía Robles died of sepsis.

War
German trops occupied the Ukrainian industrial city of Voroshilovgrad, 100 miles north of Rostov.

Law
U.S Federal Judge William F. Smith signed an order revoking the American citizenship of German-American Bund leaders August Klapprott, Matthias Kohler, William Drexler, and Arno Friedrich.

70 years ago
1947

On the radio
Mystery in the Air, starring Peter Lorre, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Touch of Your Hand

Defense
The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved President Harry Truman's bill providing $50 million for military cooperation with Canada and Latin America.

Politics and government
U.S. President Truman appointed a 12-man Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch, to be chaired by former President Herbert Hoover.

Labour
In a letter to Congress of Industrial Organizations President Philip Murray, American Federation of Labor President William Green urged a rapid organizational merger of the two labour groups, rejecting CIO proposals for immediate unification of political activities.

U.S. President Truman named Robert Denham, a Republican from Maryland, as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, newly reorganized under the Taft-Hartley Act.

Religion
Archbishop Gregory, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod, arrived in New York on a mission to unite the U.S. Russian Orthodox Church with the mother church in Russia.

Disasters
The Indian coastal vessel Ramdas sank during a storm in Bombay harbour, killing an estimated 570 passengers.

60 years ago
1957

Terrorism
French Interior Minister Gilbert Jules charged that nationalist agents were killing two Muslims every day in an effort to extort money from the 400,000 Algerians living in France.

Defense
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower endorsed State Secretary John Foster Dulles's contention that the U.S.A. should create a nuclear weapons stockpile in Europe for North Atlantic Treaty Organization members.

Diplomacy
The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a foreign aid bill amendment asking President Eisenhower to seek the revision of treaties authorizing foreign courts to try U.S. servicemen.

Law
U.S. President Eisenhower said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would make some documents available to defendants in criminal cases as required by a recent Supreme Court decision.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Caza--Juan y Junior

On television tonight
Coronet Blue, starring Frank Converse, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Man Running



Died on this date
John Coltrane, 40. U.S. musician. Mr. Coltrane was a jazz saxophonist and composer who was a major figure in the genres of bebop, hard bop, and free jazz, and remains a considerable influence. He died of liver cancer.

War
A United Nations peacekeeping force took up positions in the Suez Canal area to begin supervision of the Israel-United Arab Republic (Egypt) cease-fire.

Protest
Five days of race riots in Newark, New Jersey ended with 26 dead, 767 injured, and 1,500 arrested, most of them Negroes. Three days of race riots began in Cairo, Illinois.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Calgary (3-0) 22 @ Ottawa (0-1) 7
Toronto (1-0) 42 @ Winnipeg (0-1) 20
Hamilton (0-2) 0 @ British Columbia (2-0) 3

Peter Liske threw touchdown passes to Lovell Coleman and Herm Harrison to lead the Stampeders over the Rough Riders at Lansdowne Park.

Wally Gabler threw 2 touchdown passes to Bobby Taylor and another to Pete Manning, and handed off to Larry Ferguson for a 26-yard touchdown rush as the Argonauts beat the Blue Bombers before 14,000 fans at Winnipeg Stadium.

Ted Gerela's field goal just 2:05 into the game was all the scoring as the Lions edged the Tiger-Cats at Empire Stadium in Vancouver.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: My Broken Souvenirs--Pussycat (3rd week at #1)

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): It's a Sin--Pet Shop Boys

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Song of the Younger World, starring Jennifer Rubin and Peter Kowanko; The Girl I Married, starring James Whitmore, Jr. and Linda Kelsey

This was the final episode of the season, and the last new episode broadcast on CBS. A third season was shown in syndication in 1988-1989.

Died on this date
Neil Stevens, 35. Canadian broadcaster. Mr. Stevens was a weatherman with Windsor, Ontario television station CBET before moving to London in 1984 as the television news co-anchor at CFPL. He was killed in a car accident in the early morning hours when he crashed after falling asleep at the wheel near Anviston, Ontario.



Canadiana
Prince Andrew and Princess Sarah, the Duke and Duchess of York, were in the metropolitan Toronto area. This blogger saw them in North York, where they officiated at the opening ceremonies of the Ontario games for the disabled. While there, I also had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a couple of lovely Toronto ladies, which made for a most enjoyable day.

Diplomacy
France severed diplomatic relations with Iran. France had imposed a blockade of the Iranian embassy in Paris on June 30 because they believed a man wanted for bombings in Paris in 1986 was being sheltered there. Iran responded by blockading the French embassy in Tehran. On July 12, Iran accused French authorities of assaulting an Iranian diplomat in Geneva. On July 16, Iran threatened to end diplomatic relations if the diplomat’s attackers weren’t punished and if the French blockade of the Iranian embassy weren’t lifted.

Scandal
Lyn Nofziger, a former adviser to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, was indicted on six counts of violating the federal ethics law prohibiting public officials from lobbying their former agencies for a year after leaving the government. Mr. Nofziger had lobbied on behalf of Wedtech, a defense contractor. Mr. Nofziger denied “any deliberate violation” of the law. A single charge was filed against Mark Bragg, Mr. Nofziger’s business partner.

Crime
Former Guinness distillery director Thomas Ward was ordered by the U.K. High Court to repay £5.2 million to Guinness after making a "secret agreement" with former Guinness chairman Ernest Saunders, and failing to disclose a transfer of funds to Guinness's directors during the £2.5-billion takeover of Distillers Group in 1986.

Football
CFL
Toronto (1-2-1) 30 @ Hamilton (1-3) 27

Gilbert Renfroe completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tony Johns on the last play of the game as the Argonauts rallied from a 24-2 deficit to defeat the defending Grey Cup champion Tiger-Cats before 18,214 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Ken Zachary, who carried 16 times for 111 yards, rushed for touchdowns of 39 yards and 1 yard, and Tom Porras completed a 49-yard touchdown pass to Earl Winfield as the Tiger-Cats built their early lead. Lance Chomyc’s field goal reduced the Hamilton lead to 24-5, and Kevin Cummings rushed 1 yard for a touchdown with 2 seconds remaining in the 1st half, converted by Mr. Chomyc, to make the score 24-12. The Argonauts outscored the Tiger-Cats 11-0 in the 3rd quarter on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Mr. Renfroe to Ken Joiner, a convert and field goal by Mr. Chomyc, and a single by punter Hank Ilesic. Bernie Ruoff kicked a 27-yard field goal with 5:04 remaining in the 4th quarter to give the Tiger-Cats a 27-23 lead. Mr. Renfroe directed the Argonauts 68 yards in the last 1 minute and 22 seconds; the drive included two successful third-down gambles.



25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap! (9th week at #1)

World events
The Slovak National Council voted 113-24 to adopt a declaration of sovereignty from Czechoslovakia. The opponents of the declaration were concerned about the economic impact of separating from the more prosperous Czechs. Within an hour after the vote, Vaclav Havel announced that he would resign as President of Czechoslovakia, saying that his opposition to the division of the country made it impossible for him to remain in office.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the U.S. merchandise trade deficit had risen to $7.38 billion in May.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Mato--Apulanta (4th week at #1)

Football
CFL
Hamilton (0-4) 20 @ Toronto (3-1) 27



Montreal (3-1) 0 @ Edmonton (3-1) 32

Danny McManus rushed 1 yard for a touchdown, Tony Burse rushed 26 yards for a TD, and Sean Fleming added 2 converts and 6 field goals as the Eskimos blanked the Alouettes before 27,811 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Mr. McManus completed 19 of 29 passes for 321 yards, with Robert Gordon catching 7 for 122 yards. Jock Climie caught 12 passes for Montreal, but had no impact on the game, which was the third and last shutout in the Canadian Football League in the 1990s, and the Eskimos' first since 1988.

10 years ago
2007

Disasters
TAM Airlines Flight 3054, an Airbus A320 en route from Porto Alegre to São Paulo, Brazil, crashed into a warehouse after landing too fast and missing the end of the São Paulo–Congonhas Airport runway, killing 199 people--all 187 passengers and crew members, and 12 people on the ground.