July 18, 2017

225 years ago
1792

Died on this date
John Paul Jones, 45. U.S. military officer. A captain in the Continental Navy, Mr. Jones scored spectacular victories over British forces during the American Revolutionary War between 1776 and 1779. In his most famous battle, off the coast of England on September 23, 1779, Captain Jones responded to a demand for surrender with the words, "I have not yet begun to fight!"

200 years ago
1817

Died on this date
Jane Austen, 41. U.K. authoress. Miss Austen was known for her novels Sense and Sensibility (1811); Pride and Prejudice (1813); Mansfield Park (1814); Emma (1815); Northanger Abbey (1818); and Persuasion (1818), which were commentaries on the English landed gentry of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She's more popular today than she was in her lifetime, which ended after a long illness.

Diplomacy
Lord Selkirk made the first treaty with the local Ojibway and Swampy Cree people on behalf of King George III. The local chiefs surrendered title to lands to the Red River Colony, confirmed Lord Selkirk's land rights in the Colony, and agreed not to harm the colonists, in return for an annual gift of 200 pounds of tobacco.

150 years ago
1867

World events
Former Confederate States President Jefferson Davis arrived in Montreal after two years of incarceration, to reunite with his wife and children, who were living with her mother; he received a standing ovation at a benefit performance of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s play The Rivals at the Theatre Royal.

125 years ago
1892

Died on this date
Thomas Cook, 83. U.K. travel agent. Mr. Cook founded his company in 1841 for the purpose of conducting tours in support of temperance, and changed the firm's name to Thomas Cook & Son in 1872. His activities in Italy had the effect of boosting mass tourism and contributing to the unification of the Italian state. Mr. Cook retired in 1878, and his son John Mason Cook continued the firm.

90 years ago
1927

Baseball
Ty Cobb of the Philadelphia Athletics officially became the first man to make 4,000th career major league hits, doubling and scoring against Sam Gibson of the Tigers in the 1st inning of a 5-3 loss to his former team, the Detroit Tigers, at Navin Field in Detroit. Mr. Gibson won the pitchers' duel over Lefty Grove.

The New York Yankees withstood a 5-run rally that began with 2 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 9th inning as they defeated the St. Louis Browns 10-6 before 22,427 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Lou Gehrig hit a 3-run home run for the Yankees in the 8th inning, while George Sisler hit a grand slam for the Browns to close the scoring.

80 years ago
1937

Died on this date
Fay "Mule" Wilson, 35. U.S. football player. Mr. Wilson was a fullback who starred at Texas A&M University and played eight seasons in the National Football League with five different clubs: Buffalo Rangers (1926); New York Giants (1927-1930); Staten Island Stapletons (1930); Green Bay Packers (1930-1931); and Portsmouth Spartans (1932-1933). He was a member of NFL championship teams with the Giants (1927) and Packers (1930-1931). Mr. Wilson's football career was cut short by injuries, and he died of a heart attack in Austin, Texas.

75 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Jingle Jangle Jingle--Kay Kyser Orchestra

Died on this date
George Sutherland, 80. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1922-1938. Mr. Sutherland, a native of Stony Stratford, England, moved to Utah with his family as an infant. He was a member of the Liberal Party from 1883-1896 before becoming a Republican. Mr. Sutherland represented Utah in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1901-1903 and in the Senate from 1905-1917. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Warren G. Harding, and was known for his generally conservative views. Mr. Sutherland retired from the Court on January 17, 1938, and died the day after suffering a heart attack.

War
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that a state of war existed between the United States and Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. German armoured divisions crossed the Donets River and advanced on a wide front east of Rostov, the gateway to the Caucasus. Chinese troops recaptured the Chekiang port of Wenchow, and were pursuing Japanese forces toward Julian, 16 miles away.

Abominations
During the Beisfjord massacre in Norway, 15 Norwegian paramilitary guards helped members of the SS to kill 288 political prisoners from Yugoslavia.

Defense
The German Messerschmitt Me 262 was test-flown using its jet engines for the first time.

Politics and government
Spanish dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco announced in Madrid that a new Cortes, modelled after the Italian cooperative system, would convene in October.

Labour
An unauthorized three-day strike of about 1,000 members of the United Mine Workers of America at American Magnesium Corporation's plant in Buffalo ended when strikers voted to submit the wage dispute to the National War Labor Board.

Horse racing
Garden State Park racetrack opened in Delaware Township, New Jersey with the state's first legal horse racing in more than 50 years.

70 years ago
1947

Died on this date
Shafa'at Ahmad Khan, 54. Indian politician. Mr. Khan was a Muslim leader who defied Moslem League policy by joining the Indian provisional government.

Adventure
Norwegian archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl reported by radio that his balsa raft Kon Tiki was nearing the Marquesas Islands in the Pacific Ocean after an 84-day voyage from Peru.

World events
British warships captured the U.S.-owned Haganah refugee ship Exodus 1947, sailing for Palestine from Sete, France with 4,554 passengers, the largest number of illegal immigrants on a single ship.

Defense
U.S. Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower named Florence Blanchfield, superintendent of Army nurses, as the first regularly commissioned female officer in Army history.

Politics and government
U.S. President Harry Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act, placing the Speaker of the House of Representatives next after the Vice President in the line of succession.

U.S. War Secretary Robert Patterson resigned to return to private law practice; President Truman nominated War Undersecretary Kenneth Royal to succeed him.

Economics and finance
France protested to the United States over British and American plans to increase German industrial production without the consent of other Allies.

Baseball
Fred Hutchinson pitched a 2-hit shutout, striking out 8 batters while walking none, and batted 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs batted in to lead the Detroit Tigers over the New York Yankees 8-0 before 28,718 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit to end the Yankees' 19-game winning streak, tying the American League record set by the Chicago White Sox in 1906.

Don Black pitched a 5-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Early Wynn as the Cleveland Indians shut out the Washington Nationals 6-0 before 19,173 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.

Ted Williams batted 5 for 5 with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in, but his Boston Red Sox still lost 9-8 to the St. Louis Browns before 6,045 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

Willard Marshall hit 3 home runs and drove in 5 runs to lead the New York Giants over the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 before 30,079 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York.

Enos Slaughter's single to lead off the 8th inning was the only hit off Ralph Branca as the Brooklyn Dodgers blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 7-0 before 32,734 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Mr. Branca improved his record for the season to 15-7.

60 years ago
1957

Politics and government
The Egyptian government reported the arrest of former Foreign Minister Mohammed Salah el-Din and other Wafdist politicians and army officers for plotting against President Gamal Nasser.

Terrorism
The French National Assembly granted Prime Minister Maurice Bourges-Manoury's request for special police powers to combat Algerian nationalist terrorism in metropolitan France.

Journalism
U.S. news organization representatives rejected a plan to allow a limited number of U.S. reporters to work in the People's Republic of China on a six-month trial basis, charging government intervention in news operations.

Academia
The People's Republic of China State Council warned that students whose thought "seriously runs against socialism face penalties ranging from corrective labour to long periods of work without pay."

50 years ago
1967

Died on this date
Stan Moher, 58. Canadian journalist. Mr. Moher, a native of Douro, Ontario, moved to Edmonton with his family at the age of 12. He played various sports before becoming a sportswriter with the Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Bulletin, and finally the Calgary Albertan. Mr. Moher was the publicist with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Interprovincial Football Union and Canadian Football League from the mid-1950s through the early '60s. He died a month after suffering a heart attack.

Italo Alaimo, 29. Italian soccer player. Mr. Alaimo died of apparent electrocution while pedalling on a medical bicycle during a physical examination in Novara.

Boxing
Al Jones (17-1) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Everett Copeland (4-11-3) in a heavyweight bout at Miami Beach Convention Center.

Baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Harry Walker. The Pirates were in sixth place in the National League with a 42-42 record. Mr. Walker was replaced by former manager Danny Murtaugh, who had led the team to a World Series championship in 1960.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Walk Right In--Dr. Hook (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Katte ni Shiyagare--Kenji Sawada (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Linda--Miguel Bosé (6th week at #1)

Personal
This blogger was travelling with his parents from Vernon, British Columbia to Wenatchee, Washington. I liked the scenery in Washington, and Wenatchee was a nice city, but the CTV station from Victoria wasn't carrying the Canadian Football League game between the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, much to this blogger's disappointment.

Politics and government
Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith dissolved Parliament and called an election for August 31. He said that British proposals for a constitutional settlement for Rhodesia's future government were "unacceptable," and consequently, he would seek a new mandate for an internal political settlement.

Law
The Canadian Parliament passed a law to control the purchase and use of firearms, and increase police wiretapping powers.

Labour
U.S. President Jimmy Carter asked Congress to revise federal labour laws in order to "strengthen the collective bargaining rights of American workers."

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (2-0) 29 @ Edmonton (0-1) 26

Dieter Brock threw touchdown passes to Tom Scott and Gord Paterson in the 2nd quarter and the Blue Bombers held off a late rally to defeat the Eskimos before 25,482 fans at Clarke Stadium in the first regular season game for Hugh Campbell as coach of the Eskimos. Other Edmonton players making their Canadian Football League debuts included running backs Jim Germany and Larry Washington, defensive back Roy Painter, and guard Herb Dobbins. Edmonton quarterback Tom Wilkinson completed 27 of 51 passes; he connected with John Konihowski for a touchdown in the 1st quarter, and completed another TD pass to George McGowan late in the 4th quarter, followed by a 2-point convert. The Eskimos then recovered Dave Cutler's short kickoff, but Mr. Wilkinson then threw three consecutive incomplete passes.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Who's That Girl--Madonna

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Voyage, voyage--Desireless (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): I Want Your Sex--George Michael (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Who's That Girl--Madonna

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): It's a Sin--Pet Shop Boys (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): It's a Sin--Pet Shop Boys (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Alone--Heart (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Alone--Heart
2 Shakedown--Bob Seger
3 I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston
4 Songbird--Kenny G
5 Head to Toe--Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
6 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U2
7 Point of No Return--Expose
8 Something so Strong--Crowded House
9 I Want Your Sex--George Michael
10 Rhythm is Gonna Get You--Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine

Singles entering the chart were Doing it All for My Baby by Huey Lewis and the News (#65); Making Love in the Rain by Herb Alpert (#84); Show Me the Way by Regina Belle (#85); Say You Really Want Me by Kim Wilde (#86); In My Dreams by REO Speedwagon (#87); One Heartbeat by Smokey Robinson (#88); Johnny B by the Hooters (#89); Fake by Alexander O'Neal (#90); and Jane's Getting Serious by Jon Astley (#94).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Always--Atlantic Starr (2nd week at #1)
2 I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston
3 Head to Toe--Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
4 Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You--Glenn Medeiros
5 Shakedown--Bob Seger
6 Alone--Heart
7 Funkytown--Pseudo Echo
8 You Keep Me Hangin' On--Kim Wilde
9 Heart and Soul--T'Pau
10 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U2

Singles entering the chart were Breakout by Swing Out Sister (#89); For the Love of Money by Erroll Starr (#93); Look Who's Crying Now by David Gibson (#95); Mary's Prayer by Danny Wilson (#96); and She's Got by Jato (#97).

Abominations
386 civilians—some of them hospital patients—were killed, and 76 wounded in attacks in and around Homoine, Mozambique. The government claimed that the attacks were the work of anti-government rebels, while the Renamo guerrilla movement claimed that the massacre was done by government troops disguised as rebels. The Mozambican government was supported by the Soviet bloc, while the rebels were allegedly supported by South Africa and other unknown sources.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (2-2) 18 @ British Columbia (3-0) 26

Jim Sandusky’s touchdown on a 55-yard punt return 2:56 into the 3rd quarter was the difference as the Lions defeated the Eskimos before 43,772 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. Scott Lecky scored the other B.C. touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Roy Dewalt in the 2nd quarter. Lui Passaglia added 2 converts and 4 field goals. Milson Jones scored both Edmonton touchdowns, the first on a 74-yard pass from Matt Dunigan on the game’s first offensive play, and the other on a 22-yard pass from Mr. Dunigan with 8:40 remaining in regulation time. Mr. Dunigan was largely ineffective after the opening score, and was replaced for a time by backup Damon Allen, who was also ineffective. Mr. Jones led all receivers with 8 catches for 148 yards. It was the first CFL game for Edmonton running back Blake Marshall, a former star with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs.

Baseball
Ruben Sierra hit a 3-run home run in the 5th inning and also hit a triple to help the Texas Rangers defeat the New York Yankees 7-2 before 41,871 fans at Arlington Stadium. New York first baseman Don Mattingly set an American League record and tied a major league record--set by Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1956--by hitting a home run in his 8th consecutive game, leading off the 4th inning with a blast against Jose Guzman. Claudell Washington then followed Mr. Mattingly with a homer of his own for the second and last Yankee run.



The California Angels scored 7 runs in the last 2 innings to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 12-6 before 35,038 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. The teams combined for 6 home runs, including 2 by Milwaukee catcher Bill Schroeder. Brian Downing led off the 9th with a homer for the Angels, and Wally Joyner added a 2-run homer later in the inning.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Save the Best for Last--Vanessa Williams

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): if--Chage $ Aska (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap! (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sensacion de Vivir--Xuxa (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Knockin' on Heaven's Door--Guns N' Roses (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Le Chat--Pow woW

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Knockin' on Heaven's Door--Guns N' Roses (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Ain't No Doubt--Jimmy Nail

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Baby Got Back--Sir Mix-a-Lot (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Baby Got Back--Sir Mix-a-Lot
2 I'll Be There--Mariah Carey
3 Under the Bridge--Red Hot Chili Peppers
4 Achy Breaky Heart--Billy Ray Cyrus
5 If You Asked Me To--Celine Dion
6 Tennessee--Arrested Development
7 Damn I Wish I was Your Lover--Sophie B. Hawkins
8 Wishing on a Star--Cover Girls
9 Life is a Highway--Tom Cochrane
10 Jump--Kris Kross

Singles entering the chart were You've Got a Way by Kathy Troccoli (#85); I Wanna Love You by Jade (#90); I've Got Mine by Glenn Frey (#91); Midlife Crisis by Faith No More (#93); Stay by Giant (#94); and Wherever I May Roam by Metallica (#96).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I'll Be There--Mariah Carey (2nd week at #1)
2 You Won't See Me Cry--Wilson Phillips
3 America--Kim Mitchell
4 If You Asked Me To--Celine Dion
5 Hold on My Heart--Genesis
6 Just Another Day--Jon Secada
7 Why--Annie Lennox
8 Take this Heart--Richard Marx
9 Damn I Wish I was Your Lover--Sophie B. Hawkins
10 Under the Bridge--Red Hot Chili Peppers

Singles entering the chart were November Rain by Guns N' Roses (#70); Move This by Technotronic (#92); Jam by Michael Jackson (#94); Giving Him Something He Can Feel by En Vogue (#95); Love is Alive by Joe Cocker (#96); Runaway by Deee-Lite (#97); and Midlife Crisis by Faith No More (#98).

Technology
A picture of Les Horribles Cernettes was taken, which became the first ever photograph posted to the World Wide Web.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 (2nd week at #1)

Politics and government
Russell MacLellan was sworn in as Premier of Nova Scotia, replacing John Savage, who had resigned because of discontent within the party and sagging poll numbers.

Crime
DNA tests from a laboratory in the United Kingdom confirmed that semen samples on the clothing of nursing aide Gail Miller, murdered in 1969, did not originate from David Milgaard, who was charged on May 30, 1969, and served 23 years in prison for the crime. The Saskatchewan government eventually apologized to him, compensating him and ordering a public inquiry.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (2-2) 13 @ Calgary (1-3) 22