July 2, 2017

120 years ago
1897

Radio
Guglielmo Marconi obtained a patent in London for radio.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Murry Wilson. U.S. businessman and musician. Mr. Wilson, a native of Hutchinson, Kansas, moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of 5. He worked as a factory foreman before establishing his own machining business, while writing songs on the side. Several of Mr. Wilson's songs were recorded by various artists, but he was best known as the father of Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and the uncle of Mike Love, four of the five founding members of the Beach Boys. Mr. Wilson managed the Beach Boys in their early years, and his hard-driving approach to the music business made enemies and exacerbated tensions within his family, but also helped to propel the group's success. Brian's frustration at his father's management led to Murry's dismissal as manager. Mr. Wilson then recruited and produced a rival group, the Sunrays, who achieved a few regional hit singles in 1965-1966, but soon disappeared. Murry Wilson recorded his own album, The Many Moods of Murry Wilson (1967), but it sold poorly. He sold the Beach Boys' Sea of Tunes publishing catalogue in 1969 for only $700,000--far less than it was worth then, and depriving the group of millions of dollars in future revenue. Murry Wilson died of a heart attack at the age of 55 on June 4, 1973.

Protest
A race riot in East St. Louis, Illinois resulted in the lynching of several Negroes, with a total death toll of at least 8 whites and an estimated Negro death toll varying from 39-200.

80 years ago
1937

Disappeared on this date
Amelia Earhart, 39. U.S. aviatrix. In 1928 Miss Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, and in 1932 she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. On June 1, 1937, she and navigator Fred Noonan flew east from Miami, Florida in an attempt to fly around the world. On July 2, with 7,000 of 29,000 miles remaining, they departed Lae, New Guinea for Howland Island, more than 2,500 miles away. Their last reported position was near the Nukumanu Islands, about 800m miles into the flight. For more, see the Amelia Earhart official website.

75 years ago
1942

Died on this date
Odell Waller, 25. U.S. criminal. Mr. Waller, a Negro sharecropper, was executed in the electric chair at Virginia Penitentiary in Richmond for the murder of his white employer, Oscar Davis, on July 15, 1940.

War
The general Axis attack on El Alamein was repulsed, and counter-attacking Allied troops forced the enemy to withdraw to the west. British forces occupied the French island of Mayotta in the Mozambique Channel with no resistance or casualties on either side. German forces in Russia began new attacks between Kharkov and Kursk. An official Chinese review of the American Volunteer Group record claimed that it had shot down 284 Japanese planes from December 7, 1941-June 30, 1942. A German U-boat sank the U.S. merchant ship San Pablo in the harbour of San Jose, Costa Rica. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a proclamation denying enemies entering the United States for sabotage and espionage access to civil courts, and then appointed a seven-man military commission to try eight German spies who had entered the country on June 27. German-born Max Stephan, a restaurateur in Detroit, was convicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in Detroit of treason for aiding Hans Peter Krug, a German flier who had escaped to the United States from a Canadian prison camp. A Panama Canal employee and 19 others in British Honduras were arrested by the Caribbean Defense Command for allegedly supplying fuel and information to German submarines in the Caribbean Sea.

Politics and government
After a two-day debate, the U.K. House of Commons defeated a motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Winston Churchill's conduct of the war by a vote of 476-25.

The Mexican Ministry of the Interior announced the dissolution of the Mexican Falange Party.

70 years ago
1947

World events
An object that the U.S. Army Air Force later said was a weather balloon crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. Eyewitness accounts gave rise to speculation it might have been an alien spacecraft.

Diplomacy
S.A. Prime Minister Jan Smuts, a co-signer of the Balfour Declaration, denied that the promise of a "national home" for the Jews applied to the whole of Palestine, and urged partition of the country into Arab and Jewish areas.

Economics and finance
The Big Three conference in Paris on the Marshall Plan ended with Soviet rejection of the Anglo-French proposal for European reconstruction. The United Kingdom and France announced their intention of proceeding with their economic plans in cooperation with the United States.

Labour
The United Steel Workers of America Executive Board rejected no-strike clauses in future contracts, and voted to boycott the National Labor Relations Board due to changes in the agency's procedures mandated by the Taft-Hartley Act.

U.S. Senators Claude Pepper (Democrat--Florida) and Wayne Morse (Republican--Oregon) introduced a bill mandating equal pay for male and female factory workers.

60 years ago
1957

At the movies
An Affair to Remember, directed by Leo McCarey, and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, opened in theatres.

Defense
The United States formally proposed that the world's major atomic powers join in a 10-month suspension of nuclear weapons tests.

Diplomacy
U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy (Democrat--Massachusetts), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations United Nations Affairs subcommittee, demanded that the United States halt its tacit support for French repression of the Algerian nationalist movement, and take steps to mediate a settlement based on Algeria's "political independence."

Journalism
The International Press Institute reported in Geneva that the French government had seized or suppressed 32 newspaper editions and arrested four newsmen for criticism of France's Algerian policy so far this year.

Politics and government
The United States Senate confirmed former Navy Secretary Robert Anderson as Secretary of the Treasury.

Society
U.S. Senator Richard Russell (Democrat--Georgia), leader of the Southern Democratic opposition to President Dwight D. Eisenhower's civil rights bill, told the Senate that the bill would "demand an amendment to this bill" to require that it could take effect only if approved by "the American people in a national referendum."

Disasters
Earthquakes along Iran's Caspian Sea coast killed about 200 people.

50 years ago
1967

Music
The Monkees performed two shows at Empire Pool, Wembley, London.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky")--Maynard Ferguson

#1 single in Switzerland: Ma Baker--Boney M. (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Ma Baker--Boney M. (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Back Home--Dickie Rock (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K (BMRB): So You Win Again--Hot Chocolate

Rhodesia's Top 10 (Lyons Maid)
1 Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington (5th week at #1)
2 When I Need You--Leo Sayer
3 That's Rock 'n' Roll--Shaun Cassidy
4 Don't Leave Me this Way--Thelma Houston
5 Love Me--Yvonne Elliman
6 Secrets--Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
7 I'm Just a Shumba Drinker--Mike Westcott & Leprechaun
8 Monday Morning--Fleetwood Mac
9 Fairytale--Dana
10 Afternoon Delight--Starland Vocal Band

Singles entering the chart were Gimme Dat Banana by Strobe (#16); Whistling Troopie by John Edmond (#17); and Crossfire by the Bellamy Brothers (#20).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky")--Bill Conti

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Undercover Angel--Alan O'Day
2 Da Doo Ron Ron--Shaun Cassidy
3 Lonely Boy--Andrew Gold
4 Jet Airliner--Steve Miller Band
5 Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky")--Bill Conti
6 Angel in Your Arms--Hot
7 Got to Give it Up Pt. 1--Marvin Gaye
8 I'm in You--Peter Frampton
9 Margaritaville--Jimmy Buffett
10 Looks Like We Made It--Barry Manilow

Singles entering the chart were Sunflower by Glen Campbell (#89); A Real Mother for Ya by Johnny "Guitar" Watson (#95); Sunshine by Enchantment (#99); and Flame by Steve Sperry (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Mainstreet--Bob Seger
2 Lucille--Kenny Rogers
3 Got to Give it Up Pt. 1--Marvin Gaye
4 Dreams--Fleetwood Mac
5 Calling Dr. Love--Kiss
6 Heard it in a Love Song--The Marshall Tucker Band
7 Feels Like the First Time--Foreigner
8 Fly at Night--Chilliwack
9 You Won't Dance with Me--April Wine
10 Margaritaville--Jimmy Buffett

Singles entering the chart were We're Here for a Good Time by Trooper (#92); Runaway by Bonnie Raitt (#94); Here Comes Summer by Wildfire (#95); Way Down by Elvis Presley (#96); Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancin') by Johnny Rivers (#97); Sing It, Shout It by Starz (#98); I Can't Get Over You by the Dramatics (#99); and Walk Right In by Dr. Hook (#100).

Died on this date
Vladimir Nabokov, 78. Russian-born author. Mr. Nabokov was best known for his novel Lolita (1955). He was nominated seven times for the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction.

Diplomacy
Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez concluded a visit to the United States to confer with U.S. President Jimmy Carter and American business leaders.

Tennis
Bjorn Borg of Sweden outlasted Jimmy Connors of the United States in one of the most dramatic Wimbledon men's singles finals in history. Down by 0-4 in the deciding fifth set, Mr. Connors staged a remarkable comeback to tie at 4-4, but he double-faulted in the ninth game and the crowd cheered. Responding with an obscene gesture, he dropped three straight points, and Mr. Borg served out the match, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

Baseball
The Calgary Cardinals held the Medicine Hat Athletics without a hit for 6 2/3 innings in posting a 4-0 win before 1,331 fans in a Pioneer League game at Foothills Park in Calgary. Donald Moore started on the mound for Calgary, but left with an injury with 2 out in the top of the 2nd inning. He was relieved by Steve Brown, who pitched 4 1/3 innings of hitless relief to get his first professional win. Greg Shafer pitched the final 3 innings to get his first save, but lost the no-hitter on a single by Dana Berry with 2 out in the 7th. The winning run was scored in the bottom of the 1st when Jeff Doyle led off with a base on balls, advanced to second base on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an outfield fly by Leroy Grossini, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Joe DeSa.

Warren Cromartie hit his first major league home run to help the Montreal Expos defeat the New York Mets 4-3 before 16,296 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Willie Montanez doubled home Tom Paciorek from third base with 1 out in the top of the 13th to break a 1-1 tie as the Atlanta Braves edged the Houston Astros 2-1 before 12,535 fans at the Astrodome.

Ray Knight's first major league home run--a 3-run blow in the top of the 7th inning--broke a 2-2 tie as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the San Diego Padres 6-3 before 21,981 fans at San Diego Stadium.

Steve Garvey hit a 3-run home run in the 1st inning and Bill Russell tripled home 2 runs and scored on a sacrifice fly in the 2nd inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers took a 6-0 lead and coasted to a 10-3 win over the San Francisco Giants before 15,140 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in the NBC Game of the Week telecast. Tommy Toms pitched the 9th inning for San Francisco, allowing 1 hit and no runs in the 18th and last game of his 3-year major league career.

Doug Rader hit a 3-run home run in the 5th inning and Bob Bailor and Otto Velez each hit 2-run singles in the 8th to help the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Texas Rangers 10-7 before 19,176 fans at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Pete Vuckovich pitched a complete game victory despite allowing 12 hits and 7 earned runs.

Roy White doubled home Paul Blair and Jim Wynn to tie the game 4-4 in the 7th inning and Fred Stanley hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 8th to break the tie as the New York Yankees came back from a 4-1 deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 before 20,825 fans at Yankee Stadium. Mr. Stanley's homer was the fifth of his major league career, and his only home run of 1977.

Andy Hassler pitched a 1-hitter and didn't walk a batter, winning the pitchers' duel over Dennis Eckersley as the Kansas City Royals edged the Cleveland Indians 1-0 before 16,227 fans at Cleveland Stadium. Duane Kuiper's single with 1 out in the 6th inning was the only Cleveland hit; the only other Cleveland batters to reach base were Paul Dade in the 1st and Andre Thornton in the 2nd, both on errors by Kansas City second baseman Cookie Rojas. Mr. Eckersley allowed only 5 hits and walked just 1 batter, with the only run scoring in the 6th inning when Hal McRae doubled with 1 out and Pete LaCock followed with a single to drive him home.

Jim Spencer hit a grand slam in the 4th inning and added a 3-run homer as part of a 7-run 8th inning, driving in 8 runs for the second time this season to help the Chicago White Sox defeat the Minnesota Twins 13-8 before 26,957 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago.



Mike Jorgensen's first American League home run--a grand slam--climaxed a 5-run 8th inning as the Oakland Athletics beat the California Angels 9-4 before 15,057 fans at Anaheim Stadium. All 5 Oakland runs in the 8th were unearned, as the rally began with an error by California third baseman Dave Chalk, and included 2 intentional walks and a passed ball. The Angels scored their first 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st against Oakland starting pitcher George Medich, who was relieved by Doug Bair after failing to retire a batter. This blogger, listening in Calgary, was able to tune into the Oakland radio broadcast.

30 years ago
1987

Crime
U.S. border control agents in Sierra Blanca, Texas, 90 miles southeast of El Paso, found 19 Mexican men—18 of them dead—in a locked railroad boxcar attempting to enter the United States. 17 of the 19 men were reportedly illegal aliens. The men had entered the boxcar on the afternoon of July 1, having agreed to pay $400 each to a smuggler. Tools that the smuggler had given the men could not be used to open a hole. The lone survivor recounted the horror of the fatal entrapment.

Perennial U.S. presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche was charged with conspiring to thwart an investigation of a $1 million credit card fraud. Five organizations and 13 individuals associated with Mr. LaRouche had been indicted in 1986. The alleged fraud involved unauthorized charges to credit cards of persons who had used the cards to purchase Mr. LaRouche’s publications. The new indictment charged that Mr. LaRouche and some of his associates had sought to obstruct a grand jury investigation by destroying records, by attacking the U.S. attorney investigating the case, and by sneaking three of the original defendants out of the United States.

British murderer Ian Brady offered to assist police searches of Saddleworth Moor for bodies of his victims for the first time since being convicted of three murders in 1966.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had declined from 6.2% in May to 6% in June, the lowest figure since December 1979.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Abba-esque (EP)--Erasure (3rd week at #1)

Politics and government
Israeli President Chaim Herzog asked Labour Party leader Yitzhak Rabin to form a government, nine days after Labour had captured 44 of 120 seats in the Knesset in the country’s general election. Mr. Rabin assembled a coalition including Meretz—a coalition of three parties supporting an independent Palestinian state that had won 12 seats—and Shas, an ultra-Orthodox religious party that had taken 6 seats.

Ali Kafi, a member of Algeria’s High State Council of State, was named Chairman, succeeding Mohammed Boudiaf, who had been assassinated three days earlier. Continued military rule of Algeria seemed likely.

Crime
The Irish Republican Army admitted killing three men whose bodies had been found the previous night in South Armagh in Northern Ireland.

Environment
Canadian Fisheries Minister John Crosbie shut down the Newfoundland cod fishery for two years in an attempt to replenish dwindling stocks. 19,000 fishermen and plant workers lost their jobs for the duration of the shutdown, and they angrily rejected a government offer of $225 per week for 10 weeks as compensation.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate in June had increased to 7.8%. President George Bush said that the figure was “not good news,” but blamed part of the problem on Congress’s failure to pass his economic package.

Labour
Toronto Symphony Orchestra members took a pay cut to prevent the TSO's bankruptcy; the minimum annual salary dropped from $57,000 to $48,300.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Ottawa (2-0) 21 @ Winnipeg (1-1) 19
Saskatchewan (1-1) 26 @ Edmonton (0-2) 15
Hamilton (2-0) 31 @ British Columbia (0-2) 24

20 years ago
1997

Died on this date
James Stewart, 79. U.S. actor. Mr. Stewart, one of the most popular movie stars in history, won an Academy Award for his starring role in The Philadelphia Story (1940). His other notable achievements are too numerous to mention here.

Defense
Mr. Justice Gilles Létourneau released Dishonoured Legacy, his final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Deployment of Canadian Forces to Somalia, criticizing the Canadian Armed Forces for poor leadership and a military cover-up that might have been illegal. The Commission of Inquiry was ordered after the 1993 beating death of Shidane Abukar Arone, a Somali youth who had invaded the Canadian compound.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Beverly Sills, 78. U.S. opera singer. Miss Sills, born Belle Silverman, was a coloratura soprano. She was known as "American's Queen of Opera," and performed with various companies in the United States from 1945-1980.

Scandal
U.S. President George W. Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the scandal involving the leak of a Central Intelligence Agency operative's name to columnist Robert Novak.