August 12, 2017

1,225 years ago
792

Died on this date
Jænberht. Archbishop of Canterbury, 765-792. Jænberht succeeded Bregowine, and presided over several church councils, but had strained relations with King Offa of Mercia. Jænberht was succeeded by Æthelhard.

150 years ago
1867

Politics and government
Edwin Stanton was suspended as U.S. Secretary of War; General U.S. Grant was appointed interim War Secretary.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Alfred Lunt. U.S. actor and director. Mr. Lunt and his wife Lynn Fontanne appeared in more than 20 plays together, and were among the biggest stars on Broadway in New York from the 1920s through the 1960s. He died on August 3, 1977, nine days before his 85th birthday.

Politics and government
Liberal party leader William Gladstone formed a government in the United Kingdom, the day after the Conservative government of Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Third Marquess of Salisbury, had lost a non-confidence motion in the House of Commons 350-310 after six years in power. Mr. Gladstone had previously served as Prime Minister from 1868-1874; 1880-1885; and 1886.

110 years ago
1907

Born on this date
Benjamin Sheares. 2nd President of Singapore, 1971-1981. Dr. Sheares was an obstetrician and professor at Kandang Kerbau Hospital in Singapore before moving into private practice. He toof office as President after the death of Yusof Ishak, and was in his third term in office when he died of lung cancer on May 12, 1981 at the age of 73. Dr. Sheares was succeeded as President by C.V. Devan Nair.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Oliver Crawford. U.S. screenwriter. Mr. Crawford wrote scripts for numerous television programs from the 1950s through the 1970s. His career was interrupted when he was blacklisted from 1953-1957 for refusing to identify suspected Communists in his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities. He died on September 24, 2008 at the age of 91.

75 years ago
1942

War
German forces claimed that the 62nd Russian Army had been virtually destroyed in a trap on the Don River. U.S. Marines consolidated their positions on the Solomon Islands as U.S. bombers again struck at Rabaul, New Britain.

Diplomacy
U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill flew to Moscow to meet with U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal representative, Averell Harriman.

Protest
Police fired on mobs in Bombay, Tenali Patna, and Poona, raising the casualty toll in four days of anti-British rioting to at least 56 dead and 300 injured. U.S. troops in India were instructed not to interfere in the country's internal problems.

Crime
William Dudley Pelley, leader of the now-disbanded anti-Semitic fascist Silver Shirts, was sentenced by U.S. Federal Judge Robert Baltzell to 15 years in prison, a week after being convicted of 11 counts of sedition by a U.S. federal jury in Indianapolis.

Economics and finance
Ellsworth Alvord of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged that a 10% retail sales tax and a 5% withholding tax on compensation be imposed to prevent inflation and raise $10 billion in new revenue.

Business
Richard Dearborn, testifying before the U.S. Senate Patents Committee, denied that he and Frank A. Howard of Standard Oil Development Company had conspired to maintain a synthetic rubber cartel with the German firm I.G. Farben.

70 years ago
1947

Literature
The Last Days of Hitler by Hugh Trevor-Roper, a British intelligence agent's report on his investigation of German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler's life in his Berlin bunker, was published in New York by Macmillan.

War
Dutch officials in Batavia rejected United Nations arbitration, demanded by Indonesial nationalists, of the current civil war, in which both sides were now observing a cease-fire.

Diplomacy
The United Nations Security Council voted to hear representatives of the Indonesian Republic, while the Netherlands called for a conference of all Indonesian states and ethnic minorities to discuss the creation of a United States of Indonesia.

Asiatica
Siam abandoned its claim to territory in French Indochina.

Defense
Greek Reconstruction Minister Styliatos Gonatas claimed in Athens that future U.S. troop presence in Greece was "a strong possibility."

Economics and finance
The British House of Commons passed an emergency powers bill called for in Prime Minister Clement Attlee's economic program, giving the government broad authority to "ensure that the whole resources of the community are used in a manner best calculated to serve the interests of the community."

The U.S.A. and U.K. began a conference in Washington on the means of doubling Ruhr coal production to a daily quota of 400,000 tons. At British insistence, American negotiators agreed to discuss political issues and socialization as well as technical matters.

Yugoslavia signed a four-year, $100-million trade agreement with the U.S.-U.K. zone of Germany.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations Federation of Dyers, Finishers, Printers and Bleachers signed a closed shop agreement with 385 garment industry employers in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, giving 30,000 workers 5c hourly wage increase.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear/Loving You--Elvis Presley (Best Seller--6th week at #1; Top 100--5th week at #1); (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear--Elvis Presley (Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1)

War
The Israeli government urged the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization to continue operation of its temporary truce observation network along the Israeli-Syrian border.

Defense
The U.S. Air Force announced plans to reduce its civilian employment by 5% (20,000 employees) in a cost-cutting move.

Politics and government
The leftist faction of the People's Progressive Party, led by Cheddi Jagan, won 9 of 14 Legislative Council seats in the British Guianese general election. The PPP faction led by Forbes Burnham won 3 seats; the National Labour Front and United Democratic Party took 1 seat each.

Economics and finance
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Sam Rayburn (Democrat--Texas) announced that action on a bill to free natural gas producers from federal price control would be postponed until 1958.

Labour
Transit workers in Lodz, Poland struck for a 50% wage increase; four women were injured in a clash between strikers and police after warnings of mass dismissals were issued by the Lodz City Council.

Golf
Patty Berg won the women's Tam O'Shanter tournament in Chicago.

Football
IRFU-ORFU
Pre-season
Toronto Argonauts (1-2) 23 @ London (0-1) 7

C.R. Roberts, Dick Shatto, and Dave Doane scored touchdowns for the Argonauts as they beat the Lords at Labatt Park. Ron King rushed for the London touchdown.

IRFU-WIFU
Pre-season
Ottawa (2-2) 7 @ Calgary (2-1) 26

Jim Finks passed to Dean Renfro for a touchdown and handed off to Ron Clinkscale for 2 TDs and Al Pollard for another touchdown to led the Stampeders over the Rough Riders before 9,000 fans at Mewata Stadium. Tom Dimitroff, who played the entire game at quarterback, passed to Bob Simpson for the Ottawa touchdown in the 2nd quarter.

NFL
Buddy Parker announced his resignation as head coach of the Detroit Lions; he made the announcement at the eighth annual Meet the Lions banquet at a downtown Detroit hotel. He said, "When you get to a situation where you can't handle football players, it's time to get out--and that's what I'm doing tonight. I'm through with football in Detroit." Mr. Parker had coached the Lions for six seasons, leading them to National Football League championships in 1952 and 1953. He was supposed to speak about his team's prospects for the upcoming season, but surprised his more than 600 listeners. Mr. Parker refused to reconsider his decision, and was replaced the next day be assistant coach George Wilson.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): All You Need is Love/Baby, You're a Rich Man--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Adios Amor--Sheila (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La coppia più bella del mondo--Adriano Celentano (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): A Whiter Shade of Pale--Procol Harum (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)--Scott McKenzie

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)--Scott McKenzie

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Light My Fire--The Doors (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 All You Need is Love--The Beatles
2 Light My Fire--The Doors
3 I was Made to Love Her--Stevie Wonder
4 Pleasant Valley Sunday--The Monkees
5 A Whiter Shade of Pale--Procol Harum
6 White Rabbit--Jefferson Airplane
7 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy--The Buckinghams
8 A Girl Like You--The Young Rascals
9 Silence is Golden--The Tremeloes
10 Carrie-Anne--The Hollies

Singles entering the chart were Ha Ha Said the Clown by the Yardbirds (#61); You Know What I Mean by the Turtles (#63); There is a Mountain by Donovan (#67); Things I Should Have Said by the Grass Roots (#74); Laura, What's He Got that I Ain't Got by Frankie Laine (#77); The Letter by the Box Tops (#83); Sixteen Tons by Tom Jones (#84); Turn on Your Love Light by Oscar Toney, Jr. (#85); Zip Code by the Five Americans (#86); Paper by Traffic featuring Steve Winwood (#87); Lady Friend by the Byrds (#88); Knock on Wood by Otis and Carla (#93); Come On Sock it to Me by Syl Johnson (#94); (We’ll Meet in the) Yellow Forest by Jay & the Americans (#97); Turn the World Around by Eddy Arnold (#88); It's the Little Things by Sonny and Cher (#99); and Try, Try, Try by Jim Valley (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 A Whiter Shade of Pale--Procol Harum
2 Light My Fire--The Doors
3 White Rabbit--Jefferson Airplane
4 Pleasant Valley Sunday--The Monkees
5 I was Made to Love Her--Stevie Wonder
6 A Girl Like You--The Young Rascals
7 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy--The Buckinghams
8 Silence is Golden--The Tremeloes
9 All You Need is Love--The Beatles
10 For Your Love--Peaches and Herb

Singles entering the chart were The World We Knew (Over and Over) by Frank Sinatra (#66); Heroes and Villains by the Beach Boys (#69); You Know What I Mean by the Turtles (#87); Ha Ha Said the Clown by the Yardbirds (#88); I Want to Love You for What You Are by Ronnie Dove (#89); Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry (#90); A Little Bit Now by the Dave Clark Five (#91); Run, Run, Run by the Third Rail (#92); I Never Had a Love Like That by the Sceptres (#93); Good Day Sunshine by Claudine Longet (#95); Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine by Country Joe and the Fish (#96); A Woman's Hands by Joe Tex (#98); Reflections by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#99); and Sunny Goodge Street by Tom Northcott (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 All You Need is Love/Baby, You're a Rich Man--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)
2 Sunny Goodge Street--Tom Northcott
3 Pleasant Valley Sunday/Words--The Monkees
4 White Rabbit--Jefferson Airplane
5 Carrie-Anne--The Hollies
6 I was Made to Love Her--Stevie Wonder
7 (I Wanna) Testify--The Parliaments
8 Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine--Country Joe and the Fish
9 A Girl Like You--The Young Rascals
10 To Love Somebody--The Bee Gees

Singles entering the chart were To Sir with Love by Lulu (#25); Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry (#32); Making Every Minute Count by Spanky and Our Gang (#35); The Wind Cries Mary by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (#36); Zip Code by the Five Americans (#37); and My Mammy by the Happenings (#38).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Sunny Goodge Street--Tom Northcott
2 All You Need is Love/Baby, You're a Rich Man--The Beatles
3 (I Wanna) Testify--The Parliaments
4 Carrie-Anne--The Hollies
5 Pictures of Lily--The Who
6 Words/Pleasant Valley Sunday--The Monkees
7 Good Times/San Franciscan Nights--Eric Burdon & the Animals
8 White Rabbit--Jefferson Airplane
9 Bluebird--Buffalo Springfield
10 Light My Fire--The Doors

Singles entering the chart were To Sir with Love by Lulu (#15); The Wind Cries Mary by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (#24); Reflections by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#25); You Know What I Mean by the Turtles (#29); and Lovin' Blues by the Nocturnals (#30).

Died on this date
Esther Forbes, 76. U.S. writer. Miss Forbes was primarily known for historical novels about colonial and Revolutionary America, but won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for History for the biography Paul Revere and the World He Lived In (1942).

Music
The Monkees performed at Municipal Auditorium in Mobile, Alabama.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (1-2) 20 @ Hamilton (0-1) 14

Jim Thomas rushed for over 100 yards--including a 45-yard touchdown--and caught a 6-yard TD pass from former Hamilton quarterback Frank Cosentino to help the Eskimos upset the Tiger-Cats at Civic Stadium. It was the first game in a Hamilton uniform for offensive end Tommy-Joe Coffey, quarterback Bill Redell, and halfback Ed Turek, who had been traded by the Eskimos in the off-season. Former Ottawa Rough Rider offensive end Ted Watkins played his first game as a Tiger-Cat, and it was the first CFL game for Hamilton offensive tackle Charlie Turner, defensive halfback Mike Law, and offensive end Gord Christian.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Yes Sir, I Can Boogie--Baccara

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Yes Sir, I Can Boogie--Baccara (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Love Me Baby--Sheila and Black Devotion (2nd week at #1)

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Enterprise passed its first solo flight test by taking off atop a Boeing 747, separating, and then touching down in California's Mojave Desert.

Protest
Riots in Sri Lanka, targeting the minority Tamils, began, less than a month after the United National Party had come to power. Over 300 Tamils were killed.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): It's a Sin--Pet Shop Boys (3rd week at #1)

Baseball
The Atlanta Braves traded pitcher Doyle Alexander, in his 17th season in the major leagues, to the Detroit Tigers for minor league pitcher John Smoltz. Mr. Alexander was 5-10 with an earned run average of 4.13 in 16 games with the Braves in 1987.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Abba-esque--Erasure (8th week at #1)

Died on this date
John Cage, 79. U.S. composer. Mr. Cage was known for “compositions” such as 4’ 33” (four minutes, thirty-three seconds) (1952) that illustrated his belief in the existence of an impersonal universe and blind chance, rather than an infinite and personal God. See my post on Mr. Cage here.

Economics and finance
Representatives of the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico announced that they had approved a draft agreement establishing free trade among the three nations. Over 15 years, tariff and other restrictions on trade and investment would be eliminated. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) also included an accession clause, paving the way for other countries to join the pact without a redesign of the agreement. The legislatures of all three countries would have to approve the draft.

Politics and government
Richard Holden, former Equality Party Member of the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA) for Westmount, joined the Parti Québecois, saying that Quebec's independence from Canada was inevitable.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (5-1) 30 @ Hamilton (3-3) 28

A bizarre play resulted in a 2-point convert with 27 seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Eskimos their win over the Tiger-Cats before 21,327 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Henry “Gizmo” Williams made a sensational catch of a Tracy Ham pass for a 64-yard touchdown to tie the game, but Hamilton linebacker Terry Wright blocked Sean Fleming’s convert attempt. The ball bounced right into the hands of holder Glenn Harper, who had the presence of mind to run into the Hamilton end zone for the convert in what may be the only instance in CFL history of 2 convert attempts being recorded in the statistics for the same play. Mr. Williams’ touchdown was his second of the game; he had returned a punt 104 yards for a TD in the 3rd quarter. Blake Marshall rushed 3 yards for the first Edmonton touchdown in the 2nd quarter, and Mr. Ham completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Craig Ellis in the 3rd quarter. All of the Hamilton touchdowns were scored on rushing plays: a 21-yard run by Lee Knight in the 1st quarter, and 1-yard runs by Orville Lee in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.



20 years ago 1997

Energy
Ontario Hydro, North America's largest electric utility, announced the shutdown of the 7 oldest of its 19 nuclear reactors: 3 at the Bruce facility on Lake Huron and 4 at the Pickering facility on Lake Ontario.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Merv Griffin, 82. U.S. musician and television host and executive. Mr. Griffin was a singer with big bands and as a solo performer in the 1940s and '50s, but was best known as the host of The Merv Griffin Show (1965-1986). He created game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, and wrote the Jeopardy! theme tune Think!; the tune alone made Mr. Griffith an estimated $70 million by the time of his death from prostate cancer.