August 15, 2017

1,300 years ago
717

War
Muslim Arabs of the Umayyad Caliphate commanded by Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik began the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, which lasted for nearly a year.

500 years ago
1517

Diplomacy
Seven Portuguese armed vessels led by Fernão Pires de Andrade met Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary.

210 years ago
1807

Born on this date
Jules Grévy. President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra, 1879-1887. Mr. Grévy was a Freemason and a leader of the Opportunist Republicans, and is regarded as the first true republican President of France. He resigned during his second term because of a scandal involving his son-in-law, in which Mr. Grévy was not personally involved. Mr. Grévy died on September 9, 1891, 25 days after his 84th birthday.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Louis de Broglie. French physicist. Dr. de Broglie won the 1929 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his discovery of the wave nature of electrons." He made major contributions to quantum theory, and died on March 19, 1987 at the age of 94.

110 years ago
1907

Born on this date
Eduardo Chibás. Cuban politician. Mr. Chibás was a nationalist and revolutionary who founded the anti-Communist Partido Ortodoxo (Orthodox Party) in 1947, and made weekly radio broadcasts in which he frequently accused the administration of President Carlos Prío Socarrás of corruption. Mr. Chibás was regarded as a favourite to win the 1952 presidential election. On August 5, 1951, he made his weekly broadcast from the Radiocentro CMQ Building in Havana; he had promised to provide evidence for his claim that Education Minister Aureliano Sánchez Arango was embezzling money, but instead talked about other topics, and warned that Fulgencio Batista might attempt a military coup. Mr. Chibás then made a farewell statement; after the conclusion of the broadcast he shot himself in the stomach. He was expected to recover, but died on August 16, 1951, the day after his 44th birthday.

Died on this date
Joseph Joachim, 76. Hungarian musician and composer. Mr. Joachim was one of the most renowned classical violinists of the 19th century, and was associated with Johannes Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann. Mr. Joachim composed more than two dozen works, many for violin. His best-known work was Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, the "Hungarian concerto."

Religion
Father Raphael Morgan, the first Negro American Orthodox priest, was ordained in Constantinople as "Priest-Apostolic" to America and the West Indies.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Óscar Romero. Salvadoran clergyman. Fr. Romero was Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until his assassination at the age of 62 on March 24, 1980 by a gunman while delivering mass at a small chapel in San Salvador. He had been an outspoken critic of human rights violations perpetrated by the Salvadoran government, and the day before his death had called on Salvadoran soldiers to refuse to carry out government repression and human rights violations.

Jack Lynch. Taoiseach of Ireland, 1966-1973, 1977-1979. Mr. Lynch was a hurling and football (soccer) star before entering politics. He was a member of Fianna Fáil, and sat as a Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament) for various Cork ridings from 1948-1981. Mr. Lynch held several cabinet posts before leading Fianna Fáil from 1966-1979; his tenure as Taoiseach was interrupted by electoral defeat in 1973, but he led the Opposition until Fianna Fáil regained power in the 1977 election. Mr. Lynch's grip on power began to slip, and he resigned as Taoiseach and party leader in 1979. He died on October 20, 1999 at the age of 82.

War
The Canadian Corps, led by newly knighted Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie, stormed Hill 70 north of Lens in their first major action under a Canadian commander. They held the hill during heavy German counterattacks, and moved into Lens on August 21.

90 years ago
1927

Boxing
World "colored" heavyweight champion George Godfrey (43-11-1) knocked out Jim Maloney (29-5), a white man, just 1:25 into their bout at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Mr. Maloney was revived 10 minutes after being knocked out.

80 years ago
1937

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King appointed Newton Wesley Rowell as Chairman of the Royal Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations, to examine the amendment of the British North America Act, and the relationship of the federal and provincial governments in Confederation.

75 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Jingle Jangle Jingle--Kay Kyser Orchestra (5th week at #1)

War
In Operation Pedestal, the U.S. Navy tanker SS Ohio reached Malta barely afloat, carrying vital fuel supplies for the island's defenses.

70 years ago
1947

Asiatica
India and Pakistan became independent after 190 years of British rule.

Politics and government
Muhammad Ali Jinnah took office in Karachi as the first Governor-General of Pakistan.

60 years ago
1957

Football
WIFU
Edmonton (1-0) 21 @ Winnipeg (0-1) 14

Johnny Bright rushed for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns and Jackie Parker added another TD for the Eskimos at Winnipeg Stadium as they ruined the regular season debut for Bud Grant as head coach of the Blue Bombers. Normie Kwong added 107 yards on the ground for Edmonton. Players making their regular season debuts included Winnipeg quarterback Kenny Ploen and end Ernie Pitts. Mr. Ploen and Gord Rowland scored the Winnipeg touchdowns.

50 years ago
1967

Died on this date
René Magritte, 68. Belgian artist. Mr. Magritte was a surrealist painter whose work is known for challenging observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality. He died of pancreatic cancer.

Boxing
Al Jones (18-1) scored a technical knockout of Al Jones (3-12-2) in the 3rd round of a heavyweight bout at Miami Beach Auditorium. The victorious Al Jones was from Miami Beach, while the losing Al Jones was from Memphis.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (2-1) 10 @ Calgary (2-1) 36

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Go to Rio--Peter Allen (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Nagisa no Sindbad--Pink Lady (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Speak Up Mambo (Cuéntame)--The Manhattan Transfer

Space
The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the Search for Extraterrestriel Intelligence (SETI) project, received a radio signal from deep space; the event was named the "Wow! signal" from the notation made by a volunteer on the project.

Canadiana
The Acadian Historical Village (Village historique acadien) opened on the Rivière-du-Nord near Caraquet, New Brunswick.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Who's That Girl--Madonna (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Voyage, voyage--Desireless (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Who's That Girl--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Who's That Girl--Madonna (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Just Can't Stop Loving You--Michael Jackson featuring Siedah Garrett

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): La Bamba--Los Lobos (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): I Just Can't Stop Loving You--Michael Jackson featuring Siedah Garrett

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U2 (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U2 (2nd week at #1)
2 I Want Your Sex--George Michael
3 Who's That Girl--Madonna
4 Luka--Suzanne Vega
5 Heart and Soul--T'Pau
6 Shakedown--Bob Seger
7 La Bamba--Los Lobos
8 Cross My Broken Heart--The Jets
9 Rhythm is Gonna Get You--Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
10 Don't Mean Nothing--Richard Marx

Singles entering the chart were Paper in Fire by John Cougar Mellencamp (#59); Who Will You Run To by Heart (#63); Casanova by Levert (#81); Let Me Be the One by Expose (#85); Don't Look Down--The Sequel by Go West (#87); Oh Yeah by Yello (#88); and One Lover at a Time by Atlantic Starr (#90).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 Funkytown--Pseudo Echo
2 Alone--Heart
3 Heart and Soul--T'Pau
4 Shakedown--Bob Seger
5 Who's That Girl--Madonna
6 I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)--Whitney Houston
7 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U2
8 Always--Atlantic Starr
9 I Want Your Sex--George Michael
10 Head to Toe--Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam

Singles entering the chart were Didn't We Almost Have it All by Whitney Houston (#73); Touch of Grey by the Grateful Dead (#90); Be There by the Pointer Sisters (#92); Love and Satisfaction by New Regime (#94); Paper in Fire by John Cougar Mellencamp (#95); and Running in the Family by Level 42 (#97).

Died on this date
Martha Blackburn, 47. Canadian media magnate. Ms. Blackburn was chairman of the board of directors of The Blackburn Group, which published the London Free Press and owned CFPL radio and television stations in London. Ms. Blackburn took over the company upon her father Walter's death in 1983. She died of a heart attack after water skiing at her family's cottage on an island in Georgian Bay, Ontario.

Married on this date
Happy anniversary, Janet & Tim Sproule!

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Amigos Para Siempre--Jose Carreras and Sarah Brightman

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Kiss of Tears--Southern All Stars (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): This Used to Be My Playground--Madonna

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sensacion de Vivir--Xuxa (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Knockin' on Heaven's Door--Guns N' Roses (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Le Chat--Pow woW (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): It's My Life--Dr. Alban (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap! (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): End of the Road--Boyz II Men

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 This Used to Be My Playground--Madonna
2 Baby Got Back--Sir Mix-a-Lot
3 End of the Road--Boyz II Men
4 November Rain--Guns N' Roses
5 Baby-Baby-Baby--TLC
6 Giving Him Something He Can Feel--En Vogue
7 Just Another Day--Jon Secada
8 Achy Breaky Heart--Billy Ray Cyrus
9 Life is a Highway--Tom Cochrane
10 Too Funky--George Michael

Singles entering the chart were Lithium by Nirvana (#58); Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth (#60); Where Does That Leave Love by George LaMond (#64); Nobody Wins in This War by Mitch Malloy (#77); Galileo by Indigo Girls (#81); Give it Up by Wilson Phillips (#83); Jump! by Movement (#90); Mother Tone by Truce (#92); and Full Term Love by Monie Love (#96).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 This Used to Be My Playground--Madonna
2 The One--Elton John
3 I'll Be There--Mariah Carey
4 Just Another Day--Jon Secada
5 Take this Heart--Richard Marx
6 Friday I'm in Love--The Cure
7 Even Better than the Real Thing--U2
8 Too Funky--George Michael
9 Lost Together--Blue Rodeo
10 Just for Tonight--Vanessa Williams

Singles entering the chart were You Don't Have to Remind Me by Sass Jordan (#73); Am I the Same Girl by Swing Out Sister (#79); Is it Really Love by Dan Hill (#81); Leap of Faith by Bruce Springsteen (#82); It's No Secret by Stan Meissner (#89); Rock You Gently by Jennifer Warnes (#91); A Penny More by Skydiggers (#95); Come to Me by Bonnie Raitt (#96); Lithium by Nirvana (#97); and Tears to Tell by Howard Jones (#98). Am I the Same Girl was a vocal version of a song originally released as an instrumental under the title Soulful Strut, a hit for Young-Holt Unlimited in late 1968-early 1969.

War
The United Nations awarded 226 Canadian peacekeepers with UN service medals for work in Yugoslavia.

Politics and government
A congress of the youth wing of the Québec Liberal Party, meeting in Sherbrooke, refused to recognize any understanding based on the Charlottetown Accord of July 7, 1992, and again demanded another referendum on Québec sovereignty.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 (6th week at #1)

Football
CFL
British Columbia (5-3) 39 @ Saskatchewan (4-4) 26

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
John Gofman, 88. U.S. scientist. Dr. Gofman was known as the "Father of Clinical Lipidology," and led a team that demonstrated the role of lipoproteins in the causation of heart disease. He did research in nuclear physics and chemistry, and warned of the dangers of low-level radiation and nuclear power.

Sam Pollock, 81. Canadian hockey and baseball executive. Mr. Pollock was general manager of the Montreal Canadiens from 1964-78, leading them to nine Stanley Cup championships in that span, including his last three seasons. He was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1995-2000. Mr. Pollock was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Disasters
An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastated Ica and various regions of Peru, killing 514 and injuring 1,090.