August 17, 2017

300 years ago
1717

War
The month-long Siege of Belgrade ended with Prince Eugene of Savoy's Austrian troops capturing the city from the Ottoman Empire.

150 years ago
1867

Defense
U.S. Army General Philip Sheridan was relieved of his command at New Orleans after being appointed to head the Department of the Missouri in order to pacify the Plains. Gen. Joseph Mower was left in command at New Orleans.

120 years ago
1897

Died on this date
William Jervois, 75. U.K. military officer and politician. Lieutenant General Sir William joined the British Army in 1839 and served as an engineer. In 1858, he was appointed Secretary of a Royal Commission set up to examine the state and efficiency of British land-based fortifications against naval attack; this led to further such work in Canada and South Australia. Lieutenant General Sir William served as Governor of the Straits Settlements (1875-1877); Governor of South Australia (1877-1883); and Governor of New Zealand (1883-1889). He died 24 days before his 76th birthday, as the result of injuries sustained in a carriage accident.

100 years ago
1917

Died on this date
Harry Brown, 19. Canadian soldier. Private Brown of the 10th Battalion Québec Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force, died of wounds near Hill 70, near Loos, France. After his company was surrounded and the signal lines cut, Pvt. Brown delivered a message across no-man's land while severely wounded. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on October 17, 1917.

90 years ago
1927

Died on this date
John Oliver, 71. U.K.-born Canadian politician. Mr. Oliver, a native of England and a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1900, and was Minister of Agriculture and Railways in the cabinet of Premier H.C. Brewster. When Mr. Brewster died in 1918, Mr. Oliver succeeded him, and served as Premier of British Columbia until his death, 17 days after his 71st birthday. Mr. Oliver was succeeded as Premier by John MacLean.

Aviation
The Dole Air Derby from Oakland to Honolulu concluded with only two of the eight planes that had started the race landing in Hawaii. The others crashed or disappeared, with the loss of a total of 10 lives. Arthur Goebel in his modified Travel Air 5000 plane Woolaroc, with William V. Davis as navigator, won the race in a time of 26 hours 17 minutes to win the $25,000 first prize. The Breese-Wilde 5 Monoplane Aloha, piloted by Martin Jensen, with Paul Schluter as navigator, arrived after 28 hours 16 minutes, to win the second prize money of $10,000. Mr. Jensen gave Mr. Schluter only $25 for his efforts.

80 years ago
1937

Law
The Alberta Bank Employees Civil Rights Act was disallowed by the Supreme Court of Canada. The act was passed by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, dominated by the majority Social Credit government of Premier William Aberhart.

75 years ago
1942

At the movies
Berlin Correspondent, directed by Eugene Forde, and starring Virginia Gilmore, Dana Andrews, and Mona Maris, received its premiere screening.



War
U.S. Marines raided the Japanese-held Pacific island of Makin.

70 years ago
1947

Indianica
The Radcliffe Line--the border between the Dominions of India and Pakistan--was revealed.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)--Marty Robbins

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Banana Boat Song--Harry Belafonte (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): All Shook Up--Elvis Presley (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Tammy--Debbie Reynolds
2 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter--Billy Williams
3 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear--Elvis Presley
4 Bye Bye Love--The Everly Brothers
5 It's Not for Me to Say--Johnny Mathis
6 White Silver Sands--Don Rondo
7 Love Letters in the Sand--Pat Boone
8 Send for Me--Nat "King" Cole
9 Whispering Bells--The Dell-Vikings
10 Diana--Paul Anka

Singles entering the chart were Marching Along to the Blues (#45)/Dancin' (#52) by Perry Como; Lotta Lovin' by Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (#51); and Soft Sand by the Chordettes (#60).

Football
WIFU
Saskatchewan (0-1) 20 @ British Columbia (1-0) 44

Baseball
Harry Anderson tripled home Ed Bouchee with 2 out in the bottom of the 3rd inning to break a 1-1 tie and scored on a single by Granny Hamner as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the New York Giants 3-1 before 7,929 fans at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Jack Sanford pitched a 6-hit complete game victory to improve his record for the season to 16-4. Philadelphia center fielder Richie Ashburn batted 2 for 4 with a double, but hit a pair of foul balls in the same plate appearance that made the game memorable. The first foul ball went into the stands and broke the nose of Alice Roth, wife of Philadelphia Bulletin sports editor Earl Roth. Mrs. Roth needed to be removed on a stretcher, and Mr. Ashburn hit another foul ball that struck Mrs. Roth as she was being taken out of the stadium. Mr. Ashburn visited her in the hospital after the game, and the two became lifelong friends.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 2 runs in the 4th inning and 4 in the 5th as they beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 7-3 before 6,830 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella batted 4 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs batted in. Ron Kline pitched a 6-hit complete game victory to improve his 1957 record to 4-15, while Brooklyn starter Sandy Koufax allowed 6 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in 4 2/3 innings to drop to 5-3.



Hank Aaron doubled home Hawk Taylor and Eddie Mathews with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Milwaukee Braves a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 39,694 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Warren Spahn allowed 2 hits and 1 run--earned--in 2 2/3 innings of relief to get the win. St. Louis starter Larry Jackson allowed 6 hits and 3 earned runs in 10 innings before being relieved by Billy Muffett, who took the loss.

Bob Speake led off the bottom of the 8th inning by being hit by a pitch and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Ernie Banks to break a 1-1 tie as the Chicago Cubs edged the Cincinnati Redlegs 2-1 before 14,181 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The only Cincinnati run came on a home run by Frank Robinson, immediately following a double play in the 1st inning.

The Washington Senators scored 5 runs in the 1st inning and 7 in the 4th as they routed the Boston Red Sox 16-2 before 6,888 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Washington left fielder Art Schult batted 4 for 5 with a home run, 3 runs, and 4 runs batted in. Russ Kemmerer pitched an 8-hit complete game victory.

Bobby Shantz pitched a 9-hit complete game victory to improve his record for the season to 10-3 and doubled, walked, and scored 2 runs as the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 before 17,711 fans at Yankee Stadium. New York center fielder Mickey Mantle batted 3 for 5 with a double, run, and 2 runs batted in.

Minnie Minoso hit a grand slam in the top of the 1st inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 4-0 lead and they took a 5-0 lead in the 2nd, but the Detroit Tigers came back with 3 in the bottom of the 2nd, scored 2 in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game 8-8, and then Johnny Groth singled home Charlie Maxwell with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th to give the Tigers a 9-8 win before 15,529 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Mr. Maxwell hit 3 singles before doubling just before scoring the winning run. Chicago first baseman Earl Torgeson batted 4 for 5 with a home run, 2 runs, and 3 runs batted in.

Billy Hunter's single on a squeeze bunt scored Hector Lopez from third base with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Kansas City Athletics a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Indians before 13,957 fans at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. Mr. Hunter batted 3 for 4 with a home run, 3 runs, and 3 runs batted in. Losing pitcher Early Wynn pitched a complete game, allowing 12 hits and 4 earned runs as his 1957 record dropped to 13-14.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Black Velvet Band--Johnny Kelly (4th week at #1)

Music
The Monkees performed at Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (1-1) 17 @ Montreal (0-2) 16

With Montreal leading 15-10 in the 3rd quarter, Hamilton quarterback Joe Zuger completed a pass to Garney Henley for a 92-yard gain from the Hamilton 17-yard-line to the Montreal 1, and then handed off to Dick Cohee for the go-ahead touchdown as the Tiger-Cats edged the Alouettes at Molson Stadium. Montreal kicker Ron Parson missed 2 short field goal attempts in the 4th quarter--hitting the goal post on one, and being wide on the other--enabling the Tiger-Cats to escape with a victory. Tommy-Joe Coffey scored the other Hamilton touchdown and added 2 converts and a field goal. Gerry Sternberg and Don Lisbon scored the Montreal touchdowns, both converted by Mr. Parson. It was the last game in a Hamilton uniform for rookie defensive back Mike Law, and the last game in the 14-year Hall of Fame career of Hamilton offensive end Hal Patterson, who suffered a kidney injury when hit by Montreal linebacker Al Ecuyer.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Feel Love--Donna Summer (5th week at #1)

Exploration
The U.S.S.R. icebreaker Arktika became the first surface ship to reach the North Pole.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (3-3) 27 @ Toronto (2-4) 26
British Columbia (4-2) 25 @ Winnipeg (2-3) 17

Ron Lancaster threw a touchdown pass to Steve Mazurak with 1:04 remaining in the game, and Bob Macoritti's convert gave the Roughriders their win over the Argonauts before 49,714 fans at Exhibition Stadium. Toronto led 25-13 in the 3rd quarter.

Leon Bright returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and caught a 65-yard TD pass from Jerry Tagge to lead the Lions over the Blue Bombers before a capacity crowd of 25,210 at Winnipeg Stadium. Winnipeg kicker Bernie Ruoff made a 95-yard kickoff, the longest of the season in the Canadian Football League.

Baseball
Gary Carter batted 3 for 3 with 2 home runs, a base on balls, 4 runs, and 3 runs batted to lead the Montreal Expos to a 13-0 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies before 22,398 fans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal in the Wednesday night Expos Baseball telecast on CBC. Tony Perez also hit a home run, while starting pitcher Stan Bahnsen allowed 6 hits in 7 innings and drove in 2 runs with a sacrifice bunt and a single, and relief pitcher Santo Alcala pitched 2 hitless innings and singled home the game's final run. Mr. Alcala's single was his second as an Expo and the 8th and last of his 2-year major league career. Steve Carlton allowed 5 hits and 6 runs--2 earned--in 4 innings to take the loss, dropping to 17-7 for the season.

Willie Montanez singled to lead off the bottom of the 6th inning, came around to score, and hit a home run later in the inning as the Atlanta Braves scored 8 runs to come back from a 6-0 deficit and defeated the Houston Astros 9-6 before 3,287 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Mr. Montanez's home run immediately followed a 2-run homer by Jeff Burroughs.

Bob Forsch pitched a 2-hitter to improve his 1977 record to 15-5 as the St. Louis Cardinals shut out the New York Mets 2-0 before 16,727 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Losing pitcher Jerry Koosman allowed 6 hits and 2 earned runs in 7 innings to drop to 8-15 for the season, with 2 singles and 2 bases on balls leading to the St. Louis runs in the 6th inning.

The New York Yankees scored 6 runs in the first 3 innings and held on to defeat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 before 26,718 fans at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning and had runners on first and third bases with 2 out, but Sparky Lyle struck out Ben Oglivie to end the game.

Jim Sundberg singled home Tom Grieve with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Texas Rangers a 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays before 12,913 fans at Arlington Stadium. The Rangers tied the game with 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th.

The Calgary Cardinals, trailing 8-2 after 3 1/2 innings, scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning--all coming after the first two batters made outs--and added 2 runs in each of the 6th and 7th innings to defeat the Billings Mustangs 12-9 in a Pioneer League game before 501 fans at Foothills Park in Calgary. Calgary right fielder Larry Silver ht 2 singles, a double, and triple, with 2 runs and 2 runs batted in, while Richard Murray, Paul Tomini, and Rick Cheshire each had 3 hits, and Jim Reeves hit his 7th home run of the season. Greg Shafer pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief of starter Steve Brown, allowing 5 hits and 1 run--earned--to get the win, improving his record for the season to 1-2. John Halasz and Ray Corbett each had 3 hits for the Mustangs. Jeff Mihlbachler started on the mound for Billings and allowed 15 hits and 8 runs--all earned--in 3 2/3 innings, but it was Roger Glynn, who relieved him and allowed 1 hit and 2 runs--unearned--in 1 inning, who took the loss, dropping his 1977 record to 1-2. The game was broadcast in Calgary on CFAC radio.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): The Loco-Motion--Kylie Minogue (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Clarence Brown, 97. U.S. film director. Mr. Brown directed 53 movies, including several that starred Greta Garbo. His films included The Eagle (1925); Flesh and the Devil (1927); A Woman of Affairs (1928); Romance (1930); Anna Christie (1930); A Free Soul (1931); Anna Karenina (1935); The Rains Came (1939); The Human Comedy (1943); The White Cliffs of Dover (1944); National Velvet (1944); The Yearling (1946); Intruder in the Dust (1949); and Angels in the Outfield (1951). Mr. Brown was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director five times, but never won.

Rudolf Hess, 93. German politician. Mr. Hess was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi regime in the 1930s and early 1940s. He was captured in Scotland in 1941 after flying solo on an apparent attempt at a peace mission. Tried at Nuremberg after World War II, he was sentenced to life in Spandau Prison in Berlin. The Soviets always refused permission for Mr. Hess to be released, and he was the prison's only inmate for the last 30 years of his life, which ended when he reportedly committed suicide.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): L.S.I.--Shamen

Died on this date
Michael Ralph, 32. Canadian soldier. A member of 22 Field Squadron, Sergeant Ralph was killed by a land mine during operations in Croatia and became the first soldier with the United Nations Protection Force to be killed in Operation Harmony, the Canadian participation in Bosnia and Croatia.

Politics and government
The Republican National Convention opened at the Astrodome in Houston. Pat Buchanan, who had opposed President George Bush for renomination as the party’s 1992 candidate for President of the United States, endorsed Mr. Bush in a fiery speech. Former President Ronald Reagan then delivered an excellent speech in what turned out to be his last major public appearance.





Former Hull, Quebec Mayor Marcel Beaudry was appointed Chairman of Canada's National Capital Commission, replacing Jean Pigott.

Religion
Stan McKay, a Cree from Manitoba, was elected the first aboriginal Moderator of the United Church of Canada.

Scandal
U.S. Actor-director Woody Allen admitted being romantically involved with Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his longtime companion, actress Mia Farrow.

Baseball
Kevin Gross pitched a no-hitter as the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the San Francisco Giants 2-0 before 25,561 fans at Dodger Stadium.

Mark Lemke doubled home David Justice with 2 out in the top of the 10th inning to break a 4-4 tie and give the Atlanta Braves a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 38,062 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Frank Thomas drove in 2 runs with a sacrifice fly and a single to help the Chicago White Sox edge the New York Yankees 4-3 before 38,553 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

Mike Macfarlane batted 3 for 4 with a home run, 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 3 runs batted in to help the Kansas City Royals defeat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 before 28,927 fans at Royals Stadium. Mr. Macfarlane's 2-run homer was the key hit of a 4-run 6th inning.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Men in Black--Will Smith (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 (5th week at #1)

Music
Canadian-born country singer Hank Snow was honoured as the old Canadian National train station in Liverpool, Nova Scotia reopened as the Hank Snow Country Music Centre. Mr. Snow, 83, was too ill to attend, but donated two vintage cars and one of his rhinestone suits to the centre.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Bill Deedes, 94. U.K. journalist and politician. Mr. Deedes, a Conservative, represented Ashford in the House of Commons from 1950-1974, and was Minister Without Portfolio from 1962-1964. He joined the London Morning Post as a reporter in 1931, then with the Daily Telegraph after the latter paper acquired the former in 1937. Mr. Deedes edited the Daily Telegraph from 1974-1986, and continued his career as a journalist after being made a life peer; he was still writing a column at the time of his death.

Eddie Griffin, 25. U.S. basketball player. Mr. Griffin was a forward and center with the Houston Rockets (2001-03) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2004-07), scoring 2,171 points (7.2 per game), with 1,744 rebounds (5.8 per game) , 236 assists (0.8 per game), and 518 blocks (1.7 per game) in 303 games. He had a long history of heavy drinking, and sat out the entire 2003-04 season when he entered an alcohol rehabilitation centre after signing with the New Jersey Nets. Mr. Griffin signed with Minnesota for 2004-05, but the drinking continued, and he was released by the Timberwolves in March 2007. He was trying to get in shape in order to play in Europe when he drove drunk and was killed when he crashed his car into a moving train at 1:30 A.M. after ignoring a warning signal.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (5-2-1) 45 @ Calgary (3-4-1) 45

Calgary quarterback Henry Burris rushed for 2 touchdowns and passed for 4 others as the Stampeders tied the Lions before 30,826 fans at McMahon Stadium.