August 4, 2017

1,650 years ago
367

Politics and government
Gratian, 8-year-old son of Roman Emperor Valentinian I, was named co-Augustus by his father and associated to the throne.

225 years ago
1792

Born on this date
Percy Bysshe Shelley. U.K. poet. Mr. Shelley was a major English Romantic poet, a professing atheist, a political radical, and a horrible person. He died while sailing in a storm in the Gulf of Spezia on July 8, 1822, 27 days before his 30th birthday.

Died on this date
John Burgoyne, 70. English military officer. General Burgoyne was best known for surrendering his forces to American forces at Saratoga, New York in 1777, a major turning point of the American Revolutionary War.

150 years ago
1867

Born on this date
Jake Beckley. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Beckley was a first baseman with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys and Pirates (1888-1889, 1891-1896); Pittsburgh Burghers (1890); New York Giants (1896-1897); Cincinnati Reds (1897-1903); and St. Louis Cardinals (1903-1907), batting .308 with 88 home runs and 1,578 runs batted in in 2,392 games. His career total of 2,930 hits was second only to Cap Anson at the time of his retirement. Mr. Beckley managed several minor league teams after his playing career was over, and served as a minor league umpire for a year. He died of heart disease on June 25, 1918 at the age of 50, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

125 years ago
1892

Died on this date
Andrew J. Borden, 70; Abby Borden, 67. U.S. crime victims. Mr. Borden, a retired undertaker, and his wife Abby were found bludgeoned and hacked to death at their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Their daughter Lizzie, 32, discovered the bodies.

90 years ago
1927

Died on this date
John Dillon, 75. U.K. politician. Mr. Dillon, a native of Dublin, was an Irish nationalist who represented Tipperary (1880-1883) and East Mayo (1885-1918) in the House of Commons. He was initially a supporter of Irish nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell, but eventually split from Mr. Parnell, and led the Irish National Federation (1892-1900). Mr. Dillon became leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party in March 1918, but the party was wiped out in the general election in December 1918, in which Mr. Dillon lost his seat to Sinn Féin candidate Éamon de Valera. Mr. Dillon retired from politics, and died a month before his 76th birthday.

75 years ago
1942

War
Soviet troops withdrew from the Kushchevka-Salsk area below Rostov and at Kletskaya in teh Don River bend in the face of continuous German attacks. For the fifth time since July 1, U.S. bombers attacked the Japanese-held Chinese port of Hankow.

Politics and government
The British government in New Delhi published documents purporting to support its assertion that Mohandas Gandhi and the majority of the All-India Congress Party were seeking to appease Japan.

Disasters
13 camels, 4 elephants, 9 zebras, 5 lions, 2 tigers, 2 giraffes, 2 gnus, 2 white fallow deer, 2 Ceylon donkeys, an axis deer, a a puma, a chimpanzee, and an ostrich, died in a fire in the menagerie of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus during an engagement in Cleveland. The cause was never conclusively determined; a youth named Lemandris Ford, recently fired by the circus, confessed to setting the blaze, but police regarded his confession as a hoax.

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Peg o' My Heart--The Harmonicats (6th week at #1)
--Three Suns
--Art Lund
--Buddy Clark
--Clark Dennis
2 That's My Desire--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Frankie Laine and Mannie Klein's All-Stars
3 Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)--Perry Como and the Satisfiers
4 I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
5 Across the Alley from the Alamo--The Mills Brothers
6 Temptation (Tim-Tayshun)--Red Ingles and his Natural Seven
7 Ivy--Jo Stafford
--Woody Herman with the Four Chips
8 Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)--Tex Williams and his Western Caravan
--Phil Harris and his Orchestra
9 Tallahassee--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
10 Passing By--Jo Stafford

Singles entering the chart were Feudin' and Fightin', with versions by Dorothy Shay; Jo Stafford; and Bing Crosby and the Jesters (#20); and Oh, Lady Be Good! by Ella Fitzgerald (#21).

War
Indonesian President Ahmed Sukarno complied with the United Nations Security Council resolution by ordering his troops to cease fire; Dutch forces ceased fire the previous day.

The Greek cabinet urged the United States to speed delivery of arms and other equipment to help government forces battling guerrillas along the border.

Diplomacy
Argentina and Ireland established full relations.

Law
The Supreme Court of Japan was established.

Scandal
Former U.S. Air Force General Elliott Roosevelt, son of the late U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, appeared before the Senate War Investigating committee to testify on his role in recommending the Howard Hughes aircraft firm for wartime government contracts. He denied any improper activity, attacking the investigation as a Republican attempt to "smear" the reputation of his father.

Labour
U.S. President Harry Truman signed a bill providing for stricter safety regulations in coal and ignite mines.

Boxing
National Boxing Association world lightweight champion Ike Williams (82-10-3) scored a technical knockout of New York State Athletic Commission champion Bob Montgomery (75-13-3) in the 6th round at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia to unify the title.

60 years ago
1957

Died on this date
Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa, 87. 13th President of Brazil, 1926-1930. Mr. Luís, a member of the Republican Party of São Paulo, held several offices before assuming the presidency. He was the last President of the First Brazilian Republic, which ended when he was ousted in a military coup.

Walter F. George, 79. U.S. politician. Mr. George, a Democrat, represented Georgia in the United States Senate from 1922-1957, and was President pro tempore of the Senate from 1955-1957. He supported prohibition and racial segregation. Mr. George retired from the Senate in January 1957 and was appointed special ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, but suddenly took ill and died.

John Cain Sr., 75. Australian politician. Mr. Cain, a member of the Labour Party, was Premier of Victoria from September 14-18, 1943; 1945-1947; and 1952-1955. His son John II also served as Premier of Victoria.

World events
People's Republic of China sources reported that 19 "counter-revolutionaries" had been sentenced to death in Kwantung Province for killing 7 people and stealing government funds during an "armed uprising."

Asiatica
A group of private U.S. and Israeli builders announced plans for the construction of a $500-million seaport and resort city on the site of Biblical Ashdod, 20 miles south of Tel Aviv.

Auto racing
In one of the most stirring comebacks ever, Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina came from about a minute off the lead in his Maserati to win the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring over Mike Hawthorn of the United Kingdom, who was driving a Ferrari. The victory, in the last race of Mr. Fangio's career, gave him his fifth Formula One title, still a record.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Silence is Golden--The Tremeloes (3rd week at #1)

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 Silence is Golden--The Tremeloes
2 Windy--The Association
3 Laborer--The 49th Parallel
4 I Take it Back--Sandy Posey
5 Words--The Monkees
6 Little Bit o' Soul--The Music Explosion
7 San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)--Scott McKenzie
8 All You Need is Love--The Beatles
9 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy--The Buckinghams
10 A Girl Like You--The Young Rascals
Pick hit of the week: Blue--The Lords
New this week: Anything Goes--Harpers Bizarre
Lonesome Road--The Wonder Who?
Look in Your Eyes--Scott McKenzie
To Sir with Love--Lulu
Cold Sweat (Part 1)--James Brown and his Famous Flames

Music
The Monkees performed at St. Paul Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota.

40 years ago
1977

Died on this date
Edgar Adrian, 87. U.K. physiologist. Dr. Adrian shared the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Sir Charles Scott Sherrington "for their discoveries regarding the functions of neurons."

Politics and government
U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed legislation creating the United States Department of Energy; two days earlier, the House of Representatives had voted 353-57 and the Senate 76-14 in favour of the bill. President Carter nominated former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger as Energy Secretary, and he was confirmed by a voice vote in the Senate later that day.

30 years ago
1987

Crime
British murderer Ian Brady, in prison since 1966 for killing three children, admitted in a letter to killing five more people.

Communications
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission abolished the Fairness Doctrine, which had required radio and television stations to offer balanced coverage of controversial issues. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader argued that the move would inhibit minority views, while fundamentalist Christian pastor and broadcaster Carl McIntire had long argued that broadcast media should be no more regulated than print media. The United States Congress had attempted to write the Fairness Doctrine into law earlier in the year, but it had been vetoed by President Ronald Reagan.

25 years ago
1992

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had declined 0.2% in June, the first decline in six months.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Building a Mystery--Sarah McLachlan
2 Semi-Charmed Life--Third Eye Blind
3 2 Become 1--Spice Girls
4 A Change Will Do You Good--Sheryl Crow
5 All for You--Sister Hazel
6 MMMBop--Hanson
7 Bitch--Meredith Brooks
8 Whatever--En Vogue
9 Sunny Came Home--Shawn Colvin
10 Where's the Love--Hanson

Singles entering the chart were Mo Money Mo Problems by the Notorious B.I.G. (#55); Someone by SWV (#73); Fly by Sugar Ray (#77); I Don't Want to Wait by Paula Cole (#87); Little More Time with You by James Taylor (#89); Not Tonight by Lil' Kim (#90); and Walkin' on the Sun by Smash Mouth (#93).

Died on this date
Jeanne Calment, 122. French super-centenarian. Mme Calment, a lifelong resident of Arles, had the longest confirmed human lifespan, 112 years 164 days.

Lloyd Marshall3. U.S. boxer. Mr. Marshall was a middleweight and light heavyweight who compiled a record of 70-25-4 in a professional career from 1936-1951. His peak years were during World War II, when world titles were frozen, and he never fought for an official title. Mr. Marshall fought future world champions such as Jake LaMotta, Joey Maxim, Archie Moore, and Ezzard Charles, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Mr. LaMotta in 1944. He was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Frank Mancuso, 89. U.S. baseball player and politician. Mr. Mancuso, the younger brother of major league catcher Gus Mancuso, was a catcher with the St. Louis Browns (1944-1946) and Washington Nationals (1947), batting .241 with 5 home runs and 98 runs batted in in 337 games, and .276 with 128 homers in 1,267 games in a 17-year minor league career. He batted .667 (2 for 3) in the 1944 World Series as the Browns lost 4 games to 2 to the St. Louis Cardinals. Mr. Mancuso served on the City Council of Houston, Texas from 1963-1994.

Raul Hilberg, 81. Austrian-born U.S. political scientist and historian. Dr. Hilberg, who emigrated to the United States with his family in 1939, was regarded as the world's preeminent scholar on the Holocaust of the Jews during World War II. His best-known book was The Destruction of the European Jews (1961).

Lee Hazlewood, 78. U.S. singer-songwriter and producer. Mr. Hazlewood co-wrote and produced songs for Duane Eddy in the late 1950s and early '60s, and did the same for Nancy Sinatra in the mid-1960s, joining her in singing songs such as Summer Wine (1966-67); Jackson (1967); and Some Velvet Morning (1967-68). His best known single as a solo artist was The Girls in Paris (1967). Mr. Hazlewood died after a long battle with kidney cancer.

Football
CFL
Calgary (3-3) 34 @ Edmonton (2-3-1) 32

Sandro DeAngelis's fourth field goal of the game, from 34 yards on the last play of regulation time, gave the Stampeders their win over the Eskimos before 32,644 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Sean Fleming had kicked his third FG of the game--from 9 yards--to give the Eskimos the lead with 1:38 remaining. Calgary quarterback Henry Burris threw touchdown passes to Brett Ralph and Jeremaine Copeland, and handed off to Joffrey Reynolds for a 46-yard TD run early in the 4th quarter. Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray completed 24 of 34 passes for 271 yards, with 2 touchdown passes to Kamau Peterson and another to Tyler Ebell.

Baseball
Khalil Greene singled home Marcus Giles with out in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the San Diego Padres a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants before 42,497 fans at PetCo Park in San Diego. Barry Bonds of the Giants hit a home run to lead off the 2nd innings, tying Hank Aaron's major league record of 755 career home runs.

Adam Dunn's 2-run home run with none out in the top of the 10th inning broke a 7-7 tie as the Cincinnati Reds held on to edge the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-8 before 33,466 fans at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The teams combined for 8 home runs, each by a different player. The final homer was a solo blast by Pittsburgh pinch hitter Jack Wilson with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th.

Robinson Cano had 4 hits and 5 teammates had 3 hits each as the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 16-8 before 54,056 fans at Yankee Stadium.