August 7, 2017

1,700 years ago
317

Born on this date
Constantius II. Roman Emperor, 324-361. Constantius II, the second son of Constantine I, ascended to the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death. He was sole Augustus from 350 until his death from an illness on November 3, 361 at the age of 44, and was succeeded by his cousin Julian.

275 years ago
1742

Born on this date
Nathanael Greene. U.S. military leader. Mr. Greene, a general under George Washington in the American Revolutionary War, replaced Benedict Arnold as commander at West Point and contributed to the defeat of British General Lord Cornwallis's forces at Cowpens, South Carolina in 1781. He died on June 19, 1786 at the age of 43.

150 years ago
1867

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald began campaigning for Canada's first general elections following Confederation. Unlike today, voting didn't take place on the same day across the country, but in different areas over a period of weeks, and lasted until September 20, 1867.

100 years ago
1917

Died on this date
Edwin Harris Dunning, 25. S.A.-born military aviator. British Royal Naval Air Service Squadron Commander Dunning landed his Sopwith Pup on HMS Furious in Scapa Flow, Orkney, on August 2, 1917, becoming the first pilot to land an aircraft on a moving ship. Just five days later, he was attempting his second landing of the day when an updraft caught his port wing, throwing his plane overboard. He was knocked unconscious and drowned in the cockpit.

Education
The first Chautauqua in Canada was held in Lethbridge, Alberta.

90 years ago
1927

Canadiana
Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King joined British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, Prince George (later King George VI), Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and U.S. Vice President Charles Dawes in dedicating the Peace Bridge between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. It had been opened for traffic on June 1.

75 years ago
1942

War
The Battle of Guadalcanal began as as the United States Marines initiated the first American offensive of World War II with landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. German forces in the U.S.S.R. drove southward from Byeloglina to a point 60 miles above the Maikop oil fields. The heaviest Allied bombing was carried out against the Japanese base at Rabaul, New Britain.

Politics and government
Alfonso Lopez was inaugurated into a four-year term as President of Colombia.

Journalism
U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle announced that a federal grand jury would investigate a news dispatch by Stanley Johnson--published in the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and Washington Times Herald--for possible unlawful communication of vital defense information. The dispatch concerned Japanese ship movements in the Battle of Midway.

70 years ago
1947

Exploration
Thor Heyerdahl's balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki smashed into the reef at Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after a 101-day, 4,300-mile (7,000-kilometre) journey across the Pacific Ocean in an attempt to prove that prehistoric peoples could have traveled from South America.

War
Indonesian Deputy Prime Minister A.K. Gani cabled the United Nations Security Council that his government would accept any decision made by the Security Council to settle the dispute with the Netherlands, while Prime Minister Amir Sjarifuddin urged UN mediation of the conflict.

Politics and government
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission appointed U.S. Navy Admiral John Gingrich director of its Division of Security and Intelligence, responsible for coordinating work with the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Economics and finance
The British House of Commons approved the emergency austerity program of the Government of Prime Minister Clement Attlee.

The Colombian Council of State invalidated the government's suspension of the Colombian Federation of Labour.

60 years ago
1957

Died on this date
Oliver Hardy, 65. U.S. actor. Mr. Hardy, born Norvell Hardy, teamed with Stan Laurel to form the most beloved comedy team in history, appearing in 107 films together, almost all of them from 1927-1945. They made several tours of Great Britain and France from 1947-1954, appearing on stage. Mr. Hardy was the fat member of the team, and died after a series of strokes, the first and worst of which came in 1956, shortly after he had lost 150 pounds in a few months.

Politics and government
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower named Neil McElroy, President of the hygiene products firm Procter & Gamble, to succeed Charles Wilson as U.S. Defense Secretary, following Mr. Wilson's resignation.

Crime
A U.S. federal grand jury indicted Rudolf Abel, alleged colonel with the Soviet secret police force KGB, on charges of conspiring to provide the U.S.S.R. with U.S. defense data.

Law
The U.S. Senate passed and returned to the House of Representatives the Eisenhower Administration's civil rights bill, amended to provide enforcement power only to protect voting rights and to guarantee jury trial for criminal contempt defendants.

Defense
U.S. disarmament negotiator Harold Stassen said that Western air and ground inspection plans would be linked to a cessation of nuclear weapons tests whenever ratification of a first-stage disarmament treaty was complete.

Trinidad and Tobago Chief Minister Eric Williams, in a speech before the Trinidad Legislative Council, asked that the United States move its Trinidad naval base from Chaguaramas to another site in order that Chaguaramas Peninsula could be used as the site of the West Indian Federation's capital.

Health
U.S. President Eisenhower asked Congress for a special $500,000 appropriation to enable the Public Health Administration to prepare to cope with a possible epidemic of Asiatic flu in the United States.

Football
IRFU
Pre-season
Toronto (0-1) 9 @ Hamilton (2-0) 25

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): La Caza--Juan y Junior (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
Coronet Blue, starring Frank Converse, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Presence of Evil

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (1-0) 24 @ British Columbia (0-2) 16

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Boogie Nights--Heat Wave

Labour
Canadian air traffic controllers began a three-day strike for higher wages.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): It's a Sin--Pet Shop Boys (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Camille Chamoun, 87. 7th President of Lebanon, 1952-1958. Mr. Chamoun, a Maronite Christian, was a member of the Constitutional Bloc from 1934 until 1958, when he founded the National Liberal Party. He was a member of the Lebanese Parliament from 1934-1952, 1960-1964, and 1968 until his death from a heart attack. Mr. Chamoun was one of Lebanon's most prominent Christian leaders during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990).

War
The presidents of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Guatemala signed a preliminary peace agreement in Guatemala City. The accord incorporated the main points of a proposal set forth in February by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, and provided for a 90-day time frame for implementing its provisions. The plan called for a dialogue between governments and unarmed internal opposition groups in each country; cease-fires where guerrillas were operating; a cessation of states of emergency; and an end to regional or outside aid to anti-government forces.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had declined to 5.9% in July.

Swimming
Lynne Cox became the first person to swim from the U.S.A. to the U.S.S.R., going 2.7 miles across the Bering Strait from Alaska to Siberia.

Canadian marathon swimmer Vicki Keith completed the first double crossing of Lake Ontario; she estimated that she lost 40 pounds during the 56-hour swim.

Disasters
Up to 100 people died when a bus crashed into a canal in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (4-3) 20 @ Toronto (4-2-1) 23

Ken Joiner’s fingertip catch of Gilbert Renfroe’s pass in full flight for a 44-yard touchdown with 3:22 remaining in regulation time was the difference as the Argonauts edged the Eskimos before 30,264 fans (including this blogger) at Exhibition Stadium. The Eskimos scored touchdowns on their first and last possessions of the game, but could manage only 2 Jerry Kauric field goals in between. The Eskimos scored first on a 4-yard touchdown rush by Milson Jones in the 1st quarter, but the Argonauts answered with a 1-yard touchdown rush by Gill Fenerty. Lance Chomyc kicked 3 field goals to Mr. Kauric’s 2 before Mr. Joiner’s touchdown. Edmonton quarterback Damon Allen completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Brian Kelly with 39 seconds remaining in regulation time, and Mr. Kauric’s convert drew the Eskimos to within 3 points, but Mr. Kauric’s short kickoff was recovered by the Argonauts. Mr. Kelly’s score, a spectacular grab on the goal line with two defensive backs draped on him, was the 89th of his CFL career, giving him the CFL career record for touchdown receptions, one more than former teammate Tom Scott. Mr. Allen entered the game in the 3rd quarter in relief of starter Matt Dunigan, who pulled his right hamstring and was out of the lineup for the next month.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): It's My Life--Dr. Alban (2nd week at #1)

Defense
Canada joined a 39-nation Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland to sign a treaty, after 24 years of talks, to ban chemical weapons.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had declined from 7.8% to 7.7% in July. The number of payroll jobs was reported to be up by 198,000 in July.

Football
CFL
Calgary (4-1) 21 @ Saskatchewan (2-3) 30

The Saskatchewan defense made 3 interceptions against Calgary quarterback Doug Flutie and sacked him 4 times as the Roughriders beat the Stampeders before 21,100 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Saskatchewan quarterback Kent Austin completed touchdown passes to Don Narcisse and Lucius Floyd in the 2nd quarter and handed off to Milson Jones for a touchdown run early in the 3rd quarter. Mr. Flutie completed 31 of 63 passes for 487 yards and rushed 5 times for 42 yards, but the Stampeders scored just 1 touchdown, a 15-yard pass from Mr. Flutie to Carl Bland with 12:29 remaining in regulation time.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): I'll Be Missing You--Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Mato--Apulanta (5th week at #1)

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Discovery, with a six-member crew commanded by Curtis Brown, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin the 11-day mission STS-85.

Football
CFL
Toronto (5-2) 35 @ Calgary (3-4) 45
Winnipeg (1-6) 11 @ Edmonton (6-1) 45

Danny McManus completed 33 of 46 passes for 497 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Eskimos overcame an early 10-0 deficit to rout the Blue Bombers before 29,293 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Jimmy Kemp relieved Mr. McManus in the 4th quarter and completed 3 of 6 passes for 98 yards, giving the Eskimos a single-game team record of 595 yards. Darren Flutie tied a club record for a single game with 15 receptions, for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns (6 and 7 yards) and a 2-point convert. Henry "Gizmo" Williams (38 yards) and Robert Gordon (14 yards) caught Mr. McManus's other TD passes. Tony Burse rushed 1 yard for the other Edmonton touchdown.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Hank Morgenweck, 78. U.S. baseball umpire. Mr. Morgenweck began his begun his professional umpiring career in the Georgia State League in 1954 and worked his way up through the minor leagues, working in the International League from 1958-1960 before retiring from umpiring from 1961-1969. He was reinstated in the IL on August 10, 1969, and made his major league debut as a replacement when regular umpires went on strike for the first game of the National League Championship Series on October 3, 1970. Mr. Morgenweck became a regular American League umpire in 1972, working 623 regular season games from 1972-1975 (including the first two major league games that this blogger attended, in 1974) and all 3 games of the American League Championship Series in 1975. He died of cancer.

Baseball
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 22nd home run of the season and 756th of his major league career, officially breaking Hank Aaron's record, but the Giants lost 8-6 to the Washington Nationals before 43,154 fans at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The record blast came off Mike Bacsik with 1 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 5th inning.

Todd Helton drove in 4 runs with a pair of home runs to help the Colorado Rockies defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-4 before 30,280 fans at Coors Field in Denver. The Rockies scored 5 runs in the 6th and 5 in the 8th. Edwin Bellorin made his major league debut with Colorado, playing the first 4 innings behind the plate, batting 0 for 1 and making 1 putout.

Grady Sizemore singled home Jhonny Peralta and Jason Michaels with 2 out in the top of the 5th inning to enable the Cleveland Indians to edge the Chicago White Sox 2-1 before 32,315 fans at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Jake Westbrook allowed just 2 hits and 1 earned run in 8 innings to get the win. The White Sox had runners on first and third bases with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, but Joe Borowski struck out A.J. Pierzynski to end the game.