October 18, 2017

600 years ago
1417

Died on this date
Gregory XII, 90 or 91. Roman Catholic Pope, 1406-1415. Gregory XII, born Angelo Corraro, succeeded Innocent VII. Pope Gregory was forced to resign in order to end the Western Schism, in which three men claimed to be Pope. Gregory XII was succeeded by Martin V.

350 years ago
1667

Died on this date
Fasilides, 63. Emperor of Ethiopia, 1632-1667. Fasilides was the son of Emperor Susenyos I and Empress Sultana Mogassa, and succeeded his father on the throne. He restored the official position of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and was credited with founding the city of Gondar and establishing it as Ethiopia's capital. Fasilides was succeeded by Yohannes I.

170 years ago
1847

Communications
A telegraph line was completed from Quebec to London, Canada West.

150 years ago
1867

Americana
The United States took possession of Alaska after purchasing it from Russia for $7.2 million.

140 years ago
1877

Communications
Hugh Baker, Charles Cory, T. C. Mewburn, and Mrs. I. R. Thompson received the world's first telephone service, installed by the Bell Telephone Company in Hamilton, Ontario.

130 years ago
1887

Born on this date
Takashi Sakai. Japanese military officer and politician. Lieutenant-General Sakai led the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941, and served as Governor of Hong Kong under military occupation from December 25, 1941-February 20, 1942. The Chinese War Crimes Military Tribunal of the Ministry of National Defense in Nanking convicted him of war crimes and handed down a death sentence on August 27, 1946. Lt.-Gen. Sakai was executed by firing squad on September 30, 1946, 18 days before his 59th birthday.

Baseball
World Series
Detroit Wolverines 9 St. Louis Browns 2 @ Boston (Detroit led 15-game series 6-2)

Sam Thompson hit 2 home runs for the Wolverines as they beat the Browns before 2,891 fans at Dartmouth Street Grounds. Charlie Getzein won the pitching matchup over Bob Caruthers.

125 years ago
1892

Died on this date
William W. Chapman, 84. U.S. politician. Mr. Chapman was born and raised in Virginia and began his political career in Iowa, but made his mark in Oregon, where he served briefly in the Territorial Legislature and later in the state House of Representatives. He practiced law in Portland and helped to found The Oregonian newspaper in 1850. Chapman Square, a park in downtown Portland, is one of the landmarks named in honour of Mr. Chapman.

Baseball
The Boston Beaneaters edged the Cleveland Spiders 4-3 to take a 1-0-1 lead in the National League championship playoff series before 7,000 fans at National League Park in Cleveland. Harry Staley was the winning pitcher over John Clarkson.

75 years ago
1942

On the radio
Stage, on CBC
Tonight's episode: Nazi Eyes on Canada: The Holly Metcalf and Bob, with guest stars Judith Evelyn and Vincent Price

War
The U.S.S.R. government claimed that 45 German tanks had been destroyed and 3,000 troops disabled as Soviet forces held off attacks in Stalingrad. Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey was named to replace Vice Admiral Robert Ghormley as commander of U.S. forces in the South Pacific.

Defense
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Princeton was launched at Camden, New Jersey.

Politics and government
The Australian government created a special Ministry of Shipping, to be headed by John A. Beasley.

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Near You--Francis Craig and his Orchestra (5th week at #1)

At the movies
Bury Me Dead, directed by Bernard Vorhaus, and starring Cathy O'Donnell, June Lockhart, Hugh Beaumont, and Mark Daniels, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Michiaki Kamada, 57. Japanese military officer. Vice Admiral Kamada commanded Japanese naval forces in Borneo in 1944-1945, and was military governor of Borneo. He surrendered his forces on September 8, 1945, and was executed after being sentenced to death by a Dutch military court for the executions of 1,500 west Borneo natives in 1944 and the ill treatment of 2,000 Dutch prisoners of war held on Flores Island.

Defense
British authorities in Palestine announced that Palestine Arab units had begun to replace U.K. forces on the country's borders.

Journalism
The Athens Court of Appeals suspended the Communist newspapers Rizospastis and Eleftheri Ellada for the duration of Greece's civil war.

Economics and finance
U.S. Interior Secretary Julius Krug issued a report on American resources showing that the country could furnish up to $20 billion in Marshall Plan aid to Europe without damaging her own security or standard of living. Nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations and Armed Forces committees, returning to Washington from a European inspection trip, asserted that an aid program must be considered immediately to forestall the "complete downfall of Europe."

Chinese Communist radio announced the start of a land reform program abolishing landlord holdings and cancelling all debts in the countryside.

Football
IRFU
Hamilton (1-7-1) 8 @ Ottawa (7-2) 13
Montreal (3-6) 3 @ Toronto (6-2-1) 25

WIFU
Saskatchewan (3-4) 9 @ Winnipeg (4-3) 1

WIFU-Canadian university
Exhibition
University of Saskatchewan (0-3) 0 @ Calgary (2-0) 28

ORFU
Sarnia (0-8) 7 @ Hamilton (8-0) 24
Ottawa (5-2-1) 23 @ Windsor (3-6) 6

Gabe Patterson kicked 3 field goals for the Roughriders as they beat the Blue Bombers before 4,000 fans at Osborne Stadium. Bob Sandberg punted for the Winnipeg point.

Darrell Wardien completed a 90-yard touchdown pass to Wally Stephens on the first play of the game to give the Stampeders all the points they needed against the Huskies before 1,200 fans at Mewata Stadium. Mr. Wardien completed a 44-yard touchdown pass to Ken Sluman as Calgary led 17-0 after the 1st quarter. Mr. Wardien scored a touchdown of his own in the 4th quarter, and Bill McCourt returned an interception 65 yards for the other TD.

Canadian university
Toronto (1-1) 23 @ Queen's (0-1-1) 6
McGill (0-1-1) 5 @ Western Ontario (2-0) 56

Canadian university-U.S. college
Exhibition
Montana State Normal 16 @ University of Alberta (1-2) 6

Dale Tash rushed 75 yards for a touchdown in the 1st quarter and Jack Murray caught a pass for a TD in the 2nd quarter to help the Bulldogs defeat the Golden Bears before 3,000 fans at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton. Steve Mendryk rushed 2 yards for the Alberta touchdown late in the game, which was played under American rules.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Bambino--Dalida (29th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Diana--Paul Anka (8th week at #1)

On television tonight
Harbor Command, starring Wendell Corey
Tonight's episode: Murder on Pier 7

Journalism
The Montreal Herald, the city's oldest newspaper, ceased publication after 146 years.

Diplomacy
Turkey rejected Syria's charges of Turkish troop concentration in the Syrian border area.

Politics and government
Conservative lawyer and Moslem League leader Ismail Ibrahim Chundrigar took office as Prime Minister of Pakistan, heading a coalition cabinet.

Following a parliamentary defeat on a censure motion against its economic program, the Agrarian cabinet of Finnish Prime Minister V.J. Sukselainen resigned.

The French National Assembly rejected conservative independent Antoine Pinay's attempt to form a new cabinet.

Energy
U.S. and U.K. scientists meeting at Princeton University reported that experiments "suggest the achievement of neutrons from thermonuclear reaction," a substantial step toward production of power from fusion of the hydrogen atom.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees (2nd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 It Must Be Him--Vikki Carr (2nd week at #1)
2 The Last Waltz--Engelbert Humperdinck
3 Itchycoo Park--Small Faces
4 San Franciscan Nights--Eric Burdon & the Animals
5 Little Ole Wine Drinker, Me--Dean Martin
6 We Love You/Dandelion--The Rolling Stones
7 Don't Sleep in the Subway--Petula Clark
8 I Dig Rock and Roll Music--Peter, Paul and Mary
9 Ode to Billie Joe--Bobbie Gentry
10 The Day I Met Marie--Cliff Richard

Singles entering the chart were (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts by the Bee Gees (#16); Hole in My Shoe by Traffic (#24); Homburg by Procol Harum (#35); A Banda by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (#36); The River is Wide by Forum (#38); and Sit Down, I Think I Love You by the Executives (#40).

At the movies
How I Won the War, produced and directed by Richard Lester, and starring Michael Crawford, John Lennon, and others, received its premiere screening in London.



Clambake, starring Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, Bill Bixby, and Will Hutchins, opened in theatres.



Space
The Soviet probe Venera 4 landed on Venus, and became the first successful probe to perform in-place analysis of the environment of another planet. The probe had been launched on June 12, 1967.

The United States launched Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) 4 from Cape Kennedy, Florida.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (2-10-1) 16 @ Ottawa (7-4) 19

Don Sutherin kicked a field goal with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game to give the Rough Riders their win over the Lions before 19,302 fans at Lansdowne Park. B.C. receiver Jim Young caught 7 passes for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns.

40 years ago
1977

Died on this date
Hanns-Martin Schleyer, 62. West German business executive. Mr. Schleyer was President of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA) (Confederation of German Employers' Associations) and Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI) (Federation of German Industries). He was kidnapped on Sepetember 5, 1977 in Cologne by members of the Red Army Faction, also known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang. Upon news of the suicides of three imprisoned RAF leaders following the end of the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 181, Mr. Schleyer's captors shot him to death and stuffed his body in the trunk of a car, where it was found the following day.

Gudrun Ensslin, 37; Andreas Baader, 34; Jan-Carl Raspe, 33. West German terrorists. Miss Ensslin and Messrs. Baader and Raspe were members of the Red Army Faction, also known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang, and had been in prison since 1972 for terrorist activities. They committed suicide in their cells after the ending of the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 181.

Terrorism
The hijacking by West German Red Army Faction terrorists of Lufthansa Flight 181 ended with West German counter-terrorism group GSG 9 storming the plane in Mogadishu, Somalia and rescuing all 86 passengers.

World events
Four prominent Czechoslovakian dissidents were sentenced in Prague to prison from 14-42 months on charges of subversion. Frantisek Pavlicek, who had allegedly slandered the state in articles published abroad, and future Czech President Vaclav Havel who had allegedly tried to smuggle abroad the banned memoirs of a former government minister, were given suspended sentences. Former theater director Ota Ornest was sentenced to 42 months in prison for allegedly maintaining "conspiratorial links" with foreign diplomats and agents in France and Italy. Journalist Jiri Lederer was sentenced to three years in prison on similar charges.

Baseball
World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers 4 @ New York Yankees 8 (New York won best-of-seven series 4-2)

Reggie Jackson hit home runs in each of his last 3 times at bat to tie Babe Ruth's record for homers in a World Series game, and set a record with 5 home runs in a single World Series as the Yankees defeated the Dodgers before 56,407 fans at Yankee Stadium for their 21st World Series championship, and their first since 1962. Mike Torrez pitched a 9-hit complete game for his second win of the series, and caught Lee Lacy's popup for the last out.



30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Game of Love--Tex Pistol

#1 single in Switzerland: You Win Again--Bee Gees

#1 single in France: La Bamba--Los Lobos

Diplomacy
Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow of Senegal withdrew on the fifth ballot of his attempt to be re-elected as director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. He had been widely criticized for wastefulness and anti-Western attitudes, and the U.S.A. and U.K. had pulled out of UNESCO.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (9-6) 25 @ Saskatchewan (5-9-1) 34

Edmonton quarterbacks Matt Dunigan (5) and Damon Allen (2) combined to throw 7 interceptions as the Eskimos lost to the Roughriders before 24,282 fans at Taylor Field in Regina. Saskatchewan’s Walter Bender rushed 19 times for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns, and scored another TD on a 22-yard pass from Kent Austin. Mr. Austin, playing his second CFL game, completed 26 of 37 passes for 333 yards. The Eskimos scored both their touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. Don Wilson intercepted a pass from Mr. Austin on the Roughriders’ first play from scrimmage and returned it 47 yards, and Milson Jones added a 1-yard touchdown rush.



Baseball
World Series
St. Louis Cardinals 4 @ Minnesota Twins 8 (Minnesota led best-of-seven series 2-0)

The Twins scored 6 runs in the 4th inning as they beat the Cardinals before 55,257 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. Bert Blyleven pitched 7 innings to get the win over Danny Cox.



25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): End of the Road--Boyz II Men

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Birthday Song--Power Pack

#1 single in Switzerland: Sweat (A La La La La Long)--Inner Circle (3rd week at #1)

Football
CFL
Ottawa (7-8) 4 @ Toronto (6-9) 10
Hamilton (9-6) 15 @ Winnipeg (8-7) 24
Saskatchewan (7-8) 30 @ Calgary (11-4) 34

Linebacker Jeff Braswell made 6 tackles, 2 quarterback sacks, an interception, and a fumble recovery as the Argonauts defeated the Rough Riders before 26,337 fans at SkyDome. Kevin Smellie rushed 4 yards in the 3rd quarter for the game’s only touchdown. Tom Burgess started at quarterback for the Rough Riders but completed just 9 of 24 passes for 118 yards before being relieved by Scott Campbell.

Michael Richardson rushed 24 times for 109 yards and a touchdown as the Blue Bombers beat the Tiger-Cats before 25,543 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. Warren Hudson rushed 3 yards for the other Winnipeg touchdown with 25 seconds left in the game. Hamilton quarterback Damon Allen scored his team’s only touchdown on an 8-yard rush in the 1st quarter. Winnipeg quarterbacks Danny McManus and Sammy Garza combined to complete just 9 of 26 passes.

The Stampeders withstood a late rally to defeat the Roughriders before 24,451 fans at McMahon Stadium. Calgary quarterback Doug Flutie completed 2 touchdown passes to Dave Sapunjis and another to Allen Pitts and rushed for a touchdown of his own as the Stampeders led 33-14 with 8½ minutes remaining in the game. Saskatchewan quarterback Kent Austin, who had completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Byron Williams in the 3rd quarter, then completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Ray Elgaard and a 2-point convert pass to Don Narcisse with 6:42 remaining to make the score 33-22. Lucius Floyd rushed 3 yards for a touchdown and Mr. Austin passed to Mr. Williams for a 2-point convert to make the score 33-30 with 2:46 remaining. Mark McLoughlin missed a long field goal attempt for a single point with 1:44 remaining to increase the Calgary lead to 4 points. Mr. Flutie completed 26 of 42 passes for 296 passes, while Mr. Austin was 23 for 43 for 334 yards; both quarterbacks went over 5,000 yards passing for the season. Mr. Sapunjis caught 9 passes for 120 yards to become the first Canadian with the Stampeders to go over 1,000 yards receiving in a season since Gerry Shaw in 1972.

Baseball
World Series
Toronto Blue Jays 5 @ Atlanta Braves 4 (Best-of-seven series tied 1-1)

Down 4-2 after 7 innings, the Blue Jays rallied for a run in the 8th inning and 2 in the 9th to record their first ever win in a World Series game. Pinch hitter Ed Sprague's 2-run home run off Jeff Reardon with 1 out was the deciding blow as the Blue Jays became the first Canadian team to win a World Series game. David Cone started on the mound for Toronto but lasted just 4 1/3 innings; Duane Ward, the fourth Toronto pitcher, pitched a scoreless 8th inning and was credited with the win, while Tom Henke allowed runners to reach first and second bases in the bottom of the 9th but was able to preserve the victory. John Smoltz started for Atlanta and pitched 7 1/3 innings. 51,763 attended the game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which began on an awkward note when a colour guard of U.S. Marines carried the Canadian flag upside down onto the field. Canadian singer Tom Cochrane then flubbed the lyrics to O Canada, providing another argument for doing away with singing of anthems before games.



20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Barbie Girl--Aqua (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Candle in the Wind 1997--Elton John (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Candle in the Wind 1997--Elton John (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997--Elton John (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997--Elton John (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight--Elton John (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight--Elton John (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight--Elton John (2nd week at #1)

Football
CFL
Calgary (9-8) 17 @ Toronto (15-2) 48

Mike "Pinball" Clemons amassed 267 all-purpose yards to help the Argonauts beat the Stampeders before 24,083 fans at SkyDome. It was the 148th career regular season win for Toronto head coach Don Matthews, breaking the record held by former Toronto coach Frank Clair.



Baseball
World Series
Cleveland Indians 4 @ Florida Marlins 7 (Florida led best-of-seven series 1-0)

Moisés Alou hit a 3-run home run and Charles Johnson followed him with a home run as the Marlins broke a 1-1 tie with 4 runs in the 4th inning and beat the Indians before 67,245 fans at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens in the first World Series game ever played in Florida.



10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
William Crowe, 82. U.S. military officer and diplomat. Admiral Crowe was a career officer with the United States Navy, culminating in service as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1985-1989). He retired from the Navy in 1989, but returned to public service in 1993, and served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1994-1997.

Terrorism
A suicide attack on a motorcade in Karachi carrying former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto killed 139 people and wounded 450 more; Mrs. Bhutto herself was uninjured.

Baseball
American League Championship Series
Boston 7 @ Cleveland 1 (Cleveland led best-of-seven series 3-2)

The Red Sox scored 2 runs in the 7th inning and 3 in the 8th to break up a close game as they defeated the Indians before 44,588 fans at Jacobs Field.