November 19, 2017

925 years ago
1092

Died on this date
Malik-Shah I, 37 or 39. Sultan of the Seljuq Empire, 1072-1092. Malik-Shah I, born Jalāl al-Dawla Mu'izz al-Dunyā Wa'l-Din Abu'l-Fatḥ ibn Alp Arslān, the son of Sultan Alp Arslan, took the throne after fighting off a claim by his uncle Qavurt. During Malik-Shah's reign, the Seljuq Empire reached its zenith, expanding to the border of China in the east and the Byzantines in the west. Sultan Malik-Shah died while hunting in Baghdad, with suspicions that he was poisoned by followers of either the Caliph or his vizier, Nizam al-Mulk. Sultan Malik-Shah was succeeded by his 4-year-old son Mahmud I, but the empire quickly fell into chaos.

350 years ago
1667

Died on this date
Robert Wallop, 66. English politician. Mr. Wallop represented various ridings in the House of Commons from 1621-1629 and 1640-1660, and was one of the regicides of King Charles I in 1649. After the restoration of the monarch in 1660, Mr. Wallop was degraded and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1662.

170 years ago
1847

Transportation
The Montreal and Lachine Railroad, the second in Canada, opened. It was a 7.5-mile- (12 kilometre-) line with service between Bonaventure Station in Montreal and the Saint Lawrence River, bypassing the Lachine Rapids. It also became valuable as a winter alternative to the Lachine Canal, which was then being rebuilt and widened.

150 years ago
1867

Canadiana
The British government rejected a request to allow British Columbia to join Confederation immediately.

120 years ago
1897

Born on this date
Bud Green. Austro-Hungarian-born U.S. songwriter. Moses David Green was an infant when he emigrated to the United States with his family. His songs included Alabama Bound; That's My Weakness Now; Flat Foot Floogie; and Sentimental Journey. Mr. Green also wrote songs for movies such as Syncopation (1929) and Big Boy (1930). He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975, and died on January 2, 1981 at the age of 83.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Indira Gandhi. Prime Minister of India, 1966-1977, 1980-1984. Mrs. Gandhi, the daughter of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was a member of the Indian National Congress Party, and held various cabinet posts before being chosen to succeed the late Lal Shastri as Prime Minister. She was known for her willingness to centralize power, and instituted a state of emergency from 1975-1977, ruling be decree. The India National Congress was defeated in the 1977 elections, but returned to power in 1980. Mrs. Gandhi was shot to death on October 31, 1984, 19 days before her 67th birthday, by two of her bodyguards, reported to be Sikhs, as she walked from her residence through a garden to an interview with actor Peter Ustinov (see also here).

90 years ago
1927

Football
Dominion Semi-Final
Hamilton Tigers 21 @ Queen's University 6

WCRFU
Finals
Regina 19 @ University of British Columbia 0 (Regina won best-of-three series 2-0)

Glen Small and Brian Timmis scored touchdowns and Pep Leadley kicked 3 field goals for the Tigers as they beat the Tricolor at Richardson Stadium in Kingston to advance to the Grey Cup a week later against Toronto Balmy Beach, champions of the Ontario Rugby Football Union. Queen's opened the scoring in the 1st quarter when Mr. Languay of the Tigers fumbled a punt and Mr. Britton recovered and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown, but Hamilton controlled the play thereafter. Harry Batstone, the great Queen's halfback, punted in the pre-game warmup, but was suffering from a foot injury, and didn't play in what was his last game.

The Roughriders elected not to compete for the Grey Cup after sweeping the series against UBC at Athletic Park in Vancouver.

75 years ago
1942

War
Russian forces under General Georgy Zhukov launched the Operation Uranus counterattacks at Stalingrad, turning the tide of the battle in the U.S.S.R.'s favor. British troops in Libya overtook fleeing Axi forces south of Bengazi.

Diplomacy
Mexico and the U.S.S.R. resumed diplomatic relations.

Africana
Mutesa II was crowned the 35th and last Kabaka (king) of Buganda, prior to its restoration in 1993 as a subnational kingdom within Uganda.

Business
The U.S. Justice Department charged Bendix Aviation Corporation with conspiring with German, Italian, Japanese, and other foreign governments to divide world markets and fix prices of aviation equipment, dating from 1935.

70 years ago
1947

Diplomacy
The nine-nation partition subcommittee presented to the United Nations General Assembly's Palestine Committee its complete plan for the partition of Palestine. The plan provided for British withdrawal by August 1, 1948; progressive turning over of civil authority to separate Jewish and Arab states; and UN administration of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Politics and government
French Prime Minister Paul Ramadier resigned under attack from Communists and Gaullists for failure to lessen the country's economic problems.

Economics and finance
U.S. and U.K. military authorities in Germany turned over management of the Ruhr coal industry to a German board responsible to a U.S.-U.K. control group.

The Austrian Parliament passed a bill introducing a new currency at one-third the value of the current schilling.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved President Harry Truman's $597-million emergency aid bill for France, Italy, and Austria.

Mexico paid the United States a second installment of $2.5 million for settlement of property claims by U.S. citizens.

Dun & Bradstreet's commodity price index reached another record high of 293.94% of the 1930-32 index.

60 years ago
1957

War
U.S. agents near Key West, Florida arrested 31 Cubans preparing to sail for Cuba in a yacht laden with arms, medical supplies, and uniforms destined for guerrilla forces led by Fidel Castro.

Diplomacy
Egyptian War Minister Abdel Hakim Amer, visiting Moscow, issued a joint communique with Soviet leaders declaring that agreement had been reached on "questions of political and economic collaboration, as well as military questions."

Saudi Arabian King Saud offered to mediate the dispute between Jordan and Egypt.

Politics and government
The Laotian National Assembly unanimously approved a new "Union cabinet" formed by Prince Souvanna Phouma and including Pathet Lao leaders Prince Souphanouvong and Phoumi Vong Vichit.

Music
Leonard Bernstein was named musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, succeeding Dimitri Mitropoulos.

Crime
A Japanese military court convicted U.S. Army Private William Gerard of killing a Japanese woman, and gave him a three-year suspended sentence.

Academia
The U.S. National Education Association reported in Washington that 23.5% of new U.S. college instructors held Ph.D. degrees, compared to 31.4% in 1952-53.

Labour
The Hungarian government announced that workers councils established during the 1956 revolt had been abolished and replaced by factory councils controlled by government-run trade unions.

50 years ago
1967

Television
TVB, the first wireless commercial station in Hong Kong, was established.

Politics and government
Former Quebec Liberal Party member René Lévesque founded the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association in Montréal; it was later folded into the Parti québécois.

Football
CFL
Eastern Finals
Hamilton 11 @ Ottawa 3 (First game of 2-game total points series)

Allen Smith, playing his first CFL game, rushed 37 yards for a touchdown early in the 1st quarter as the Tiger-Cats beat the Rough Riders before 22,287 fans at Lansdowne Park.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood--Santa Esmeralda (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Belfast--Boney M.

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): 't Smurfenlied--Vader Abraham (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft--Carpenters (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K (BMRB): The Name of the Game--ABBA (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): You Light Up My Life--Debby Boone (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 You Light Up My Life--Debby Boone (7th week at #1)
2 Boogie Nights--Heatwave
3 Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue--Crystal Gayle
4 Nobody Does it Better--Carly Simon
5 Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band--Meco
6 How Deep is Your Love--Bee Gees
7 It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me--Barry White
8 Heaven on the 7th Floor--Paul Nicholas
9 Baby, What a Big Surprise--Chicago
10 Just Remember I Love You--Firefall

Singles entering the chart were Turn to Stone by Electric Light Orchestra (#72); Girls' School/Mull of Kintyre by Wings (#82); If You're Not Back in Love by Monday by Millie Jackson (#84); Lovely Day by Bill Withers (#89); (You're My) Soul and Inspiration by Donny and Marie Osmond (#90); How Can I Leave You Again by John Denver (#97); and Was Dog a Doughnut by Cat Stevens (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 You Light Up My Life--Debby Boone (2nd week at #1)
2 Nobody Does it Better--Carly Simon
3 Boogie Nights--Heatwave
4 I Feel Love--Donna Summer
5 Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue--Crystal Gayle
6 Baby, What a Big Surprise--Chicago
7 Just Remember I Love You--Firefall
8 Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band--Meco
9 Cold as Ice--Foreigner
10 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill

Singles entering the chart were (Love Is) Thicker than Water by Andy Gibb (#79); My Way by Elvis Presley (#88); Point of Know Return by Kansas (#93); I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick (#98); Heaven on the 7th Floor by Paul Nicholas (#99); and Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel (#100).

Diplomacy
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Egyptian head of state to visit Israel when he arrived in Jerusalem; he was greeted by Israeli President Ephraim Katzir and Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and spent an hour in talks with Mr. Begin.



Society
The first U.S. National Women's Conference began in Houston, Texas.

Disasters
A cyclone that swept the coast of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh left 20,000 people dead and more than 2 million homeless.

TAP Portugal Flight 425, a Boeing 727 en route from Brussels, crashed in a rainstorm at the Funchal, Madeira airport, killing 131 people.

Hockey
NHL
Boston 3 @ Toronto 1

Football
CFL
Eastern Final
Ottawa 18 @ Montreal 21

Don Sweet kicked a 28-yard field goal with 12:08 remaining in regulation time and a single on a missed field goal later in the 4th quarter as the Alouettes edged the Rough Riders before 55,100 fans at Olympic Stadium, ending Ottawa's reign as Grey Cup champions. The Rough Riders had a chance to tie the game on the last play of regulation time, but Gerry Organ's 53-yard field goal attempt fell short. Montreal offensive tackle Max Huber, who had never played in a Grey Cup game and had seldom played in the playoffs in his 10-year CFL career, suffered a career-ending knee injury.

CIAU
Canadian College Bowl @ Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Western Ontario 48 Acadia 15

Jamie Bone completed 18 of 22 passes for 275 yards and Bill Rozalowsky rushed 23 times for 177 yards to help the Mustangs rout the Axemen. It was the second straight year in which UWO had defeated Acadia to win the Vanier Cup, and the second straight year in which Mr. Rozalowsky was named the winner of the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game's Most Valuable Player. Acadia quarterback Bob Cameron completed 16 of 33 passes for 227 yards.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): End of the Road--Boyz II Men (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Diane Varsi, 54. U.S. actress. Miss Varsi was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting performance in her first movie, Peyton Place (1957). Her other films included Ten North Frederick (1958) and Compulsion (1959), but emotional, and later, physical problems, limited her career. Miss Varsi died of respiratory failure and lyme disease.

Bobby Russell, 52. U.S. musician. Mr. Russell was a country and pop singer and songwriter, best known for the latter. His compositions included the songs Honey; Little Green Apples--winner of the 1968-69 Grammy Award for Song of the Year; and The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, which was a major hit in 1973 for his then-wife, Vicki Lawrence. As a performer, Mr. Russell's biggest hit single was Saturday Morning Confusion, which reached #24 on the Billboard country chart and #28 on the Hot 100 pop chart in 1971. Mr. Russell died of heart disease.

Abominations
Sir Stephen Brown, president of the Family Division of the High Court in London, gave doctors permission to disconnect a feeding tube from Tony Bland, who had been in a persistent vegetative state since being crushed in an overcrowded grandstand at the football stadium in Hillsborough in 1989. Mr. Bland's doctors said that he might survive for five years, but that there was no hope for recovery. Judge Brown ruled that feeding through a tube was medical treatment. Although Mr. Bland was not dead and was not in the process of dying, Judge Brown thought in was in accordance with good medical practice to allow Mr. Bland to die of starvation over a period of days. Anti-euthanasia activists protested the ruling.

20 years ago
1997

Labour
45,000 Canadian postal workers went on strike after Canada Post ordered staffing levels cut.

10 years ago
2007

Technology
Amazon.com Inc. introduced the Kindle, an electronic book-reading device.