November 20, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Silvia Castro!

150 years ago
1867

Disasters
The Great Western Railway workshops in Hamilton, Ontario burnt.

140 years ago
1877

Communications
The first telegraph service between Edmonton and Calgary opened.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
J.B. Collip. Canadian biochemist. Dr. Collip co-discovered insulin, with Frederick Banting, J.R. MacLeod, and Charles Best, but Dr. Collip's role has largely been forgotten. He was head of the biochemistry department at the University of Alberta from 1922-1928, and occupied the same position at McGill University from 1928-1941. Dr. Collip was Dean of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario from 1947-1961. He died on June 19, 1965 at the age of 72.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Bobby Locke. S.A. golfer. Mr. Locke won the British Open in 1949, 1950, 1952, and 1957, as well as the Canadian Open in 1947 and the South African Open nine times from 1937-1955. He died on March 9, 1987 at the age of 69.

Robert Byrd. U.S. politician. Mr. Byrd, born Cornelius Calvin Sale, Jr., was an Exalted Cyclops in a local branch of the Ku Klux Klan in West Virginia in the 1940s, but later renounced racism. A Democrat, he represented West Virginia's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1953-1959 and represented the state in the Senate from 1959 until his death on June 28, 2010 at the age of 92. Sen. Byrd was the longest-serving Senator in American history, and at the time of his death, was the longest-serving member of Congress in history. He held numerous offices in the Senate, and was a master at obtaining pork barrel spending for West Virginia.

War
The Canadian Cavalry Brigade and Newfoundland Regiment fought with Julian Byng's British 3rd Army in the first effective tank attack in history, taking the important French town of Cambrai. Canadian Army Lieutenant Harcus Strachan, of the Fort Garry Horse exhibited valour under fire at Masnières, France that earned him the Victoria Cross.

90 years ago
1927

Died on this date
Wilhelm Stenhammar, 56. Swedish composer and conductor. Mr. Stenhammar was a pianist whose compositions included two symphonies and numerous works for piano.

80 years ago
1937

Football
CRU
IRFU
Finals
Toronto 11 @ Ottawa 15 (1st game of 2-game total points series)

The Rough Riders came back from an 8-4 halftime deficit to defeat the Argonauts in a roughly-played game before almost 12,000 fans at Lansdowne Park. Toronto's Art Evans recovered a fumbled punt at the Ottawa 10-yard line and returned it to the 1, from where Ted Morris rushed for a touchdown to give the Argonauts a 5-0 lead less than 3 minutes into the game; Annis Stukus's convert attempt was blocked. Ottawa's Tiny Herman kicked a field goal to make the score 5-3 after 1 quarter. In the 2nd quarter, Mr. Stukus kicked a field goal to make it 8-3, and Eddie Roccano punted for a single for the Rough Riders. The Rough Riders began to control play in the 3rd quarter, and took the lead when Andy Tommy rushed 1 yard for a touchdown on a third-down gamble. Mr. Herman converted to give Ottawa a 10-8 lead after 3 quarters. Mr. Stukus kicked another field goal early in the 4th quarter to give the Argonauts an 11-10 lead, but Mr. Roccano punted 50 yards for a single to tie the score, and Mr. Herman kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Rough Riders a 14-11 lead. Mr. Roccano punted for another single to close the scoring. Toronto centre Bud Lewis broke his wrist in the 1st quarter, and teammate Earl Selkirk suffered a groin injury in the 2nd quarter. Toronto punter Bob Isbister took the pre-game warmup, but was unable to play because of an injury to his side. Toronto tackle Clary Burt and Ottawa end Rick Perley were ejected for getting into a fight in the 4th quarter; Mr. Perley ended up with a broken nose.

ORFU
Final
Montreal 0 @ Sarnia 63

The Imperials scored 11 touchdowns as they routed the Westmounts at Athletic Park. Bummer Stirling, Orm Beach, and Joe Woodcock each scored 2 TDs, with Jimmy Riddell, Jack Thompson, Norm Geary, Arnie McWatters, and J. Butler scoring a touchdown each. Mr. Stirling kicked 6 converts and Alex Hayes also added a convert. Sarnia led 19-0 after the 1st quarter.

Canadian university
Yates Cup
Semi-Final
Western Ontario 5 @ Toronto 19

Ken McQuarrie and Don Mumford scored touchdowns in the 1st quarter and Cam Gray scored another in the 3rd quarter as the Varsity Blues beat the Mustangs at Varsity Stadium to advance to the final against Queen's one week hence. Mr. Gray converted all 3 touchdowns and punted for a single in the 3rd quarter. Jim Farmer scored a touchdown for Western in the 2nd quarter.

75 years ago
1942

War
Allied troops claimed to drive back Nazi mechanized columns in their first engagement in Tunisia. U.S. Flying Fortresses sank a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer, and damaged a third ship trying to land troops off Gona. The largest U.S. formation of planes to operate from an Indian air base bombed the Japanese-held railway centre of Mandalay, Burma.

Politics and government
The Argentine Interior Ministry suppressed Fascist, Nazi, and Communist propaganda.

Transportation
The Alaska Highway, running from Dawson Creek, British Columbia through Yukon Territory to Fairbanks, Alaska, was officially opened in a ceremony at Kluane Lake, Yukon.

Business
A U.S. federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted five southeastern insurance companies on a charge of conspiracy to suppress competition and fix non-competitive premium rates in six southern states.

Religion
The Romanian government banned Christian Science activities as "contrary to the interests of the Romanian state."

Boxing
Willie Pep (54-0) won a 15-round unanimous decision over Chalky Wright (135-33-17-2) at Madison Square Garden in New York to win New York State Athletic Commission recognition as world featherweight champion.

70 years ago
1947

At the movies
Whispering City, directed by Fedor Ozep, and starring Helmut Dantine, Mary Anderson, and Paul Lukas, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Wolfgang Borchert, 26. German author and playwright. Mr. Borchert was an opponent of the Nazi regime, but was drafted into the Wehrmacht in June 1941 and was posted to the Eastern Front, where he was wounded, suffered hepatitis, and ran afoul of the Nazi authorities. He was given a deferred prison sentence, which was never carried out. Mr. Borchert's health deteriorated after the war, but he was able to complete the play Draußen vor der Tür (The Man Outside), which premiered on radio in February 1947. Mr. Borchert entered a hepatic sanitorium later in the year, and died of liver failure.

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip! Then-Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten were married at Westminster Abbey in London.



Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman accepted the resignation of Charles Luckman as chairman of the Citizens Food Committee and transferred the group's food conservation activities to the Cabinet Food Committee, consisting of the state, agriculture, and commerce secretaries.

Baseball
The Baseball Writers Association of America named Boston Braves' third baseman Bob Elliott as the Most Valuable Player in the National League for 1947. Mr. Elliott batted .317 with 22 home runs and 113 runs batted in in 150 games.

60 years ago
1957

Died on this date
Gerard Swope, 84. U.S. industrialist. Mr. Swope was President of General Electric Company from 1922-1939 and 1942-1944. He served as an adviser to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s and '40s. Mr. Swope died 11 days before his 85th birthday.

Augustine Kelley, 74. U.S. politician. Mr. Kelley, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 28th (1941-1945); 27th (1945-1953); and 21st (1953-1957) Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives. He died in office, and an election was held on January 21, 1958 to fill the remainder of his term.

Politics and government
The Cambodian government resigned on the grounds that its mandate had ended with the recent return to active work of former Prime Minister Prince Norodom Sihanouk.

Economics and finance
The semi-official Middle East News Agency reported that the U.S.S.R. had offered to lend Egypt $175 million for 17 years at 2 1/2%, agreeing to leave the Egyptian government free to negotiate trade or aid pacts with Western nations.

The U.S. State Department confirmed that the United States had released an estimated $10 million in Egyptian funds frozen in the United States at the height of the Suez Canal crisis in 1956.

Football
WIFU
Finals
Winnipeg 4 @ Edmonton 5 (Best-of-three series tied 1-1)

Joe Mobra 's field goal in the 4th quarter gave the Eskimos the lead as they barely held on to defeat the Blue Bombers at Clarke Stadium. Charlie Shepard's punt single gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead, but the Eskimos took a 2-1 lead in the 3rd quarter on an unusual safety touch. Edmonton fullback Normie Kwong caught a pass inside the Winnipeg 10-yard line and appeared to be heading for a touchdown, but he fumbled. Winnipeg linebacker Gordie Rowland recovered in the end zone and appeared to have run the ball out to the 1-yard line, but was ruled to have been downed in the end zone--a safety touch under rules then in force. Gerry James kicked a field goal in the 4th quarter to give the Blue Bombers 4-2 lead, but Mr. Mobra put the Eskimos ahead. Late in the game Mr. James missed a field goal attempt; Edmonton halfback Jackie Parker punted the ball out of the end zone to the Edmonton 35-yard line, Winnipeg's Gerry Vincent punted it back, but Mr. Parker ran the ball out to safety. The Eskimos rushed for 276 yards; Johnny Bright carried 15 times for 130 yards; Mr. Kwong carried 15 times for 77 yards; Mr. Parker rushed 6 times for 39 yards; and Ken Hall rushed 8 times for 27 yards.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Los Chicos con las Chicas--Los Bravos (4th week at #1)

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Float On--The Floaters (2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
The day after becoming the first Egyptian head of state to visit Israel, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat addressed the Knesset. Speaking in Arabic--an official language of the Knesset--he made it clear that Egypt accepted the existence of Israel, but said that a lasting Middle East peace depended on Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab lands, including East Jerusalem, and recognition of the rights of Palestinians. Mr. Sadat welcomed Israelis to live "among us with all security and safety," but warned that "you have to give up once and for all the dreams of conquest and to give up the belief that force is the best method in dealing with the Arabs." Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin responded by praising Mr. Sadat personally for his courage in coming to Jerusalem, stating that Israel did "not believe in might," and had never put its "trust in might in dealing with an Arab country." He also said that henceforth all Egyptians would be free to come to Israel, and urged the leaders of other Arab "confrontation" states to come to Israel for talks.



Politics and government
Greek Prime Minister Constantine Caramanlis led his New Democracy Party to another majority in parliamentary elections despite losing a significant number of seats. New Democracy lost 49 seats from the most recent election in 1974, but still captured 171 of 300 seats in the Greek Parliament. The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), led by Andreas Papandreou, finished second with 93 seats.

Football
CFL
Western Final
British Columbia 1 @ Edmonton 38

The opening kickoff was the turning point as the Eskimos routed the Lions on a very cold day (1 F.) in the last CFL playoff game ever played at Clarke Stadium. Edmonton's Dave Cutler kicked off into the B.C. end zone, and Ken Hinton elected to return the ball instead of conceding a single point. He got out only to the B.C. 2-yard line, and the Edmonton defense prevented the B.C. offense from making a first down. After the Lions punted, it took just 2 plays for the Eskimos to open the scoring on a touchdown pass from Bruce Lemmerman to George McGowan. The Lions were stopped deep in their own end on their next possession, and on the first play after the punt, Mr. Lemmerman connected with Stu Lang for a 50-yard touchdown, making the score 14-0 after Mr. Cutler's convert, less than 5 minutes into the game. Jim Germany scored the third Edmonton touchdown when he took a short pass from Mr. Lemmerman and went for a 57-yard TD in the 3rd quarter; in the 4th quarter, Bill Stevenson intercepted and lateralled to Larry Highbaugh, who took it in for the final TD. Mr. Cutler converted all 4 and added 3 field goals. The Eskimos "Alberta Crude" defensive line sacked B.C. quarterbacks Jerry Tagge and Gary Keithley 11 times. It was the final CFL game for B.C. running back Hugh McKinnis, who rushed 3 times for 7 yards; he had led the league in rushing yardage as a rookie with the Calgary Stampeders in 1970 and had joined the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1972 before spending the next four years with the Cleveland Browns, joining the Lions for the 1977 playoffs. Another Lion playing his final CFL game was flanker John Sciarra, who had been the league's Most Outstanding Rookie in 1976, but had been injured in the 1977 season opener, and hadn't played again until the semi-final.

NFL
Minnesota 7 @ Chicago 10

Walter Payton set a league single-game record with 275 yards rushing in leading the Bears over the Vikings at Soldier Field (see video). The previous record of 273 yards had been set a year earlier by O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): You Win Again--Bee Gees (5th week at #1)

Diplomacy
The United States and Cuba announced the reactivation of a 1984 agreement under which Cuba would take back more than 2,000 “undesirables”—mental patients, criminals, and others in detention—who had come to America from the Cuban port of Mariel in 1980. Also under the agreement, the U.S. would accept Cuban political prisoners and more than 20,000 Cuban immigrants annually. On November 21, Cubans in a U.S. federal detention centre in Oakdale, Louisiana seized 30 hostages in protest, and two days later, Cuban detainees at a federal prison in Atlanta seized 100 hostages.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the consumer price index had risen 0.4% in October.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Sweat (A La La La La Long)--Inner Circle (9th week at #1)

Died on this date
Tom Lefebvre, 65. Canadian politician. Mr. Lefebvre was a Liberal member of the House of Commons from Quebec from 1965-1984, and represented that province in the Senate from 1984 until he died of cancer. He was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister John Turner, and his appointment was one of many patronage appointments by Mr. Turner that attracted heavy criticism during his brief time as Prime Minister.

Britannica
A fire at Windsor Castle burned for 30 hours and destroyed the 14th century St. George’s Hall. The castle sustained about U.S. $1 million in damages, but the art and other treasures in the castle were saved.

Politics and government
John Piper resigned as an adviser to Ontario Premier Bob Rae; the Toronto Sun reported that he had offered them the criminal record of a woman.

Economics and finance
Canadian Treasury Board President Gilles Loiselle announced that federal departments had been ordered to cut $470 million from their operating budgets before the end of the fiscal year in an effort to hold the line on the deficit.

Medicine
The Ontario Provincial Parliament passed a bill creating a College of Midwives in Ontario, making Ontario the first Canadian province to regulate and recognize the profession of midwifery.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight--Elton John (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Smack My Bitch Up--The Prodigy

Died on this date
Dick Littefield, 71. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Littlefield played with nine major league teams from 1950-1958, compiling a record of 33-54 with an earned run average of 4.71 and 9 saves in 243 games, batting .145 with no home runs and 10 runs batted in in 245 games. In 12 seasons in the minor leagues from 1946-1962, he was 91-69 with an ERA of 3.55 in 261 games. Mr. Littlefield was best known for being traded, along with $30,000, from the New York Giants to the Brooklyn Dodgers for infielder-outfielder Jackie Robinson after the 1956 season. Mr. Robinson chose to retire, voiding the trade.

Robert Palmer, 52. U.S. musician and journalist. Mr. Palmer was a clarinetist and saxophonist in several genres, but was best known for writing for Rolling Stone magazine and The New York Times. His books included Deep Blues (1982) and Rock & Roll: An Unruly History (1995). Mr. Palmer died of liver disease.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Ian Smith, 88. Prime Minister of Rhodesia, 1964-1979. Mr. Smith served in the British Royal Air Force during World War II and suffered serious wounds. As a Liberal, he was first elected to the Parliament of Southern Rhodesia in 1948. He joined the new Federal Party in 1953, and co-founded the Rhodesian Front in 1962 in an effort to gain dominion status for the colony. Mr. Smith took office as Prime Minister in 1964; when the new British government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson refused to grant dominion status to Rhodesia despite doing so for backward Negro colonies, Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in November 1965, resulting in the country's international isolation. Mr. Smith eventually was willing to recognize the principle of black majority rule, and resigned as Prime Minister in favour of Bishop Abel Muzorewa in 1979, when the country became known as Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Elections in early 1980 resulted in a black majority government, with Robert Mugabe as Prime Minister. The country became known as Zimbabwe, and soon became a Marxist dictatorship. Mr. Smith remained as Leader of the Opposition until 1987. He moved to South Africa for medical treatment in 2005, and died of a stroke in Cape Town.