November 23, 2017

180 years ago
1837

War
Patriote leader Wolfred Nelson led his followers in defeating Colonel Charles Gore and his 2,000 British troops in the Battle of St-Denis, Lower Canada. Patriote leader Amury Girod sets up a rebel camp at St-Benoît, north of Montréal, intending to attack the city.

150 years ago
1867

Died on this date
Michael Larkin; Michael O'Brien, 30; William Philip Allen, 19. Irish criminals. Messrs. Larkin, O'Brien, and Allen, known in Ireland as the Manchester Martyrs, were Fenians who were publicly hanged at Salford Gaol in Manchester, England for killing Police Sergeant Charles Brett on September 18, 1867, while freeing two Irish nationalists from custody.

War
Pope Pius IX ordered the release of all captive supporters of rebel General Giuseppe Garibaldi.

130 years ago
1887

Journalism
Valentin Landry launched the French language newspaper L’Évangéline in Digby, Nova Scotia.

75 years ago
1942

War
The U.S.S.R. claimed to have killed 26,000 German soldiers and taken 24,000 prisoners in its five-day Stalingrad offensive.

Defense
U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull announced an agreement with Martinique ensuring American security in French Caribbean possessions and providing for continued immobilization of French planes and ships at Fort de France.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt greeted Ecuadorian President Carlos Arroyo del Rio on the latter's visit to Washington.

Politics and government
French head of North African possessions Jean-Francois Darlan announced over Algiers radio that French West Africa, including the port of Dakar, had placed itself completely under his command.

The U.S. Senate rejected a motion to impose cloture on debate on the anti-poll tax bill, ending consideration of the measure.

70 years ago
1947

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and Alfred Shirley, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Stolen Naval Treaty

Aviation
The world's largest transport plane, the 6-engine Consolidated Vultee XC-99, was successfully test flown at San Diego.

Politics and government
The Nationalist Chinese government concluded a National Assembly election--the first secret ballot vote in the country's history--with an estimated 20 million people participating.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations Amalgamated Clothing Workers gained a 10% raise for 18,000 workers in 107 eastern Pennsylvania shirt factories.

Football
NFL
Chicago Cardinals (6-3) 21 @ Washington (3-6) 45

Slingin' Sammy Baugh completed 25 of 33 passes for 355 yards and 6 touchdowns on "Sammy Baugh Day" at Griffith Stadium as the Redskins beat the Cardinals. Mr. Baugh also had 6 touchdown passes against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Around the World--Bing Crosby; Nat "King" Cole (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Siebenmal in der Woche--Vico Torriani (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Mary's Boy Child--Harry Belafonte

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Jailhouse Rock--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)
2 You Send Me--Sam Cooke
3 Silhouettes--The Rays
4 Wake Up Little Susie--The Everly Brothers
5 Chances Are--Johnny Mathis
6 April Love--Pat Boone
7 Melodie d'Amour (Melody of Love)--The Ames Brothers
8 Be-Bop Baby--Ricky Nelson
9 Raunchy--Bill Justis and his Orchestra
--Ernie Freeman
10 My Special Angel--Bobby Helms

Singles entering the chart were Buzz-Buzz-Buzz by the Hollywood Flames (#39); Roc-A-Chicka by Warner Mack (#44); Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis (#48); Pretend You Don't See Her by Jerry Vale (#50); That's Why I was Born by Janice Harper (#55); Hey! Little Girl by the Techniques (#56); and Dance to the Bop by Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (#59).

War
Guerrillas of the regular Moroccan Army of Liberation attacked the Spanish enclave of Ifni in southern Morocco.

Disasters
50 people were killed when a mail train en route from Bombay to Calcutta derailed near Padali.

Football
IRFU
Finals
Montreal 1 @ Hamilton 39 (Hamilton won 2-game total points series 56-11)

WIFU
Finals
Winnipeg 17 @ Edmonton 2 (OT) (Winnipeg won best-of-three series 2-1)

Gerry McDougall scored 3 touchdowns and Cookie Gilchrist added another as the Tiger-Cats routed the Alouettes before 18,000 fans at Civic Stadium, ending Montreal's three-year run as Interprovincial Rugby Football Union champions. The Tiger-Cats amassed 413 yards rushing and 182 yards passing, while the Hamilton defense sacked Montreal quarterback Sam Etcheverry 12 times for 86 yards in losses. It was the last game in the 12-year Hall of Fame career of Montreal lineman Herb Trawick.

The Blue Bombers broke a 2-2 tie in a snowstorm before 20,000 fans at Clarke Stadium on the opening kickoff the first of two 10-minute overtime periods. The Blue Bombers, with a strong wind behind them, kicked into the Edmonton end zone; Rollie Miles fumbled when hit by Roger Savoie while attempting to run it out, and Gerry Vincent fell on it for a touchdown. The convert was missed, and with the score 8-2, the Eskimos marched inside the Winnipeg 10-yard line, but the gun sounded before they could score. Not only did the second overtime period start with the Eskimos in possession at that point, but they were required to kick off, and the teams never changed ends, so the Blue Bombers still had the advantage of the wind. Charlie Shepard punted for 2 singles and then Winnipeg quarterback Kenny Ploen rushed 43 yards for a touchdown, which he converted to close the scoring, ending the Eskimos' three-year run as Grey Cup champions. Had the game remained tied after the 20 minutes of overtime, a fourth game would have been played in Winnipeg. The Eskimos led 1-0 at halftime when Gordie Rowland had been rouged on a punt by Bill Walker. Mr. Shepard's punt to the dead ball line tied the score in the 3rd quarter, but the Eskimos took the lead in the 4th quarter on a quick kick single by Jackie Parker. Mr. Ploen directed a 73-yard drive late in the 4th quarter to set up a 16-yard field goal attempt by Gerry James; it was wide, but deep enough for the tying point. Johnny Bright rushed 20 times for 118 yards, Normie Kwong carried 23 times for 108 yards, and Ken Hall rushed 4 times for 27 yards as the Eskimos amassed 290 yards rushing, but failed to do much inside the Winnipeg 25-yard line. It was the last game for Frank "Pop" Ivy as head coach of the Eskimos; quarterback Don Getty later said that the 1957 Western Finals marked the only time that he saw Mr. Ivy overcoach. It was also the last game of Canadian football for Eskimos such as Mr. Hall and tackle Reed Henderson.

NCAA
Ohio State 31 Michigan 14

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Love You Tokyo--Los Primos (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
Dragnet 1968, starring Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Big Dog



Society
The Estates General of French Canada inaugurated their four-day national meeting at Place des Arts in Montreal. The challenge that the delegates tried to meet: to conceive Quebec in the year 2000.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Rockin' All Over the World--Status Quo

Disasters
70 people were killed, 254 injured, and 10,000 left homeless when an earthquake struck western Argentina.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Too Much Ain't Enough Love--Jimmy Barnes

Died on this date
Alton Adams, 98. U.S. musician and journalist. Chief Petty Officer Adams, a native of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, formed the Adams Juvenile Band in 1910, and the band joined the United States Navy in 1917, becoming the first Negroes to receive official musical appointments in the Navy in more than 100 years, with CPO Adams becoming the Navy's first Negro bandmaster. He led the band until his retirement in 1933, adding his own compositions to the band's repertoire. A fire at his home in St. Thomas late in 1932 killed his daughter Hazel and destroyed all but about a dozen of his scores. CPO Adams was called back into service with the Navy during World War II, and he led the band until his permanent retirement from the Navy in 1945. He oped a later home in St. Thomas as a guest home, and served as president of the Virgin Islands Hotel Association for many years. CPO Adams was also a reporter with Associated Press and Associated Negro Press for many years after his return to St.Thomas. His compositions included Virgin Islands March (1919); The Governor's Own (1921); and The Spirit of the U.S.N. (1924), the first of which was adopted as the Virgin Islands territorial anthem in 1982.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Simo Goes Poing!--KCD

Died on this date
Roy Acuff, 89. U.S. musician. Mr. Acuff was a singer and fiddler whose peak period of popularity was from the late 1930s through the late 1940s. He was known as the "King of Country Music," and was credited with moving the emphasis of the genre from bands to singers. He and Fred Rose founded Acuff-Rose Music, the most important publishing company in country music. Mr. Acuff was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1962, becoming the Hall's first living inductee.

Jean-François Thiriart, 70. Belgian politician. Mr. Thiriart began as a socialist, joined the Fichte Bund--a national Bolsehvist organization--and was associated with the Les Amis du grand Reich Allemand in 1940, a group of former far-left activists who supported collaboration with the Nazis. Mr. Thiriart served in the Waffen SS, and later served time in prison for his collaboration. In the 1960s, he founded the Europeanist movement Jeune Europe, opposing both the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. Mr. Thiriart moved back toward national Bolshevism in his later years; he died of a heart attack.

Technology
The first smartphone, the IBM Simon, was introduced at COMDEX in Las Vegas.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Barbie Girl--Aqua (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?--N-Trance featuring Rod Stewart (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997--Elton John (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997--Elton John (10th week at #1)

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Robert Vesco, 71. U.S.-born Cuban financier. Mr. Vesco owned International Controls Corporation (ICC) and took over the mutual fund investment company Investors Overseas Service, Ltd. in the early 1970s, but his activities led to a criminal investigation. Facing possible criminal charges, Mr. Vesco fled the United States fled to Costa Rica, and eventually to Cuba. Mr. Vesco was convicted in Cuba of fraud and illicit economic activity, and was imprisoned from 1996-2005. He reportedly died of lung cancer, but some suspected that he had faked the reports of his death.

Joe Kennedy, 28. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Kennedy played with five major league teams from 2001-2007, compiling a record of 43-61 with an earned run average of 4.79 in 222 games. He was in Florida to attend a friend's wedding when he collapsed at the home of his in-laws and subsequently died of hypertensive heart disease.

Disasters
MS Explorer, a Canadian cruise liner carrying 154 people, sank in the Antarctic Ocean south of Argentina after hitting an iceberg near the South Shetland Islands. There were no fatalities.

Football
CIS
Vanier Cup @ Rogers Centre, Toronto
Manitoba 28 St. Mary's 14

John Makie completed 16 of 31 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown to Steve Gronick, and rushed 6 yards for a touchdown of his own, to help the Bisons defeat the Huskies before 26,787 fans to complete a perfect season and win their first Vanier Cup championship since 1970. Scott Dixon converted both touchdowns and added 4 field goals. Manitoba cornerback Mike Howard made 3 interceptions and was named the winner of the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game's Most Valuable Player. The Huskies went into the game without starting quarterback Erik Glavic, winner of the Hec Crigton Trophy for 1997 as the most outstanding player in Canadian university football, who had been injured in the Uteck Bowl a week earlier. Manitoba running back Matt Henry made a 29-yard rush in the 1st quarter, but as he approached the goal line, he didn't see St. Mary's defensive back Jeff Zelinski approaching, and Mr. Henry suffered a broken femur, which looked grotesque when shown on television; the leg was broken in three places and there was severe muscle damage. Mr. Henry went into shock on the field, requiring immediate medical attention; amazingly, he recovered in time for the following season, and played two more years with the Bisons.