November 24, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Hilary Wharf and Fermina Martinez!

475 years ago
1542

War
English troops defeated Scottish troops in the Battle of Solway Moss in Cumberland, England.

375 years ago
1642

Exploration
Abel Tasman discovered Van Diemen's Land, later renamed Tasmania.

200 years ago
1817

Britannica
A commission established under the Treaty of Ghent awarded the United Kingdom all the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick, except Moose, Dudley, and Frederick, which were awarded to the United States.

180 years ago
1837

War
In an attempt to put down the Lower Canada Rebellion, George Wetherall marched from Fort Chambly toward St-Charles with British regular troops, many battle-hardened from the Battle of Waterloo. Patriote leader Amury Girod wanted to march on Montréal from St-Benoît, but after a council of war, the rebels decided to go on the defensive. Meanwhile, Upper Canada Rebellion leader William Lyon Mackenzie delivered an order to local rebel leaders to march on Toronto on December 7.

150 years ago
1867

Born on this date
Scott Joplin. U.S. musician and composer. Mr. Joplin was a pianist and was known as the "King of Ragtime." His compositions included Maple Leaf Rag (1899); The Entertainer (1902); and Solace (1909). Mr. Joplin died of syphilitic dementia on April 1, 1917 at the age of 49.

125 years ago
1892

Politics and government
Sir John Abbott announced his resignation as Prime Minister of Canada because of ill health; he had succeeded Sir John A. Macdonald after the latter's death in June 1891. Sir John was officially succeeded on December 5 by Justice Minister Sir John Thompson.

120 years ago
1897

Football
The Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union was organized in Kingston, Ontario.

100 years ago
1917

Terrorism
Nine members of the Milwaukee Police Department and a female civilian were killed when a bomb exploded at the central police station. The bomb had been placed next to an evangelical church, but was discovered by a social worker and given to the church's janitor, who took it to the police station. It marked the largest number of deaths in a single event in U.S. police history until the September 11 attacks in 2001. Anarchists who were followers of Luigi Galleani were suspected.

80 years ago
1937

Literature
Canadian Governor General John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir, himself an author, awarded Bertram Brooker the first Governor General's Literary Award for his 1936 novel Think of The Earth. The Governor General's Award was established by Canadian Authors Association and is given annually to the best Canadian books in several categories.

75 years ago
1942

War
The U.S.S.R. claimed that German forces in Russia were retreating so fast that they were leaving their Romanian allies behind, along with undamaged tanks and planes. British forces in Tunisia captured Agedabia and occupied Gialo Oasis, while the main Axis force fell back another 70 miles to El Agheila.

Abominations
World Jewish Congress Chairman Dr. Stephen Wise said in Washington that half of Europe's 4 million Jews had been slain so far in 1942 by the Nazis, and that German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler had ordered the extermination of all Jews in German-dominated territory by year's end.

Crime
Three German-born naturalized U.S. citizens--Walter Froehling, Otto Wergin, and Herbert Haupt, Sr.--were sentenced to death by Judge William J. Campbell in Chicago for treason for aiding Nazi saboteur Herbert Haupt, Jr., who had been executed in August.

Former German Communist and Nazi agent Richard Julius Krebs (Jan Valtin), 37, author of Out of the Night, was arrested at his home in Bethel, Connecticut by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and sent to Ellis Island, New York.

70 years ago
1947

At the movies
The Flame, directed by John H. Auer, and starring John Carroll, Vera Ralston, Robert Paige, and Broderick Crawford, opened in theatres.



Literature
The novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck was published in New York.

Defense
The Jewish Agency for Palestine began registering Jewish young people for militia or labour service in the proposed new Jewish state.

Politics and government
French Prime Minister Robert Schuman formed a centrist-conservative cabinet, excluding Communists and Gaullists.

Movie writers, producers, and directors who became known as the "Hollywood Ten" were cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about alleged Communist influence in the movie industry.

Society
The Southern Medical Association, meeting in Baltimore, dropped its ban on attendance of Negro physicians at its scientific sessions.

Economics and finance
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King restored price ceilings on canned fruits and vegetables, following a U.S. decision to restrict their export.

U.S. President Harry Truman asked Congress for a $490-million supplementary appropriation for occupied areas, necessitated by British withdrawal of dollar support payments in the U.S.-U.K. zone of Germany.

Labour
The American Federation of Labor International Typographical Union's Chicago local struck against the city's six daily newspapers for wage increases.

60 years ago
1957

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Last Request, starring Harry Guardino, Cara Williams, and Hugh Marlowe

Died on this date
Diego Rivera, 70. Mexican painter and sculptor. Mr. Rivera was an atheist, occultist, and Communist who was known for his large frescoes, helping to establish the Mexican mural movement. He was married to artist Frida Kahlo for 25 years, and died two weeks before his 71st birthday.

Married on this date
H.L. Hunt, U.S. oil magnate, and Ruth Ray Wright, his stenographer, were married in Dallas.

War
Jordan declared U.S. Army Colonel Byron Leary, acting chief of the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization, persona non grata, and warned that Jordan would not cooperate with the agency if he remained its commander.

Defense
West German Foreign Minister Heinrich von Brentano and U.S. State Secretary John Foster Dulles conferred in Washington on North Atlantic Treaty Organization measures.

Disasters
27 passengers were killed when a bus plunged into a river near Muzafarpur, Bihar, India.

Football
NFL
Los Angeles (4-5) 31 @ Cleveland (7-1-1) 45

Rookie Jim Brown rushed for 237 yards and scored 4 touchdowns as the Browns defeated the Rams at Municipal Stadium. The yardage total set an NFL record for a single game, breaking the mark of 223 yards set by Tom Wilson of the Rams in 1956.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Flowers in the Rain--The Move

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 The Rain, the Park and Other Things--The Cowsills (2nd week at #1)
2 Beg, Borrow and Steal--Ohio Express
3 I Can See for Miles--The Who
4 (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees
5 Let it All Hang Out--The Hombres
6 Hush--Billy Joe Royal
7 Soul Man--Sam & Dave
8 The Letter--The Box Tops
9 Run, Run, Run--The Third Rail
10 Incense and Peppermints--Strawberry Alarm Clock
Pick hit of the week: Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
New this week: Hooray for the Salvation Army Band--Bill Cosby
River Deep Mountain High--Nilsson
Out of the Blue--Tommy James and the Shondells
The Wind Blows Your Hair--The Seeds

40 years ago
1977

On television tonight
James at 15, starring Lance Kerwin, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Higher Ground

Politics and government
Sterling Lyon was sworn in as Premier of Manitoba, replacing Ed Schreyer. Mr. Lyon had recently led the Progressive Conservative Party to victory over Mr. Schreyer's New Democratic Party in the provincial election.

Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith stated that he was prepared to accept majority rule based on universal suffrage as a starting point for negotiations with black nationalist leaders living in Rhodesia. He indicated that he had abandoned his long-held opposition to majority rule because the black nationalists had agreed to safeguard the confidence of white Rhodesians in a black government. Such safeguards included an independent judicial system and special representation for minorities.

30 years ago
1987

Died on this date
Jehane Benoît, 83. Canadian author. Madame Benoît was one of Canada's best-known authorities on cuisine, writing more than 30 books on the subject, and making frequent television appearances.

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze announced in Geneva that the final hurdle had been cleared in the effort to reach agreement on a treaty eliminating intermediate-range nuclear forces. Each country would be permitted to station 30-40 resident inspectors near a plant that assembled weapons in the other country. The U.S. inspectors would be near the plant in Votkinsk in the eastern U.S.S.R.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 4 New York Islanders 3

25 years ago
1992

Law
A revision of Canada’s Immigration Act received final approval in Parliament. The changes included a limit on the right of appeal for refugee claimants and gave the government the power to decide where immigrants would settle upon arrival.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Tubthumping--Chumbawumba (3rd week at #1)
2 Fly--Sugar Ray
3 The Sound Of--Jann Arden
4 Sweet Surrender--Sarah McLachlan
5 Walkin' on the Sun--Smash Mouth
6 Show Me Love--Robyn
7 I am the Man--Philosopher Kings
8 I've Just Seen a Face--Holly Cole
9 Invisible Man--98 Degrees
10 Foolish Games--Jewel

Singles entering the chart were Bitter Sweet Symphony by the Verve (#54); Everything to Everyone by Everclear (#55); How's it Going to Be by Third Eye Blind (#71); Together Again by Janet Jackson (#77); This Mourning by Wide Mouth Mason (#86); and Dirty Eyes by AC/DC (#98).