August 21, 2020

340 years ago
1680

World events
Pueblo Indians drove out the Spanish and took possession of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

220 years ago
1800

Born on this date
Hiram Walden. U.S. politician. Mr. Walden, a Democrat, was a member of the New York State Assembly (1836), and represented New York's 21st District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1849-1851). He died on July 21, 1880, a month before his 80th birthday.

210 years ago
1810

Europeana
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France, was elected Crown Prince of Sweden by the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates.

125 years ago
1895

Born on this date
Blossom Rock. U.S. actress. Mrs. Rock, the older sister of actress Jeanette MacDonald, appeared in vaudeville, movies, and television programs, sometimes under the name Marie Blake, in a career spanning more than 40 years. She was best known for playing Grandmama in the television comedy series The Addams Family (1964-1966). Mrs. Rock suffered a career-ending stroke shortly after the series ended, and died on January 14, 1978 at the age of 82.

110 years ago
1910

Politics and government
The United Parties, led by Liberal Party leader Eleftherios Venizelos, won 211 of 362 seats in Parliament in the Greek general election. The United Parties' total was an increase of 98 from their total before the election. Independent Supporters for Change, led by Prime Minister Stefanos Dragoumis, took 122 seats, an increase of 63. 29 independent candidates were elected. Mr. Venizelos took office as Prime Minister on October 18.

100 years ago
1920

Born on this date
Ben Cardoni. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Cardoni played with the Boston Braves (1943-1945), compiling a 0-6 record with a 4.76 earned run average in 36 games. He played at least 226 games in 12 seasons in the minor leagues (1939-1954), winning at last 62 games and losing at least 49. Mr. Cardoni suffered from a longtime heart condition, and died of a heart attack in his car on April 2, 1969 at the age of 48.

Whitey Platt. U.S. baseball player. Mizell George Platt was played left field with the Chicago Cubs (1942-1943); Chicago White Sox (1946); and St. Louis Browns (1948-1949), batting .255 with 13 home runs and 147 runs batted in in 333 games. He batted .299 with 95 home runs in 1,258 games in 11 seasons in the minor leagues (1939-1954). Mr. Platt died on July 27, 1970, 25 days before his 50th birthday.

Christopher Robin Milne. U.K. literary scion. Mr. Milne was the only child of author A.A. Milne, and was the inspiration for his Winnie-the-Pooh children's books. The main human character was named Christopher Robin in his honour, and most of the animal characters were named after stuffed toys in Christopher Robin's collection. The younger Milne served with the British Army in World War II, and was a bookseller after the war, writing five books of memoirs from 1974-1988. He died on April 20, 1996 at the age of 75.

Gerry Staley. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Staley played with six major league teams from 1947-1961, beginning with the St. Louis Cardinals (1947-1954). He was mainly a starter in his early years and a reliever in his later years, compiling a record of 134-111 with an earned run average of 3.70 in 640 games, with 61 saves, while batting .126 with 1 home run and 19 runs batted in. Mr. Staley was named to the National League All-Star team in 1952 and 1953, and the American League All-Star team in 1960. He led the AL in 1959 in games (67); games finished (37); and saves (15), and was on the mound for the Chicago White Sox when they clinched their first American League pennant in 40 years. Mr. Staley pitched in 4 games in the 1959 World Series, posting a 0-1 record with a 2.16 ERA as the White Sox lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 6 games. He finished his career with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League in 1962, going 2-4 with a 5.92 ERA in 48 games, while serving as their pitching coach. Mr. Staley died on January 2, 2008 at the age of 87.

Golf
Jock Hutchison defeated James Douglas Edgar 1 up to win the PGA Championship at Flossmoor Country Club in Flossmoor, Illinois. First prize money was $500.

Baseball
Waite Hoyt (5-2) and Herb Pennock (14-10) each pitched 3-hit shutouts as the Boston Red Sox swept a doubleheader from the Cleveland Indians 12-0 and 4-0 at Fenway Park in Boston, with Guy Morton (8-6) and Stan Coveleski (19-10) the respective losing pitchers. The losses dropped the Indians into second place in the American League behind the Chicago White Sox. George Ellison pitched a scoreless 8th inning for the Indians in the first game, walking 2 batters and striking out 1 in his only major league game.

Buck Weaver batted 3 for 4 with a triple, 3 runs, and 2 runs batted in to lead the Chicago White Sox to their 10th win in their last 12 games, defeating the Washington Nationals 5-2 at American League Park in Washington. Eddie Cicotte (18-8) pitched a 9-hit complete game victory as the White Sox moved 1½ games ahead of the Indians in the American League pennant race.

Donie Bush batted 3 for 4 with a base on balls, home run, 2 runs, and 2 runs batted in to help the Detroit Tigers defeat the New York Yankees 10-3 before 35,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York, dropping the third-place Yankees 2½ games behind the White Sox in the AL pennant race. Mr. Bush's homer, a 2-run blast that opened the scoring in the 3rd inning, was the 9th and last of his 16-year major league career. Hooks Dauss (12-14) pitched an 8-hit complete game victory.

The Brooklyn Robins scored a run in the 8th and 3 in the 9th to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 before 15,000 fans at Redland Field, moving to within 1 game of the National League-leading and defending champion Reds. Rube Marquard (8-6) pitched a 6-hit shutout to outduel Hod Eller (8-7), who allowed 5 hits and 1 run--earned--in 8 innings.

90 years ago
1930

Baseball
Chick Hafey hit for the cycle, scoring 3 runs and batting in 5, to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 16-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 2,500 fans at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. Burleigh Grimes (11-9) pitched an 11-hit complete game victory.

Al Simmons' 2-run home run with 2 out climaxed a 4-run rally in the bottom of the 9th for the Philadelphia Athletics as they came back from a 4-0 deficit and defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-7 before 4,000 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Mr. Simmons finished the game batting 4 for 5 with 2 runs and 3 runs batted in.

Dick Porter led off the top of the 12th inning with an inside-the-park home run to break a 5-5 tie as the Cleveland Indians edged the New York Yankees 6-5 before 10,000 fans at Yankee Stadium.

80 years ago
1940

Died on this date
Ernest Lawrence Thayer, 77. U.S. journalist and poet. Mr. Thayer was a humour columnist with the San Francisco Examiner from 1886-1888. The last piece he wrote for that paper, dated June 3, 1888, was Casey at the Bat, one of the most famous poems in American history.

Leon Trotsky, 60. Russian revolutionary leader. Born Lev Bronstein, Mr. Trotsky was a leading figure in the Bolshevik revolution that brought the Communists into power in Russia in 1917. He eventually lost a power struggle with Josef Stalin and was exiled, with Mexico his last stop. He died the day after being attacked at his Mexico City residence by an undercover NKVD agent named Ramon Mercader, who split Mr. Trotsky’s skull with an ice axe.

War
Italian planes bombed Malta and Gibraltar.

Diplomacy
Romania and Bulgaria announced an agreement that Romania would cede Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria.

Politics and government
Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies obtained a dissolution of Parliament to prepare for general elections on September 21, 1940.

Defense
The U.S. Reconstruction Finance Corporation agreed to lend $78.5 million to Curtiss-Wright, Boeing, and Bendix aircraft companies for military plane construction.

Economics and finance
Economists Arthur Burns and Donald Watson claimed that the current war would not bring long-term relief to the U.S. economy.

A seat on the New York Stock Exchange was sold for $35,000, the lowest price paid since 1914.

Baseball
Rookie pitcher Charlie Frye, sent to bat as a pinch hitter, hit his only major league home run, a 2-run blow off Ken Raffensberger to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 7-5 win over the Chicago Cubs before 4,200 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

75 years ago
1945

War
The Domei news agency in Japan announced that Allied occupation troops would begin landing on August 26, and asked the populace to remain calm and to avoid contact with the troops.

Politics and government
The Lebanese cabinet resigned, and former Prime Minister Sami el Soith was asked to form a new government.

The government of India announced that general elections would be held as soon as possible.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman announced the end of the Lend-Lease Program, and notified those Allied governments interested to take over the $2 billion in goods already contracted for in the United States.

The U.S. War Production Board ended the ban against industrial construction.

Disasters
U.S. physicist Harry Daghlian, 24, was fatally irradiated as a result of a criticality accident, i.e., an uncontrolled nuclear reaction that occurred when he accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto a 6.2-kilogram plutonium-gallium alloy bomb core at the remote Omega Site facility at the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico. He developed radiation poisoning and died 25 days later.

70 years ago
1950

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Heart of Jonathan O'Rourke

This was a restaging of a story originally broadcast on June 5, 1950.

Politics and government
Greek Prime Minister Sophocles Venizelos formed a temporary all-Liberal cabinet.

Religion
Pope Pius XII, in an encyclical, urged Roman Catholic bishops to ban further teaching of philosophical deviations from Catholic beliefs.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Senate passed a Defense Production bill, giving President Harry Truman the power to invoke wage, price, and rationing controls. The bill barred the President from imposing price ceilings unless he simultaneously invoked wage curbs.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations Textile Workers Union called off its five-month strike against the Enka rayon plant in Morristown, Tennessee.

CIO Transport Workers Union President Michael Quill ordered union airport workers to stop handling Soviet goods.

Football
CRU
IRFU/WIFU
Pre-season
Montreal (0-2) 6 @ Edmonton (1-0) 11

Don Simon scored the Eskimos’ touchdown, while Annis Stukus converted and kicked a field goal. Ken Moore and Bill Briggs added singles for the Eskimos in front of a capacity crowd of 10,500 at Clarke Stadium.

50 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Pretty Girl--Hogsnort Rupert (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Wonder of You--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 The Wedding--Jody Wayne (2nd week at #1)
2 Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha--Cliff Richard
3 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
4 Which Way You Goin' Billy?--The Poppy Family
5 Come Softly to Me--Percy Sledge
6 A Song of Joy (Himno a la Alegria)--Miguel Rios
7 Yellow River--Christie
8 Sally--Gerry Munroe
9 Down the Dustpipe--Status Quo
10 Cottonfields--The Beach Boys

Singles entering the chart were Lola by the Kinks (#14); Mama Told Me (Not to Come) by Three Dog Night (#16); That's Why God Made the World by Johnny Collini (#19); and Lady D'Arbanville by Cat Stevens (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 As the Years Go By--Mashmakhan
2 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
3 Indiana Wants Me--R. Dean Taylor
4 Hand Me Down World--The Guess Who
5 Lookin' Out My Back Door/Long as I Can See the Light--Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 Spill the Wine--Eric Burdon and War
7 Lay a Little Lovin' on Me--Robin McNamara
8 Summertime Blues--The Who
9 Tell it All Brother--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
10 Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart were Candida by Dawn (#25); Joanne by Michael Nesmith & the First National Band (#27); Westbound #9 by the Flaming Ember (#28); You Can't Deny It by Edward Bear (#29); and War by Edwin Starr (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 As the Years Go By--Mashmakhan
2 (They Long to Be) Close to You--Carpenters
3 Hand Me Down World--The Guess Who
4 Make it with You--Bread
5 Indiana Wants Me--R. Dean Taylor
6 Lookin' Out My Back Door/Long as I Can See the Light--Creedence Clearwater Revival
7 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
8 Tell it All Brother--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
9 Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours--Stevie Wonder
10 Me and Bobby McGee--Gordon Lightfoot

Singles entering the chart were Overture from Tommy (A Rock Opera) by the Assembled Multitude (#24); Only You Know and I Know by Dave Mason (#25); (I Know) I'm Losing You by Rare Earth (#27); Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross (#28); Joanne by Michael Nesmith & the First National Band (#29); and I've Lost You by Elvis Presley (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
2 Indiana Wants Me--R. Dean Taylor
3 Snowbird--Anne Murray
4 As the Years Go By--Mashmakhan
5 Lookin' Out My Back Door--Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 (They Long to Be) Close to You--Carpenters
7 Hitchin' a Ride--Vanity Fare
8 Hand Me Down World--The Guess Who
9 Tell it All Brother--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
10 Lay a Little Lovin' on Me--Robin McNamara

40 years ago
1980

Scandal
U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s brother Billy, testifying under oath before a U.S. Senate panel investigating his ties with the government of Libya, said that he had not asked the United States to assist Libya. He said that he had taken a $22,000 loan from Libya, which was an advance on $500,000 he was hoping to receive, in order to solve some financial difficulties that his brother's presidency had placed him in. He planned to repay the loan with the future proceeds of his share of a deal between Charter Oil Company and Libya.

30 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Jos haluu saada--MC Nikke T (2nd week at #1)

Religion
The United Church of Canada's third General Council, meeting in Winnipeg, ended three days of intense debate, voting 302-74 to reaffirm its 1988 statement on homosexuality, which permitted avowed sodomites and lesbians to seek ordination; the policy had split Canada's largest Protestant denomination.

Economics and finance
Canada’s federal Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs released figures showing that bankruptcies had reached a record high of 4,116 in July, a dramatic increase from 2,573 in July 1989. The previous record for a July was 3,089 in 1982 during a recession. Economists said that the figures showed that consumers and businesses who had accumulated heavy debts during the boom years of the late 1980s were now having a hard time meeting payments as the economy slowed and interest rates remained high.

Business
The Mont-Rolland paper mill in Mont-Rolland, Quebec closed.

Baseball
Trailing 11-1 after 7 innings, the Philadelphia Phillies scored 2 runs in the 8th inning and 9 more in the 9th to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-11 before 39,682 fans at Dodger Stadium.

Jim Campbell of the Kansas City Royals and Paul Abbott of the Minnesota Twins each made their major league debuts, as starting pitchers against each other. Mr. Abbott came out the loser as the Royals won 8-7 before 22,751 fans at Royals Stadium.

25 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: The Colour Inside--Ti.Pi.Cal. (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): El Tiburon--Proyecto Uno (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): A Kind of Christmas Card--Morten Harket (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Scatman's World--Scatman John (2nd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Only Wanna Be with You--Hootie & the Blowfish
2 I'll Be There for You--The Rembrandts
3 Can't Cry Anymore--Sheryl Crow
4 Somebody's Crying--Chris Isaak
5 Kiss from a Rose--Seal
6 This Ain't a Love Song--Bon Jovi
7 Misery--Soul Asylum
8 Unloved--Jann Arden
9 Made in England--Elton John
10 Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me--U2

Singles entering the chart were And Fools Shine On by Brother Cane (#59); Cruise Control by Bruce Hornsby (#77); You are Not Alone by Michael Jackson (#86); This by Rod Stewart (#88); I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan (#89); Everybody Knows by Don Henley (#92); Rock and Roll is Dead by Lenny Kravitz (#93); I Could Fall in Love by Selena (#94); and Mankind Man by Barstool Prophets (#98).

Died on this date
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, 84. Indian astrophysicist. Dr. Chandrasekhar was awarded a share of the 1983 Nobel Prize in physics "for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars."

Chuck Stevenson, 75. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. Stevenson participated in the AAA and USAC Championship Series (1949-1954, 1960-1961, 1963-1968), finishing in the top 10 34 times, and winning 4 races. He won 2 races in 1952, and was the overall series champion that year. Mr. Stevenson raced in one NASCAR event in each of 1955 and 1956, winning the 1956 event.

Scandal
Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds tobacco companies agreed to drop libel suits against ABC News, after the American Broadcasting Company apologized for reporting in 1994 that tobacco companies had added nicotine from outside sources to cigarettes in order to make them more addictive.

Environment
Cambior Inc. flooded its large Omai gold mine in Guyana to limit environmental damage caused by cyanide-laced water escaping into a river.

Disasters
A forest fire forced the evacuation of the village of Parent, Quebec.

10 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Russ Kerns, 79. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Kerns was a catcher who made one appearance in the major leagues, batting 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter with the Detroit Tigers on August 18, 1945. He played more than 723 games in 14 seasons in the minor leagues (1939-1953).

Daniel Lisulo, 69. Prime Minister of Zambia, 1978-1981. Mr. Lisulo was director of the Bank of Zambia (1964-1977), and sat in Parliament from 1977-1983. He later joined the National Party, and was its interim president at the time of his death.

Disasters
Nine days after the Russian submarine Kursk had plunged to the bottom of the Barents Sea, Norwegian divers reached the sub, opened the outer and inner hatches, and confirmed that the vessel had been flooded with water and that the entire crew of 118 were dead.

Baseball
The Milwaukee Brewers hit 3 home runs and scored 8 runs in the 2nd inning en route to a 16-8 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks before 31,752 fans at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix. Milwaukee third baseman Tyler Houston drove in 5 runs with a pair of homers.

Brian Daubach hit a 2-run home run with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the score 5-5 and then singled home Troy O'Leary and Manny Alexander with 2 out in the bottom of the 11th to give the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 win over the Anaheim Angels before 32,795 fans at Fenway Park in Boston.