August 31, 2020

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Lee & Lois Morrow!

225 years ago
1795

Died on this date
François-André Danican Philidor, 68. French composer and chess player. Mr. Philidor wrote more than 20 operas, as well as cantatas, motets, and music for Masonic rituals. He was the best chess player of his time, and his book Analyse du jeu des Échecs (three editions from 1749-1790) was a standard text for 100 years. Mr. Philidor was in England at the time of the French Revolution, and was banned from returning to France. He died in London, a week before his 69th birthday.

War
British forces captured Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka) from the Dutch in order to keep it out of French hands.

150 years ago
1870

Born on this date
Maria Montessori. Italian physician and educator. Dr. Montessori specialized in working with mentally retarded children, which led her to adopt a philosophy of education that regards children as being naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage on May 6, 1852 at the age of 81.

140 years ago
1880

Born on this date
Wilhelmina. Queen of the Netherlands, 1890-1948. Wilhelmina, the daughter of King Willem III and Queen Emma, acceded to the throne at the age of 10 upon the death of her father, serving under her mother's regency until she turned 18. Queen Wilhelmina married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1901, and they remained together until his death in 1934. She maintained Dutch neutrality during World War I; after the German invasion and occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, Queen Wilhelmina fled to Britain, leading the government-in-exile and serving as a symbol of resistance against Nazi rule. She and the government returned home after the country was liberated, but declining health led her to abdicate in favour of her daughter Juliana. Known henceforth as Her Royal Highness Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, she died on November 28, 1962 at the age of 82.

125 years ago
1895

Aviation
German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patented his Navigable Balloon.

120 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Gino Lucetti. Italian anarchist. Mr. Lucetti attempted to assassinate Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini on September 11, 1926, launching a bomb toward Mr. Mussolini's car as it was being driven from Mr. Mussolini's home to his office in Rome. The bomb ricocheted off the top edge of the car's right rear window and, a few seconds later, exploded to the ground, injuring eight bystanders and leaving the car unharmed. Mr. Lucetti was sentenced in 1927 to 30 years in prison; he was freed in 1943 by Allied forces who had recently invaded Naples, but was killed in a German bombing raid on September 17, 1943, 17 days after his 43rd birthday.

110 years ago
1910

Died on this date
Emīls Dārziņš, 34. Latvian composer. Mr. Dārziņš was best known for writing vocal music; he wrote orchestral music, but only one such work survived. He destroyed his remaining orchestral works after receiving criticism from other Latvian composers. Mr. Dārziņš increasingly took to drink, and his only opera was unfinished at the time of his death, an apparent suicide by throwing himself under a moving train.

100 years ago
1920

Died on this date
Wilhelm Wundt, 88. German physician, psychologist, and philosopher. Dr. Wundt was the first person to call himself a psychologist, and is regarded as the "father of experimental psychology." He distinguished psychology as a science from philosophy and biology, and founded the first formal laboratory for psychological research at the University of Leipzig in 1879. Dr. Wundt founded Philosophische Studien, the first academic journal for psychological research, published from 1881-1902. He believed that psychology was concerned with conscious processes, and he rejected making subconscious mental processes a topic of scientific psychology for epistemological and methodological reasons.

John Ricks, 52. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Ricks was a third baseman with the St. Louis Browns (1891, 1894), batting .158 with no home runs or runs batted in in 6 games. He died 26 days before his 53rd birthday.

War
Polish forces won a decisive victory over Russian forces in the Battle of Komarów.

Baseball
Heavy betting was reported on the baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies at Cubs Park, which shifted the odds in favour of the Phillies. Cubs’ owner Bill Veeck withdrew his scheduled starting pitcher, Claude Hendrix, in favour of veteran and former Phillies’ ace Grover Cleveland Alexander and offered Mr. Alexander $500 if he won. The Phillies won 3-0, with Lee Meadows (14-10) pitching a 5-hit shutout. Mr. Alexander (22-13) allowed 8 hits and 2 runs--1 earned--in 8 innings. Mr. Hendrix, who had made 23 starts for the Cubs during 1920, made none during the rest of the season, and was released after the season was over.

The Boston Braves scored 2 runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 1-1 tie as they beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 at Redland Field. Hugh McQuillan (9-12) pitched an 8-hitter to outduel Hod Eller (9-9), who allowed 9 hits.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored all their runs in the bottom of the 7th inning as they erased a 5-0 deficit and defeated the New York Giants 6-5 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

Joe Dugan batted 5 for 7 with a double, 3 runs, and 2 runs batted in for the Philadelphia Athletics as they overcame a 5-0 1st-inning deficit and tied the Detroit Tigers 8-8 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia in a game that was called because of darkness after 15 innings. Detroit center fielder Ty Cobb was 4 for 7 with a double, 3 runs, an RBI, and a stolen base. Roy Moore relieved Philadelphia starting pitcher Slim Harriss in the 2nd inning and allowed 13 hits and 3 runs--all earned--in 14 innings.

90 years ago
1930

Baseball
The New York Giants scored all their runs in the 4th inning as they defeated the Boston Braves 4-3 in the first game of a doubleheader before 40,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. Joe Heving (7-3) allowed 2 hits in 5 scoreless innings in relief of Hub Pruett to get the win. New York right fielder Mel Ott hit a double in his first at bat in the second game and followed with home runs in each of his next 3 at bats, driving in 6 runs, but it wasn’t enough as the Braves won 14-10, with every Boston starter getting at least 1 hit. Wally Berger hit 2 home runs for the Braves and George Sisler added another for Boston in the second game.

Rube Bressler batted 4 for 4 with a sacrifice, double, home run, 2 runs, and 4 runs batted in to help the Brooklyn Robins rout the Philadelphia Phillies 14-3 before 10,000 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Dolf Luque (12-7) pitched a 7-hit complete game victory and batted 3 for 5 with a run and an RBI.

The Cleveland Indians scored 10 runs in the 7th inning of a 17-6 win over the St. Louis Browns before 2,000 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Cleveland first baseman Ed Morgan batted 4 for 4 with a sacrifice, home run, 2 runs, and 4 runs batted in, while second baseman Johnny Hodapp was 4 for 5 with a home run, 2 doubles, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs.

80 years ago
1940

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Till the Lights of London Shine Again--Joe Loss Orchestra (1st month at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I'll Never Smile Again--Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (vocal refrain by Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers) (6th week at #1)

At the movies
Night Train to Munich, directed by Carol Reed, and starring Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison, and Paul Hernreid (Henreid), opened in theatres in the United Kingdom.



Married on this date
Vince and Marie Lombardi. The head coach of the Washington Redskins died of cancer at the age of 57 on September 3, 1970, just three days after his and Mrs. Lombardi’s 30th anniversary.

Died on this date
Ernest Lundeen, 62. U.S. politician. Mr. Lundeen, a Republican, represented Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives (1917-1919, 1933-1937), and in the Senate (1937-1940). He was one of those killed in the crash of Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19.

War
Canadians joined the British Royal Air Force in the first bombing attack on the centre of Berlin. After months of negotiations, a peace treaty was announced in Nanking between Japan and its puppet government in China led by Wang Ching-wei. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered 26 units of the National Guard, mostly dealing with coastal defense, on active duty for one year.

World events
Rebellion broke out in French West Africa following the action of Equatorial Africa in support of the Free French movement. The French government reported that rebellion had broken out in Indochina in support of the Allied effort.

Religion
Joseph Charbonneau succeeded Monsignor Georges Gauthier as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Montreal.

Disasters
Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19, a Douglas DC-3A, crashed near Lovettsville, Virginia, killing all 21 passengers and crew members. The CAB investigation of the accident was the first investigation to be conducted under the Bureau of Air Commerce Act of 1938.

Sport
The Pan-Am Sports Congress announced that the first Pan-Am Olympic Games would be held in Buenos Aires in 1942.

75 years ago
1945

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I'll Be Seeing You--Bing Crosby; The Joe Loss Orchestra (1st month at #1)

World events
The Argentine Supreme Court voided the government's conviction of General Adolfo Espindola and all other retired officers on conspiracy charges passed in June.

The public prosecutor in Oslo asked for the death penalty for former Norwegian Minister President Vidkun Quisling on three counts.

Politics and government
Nai Thawi Bunyakat formed a new Thai cabinet with himself as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

The Liberal Party of Australia was founded by former Prime Minister Robert Menzies to replace the United Australia Party.

The U.S. Office of War Information was abolished by President Harry Truman and its foreign information functions and those of the Office of Inter-American Affairs were transferred to a temporary International Information Service under the State Department.

70 years ago
1950

Died on this date
Alfred Bulwinkle, 67. U.S. politician. Mr. Bulwinkle, a Democrat, represented North Carolina's 9th (1921-1929, 1931-1933); 10th (1933-1943); and 11th (1943-1950) Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was still in office when he died from multiple myeloma.

War
North Korean forces broke through U.S. defense positions on the Naktong River in southeastern Korea.

Defense
U.S. President Harry Truman said that the U.S. 7th Fleet would withdraw from Taiwanese waters after the Korean War.

Politics and government
New York Mayor William O'Dwyer resigned his office, the day after his nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico went to the Senate.

Baseball
Gil Hodges hit a major league record-tying 4 home runs and drove in 9 runs as the Brooklyn Dodgers whipped the Boston Braves 19-3 before 14,226 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Every Brooklyn starter had at least 1 hit. Carl Erskine (2-3) pitched an 8-hit complete game victory and batted 4 for 5 with a run, and was hit by a pitch. Warren Spahn (16-15) took the loss.

Johnny Mize, Cliff Mapes, Yogi Berra, and Phil Rizzuto hit home runs for the New York Yankees, with Mr. Rizzuto's homer leading off the bottom of the 8th inning proving to be the deciding run as the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 7-5 before 21,020 fans at Yankee Stadium. Tommy Byrne (14-7) was the winning pitcher over Bob Lemon (20-8).

Clyde Vollmer drew a bases-loaded base on balls with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to score Fred Hatfield, giving the Boston Red Sox a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox before 5,578 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Buddy Rosar led off the inning with a single and Mr. Hatfield pinch ran for him, making his major league debut. Ellis Kinder (13-12) pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief of Walt Masterson to get the win over Billy Pierce (9-14), who allowed 8 hits and 4 earned runs in a complete game.

60 years ago
1960

Football
CRU
ORFU
London (1-0) 39 @ Sarnia (1-1) 20

The Lords took advantage of Sarnia turnovers, making 6 interceptions and recovering 3 fumbled punts. Ron King led the Lords with 2 touchdowns, with other London touchdowns coming from Mike Norcia, Clarence Willis, Sien O’Brien, and Jim Reynolds. Lamar Lee added 3 converts. Ray Sine scored 2 touchdowns for the Golden Bears. Ed Vernes scored the other Sarnia major and added 2 converts. The Lords built up a 27-7 halftime lead in front of 4,500 fans at Norm Perry Park.

50 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Ai wa Kizutsuki Yasuku--Hide & Rosanna (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Un Rayo De Sol--Los Diablos (14th week at #1)

Detroit's Top 10 (WKNR)
1 Lookin' Out My Back Door--Creedence Clearwater Revival
2 Ain't No Mountain High Enough--Diana Ross
3 Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond
4 That's Where I Went Wrong--The Poppy Family
5 Don't Play That Song--Aretha Franklin
6 Candida--Dawn
7 Indiana Wants Me--R. Dean Taylor
8 Express Yourself--Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
9 Patches--Clarence Carter
10 Julie, Do Ya Love Me--Bobby Sherman

On the radio
The Challenge of Space, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: The Neglected Factor

Defense
The U.S. administration of President Richard Nixon made the first public acknowledgement that the U.S. had been shipping arms to Israel during the current Middle East cease-fire.

Crime
After six days of deliberation, a Superior Grand Jury in New Haven, Connecticut convicted Black Panther Lonnie McLucas, 24, of conspiracy to murder for his role in the torture death of fellow Black Panther Alex Rackley in May 1969. Mr. McLucas was acquitted of three other charges. He was sentenced to 12-15 years in prison.

Business
General Motors reported the formation of a "public policy committee" to advise the corporation on matters affecting the general public. This was apparently GM’s answer to critics at the previous stockholders’ meeting who had demanded changes in the company concerning issues such as pollution, safety, and mass transportation.

Education
There was no violence reported as most children in southern U.S. states returned to school, 280,000 of them in 200 newly racially-integrated districts.

40 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Locomotion--Ritz (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Donna Musica--Collage (5th week at #1)

Economics and finance
Chinese Finance Minister Wang Bingqain announced the launch of a major program to change the country's financial and economic practices. The program emphasized profits and local control in order to promote economic growth.

Auto racing
CART
Bobby Unser won the California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, with Johnny Rutherford finishing second and Rick Mears third in the 37-car field. It was Mr. Unser's fourth win of the season, and the last Indy car race held at the facility, which was demolished in 1981.

Soccer
Giorgio Chinaglia scored seven goals, a North American Soccer League single-game record, in leading the New York Cosmos over the Tulsa Roughnecks 8-1 in the NASL playoff quarterfinals before a crowd of 40,285 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.



30 years ago
1990

Protest
Canadian Pacific Rail sued the Pays Plat Ojibwa Band at Schreiber, Ontario for $37 million for blockading rail lines from August 21-23 in sympathy with the Oka occupation in Quebec. CP Rail also filed suit against the Pic Mobert band at White River, Ontario.

Baseball
Ken Griffey, Sr. and Jr. became the first father-and-son combination to play as teammates in a major league game. Ken Griffey, Jr. played center field and Ken Griffey, Sr., recently acquired after being waived by the Cincinnati Reds, played left field for the Seattle Mariners as they beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 before 27,166 fans at the Kingdome. They each batted 1 for 4, hitting consecutive singles in the bottom of the 1st inning and scoring the first 2 runs.



25 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Shut Up (and Sleep with Me)--Sin with Sebastian

Music
This blogger was in attendance as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performed the first of its annual series of Labour Day weekend concerts at Hawrelak Park.

Society
The Sûreté de Québec provincial police swore in its first six Inuit constables.

20 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Lucille Fletcher, 88. U.S. writer. Miss Fletcher wrote novels, screenplays and teleplays, but was best known for her radio scripts, particularly the suspense programs The Hitch-Hiker (1941) and Sorry, Wrong Number (1943), both of which were broadcast in several versions. She was married to film composer Bernard Herrmann from 1939-1948 and to writer Douglas Wallop from 1949 until his death in 1985.

Dolores Moore, 67. U.S. baseball player. Miss Moore was a first baseman and secodn baseman with the Grand Rapids Chicks (1953-1954) in the last two seasons of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, batting .239 with 3 home runs and 57 runs batted in in 149 games.

Football
CFL
Montreal (7-2) 35 @ British Columbia (4-5) 25

Mike Pringle rushed 22 times for 163 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown, and Anthony Calvillo threw touchdown passes to Jock Climie and Ben Cahoon to lead the Alouettes over the Lions before 19,621 fans at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. Terry Baker added 3 converts and 4 field goals for Montreal. Sean Millington and Chuck Levy rushed for B.C. touchdowns and backup quarterback Doug Nussmeier, who relieved starter Damon Allen in the second half, threw a touchdown pass to Darnell Graham. Mr. Climie led all receivers with 113 yards on 6 receptions.



10 years ago
2010

War
U.S. President Barack Obama ended the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, declaring no victory after seven years of bloodshed.