July 19, 2021

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Chris Walker and Chris Woods!

1,310 years ago
711

War
Umayyad forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeated the Visigoths led by King Roderic in the Battle of Guadalete in southern Iberia.

320 years ago
1701

Diplomacy
Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy signed the Nanfan Treaty in Albany, New York, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England. Colonial Governor John Nanfan signed on behalf of King William I.

250 years ago
1771

Born on this date
Thomas Talbot. U.K.-born Canadian politician. Colonel Talbot, a native of Dublin, was a military officer before immigrating to Canada and founding the community of Port Talbot in what is now Elgin County, Ontario in 1803. The original Port Talbot was burned by Ameican raiders in 1814 and never rebuilt. 26,000 settlers were in the area by 1826 and 50,000 by 1837, with Col. Talbot ruling as a despot. He died on February 5, 1853 at the age of 81.

200 years ago
1821

Britannica
King George IV was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. Queen Caroline was physically prevented from attending the ceremony, despite making a strenuous effort to do so.

125 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Bob Meusel. U.S. baseball player. "Long Bob" Meusel played left field and right field with the New York Yankees (1920-1929) and Cincinnati Reds (1930), batting .309 with 156 home runs and 1,067 runs batted in in 1,407 games, leading the American League in 1925 in games (156), home runs (33), and RBIs (138). Mr. Meusel was known for his strong throwing arm, and helped the Yankees win American League pennants in 1921-1923 and 1926-1928, winning the World Series in 1923, 1927, and 1928. He combined with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to form the famous "Murderer's Row" of sluggers. Mr. Meusel died on November 28, 1977 at the age of 81.

A. J. Cronin. U.K. physician and author. Dr. Archibald Joseph Cronin, a native of Scotland, practiced medicine in the Royal Navy, in South Wales, and on Harley Street in London. His experiences served as the basis for novels and novellas such as Country Doctor (1935); The Stars Look Down (1935); and The Citadel (1937), the latter of which has been credited with helping to inspire the creation of the National Health Service. Dr. Cronin wrote novels on other subjects, including The Keys of the Kingdom (1941); The Green Years (1944); and The Spanish Gardener (1950). He spent the last 25 years of his life in Switzerland, and died on January 6, 1981 at the age of 84.

Reginald Baker. U.K. film producer. Mr. Baker and his brother Leslie founded Ealing Studios in 1930, which was a major studio, known especially for comedies, until 1959. His son Peter became a Conservative Member of Parliament, but was expelled for forgery, and Mr. Baker was a creditor for many of Peter's companies. Reginald Baker retired to Australia, where he died on January 31, 1985 at the age of 88.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow. U.S. physicist. Dr. Yalow was awarded a share of the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of radioimmunoassays of peptide hormones." She died on May 30, 2011 at the age of 89.

Harold Camping. U.S. evangelist. Mr. Camping founded the Family Radio network in 1958; it grew to 40 stations by 1994, and 216 radio and 2 television stations by 2009. He was mainly known for falsely predicting that the Lord Jesus Christ would return, first in September 1994 and then in May 2011. Mr. Camping reportedly admitted in 2012 that he had sinned in predicting the Lord's return, and now no longer believed that anyone could know the date. He suffered a stroke in June 2011, and died on December 15, 2013 at the age of 92 from the effects of a fall two weeks earlier.

Elizabeth Spencer. U.S.-born authoress. Miss Spencer wrote nine novels, seven collections of short stories, a memoir, and a play, with themes relating to tension between the individual and the group often set in her native Mississippi. She was best known for her novella The Light in the Piazza (1960), which was made into a movie in 1962. Miss Spencer lived in Montreal from 1956-1986, teaching at Concordia University. She eventually moved to North Carolina, teaching at the University of North Carolina. Miss Spencer died on December 22, 2019 at the age of 98.

Society
The prohibition of manufacture, importation, and sale of liquor took effect in Ontario.

80 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Daddy--Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye (vocal refrain by the Kaye Choir) (3rd week at #1)

War
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill began using the two-finger "V for Victory" sign. German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler issued secret orders to the Kriegsmarine not to attack American merchant ships except within the internationally-accepted blockade zone around the British isles. A Gallup Poll reported that 45% of a cross-section of people in Who's Who in America questioned in a survey favoured war against the Axis, compared with 21% of the general public.

Chinese authorities announced that Communist army units had attacked Nationalist troops at three places in the province of Shantung and two places in southeast Shansi.

World events
Bolivian President Enrique Penaranda de Castillo proclaimed a state of siege because of the discovery of subversive activities directed by the German legation.

Americana
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the average American lived 62.5 years.

Labour
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt named a six-man committee chaired by Mark Etherridge to investigate complaints of discrimination against Negroes who were seeking defense and government employment.

75 years ago
1946

Radio
Network Hooperatings listed the most popular programs in the United States as Mr. District Attorney; Walter Winchell; Screen Guild Players; and Kay Kyser.

Politics and government
The French Constituent Assembly voted to seat former Prime Minister Edouard Daladier--elected on the Popular Republican ticket--over Communist objections.

Law
An Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution, barring sex discrimination in all jobs, failed to gain the two-thirds majority necessary for passage in the Senate.

Scandal
The U.S. Senate War Investigating Committee subpoenaed Representative Andrew May (Democrat--Kentucky) to testify about alleged bribe-taking in connection with war contracts, but Rep. May claimed congressional immunity.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations asked U.S. President Harry Truman and the U.S. Labor Department to seize nine Allis-Chalmers and J.L. Case plants closed by a wildcat strike, "in the interest of producing needed farm equipment" to relieve the world food shortage.

70 years ago
1951

War
U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson issued a statement in Washington affirming that United Nations forces would not be withdrawn from Korea "until a genuine peace has been firmly established."

Radio
Brazilian President Getulio Vargas signed a decree authorizing the government to suspend radio broadcasting whenever necessary for "security" reasons.

Politics and government
In the first Spanish cabinet shuffle since 1946, Generalissimo Francisco Franco appointed a new cabinet more acceptable to the United States, including nine Monarchists, three members of the fascist Falange, and four technical experts.

Oil
U.S. Special Ambassador Averell Harriman persuade the Iranian government to resume negotiations with Britain on the issue of oil nationalization.

Economics and finance
The U.S.A. approved the establishment of a Japanese trade agency in Washington.

60 years ago
1961

Space
NASA's Mercury-Redstone 4 mission, with Gus Grissom aboard, was scrubbed for the second straight day.

War
Tunisia imposed a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte; the French captured the entire town four days later.

Politics and government
U.S. President John F. Kennedy addressed Berlin and other issues at a news conference in Washington.



Football
CFL
Pre-season
White defeated Green 13-7 in the first of two Saskatchewan Roughriders intrasquad games, this one before 4,000 fans in Saskatoon.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Eagle Rock--Daddy Cool (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Yokohama Tasogare--Hiroshi Itsuki

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Another Day--Paul McCartney (2nd week at #1)

World events
A group of leftist army officers deposed Sudanese President Major General Jafir Muhammad Nimeri and seized control of the government.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Hamilton (0-3) 9 @ Montreal (1-3) 20
British Columbia (1-3) 22 @ Ottawa (2-2) 20
Edmonton (3-1) 24 @ Saskatchewan (1-2) 21



40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Stars on 45--Stars on 45 (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Bette Davis Eyes--Kim Carnes (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Roger Doucet, 62. Canadian singer. Mr. Doucet, a native of Montreal, was famous for singing O Canada before Montreal Canadiens' hockey games at the Montreal Forum, and made highly-regarded recordings of national anthems of various countries. Mr. Doucet died of a brain tumour.



Diplomacy
French President François Mitterrand privately showed U.S. President Ronald Reagan a dossier revealing that the Soviets had been stealing American technological research and development.

Environment
Ontario Hydro closed down the Douglas Point and Rolphton nuclear power stations due to leaks in the Douglas boiler, sending radioactive heavy water into Lake Huron, and flooding in the boiler room of the Rolphston reactor, northwest of Ottawa.

Disasters
Hailstones the size of tennis balls fell near Toronto, causing millions of dollars worth of damage.

Football
CFL
Edmonton (2-1) 28 @ Winnipeg (2-1) 38

The Blue Bombers led 3-0 after the 1st quarter and exploded for 32 points in the 2nd quarter, taking a 32-0 lead before Warren Moon connected with Brian Kelly for a 64-yard touchdown pass to get the Eskimos on the scoreboard. Trevor Kennerd's field goal gave Winnipeg a 35-7 halftime lead, and the Eskimos put Tom Wilkinson in at quarterback for the second half. By reducing the Blue Bombers' margin of victory to 10 points, the Eskimos gave themselves a chance to outscore the Blue Bombers over the course of their 2 regular season games against each other, which would break a tie for home field advantage for a playoff game should they be tied at the end of the season. This turned out to be the Eskimos' only loss of 1981.

30 years ago
1991

Football
CFL
British Columbia (1-1) 26 @ Winnipeg (1-1) 23 (OT)



Baseball
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr., playing his 1,500th consecutive game, hit his 20th home run of the season--becoming the 8th player in major league history to accomplish the feat in each of his first 10 full seasons--as the Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1 before 39,384 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

The Detroit Tigers handed the Kansas City Royals the worst loss in their history, routing them 17-0 before 30,587 fans at Royals Stadium. Bill Gullickson (12-5) was the winning pitcher over Tom Gordon (5-8). Scott Livingstone made his major league debut for the Tigers at third base, batting 3 for 5 with 4 runs, a run batted in, 1 putout, and 1 assist.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (6th week at #1)

Politics and government
Bosnian Serb President and wanted war criminal Radovan Karadzic was forced by Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic to resign after marathon talks with U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke.

Olympics
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali lit the flame to climax the opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.



Football
CFL
Montreal (1-3) 44 @ British Columbia (0-4) 24

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Judy Clay, 62. U.S. singer. Miss Clay, born Judith Guions, was a soul and gospel singer in the 1960s on her own and with the Sweet Inspirations. Miss Clay was a Negress, and she and white singer Billy Vera were a pioneer interracial singing duo, recording several duets from 1967-1970, including Storybook Children and Country Girl, City Man, which achieved middling chart success. Miss Clay died from complications following a car accident.

Baseball
The Arizona Diamondbacks shut out the San Diego Padres 3-0 before 22,184 fans at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego in the completion of a game that had been suspended after 2 innings the previous night because of a power failure. Curt Schilling had pitched the first 2 innings for the Diamondbacks, but Randy Johnson (12-5) finished the game, and set a major league record by striking out 16 batters in 7 innings of relief. The old record for strikeouts in a single game by a relief pitcher had been set by Walter Johnson of the Washington Nationals in 1913. The Padres' only hit was a single by Wiki Gonzalez with 2 out in the 8th inning.

10 years ago
2011

Scandal
Summoned by British lawmakers to answer for a phone hacking and bribery scandal at his tabloid News of the World, media mogul Rupert Murdoch said that he was humbled and ashamed, but accepted no responsibility for wrongdoing.