August 20, 2021

140 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Aleksander Hellat. Estonian politician and diplomat. Mr. Hellat was commander of the militia during the revolution of 1917-1918 that saw the creation of the Republic of Estonia. He was Mayor of Tallin (1918-1919); Estonian Minister in Riga (1920-1922); and Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (1922-1923, 1927). After the U.S.S.R. seized control of Estonia in 1940, Mr. Hellat was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to 10 years at a prison camp in Siberia, where he died on November 28, 1943 at the age of 62.

Edgar A. Guest. U.K.-born U.S. journalist and poet. Mr. Guest, a native of Birmingham, England, moved to the United States with his family in 1891. He was a reporter and columnist with the Detroit Free Press, who wrote his first poem for the paper in 1898. Mr. Guest's work reached a nationwide audience after his columns were syndicated, and he became known as the "People's Poet." His most famous poem was Home, which appeared in the collection It Takes a Heap o' Livin' (1916). Mr. Guest died on August 5, 1959, 15 days before his 78th birthday.

120 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Salvatore Quasimodo. Italian author and poet. Mr. Quasimodo was awarded the 1959 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his lyrical poetry, which with classical fire expresses the tragic experience of life in our own times." He died on June 14, 1968 at the age of 66.

90 years ago
1931

Baseball
The Washington Nationals scored 4 runs in the top of the 5th inning to open the scoring, but the Cleveland Indians scored 4 in the bottom of the 5th and 5 in the 7th as they won 10-8 before 5,000 fans at League Park in Cleveland. Cleveland leadoff hitter Dick Porter batted 5 for 5 with a run and a run batted in, while Earl Averill hit 2 doubles and a home run, scoring 3 runs and driving in 3. Winning pitcher Mel Harder (11-10) allowed 9 hits and 8 runs--6 earned--in 7+ innings, and batted 3 for 4 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Losing pitcher Firpo Marberry (14-3) allowed 16 hits and 9 runs--all earned--in 7 innings.

The Chicago White Sox scored 6 runs in the 5th inning en route to an 11-6 win over the Philadelphia Athletics before 9,000 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Chicago catcher Bennie Tate batted 5 for 5 with 2 doubles, a run, and 3 runs batted in.

Babe Ruth hit his major league-leading 34th home run of the season (and 599th of his major league career), a grand slam over the right field roof of Sportsman's Park in St. Louis in the top of the 9th inning, to give the New York Yankees a 7-0 lead over the St. Louis Browns. Teammate Lou Gehrig had hit his 33rd homer of the season in the 4th inning to open the scoring. The Browns rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to make the final score 7-3 before 2,000 fans. Lefty Gomez (15-7) pitched a 5-hit complete game, with 4 of the hits coming in the 9th.

Ed Brandt led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a base on balls and scored from third base on a bases-loaded fly ball to left field by Earl Sheely to give the Boston Braves a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Braves Field. Mr. Brandt (16-8) pitched a 4-hit complete game victory.

Babe Herman doubled home 3 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 8th inning to open the scoring and scored on a single by Del Bissonette as the Brooklyn Robins defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-1 before 2,000 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. The Cubs scored a run in the 9th and loaded the bases with 2 out, but Les Bell flied out to center field to end the game. Jack Quinn came in to get the final out in relief of Watty Clark (9-7), who allowed 4 hits and no earned runs, outduelling Charlie Root (14-11), who pitched an 8-hit complete game.

80 years ago
1941

War
U.S.S.R. Red Army Marshal Klementy E. Voroshilov issued an appeal to the people of Leningrad, urging them to prepare to defend the city at all costs against the advancing German army. Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King arrived in London for wartime talks and to visit the troops.

Diplomacy
German Propaganda Minister Dr. Josef Goebbels warned Latin American countries that they would become U.S. colonies unless they opposed continued American intervention.

Japanica
New Japanese maps sold in Tokyo showed Japan having annexed all the islands and coral reefs bounded by the Spratly Islands in the west; the Half Moon Shoal in the east; North Danger Reef in the north; and Swallow Reef in the south.

Politics and government
Ecuadorian President Carlos Arroyo del Rio completed the appointment of a new cabinet.

The U.S. National Catholic Women's Union adopted a resolution opposing U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's proposal for compulsory government service for women as an example of the rising tide of bureaucracy.

Labour
Several American Federation of Labor street car and bus drivers tied up all transportation facilities of Detroit Street Railways in a strike for exclusive bargaining rights.

75 years ago
1946

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department protested "emphatically" against recent Yugoslavian attacks on U.S. transport planes. A Yugoslavian reply criticized U.S. "violations of state sovereignty" through "unauthorized flights" over Yugoslavia.

Poland received a U.S.-U.K. note charging repression of political activity and calling for free participation of all democratic parties in national elections scheduled for November 1946.

Anglo-Egyptian treaty negotiations in Alexandria were broken off by the Egyptians, who rejected British compromise proposals.

Protest
Calcutta slowly returned to normal after three days of rioting between Muslims and Hindus resulting in an estimated 3,000 deaths.

Economics and finance
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administrator Fiorello La Guardia dismissed General Frederick Morgan as director of UNRRA operations in Germany, claiming that he had found no evidence to support Gen. Morgan's charges that the U.S.S.R. had used UN refugee camps for espionage.

The U.S. Office of Price Administration Price Decontrol Board restored ceiling prices on meat, cottonseed, and soybean, but exempted milk, dairy products, and grain.

Labour
Pittsburgh Pirates players rejected the American Baseball Guild in major league baseball's first collective bargaining election.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Follow Me, starring Peter Cookson, Doris Rich, and Dan Morgan

War
French authorities in Vietnam reported the destruction of a Viet Minh field headquartes during a four-day drive through the jungle near Saigon.

Diplomacy
New York Governor Thomas Dewey, returning from a tour of the Far East, urged that U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of Communism from China south into "the breadbasket of Asia."

Defense
India announced that it opposed proposals for an international army under United Nations command and would not earmark any part of its armed forces for a standby UN force.

Politics and government
U.S. Senate Internal Security subcommittee Chairman Pat McCarran (Democrat--Nevada) charged that 3 million-5 million subversive aliens lived in the United States and constituted a threat "potentially more dangerous than that of an armed force."

Economics and finance
The U.S. Wage Stabilization Board imposed curbs on bonus and profit-sharing payments to company officers, executives, and salaried employees.

U.S. President Harry Truman asked Congress for another $400 million to aid Midwest flood victims and establish a national flood-disaster insurance system similar to wartime war-damage insurance.

Hockey
NHL
The Chicago Black Hawks made the largest player purchase in hockey history when they paid the Detroit Red Wings $75,000 for Jim Peters, Jim McFadden, George Gee, Max McNab, Clare Martin, and Clare Raglan.

60 years ago
1961

Died on this date
Percy Bridgman, 79. U.S. physicist. Dr. Bridgman was awarded the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the invention of an apparatus to produce extremely high pressures, and for the discoveries he made there within the field of high pressure physics." The Bridgman effect, the Bridgman–Stockbarger technique, and the high-pressure mineral bridgmanite are named after him. Dr. Bridgman was suffering from metastatic cancer when he committed suicide by shooting himself.

Television
CKPG began broadcasting in Prince George, British Columbia, as an affiliate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Football
CFL
Hamilton (2-0) 28 @ Toronto (0-2) 24

The Tiger-Cats trailed 24-7 after 3 quarters, but rallied with 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter to win at CNE Stadium.

Baseball
The Philadelphia Phillies lost their 23rd consecutive game, a major league record that still stands, 5-2 to the Milwaukee Braves in the first game of a doubleheader before 24,637 fans at County Stadium in Milwaukee, as Warren Spahn (14-12) pitched a 5-hit complete game victory. The Phillies ended the losing streak in the second game with a 7-4 win behind the 9-hit pitching of John Buzhardt (4-13).

Dick Bertell singled with 1 out and nobody on base in the bottom of the 11th inning, advanced to second base on a 2-out single by George Altman, and scored on a single by Billy Williams to give the Chicago Cubs a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 19,038 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Don Cardwell (11-10) pitched a 6-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Bob Friend (12-15), who pitched an 8-hitter and tripled with 2 out in the 5th, but was stranded when Bill Virdon flied out to left field to end the inning.

Felipe Alou drove in 4 runs with a pair of home runs and Willie Mays added 3 RBIs with a homer and double to help the San Francisco Giants defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-8 before 40,031 fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Winning pitcher Jack Sanford (10-6) allowed 9 hits and 8 runs--7 earned--in 8.1 innings, while losing pitcher Sandy Koufax (13-9) allowed 8 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in 3+ innings.

Ralph Terry (10-1) pitched a 4 hitter, while Mickey Mantle hit his 46th home run of the season and Roger Maris added his 44th for the New York Yankees as they shut out the Cleveland Indians 6-0 in the first game of a doubleheader before 56,307 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Bill Skowron hit a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning to open the scoring as the Yankees won the second game 5-2 to complete the sweep, with Rollie Sheldon (9-3) pitching an 8-hitter, allowing 1 earned run.

Frank Lary (18-6) pitched a 7-hitter and Norm Cash batted 3 for 4 with 2 runs batted in to help the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader before 37,793 fans at Tiger Stadium. The Red Sox led 6-4 after 6½ innings of the second game, but pinch hitter Charlie Maxwell hit a solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, and pinch hitter Bubba Morton singled home Rocky Colavito and Mr. Cash with 2 out in the bottom of the 8th to provide the winning margin as the Tigers won 7-6 to complete the sweep.

A pair of errors contributed to 2 unearned runs in a 3-run 6th inning for the Chicago White Sox as they defeated the Kansas City Athletics 5-3 in the first game of a doubleheader before 10,741 fans at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. Juan Pizarro (9-5) pitched a 3-hitter and the White Sox scored 4 runs in the top of the 1st inning a they won the second game 7-0 to complete the sweep.

The Minnesota Twins got home runs from 2 different pitchers as they beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-7 before 3,977 fans at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. Twins' starting pitcher Jack Kralick hit his first major league homer in the 3rd inning, and reliever Al Schroll, who entered the game in the 5th inning, hit his only major league home run in the 8th. Lenny Green added 2 homers for the Twins, including one leading off the game. Earl Averill hit 2 solo home runs for the Angels.

7,245 fans showed up at Yankee Stadium in New York to see the West beat the East 7-1 in the Negro American League All-Star Game. Satchel Paige, 55, pitched the first 3 innings for the West, giving up no runs and just 1 hit; he was the winning pitcher and most valuable player. New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller threw out the first pitch.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): L.A. International Airport--Susan Raye

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Butterfly--Danyel Gérard (13th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Co-Co--The Sweet (2nd week at #1)
2 I Did What I Did for Maria--Tony Christie
3 Rain, Rain, Rain--Gentle People
4 Hold On (To What You Got)--Peanutbutter Conspiracy
5 The Banner Man--Blue Mink
6 Lady Rose--Mungo Jerry
7 Funny Funny--The Sweet
8 He's Gonna Step on You Again--John Kongos
9 You--Peter Maffay
10 Mozart: Symphony No. 40 In G Minor K.550 1° Movement (Allegro Molto)--Waldo de Los Rios

Singles entering the chart were Money Baby by Tidal Wave (#18); Joey the Lipstick Collector by Dennis (#20); and Don't Let it Die by Hurricane Smith (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Take Me Home, Country Roads--John Denver with Fat City
2 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney
3 Sweet City Woman--Stampeders
4 Sweet Hitch-Hiker--Creedence Clearwater Revival
5 Liar--Three Dog Night
6 Mr. Big Stuff--Jean Knight
7 Beginnings/Colour My World--Chicago
8 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)--Marvin Gaye
9 I'm Leavin'--Elvis Presley
10 Saturday Morning Confusion--Bobby Russell

Singles entering the chart were She Didn't Do Magic by Lobo (#25); Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep by Mac and Katie Kissoon (#28); The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by Joan Baez (#29); and I Ain't Got Time Anymore by the Glass Bottle (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney
2 Colour My World/Beginnings--Chicago
3 Liar-- Three Dog Night
4 What the World Needs Now is Love/Abraham, Martin and John--Tom Clay
5 Sweet Hitch-Hiker--Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 We Got a Dream--Ocean
7 Rain Dance--The Guess Who
8 Rings--Cymarron
9 Riders on the Storm--The Doors
10 Won't Get Fooled Again--The Who

Singles entering the chart were The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by Joan Baez (#34); Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep by Mac and Katie Kissoon (#37); Summer Side of Life by Gordon Lightfoot (#38); Go Away Little Girl by Donny Osmond (#39); and Stick-Up by the Honey Cone (#40).

Weather
Late on a hot afternoon, it began to rain, marking the third straight year that it had rained in Yellowknife on August 20.

Diplomacy
Malawian President Hastings Kamuzu Banda ended a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, becoming the first black head of state to travel to that country.

Politics and government
A new constitution for the proposed three-member Federation of Arab Republics was signed by representatives of Syria, Egypt, and Libya.

Science
Stanford University psychology professor Philip Zimbardo announced the end of the Stanford Prison Experiment after just six days. The experiment, which had officially begun on August 15, was intended to see what the psychological effects were of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. Stanford students were recruited through an advertisement and, once selected, were randomly assigned as guards or prisoners. The experiment has been criticized for its ethics and methodology, and its findings have been questioned.



Baseball
Ferguson Jenkins (20-9) gave up 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning, but shut out the Houston Astros the rest of the way as the Chicago Cubs edged the Houston Astros 3-2 in the first game of a doubleheader before 30,711 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs overcame the early deficit with a 3-run home run by Johnny Callison with 2 out in the bottom of the 2nd innings. Ron Cook (0-2) took the loss. J.C. Martin doubled home Mr. Callison and Cleo James with none out in the 8th as the Cubs came back from a 4-2 deficit to win the second game 5-4 to complete the sweep. Gene Hiser made his major league debut as a pinch hitter for Chicago in the second game, striking out to lead off the 7th inning.

Jim Fairey hit his only home run of the season--a 2-run blast with 2 out in the 2nd inning--to provide the necessary scoring for the Montreal Expos as they beat the San Francisco Giants 4-1 before 26,122 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal. Mr. Fairey also had a double and a base on balls. Ron Fairly drove in the other Montreal runs with a home run and a single. Bill Stoneman (14-10) pitched a 4-hitter to outduel Juan Marichal (12-9), who pitched a 9-hitter.

Earl Williams scored on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Marty Perez in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Atlanta Braves a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 16,099 fans at Atlanta Stadium.

Ollie Brown doubled home Enzo Hernandez and Nate Colbert with 2 out in the top of the 8th inning to break a 1-1 tie as the San Diego Padres edged the New York Mets 3-2 before 28,863 fans at Shea Stadium in New York. The Mets scored a run in the bottom of the 9th and had runners on first and second bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, but Ken Singleton grounded into a double play to end the game. Clay Kirby (11-10) allowed 5 hits and 2 earned runs in 8.1 innings to win the pitchers' duel over Jerry Koosman (4-8), who allowed 6 hits and 3 runs--2 earned--in 7.2 innings.

Ross Grimsley (8-5) pitched a 4-hitter and Tony Perez hit a 2-run home run with 2 out in the bottom of the 1st inning to provide the necessary scoring for the Cincinnati Reds as they shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 before 26,452 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Lee May, whose single immediately preceded Mr. Perez's home run, added a 2-run homer of his own in the 6th.

Leo Cardenas' 3-run home run climaxed a 5-run 8th inning for the Minnesota Twins and they added 2 in the 9th as they came back from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 8-5 before 29,616 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Frank Robinson drove in 4 runs for Baltimore with a pair of 2-run homers.

Jay Johnstone and Bill Melton each hit 2-run home runs in the 1st inning and Mr. Johnstone added a 2-run homer in the 9th for the Chicago White Sox as they beat the Cleveland Indians 9-1 before 7,256 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Tom Bradley (13-10) allowed 8 hits and 1 earned run in 7.2 innings to get the win over Vince Colbert (3-4), who faced 4 batters to start the game, all of whom scored.

Dick McAuliffe and Jim Northrup hit consecutive singles to begin the bottom of the 7th inning and Al Kaline followed with a home run to break a 0-0 tie as the Detroit Tigers edged the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 before 20,510 fans at Tiger Stadium. Tommy Harper led off the 8th inning with a home run for the first Milwaukee run and the Brewers added another run in the 9th and had runners on first and second bases with 2 out, but Tom Timmermann relieved Fred Scherman and struck out Mr. Harper to end the game. Joe Niekro (6-5) allowed 8 hits and 2 earned runs in 8.1 innings to get the win over Bill Parsons (10-15).

Frank Howard batted 2 for 3 with a base on balls, sacrifice fly, 1 run, and 1 run batted in to help the Washington Senators defeat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 in the first game of a doubleheader before 11,523 fans at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. Mr. Howard was 4 for 5 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs to help the Senators win the second game 8-2 to complete the sweep. Denny McLain (8-16) and Dick Bosman (10-13) pitched respective complete game victories.

Billy Conigliaro singled to lead off the 8th inning and scored from third base on a 1-out single by Doug Griffin for the game's only run as the Boston Red Sox edged the Oakland Athletics 1-0 before 31,494 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Gary Peters (12-9) pitched a 6-hitter to win the pitchers' duel over Vida Blue (22-5), who allowed just 4 hits.

Rudy May (8-9) pitched a 5-hitter and Jim Spencer hit a 3-run home run for the California Angels as they shut out the New York Yankees 6-0 before 8,655 fans at Anaheim Stadium. Steve Kline (9-12) allowed 7 hits and 5 runs--2 earned--in 3.2 innings to take the loss. Terry Ley, the third of four New York pitchers, allowed 1 hit and 1 run--unearned--in 3 innings, walking 6 batters and striking out 1, making 1 assist in his first major league game.

40 years ago
1981

Died on this date
Michael Devine, 27. U.K. terrorist. Mr. Devine was a Northern Irish socialist who helped found the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) in 1974. He was five years into a 12-year sentence at Maze Prison when he joined other prisoners in a hunger strike, but died on the 60th day of his strike, becoming the tenth and last of the hunger strikers to die.

30 years ago
1991

Europeana
Estonia, occupied by and incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, issued a decision on the re-establishment of independence on the basis of legal continuity of its pre-occupation statehood.

Protest
More than 100,000 people rallied outside the Soviet Union's parliament building in Moscow protesting the coup aiming to depose President Mikhail Gorbachev.

25 years ago
1996

Protest
Riot police raided Yonsei University in Seoul to end a nine-day standoff. 5,848 students were detained; 1,000 policemen and students were injured; and 1 policeman was killed. Students were taking part in an annual rally for reunification with North Korea.

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Fred Hoyle, 86. U.K. astronomer. Sir Fred was one of the most famous astronomers of the 20th century, known primarily for the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis. He coined the term "Big Bang" for that theory of the origin of the universe, which he rejected in favour of a "steady state." Sir Fred was also known for his contarian views on a wide range of subjects.

Kim Stanley, 76. U.S. actress. Miss Stanley, born Patricia Kimberley Reid, was mainly known for her work in theatre and television drama in the 1950s and early '60s. She was nominated for Tony Awards for her starring performances in A Touch of the Poet (1958) and A Far Country (1961). Miss Stanley won Emmy Awards for a guest starring appearance in a two-part episode of Ben Casey (1963) and for her supporting performance in the made-for-television film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984). Miss Stanley appeared in few movies, but received Academy Award nominations for her starring performance in Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and her supporting performance in Frances (1982). She spent most of her later years as an acting teacher, and died of uterine cancer.

Baseball
Ken Griffey, Jr.'s inside-the-park solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning gave the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 19,323 fans at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati, ending the Cardinals' winning streak at 11 games.

Paul O'Neill and Tino Martinez hit home runs during a 5-run 8th inning for the New York Yankees to complete their comeback from a 5-2 deficit as they defeated the Texas Rangers 9-5 before 35,125 fans at the Ballpark in Arlington.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Ross Barbour, 82. U.S. singer. Mr. Barbour and his brother Don were founding members of the vocal quartet Hal's Harmonizers in 1948, who soon became known as the Four Freshmen. The group had several hit singles and albums through the early 1960s, and heavily influenced other vocal artists, most notably the Beach Boys. Ross Barbour retired from the Four Freshmen in 1977, and died of cancer.