September 8, 2021

1,320 years ago
701

Died on this date
Sergius I, 51 (?). Roman Catholic Pope, 687-701. Sergius I was of Syrian ancestry, but born in Palermo, Sicily. He was ordained as cardinal-priest of Santa Susanna in 683, and rose through the ranks of the clergy before succeeding Conon as Bishop of Rome. Sergius was chosen as pope in order to break a deadlock between rivals Paschal and Theodore. His papacy was dominated by his rejection of the canons of the Quinisext Council (692), which was held in Constantinople, and seemed to have a bias in favour of the Eastern Church and against the Western Church. Pope Sergius I was succeeded by John VI.

750 years ago
1271

Born on this date
Charles Martel. (Titular) King of Hungary and Croatia, 1290-1295. Charles, a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, was 18 when he was set up by Pope Nicholas IV and the ecclesiastial party as the titular King of Hungary and Croatia, succeeding his maternal uncle Ladislaus IV of Hungary. He never succeeded in governing Hungary, as his cousin Andrew III was the actual king. Charles was successful in asserting his claim in Croatia, but died of the plague on August 12, 1295, 27 days before his 24th birthday.

690 years ago
1331

Europeana
Stefan Dušan declared himself King of Serbia.

260 years ago
1761

Married on this date
King George III of the United Kingdom and Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz were married at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, London, by Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Secker.

240 years ago
1781

War
The Battle of Eutaw Springs in South Carolina, the American Revolutionary War's last significant battle in the Southern theatre, ended in a narrow British tactical victory, although the Americans also claimed victory.

225 years ago
1796

War
French forces defeated Austrian troops in the Battle of Bassano at Bassano del Grappa in what is now part of Italy.

190 years ago
1831

Britannica
William IV and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen were crowned at Westminster, London as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

War
The Battle of Warsaw ended after two days in a decisive Russian victory over Polish forces, ending the November Uprising.

180 years ago
1841

Born on this date
Antonín Dvořák, 62. Czech composer. Mr. Dvořák was known for many compositions, including his nine symphonies, especially Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World, aka New World Symphony, which he wrote in 1893 while in New York. He died on May 1, 1904 at the age of 62.

170 years ago
1851

Born on this date
John Jenkins. U.S.-born Australian politician. Mr. Jenkins, a native of Pennsylvania, went to Australia as a representative of a publishing company, and remained there. He represented East Adelaide (1886-1887) and Sturt (1887-1901) in the South Australia House of Assembly, serving as Commissioner for Public Works for much of the 1890s. Mr. Jenkins was Premier of South Australia (1901-1905), resigning in March 1905 to take up the post of Agent-General for South Australia in London. He served in that capacity until 1908, and remained in London, where he was often referred to as "Australia's Unofficial High Commissioner." Mr. Jenkins ran unsuccessfully for the British House of Commons in 1918 as a candidate of the National Party. He died in London on February 22, 1923 at the age of 71.

150 years ago
1871

Born on this date
Samuel McLaughlin. Canadian automobile executive. Mr. McLaughlin, a native of Enniskillen, Ontario, founded the McLaughlin Carriage Company in 1867, which became the largest carriage manufacturing company in the British Empire. The company made carriages until 1915, and was renamed the McLaughlin Motor Car Company Limited in 1907 after Mr. McLaughlin entered into a partnership with Billy Durant to manufacture Buicks. General Motors of Canada Limited was incorporated in 1918, and bought the McLaughlin Motor Car Company Limited. The name of the Canadian-made car was changed to McLaughlin-Buick in 1923, and cars under that name were manufactured until 1942. Mr. McLaughlin was a philanthropist and racehorse owner, and a longtime director of the Ontario Jockey Club. His horses won the King's Plate three times, and he sold his Parkwood Stable to E. P. Taylor, who eventually renamed it Windfields Farm. Mr. McLaughlin remained with General Motors Canada as chairman of the board, as well as vice-president and executive director of the parent company until his death in Oshawa, Ontario on January 6, 1972 at the age of 100. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1963 and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1977.

140 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Refik Saydam. Prime Minister of Turkey, 1939-1942. Mr. Saydam, a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP), held several cabinet posts before becoming Prime Minister. He died in office on July 8, 1942 at the age of 60, and was succeeded by Şükrü Saracoğlu.

Harry Hillman. U.S. runner and coach. Mr. Hillman won gold medals in the men's 400-metre run, 200-metre hurdles, and 400-metre hurdles at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, and a silver medal in the 400-metre hurdles at the 1908 Olympics in London. He was track coach at Dartmouth College from 1910 until his death on August 9, 1945, 30 days before his 64th birthday.

125 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Howard Dietz. U.S. publicist and songwriter. Mr. Dietz was Vice President in Charge of Publicity at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios from 1942-1957, but his association with the company went back further. He has been credited with creating Leo the Lion as the studio's mascot and Ars Gratia Artis as its slogan. Mr. Dietz and Arthur Schwartz were a songwriting team, with Mr. Dietz writing lyrics for more than a dozen Broadway musicals, including The Band Wagon (1931), with songs such as Dancing in the Dark and That's Entertainment. Mr. Dietz was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972, and died on July 30, 1983 at the age of 86, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

120 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Hendrik Verwoerd. Prime Minister of South Africa, 1958-1966. Dr. Verwoerd was a native of Amsterdam who moved to South Africa with his family in 1903. He was a professor of social sciences at Stellenbosch University before entering politics, where as a member of the National Party government, he held several cabinet posts and became known as the "Father of Apartheid" for his responsibility in implementing many aspects of that racial policy. Dr. Verwoerd succeeded J.G. Strijdom as Prime Minister in 1958, and continued the policies of his National Party predecessors. He survived an assassination attempt in 1960, months before a national referendum resulted in South Africa becoming a republic, the position favoured by the National Party. The National Party retained its majority in the House of Assembly in the general election of March 30, 1966. Dr. Verwoerd had just entered the House on September 6, 1966 when he was stabbed in the neck and chest four times by parliamentary messenger Dimitri Tsafendas. Dr. Verwoerd was dead on arrival at hospital, two days before his 65th birthday; his assassin was declared insane. Dr. Verwoerd was succeeded as Prime Minister by Justice Minister John Vorster.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Harry Secombe. U.K. entertainer. Sir Harry, a native of Wales, was a comedian, singer, and actor who was best known as a member of the cast of the radio comedy program The Goon Show (1951-1960). He played Mr. Bumble in the movie Oliver! (1968) and starred in the television comedy program The Harry Secombe Show (1968-1973). Sir Harry presented religious programs on television in later years, and died of prostate cancer on April 11, 2001 at the age of 79, after years of declining health.

Americana
Margaret Gorman, 16, won the Atlantic City Pageant's Golden Mermaid trophy; pageant officials later dubbed her the first Miss America.

80 years ago
1941

War
The Siege of Leningrad began as German forces captured Schlusselberg, cutting off the last land connection to the Russian city. Canadian, British, and Norwegian forces raided Spitsbergen, setting fire to coal stocks and destroying mines to prevent the Germans from using them. A large force of U.K. Royal Air Force bombers pounded Berlin during the night.

Movies
Chilean Interior Minister Arturo Olavarria approved the banning of the U.K. anti-Nazi film Pastor Hall (1940) by the Governor of Santiago.

Space
Dr. Roy K. Marshall of the Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia told the American Astronomical Society that the craters on the moon were caused by volcanic action and not the impact of great meteors.

75 years ago
1946

Terrorism
Explosives planted by the Irgun Zvai organization cut the Palestine railway in 50 places. Irgun leaders said that the action was a protest against the upcoming Palestine conference in London.

Politics and government
95.6% of voters in a referendum in Bulgaria supported abolishing the country's monarchy.

Chinese Communist leader Chou En-lai said that his party would not seek any Soviet aid in order to preserve its own independence.

Protest
Protesting a statement by U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes that the Polish-German frontier was not final, Polish Communists demonstrated before the U.S. ambassador's residence in Warsaw.

Crime
Communist-organized "squatters," protesting an acute housing shortage in the United Kingdom, seized the Duchess of Bedford's house and nine other luxury buildings in London.

Scandal
The U.S. Senate War Investigating Committee disclosed Henry Garsson's testimony that Representative Andrew May (Democrat--Kentucky) had received no pay from Garsson armaments firms.

Labour
Congress of Industrial Organizations President William Murray withdrewd the CIO from the International Labor Organization after a U.S. Labor Department decision making the American Federation of Labor the sole U.S. representative at the upcoming ILO conference in Montreal.

Tennis
Jack Kramer defeated Tom Brown 9-7, 6-3, 6-0 in the men's singles final of the U.S. National Championships at Forest Hills, New York, while Pauline Betz defeated Doris Hart 11-9, 6-3 in the women's singles final.

Football
AAFC
Brooklyn (1-0) 27 @ Buffalo (0-1) 14
New York (1-0) 27 @ San Francisco (0-1) 14

70 years ago
1951

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Too Young--Nat "King" Cole; Toni Arden

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Because of You--Tony Bennett (Best Seller--1st week at #1); Come On-A My House--Rosemary Clooney (Disc Jockey--7th week at #1; Jukebox--6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Come On-A My House--Rosemary Clooney (3rd week at #1)
--Kay Starr
2 Because of You--Tony Bennett
--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
3 Sweet Violets--Dinah Shore
4 Too Young--Nat "King" Cole
5 The Loveliest Night of the Year--Mario Lanza
6 My Truly, Truly Fair--Guy Mitchell
--Vic Damone
7 Jezebel--Frankie Laine
8 I Get Ideas--Tony Martin
9 Belle, Belle, My Liberty Belle--Guy Mitchell
10 (Why Did I Tell You I was Going to) Shanghai--Doris Day
--Billy Williams Quartet

Singles entering the chart were The World is Waiting for the Sunrise by Les Paul and Mary Ford (#16) and Wonderful, Wasn't It? by Frankie Laine (#40). Wonderful Wasn't It? was the B-side of The Girl in the Wood, charting at #25.

War
The San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed by 48 nations at the Opera House, formally ending World War II, and Japan's position as an imperial power. The U.S.S.R., C.S.S.R., and Poland refused to sign the treaty, which Soviet delegate Andrei Gromyko denounced as "sowing the seeds of a new war in the Far East."



Space
Scientists from 10 nations at the Second International Congress on Astronautics in London formed an International Astronautics Federation to coordinate research on space flight, which rocket experts predicted would be achieved before the year 2000.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. apologized to the U.S.A. for the death of Robert de Brake, an American soldier killed by East German police at the Soviet checkpoint of Lichterfeld Sued.

Politics and government Jordan's King Talal reappointed Abdul Huda Pasha as Prime Minister.

Americana
Colleen Kay Hutchins, representing Utah, was crowned Miss America 1952 at the annual pageant in Atlantic City.

Agriculture
The U.S. Agriculture Department estimated that recent floods and rains had caused crop losses of $219 million in Kansas, $156 million in Missouri, and $54 million in Illinois.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Hamilton (3-0) 21 @ Toronto (1-2) 2
Montreal (0-2) 9 @ Ottawa (1-1) 13

WIFU
Saskatchewan (2-2) 7 @ Calgary (1-4) 9
Winnipeg (2-3) 19 @ Edmonton (4-1) 35

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Johnny Remember Me--John Leyton (3rd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Jonathan Wills Story

Politics and government
The Union for National Progress (UPRONA), led by Prince Ludoviko Rwagasore, won 58 of 64 seats in the National Assembly in the Burundian general election, to create a government following Burundi's independence from Belgium in 1962. The Common Front took the remaining 6 seats.

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (3-4) 16 @ Montreal (0-5-1) 15

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I'm Still Waiting--Diana Ross (3rd week at #1)

Americana
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was opened in Washington, D.C., with the opening feature being the premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Mass.



40 years ago
1981

Died on this date
Roy Wilkins, 80. U.S. civil rights activist. Mr. Wilkins was a leading figure in the Negro civil rights movement from the 1930s through the '70s, and led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples as Executive Secretary (1955-1963) and Executive Director (1964-1977). He supported reform by legislative means, and opposed Communism. Mr. Wilkins died nine days after his 80th birthday, from heart problems related to a pacemaker implanted in 1979.

Hideki Yukawa, 74. Japanese physicist. Dr. Yukawa, born Hideki Ogawa, was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his prediction of the existence of mesons on the basis of theoretical work on nuclear forces." He died from pneumonia and heart failure.

Baseball
The Montreal Expos, who were in a race for the championship of the second half of the season in the National League East division, fired Dick Williams--who was in his fifth season as the team's manager--and replaced him with general manager Jim Fanning.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams (6th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (ض3)
1 Bacardi Feeling (Summer Dreamin')--Kate Yanai
2 Wind of Change--Scorpions
3 (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams
4 Do the Limbo Dance--David Hasselhoff
5 Sailing on the Seven Seas--OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
6 Bobby Brown--Frank Zappa
7 Losing My Religion--R.E.M.
8 You Could Be Mine--Guns N' Roses
9 Any Dream Will Do--Jason Donovan
10 Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee La Da Da)--Crystal Waters

Singles entering the chart were It Ain't Over 'til it's Over by Lenny Kravitz (#25); Baila me by Gipsy Kings (#27); and Now that We Found Love by Heavy D & the Boyz (#28).

Died on this date
Alex North, 80. U.S. composer. Mr. North, born Isadore Soifer, was known for his scores to movies such as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); Spartacus (1960); and The Misfits (1961). He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, but never won, and was finally given an Honorary Academy Award in 1986.

Football
CFL
British Columbia (6-4) 56 @ Ottawa (4-6) 29

Doug Flutie passed for 293 yards and rushed for 51 more as he led the Lions over the Rough Riders before 24,171 fans at Lansdowne Park. The 56 points were a B.C. club record for a single game, 1 more than the previous record set in 1987.



Saskatchewan (3-7) 41 @ Winnipeg (6-4) 49 (OT)

Robert Mimbs rushed 1 yard for a touchdown in overtime to provide the winning margin as the Blue Bombers beat the Roughriders before 28,323 fans at Winnipeg Stadium. Winnipeg kicker Trevor Kennerd, in his 12th season with the Blue Bombers, suffered a career-ending injury and was replaced for the duration of the game by punter Bob Cameron, who kicked 4 converts.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Twisted--Keith Sweat

#1 single in Austria (ض3): Break My Stride--Unique II

#1 single in Switzerland: Killing Me Softly--The Fugees (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Scotland (OCC): Flava--Peter Andre

Football
CFL
Saskatchewan (3-8) 13 @ Toronto (10-1) 31

The Argonauts set a team single-game record with 9 sacks as they beat the Roughriders before 17,576 fans at SkyDome.



Hamilton (4-7) 15 @ Winnipeg (6-5) 33

Reggie Slack completed 19 of 31 passes for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns as he led the Blue Bombers over the Tiger-Cats before 25,690 fans at Winnipeg Stadium.

20 years ago
2001

Football
CFL
British Columbia (5-5) 17 @ Toronto (3-7) 32
Hamilton (5-5) 31 @ Winnipeg (8-2) 63

CIS
Saskatchewan 36 @ Alberta 7

The Huskies built a 27-7 halftime lead and coasted to an easy win over the Golden Bears on a rainy Saturday afternoon before 3,300 fans in the first regular season game played at Foote Field in Edmonton.