Saturday 20 November 2010

November 20, 2010

260 years ago
1750


Born on this date
Tipu
. Sultan of Mysore, 1782-1799. Tipu succeeded his father Hyder Ali and ruled the Kingdom of Mysore until his deathon May 4, 1799 at the age of 48, at the hands of British East India Company forces while defending Seringapatam. He was succeeded on the throne by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III.

190 years ago
1820


Disasters
An 80-ton sperm whale attacked and sank the Essex, a whaling ship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, 2,000 miles from the western coast of South America. Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick (1851) was in part inspired by this story.

150 years ago
1860


Born on this date
José Figueroa Alcorta
. President of Argentina, 1906-1910; Vice President of Argentina, 1904-1906. Mr. Figueroa, a member of the Partido Autonomista Nacional (National Autonomist Party) (PAN), represented Córdoba in the Chamber of Deputies (1892-1895); served as Governor of Córdoba (1895-1898); and represented Córdoba in the Senate (1898-1904). He became the only person (so far) to hold the three highest offices of state in Argentina when he served as President of the Supreme Court from 1929 until his death on December 27, 1931 at the age of 71.

120 years ago
1890


Born on this date
Harald Madsen
. Danish actor. Mr. Madsen appeared in 51 movies from 1917-1948. He and Carl Schenstrøm comprised the comedy duo Fyrtårnet og Bivognen (Fy og Bi), with Mr. Madsen as Bi. Mr. Madsen died on July 13, 1949 at the age of 58.

Robert Armstrong. U.S. actor. Mr. Armstrong appeared in 127 movies from 1927-1964, but was best known for playing director Carl Denham in King Kong (1933). He played Sheriff Andy Anderson in the television series State Trooper (1957-1959). Mr. Armstrong died of cancer at the age of 82 on April 20, 1973, within 16 hours of the death of King Kong's co-producer, Merian C. Cooper, whom Mr. Armstrong greatly resembled.

110 years ago
1900


Born on this date
Chester Gould
. U.S. cartoonist. Mr. Gould created the comic strip Dick Tracy, which he wrote and drew from 1931-1977. He won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award in 1959 and 1977, and died on May 11, 1985 at the age of 84.

100 years ago
1910


Died on this date
Leo Tolstoy, 82
. Russian author. Count Tolstoy wrote essays, plays, short stories, and novellas, but is best known for his novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878). He was nominated numerous times for the Nobel Prizes in Literature and Peace, but never won, which remains a source of controversy. Count Tolstoy experienced a profound moral crisis in the 1870s, which eventually resulted in him becoming a "Christian" anarchist and pacifist. He died of pneumonia.

World events
Francisco Madero issued the Plan de San Luis Potosí, denouncing Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, calling for a revolution to overthrow the government of Mexico, and effectively starting the Mexican Revolution.

90 years ago
1920


Football
CRU
IRFU-ORFU
Grey Cup Semi-Final
Toronto R & AA 6 Toronto Argonauts 7

Toronto R & AA protested the game, and on November 23 the protest was upheld. The second half was ordered to be replayed on Saturday, November 27, with Toronto Argonauts leading 2-0 at halftime.

75 years ago
1935


Died on this date
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, 75
. U.K. military officer and politician. Admiral Jellicoe served with the Royal Navy in the Anglo-Egyptian War (1882) and the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), but was best known for commanding the Grand Fleet in the Battle of Jutland (1916), the most significant naval engagement of World War I. He was criticized for being too cautious in allowing the German High Seas Fleet to return to port, but was appointed First Sea Lord in November 1916. Adm. Jellicoe was dismissed as First Sea Lord in December 1917 and promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in 1919. He served as Governor General of New Zealand from 1920-1924, and was created Earl Jellicoe and Viscount Brocas of Southampton in 1925, sitting in the House of Lords until his death from pneumonia, 15 days before his 76th birthday.

70 years ago
1940


War
Chinese reports indicated that China would reject any Japanese peace proposals that would alter its alignment with Britain and America against Axis aggression.

Defense
Hungary became a signatory of the Tripartite Pact, officially joining the Axis powers. More than 200,000 Puerto Ricans had registered for U.S. military service despite an appeal from the Nationalist Party not to do so. The U.S.A. and U.K. agreed on a partial standardization of weapons and a pool of technical knowledge. U.S. Navy Secretary Frank Knox announced that U.S. patrol planes were now operating from Bermuda.

Politics and government
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities released a White Paper alleging that German agents in the United States engaged in propaganda, espionage, economic penetration, and activities designed to strain U.S.-Japanese relations.

Economics and finance
Hungary's export trade, seriously affected by the European war, caused the country to stop the transfer of interest payments on its foreign debts, effective October 15, 1940.

60 years ago
1950


On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Dr. Heidegger's Experiment, starring Billie Burke, Halliwell Hobbes, Gene Lockhart, and Tom Poston

Died on this date
Francesco Cilea, 84
. Italian composer. Mr. Cilea wrote numerous works for voice and piano, but is best known today for his operas L'arlesiana (1897) and Adriana Lecouvreur (1902).

George Frederick Kingston, 61. Canadian clergyman. Most Rev. Kingston was primate of the Church of England in Canada; he died in Toronto of a heart attack.

Literature
The Federal Bureau of Investigation by Max Lowenthal was published in New York by Sloane. The book was an attack on the FBI, and raised public questions as to whether U.S. President Harry Truman, a friend of the author, shared his opinion.

Defense
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Gordon Dean charged in U.S. News and World Report that information provided by atomic spy Klaus Fuchs had enabled the Soviets to gain 1-2 years in their atomic bomb research.

Politics and government
West German Social Democratic Party leader Kurt Schumacher demanded that a general election be held on the issue of rearmament.

U.S. Senator Sheridan Downey (Democrat--California) announced that he would resign his seat on November 30, a month before his term expired. California Governor Earl Warren (Republican) said that he would appoint Senator-elect Richard Nixon to fill the vacancy, giving him seniority over other freshman Repubican Senators for committee jobs.

Economics and finance
U.S. National Securities Board Chairman Stuart Symington announced plans to increase U.S. aluminum production 17% to meet defense needs.

50 years ago
1960


Football
CFL
EFC
Finals
Ottawa 21 @ Toronto 20 (Ottawa won 2-game total points series 54-41)

The Argonauts were leading 20-0 in the 3rd quarter and 41-33 in total points before 30,529 fans at CNE Stadium, but the Rough Riders scored 2 touchdowns in 77 seconds and then clinched the Big 4 title in the 4th quarter when rookie quarterback Ron Lancaster completed a pass to Bob Simpson on a "sleeper" play for 80 yards from the Ottawa 12-yard line to the Toronto 18. Two plays later, Joe Kelly rushed 2 yards for his second touchdown of the game.

NFL
Philadelphia (7-1) 17 @ New York (5-2-1) 10
St. Louis (5-4) 26 @ Washington (1-5-2) 14
Cleveland (5-3) 10 @ Pittsburgh (3-5-1) 14
Detroit (3-5) 7 @ Chicago (4-3-1) 28
Los Angeles (3-5-1) 33 Green Bay (5-3) 31 @ Milwaukee
San Francisco (4-4) 26 @ Dallas (0-9) 14

AFL
Denver (4-6) 10 @ Houston (7-3) 20
Buffalo (4-6) 32 @ Los Angeles (6-4) 3

53,571 fans at Yankee Stadium saw the Eagles get their seventh straight win. The game was notable for a legal but vicious tackle by veteran Philadelphia linebacker Chuck Bednarik on New York halfback Frank Gifford late in the game. Mr. Gifford suffered a concussion that kept him out for the rest of the 1960 season and the entire 1961 season. The loss hurt the Giants’ hopes for winning their third straight East Division title.



40 years ago
1970


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): New World in the Morning--Roger Whittaker (2nd week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond
2 Burning Bridges--The Mike Curb Congregation
3 Cha-La-La, I Need You--Shuffles
4 Like I Do--Barbara Ray and the 5th Association
5 Montego Bay--Bobby Bloom
6 All the Tears in the World--Dave Mills
7 Candida--Dawn
8 Me and My Life--The Tremeloes
9 Looky Looky--Giorgio
10 Black Night--Deep Purple

No new singles entered the chart.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Fire and Rain--James Taylor
2 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
3 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family
4 Share the Land/Bus Rider--The Guess Who
5 The Tears of a Clown--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
6 And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind--Mark Lindsay
7 See Me, Feel Me--The Who
8 You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Elvis Presley
9 Cry Me a River--Joe Cocker
10 Heed the Call--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

Singles entering the chart were Black Magic Woman by Santana (#22); Stoned Love by the Supremes (#24); Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is? by Chicago (#26); Cheryl Moana Marie by John Rowles (#28); Stoned Cowboy by Fantasy (#29); and Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Share the Land/Bus Rider--The Guess Who
2 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
3 The Tears of a Clown--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
4 Fire and Rain--James Taylor
5 It Don't Matter to Me--Bread
6 Heaven Help Us All--Stevie Wonder
7 After Midnight--Eric Clapton
8 Express Yourself--Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
9 Let's Work Together--Canned Heat
10 Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?--Chicago
Singles entering the chart were See Me, Feel Me by the Who (#12); Silver Moon by Michael Nesmith & the First National Band (#26); One Man Band by Three Dog Night (#27); Pay to the Piper by the Chairmen of the Board (#28); and Who Needs Ya by Steppenwolf (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family
2 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
3 Lola--The Kinks
4 It's Only Make Believe--Glen Campbell
5 Heed the Call--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
6 He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother--Neil Diamond
7 Share the Land--The Guess Who
8 You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Elvis Presley
9 We've Only Just Begun--Carpenters
10 Fly Little White Dove, Fly--The Bells

On television tonight
The Interns, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Act of God

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly voted 51-49 to admit the People’s Republic of China, but because an earlier United States resolution requiring a 2/3 majority had passed 66-52, Communist China was denied entry to the UN.

Crime
After almost seven hours of deliberations, a seven-man panel of United States Army officers cleared Staff Sergeant David Mitchell of charges of murdering South Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre on March 16, 1968. A 10-year Army career man, Sgt. Mitchell, the first of the officers and men to be tried for the massacre, said that he would stay in the Army.

Labour
A three-year contract granting a 30% pay raise over that period ended the 67-day strike by United Auto Workers against General Motors.

30 years ago
1980


Died on this date
John McEwen, 80
. Prime Minister of Australia, 1967-1968. Sir John, a member of the Country Party, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1934, and held various posts in 25 years as a cabinet minister. He led the Country Party from 1958-1971, and served as interim Prime Minister from December 19, 1967-January 10, 1968, following the disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt. Sir John then resigned in favour of John Gorton, and was appointed Australia's first Deputy Prime Minister, serving until his retirement from politics on February 5, 1971. He suffered from severe dermatitis for most of his life, and the pain eventually led him to commit suicide through self-starvation.

World events
The trial of Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Honwen--three members of China’s so-called "Gang of Four"--on charges of plotting an armed rebellion in Shanghai in 1976 began with the reading of the indictment, which also included an accusation that they had planned to kill Chairman Mao Zedong.

Hockey
NHL
Detroit 3 @ Montreal 7



25 years ago
1985


Diplomacy
The summit between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev continued in Geneva, with the leaders and their wives taking turns entertaining each other at dinner at the Soviet Mission and at the Maison de Sassure, the Reagans’ temporary residence.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the gross national product had increased at an annual rate of 4.3% during the third quarter of 1985. The department also reported that after-tax profits of U.S. corporations had risen 5.3% during the quarter.

20 years ago
1990


Space
The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, Florida to conclude the secret defense mission STS-38. The five-man crew was led by Commander Richard Covey.



Politics and government
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher failed to win a majority of votes in her battle against former Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine for leadership of the Conservative Party. In the first round of voting, Mrs. Thatcher received 372 votes to 152 for Mr. Heseltine with 16 abstentions, leaving Mrs. Thatcher 4 votes short of a majority.

Crime
El Sayyid A. Nosair, a Muslim and U.S. citizen who had been born in Egypt, was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and other charges for the November 5 assassination in New York of Jewish Defense League founder and Israeli Knesset member Rabbi Meir Kahane.

Andrei Chikatilo, one of the Soviet Union's most prolific serial killers, was arrested in Novocherkassk; he eventually confessed to 56 killings.

Law
Bertha Wilson, the first woman and the most evil person to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada, announced her retirement after 18 years on the Court.

Labour
About 6,000 steelworkers at Algoma Steel Corporation in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario ratified a tentative agreement, ending a 112-day strike. The new contract would increase hourly wages by $2.89 by 1993, as well as improving pensions and severance pay and introducing a profit-sharing plan.

10 years ago
2000


Died on this date
Samer Jaber, 17
. Canadian crime victim. Mr. Samer, a student at Lester B. Pearson High School in Callgary,wais stabbed to death over a $30 debt.

Politics and government
Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori resigned, five months before the scheduled election in which he said he would not be a candidate. Mr. Fujimori faxed his resignation from Japan.

Terrorism
A bomb killed two adults and injured several children on a bus in the Gaza Strip transporting the children of Israeli settlers, and the Israelis then launched a missile attack on Palestinian military and police facilities in Gaza City.

Disasters
At least 110 died in Nairobi after drinking moonshine brewed with methanol. Officials feared that many of the 400 survivors would lose their eyesight.

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