September 23, 2011

450 years ago
1561

Americana
King Philip II of Spain issued a cedula, ordering a halt to colonizing efforts in Florida.

370 years ago
1641

Disasters
The English merchant ship Merchant Royal, carrying a treasure of over 100,000 pounds of gold (worth over £1 billion today), was lost at sea off Land's End, Cornwall.

240 years ago
1771

Born on this date
Kōkaku. Emperor of Japan, 1780-1817. Kōkaku succeeded Go-Momozono on the throne, and abdicated in favour of his son Ninkō. Kōkaku was the first emperor in more than 200 years to remain on the throne past the age of 40. He died on December 11, 1840 at the age of 69.

190 years ago
1821

War
Tripolitsa, Greece, was captured by Greek rebels during the Greek War of Independence.

140 years ago
1871

Died on this date
Louis-Joseph Papineau, 84. Canadian politician. Mr. Papineau, a native of Montreal, was the son of a politician, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in 1808, becoming its Speaker in 1815 and leader of the Parti Canadien later that year. In 1826, he was chosen as leader of the Patriotes, a more radical and reformist version of the Parti Canadien. Mr. Papineau was best known as leader of the Lower Canada Rebellion in 1837, calling for responsible government. He was forced into exile in New York, but returned to Montreal in 1845 after being granted amnesty by the colonial government. Mr. Papineau was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1848 as an independent candidate in the riding of Saint-Maurice; in 1849 he supported the Montreal Annexation Manifesto, calling for Canada to be annexed by the United States. Mr. Papineau was defeated in his bid for re-election in 1851, but was returned in a by-election in 1852, and retired from public life in 1854. He died in Montebello, Quebec, two weeks before his 85th birthday.

125 years ago
1886

Born on this date
Bob Higgins. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Higgins was a catcher with the Cleveland Naps (1909) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912), batting .143 with no home runs and 2 runs batted in in 13 games. His minor league career spanned the years 1908-1920 and 1924-1925. Mr. Higgins died on May 25, 1941 at the age of 54.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Jaroslav Seifert. Czech journalist and poet. Mr. Seifert, a Communist, was awarded the 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his poetry which endowed with freshness, and rich inventiveness provides a liberating image of the indomitable spirit and versatility of man." He died on January 10, 1986 at the age of 84.

100 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Frank Moss. U.S. politician. Mr. Moss, a Democrat, represented Utah in the U.S. Senate (1959-1977). He was an original sponsor of Medicaid, a program to cover health care for people with low incomes. Sen. Moss also worked to secure more national parks for Utah and supported federal funding for hospices. He died on January 29, 2003 at the age of 91.

Communications
Pilot Earle Ovington made the first official airmail delivery in America under the authority of the United States Post Office Department. In a Blériot XI, he carried a sack of mail from Nassau Boulevard aerodrome, Garden City, New York to Mineola, New York. Mr. Ovington circled at 500 feet and tossed the bag over the side of the cockpit and the sack burst on impact, scattering letters and postcards. He delivered 640 letters and 1,280 postcards, including a letter to himself from the United States Post Office Department designating him as "Official Air Mail Pilot #1."

80 years ago
1931

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

This was the first episode of the season.

Football
NFL
Chicago Cardinals (0-1) 3 @ Portsmouth (2-0) 13

70 years ago
1941

War
The German command claimed that 50 Soviet divisions had been "completely destroyed" and 380,000 prisoners had been taken in the "trap" east of Kiev.

World events
Raul Damonte Taborda, chairman of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies committee investigating Nazi activity in Argentina, announced that Argentine troops the previous day had thwarted a Nazi plot to overthrow the government.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt told a press conference that the United States was heading toward arming her merchant ships. He said that ships tied up by striking seamen must be moved, and warned that strikes freezing vital defense materials would not be tolerated.

Terrorism
Italian press reported that 50 "Communists and Jews" had been executed in Zagreb, Yugoslavia for recent bomb explosions in the telephone exchange.

Protest
Eight people were killed and 24 wounded when soldiers guarding the home of Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho fired on demonstrating members of the Union of Munition Workers who refused to disperse.

Politics and government
U.S. Representative Wall Doxey (Democrat) was elected by less than 1,000 votes in a special election in Mississippi to fill the 15-month unexpired term of the late U.S. Senator Pat Harrison.

Agriculture
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Claude Wickard said that the United States must send $1 billion worth of food to the United Kingdom by February 28, 1942 "unless the British are to lose to Nazi Germany."

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve increased reserve requirements for member banks by about one-seventh, to the present statutory limit, in a further attempt to check inflation.

60 years ago
1951

On the radio
Mr. Moto, starring James Monks, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Kants of Kailuaneohe

Died on this date
Dale Gear, 79. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Gear was a first baseman, outfielder, and pitcher with the Cleveland Spiders (1896-1897) and Washington Senators (1901), batting .239 with no home runs and 25 runs batted in in 69 games, compiling a pitching record of 4-13 with an earned run average in 27 games. He hit at least 17 homers in at least 1,452 games in 17 seasons in the minor leagues (1896-1914), compiling a pitching record of 55-37 in 5 seasons in the minors (1897-1898, 1902-1904). Mr. Gear was a lawyer, and remained in the minor leagues as an owner, executive, and manager through 1935.

Television
CBS presented the first transcontinental telecast to be received on the west coast of the United States, a broadcast of Crusade for Freedom.

War
Supreme commander of United Nations forces in Korea General Matthew Ridgway refused to accept a Communist offer to resume cease-fire talks in Kaesong, demanding a change in the conference site.

The U.S. State and Defense Departments promised "considerable improvements" in the rate of U.S. military aid deliveries to French Indochina after French High Commissioner Jean de Lattre de Tassigny completed a week of conferences in Washington.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Harry Truman released three secret reports by former Vice President Henry Wallace to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Mr. Wallace's 1944 visit to China. Although the reports criticized the Nationalist government, they refuted charges of Louis Budenz that U.S. Communists influenced Mr. Wallace into recommending arms aid for the Chinese Communists or their inclusion in a coalition government.

Britannica
King George VI underwent a two-hour operation in Buckingham Palace for removal of part of a lung damaged by a cancerous tumour.

Religion
The Israeli government announced a plan devised by the country's rabbinate to observe Shemitah, the Jewish sabbatical year, by arranging the fictional "sale" of all Jewish-owned agricultural land in Israel to an Arab named Mahmoud.

Boxing
Hein ten Hoff (22-1-4) of West Germany won the European heavyweight title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Jack Gardner (22-4) at Waldbuehne, Westend, West Germany.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Hamilton (4-1) 16 @ Montreal (2-3) 17

Baseball
Murry Dickson (20-15) pitched a 5-hitter and batted 2 for 4 with a run to outduel Ewell Blackwell (15-15), who allowed 7 hits and 3 runs--1 earned--in 7 innings, as the Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader before 6,152 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Howie Fox (9-14) pitched an 8-hitter to outduel Howie Pollet (6-13), who allowed 4 hits and 1 run--earned--in 6 innings as the Reds won the second game 2-0.

Roy Campanella batted 4 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs batted in to help the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 before 19,135 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Preacher Roe (22-2) pitched a 6-hit complete game victory over Bubba Church (15-11).

Sal Maglie (22-6) allowed 13 hits, but only 1 earned run, as the New York Giants beat the Boston Braves 4-1 before 17,774 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York, remaining 3 games behind the first-place Dodgers in the National League pennant race. Bobby Thomson drew a base on balls with 2 out and the bases empty in the 4th inning and scored the eventual deciding run on a double by Willie Mays. Max Surkont (12-15) took the loss.

The New York Yankees scored 3 runs in the 7th inning and 2 in the 8th as they broke a 1-1 tie and defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-1 before 28,712 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Vic Raschi (20-10) pitched an 8-hitter, allowing 1 unearned run, to win over Chuck Stobbs (10-8). Norm Zauchin played the last 2 innings at first base for the Red Sox, striking out in his only plate appearance and making 2 putouts and an assist. Al Richter made his major league debut with the Red Sox as a pinch hitter in the 9th, and grounded into a double play. He was followed at bat by Bob DiPietro, also in his first major league game, who drew a base on balls and advanced to second base on a single by Dom DiMaggio. Johnny Pesky then flied out to center field to end the game.

Virgil Trucks (12-8) pitched a 7-hitter, allowing 1 unearned run, while batting 3 for 5 with a run and 2 runs batted in, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-1 rout of the Cleveland Indians before 42,623 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, dropping the Indians 2½ games behind the Yankees in the American League pennant race. Vic Wertz hit a 3-run home run to climax a 5-run 6th inning. Losing pitcher Mike Garcia (20-13) allowed 10 hits and 6 runs--all earned--in 6 innings. Hal Naragon made his major league debut as a pinch hitter for the Indians in the 9th and singled with a runner on first base, but Mr. Trucks retired the next 3 batters to end the game.

Bob Hooper (11-10) and Sam Zoldak (6-10) were the respective winning pitchers for the Philadelphia Athletics as they swept a doubleheader from the Washington Nationals 12-4 and 8-3 before 5,951 fans at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Every man in the Philadelphia lineup had at least 1 hit in the first game. Mr. Hooper pitched a 9 hit complete game and batted 2 for 5 with a run and a run batted in. Roy Hawes made his major league debut as a pinch hitter for the Nationals; he led off the 3rd inning with a single, but was erased on a double play. Joe Astroth hit a 2-run home run in the 2nd inning of the second game and Eddie Joost added a 3-run homer in the 4th to give the Athletics a 5-0 lead. Washington catcher Mike Guerra batted 0 for 4 in the second game, making 2 putouts, in the 565th and last game of his 9-year major league career. Connie Marrero (11-9) and Sandy Consuegra (7-8) were the respective losing pitchers.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Michael--The Highwaymen

#1 single in Italy: La novia--Domenico Modugno (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): La Paloma--Freddy Quinn (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): Och was ik maar bij moeder thuis gebleven--Johnny Hoes

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Johnny Remember Me--John Leyton (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Take Good Care of My Baby--Bobby Vee (2nd week at #1)
2 Michael--The Highwaymen
3 The Mountain's High--Dick and Deedee
4 Crying--Roy Orbison
5 Little Sister--Elvis Presley
6 Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight)--Lonnie Donegan and his Skiffle Group
7 Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)--Barry Mann
8 My True Story--The Jive Five with Joe Rene and Orchestra
9 Wooden Heart--Joe Dowell
10 You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby--Bobby Darin

Singles entering the chart were Runaround Sue by Dion (#70); Feel It by Sam Cooke (#73); (He's My) Dreamboat (#75)/Hollywood (#79) by Connie Francis; Don't Blame Me (#77)/Muskrat (#100) by the Everly Brothers; 'Til by the Angels (#97); Guilty of Loving You by Jerry Fuller (#98); and Band of Gold by the Roommates (also #100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 You're the Reason--Bobby Edwards
2 Let's Get Together--Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills
3 Love Has Finally Come My Way--Faron Young
4 (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)
5 Crying/Candy Man--Roy Orbison
6 Bristol Stomp--The Dovells
7 You Mostest Girl--Bob Lee
8 I Love How You Love Me--The Paris Sisters
9 Hit the Road Jack--Ray Charles and his Orchestra
10 Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)--Sue Thompson

Singles entering the chart were Runaround Sue (#15)/Runaway Girl (#33) by Dion; Marcheta by Karl Denver (#29); Ya Ya by Lee Dorsey (#36); I Understand (Just How You Feel) by the G-Clefs (#39); El Toro by Link Wray (#42); Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night by Kenny Dino (#44); The In-Between Years by James MacArthur (#45); Movin' by Bill Black's Combo (#47); Till I Waltz Again with You by Bill Reeder (#48); Don't Blame Me by the Everly Brothers (#49); and A Wonder Like You by Rick Nelson (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Let's Get Together--Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills
2 You're the Reason--Bobby Edwards
3 (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame/Little Sister--Elvis Presley
4 Hit the Road Jack--Ray Charles and his Orchestra
5 You Mostest Girl--Bob Lee
6 Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)--Sue Thompson
7 Black Land Farmer--Wink Martindale
8 Bristol Stomp--The Dovells
9 Hello Fool--Ralph Emery
10 Mexico--Bob Moore and his Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were Runaround Sue by Dion (#14); Don't Blame Me/Muskrat by the Everly Brothers (#30); Love Has Finally Come My Way by Faron Young (#32); Tower of Strength/The Secret by Gene McDaniels (#37); (He's) The Great Impostor by the Fleetwoods (#39); and A Wonder Like You/Everlovin' by Rick Nelson (#40).

Died on this date
Ted Jourdan, 66. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Jourdan was a first baseman with the Chicago White Sox (1916-1918, 1920), batting .214 with no home runs and 11 runs batted in in 48 games. He was with the White Sox when they won the 1917 World Series. Mr. Jourdan played at least 1,445 games in 14 seasons in the minor leagues (1915-1931), hitting at least 58 homers. He worked as a bookkeeper after his baseball career, and died of a heart attack, 18 days after his 66th birthday.

Football
CFL
Montreal (2-5-1) 28 @ Hamilton (7-1) 7
British Columbia (0-9-1) 9 @ Saskatchewan (3-5) 28
Winnipeg (7-2) 33 @ Edmonton (7-2-1) 10

NFL
Chicago (1-1) 21 @ Los Angeles (0-2) 17

AFL
Boston (2-1) 23 @ Buffalo (1-2) 21

Baseball
Mickey Mantle hit his 54th home run of the season--a 3-run blast in the 1st inning--to open the scoring for the New York Yankees as they defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3 before 28,128 fans at Fenway Park in Boston. Elston Howard and pinch hitter Bob Cerv also homered for the Yankees, while Carl Yastrzemski and Don Gile hit home runs for the Red Sox. Whitey Ford (25-4) allowed 9 hits and 3 earned runs in 5 innings, but got the win over Don Schwall (15-6), who allowed 4 hits and 4 runs--2 earned--in 7 innings.

The Cleveland Indians scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th inning to break a 5-5 tie as they defeated the Kansas City Athletics 9-5 before 1,612 fans at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. Bill Kirk started on the mound for Kansas City and allowed 6 hits and 4 runs--all earned--in 3 innings, walking 1 batter and striking out 3 in his only major league game.

Gordy Coleman batted 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in to help the Cincinnati Reds defeat the San Francisco Giants 10-6 before 15,353 fans at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.

Duke Snider tripled home Jim Gilliam and Wally Moon, and scored on a passed ball by Gene Oliver in a 4-run 8th inning for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 before 10,481 fans at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, remaining 4 games behind the National League-leading Reds.

Wes Covington hit a solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 16th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 4,005 fans at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Le jour se lève--Esther Galil (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): What are You Doing Sunday--Dawn

Law
Associate Justice John F. Harlan resigned from the U.S. Supreme Court because of ill health, just six days after Associate Justice Hugo Black resigned for a similar reason.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Endless Love--Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (3rd week at #1)
2 For Your Eyes Only--Sheena Easton
3 Hold on Tight--Electric Light Orchestra
4 The Voice--The Moody Blues
5 Stop Draggin' My Heart Around--Stevie Nicks (with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
6 The Beach Boys Medley--The Beach Boys
7 Queen of Hearts--Juice Newton
8 Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe it or Not)--Joey Scarbury
9 Who's Crying Now--Journey
10 Lady (You Bring Me Up)--Commodores

Singles entering the chart were Share Your Love with Me by Kenny Rogers (#18); Private Eyes by Daryl Hall and John Oates (#29); and Tryin' to Live My Life Without You by Bob Seger (#30).

Died on this date
Dan George, 82. Canadian actor. Chief George, born Geswanouth Slahoot in North Vancouver, was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation--then called the Burrard Indian Band--in British Columbia from 1951-1963. He appeared in various television programs and movies, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting performance in Little Big Man (1970). His other movies included Harry and Tonto (1974) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). Chief George wrote My Heart Soars (1974) and My Spirit Soars (1983), two well-received books of non-fiction. He died in Vancouver.

Personal
This blogger won the DPDDTC (Don Percy Date That Tune Contest) on Mr. Percy's morning show on CFRN radio in Edmonton.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Say Yes--Chage and Aska (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Don't Cry--Guns N' Roses (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Bacardi Feeling (Summer Dreamin')--Kate Yanai (6th week at #1)

Politics and government
The Liberal Party under Premier Frank McKenna retained its majority in the New Brunswick provincial election with 46 of 58 seats in the Legislative Assembly, down from their 58-seat sweep in the 1987 election. The anti-bilingual Confederation of Regions Party, led by Arch Pafford, formed the official opposition, winning 8 seats. 3 Progressive Conservatives and New Democratic Party leader Elizabeth Weir were also elected.

Hockey
Former New York Islanders Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

10 years ago
2001

Football
CFL
British Columbia (6-5) 17 @ Saskatchewan (3-9) 15
Winnipeg (10-2) 28 @ Montreal (9-3) 25



Baseball
Sammy Sosa became the first major league player to hit 3 home runs in a game 3 times in the same season, but his Cubs still lost 7-6 to the Houston Astros before 43,057 fans at Enron Field in Houston. The Astros scored the game's final 3 runs in the bottom of the 7th, the last 2 coming on a home run by Moises Alou which hit the scoreboard and bounced over the fence. The Cubs argued the call, but the hit was a home run according to the rules.

Barry Bonds hit his 65th and 66th home runs of the season and J.T. Snow had 4 singles and 2 runs batted in to help the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 11-2 before 35,247 fans at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

Steve Cox's home run with 2 out in the top of the 1st inning held up as the game's only run as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays edged the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 before 31,251 fans at SkyDome in Toronto. Joe Kennedy (6-8) allowed 4 hits in 7 innings to win the pitchers' duel over Kelvim Escobar (6-7), who also allowed 4 hits in 7 innings, with 9 strikeouts.