June 27, 2015

150 years ago
1865

Born on this date
John Monash. Australian military officer and engineer. General Sir John was a civil engineer who played a major role in introducing reinforced concrete to Australian engineering practice. He joined the militia in 1884, and advanced through the ranks of the Australian Army until he was given a field command in World War I, first in the Gallipoli campaign against the Ottoman Empire in 1915, and then in France on the Western Front in 1916. Gen. Sir John led Australian and American forces to victories from August-October 1918, and earned a reputation as the smartest Allied general in the war. He worked in civilian positions after war, and was regarded as the greatest living Australian until his death from a heart attack on October 8, 1931 at the age of 66.

130 years ago
1885

Born on this date
Guilhermina Suggia. Portuguese musician. Miss Suggia was a classical cellist who performed internationally for more than 30 years. She died of cancer on July 30, 1950 at the age of 85.

125 years ago
1890

Boxing
George Dixon (11-1-9) of Canada won the vacant world bantamweight title, knocking out Nunc Wallace (6-3) in the 19th round of a scheduled 30-round bout at New Pelican Club Gym in London.

120 years ago
1895

Transportation
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Royal Blue train, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives, made its inaugural run of from Washington, D.C., to New York City.

110 years ago
1905

Protest
Russian sailors started a mutiny aboard the battleship Potemkin, denouncing the crimes of autocracy, demanding liberty and an end to war.

80 years ago
1935

Politics and government
The Liberals, led by Allison Dysart, captured 43 of 48 seats in the Legislative Assembly in the New Brunswick provincial election, defeating the incumbent Conservatives under Premier Leonard Tilley.

75 years ago
1940

Literature
Mrs. Antonia Riasanovsky received the $10,000 Atlantic Novel Award for The Family.

War
General Charles de Gaulle announced that a French volunteer legion would be formed in Britain.

Diplomacy
German radio reports said that the German government had no interest in the Soviet demands on Romania.

Politics and government
King Farouk of Egypt asked Hassan Sabry Pasha to form a new cabinet.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Donald Nelson to supervise all government purchases of war supplies and to coordinate U.S. and U.K. defense needs.

70 years ago
1945

Died on this date
Emil Hácha, 72. 3rd President of Czechoslovakia, 1938-1939; State President of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, 1939-1945. Dr. Hácha served as Deputy President of the Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Czechoslovakia from 1919-1925, and became President of the Court upon the death of Ferdinand Pantůček. He became a member of the Legislative Council, and succeeded Edvard Beneš as President of Czechoslovakia after the Munich Agreement in the fall of 1938. Dr. Hácha met with German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin on March 15, 1939, as Mr. Hitler was about to order his troops to invade Czechoslovakia. Mr. Hitler and other German politicians present threatened Mr. Hácha so strongly that he suffered a heart attack, and under duress signed away his country's sovereignty to German occupation. Dr. Hácha was allowed to remain in office as State President of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, enacting Nazi-like laws and replacing Parliament with the National Partnership in 1941. After Reinhard Heydrich replaced Konstantin von Neurath as Deputy Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Dr. Hácha was merely a puppet in office until Prague was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on May 9, 1945. He was arrested four days later and transferred immediately to Pankrác Prison, where he died under suspicious circumstances.

Radio
To make FM free from interference, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission ordered frequency modulation broadcasting changed from between 42-50 megacycles to between 88-106.20 megacycles, of which the segment from 88-92 megacycles would be for non-commercial educational FM.

War
Radio reports from Tokyo said that all Japanese communications had been put under government control to prepare against an invasion.

Politics and government
The Simla Conference in India adjourned until June 29 after a conflict of views between the All-India Congress and the Moslem League over the makeup of India's cabinet.

U.S. President Harry Truman accepted the resignation of Secretary of State Edward Stettinius and appointed him as chairman of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations. Mr. Stettinius expressed hope that the United States would be the first nation to ratify the United Nations Charter.

Society
Georgia Governor Ellis Arnall announced his opposition to the U.S. Fair Employment Practices Commission as "unworkable," adding, "We in the South do not believe in social equality with the Negro."

60 years ago
1955

On television tonight
Sherlock Holmes, starring Ronald Howard and H. Marion Crawford
Tonight's episode: The Case of the Royal Murder



Died on this date
Harry Agganis, 26. U.S. baseball and football player. "The Golden Greek," a native of Lynn, Massachusetts, was a star quarterback with Boston University (1949, 1951-1952), and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1952. He opted instead for a professional career in baseball, and made the Boston Red Sox as a first baseman in 1954. Mr. Agganis got off to a good start, but declined during the second half of his rookie season, batting .251 with 11 home runs and 57 runs batted in in 132 games. Norm Zauchin won the starting job at first base to begin the 1955 season, but Mr. Agganis quickly regained the position. After batting 5 for 10 in a doubleheader on May 15, Mr. Agganis took ill with heavy coughing and pain in his side, and was diagnosed with pneumonia. He briefly returned to the lineup, playing on June 1 and 2, but took ill again and was hospitalized. As Mr. Agganis was being lifted from his bed, a blood clot broke free from his calf and went to his lung, creating a pulmonary embolism, killing him almost immediately. At the time of his death, Mr. Agganis was on the voluntary retired list (there as no disabled list in baseball then), and was batting .313 with no homers and 10 RBIs in 25 games in 1955. For his major league career, Mr. Agganis batted .261 with 11 homers and 67 RBIs in 157 games; he was 8 for 18 (.444) in his last 4 games, when he was already seriously ill.

50 years ago
1965

Music
The Beatles continued their European tour with two shows at Teatro Adriano in Rome.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Yesterday Was Just the Beginning of My Life--Mark Williams

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Paloma Blanca--George Baker Selection (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Only You Can--Fox

On television today
Elwood Glover's Luncheon Date, on CBC

This was the last broadcast of the long-running daytime talk show, which had begun on radio in 1956 before moving to television in 1963.

Canadiana
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau opened the National Historic Park at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, at the tip of Great Northern Peninsula; the park contained evidence, found in 1961, of a Viking landing in North America.

Energy
West Germany agreed to supply Brazil with a complete nuclear power industry by 1990.

Crime
Detroit Tigers' manager Ralph Houk allegedly assaulted Baltimore Evening Sun reporter Phil Hersh in reprisal for an article that appeared in that day's paper alleging that Mr. Houk had addressed his players at a team meeting the previous night and told them that their "situation was hopeless." Mr. Hersh, 28, said that he received word that Mr. Houk wanted to see him before the game between the Tigers and Baltimore Orioles that night. He claimed that he entered Mr. Houk's office, admitted that he had written the article, and that Mr. Houk had ordered him out of the room. Mr. Hersh claimed that Mr. Houk then prevented him from leaving and dragged him by the back of the neck through the Tigers' clubhouse--where about 15 players and coaches were sitting--and slapped his face at least three times and ordered him to apologize to the team. Mr. Houk turned himself in at a Baltimore police station the following day. Trial was set for September 24, 1975, the next time the Tigers were scheduled to play in Baltimore.

Baseball
The Baltimore Orioles scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning and held on to edge the Detroit Tigers 3-2 before 8,748 fans at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Ross Grimsley pitched a 5-hit complete game victory to improve his record for 1975 to 4-9.

The Chicago White Sox scored 2 runs in each of the 8th and 9th innings to overcome a 3-0 deficit and defeat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 before 12,191 fans at White Sox Park. The winning run scored with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th when, with runners on first and second bases, Steve Mingori entered the game as a relief pitcher for Kansas City, and pinch hitter Bill Stein hit a ground ball to first baseman Tony Solaita, who flipped to Mr. Mingori covering first base for what should have been the third out. Mr. Mingori dropped the ball, allowing Bob Coluccio, who had reached third base on the ground ball, to score.

The Oakland Athletics broke open a close game by scoring 7 runs in the top of the 9th inning as they beat the California Angels 12-4 before 17,473 fans at Anaheim Stadium. The last 6 Oakland runs were unearned, resulting from 2 errors by California third baseman Dave Chalk.

Dan Driessen hit a 3-run home run off Danny Frisella with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Cincinnati Reds a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres before 31,076 fans at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

The Montreal Expos and St. Louis Cardinals split a doubleheader before 20,089 fans at Jarry Park in Montreal. In the first game, Bob Gibson pitched his best game of the season, allowing 5 hits and 6 bases on balls, but just 2 runs--both earned--in 6+ innings, as the Cardinals won 6-4. Mr. Gibson, who improved his 1975 record to 2-6, singled in a run in the bottom of the 5th and came around to score a run of his own. In the second game, 2 St. Louis errors in the bottom of the 7th inning allowed Pepe Mangual to score the winning run as the Expos won 5-4. Ted Sizemore hit his second home run in the last three games--and only the 15th of his major league career--for St. Louis.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
Canada's Top 30
1 A View to a Kill--Duran Duran
2 Angel--Madonna
3 Would I Lie to You?--Eurythmics
4 Raspberry Beret--Prince and the Revolution
5 Black Cars--Gino Vannelli
6 Everybody Wants to Rule the World--Tears for Fears
7 Sussudio--Phil Collins
8 The Search is Over--Survivor
9 If You Love Somebody Set Them Free--Sting
10 The Goonies 'R Good Enough--Cyndi Lauper
11 Never Surrender--Corey Hart
12 Strange Animal--Gowan
13 In My House--Mary Jane Girls
14 Axel F--Harold Faltermeyer
15 Tough Alkl Over--John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
16 Into the Groove--Madonna
17 Crazy in the Night--Kim Carnes
18 Everytime You Go Away--Paul Young
19 Walk of Life--Dire Straits
20 Things Can Only Get Better--Howard Jones
21 Walking on Sunshine--Katrina and the Waves
22 Sentimental Street--Night Ranger
23 Voices Carry--'Til Tuesday
24 Glory Days--Bruce Springsteen
25 Smuggler's Blues--Glenn Frey
26 Cannonball--Supertramp
27 The Power of Love--Huey Lewis and the News
28 Go to Pieces--Paul Janz
29 Getcha Back--The Beach Boys
30 Possession Obsession--Daryl Hall John Oates

Americana
Route 66, running from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, was decertified, a victim of the Interstate Highway System. This blogger has travelled along a short stretch of Route 66, in Missouri.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Om--Niklas Strömstedt (2nd week at #1)

Space
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration reported that an improper curvature in one or both mirrors in the $1.5-billion Hubble Space Telescope was preventing rays of light from meeting at a sharp focus at the cameras. The defect appeared to preclude any search for black holes and quasars, and might also jeopardize a calculation of the size of the universe. A camera could be sent up in three years to correct for the flaw, but the mirrors, which had not been tested together on the ground for reasons of cost, could not be replaced, NASA said.

Canadiana
Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Calgary to start a five-day Canadian tour.

Politics and government
The Canadian Parliament adjourned for summer, but not before establishing a new Department of Forestry and the Canadian Space Agency; the Departmnent of Industry, Science and Technology replaced the Ministry of Regional Industrial Expansion.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that leading economic indicators had risen 0.8% in May.

Football
CFL
Pre-season
Winnipeg (1-1) 10 @ Calgary (1-0) 29

20 years ago
1995

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin mission STS-71, the 100th U.S. manned space mission. The seven-member launching crew, commanded by Robert "Hoot" Gibson, included two women and two Russians. The shuttle's mission was to dock with the Russian space station Mir.



Business
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police granted an exclusive marketing license to its likeness and image to the Walt Disney Company, who would pay the RCMP royalties and control copyright infringement.

10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Shelby Foote, 88. U.S. historian. Mr. Foote was best known for The Civil War: A Narrative, published in three volumes from 1958-1974.

Crime
"BTK" serial killer Dennis Rader pled guilty to 10 murders that had spread fear in and near Wichita, Kansas from 1974-1991.