November 26, 2017

175 years ago
1842

Academia
The University of Notre Dame was founded by Rev. Edward Sorin, of the Congregation of Holy Cross, as an all-male Roman Catholic institution in South Bend, Indiana.

160 years ago
1857

Politics and government
Canada East Premier George-Etienne Cartier formed the Macdonald-Cartier ministry with Canada West Premier John A. Macdonald, on the retirement of Canada East Premier Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché. Mr. Cartier, who was a rebel in 1837, was Attorney-General for Canada East; his French-Canadian "bleu" members held the balance of power in the Union.

100 years ago
1917

Diplomacy
The Manchester Guardian published the 1916 secret Sykes-Picot Agreement between the United Kingdom and France, defining their mutually agreed spheres of influence and control in Southwestern Asia.

Hockey
NHL
The National Hockey League was incorporated, and Frank Calder was elected its President, after National Hockey Association club owners were unable to resolve conflicts with Toronto Blueshirts' owner Eddie Livingstone. The new league thus replaced the NHA, and consisted of the Montréal Canadiens, Montréal Wanderers, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators, and Québec Bulldogs. Québec decided not to operate for the 1917-18 season.

90 years ago
1927

Football
CRU
Grey Cup @ Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Toronto Balmy Beach 9 Hamilton Tigers 6

Balmy Beach turned a blocked kick and a fumble into 6 points in the opening minutes of the game and held on to defeat the Tigers before 13,676 fans in one of the greatest upsets in Grey Cup history. Alex Ponton kicked off for Toronto to open the game; Mr. Languay of the Tigers attempted to return the kick--i.e., kick the ball back--but Eddie Crowhurst blocked the attempted return kick across the dead ball line, giving Balmy Beach a 1-0 lead just 10 seconds into the game. Balmy Beach recovered a Hamilton fumble on the next play, and Mr. Ponton rushed for a touchdown three plays later to make the score 6-0. The convert was unsuccessful, but Yip Foster punted for a single later in the 1st quarter and 2 more in the 2nd to give Toronto a 9-0 halftime lead. Pep Leadley got the Tigers on the scoreboard with a single in the 3rd quarter, and produced their only touchdown later in the quarter when he executed an onside kick, which was recovered by Tebor McKelvey for the major score. Mr. Leadley missed the convert, and was short on a 25-yard field goal attempt with less than 2 minutes remaining in regulation time that, if successful, would have tied the score. Balmy Beach won despite making just 3 first downs, to 17 for the Tigers. It was the first Grey Cup championship for Balmy Beach, who were in their fourth year of operation.



80 years ago
1937

Canadiana
Gustave Lanctôt was named Dominion Archivist.

75 years ago
1942

At the movies
Casablanca began a two-week run at the Hollywood Theatre in New York City.

War
British forces in Tunisia drove German forces from Medjez el Bab, 30 miles southwest of Tunis. Russian forces claimed to have taken several towns on the northwestern Stalingrad front, including Krasnoye Selo and Generalov on the Don River bend. Allied bombers sank two Japanese destroyers and heavily damaged a third, all apparently loaded with reinforcements, 150 miles north of the Buna-Gona area, where bitter hand-to-hand fighting entered its thirteenth day. Nine U.S. bombers flew 1,500 miles round-trip to bomb a Japanese-held oil refinery at Bangkok in the first American attack on Thailand.

Academia
The formation of the Engineering College Research Association to coordinate the war research activities of 73 engineering schools was announced in New York.

Politics and government
Yugoslav Partisans convened the first meeting of the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia at Bihać in northwestern Bosnia.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered nationwide gasoline rationing, beginning December 1, 1942, in order to save rubber.

International Committee of Bankers on Mexico Chairman Thomas Lamont announced an agreement with Mexico whereby the committee would resume service on Mexico's external debt of $236 million.

70 years ago
1947

Defense
U.S. Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington told the President's Air Policy Committee that the United States must have at least 630 heavy bombers, and complained that current air strength was far blow this level.

Economics and finance
In a test vote on stop-gap aid to Western Europe, the U.S. Senate rejected a proposed $197-million cut in the $597-million French-Italian-Austrian aid bill.

Labour
French labour leaders rejected a government plea to end extensive walkouts in exchange for a $12 monthly cost-of-living increase.

Crime
U.S. President Harry Truman commuted the prison sentence of Boston Mayor James Curley for mail fraud to the five months already served.

Technology
U.S. Army Signal Corps Laboratories reported the development of the fastest known refracting photographic lens, with a speed of f/0.6.

60 years ago
1957

On television tonight
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, starring Van Johnson, Claude Rains, and Lori Nelson, on NBC

This Technicolor film was one of the first made-for-television movies.



Diplomacy
U.K. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and French Prime Minister Felix Gaillard ended two days of talks in Paris aimed at reconciling differences over British arms shipments to North Africa.

Education
The Texas legislature approved a bill permitting the Governor to close any public school whose local board certified that it was threatened with violence that might result in the use of federal troops.

Labour
The Distillery, Rectifying, Wine and Allied Workers International Union split in a dispute over the dismissal of 13 officers accused by the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations of corruption.

50 years ago
1967

Football
CFL
Western Finals
Saskatchewan 17 @ Calgary 13 (Saskatchewan won best-of-three series 2-1)

Ron Lancaster threw touchdown passes to Jim Carphin in the 1st quarter and Gord Barwell in the 2nd, and George Reed rushed 35 times for 201 yards to help the Roughriders defeat the Stampeders before 21,036 fans at McMahon Stadium. Among those whose career ended with this game were Calgary guard Ron Allbright, defensive tackle Larry Anderson, and defensive back Bill Gaskins. It was the last game in a Calgary uniform for running back Lovell Coleman, defensive back Dick Dupuis and fullback and kicker Bill Goods.

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): L'angelo azzurro'--Umberto Balsamo (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Belfast--Boney M. (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): 't Smurfenlied--Vader Abraham (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Belfast--Boney M.

#1 single in the U.K (BMRB): The Name of the Game--ABBA (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): You Light Up My Life--Debby Boone (7th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 You Light Up My Life--Debby Boone (8th week at #1)
2 Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue--Crystal Gayle
3 How Deep is Your Love--Bee Gees
4 Boogie Nights--Heatwave
5 Nobody Does it Better--Carly Simon
6 Heaven on the 7th Floor--Paul Nicholas
7 Baby, What a Big Surprise--Chicago
8 We're All Alone--Rita Coolidge
9 Just Remember I Love You--Firefall
10 Blue Bayou--Linda Ronstadt

Singles entering the chart were Desiree by Neil Diamond (#75); What's Your Name by Lynyrd Skynyrd (#85); Sometimes When We Touch by Dan Hill (#88); Peg by Steely Dan (#89); Don't Let it Show by Alan Parsons Project (#95); Never My Love by the Addrisi Brothers (#97); Still the Lovin' is Fun by B.J. Thomas (#99); and Wrap Your Arms Around Me by K.C. and the Sunshine Band (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 You Light Up My Life--Debby Boone (3rd week at #1)
2 Boogie Nights--Heatwave
3 Nobody Does it Better--Carly Simon
4 I Feel Love--Donna Summer
5 Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue--Crystal Gayle
6 Baby, What a Big Surprise--Chicago
7 Just Remember I Love You--Firefall
8 We're All Alone--Rita Coolidge
9 Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill
10 Help is on the Way--Little River Band

Singles entering the chart were Turn to Stone by Electric Light Orchestra (#77); Hey Deanie by Shaun Cassidy (#90); Runaround Sue by Leif Garrett (#91); Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) by Chic (#92); Short People by Randy Newman (#94); Your Backyard by Burton Cummings (#95); Sweet Music Man by Kenny Rogers (#96); As by Stevie Wonder (#98); What Would My Mama Say by Toulouse (#99); and Serpentine Fire by Earth, Wind & Fire (#100).

Television
An unidentified hijacker named Vrillon, claiming to be the representative of the "Ashtar Galactic Command," took over Britain's Southern Television for six minutes, starting at 5:12 pm., warning viewers that "All your weapons of evil must be destroyed."

Diplomacy
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat invited all parties involved, including Israel, U.S.S.R., U.S.A., and United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim to send representatives to Cairo to hold talks aimed at removing obstacles to a Middle East peace conference in Geneva. Israel promptly accepted the invitation, but Syrian Foreign Minister Abdel Halim Khaddam rejected the proposal, as did the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Politics and government
Bishop Abel Muzorewa, considered the major black nationalist spokesman in Rhodesia, said that he would negotiate majority rule if he were certain that Prime Minister Ian Smith's offer was genuine.

Hockey
NHL
Detroit 1 @ Montreal 3

CHL
Kansas City 2 @ Fort Worth 1
Salt Lake City 5 @ Phoenix 4

30 years ago
1987

Academia
Linda Frum spoke at the University of Western Ontario about her new book Linda Frum’s Guide to Canadian Universities, after some students at Western had taken exception to her comments about UWO. This blogger was part of the audience in London, and enjoyed meeting her. I thought her comments about Western were accurate.

Disasters
Officials said that as many as 650 people may have died when a typhoon carrying winds of 120 miles per hour struck the central Philippines.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): End of the Road--Boyz II Men (3rd week at #1)

Economics and finance
It was announced that Queen Elizabeth II would pay taxes on her 1993 personal income, while the civil list—the list of members of the royal family supported by the state—was trimmed to three: the Queen, Prince Philip, and Queen Mother Elizabeth.

Horse racing
Jockey Sandy Hawley rode Summer Commander to victory in the second race at Greenwood Racecourse in Toronto, becoming the ninth thoroughbred rider in history to win 6,000 races.

20 years ago
1997

Politics and government
Thelma Chalifoux, an active member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, took her seat in the Senate of Canada. She was appointed by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien as the first Métis woman to become a Senator.

Health
Canadian Health Minister Allan Rock released the final report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada, led by Justice Horace Krever. The Krever Commission report on its tainted-blood inquiry laid blame on the Red Cross and federal and provincial governments, and called for government to compensate victims infected with HIV and hepatitis C by blood transfusions.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Mel Tolkin, 94. Russian-born U.S. television writer. Mr. Tolkin, born Shmuel Tolchinsky in what is now Ukraine, moved with his family to Montreal in 1926. He served in the Canadian Army during World War II, and then moved to New York. Mr. Tolkin was best known as head writer for the television comedy programs Your Show of Shows (1950-1954) and Caesar's Hour (1954-1957). His numerous awards included an Emmy, shared with Sam Denoff, Bill Persky, and Carl Reiner for The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special (1967).