August 13, 2011

700 years ago
1311

Born on this date
Alfonso XI. King of Castile and León, 1312-1350. Alfonso XI "The Avenger" acceded to the throne upon the death of his father Ferdinand IV, and reigned under a regency until 1325. He earned his nickname by the way he repressed the nobles who had threatened his reign during his minority. King Alfonso was also celebrated for defeating Grenadan troops in the Battle of Rio Salado in 1340. He died from the Black Death on March 26, 1350 at the age of 38, and was succeeded by his son Peter.

490 years ago
1521

War
After a 75-day siege, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was taken by Spanish conquistadors, marking the end of the Aztec empire in Mexico and the beginning of Spanish rule.



180 years ago
1831

Born on this date
Salomon Jadassohn. German musician and composer. Mr. Jadassohn was a classical pianist and piano teacher who composed more than 140 works, including four symphonies, two piano concertos, lieder, sonatas, opera and a considerable amount of chamber music. He died on February 1, 1902 at the age of 70.

160 years ago
1851

Born on this date
Felix Adler. German-born U.S. philosopher. Dr. Adler moved to New York at the age of 6, when his father took up a position as a rabbi. Dr. Adler was expected to succeed his father, but he adopted a neo-Kantian secular philosophy that emphasized the intrinsic worth and dignity of the person, and co-founded the Society of Ethical Culture in New York in 1877. Dr. Adler also advocated social reforms in areas such as housing, child labour, and foreign policy. He died on April 24, 1933 at the age of 81.

90 years ago
1921

80 years ago
1931

Baseball
The Cincinnati Reds swept a doubleheader from the Boston Braves 17-3 and 4-2 before 3,500 fans at Braves Field. Tony Cuccinello batted 6 for 6 in the first game, with 3 singles, 2 doubles, and a triple, and then hit a 3-run home run to lead the Reds to victory in the second game.

70 years ago
1941

War
The Canadian Department of National Defence established the Canadian Women's Army Corps, for women who wished to volunteer for official uniformed service; positions were noncombatant and clerical. The U.S.S.R. government decreed a general amnesty for all Polish prisoners of war, who were expected to fight the Germans. The Soviet command reported fighting 140 miles south of Leningrad, indicating a German advance.

The Peruvian government reported that 3 Peruvians and 11 Ecuadorians had been killed on August 11 in renewed border warfare at Zapotillo and Roca Fuerte.

Defense
U.S. National Association of Science Writers President John J. O'Neill claimed that the U.S. government had "clapped a censorship" on scientists who had discovered the method of releasing the energy of uranium 235, and was "driving them to develop it for war uses." He said that the element converted into a bomb "would wreck every structure within 100 miles."

Protest
Six people were reported killed when police in Paris broke up a food riot, which was blamed on Communists.

Economics and finance
The Canadian Wartime Prices and Trade Board moved from the Department of Labour to the Department of Finance--according to Finance Minister J.L. Ilsley, so that "Finance would be held responsible for inflation."

Labour
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt suspended the eight-hour day for nearly 100,000 workers employed directly by the War Department on defense projects.

Disasters
The Chilean government reported that at least 60 people had been killed in storms in central Chile during the past eight days.

60 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Man with the Watch, starring Francis L. Sullivan, Peter Capell, and Peggy French



War
The U.S.S.R. informed the U.S.A. that it would send a four-man delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko to attend the Japanese peace treaty conference in San Francisco.

Responding to Ecuadorian charges of border violations, Peru claimed that Ecuadorian troops had provoked several frontier incidents since July 8.

World events
The Supreme Military Court in Warsaw convicted nine former Polish officers of spying for Western powers and plotting the overthrow of the Communist government.

Politics and government
Democratic Party leaders informed U.S. President Harry Truman that his name was being entered in the 1952 Oregon and Minnesota presidential primaries, but he gave no indication of whether he intended to run.

Labour
The U.S. National Union of Marine Cooks requested a court injunction against a Coast Guard order barring seamen from merchant ships without security clearance.

50 years ago
1961

Abominations
Troops in East Berlin sealed off the border between East and West Berlin, putting up barbed wire fences to stop the flow of refugees from East to West. Within days, the fences were replaced by the Berlin Wall.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Me and You and a Dog Named Boo--Lobo (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Butterfly--Danyel Gérard (12th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Co-Co--The Sweet
2 I Did What I Did for Maria--Tony Christie
3 Funny Funny--The Sweet
4 Hold On (To What You Got)--Peanutbutter Conspiracy
5 Rain, Rain, Rain--Gentle People
6 The Banner Man--Blue Mink
7 Lady Rose--Mungo Jerry
8 Sea Cruise--Johnny Rivers
9 Mozart: Symphony No. 40 In G Minor K.550 1° Movement (Allegro Molto)--Waldo de Los Rios
10 It Don't Come Easy--Ringo Starr

Singles entering the chart were Me and Bobby McGee by Gordon Lightfoot (#18); Nosy Rosie by Jérome (#19); and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by the Bee Gees (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Sweet City Woman--Stampeders
2 Take Me Home, Country Roads--John Denver with Fat City
3 Draggin' the Line--Tommy James
4 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney
5 Liar--Three Dog Night
6 Mr. Big Stuff--Jean Knight
7 Sweet Hitch-Hiker--Creedence Clearwater Revival
8 Beginnings/Colour My World--Chicago
9 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart--The Bee Gees
10 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)--Marvin Gaye

Singles entering the chart were Mother Freedom by Bread (#26); Talk it Over in the Morning by Anne Murray (#28); Bangla-Desh by George Harrison (#29); and If Not for You by Olivia Newton-John (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 What the World Needs Now is Love/Abraham, Martin and John--Tom Clay
2 Sweet Hitch-Hiker--Creedence Clearwater Revival
3 Colour My World/Beginnings--Chicago
4 Liar-- Three Dog Night
5 Sweet City Woman--Stampeders
6 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney
7 Take Me Home, Country Roads--John Denver with Fat City
8 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)--Marvin Gaye
9 We Got a Dream--Ocean
10 Rings--Cymarron

Singles entering the chart were Colour My World; Carey by Joni Mitchell (#34); Understanding is Sorrow by Yukon (#36); and Do You Know What I Mean by Lee Michaels (#39).

Died on this date
W. O. Bentley, 82. U.K. engineer. Walter Owen Bentley raced cars and motorcycles in his youth, and designed aircraft and automobile engines, but was best known for the automotive firm Bentley Motors Limited, which he founded in 1919. He sold the firm to Rolls-Royce Limited in 1931, and was later employed as a designer for Lagonda, Aston Martin, and Armstrong Siddeley.

King Curtis, 37. U.S. musician. Curtis Ousley, born Curtis Montgomery, was a saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz, performing as sideman and bandleader in a career spanning more than 20 years. King Curtis and the Kingpins were known for hit singles such as Memphis Soul Stew (1967) and For What it's Worth (1967). Their version of I Was Made to Love Her (1968) was the opening theme music for the CBC radio program Finkleman's 45s, which ran from 1985-2005. Mr. Curtis, a saxophonist, won a Grammy Award in 1970 for best rhythm and blues instrumental recording for his version of Games People Play. He was stabbed to death outside his New York apartment building when he saw a couple of drug dealers on the steps and told them to leave.

Defense
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, acting on a request from the Maltese government, announced that it would close its naval headquarters on Malta.

Football
CFL
Winnipeg (1-3) 32 @ Saskatchewan (1-4) 22

Saskatchewan defensive end Ken Frith suffered a career-ending broken neck, while Winnipeg linebacker Rex Pitts, in his first CFL game, returned an interception for a touchdown at Taylor Field in Regina. For the Roughriders, it was their fifth game in 18 days, and their fourth straight loss.

30 years ago
1981

Football
CFL
Edmonton (5-1) 22 @ Toronto (0-7) 12

The Eskimos scored only one touchdown against the CFL's worst team, a pass from Warren Moon to Waddell Smith in the 2nd quarter. The Argonauts scored their only touchdown shortly before halftime on a pass from backup quarterback Tom Rozantz to fullback John Kinch.

Baseball
Intercontinental Cup @ Renfrew Park, Edmonton
Japan (3-4) 5 @ Panama (1-6) 1
South Korea (5-2) 1 @ Canada (4-3) 0
Cuba (5-2) 14 @ U.S.A. (5-2) 3 (7 innings)

South Korean pitcher Dong Won Choi carried a perfect game into the 9th inning, but Canadian shortstop Bob McCullough singled to lead off the inning. Mr. Choi retired the next 3 batters. The Cuba-U.S.A. game was called after 7 innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

20 years ago
1991

Died on this date
James Roosevelt, 83. U.S. politician. Mr. Roosevelt was the oldest son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and served as his secretary from 1937-1938. James was chairman of the California Democratic Party from 1946-1948 and represented California's 26th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1955-1965.