November 17, 2014

1,670 years ago
344

Died on this date
Kang, 21 or 22. Emperor of China, 342-344. Kang, born Sima Yue, succeeded his half-brother Cheng as Emperor of the eastern Jin dynasty. He died after an illness, and was succeeded by his 1-year-old son Mu.

1,220 years ago
794

Japanica
Emperor Kanmu changed his residence from Nara to Kyoto.

175 years ago
1839

Opera
Oberto, the first opera by Giuseppe Verdi, opened at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

120 years ago
1894

Journalism
The Daily Racing Form, a tabloid giving bettors reliable information on projected odds for all horse races in the United States, was published for the first time in Chicago by Frank Brunell.

80 years ago
1934

Married on this date
Future U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson married Claudia Alta Taylor, better known as "Lady Bird."

Football
CRU
Eastern Final
Sarnia (ORFU) 11 @ Hamilton (IRFU) 4

75 years ago
1939

Abominations
Nine Czechoslovakian university students were executed on orders Reichsprotektor Konstanin von Neurath for participating in protests against the German occupation of Czechoslovakia and the killing of student Jan Opletal on November 11. Baron Neurath had responded to the protests by closing all Czechoslovakian universities and colleges and sending 1,200 students to concentration camps.

70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Ellison D. Smith, 80. U.S. politician. "Cotton Ed" Smith, a Democrat, represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1909-1944, generally opposing "progressive" measures. He died several weeks before his term was due to expire.

War
Soviet troops in Hungary captured the key rail junction of Fuezesabony, 60 miles northeast of Budapest, giving them control of a 27-mile stretch of the Budapest-Miskok trunk line. U.S. troops in the Philippines enveloped Japanese forces at the northern end of the front in the western part of Leyte Island.

Defense
The government of Argentina issued a decree ordering all people over 12 years of age, regardless of sex, to prepare themselves for the defense of the country.

Terrorism
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned the Jewish community of Palestine to destroy terrorist elements, implying that he might withdraw support from the Zionist cause.

60 years ago
1954

At the movies
Désirée, starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Merle Oberon, and Michael Rennie, opened in theatres.

Politics and government
Gamal Abdel Nasser took office as President of Egypt.

Football
CRU
IRFU
Finals
Montreal 14 @ Hamilton 9 (First game of 2-game total points series)

Sam Etcheverry completed a 59-yard touchdown pass to Chuck Hunsinger with 5 minutes remaining in the game to give the Alouettes their victory over the Tiger-Cats before 15,000 fans at Civic Stadium. Ray Poole converted the touchdown and added 2 field goals, while Tex Coulter punted for 2 singles. Mr. Etcheverry completed just 19 of 40 passes, but for 314 yards. Hamilton quarterback Butch Songin completed 18 of 29 passes for 279 yards, including a touchdown to Ron Howell in the 4th quarter. Tip Logan converted, Cam Fraser punted for 2 singles, and Merle Hapes punted for a single.

50 years ago
1964

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Escape into Black, with guest stars Betty Garrett, Ivan Dixon, and Maxine Stuart

Space
The mission of the Soviet satellite Cosmos 39 ended, three months after launch.

40 years ago
1974

Football
CFL
Eastern Final
Ottawa 4 @ Montreal 14

Western Final
Saskatchewan 27 @ Edmonton 31

Jimmy Jones' 47-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Rodgers at 9:42 of the 1st quarter--a pass intended for Larry Smith that was defected by Ottawa linebacker Jerry Campbell in the direction of Mr. Rodgers--provided all the scoring needed by the Alouettes as they ended the Rough Riders' reign as Grey Cup champions before 20,531 fans on a muddy field at Autostade. The Alouettes made just 11 first downs and 243 yards net offense, but the Montreal defense limited the Ottawa offense to just 4 first downs and 115 yards net offense. After Mr. Rodgers' touchdown, converted by Don Sweet, opened the scoring, Dick Adams got the Rough Riders on the scoreboard with a 48-yard punt single at 11:24 of the 1st quarter, and Montreal's 7-1 lead held up until halftime. In the 3rd quarter, Mr. Adams recovered a fumble by Mr. Jones on the Montreal 26-yard line and returned it 4 yards; Gerry Organ kicked a 38-yard field goal at 3:11 to reduce Montreal's lead to 7-4. Just over a minute later, Mr. Jones left the game with a slight shoulder separation and was replaced by Sonny Wade, who punted for a 59-yard single at 13:16 of the 3rd quarter to give the Alouettes an 8-4 lead. The Alouettes closed the scoring when Steve Ferrughelli, whose fumble on the Ottawa 1-yard line early in the 1st quarter had been recovered by Ottawa defensive end Jim Piaskoski, rushed 5 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the game, with no convert being attempted. Mr. Ferrughelli led all rushers with 70 yards on 16 carries. Mr. Rodgers rushed 12 times for 43 yards and caught 2 passes for 59. Jerry Keeling was scheduled to start at quarterback for the Rough Riders, but he tore a muscle in his shoulder during the pre-game warmup and was replaced by Rick Cassata, who completed just 8 of 24 passes for 130 yards and 2 interceptions--both by Dickie Harris, including 1 in the Montreal end zone in the 4th quarter-- in his last game in an Ottawa uniform. The Rough Riders rushed for just 17 yards, all by Art Green on 6 carries. The game marked the end of the 17-year CFL career of Ottawa offensive tackle Moe Racine and the 9-year career of guard Roger Perdrix, among others.

The Eskimos took a 27-10 lead midway through the 3rd quarter and held on to defeat the Roughriders before a Clarke Stadium-record crowd of 25,026. Saskatchewan led 3-0 after the 1st quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Brian Berg, but after Leroy Jones blocked another FG attempt by Mr. Berg, the Eskimos took the lead in the 2nd quarter on a 6-yard touchdown rush by Roy Bell, converted by Dave Cutler. Saskatchewan quarterback Ron Lancaster connected with running back Bobby Thompson for a 26-yard touchdown, converted by Mr. Berg, to take a 10-7 lead, but Edmonton came back with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tom Wilkinson to Calvin Harrell with 1:10 remaining until halftime. Mr. Cutler converted and, after a 21-yard interception return by Larry Highbaugh to the Saskatchewan 35-yard line, kicked a 42-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining to give the Eskimos a 17-10 halftime lead. Mr. Cutler kicked a 29-yard field goal at 7:34 of the 3rd quarter and added a convert just 18 seconds later when Edmonton defensive back Dick Dupuis intercepted a pass from Mr. Lancaster and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. Mr. Lancaster brought the Roughriders back and completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rhett Dawson with 1:38 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Mr. Berg converted to make the score 27-17. In the 4th quarter, Lorne Richardson intercepted a pass from Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Berg kicked a 34-yard field goal at 1:26 to make the score 27-20. Edmonton defensive back John Farlinger made an interception, leading to a 27-yard FG by Mr. Cutler at 6:47 to make the score 30-20. Saskatchewan's Lawrie Skolrood recovered a fumble by Edmonton punt returner Dave Campbell at the Eskimos' 33-yard line, but Edmonton linebacker Rob McLaren intercepted a pass on the next play and returned it 44 yards. Mr. Cutler missed a 35-yard field goal attempt, scoring a single to make the score 31-20 with 3:25 remaining. Mr. Lancaster drove the Roughriders downfield and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Alan Ford on a third-down gamble with 1:02 remaining in regulation time; Mr. Berg's convert closed the scoring. Tom Campana attempted a short kickoff for Saskatchewan, but Edmonton's Tyrone Walls recovered the ball, and Mr. Wilkinson was able to run out the clock. Mr. Lancaster completed 18 of 38 passes for 257 yards, while Mr. Wilkinson was 16 for 27 for 191 yards. Mr. Thompson rushed 11 times for 59 yards and caught 5 passes for 39, while the Edmonton defense limited Saskatchewan fullback George Reed, the CFL's rushing leader, to 39 yards on 9 carries.

NFL
Baltimore (2-8) 17 @ Atlanta (2-8) 7
Buffalo (7-3) 28 @ Miami (8-2) 35
Cincinnati (6-4) 3 @ Houston (5-5) 20
Green Bay (5-5) 19 @ Minnesota (7-3) 7
Los Angeles (7-3) 7 @ New Orleans (4-6) 20
New York Giants (2-8) 19 @ Detroit (5-5) 20
New York Jets (3-7) 21 @ New England (6-4) 16
Oakland (9-1) 17 @ San Diego (3-7) 10
Pittsburgh (7-2-1) 26 @ Cleveland (3-7) 16
St. Louis (8-2) 13 @ Philadelphia (4-6) 3
San Francisco (3-7) 34 @ Chicago (3-7) 0
Dallas (5-5) 21 @ Washington (7-3) 28

Hockey
WHA
Minnesota 7 @ Quebec 1
New England 6 @ Michigan 1
Toronto 3 @ Winnipeg 1
San Diego 4 @ Houston 3
Indianapolis 1 @ Edmonton 2

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): I Just Called To Say I Love You--Stevie Wonder (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Purple Rain--Prince and the Revolution

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Purple Rain--Prince and the Revolution (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Feel for You--Chaka Khan

#1 single in the U.K.: I Feel for You--Chaka Khan (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Wake Me Up Before You Go Go--Wham!

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Purple Rain--Prince and the Revolution (2nd week at #1)
2 Wake Me Up Before You Go Go--Wham!
3 Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)--Billy Ocean
4 I Just Called to Say I Love You--Stevie Wonder
5 I Feel for You--Chaka Khan
6 Blue Jean--David Bowie
7 Strut--Sheena Easton
8 Out of Touch--Daryl Hall John Oates
9 Better Be Good to Me--Tina Turner
10 Hard Habit to Break--Chicago

Singles entering the chart were Like a Virgin by Madonna (#44); Jamie by Ray Parker, Jr. (#59); You're the Inspiration by Chicago (#65); Bruce by Rick Springfield (#78); Ti Amo by Laura Branigan (#84); Taxi Dancing by Rick Springfield and Randy Crawford (#86); Sunshine in the Shade by the Fixx (#87); Tenderness by General Public (#88); Amnesia by Shalamar (#89); and Solid by Ashford and Simpson (#90).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Wake Me Up Before You Go Go--Wham! (2nd week at #1)
2 I Just Called to Say I Love You--Stevie Wonder
3 Purple Rain--Prince and the Revolution
4 The Glamorous Life--Sheila E.
5 Hard Habit to Break--Chicago
6 Missing You--John Waite
7 Dynamite--Jermaine Jackson
8 Lucky Star--Madonna
9 The War Song--Culture Club
10 Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)--Billy Ocean

Singles entering the chart were Sex Crime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by Eurythmics (#87); I Do Wanna Know by REO Speedwagon (#90); Hot for Teacher by Van Halen (#91); Understanding by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (#96); and The Belle of St. Mark by Sheila E. (#99). Sex Crime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) was from the movie Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984).

Died on this date
Jan Novák, 63. Czechoslovakian composer. Mr. Novák was mainly known for instrumental and choral works, as well as scores for animated films.

Football
CFL
The Athletes in Action Grey Cup breakfast was held at the Convention Inn in Edmonton. This blogger was in attendance and helped with the setup. The Grey Cup parade took place downtown in the afternoon, and I was able to meet several of the participants, including Miss Montreal Concorde, Terry Girouart, which was one of my goals for Grey Cup week.

CIAU
Atlantic Bowl @ Halifax
Queen’s 17 Mount Allison 29

WIFL-OUAA Vanier Cup Semi-Final
Calgary 7 @ Guelph 12

The Mounties forced 9 turnovers and scored touchdowns off the last 2 during the last 3 minutes as they upset the Golden Gaels. Scott Cameron scored on a 10-yard fumble return, converted by Terry Baker, at 12:12 of the 4th quarter. Mr. Baker scored a single on the subsequent kickoff, and Queen’s fumbled on their next possession. Peter Hess ran for a Mount Allison touchdown 2 plays later; Mr. Baker converted and added a single with less than 30 seconds remaining.



Darrell Skuse ran 15 yards for a touchdown in the 1st quarter as the Gryphons upset the defending Vanier Cup champion Dinosaurs before 8,511 fans at University of Guelph Stadium. Tim Quirke converted Mr. Skuse’s touchdown and added a 40-yard field goal and 2 singles off missed field goals. Brian DeMug kicked 2 field goals in the 2nd quarter and a single off a missed field goal in the 3rd quarter. The Guelph defense stopped the Calgary offense twice on third-down gambles in the final 7 minutes of play to preserve the win.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Lambada--Kaoma (9th week at #1)

Died on this date
Costabile "Gus" Farace, 29. U.S. criminal. Mr. Farace was a homosexual prostitute who murdered another teenage homosexual prostitute in 1979, but was convicted only of manslaughter. Paroled in 1988, he joined the Bonnano crime family in New York, and added drug dealing to his repertoire. Mr. Farace murdered U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency undercover agent Everett Hatcher on February 28, 1989. A nationwide manhunt ensued until Mr. Farace was gunned down in Brooklyn by Bonnano gangsters James Galione and Mario Gallo.

Protest
Police used clubs, tear gas, and dogs to break up a demonstration by more than 15,000 university students in Prague. The event is considered by many to have been the beginning of the "Velvet Revolution" which resulted in the downfall of Czechoslovakia’s Communist government.

Politics and government
Members of the United States Senate voted themselves an increase in salary from $89,500 per year to $98,400 in 1990.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Old Pop in an Oak--Rednex

Crime
Francisco Duran, who had fired at least 27 rounds at the White House from a semiautomatic assault rifle in October, was indicted for attempting to assassinate U.S. President Bill Clinton, and was charged with 10 other counts. Mr. Duran's co-workers in Colorado told investigators that Mr. Duran had planned to "take out" the president.

Scandal
Canadian Defence Minister David Collenette announced a public inquiry into the alleged Department of National Defence coverup of brutality by Canadian peacekeepers in Somalia.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Aleksandr Ragulin, 63. Soviet hockey player. Mr. Ragulin, a defenseman, played with CSKA Moscow (Central Red Army) from 1962-1973 and was a member of the Soviet national team, playing with 10 world championship teams and Winter Olympic gold medal teams in 1964, 1968, and 1972. At the time of the U.S.S.R.'s eight-game series against the National Hockey League team representing Canada in 1972, Mr. Ragulin was the U.S.S.R.'s best-known player. He was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1997.