July 28: On This Day in World History … briefly

1586:   New ‘potato’ plant may provide animal fodder

A new type of plant is introduced into Ireland by some explorers associated with Sir Walter Raleigh. Called ‘Solanum tuberosum’ or the ‘potato’, it was a perennial herb thought to originate from the Andes region of South America. The tubers of the plant were eaten by the South American Indians. Sir Walter planned to plant some tubers on his estate at Younghall, near Cork, with a view to feeding the crop to his livestock.

1655:   Death of Cyrano de Bergerac, French soldier, writer and dramatist renowned for the size of his nose.

1741:   Death of Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer, violinist and priest, who taught music at the Ospedale della Pieta in Venice.

1750:   Great composer and organist dies

The court composer to the Elector of Saxony and director of Church music for Leipzig, Johann Sebastian Bach, dies in Leipzig at the age of 65. Herr Bach was one of the most accomplished heirs to a family of tradition of music-making that stretched back 100 years previously. He spent the early part of his career as an organist and orchestral player. His interest in composing developed in an innovative direction when he became acquainted with the new styles and forms of music championed by Italian masters, especially Vivaldi. Many of his cantatas, arias, concerto movements, fugues, chorales and large-scale vocal and keyboard works reflect this influence. Many more of Herr Bach’s compositions were as yet unpublished. One of particular interest was ‘Das Wohltemperirte Klavier’ – The Well-Tempered (Well-Tuned) Clavier – in which Bach advocates adjusting tuning so that all keys of the instrument were pleasant to the ear.

1794:  Robespierre executed

In Paris, Maximilien Robespierre goes to the guillotine himself, having presided over the Reign of Terror in which at least 25 000 were beheaded.

1835:   Eighteen bystanders are killed as French King Louis Philippe escapes assassination.

1868:   A treaty is signed allowing unrestricted Chinese immigration to the USA.

1914:   Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

1935:   The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber makes its first flight at Seattle.

1960:   UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold arrives in the Congo on a peace mission to end the civil war.

1965:   President Lyndon Johnson sends another 50 000 US ground troops to Vietnam.

1966:   Woman gets licence

Lord Justice Denning struck a decisive blow for equality between the sexes in the world of horseracing by ruling that a 72-year old Mrs Florence Nagle had to have a training licence ‘if she was to carry on her trade without stooping to subterfuge.’ After the hearing Mrs Nagle said that she had been trying for 20 years to get a licence from the Stewards of the Jockey Club. Undeterred by their refusal, she had circumvented the problem by taking out a licence in the name of her head lad. Mrs Nagles’s most notable horse training success at the time had been ‘Elf Arrow’, winner of the 1959 Liverpool St Leger and seven other races.

1987:   Davies wins US Women’s Open

Laura Davies makes golfing history by becoming the first Englishwoman to win the US Women’s Open. The number one player on the European circuit, Davies led throughout the 18-hole play-off at Plainfield Country Club, Edison, New Jersey. She finished the game with a one-under-par 71, ahead of the legendary Jo-Anne Carner (who at the age of 48 was bidding to become the oldest woman to win the title) and Japan’s Ayako Okamoto. The most potent weapon in the golfing armoury of Davies, 23, was her long hitting. This, combined with the putting frailty of her opponents, brought the Surrey player victory and a cheque for $55 000 (L30 000), the largest amount she had won in her then three-year professional career.

1989:   In the Lebanon Israelis abduct leading Shia Muslim Sheikh Abduk Obeid.

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