January 2, 2008

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Kathy Fincham!

220 years ago
1788

Americana
Georgia became the 4th state to ratify the United States Constitution.

100 years ago
1908

Economics and finance
The opening ceremony took place for the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint of Canada, as a branch of the British Royal Mint. Governor General Earl Grey struck the Dominion’s first domestically produced coin, a silver 50¢ piece bearing the effigy of King Edward VII; Countess Grey struck Canada's first domestically-produced penny.

Hockey
ECAHA
Hod Stuart Memorial Game @ Montreal Arena
All-Stars 7 @ Montreal Wanderers 10

The Wanderers took a 7-1 halftime lead and held on to defeat the All-Stars before 3,800 fans, with receipts going to the widow and children of former Wanderers' star cover-point (defenceman) Hod Stuart, who had died in a diving accident on June 23, 1907 at the age of 28. It was the first such game of its kind in any sport.

90 years ago
1918

Hockey
NHL
The Montreal Arena in Westmount, home rink of both the Canadiens and the Wanderers, burned to the ground in a series of fiery explosions. The Canadiens resumed play at the Jubilee Arena, where they played before joining the National Hockey League; the fire marked the end of the Wanderers team.

60 years ago
1948

Academia
The University of Chicago announced the formation of a partnership with seven corporations to link pure atomic research with industrial development.

Economics and finance
Josef Orlopp, head of the Central Administration for Foreign Trade in the Soviet zone of Germany, announced that eastern Germany would direct its trade primarily toward eastern and southeastern Europe.

Labour
A U.S. federal court in Utica, New York issued the first injunction against a secondary strike under the Taft-Hartley Act, barring a strike by an Albany Teamsters union local.

50 years ago
1958

Opera
Soprano Maria Callas caused a near-riot at Rome's Opera House when she walked out during an opening night performance of Norma.

World events
Forces loyal to the government of Venezuelan President General Marcos Pérez Jiménez forced the surrender of insurgents after the Caracas Army garrison failed to join the revolt.

Politics and government
The government of the U.S.S.R. recalled Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky from his post as commander of the Transcaucasus Military District (on the Turkish border) to resume work in Moscow as Deputy Defense Minister.

Transportation
The Connecticut Turnpike, a 129-mile superhighway from Killingly to Greenwich, opened.

Education
The U.S. Educational Policy Commission issued a report in Washington recommending a doubling within 10 years of annual U.S. public and private expenditure on education.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Monja--Roland W.

On television tonight
The Invaders, starring Roy Thinnes, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Possessed

Wojeck, starring John Vernon, on CBC
Tonight's episode: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: Part 1

This was the first episode of the season, and the first in colour.



Medicine
Dr. Christiaan Barnard, who had led the team that performed the world's first heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa on December 3, 1967, performed the third heart transplant. Dr. Philip Blaiberg, 58, a retired dentist, received the heart of Clive Haupt, 24, who had died from a stroke. According to South Africa's apartheid system of racial classification, Mr. Haupt was classified as "Cape coloured," while Dr. Blaiberg was white.

Oil
Cuban dictator Fidel Castro announced the imposition of gasoline and fuel oil rationing, because of Cuba's expanding economy, and the inability of the U.S.S.R. to supply the growing demand for petroleum.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Mull of Kintyre--Wings (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): UFO--Pink Lady (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Credo--Elsa Baeza

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter continued his seven-nation tour with a stop in India, where he and Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai disagreed sharply over American shipments of nuclear fuel to India. Mr. Carter mentioned the disagreement to U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, not knowing that his voice was being picked up by a nearby television microphone.

Hockey
NHL
Super Series '78
Kladno 8 @ Toronto 5

Peter Stastny scored 2 goals to help the Czechoslovakian club Kladno defeated the Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens as part of the exhibition series. It was the first Maple Leaf appearance for rookie defenseman Greg Hotham, and the last in a Maple Leaf uniform for forward Scott Garland, who had been out with a knee injury. Mr. Garland was traded to the Los Angeles Kings after that season, and was killed in a car accident in June 1979. Mr. Garland scored one of the Toronto goals, while Mr. Hotham picked up an assist.





Football
NCAA
Cotton Bowl
Notre Dame 38 Texas 10



Rose Bowl
Washington 27 Michigan 20



Orange Bowl
Arkansas 31 Oklahoma 6


Sugar Bowl
Alabama 35 Ohio State 6



Joe Montana quarterbacked the Fighting Irish to their win over the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, while Warren Moon quarterbacked the Huskies to their upset win over the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: La Bamba--Los Lobos (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Faith--George Michael (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Étienne--Guesch Patti

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Fairytale of New York--The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Faith--George Michael (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): Faith--George Michael (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Faith--George Michael (3rd week at #1)

Economics and finance
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a Free Trade Agreement in Washington to ease trade restrictions between the two countries (see also here).

10 years ago
1998

Politics and government
Former North York Mayor Mel Lastman was elected Mayor of the new megacity of Toronto--now the fourth largest city in North America--the day after the amalgamation of Toronto with five surrounding cities.

Disasters
Three separate avalanches in British Columbia killed a total of nine people.

Hockey
NHL
Montreal 5 @ Edmonton 3

Vincent Damphousse and Saku Koivu each scored 2 goals, and Mark Recchi scored into an empty net to help the Canadiens defeat the Oilers at Edmonton Coliseum. Scott Fraser scored his first 2 goals of the season for the Oilers, with Boris Mironov scoring the other Edmonton goal.

January 1, 2008

200 years ago
1808

World events
Legislation banning the importation of slaves into the United States came into effect.

150 years ago
1858

Economics and finance
The dollar became the currency of Canada, as public accounts were put on the decimal system at midnight. Figures were now kept in dollars and sense instead of pounds and pence.

80 years ago
1928

World events
250,000 slaves in Sierra Leone were declared free by decree of the British government. This was in the good old days when there was still a British Empire. The slaves were owned by blacks and the government that freed them was composed of white males.

50 years ago
1958

World events
The European Economic Community officially came into existence.

40 years ago
1968

Football
Led by the rushing of O.J. Simpson, the University of Southern California Trojans defeated the Indiana University Fightin' Hoosiers 14-3 in the Rose Bowl at Pasadena.

Auto racing
Jim Clark of Scotland won the South African Grand Prix.

30 years ago
1978

Football
NFL
The National Football League conference championship games were played. At Irving, Texas, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-6 for the National Football Conference title.

In Denver, the Broncos won their first American Football Conference title with a controversial 20-17 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders. With the Broncos leading 7-3 in the third quarter and driving for more points, Bronco fullback Rob Lytle fumbled near the Raiders' goal line, but the play was whistled dead as Oakland's Mike McCoy was returning the ball. The officials gave the ball back to the Broncos, and Jon Keyworth ran in from the 1 on the next play to give Denver a 14-3 lead after the convert. Ken Stabler came back with two touchdown passes to Dave Casper, sandwiching the second TD reception of the day for the Broncos' Haven Moses, both on passes from Craig Morton. The Broncos were able to run out the clock in the last few minutes to send 75,004 fans home happy from Mile High Stadium.

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Maneater--Daryl Hall and John Oates (3rd week at #1)

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Helen Wills Moody, 92. U.S. tennis player. She won 31 major championships, including 8 at Wimbledon. She popularized the wearing of eyeshades in competition.

December 31, 2007

150 years ago
1857

Canadiana
Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of Canada, bypassing such contenders as Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, and Quebec.

80 years ago
1927

Journalism
Auto magnate Henry Ford's newspaper The Dearborn Independent published its final edition. From its inception in 1920, the Independent became infamous as a vehicle for the spread of anti-Jewish conspiracy theories. Ford should have stuck to making cars.

40 years ago
1967

Died on this date
Rodger Penzabene, 23. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Penzabene wrote lyrics for several Motown hits in the late 1960s, including The End of Our Road for Gladys Knight & the Pips, and You're My Everything for the Temptations. In 1967 Mr. Penzabene found out that his wife, whom he loved very much, was cheating on him. The pain he felt led him to write the lyrics to I Wish it Would Rain and I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You), which became hit singles for the Temptations in 1968. Mr. Penzabene was in tears as he sat in the studio listening to David Ruffin sing I Wish it Would Rain. I Wish it Would Rain was released as a single on December 21, 1967; Rodger Penzabene committed suicide ten days later, and didn't live long enough to see the song hit #1 on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart (and #4 on the Hot 100).

War
Shortly after nine American soldiers were killed in a Viet Cong ambush, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces in Vietnam began a 36-hour cease-fire.

Football
NFL
Championship
Dallas 17 @ Green Bay 21

Bart Starr's 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown in the final seconds gave the Packers their win over the Dallas Cowboys in one of the most famous games in NFL history (see video). Mr. Starr's touchdown finished a 68-yard, four-minute drive. The temperature at game time was -13 F., with an estimated windchill of -46, resulting in the game being nicknamed "The Ice Bowl." 50,861 fans braved the conditions at Lambeau Field. An underground "electric blanket" of heated coils purchased by Vince Lombardi for just such an occasion failed to work, leaving the field rock-hard. The Packers took an early 14-0 lead on two touchdown passes from Starr to Boyd Dowler, before George Andrie returned a Starr fumble for a Dallas touchdown to get the Cowboys back into the game. Danny Villanueva kicked a field goal for the Cowboys to make it 14-10, before Dan Reeves connected on an option pass to Lance Rentzel for a 50-yard score to give the Cowboys a 17-14 lead in the 4th quarter. The game turned out to be the last home game for Vince Lombardi as head coach of the Packers.

AFL
Championship
Houston 7 @ Oakland 40

Daryle Lamonica threw touchdown passes to Dave Kocourek (on a fake field goal) and Bill Miller, Hewritt Dixon rushed 69 yards for another Raider score, and George Blanda added four field goals as the Raiders routed the Oilers before 53,330 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Houston scored on a pass from Pete Beathard to Charley Frazier. John Rauch, the victorious head coach, had led the Raiders to a 13-1 regular season record.



30 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): How Deep is Your Love--Bee Gees (2nd week at #1)

Music
Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians played at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, the band's first New Year's Eve performance since Lombardo's death (he died on November 5, 1977).

25 years ago
1982

On the radio
The CBS Radio Mystery Theater signed off after almost 9 years and 1399 episodes. The last show was a rebroadcast of Resident Killer, starring Mason Adams, which had originally aired on October 25.

At the movies
The God Makers, produced by Jeremiah Films, premiered at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. The film is a hard-hitting expose of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, better known as the Mormons.

Ed Decker and Dick Baer, former members of the Mormon Melchizededk priesthood, attempted to persuade a Los Angeles law firm to launch a class-action suit against the LDS on behalf of people like themselves who had seen their marriages and families destroyed. The film is centred around a reenactment of Mr. Decker and Mr. Baer's presentation to the law firm, which paints a very different picture of the Mormon Church from that which the church presents to the public. Despite overwhelming evidence to support the complaints against the church, the law firm decided against pursuing the matter because they didn't believe that the complainants had enough money to offset the deep pockets of the Mormon Church.

According to Grace Community Church pastor John MacArthur, "This film is dynamite, the most powerful thing I've seen! Get your Mormon friends to view it!"

The film was followed in 1984 by a book of the same title authored by Ed Decker and Dave Hunt, and by a subsequent documentary and book (written by Ed Decker and Caryl Matrisciana) titled The God Makers II in 1988.

10 years ago
1997

Weather
In the early afternoon, it was above freezing with no snow in Edmonton, and it was so warm that I saw someone raking leaves. In typical Alberta fashion, by evening the snow had moved in, and the windchill had dropped to about -20. The weather stayed that way for a couple of weeks before warming up nicely. We were still better off than people in the eastern parts of Canada and the United States, who suffered through a disastrous ice storm in the early days of 1998.

December 30, 2007

50 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 in the U.S.A. (Billboard): April Love--Pat Boone

40 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles

#1 single in the U.K.: Hello Goodbye--The Beatles

Died on this date
Vincent Massey, 80. Canada's first Canadian-born Governor General (1952-1959).

Charlie Conacher, 58. Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Conacher, Joe Primeau, and Harvey "Busher" Jackson comprised the "Kid Line" with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the early 1930s.

Both Mr. Conacher and Mr. Massey had famous brothers. Lionel Conacher was voted Canada's Athlete of the Half-Century in 1950. Raymond Massey had a long and distinguished acting career; although he didn't become Governor-General, he played a future president of the United States when he starred in Abe Lincoln in Illinois.

25 years ago
1982

Died on this date
Bruce Gamble, 44. NHL goaltender from 1958-1972, best remembered for his years with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the late 1960s. He was a member of the 1966-67 Stanley Cup champions, splitting the goaltending with Johnny Bower and Terry Sawchuk. On Feb. 1, 1971 he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in a deal that saw Bernie Parent go to the Maple Leafs. On Feb. 9, 1972, Gamble came within two minutes of a shutout in a 3-1 win over the Canucks in Vancouver. He experienced chest pains during the game, which was diagnosed as a heart attack, immediately ending his career.

December 29, 2007

80 years ago
1927

Aviation
French aviators Dieudonne Costes and Joseph Lebrix, in their Breguet biplane Nungesser-Coli, departed La Paz, Bolivia, for Lima, Peru. They had left paris on October 10 and had gone to Senegal, before crossing the South Atlantic Ocean, landing in Brazil, and visiting other South American cities.

60 years ago
1947

At the movies
The Paradine Case, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Gregory Peck, Alida Valli, Charles Laughton, Ann Todd, and Ethel Barrymore, opened at theatres in Los Angeles.

50 years ago
1957

Football
Before 55,263 fans at Briggs Stadium, the Detroit Lions routed the Cleveland Browns 59-14 to win their third National Football League championship in six years. Tobin Rote, who had split the quarterbacking duties with Bobby Layne before Layne broke his leg late in the season, completed 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns, and rushed 7 times for 27 yards. Steve Junker caught 5 passes for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Lions.

The game was virtually over by halftime, with the Lions having built up a 31-7 lead. The Browns scored early in the third quarter, but Rote answered with a 78-yard scoring strike to Jim Doran to put the game away. Rookie (and league rushing champion) Jim Brown carried 20 times for 69 yards and ran 29 yards for the Browns' first score in the second quarter.

George Wilson was in his first year as head coach of the Lions, having taken over when Buddy Parker suddenly quit two days before the first pre-season game, complaining that the 1957 Lions were the worst team he'd ever seen in training. To get to the championship game, the Lions had to get past the San Francisco 49ers in a playoff for the Western Conference title. Y.A. Tittle passed the 49ers to a 27-7 halftime lead, but the Lions came back for a 31-27 win.

The 1957 championship remains the Lions' most recent title, and Messrs. Layne and Rote are now dead.

40 years ago
1967

Died on this date
Paul Whiteman, 77. U.S. bandleader, known as the "King of Jazz" (he starred in a 1930 movie by that title). His orchestra included such names as Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Bix Beiderbecke, Bing Crosby, and Ferde Grofe.

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
2 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
3 Next Plane to London--The Rose Garden
4 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
5 Massachusetts--The Bee Gees
6 (Alone) In My Room--Willie and the Walkers
7 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
8 Neon Rainbow--The Box Tops
9 Jezebel--The Witness Inc.
10 Different Drum--The Stone Poneys
Pick hit of the Week: Some Velvet Morning--Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
New this week: Zabadak--Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
She Says--The 49th Parallel
My Baby Must be a Magician--The Marvelettes
Deep in the Night--The Candymen
Cherie--James Darren

30 years ago
1977

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in Poland during his world tour, experienced an embarrassing incident when a State Department interpreter mistranslated his remarks into Polish so that Mr. Carter seemed to have "abandoned" (left) Washington, and spoke of the "lusts" (desires) of the Polish people.

December 28, 2007

60 years ago
1947

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley as Sherlock Holmes and Alfred Shirley as Dr. Watson, on the Mutual Broadcasting System.  Written by Edith Meiser.
Tonight's episode:  New Year's Eve off the Scilly Isles

Football
NFL
Before 30,759 fans in Chicago, the hometown Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 for the National Football League championship. The Cardinals were led by the Dream Backfield of quarterback Paul Christman, fullback Pat Harder, and halfbacks Charlie Trippi and Elmer Angsman. It was the latter two whose big plays proved to be the difference in the championship game. Trippi rushed 44 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and returned a punt 75 yards for another TD in the third quarter. Angsman scored on a 10-yard rush in the second quarter, and on a 70-yard rush midway through the fourth quarter. Eagle touchdowns were scored by Pat McHugh (on a 70-yard pass from quarterback Tommy Thompson), Steve Van Buren, and Russ Craft.

Jimmy Conzelman was the victorious coach. One of his players, defensive end Pop Ivy, went on to coach the Edmonton Eskimos to consecutive Grey Cup championships in 1954-55-56 before returning to coach the Cardinals from 1958-61, and the Houston Oilers in 1962-63.

The 1947 title remains the second and last won by the Cardinals, who moved to St. Louis in 1960 and then to Phoenix in 1988. The Eagles recovered from their 1947 defeat to win the championship in 1948 and 1949.

30 years ago
1977

Hockey
The Vancouver Canucks defeated Spartak 2-0 at the Pacific Coliseum as part of Super Series '78, an exhibition series between NHL clubs and Czechoslovakian clubs.

December 27, 2007

50 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 in the U.K.: Mary's Boy Child--Harry Belafonte (6th straight week at #1)

40 years ago
1967

Died on this date
Percy Hodge, 67. U.K. runner. Mr. Hodge won a gold medal in the men's 3000-metre steeplechase event at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp. He died the day after his 67th birthday.

Paul Lehner, 47. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Lehner was an outfielder with the St. Louis Browns (1946-1949, 1951); Philadelphia Athletics (1950-1951); Chicago White Sox (1951); Cleveland Indians (1951); and Boston Red Sox (1952), batting .257 with 22 home runs and 197 runs batted in in 540 games. After tying a record by playing with four American League teams in 1951, he played with four minor league teams--Oakland Oaks (Pacific Coast League); Seattle Rainiers (PCL); Toronto Maple Leafs (International League); and Indianapolis Indians (American Association)--in addition to 3 games with the Red Sox. Mr. Lehner ended his professional career with the Memphis Chicks of the AA Southern Association in 1953, and died of lymphoma.

25 years ago
1982

Died on this date
Jack Swigert, 51.  Apollo 13 Command Module Pilot.  He replaced Ken Mattingly in the last few days before liftoff in April 1970, after Mattingly had been exposed to the measles.  Swigert was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 as a Republican, but died of cancer in Washington just a week before he was to have taken his seat.  Kevin Bacon played him in the movie Apollo 13.