January 18, 2008

110 years ago
1898

Died on this date
Henry Liddell, 86. U.K. clergyman and academic. Rev. Liddell was ordained a Church of England minister in 1838. He was headmaster at Westminster School (1846-1855); Dean of Christ Church, Oxford (1855-1891); and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (1870-1874). He wrote A History of Rome from the Earliest Times to the Establishment of the Empire (1855), and, with Robert Scott, co-authored A Greek-English Lexicon (1843). Rev. Liddell died 19 days before his 87th birthday.

80 years ago
1928

World events
In London, Wilfred Francis McCartney, of British birth, and George Hansen, a German, were each found guilty of espionage on behalf of the U.S.S.R. and sentenced to ten years in prison.

75 years ago
1933

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Murder by Proxy

60 years ago
1948

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and Alfred Shirley, on MBS
Tonight's episode:  The Lucky Shilling

50 years ago
1958

Hockey
NHL
Willie O'Ree, playing on a line with Don McKenney and Gerry Toppazzini, became the first Negro player to appear in a National Hockey League game when he played for the Boston Bruins in their 3-0 win over the hometown Canadiens at the Montreal Forum. After playing the next night, Mr. O'Ree returned to the minors before playing 43 games with the Bruins in 1960-61, scoring 4 goals and 10 assists (he was pointless in his earlier 2 games). Mr. O'Ree was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 1961, and spent the rest of his career in the minors, much of it with California-based teams in the Western Hockey League. He finished his playing career at the age of 42 in 1978-79 with Los Angeles in the Pacific Hockey League, a short-lived minor league that folded in mid-season. Two years before his NHL debut, while still in junior hockey, Mr. O'Ree lost almost all the sight in his right eye when he was hit by the puck, a fact that he kept secret at the time. Willie O'Ree is director of youth development in the NHL's diversity program, introducing hockey to players of various ethnic backgrounds. On January 16, 2008, his hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick honoured him by naming its new sports complex Willie O'Ree Place.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Love You Tokyo--Los Primos (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Daydream Believer--The Monkees (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Bert Wheeler, 72. U.S. comedian and actor, half of the comedy team of Wheeler and Woolsey. Their movies, such as Rio Rita, Half Shot at Sunrise, Diplomaniacs, Hips, Hips, Hooray, and Kentucky Kernels were credited with saving the RKO studio from bankruptcy in the 1930s. Their 1934 film So This is Africa was one of the first movies released under the Production Code, and gave the censors more problems than any other Hollywood movie of the time. The teaming of Wheeler and Woolsey ended with the death of Robert Woolsey from kidney disease in 1938.

Arthur Vandenberg, Jr., 60. U.S. political aide. Mr. Vandenberg, the son of U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenberg (Republican--Michigan), served on his father's staff, and was national chairman of the Citizens for Eisenhower committee, promoting the candidacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. Mr. Vandenberg then served as appointments secretary to President-elect Eisenhower from November 1952-January 1953. A week before Mr. Eisenhower's inauguration, Mr. Vandenberg took a leave of absence, ostensibly because of stomach ulcers. It was later revealed that Mr. Vandenberg had failed to pass the security test because he was a sodomite. Mr. Vandenberg taught international relations at the University of Miami for several years, and then worked as a public relations consultant.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Mull of Kintyre--Wings (8th week at #1)

Died on this date
Carl Betz, 56. U.S. actor. He was known for his roles in the television series The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966) and Judd for the Defense (1967-1969), winning an Emmy Award for the latter series.

Diplomacy
President Anwar Sadat recalled the Egyptian delegation from peace talks in Jerusalem because, he reportedly told U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Israel was seeking "land and not peace."

Disasters
The $1.4 million roof of the Hartford Civic Center, home of the World Hockey Association's New England Whalers, caved in under 4.8 inches of wet snow. The building was empty and there were no injuries, although 5,000 people had been at a basketball game there just 6 hours earlier. The Whalers were forced to move their home games to Springfield, Massachusetts until the roof was repaired. According to the official report, design deficiencies caused the collapse.

25 years ago
1983

War
A British committee of inquiry issued a report that concluded that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's government could not have foreseen the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands the previous April, and that it could not attach "any criticism or blame" to the government for Argentina's action.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Faith--George Michael