December 7, 2008

200 years ago
1808

Politics and government
Voting concluded in the U.S. presidential election. Current Secretary of State and Democratic-Republican candidate James Madison earned 122 electoral votes (64.7% of the popular vote) to Federalist Party candidate Charles C. Pinckney, who earned 47 electoral votes (32.4% of the popular vote). Incumbent Vice President George Clinton received 6 electoral votes for President and was re-elected Vice President, receiving 113 of the Democratic-Republican electoral votes to 9 for John Langdon, while Mr. Madison and James Monroe each received 3 electoral votes for Vice President. Rufus King received all 47 Federalist Party electoral votes.

175 years ago
1833

Journalism
The journal L'Abeille Canadienne was first published in Montreal.

170 years ago
1838

Born on this date
Thomas Bent. Australian politician. Sir Thomas represented Brighton in the Victoria Legislative Assembly (1871-1894, 1900-1909), and was Premier of Victoria (1904-1909). He was known for enriching himself through corrupt dealings involving his property developments, which led to his demotion to the back benches for many years. Sir Thomas became leader of Victoria's Commonwealth Liberal Party and led them to electoral majorities in 1904 and 1907. He resigned as Premier in January 1909 after his government was defeated, and died on September 17, 1909 at the age of 70.

120 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Joyce Cary. U.K. author. Mr. Cary was known for novels such as Mister Johnson (1939); A House of Children (1941); and The Horse's Mouth (1944). He died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on March 29, 1957 at the age of 68.

Hamilton Fish III. U.S. politician. Mr. Fish, aka Hamilton Fish, Jr., the son of U.S. Representative Hamilton Fish II and grandson of Secretary of State Hamilton Fish, played football at Harvard University as a tackle, where he was a two-time All-American, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. As a Progressive, he sat in the New York State Assembly from 1914-1916, before serving in the United States Army during World War I. As a Republican, Mr. Fish represented New York's 26th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1920-1945. He was a staunch anti-Communist and isolationist, and was a prominent opponent of the policies of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr. Fish's riding was gerrymandered in 1944, and he was defeated when he ran for election in New York's 29th District. He died on January 18, 1991 at the age of 102.

110 years ago
1898

Transportation
The Crow's Nest Pass Railway was inaugurated, operating in British Columbia and what is now Alberta.

90 years ago
1918

Died on this date
Frank Wilson, 59. U.K.- born Australian politician. Mr. Wilson represented three different constituencies in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia at different times from 1897-1917, and served as Premier of Western Australia from 1910-1911 and 1916-1917. He died after a period of declining health.

80 years ago
1928

War
22 Bolivian guards were killed in a fight by soldiers of Bolivia and Paraguay in a frontier dispute in the Gran Chaco territory.

Crime
U.S. authorities seized two trunks full of narcotics, said to have a retail value of $2 million, on a Chicago-bound train at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. There were other arrests in New York City and Chicago. It was alleged that the drug seizure resulted from a tip found in the papers of a concern owned by gangster Arnold Rothstein, who had died on November 6, two days after being shot by an unknown assailant.

Academia
The Board of Trustees of Eureka College officially accepted the resignation of President Bert Wilson. President Wilson had submitted his resignation two weeks earlier, well before the five-day student strike that began on November 28, 1928. The 300-member student body was protesting attempts at cutting the budget by "streamlining" the academic program by dropping some majors and courses. While boycotting classes, the students conducted tutorials in residence halls and fraternity houses in order to keep up with their studies. One of the leaders of the protest was freshman Ronald Reagan, 17.

Economics and finance
The Chinese Council of State approved the new tariff, effective February 1, 1929-February 1, 1930.

60 years ago
1948

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a convention making genocide a crime in international law.

Politics and government
West Berlin's City Assembly named Social Democratic Party leader Ernst Reuter to serve as Mayor of Berlin until the first session of the newly-elected Assembly in January 1949.

Union Nationale candidate Warwick Fox, running unopposed, won a Quebec provincial by-election in Brome; the by-election was necessitated by the death of Mines Minister James Robinson.

Communications
The U.S.S.R. banned all mail deliveries from West Berlin to Soviet-occupied areas.

Law
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia upheld the right of an interstate bus company to segregate Negro passengers "providing there is no discrimination in the arrangement."

U.S. President Harry Truman approved a new manual for Army courts-martial allowing enlisted men to sit as court members.

Labour
800 workers and technicians went on strike in East Berlin power plants over political grievances and were given jobs in the city's western sectors.

50 years ago
1958

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Murder Me Twice, starring Phyllis Thaxter and Tom Helmore

Space
The U.S. lunar probe Pioneer 3 fell back to Earth, 38 hours after launch from Cape Canaveral, and after failing to achieve lunar orbit. The spacecraft did succeed in obtaining information about the Van Allen radiation belts.

World events
The North Korean government announced that it had detained 42 South Korean fishermen aboard seven boats captured in North Korean waters.

Politics and government
Democratic Action (AD) candidate Rómulo Betancourt was elected President of Venezuela, taking 49.2% of the vote to 34.6% for Democratic Republican Union (URD)-Communist Party (PCV)-Independent National Electoral Movement (MENI) candidate Wolfgang Larrazábal and 16.2% for Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independiente (COPEI) (Independent Political Electoral Organization Committee)-Republican Integration (IR)-Socialist Workers Party (PST) candidate Rafael Caldera. Democratic Action retained its majorities ini congressional elections, but with reduced totals in both houses. AD won 73 of 132 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, a decrease of 10 from before the election. URD was next with 34, an increase of 30. COPEI won 18--an increase of 2; and the Communist Party won 7, an increase of 4. AD won 32 of 51 Senate seats, a decrease of 6. URD was next with 11, an increase of 10. COPEI won 6--an increase of 2: and the Communists increased from 1 seat to 2. Democratic Action received 49.45% of the vote in the congressional elections, with the Democratic Republican Union receiving 26.76%, COPEI 15.20%, and the Communists 6.23%.

Voters in West Berlin gave Social Democratic and Christian Democratic Union candidates nearly 90% support in local elections. Socialist Unity (Communist) Party candidates won less than 2% of the vote.

Left-wing Revolutionary Party candidate Luis Fernando Galich was elected Mayor of Guatemala City, the country's most important political post after the presidency.

The U.S. Democratic Advisory Council issued a draft legislative program calling for stronger civil rights legislation; curbs on Senate filibusters; federal aid for school construction; federal scholarships for college students; and liberalization of immigration laws.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Hey Jude/Revolution--The Beatles (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Little Arrows--Leapy Lee (4th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Le Temps des Fleurs--Ivan Rebroff

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Applausi--I Camaleonti (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Good, the Bad and the Ugly--Hugo Montenegro, his Orchestra and Chorus (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Eloise--Barry Ryan (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Love Child--Diana Ross and the Supremes (2nd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Eloise--Barry Ryan
2 Lea--The Cats
3 Just a Little Bit of Peace in My Heart--Golden Earrings
4 Battle Hymn of the Republic--Andy Williams
5 My Little Lady--The Tremeloes
6 Red Red Wine--Peter Tetteroo
7 Heidschi Bumbeidschi--Heintje
8 White Room--Cream
9 Jezamine--The Casuals
10 Jerushala'im Shel Zahav--Rika Zarai

Singles entering the chart were Nothing But a Heartache by the Flirtations (#38) and Hair by Zen (#40). Hair was a version of the title song of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Love Child--Diana Ross and the Supremes (3rd week at #1)
2 Magic Carpet Ride--Steppenwolf
3 Abraham, Martin and John--Dion
4 For Once in My Life--Stevie Wonder
5 Stormy--Classics IV
6 Who's Making Love--Johnnie Taylor
7 Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin
8 Both Sides Now--Judy Collins
9 Chewy Chewy--Ohio Express
10 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell

Singles entering the chart were I'm Gonna Make You Love Me by Diana Ross and the Supremes & the Temptations (#58); Isn't it Lonely Together by O.C. Smith (#73); Worst that Could Happen by Brooklyn Bridge (#77); Season of the Witch (Part 1) by the Vanilla Fudge (#79); Everyday People by Sly & the Family Stone (#88); Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love) by the Delfonics (#89); The Dance at St. Francis by Barracuda (#95); I Put a Spell on You by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown (#99); and I've Gotta Be Me by Sammy Davis, Jr. (#100). I Put a Spell on You was the other side of Nightmare, charting at #74. I've Gotta Be Me was a version of the song from the Broadway musical Golden Rainbow (1968).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Little Arrows--Leapy Lee
2 Abraham, Martin and John--Dion
3 Revolution/Hey Jude--The Beatles
4 Elephant Candy--The Fun and Games
5 Beyond the Clouds--The Poppy Family
6 Cinnamon--Derek
7 Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)--Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
8 Shake--The Shadows of Knight
9 Love Child--Diana Ross and the Supremes
10 I'm Into Lookin' for Someone to Love Me--Bobby Vee
Pick hit of the week: White Houses--Eric Burdon and the Animals

Died on this date
George Moseley Murphy, 65. U.S. scientist. Dr. Murphy was co-discoverer of deuterium (heavy water).

Nat Hiken, 54. U.S. television writer and director. Mr. Hiken created the television comedy series You'll Never Get Rich (later renamed The Phil Silvers Show), which aired from 1955-1959; and Car 54, Where Are You?, which ran from 1961-1963. Mr. Hiken also wrote the theme song for the latter series. He died of a heart attack shortly after directing the movie The Love God?, starring Don Knotts, which was released in 1969.

Space
The United States launched Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO)-2 "Stargazer" from Cape Kennedy, Florida. It carried 11 ultraviolet telescopes.

War
U.S. combat deaths in Vietnam since January 1, 1961 topped 30,000 during the week that ended on this date.

Disasters
17 men on a U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender died when the craft collided with a Nationalist Chinese freighter in the Mississippi River near Whitecastle, Louisiana.

Seven people drowned when a fishing boat sank in rough seas off Beaufort, North Carolina.

Boxing
Lionel Rose (32-2) of Australia retained his world bantamweight title with a 15-round split decision over Chucho Castillo (34-7) at the Forum in Inglewood, California, despite being knocked down in the 10th round. The decision angered many in the pro-Castillo crowd, and a riot began; fires were set, debris thrown into the ring, and cars overturned in the parking lot. 14 fans and referee Dick Young required hospitalization to attend to injuries received during the riot. Ironically, Mr. Young had been the only official to decide the fight in favour of Mr. Castillo.



Frankie Narvaez (36-9-1) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Adrian Davis (8-8) in a welterweight bout at National Maritime Union Hall in New York. Each fighter recorded a knockdown.

30 years ago
1978

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Expectations

Politics and government
Former Manitoba Premier Ed Schreyer was named Governor General of Canada; he took office on January 22, 1979, and served until 1984.

25 years ago
1983

Britannica
Fred Dibnah, Great Britain's chief steeplejack, was interrupted in his work by a tomcat that had climbed to the top of a 160-foot industrial chimney.

Disasters
92 people were kiled when two Spanish jetliners collided on a runway at Madrid's Barajas Airport.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Sarah--Mauro Scocco (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Our Miss White

Diplomacy
Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, meeting in Sweden with a delegation of five American Jews, said that the PLO accepted Israel and condemned terrorism.

Disasters
25,000 people were killed and 12,000 families left homeless after an earthquake struck Armenia.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
John Addison, 78. U.K.-born composer and conductor. Mr. Addison composed music for films and television programs. He won the Academy Award for his score for Tom Jones (1963). His other film scores included those for Torn Curtain (1966); The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976); and A Bridge Too Far (1977). Mr. Addison won an Emmy Award for the theme music for the television series Murder, She Wrote (1984).

Martin Rodbell, 73. U.S. biochemist and endocrinologist. Dr. Rodbell shared the 1984 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Alfred G. Gilman for "their discovery of G-proteins and the role of these proteins in signal transduction in cells." He died of multiple organ failure after an extended illness, six days after his 73rd birthday.